The 10K and Fun Run

Well, the 10K was pretty awesome, all told. It was tough course. Apparently one of the "most challenging" 10K courses in West Virginia- which is saying a lot because this is an extremely hilly state. Seriously, one stretch of it was continuously uphill for over a mile! Of course, that meant over a mile of downhill on the way back, so there were tradeoffs. But ultimately, I ran it in 53:22, placing 5th female overall and 1st in my age group, so it was well worth the hard work. Of course, this has gone a long way toward proving to me that I should be doing better on my 5Ks, but that is another post for another day.


Today, I want to talk about my baby. This is the same baby who ran the 800M fun run in the fall. He decided to do the 1 MILE fun run, but of course, he wanted me with him. So, after completing a tough 6.2 miles, I turned around and ran another mile with him. That is one of those moments of motherhood that, no matter what, you will always remember and never, ever regret. He ran every step of the way and somehow his little legs made it in 10:37. I was so very proud of his effort and he came in and got a second place finish. Our trophies are on our mantle. The trophies were handcarved bears made of wood found in the park. This did not impress my 4 year old, who wanted a shiny gold trophy, but I think maybe one day it will actually mean something to him. I know it will always mean something to me.

The Race Rant

Okay, first of all, this summer series that was supposed to motivate me has officially consumed me. I am serious. I am starting to think that I was better off as a loner who barely finished a 5K in under 35 minutes. But no, I joined a running club and *gasp* improved. Not until I started improving did I really and truly realize my competitive nature. The better I get, the better I want to be so that I can beat more people! When I finished a 5K nearly 3 weeks ago with a personal best of 25:27, my first thought was "I have to train harder" because I got outsprinted in the end. What is happening to me?! Additionally, this summer series is a competition to see who can accumulate the most race points by not just completing race, but by receiving awards while doing so. There are different points assigned for overall and for age group awards down to third place. So imagine my shock and horror upon learning that the 4 mile race I ran Saturday only gave 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall without distinguishing between genders (thereby insuring that no woman will ever win unless the fast men all die on course) and then only 1st place in each age group. But, like I said, I'm competitive, so I gave it a good go. I finished in 33:12- the 5th woman overall. Unfortunately, one of the 4 women in front of me was also in my 30-39 age group, so I walked away with nothing when I should have been either first or second in my age group. So instead of the 7 or 8 points I would have earned, I only got a measly 5 for completing it. See....total consumption of my being. And rather than making myself chill a little, my response is train harder, smarter. Eat better, rest better. there has to be a 12 step program or something for this!

So, I am scheduled to run a 10K this weekend. Race 8 of 10. Of course, I will do more racing and choose my 10 best, so maybe that sexist race will ultimately not count at all for anything but the experienec of a race distance I had never tried before. But I had to rant, nonetheless. It's what I do best.

Racing thoughts

As down, I sit her to jot this all down, my thoughts are racing. and my racing thoughts seem to be about racing and this all consuming summer series! Last week, I survived yet another 5K in the hot, hot sun. I got my best time ever and still only managed a 6th place in my age group finish. BLAH. It really stunk because the first place finishers in the two age groups behind me had times slower than mine! What the heck???!!! Since when are the old girls the fast ones? I got out sprinted up a hill in the very end by 2 people. We all finished withing one second or less of each other, but man was it ever disheartening. With that in mind, I decided to step away from my summer series and do a 5 mile trail run- an inaugural event- in my hometown area.

I was more than a little scared, I will freely admit. I don't trail run. It did spur me to train pretty thoroughly this week (I had a 30 mile week!) and I showed up not really knowing what to expect, but more than ready for the break from the pack I usually run with, around, and from. :) It turns out, it was a great experience.

First of all, it is so much cooler in the woods. Literally. The shade was wonderful and sunglasses were unnecessary. I shed my iPod for the third time this week and it was ever so liberating. I am learning to run without music and that seems to not be a bad thing. It felt good to be at one with nature and running the way my body seemed to be intended.

Of course, there are always drawbacks and the biggest one I found to trail running is that it is horribly difficult to pass on the narrow trails. Believe me when I say, I am not the world's most patient individual, either. So that aspect was a little rough on me. The hills were steep and tough to negotiate in places, but I did it.

And imagine my very pleasant surprise when I was nearing the end and begging a volunteer to PLEASE tell me it was almost over and she said "honey, you're almost there and you're only the third woman!" Of course, my competitive nature overcame me then and I bolted for God only knows how long and finished third female over all!!!

Maybe I will trail run a little more often.

