Sunday's run/walk and a little more...

Sunday Jen and I, along with Shelly the Swedish Trainer (Inge) started out on the 10 mile run/walk thru the "east" side of Vandalia. It was cold. Very cold. But the sun was coming out and the wind wasn't too terrible. I was with my BFFAE and my Swedish Trainer. Life is good.

We started with a mile walk warm-up that crossed us to E. Alkaline Springs, just past the high school and that's where the run began. All the way to Spartan. It was more than a mile. (Oh and I might add, there was no way we were walking across the 75 bridge...holy scariness. We threw on the head phones and ran!!!!!!!! )  We had never walked this way (and that term is used loosely). It was really neat. The houses are not the typical ranch that Jen and I are used to seeing on the "west" side of Vandalia. They are these cute bungalows! I love these houses! Reminds me of my Grandma Mac's house when I was growing up...such fond memories.  Anyhow. Continued around to Spartan where I had strategically planned a water stop at our friend Beth's house...I texted her the night before and asked if she could leave 3 water bottles outside for us as we would be running her way the next morning and would be in need of water. And low and behold, THERE IT WAS! Time to stop and drink a little.  They were BIG water bottles too. She totally came through! These weren't the Kroger water bottles that I had expected. These were the BIG water bottles with the squirt cap and all! She is the best!  And this is where we get lost...

I am not too familiar with this side of town...I can get to 2 houses...Beth's and Coach O'Cull's. That's it. I wish I knew more people over there. It is so quiet and peaceful. And woodsy. And pretty. And tree-lined streets. And rolling hills.  Well, kinda rolling hills. It's boring on the west side. Enough said.

We gazed at yards with landscaping that was to die for! Houses that were for sale, and sadly some that were most likely in foreclosure. I was just looking at real estate the other day at houses that were for sale. See, aside from running a half, another "bucket list" dream is to flip houses. But I digress.

I knew the names of the streets that we were supposed to follow according to my MapMyRun map that I had planned the week before, but I forgot to write down which way we were supposed to turn. So we walked and gazed. And somehow ended up where we were supposed to. Brown School Road. Right. By. Bunkers. Yum. Cross National. Boo.  

 But this kinda where it got fun! We ran past the POOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH......

It was empty. The chairs are piled up. The umbrellas aren't ready. 

Turning the bend and heading back up Wollenhaupt, I think, we hear a BEEP BEEP....guess who that is out stalking us...KELLY (and Chloe the dog)!!!!!!!!!!!  Thank goodness too cause all 3 of us needed a tissue!  That was too stinking funny! She talked us thru this last bit and turned off to head back home. Her kids thought she was ridiculous for stalking us. We thought it was perfect! 

Back down Brown School to National. Bunkers. Yum. No cash. No credit card. Next time. We. Stop. And eat. Bunkers.YUM.

So back down National Road. Just past Awful Waffle, I get this RIDICULOUS BOUT OF ENERGY! The GU CHOMPS must have kicked in (by the way...those are awesome!). I look at Inge and Jen and say, "I gotta run. I just gotta run. I can feel it. I gotta run." Shelly takes my water bottle and I go. My thoughts are just running wild with me. I am a bird. I am soaring. I am like the wind in an open field. I am just gliding. WOW! The energy.  The adrenaline. WOW! I don't have to stop for lights or cars....the traffic gods are with me! I get to just past the old Morton and I just stop. Now I am pissed at myself. There is a slight incline. But I stopped.  I think Jen and Inge are happy about that too. LOL!

And we continue our way back home. Inge (Shelly) heads down Helke to her home, Jen and I head back to our homes. Nice run. But tired. And sore. The time sucked. That's okay. We did it. We got out there on a cold, wet, Sunday morning, and did it. 

I think time will be better on race day. We will be in a "compete" mode. Although we are only competing with our egos as we are just setting the goal of completion before they close the route! LOL! No, seriously, I really want to complete the 1/2 in under 3:15. There I said. Now it's out there. Crap.

The rest of Sunday was a semi-lazy day. I had to go to the grocery. Put some more mulch somewhere else in my yard (this stuff is NEVER-ENDING!). Pick up around the house. Take a nap. Yep. You got that. Put on my fancy boots and laid down for a short nap. It felt so good. I just needed a rest. 

