Seis de Mayo Run in Detroit

Yes, it was the Cinco de Mayo run, but the parade is always on a Sunday and the run is always right before the parade.  The run went very well.  There weren't a huge number of participants, but, as far as I know, I didn't come in last.  Actually, I have no idea where I finished in the line-up because the results don't seem to be available anywhere.  They probably are... I just can't find them.

I ran a little better than my 5K three weeks ago for Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer.  Just a few seconds, but I'm pleased with any improvement.  I was especially happy with the improvement since the race started at 11:30 and it was fairly warm out.  Most of the run was in the direct sunlight (you can see that in this picture of me at the start of the race) and since it was along the parade route there were a lot of people lining the street.  The runners were accompanied by police cars and motorcycles, so that was different, too.  All things that I'm not really accustomed to, and that doesn't even take into consideration the fact that I was out late last night seeing "Weird" Al Yankovic at the Fox Theater in Detroit!

It was a fun run and I'd love to do it again next year.  Apparently, last year was more rainy at this time, because the people running the race were talking about how the ground was too soggy in the park where the run started and finished.  Actually, the weather was perfect, if a little too warm for me - I'd always prefer that it be a little chilly as opposed to any too warm!

Later this afternoon I also went for a 10 mile bike ride at the Metropark, which was great.  Add a little swimming in there and I would have done a mini-tri!  This week I'll be running Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday I also have a bike ride that we are doing in Detroit, before going to a family function.  Since next Sunday is also Mother's Day, it's going to be a busy weekend. I'm already looking forward to it!  My next 5K is in three weeks (May 26) and is also in Detroit.  Lots of training between now and then, so I am looking forward to greater improvement with that race.

First Goal Accomplished!

I ran this morning at the Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer 5K (they also had an 8K but I stuck with the shorter distance).  It was great!  The starting horn sounded at 8:45 on the dot.  It was 37 degrees and the 11 mph wind resulted in a wind-chill temp of just 30!  Brrrrrr!  My fingers were frozen and I was seriously wishing I had thought to bring my running gloves.

I had a little bit to eat this morning, hoping that it would help my stamina a bit.  Seemed to work!  I had my best pace so far!  My average pace today was .17 mph faster than my previous PR, so I was thrilled with that.  My goal was to not come in last in my age division, but when I saw how much my time had improved I didn't really care where I finished in relation to anyone else.  I did NOT come in last, though.  I was 18th out of 38 women in the 40-48 age division.  Yay!  AND, overall, I came in 114th, out of 281 people!  They had music at the finish line, and just after I got done they played Joan Jett.  It couldn't get any better than that.

Teammate extraordinaire, Corey, accepting his award for
finishing 2nd in his age division!

Actually, it did get better, when my DetermiNation teammate, Corey, came in 2nd in his age division.  Go Corey!  He finished 14th overall (5K in less than 24 minutes) - and I was thrilled to be only 100 behind him!  While they were announcing the winners and handing out awards, the sun came out to warm us all up a bit, and many of the runners seemed to stick around to see the awards presentation.

It was a great time and I had a chance to get to know some of my teammates a little better.  I can't think of a better way to have spent my chilly Saturday morning. After the run we hit up the local coffee shop for some caffeine and sandwiches and hung out for a while.

I'm excited to continue on from here!  My next race is 2 weeks from tomorrow and is the Cinco de Mayo run in Detroit.  It's actually on Seis de Mayo, but that's close enough.  Definitely looking forward to that run through Mexican Town. I imagine I'll be running again on Monday - I'll know when Luke updates my training program based on today's run.  Till then...

Oops - didn't post yesterday - but I DID run!

I simply had a really busy day and just didn't get a chance to write here.  I went out bright and early yesterday morning and did more of a walk/run (more walking than running this time, unfortunately).  For some reason it was kind of tough.  I felt great.  The wind was 9mph, but the temperature was mild.  My legs felt kind of tight, and there were times that it felt like I was attached to bungee cords that were attached to something behind me trying to pull me back.  Forward motion was difficult.