A Blog About Nothing

Kind of like Seinfeld, except not nearly as funny. I have had a bad week. I think that is putting it mildly, but I am still standing, and I guess that says something, though I am not sure what. Probably that I am either too stubborn or too stupid to just give up. I hate when my life gets this way because my running inevitably suffers for it. I ran a little on Sunday, I did a good workout on Tuesday and last night I ran and I swear my legs felt like they were made of lead. So I walked today at lunch and had hoped to do a run tonight, but as usual the fates conspired against me and I found myself on the side of the road with a flat tire and so I had to go and buy two new tires and suddenly my evening was all gone. I am hoping that the little I have done (with speedwork...extra hope there) is enough to get me through what feels like my billionth 5K this weekend.

Seriously, at first I was really fired up about this summer series thing. Now I am just burning out. It is keeping me from doing the long runs that I so deperately need to do- not only for training, but for my mental health! I have gotten to the point where I feel like a fraud somehow if my mileage for the week is too low. I make myself crazy obsessing over numbers ALL the time.

But one good thing that my race schedule has done for me as of late is to help me make much better food choices. I use the Weight Watchers points system and the whole time I have done it, it has always been about how much food I can get for the least amount of points, but now the focus has shifted to what foods will better feed my body, thereby helping me run better. This can't be a bad thing.

Well, I have to cut this short. Duty calls. Duty always calls. That was supposed to be a part of the ramblings, but...

Before and after...

Just an explanation

The pics are in reverse order... you can see from the one on top how WIPED I was after the race. The next one is me coming down the third base line headed for home (the race ended at home plate of the Tulane baseball field). the next is the sart of the race. I am the little pink dot. And finally, me with Riptide before I started.

Roll Wave!

Well, I am home from New Orleans. I love it there. I really do. Jackson Square is officially my "Happy Place". However, I think if I lived there, my running habit would get kicked in short order. It was tough. There is too much food, too much drink, not enough sleep and WAY too much humidity. Seriously. My har was in a ponytail the entire time I was there, because I couldn't do anything else with it. I gave up makeup because it melted off the second I left the hotel. But it is wonderful there, nonetheless.

So, in a moment of rare self discipline, I got my dead butt out of bed at 6:30 on Thursday morning and went for a little 3 mile run. Now, anyone reading this needs to understand that I live in the sticks. I mean it. I can run around and seldom see cars on the routes that I run. The town I run in has 1 stoplight and that is my biggest obstacle. Needless to say, running in the city was a whole different ball game. It took me 31 minutes to run 3 miles because I had to keep stopping at stoplights ar on cross streets. There were people running where the street cars run, but I didn't DARE do that for fear of being smushed by one. Note to self...Self: you are NOT a city girl, no matter how badly you want to believe otherwise. At any rate, this Thursday morning run then made Friday a "rest" day prior to my race on Saturday. I put "rest" in quotes because God only knows how many miles I WALKED on Friday...but I didn't run! I also didn't drink anything alcoholic on Friday and tried to eat stuff that might not be the worst stuff ever before a race. I still didn't sleep much and it was still HOT!

Saturday morning I got up, got ready and took a taxi to Tulane University to do the Tulane 5K for 4K fun run. I was really proud of myself for doing a race on my little vacation, too. It was probably about 85 degrees out when the race started at 8:00am. Prior to running, I got a great Nike Tulane T-shirt and got my picture taken with Riptide, Tulane's Pelican mascot.

I ran with everything I had and still managed only a 26:59. I was so hot that I had to wait to drink water because I thought I might throw up. Seriously. I was sweating so badly that I nearly slid off of a toilet! You could see my bra because that was the only place on me that was dry (only because the sweat hadn't seeped through it. Ugh. So, yeah, it was a somewhat miserable experience, but one I wouldn't trade for the world. Roll Wave!

It's Been FOREVER

Okay, so I kind of skipped something like the last 2 months. Sad, really because there was so much to blog about during that time. Like my 15 mile run with no socks, my puppy pal "Rex", my run to the falls with my sweet 4 year old who kept insisting "we were BORN to run, weren't we mama?!", and my recent run with rescued kitten on my arm (for over 2 miles!). There have also been races. Race season started and so far I have done 3. The first one was a 26:39 PR and a first place in my age group in the rain. The second was a 27:04, tough, hilly run that made me want to DIE. I still managed 2nd in my age group and 4th female overall. The third was a tough course where I had to stop and tie my shoe and STILL managed a 25:41 PR, albeit 2nd in my age group by about 6 seconds...darn shoelace! I am running another in the morning. We will see how it goes. I am also scheduled to run one in New Orleans on June 13. I am really excited about that one!

My half marathon training has taken a hit with all the 5K races, though. I haven't run more than 9 miles in 6 weeks. I hate that. I really want my long run back.

