Back in the Saddle...

(Editors Note: This blog is published late because not only does the writer procrastinate running, she also procrastinates writing about running) 


Or... The Good News and the Bad News......

First, the good news... I can run again!

My quacky doctor ordered another X-ray and has said my toe is healed. He also said that I can go back to my normal activities, including running, but starting off easy.
I know it's not my doctor's fault that I broke my toe. But he certainly made me run the wickets of Army bureaucracy before letting me know that I was cleared to run. I will spare you the rants on the Army medical system and all of it's woes. The good news is that I can get back to running

Now, the bad news....I am so out of shape!

Despite my best intentions, I really fell off the fitness wagon. I gave up any extra exercise just before Christmas and haven't really regained any schedule. So, once again I find myself just beginning to be a resolutionary deep into February. I'm really frustrated, because my 2012 racing season seemed so promising and now I feel like I'm starting right back at square one. It seems like my goals for 2012 look mysteriously like my goals at the beginning of 2011.

• Drop 10 pounds
• Qualify for Boston
• Run 1200 miles for the year
• Eat like an athlete
• Keep weekly mileage at least 20 miles per week
• Take speed work seriously
• Keep better records
• Become more flexible
• Practice Yoga
• Become more athletically diverse
• Blog weekly 

 Even though I cracked last year's 1,000 mile goal  early, it still seems like a repeat of the last two years.

I'm trying not to become discouraged, but admittedly it's hard. So this weeks small goal is to rededicate myself to my fitness goals. I hope that by the end of the month fitness is a solid part of my life again.

In Summation: Goals=Unrealized; Blog=Dusty; Eating Habits=Grotesque; Yoga Practice=Non-Existent; Faith in Mankind=Hanging out on Heartbreak Hill

10k Double Header Weekend....Part One 5th Annual Reindeer Run!...

...Or Cheated Out of a PR...

I joined a running group, called Those Crazy Runner's of Fayetteville. I read on their FaceBook page that quite a few people were going to two local 10ks back to back. While this sounded like fun, the idea of waking up early both days of the weekend did not sound appetizing to me at all. But, on a whim I decided to go for it. Mighty Mouse wouldn't be joining me, as he had to pull 24-hour duty. He's a good motivator and his extreme punctuality normally keeps me on my toes.
I decided to get on it with it and drug myself out of bed and made the effort to get myself to Aberdeen by 730 in time for registration. However, effort is the key word in that statement, because I really, really cut it close. I arrived 10 minutes before registration closed. I encountered a very, cranky race volunteer who took my registration form, shoved a t-shirt and a race number toward me and sent me on my way. I met up with four folks from the running group and we danced around trying to stay warm.

Again, I chose to wear capri pants and long-sleeved shirt. I was absolutely freezing at the start. I couldn't wait to start running.

I headed toward the starting point and wiggled my way into the crowd. I was a little confused as to whether or not I was at the start for the 10k or the 5k so I had to ask someone next to me. Even though two other runners assured me I was in the right place, I wasn't completely convinced. Either way, I took off whenever everyone else started moving.

There is a growing trend where I don't know really when the actual race starts and I'm considering trying to start closer to the front. This is a bit of a sticky wicket, because I also dislike getting passed and I figure quite a few people starting further back will actually end up wiping me out. I'm not sure if I want to make this change.

So, I ran past the Santa that started the race still not confident that I took off with the 10k crowd. I pushed forward anyway and hoped for the best.

I stayed frozen for the first two miles and was feeling slightly better when I noticed the pack I was running in hooked it right following the 10k path. I got caught up in my music on my iPod and plugged forward, it became slightly hilly around mile four and I hoped this wasn't a repeat performance of last week's hilly half.

I discovered that I really, really enjoy the little village of Aberdeen, NC. It's a little more country than it's neighbors Southern Pines and Pinehurst, but has a really quaint feel about it. Plus, it has a caboose in it's town center.

The run started to snake through an old cemetery and the sun really started to beam down. I was now way, way too hot. In fact I was uncomfortably hot and I couldn't wait for the race to be over.

I pushed through the last mile and found myself on the street that led me into town. I was excited to be nearly done and I tried to pick up the pace, thinking that maybe I would medal in such a small race.

It was a downhill finish and when I came across the finish line I inhaled some fake snow that they had blowing around, it was pretty disgusting. Also, the finish line clock seemed to be displaying the 5k finish times, which renewed my wrong start-point fears.

According to my GPS I ran a 48:34 averaging a 7:44 minute mile. This isn't too shabby for me, and it was closer to my goal time of 48 minutes so I was pretty pleased. I collected my water bottle and a bottle of water and headed toward the finish line hoping to find some others from the group.