2 Days. 13 miles. 6:30am wake both days. I. Was. Exhausted. 

I rested Monday (baseball practice at the batting cages). I am resting tonight (Tuesday). But only because I am attending the VBCSD Board Meeting to find out what is going on in our schools. Wednesday, I will hit the pavement (or dreadmill, it's supposed to rain :-( ). One more long run Saturday morning (maybe 8...). But I need to log some more mile this week. I was rather impressed with what I did last week!

Only 10 days, and counting, till the half...

Just another race...

with a PERSONAL RECORD SET AGAIN!!!!!!!!  

Yeah, so remember how I said it was just another race and it was a last minute thing, well, I had my BEST TIME! And I won a door prize!

58 TAMI HENDERSON      VANDALIA OH        F 37   6/8      38:48 12:30

I DID THAT!!!!! A-M-A-ZING!!!!

And it was a hard fight too for that...rolling hills, cold, wet, windy, a fellow runner that thought I needed paced and I had to dodge her for about a mile until I finally stopped, she stopped and I yelled at her to "GO I DO NOT NEED A PACER!"

I know...I know...not good running etiquette but COME ON! She has seen me at numerous races, most of which I have ran by myself, she sees me out and about running, AND she knew I was training for a half in 2 weeks because I TOLD HER!

Why in the world would she think I would need a pacer or that I needed or WANTED someone to run with me??!?!?! If I did WANT a pacer, like Shelly the Swedish Trainer, then I would have asked. AND a trainer does not keep looking over their shoulder and when you TRY to pass them they run in front of you and cut you off...JUST SAYING...

At any rate. When it was all said and done, it was my best time by mile and finish. 

Tomorrow is the big LONG RUN! 10 miles...wonder if it will end up being more like 11 or 12...Guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

 

OH! And a HUGE CONGRATS TO MY FRIEND CRISTEN for her 3rd place in our age division!!!! So extremely proud and excited for her and that I could be there for her today!!!

Looking forward to my long run tomorrow...I even lined up water stops at a friends house along the route! CAUSE I AM AWESOME LIKE THAT!!! 

Run Strong.

It's been a busy week!

Since Sunday, but not including Sunday, I have logged 11.86 miles, according to the un-trusty iPod Nike+ GPS app. I would venture to say it's more like 13 miles....but we won't get too technical :)

I rested Wednesday, although it really wasn't much rest since I mowed, mulched, did some other yard work, housework and lots of other stuff. I just didn't run. And that made me kinda sad. I think I am becoming one of those people that feels "guilty" when I don't run. Rut-Rog!

I am also going to rest tonight. Although, if the weather permits, I may move the rest of the mulch out of my driveway and that will require some walking...and lifting...and spreading...and who knows what else. Although the thought of a quick little, maybe 2 mile run, is sounding more appealing...  

Randomly signed up for a 5k tomorrow. The Smith Middle School Spirit 5k or something like that. It will benefit the school. A school in which Nate doesn't attend, but a school nonetheless. And my friend Cristen is doing it so what the heck! I say random because I literally JUST SIGNED UP THIS PAST MONDAY! Thinking about it, I have this "eh, just another race" mentality. Which is totally odd for me.  Normally I would be planning my outfit, making sure everything is ready to go for the morning, and all these other "pre-race rituals" I do the day before a race. I think I'm so "whatever" about it because BFFAE isn't doing it with me. I have only done one other race with her and that was the 5k I did with my dad on his birthday last year in Akron. It was my WORST time ever.  I actually came in 2nd to last...and the only reason I wasn't last was because my dad (who ran 12 minute miles at the time) let me cross the mat first (love him!) So, maybe that's why I am so "whatever" about it...BFFAE won't be there....my dad won't be there to not let me finish last....I don't really have any commitment to it (I haven't even paid yet)...or maybe it's because this will be my last 5k race before the BIG RACE in 14 days...  (yeah, that's the reason I'm sure...)