My daughter has graduated from high wchool with honors. My littlest graduated from Pre-school last night. My middle one has barely survived his first year of middle school, but he DID survive. I am proud of them all.

So, that is the catch up. I am going to try to do better, I swear.

Just Because...

I am attempting to blog with nothing really to say. :) I managed to get SOME running in last week. Not much, though. I really didn't feel like a long run on Saturday, but got out there and felt so good I ended up doing 11.5... I would have done more, but no one really knew where i was and I didn't want to worry my mom by being gone too long. She worries enough as it is. Then Sunday my road Running Club had it's last Winter Series 5K Fun Run and I PR'd with a time of 26:50. NOT the fastest time in the world, but blazing fast for me!

I am still up in the air as to what races to run and when to run them and my husband is being less than nice about the whole racing thing in general, so I don't know wher I am heading with my running anymore and I am afraid tha twill be my downfall. I am someone who absolutely requires goals and I currently have none. If I did, I might come out of this funk/slump.

The Dog Days of Spring

Okay, this is not the first time I have said this here, and I doubt it will be the last, but I love dogs. Generally speaking, anyway. Dogs are great. I like most of them more than I like a lot of people. And they generally like me, too. That is part of my running problem, though. I did my long run on Saturday. I ran about 14.5 miles and it was great. It was the furthest I have ever run in my life. And during this run, I encountered 11 dogs!!! Yep, 11 of them. Only two wanted me dead and they were small. They ran every time I tried to soothe them, but I didn't get bitten. They were joined by a third who thought it would be fun to harrass me. I lost every bit of 5 minutes trying to get through that little patch. then came the pack of 5 at the farm, right before I drop out of civilization. Three of them just stood around barking, but two approached. One was new, a little beagle guy that wagged all over the place and was just DELIGHTED to make my acquaintence. then there was the hound, who I will refer to as "Duke" because he looks like Duke from the Beverly Hillbillies. Duke is a BIG boy, looks like a redbone/bloodhound mix and he LOVES me. Really, really loves me. He put his great big paws on my shoulders, kissed my face, laid his head on my chest and ripped out my earbuds. When I emerged from that stretch, I was covered in paw prints. It only got better. By the time I had made it to nearly mile 7 or 8, the evil border collie and its friend harrassed me for a minute, but it never comes too close. I went on into the State Park, ran to my turning point, then came back out. When I came out, I was joined by a mutt of some sort...beagle marked, built like a bull dog/boxer without the flat face. He thought it would be a good idea to run with me...for over 4 miles!!! I had to call my husband when it was time to come get me and warn him that I had a friend. When he got there, the dog jumped into my van, kissed my 4 year old, and hopped into the back seat like he belonged there. He has a home and fortunately I knew where he came from, so we took him back. He wouldn't get out of the van and then chased the car when I finally got him out. during the ride, Xander, my little guy, started calling him "Rex". A great name, I thought. But here is the precious, I am so glad to be a mom moment: Later, Xander asked "Mommy, did you like that I called him Rex?" I told him I did. He said "Wanna know why I called him that?" I said that I did and he said "Because he WRECKS your run!!!!" I love that kid!
Seriously, how can non-dog people run, ever???

The Blahs

I have a bad case of them. I am thoroughly exhausted and I am sure that is at the root of my blahs. But here is a sample day for me these days: Get up and get my 12 year old off to school. Get ready for work. Get the 4 year old ready for school. Drive the 4 year old to pre-school. Drive 1+ hours to work. Work all day with idiotic crazy people. Drive 1+ hours home. Stop at the hospital and visit mom (who is STILL there!). Go do whatever running around mom needs done...bank, shop, food, etc. Pick up my boys. (Three days a week) Drive another hour to rehearsal. Rehearse for 3.5 hours when it was only supposed to be 2. Drive an hour home. Talk to my aunt who is staying with me while mom is in the hospital. Talk to my poor husband for a few minutes to try to determine tomorrow's schedule. collapse. Wake up with a greyhound who thinks he needs out. Repeat this at least once more throughout the night. Sometimes twice. Finally sleep for three consecutive hours, then get up and do it all again. Except on the nights when there isn't rehearsal, then you can insert, fix dinner, do random shopping, laundry, etc.! Last night I forced a run in at 9:00pm. I brought stuff to run today at work. I NEED 6 miles in. I have early rehearsal. I have to see mom. I have so much to do!!! I am so tired I feel like I am bordering on tears and I KNOW I have a bad attitude. I am hungry. I am trying not to over eat because I am not running propoerly. It is cold here again. It is going to rain all weekend. I have a million reasons NOT to run. I need to make myself do it, anyway. This just hasn't been a good couple of weeks. *sigh*