I had a couple of thoughts about why my run was so slow after I checked to make sure there were no bungees attached to me.  Possibly something off about my form?  Maybe I need to learn more about Chi Running...  That's supposed to be more natural for your body's forward movement than some other forms.  Also, since my runs are short I haven't been fueling at all before hand, but it is first thing in the morning, so maybe that's a problem.  I drink 16 oz. of water before I go out, but have had nothing else for at least 9 hours.  Now that I see that in print, and examine how long it is since I've taken in any energy, that looks like the most likely issue...  

Since I had a little extra time I got a slightly later start.  Funny how that works!  I was getting dangerously into the time when school buses roll through the neighborhood and the LAST thing that I want to do is run past a bus stop piled with kids (especially teenagers -ugh).  I really try to avoid that time of day.  There was lots of activity out there, too.  Several cars on the move, dogs outside, a few empty school buses driving through...  That was good incentive to get up early and avoid all that.

Today I am going to pick up my run packet for tomorrow's Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer 5K at Hudson Mills Metro Park, and I guess I won't be avoiding anything by running with 375 other people, including my DetermiNation team!  Then it will be off to a team breakfast and I'll head home to tell you how it went.  My only goal is to not come in last for my age group!  I can do that... right?

Thunder and Lightning - Very very frightening!

Well, not today, but that was my excuse for not running on Sunday morning and then that night it was very warm and quite humid.  Yesterday it was just windy.  Up to 40 mph!  I know that I'm going to have to start running in less than perfect conditions so I can get used to it, but wasn't up for that quite yet.   Today was perfect, as you can see here.  43 degrees with 63% humidity... Clear, still air with a thick sliver of moon just above the trees.

There were actually quite a few people out this morning.  I think I was about 10 minutes later than usual, and I saw several cars filled with neighbors leaving for work.  I scared off a fluffy bunny when I ran around a corner.  Truthfully, he startled me, as well!  I also saw a few dogs.  One cute little sheltie ran out to greet me and tell me how glad she was to see me this morning, and her person assured me that she was friendly.  I knew that, she was my morning run cheerleader!  I stopped momentarily to give her a pat on the head before she went back in her house and I went on my way.  The birds were also especially cheerful this morning.  Lots of fluttering about and chattering aloud.   All in all, it was a lovely morning for a run.

I felt pretty good about the run, too!  Not good enough to think that I'm going to be able to run the whole 5K on Saturday, but I'll run as much as I can.  I'd like a time of 45:00 or better (remember how I said that I'm not fast?).  We'll see.  I'm looking forward to it, regardless.  I will be running again on Thursday morning, then the run on Saturday.  After that, Running Coach Luke is going to see how I'm doing and design the next part of my training program, accordingly.

Well, there really isn't anything more, that's particularly interesting, to tell you, so I'll sign off now.  Will definitely, absolutely, positively be back on Thursday to report in on my last training run before my next race.  I'll also be thinking about a goal to have in mind for Saturday's 5K.  After all, I will never reach my goal, if I don't set one!

Martian Marathon TODAY!

But I'm not participating in that one! I actually already did my run this morning and it was pretty good.  Not by best speed,  but I've been having some chest congestion, making it hard to breathe deeply and I think that slowed me down.  I think tomorrow I'll try using my inhaler before I run and see if that helps any.

I was planning to get up at 7am and run so we can go to Eastern Market then stop by the Martian Marathon to pick up some stuff for DetermiNation that I will be taking to the Big House Big Heart run tomorrow.  Nope, I'm not in that one either, but I'll be there with information about DetermiNation to see if there are people interested in joining the team.  But, I was awake at 6:00 so I decided to get up then and get outside. Just as I was getting dressed I heard sprinkles on the skylight, but the rain held off until I was done.

Who gets up in my neighborhood at 6am on Saturday?  No one, that's who!  Actually, I did see one car leaving, and at the end of my run a neighbor was on her deck letting her little dogs run in the yard for a minute.  They are the funniest little dog... they bark and bark at me, like there going to tear me up, and each one of them is about the size of my foot (and I have small feet - they go with my short stride).

That's me, running!  Yup!