What I do know, and have been thinking a lot about lately (cause I have ran more this week than I ever recall running in a single week), is that I am pretty pumped about this 1/2. I'm excited more than anything. And I can't explain the excitement other than I just want it here and I just want to do it! The confidence comes from the 11 mile WALK on Sunday, the 12+ miles I RAN this week, and the 10 mile RUN/WALK BFFAE and I are doing on Sunday!  Oh, and the fact that the AMAZING Dr. Prikkel said I am doing everything great! And he did use this AMAZING thingie on my back yesterday that felt like one of those massaging/vibrating chairs! IT WAS AMAZING! 

So, I will post my run results tomorrow after Nate's baseball game. We are missing the OSU Spring Game this year and he is not happy about that, but I am getting a run in, so I AM HAPPY ABOUT THAT! HEHEHEE!!!!

run. run. run.

CONFESSION...and some REALIZATION

You all see my FB posts regarding my runs and workouts. You see when I check-in at the gym, or the Rec Center. You see how far I go and what my time is. You see it all. I know. What I didn't know is how many of you take me so serious. 

Yesterday, Sunday 4/15/12, I set out to do 10 miles. I ended up doing 11, according to the UN-trusting iPod Nike app. But I did it. BFFAE Jen did it as well and so did our other "RunnerGirl friend who dresses in pink" Katie. BFFAE and I wanted to do this, and I had to do it, to see what high mileage at once would feel like on our bodies; if we could go that far; how long it would take us; and a plethora of other reasons. I, for one, wanted to see how my feet would feel. I was concerned about my feet. 

What I failed to mention in that post on FB once it was completed, and here comes the  

 CONFESSION... 

WE DID NOT RUN THOSE 11 MILES. We walked. We walked very fast. So fast that the last 2 miles or so I had to do a little jog to catch up with them and then continued jogging to stay up with them for brief moments. 

And since yesterday, I have been disappointed. Remorseful. Regretful. I didn't run. And I feel like I led everyone astray thinking I did. At any point I could have posted and said I didn't run. That I actually walked it. Power walked. And jogged the last 1-2 miles intermittently. But I didn't. And why didn't I????? All day my phone dinged with notifications on FB. 

I was tired! I. Was. Tired. My feet were a little sore, but not too terribly bad. But I was tired. 

And here is the REALIZATION....

It was a great 11 mile WALK, if you prefer. It was refreshing. It was confidence boosting. It was insightful to what that half is going to feel like. It was also insightful, only after the fact, to the realization that I can do this. 

And I can tell you this...I will do this. I will run this. I will defy the odds and finish strong. If only to make it up to all my friends and family and followers and supporters (F3S) for the deceit I feel like I portrayed in that 11 miles on Sunday, April 15, 2012. I may not run all of it, but I will run it.

And I will be out running 3x this week, a minimum of 4 miles each run. And it will be a run. For me. 

CCRG stated so perfectly for me when I left her a message on her FB page...

"There are no rules on how fast it must take you to get to where you want to go! Only you and letting others pace dictate your own happiness with your running. You are just as amazing as me and I run 8min miles and I am just as amazing as the elite that runs them in 6min miles! We all give 100% and when I run a race- We say "Run Strong" Your Strong Tami- whatever it is on that day- cause that day is not here yet! Ok- You have time to keep getting stronger- each long run prepares you more and more! You reached your goal and surpassed it and that is GREAT and now because you pushed your legs and runnergirl heart you will be even stronger on the next long run! "

And so on my next long run this coming weekend, whether it be 8 or 10 or 11, I will push myself to do this. And I will RUN MORE in those miles than I did this past weekend because  

I KNOW I CAN! Because I am STRONG.

One month and counting...

29 days, 13 hours, 40 minutes and counting....

Had a great appointment with the AMAZING Dr. Prikkel! So, at my last appointment, he made a copy of my "cults" half marathon training plan. I thought he just wanted to see what "those girls" had gotten me into (he is long-time running friends with them!). Little did I know that he would make notes on it and give it back to me today with instructions and suggestions as to how to get ready for this 1/2; all the while telling me that there are plenty of other 1/2 Marathons that I can do so that I am trained properly for it. But at any rate, he gave me notes. If nothing else to just get my feet and ankles ready for 13.1 miles. To sum it up it goes a little like this... LR 8, 10, 11, RACE...that's the Long Runs that I need to do... In between those runs (which occur on the weekend) are "speedwork runs" that need to occur 3x a week and range between 3-5 miles...and then there are the tempo runs which I haven't quite figured out, but will just do more interval running during the week....oh, and then a 30 minute easy run or cross-fit exercise regimen (I'm going for the Cardio Boot Camp).

