Fantastic Four

Today Sharon and I ran the "Fantastic Four" 4 mile race. It was in Paris and started at the track at HCHS. It was a great race and we were very pleased with our times. We finished in 36:35ish. That is faster than our first 5K in which we crossed the finish line in 36:56! Sharon was the first female in the 40 and above age group to cross the finish line! She won a trophy! I placed third in my age division. I will never catch KL! She has superhuman running powers :) Maybe someday!

Grrrrr

I have been wondering what happens when you get past 99 minutes on the treadmill. I found out today! I have run that length of time before, but I usually stop for a bathroom break and loose all of my stats on the treadmill. I didn't stop today. I was "in the zone" today for my long run. For me what that really means is zoning out :) My body is running but my mind is elsewhere. I had the strangest sensation - as if I was falling, or losing my balance. I thought for a split second that my legs were giving out. Wrong . . . the treadmill STOPS after 99 minutes. I couldn't believe it. I had another 2.66 miles to go for my long run of 11.5 today. I had to start all over - ALL numbers back at zero. Luckily, a friend came to the gym and we talked for a few minutes. My 2.66 miles went by pretty quickly. And if you were wondering - that number on the far right - 1089 - that's the number of calories I burned in 99 minutes. Don't get too excited . . . that might just cover the amount of Reeses Pieces I've eaten this week.
Two tips for this week: 1)My friend who I saw at the gym told me she and her friends ate gummy fruit snacks while they were training on their long run days for quick carbs. She said the packages fit perfectly in your pocket. AND they taste much better than those energy gels. 2)Body Glide anti-chafe balm is my best friend on long runs

New PR!

Sharon and I ran in Camden on Saturday - The Runnin' Red Devils 5K. It was a very cloudy and cool morning. Both of us were expecting a warmer day. I wore shorts and short sleeves and was quite chilly as the race began. Once I started running, I forgot about being cold because my Nike+ malfunctioned. I had it all synced up, ready to go. The race director shouted "GO!" and I pushed the button on my Ipod to start it. . . nothing but silence. UGH . . . I might have mentioned before that I despise running without my music because I can't stand to hear myself huffing and puffing. I knew there was no way I could finish a 3.1 mile race without it. I decided as I was running to take my Ipod off of my arm and reboot it. I have a hard time rebooting it when I am standing still :) I was determined to at least get some music if Nike+ was going to fail me (if you are not familiar with Nike+ it is a device that measures distance, pace, time, and calories burned). I scrolled around until I found my most recent 5K playlist. I clicked it and THANK GOODNESS, Chariots of Fire blared away. I put my Ipod back on my arm - still running, mind you, and was set. There was a pretty big hill at the beginning of the race, but the downhill that followed made it worth while. Sharon mentioned after the race how good it felt to lengthen her stride while flying down that hill. I was thinking the same thing! It felt great! We made it to the first mile marker in 8:50. That's right! Amy Steelman ran an 8:50 mile. Holy cow. I was very pleased! The rest of the race was pretty uneventful with the exception of getting passed by a man pushing a baby in a stroller! That kills me! I felt tired and didn't ever really feel like I was in "the zone." I kept thinking, "How much longer????" Which, for me is a negative that I kept trying to replace with, "I can, I will, I am," and things of that nature :) I was thrilled to see this ending point! Sharon and I turned a corner and we could see the clock. I kept squinting and trying to see that time . . . I decided the first number was a 27! I've never seen anything under 30 that close to the finish line! No wonder I felt "uncomfortable!" I crossed the finish line in 28:14! Sharon took off at the end and finished in 28:12. We were very pleased! She placed first in her age group, and I placed 3rd in mine. We both earned a medal! How exciting!It was definitely worth feeling uncomfortable to earn a PR and to place in a race!
By the way, I have run two 11-mile runs for my long runs the last two weeks. The lady at the front desk said I was very popular and people kept asking who I was. How funny is that??? I have also earned a black toenail and a chafed thigh. I think I am a real runner!