Finally I caught up with some others near the race results postings and discovered that my official time was not recorded, because I didn't receive the right race number, the one I was given did not have a timing chip in it. WTF?! I also discovered I was not given a schwag bag at registration. Double WTF!?  I officially hate this race! Especially since according to my records, 48:34 would be a PR for me and now it hasn't even been officially recorded! Triple WTF?! I found this whole race to be completely annoying.

What was great is that my running group friends were completely supportive and commiserated with me. The other good news was that one of our members earned a medal so we stuck around for the ceremony. Here I discovered that even if my time was recorded it wasn't fast enough to earn me an age-group medal. So the only thing I really missed out on was having the race 'count.' I figured at least I had witnesses.

If it wasn't for the logistical errors that this race offered, I would have really enjoyed it. So, I guess the lesson learned here, is not to leave registration for the last minute. I will no longer do race site registration. The best thing was that this was my first race with 'Those Crazy Runners of Fayetteville" and it was a great experience! It was awesome to have others to commiserate with with at the end of a race and share the successes and the gripes. We all headed to The Cracker Barrel afterward for a fat girl's breakfast!

In Summation: The Town of Aberdeen=Quaint; Reindeer Run= Could Have Been Awesome; Frazzled Race Volunteers Who Make Mistakes=Annoying as Hell PR=Awesome; PRs that Aren't Officially Recorded=UNAwesome; Those Crazy Runners of Fayetteville=AWESOME; Faith in Mankind=Hanging Out with Unused Race Day Materials, Like My Chip-Timed Race Number

Sandhills...Sand Trap...

...Or...the First Loser Again...

The 15th Annual Joint Special Operations 10k Run
This race was held on Fortress Bragg. Because of my aversion to going on to post during the weekend and other things I was avoiding this race. But, at the last minute I decided to sign up.
I also convinced my anti-social running partner Mighty Mouse, to come along. We have already planned to run a 1/2 Marathon next weekend, so this was going to be our first racing experience together.

The race started at 8 am and we came up with a solid meeting plan and showed up out at McKellar's Lodge at 730 am. There were many more people there than we anticipated and we had a long walk to pick up our race packets and t-shirts. I was slightly concerned that we wouldn't have time to make it back to the start in time for the gun. So lesson learned, no matter how arbitrary it may seem to me, I have to show up to a race at least an hour early to feel comfortable.

Also, unless it's summer, I never feel like I'm dressed appropriately. Mostly, I'm too cold in the beginning and too hot mid-race. I have yet to find a happy medium. It's also confusing to me that sweating like a pig is okay in the summer, but in the other seasons I can't tolerate it. I settled on capri tights and a light-weight, long-sleeved top

On with the race!
From my previous time on Fortress Bragg, I vaguely remembered where the trail for this run was located, and remembered that the majority of it would be on a sandy path. I didn't really think too much about it as MM and I made our way toward the the front of the pack at the starting line. When it was time we set off at a pace which felt a little fast for me, but I decided to try to stick with it thinking I was just cold.

MM got out in front of me right away, claiming he was running our normal 8-minute pace. Although the beginning of the trail was packed sand, I had trouble keeping up, and was chasing the soles of MM shoes in the first mile.

MM stayed about 50 meters in front of me and I continued to try to close the gap, until we rounded the corner around mile two and I huge sandy hill loomed in front of us. The sand was really thick and loose and was bogging down my stride. MM was un-phased and powered up the hill. When I reached the top of the hill, MM was nearly 100 meters in front, and he turned around to retrieve me....
Not only was this unbelievable, it was mortifying to me.
MM, of course just thought he was being supportive and decided that it would be a bad idea to employ this tactic again.
I just could not keep up with him. No matter how hard I tried I just felt overly exhausted and the sand just kept bogging me down and making my legs heavy. The deep sand was killing me and I was struggling. I was passing some people who attempted to bring strollers on the course and I was really feeling sorry for them!
The original goal was to run an even 48 minutes, however, that is not what happened. I was lucky to push out an 8:07 pace and ended up running a 50:30. Not too bad, but still not the goal.
MM finished just ahead of me and we collected our finishers coin. We were both still freezing, so MM ushered me past the food and water and we headed straight for our vehicles.
Even though it was just a 10k, I felt pretty terrible after my shower and a massive headache had set in. All means of water, caffeine and even aspirin, didn't kick it and I ended up sleeping most of the day.

It wasn't even until later that evening when I logged onto my computer did I find out I won second place in my age category by reading my running group's facebook page. Thanks Brian Dolan!
I was pretty surprised because 50:30 wasn't even a PR for me!

The next day at work, I contacted the race director and he agreed to meet me to pass of my medal.

In Summation: Race wear=a Science; Racing with MM=a Little Strange; Sandy Trails=Unfavorable; Oddly Tired=Unpleasant; Winning Second Place=Nice!; Missing Medal Ceremony=No Fun; Headaches=No Fun; Running Group=Awesome! Faith in Mankind=Buried Under Some Fort Bragg Pine Straw