So with that said, I left work early today, came home, changed clothes, and Shelly the Swedish Trainer and her lovely daughter met me at my house for a run. It was a short run.  Or so the Nike app indicates to me....2.90 miles, 14:09/mile, 41:05. Not great. Not bad. I am going to MapMyRun and really check the route....I don't trust that app anymore!  (shake shake Cristen!)

I am going to run this weekend. Whether it be on the treadmill (for some interval), or on the road (for some LR). 

It's no longer a fear of finishing the race, because I will (we will). It's something else. And I am going to figure it out. Or at least think about it. On the next run. Tomorrow night. I kinda miss the treadmill a little.  I've missed running. A lot.
 
P.S. Check out my last post...I added a picture of my BFFAE and I crossing the finish line...I think I was doing some sort of dance or something. Maybe THAT's why she beat me by a second!

And I am back at it!

WITH A VENGEANCE!

I participated in the No Buts About It 5k Run/Walk yesterday (Saturday). First race in 3 weeks, actually, first real RUN in 3 weeks too. Geared up with new/old shoes (the Asics!), a new sports bra, my SLAM, SPARK, O2 Gold, my BFFAE Jen and I was Born to Run! (insert song here). Had my morning talk with my dad while picking Jen up to find out that they were not running that day (injuries) and that Jen and I would have to carry them on this race.

So the race starts. I feel great. iPod is torquing me off of course...guess it was mad at me for not using it in a while...Whatever.

So Jen and I are running together! I cannot even begin to express the excitement about this! She got me into the running, especially the 5k's. But we have never ran a race together. We have started together, but she runs faster, steadier. I am not fast, nor steady. But on this particular Saturday 5k, I asked if we were doing this together and staying together. And she nodded in earnest. I was THRILLED! So, we are progressing thru. First mile done. She looks at me and asks if I am okay, is my foot okay, do I want to walk. YUP! YUP! NOPE! Let's keep running! And we do. We did stop and walk a little. I was then asking if she was okay (thinking back to the Harrigan's run...). She nods. We start running again.

And then after we turn this corner, almost 1/2 way thru it, I get this ridiculous bout of energy and craziness and start running like the po-po are chasing me (no, I don't know what that's really like, only what I have seen and heard!) My speed kicked up. And I mean KICKED UP! That was cool. The adrenaline was amazing. And then I remembered, JEN!!!!!!!! So I slowed down until she caught up. All good.

We walk a little more. We run more! She's a little ahead of me, maybe 3 paces, I could still reach out and touch her if I had to. I nod for her to go ahead...she slows down for me to catch up. I do. We can see the finish line. Our pace picks up. I think we are racing. Who is gonna cross the finish line first? Noooooo, we cross it TOGETHER! Stomping. On. Every. Single. Mat. Together. Somehow she still beat me by 1 sec. Whatever. I will get her back next time! HEHEHEHE!

24	Jennifer Corwin	Vandalia	608	39	283	41:35.2	42:02.9	13:25/M
25	Tami Henderson	Vandalia	213	37	285	41:36.8	42:03.0	13:25/M

So riddle me this....

My pace stayed the same (13:25/M), but my time was more than a minute longer than my previous race (41:35.8 vs 40:12.5). 

ARGH! I mean, really though, I can't complain toooo terribly much...I was not training AT ALL for the last 3 weeks...I did 1 Boot Camp class and one 2.6 mile run...saw the AMAZING Dr. Prikkel for some adjustments and therapy for my PF. So, I guess I can handle the time, my pace didn't get decrease... :-)

So, post race...no illness (ahem, Jen). My foot wasn't shooting with pain! However, the day was not completely pain-free :-(   But I iced, rolled my golf ball, put my boots on for a good hour, iced and rolled some more, boots some more. And continue that today. But that's okay. It's a work in progress.

However, the thought did cross my mind as to what I am going to feel like after 13.1 miles...and that thought is plaguing me right now...