SLO in Arkansas: Running

Here are some random finish line pictures from my last two 5k's. I ran these the past back to back weekends, which I find amusing seeing the time differences! The slower time was just an awful race. I didn't decide to run it until the night before, so I really wasn't mentally ready to race. Then it was pouring down rain the whole time, and it was part trail run. I don't do off road trail running, so this was NOT fun. Since I have had two knee surgeries and have two bad ankles, picking my way over rocks and uneven terrain is about the last thing I should be doing. Luckily it was just for one mile, but enough to make me never want to run another one again! The reason my time was so bad was that I got lost in the woods:) Yeah. Well, not really lost per se, but misdirected by the course person! The trail was a bit unclear and I was sent the wrong direction and ended up running about a quarter mile extra as a result. At one point me and another guy were just standing there while two race officials tried to figure out where we needed to go. Needless to say it ruined my time completely, but oh well. It was a race for a good cause and I learned not to run on trails anymore! I do like this picture because it shows me blowing past this guy at the end. Since this race was sponsored by my work, I earned some definite bragging rights at the office and get to make fun of co-workers who got beat by a girl:)

The top picture is my finish from this Saturday morning. It was my new personal record!!! Once again I am totally freaked out by how evenly matched my training partner Amy and I are!! Look at our finish in this race! We hit the line at the same time:) I think out of the three races we have run together there may be only one or two seconds difference in our times combined. That is just really crazy to me:) Anyway, these aren't the prettiest pictures, but hey, at least I finished and I am improving. I think my pace for this last race was around an 8:48 mile, which I am happy with. I hit the first mile at 8:19 and slowed down a little from there, which is fine. I have never run a mile faster than 7 minutes and something seconds, which was at the peak of my fitness in high school and college soccer, so to be that close at this point in my life is not bad:) At least I don't think so! I need to go out and just run a flat mile to see what my time would be. Then I would have a better comparison. Anyway, I plan to sit the race this weekend out. I am tired and don't want to race three weekends in a row. The old body needs a little break. Plus I have been trying to get a few more miles in each week on my bike and my poor little legs can only do so much! I did a very hilly 6 miles today and it felt great. Besides the fact that it was about 94 degrees when I rode this afternoon. Yuck! Oh yeah, I also did my first swim last week. I guess you can say I have officially started my triathlon training since I have done all three events now. Amy and I ran and then swam, which was fun. I am not too worried about the swimming. My main goal is not to drown, and to not get out of the water last. Other than that I should be fine. I think I am a fairly decent swimmer so I am not too worried. I may be wrong though!! The plan is to train in all three events over the winter (well not much swimming I guess) and then hit things pretty hard in the spring to get ready for some tri's in May, June and July. My goal is to do one. If I like it enough I will do another one! I am toying with the idea of doing P90x during the worst winter months (or Insanity) to get my fitness and strength training in when the weather is bad. I hate the cold so I won't be doing much running or riding for a bit. I would love to get a bike trainer though, and be able to ride indoors. May have to look into that one:) So many toys and so many gadgets involved! I am having a ball though and loving this new phase in my life so much:)

SLO in Arkansas

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Running

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