Weekly Chase ~ April 28, 2014

Wow! Where did the past week go? Seems like just yesterday I was making goals for the week and now here I am...time to evaluate and create new ones.

Last weeks goals;

• Goal 1 - Run 4 times this week (make one of these a trail run & keep to the 3/2 intervals) - I missed a day and only got 3 runs in this week.
• Goal 2 - Foam Roll daily (this helps so much...don't know why I struggle with this) - CHECK! I'm loving this AND I had a professional massage after my race on Saturday, which might be the best idea I've ever had.
• Goal 3 - Eat a healthy breakfast every morning - I'm getting better, but not quite there.
• Goal 4 - Update blog at least 4 times - Almost. 
• Goal 5 - Shop for Graduation (I need to purchase Blake's clothes for graduation) - CHECK! And they're even ironed :)

So, I didn't hit all my goals...and that's ok. I'm new at this and I'm smart enough to offer myself a little grace here and there. I WILL do better this week! I'm a believer in try, try, and try again...so most of my goals are staying the same.

This weeks goals;

• Goal 1 - Run 4 times this week
• Goal 2 - Foam Roll daily (gotta keep this up!)
• Goal 3 - Eat a healthy breakfast EVERY morning (today doesn't count right?)
• Goal 4 - Strength training twice this week
• Goal 5 - Get house in order! This probably seems like a no-brainer, but I seriously just need a day to deep clean my house. I'm a little OCD about that :)

And ...there you have it. Excited to begin a new week and conquer these goals!

Linking up with Mindy again. Check her out here...she's pretty awesome!

Race Recap ~ NEA CAC 5K

You know...some races are better than others. This was not one of those!

The race was at Craighead Forest Park in Jonesboro, which is about 30 minutes away. I wanted to get up in time to get a light breakfast and water in me a couple of hours before start time, but I woke up late and was doing good to just get out the door in time to get to the venue. I went to the locale that was emailed the night before to be the registration area....it had moved. Finally found the registration area, got checked in (there were no safety pins, but luckily I had some in my car), and waited for the start time.

This was a really small race...only 29 participants...and one of my favorite venues, so I was hoping for a really good race.

Mile 1: The first half mile was down hill, which I loved!! My coach, Erin, had given me some pointers and warned me about going out too fast and sticking to my plan. I tried! I really did, but when I seen that the beginning was downhill, I knew I could go a little further before taking a walk break. I actually ran 6'20" before taking a 1 minute walk break. I was able to maintain a 3' run/1' walk the entire first mile and felt really strong, even though this mile ended in the trails.

Mile 2: Still on the trails!! I was not expecting this to be a trail run. I continued to stick to my intervals, but I had to slow my run portion way down to compensate for the terrain and the hills, which weren't as bad as some races. (I actually don't mind the hills for the most part). I was proud of myself for running UP the hills and sticking to the intervals and tried desperately to distract myself with the beautiful scenery of the park.

Mile 3: My legs are just done. The constant uneven terrain is taking its toll and I have to admit...a few dirty words slipped out as I battled to keep to the intervals. I really wanted to finish this mile strong and thought I might have a chance to finish in 40:00, but I just wasn't able to maintain. There was no water on the course and I was parched (I don't carry water on these short races because there is usually at least one water station). Thankfully, one of my running friends from CRAC (Crowleys Ridge Athletic Club), came out to run me in the last 1/4 mile and just kept encouraging me to not stop and keep running. I finished in 43:17, and 8 second improvement over the previous week. I'll take it. Especially on a trail run!

The finish line was actually a mile away from where I parked at the start line, so I had a nice cool down walk to my car....the awards was in a different area on the other side of the lake, so we had to change locations...again.

This race wasn't as organized as many of the others I've been in and I definitely didn't have the best attitude going into it, but sometimes life is that way. You don't always have control over what you're given, but you do have control over what you do with it.

Race Recap ~ Crosstown Showdown 5K

This past weekend I participated in the annual Crosstown Showdown 5K to benefit the Relay-for-Life. Such a great idea to combine the rivalry of the two area schools (Paragould & Greene County Tech) and the community love of running to raise money for cancer research. I'm not sure I know a single person who hasn't been touched by cancer in some form or fashion. There were 170 registered participants, which for these area races, is really good. My 18 year old son, Blake, was among the participants and I love when he races with me :)

We got there about 30 minutes early and checked in, got our bibs, shoe tags, and t-shirts. I love local races because I know so many of the faces in the crowd and we have an amazing cheering section. I found my friend, Judy, and talked to her. She had a friend with her that it was her first race, so it was refreshing to see that new excitement. Before we knew it, it was time to line up.

I positioned myself toward the middle of the pack, since I knew there was quite a few walkers in this race. I generally try to stay toward the back since I know I'm a very slow runner.

Mile 1: This portion of the race was mainly flat with one small hill around the half mile mark. My legs felt good and I felt like I was staying on track. I looked down at my watch at the end of the mile only to realize that I'd gone out too fast. My average pace was 11'30". I knew I couldn't maintain that pace throughout and tried to dial it down a notch.

Mile 2: Started with a straight stretch and then had a couple of hills. I was proud of myself for running UP the hills this time. My pace was still a little fast, but I had dialed it back quite a bit.

Mile 3: This was a struggle. I wasn't familiar with the course and I just wanted to be done. My legs were getting tired and my lungs were done...then I seen the finish line.

I finished almost 3 minutes faster than my last race, but not quite my best overall. I was pleased.

Official Finish Time: 43:25 with an average pace of 13'54

Blake finished at exactly 25:00 and claimed 2nd place in his age division. I'm so proud that he enjoys running and its something we can do together (well, sort of...if I could keep up!)

Next race is at Craighead Forest next Saturday!!

Weekly Chase ~ April 21, 2014

Well....I'm a month into my 40th year of this amazing journey through life. I thought it was a great time to start a new blog...embracing what most run from....the proverbial "hill." Focusing on my love of running and how it parallels life, will be the main theme of this blog. Of course, I'll be sprinkling in a little bit of daily life here and there too!

One of the things I'm going to try to do is "The Weekly Chase." On Mondays, I'll post the goals for the week and update on the previous weeks goals. The idea is to keep myself accountable with an online record and inspire others to join in. So....here's Weekly Chase #1;

• Goal 1 - Run 4 times this week (make one of these a trail run & keep to the 3/2 intervals)
• Goal 2 - Foam Roll daily (this helps so much...don't know why I struggle with this)
• Goal 3 - Eat a healthy breakfast every morning
• Goal 4 - Update blog at least 4 times
• Goal 5 - Shop for Graduation (I need to purchase Blake's clothes for graduation)

So that's the plan for the week....