So I run tomorrow, then next week on Tuesday and Thursday, before my 5K on Saturday.  I am hoping to build a bit more stamina by then, in hopes of not totally embarrassing myself in front of my D'Nation teammates.  Although I do find most runners to be very kind about us that kind of thing.  They are much more encouraging than they are critical.  When I am running and look down at the ground, it looks like I'm going fast to me.  And today I was wearing my new running capris and new run-girl tech shirt that I got from Women's Running, so I looked the part, and everything!  I felt great, even though it wasn't my best run!  Interestingly, my fastest song today was The Proclaimers' 500 Miles!

So this is where I stop yapping about running so I can get ready to go to Eastern Market.  Back tomorrow.

Well now... THAT was MUCH better!

I guess I truly am a morning runner.  I went out today at 6:00 am and did my run and it was SO much better than Saturday's run. Actually, my fastest pace yet, and the furthest distance running, without slowing to walk, since last year.  Granted, I am not, in any way, fast... but I ran just over 2 miles straight, which I am pretty proud of.  It was 41 degrees, and had rained over night, but long enough ago that the pavement was dry - and I didn't have to deal with the wind that we had last night, thankfully!  It was pretty gusty when I went to bed, and I was really hoping that would die down before morning!

I encountered a young cat watching me run.  She didn't seem especially critical, but clearly had the opinion that I am not as graceful a runner as her.  When I approached, she delicately leaped away across the street, leaving me there by myself.  The birds were also out cheering me on.  The birds are always good about rising early to be my cheering squad.  It didn't hurt that the overnight rain brought a buffet of worms out of hiding for breakfast.  They did have a little scuffle, though.  One of the birds chased another directly at me at a ridiculously speedy pace, just missing my legs.  I felt the air move, and maybe even a feather, by my shins and, if I had been just a hair faster, might have been picking beak from my bare calf.  I don't know what the disagreement was about, but it nearly ended poorly for all of us.

I have 4 runs scheduled this week, so I'll be out again on Wednesday and then Saturday and Sunday.  I felt much better about the whole thing today, after doing pretty well.  Saturday I felt pretty discouraged, but it was pointed out to me that there were a number of factors that were different from my usual runs, of late.  Maybe that really does make a difference.  All I know is that I have the American Cancer Society Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer 5K in 12 days and I would really like to run the whole thing.  I'll be back on Wednesday - hopefully a little faster.

More improvement while running with a group of people... that's encouraging!

So I did my 5K this morning and decided to incorporate my 2 mile training run into the 5K.  It worked out great!  I walked the first half mile and then started m run using iSmoothRun, on my iPhone, to record my 2 mile training run, then walked the last mile+ of the 5K.  The best warm up and cool down walks, ever!  I felt like I wasn't doing very well. Lots of people were passing me, and I was passing some people, but I kept comparing my speed to other people's.  I gotta learn to get beyond that and only compete with myself.  As it turned out, my pace improved a bit over my last run on my own, and I am doing fine and am right on track.  I came in 12th in my age group!  Okay... there were only 12 people in my age group!  I don't mind being last in my group, just not dragging my ass in last, overall!

Of course, I am starting this running thing all over again, and I'm not fast.  I know that!  I didn't even run the entire 2 miles - I took walk breaks.  I don't aspire to be particularly fast, just fast enough.  Fast enough to be able to keep up in the couple of races I have that there is a time requirement and fast enough to not come in last place, unless I choose to.  I also have a lot of anxiety running with a group.  What it I don't fit in, what if I AM last, what if look funny (I tend to prefer to blend in).  When we got to registration, I was looking around and thinking "my running tights look too tight" "I look ridiculous" "these people all look like real runners and I look like a poser" and other similar things.  Then, John told me that he turned around to help me find the registration area, and when he turned back he couldn't find me, because I looked just like everyone else in the room.  Hmmm... maybe I did blend in!  I WAS wearing my DetermiNation training shirt - the first time I've worn it to a race!  Yay!

This is the main reason that I want to try to do at least one "competitive" run each month.  The only way for me to get past the anxiety of running with a group of runners is to practice.  I have anxiety in any group/social situation already that I deal with and I train on my own, preferably in the dark.  I'll be working hard in this area, as well as training to run.

That said, my next public run is the Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer 5K in 3 weeks.  Next training run is Monday, so I'll catch ya then.