Race Report and Running Like a Daughter

Well, the race went better than I expected, by far. I am nowhere near running like a Kenyan or anything, but I did post a better time than I anticipated. I was hoping for about 1:40:00 and got 1:36:33. It was 41 degrees out and I was able to run in a long sleeved shirt and running tights without a jacket or gloves or anything. I also wasn't allowed to use my iPod. THAT was an experience, let me tell you. I learned something about myself while running without music. I have really random thoughts and almost every thought causes a song in my head. Seriously. But I also realized how wonderful my family is and how much I have to be thankful for. That morning, my daughter got up to tell me goodbye and to please call her at work and tell her how the race went. My 12 year old made me a CD to listen to on the way there to try to get me pumped up. My 4 year old told me to win a trophy. Imagine everyone's surpise (most of all mine) when I came home with a 3rd place age group medal! I beat out at least 3 other people for it, too!

As for running like a daughter- my mom had both knees replaced on Tuesday. It has slowed my training quite a bit, though I am making room in my schedule as much as possible. And I am also not taking my scarred up but strong legs for granted anymore. Thanks, mom, for giving me a body that will let me love life this much.

I still haven't registered for the half marathon. I need to get off my butt and get that done before it's too late. Tomorrow is another long run (hopefully better than last week when I nearly got frostbite in my poor, pathetic hands). It is supposed to be sunny and 72. It's about time! I am going to run 'til my legs fall off, so I am going to go reest now. I need my energy!

Running Like a Mother...as usual

Well, tomorrow is the (sort of) big day and, as par for the course, I have a sick four year old and a bailing husband. Which essentially means that on this day of rest and preparation, I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying desperately to arrange in-home babysitting, get sheets washed to get rid of germs, wash running clothes, clean the house, take the baby to the doctor, get prescriptions filled, get ink for the printer so I can print a 26 page article for my daughter's research paper and maybe then I can rest. Oh, let's not talk about getting supper together. ARGH! NOT the kind of running I thought I wanted to do today.

I have only worked one day this week. Thank goodness for an understanding boss. Monday is arraignment day. Little man HAS to be better by then! The good news is my Road Running club has a fun run on Sunday, so I will be ready for a recovery day on Monday, which is good since it seems that there won't be a minute to run.

So, hopefully if all goes well, I will race a 10 miler tomorrow. My goal is to finish strong (aka, not look stupid) and to get a personal best. I ran a 10 miler in 2006 at an 11:00 minute pace. I am hoping for a 10 minute pace tomorrow, which will come to 1:40:00. I have trained on long, tough courses, so it is time to trust the training and see how it goes. I think this will give me some idea as to where I am in the half marathon process. We shall see...

Countdown to Race Day

I am down to 5 days until my 10 miler. I haven't run a 10 mile race since 2006. I am hoping for a time improvement. However, I don't know what to do with myself this week. Do I taper??? Do I keep pushing through as though I have a 13 mile run coming this weekend. After I back off to 10 for the week, do I have to go back to 11 and then 12 before I do 13??? I am so bad at this! How do people learn to do it? I just don't get it.

Anyway, I did a 12 mile Valentines Day long run. It was WONDERFUL. I found myself very grateful to be able to run one of the most beautiful runs in the world, even if it is one of the most challenging. I made some new canine friends (I always do. Thank goodness I am a dog person. I really don't know how people who are scared of dogs manage to run). And somehow, I accidentally got in sync with my iPod. I know that may sound slightly crazy, but it brought a smile to my face when I really needed it. I was running down a mile long hill into a gorge and looking at the river below me and the mountains in the distance and (cheesy though it may be) Born to Run came on. So I was laughing about that when I had to start up out of the gorge, which is UGLY and extremely steep. Imagine my surprise when I heard the opening strains of the Rocky Theme Song!!! Again, cheesy, but when you are headed up the worst hill in the history of hills (I swear, Heartnreak Hill in Boston couldn't possibly have anything on this one) hearing "Gettin' strong now... won't be long now" are some of the best words you will ever hear. Finally on the last big hill of the day, on came KC and the Sunshine Band with "Keep It Comin'". Again, when you are struggling "don't stop it now, don't stop it, no" can help more than you'd think.

My ankle stayed strong despite the little injury. I did, however, gain a new blister. But it was Valentines Day and my husband got me a gift certificate for a full body massage, facial and PEDICURE. They will have their work cut out for them. I think I may wait until after my half marathon and reward myself with it. SO, in addition to the wonderful scenery, synced up iPod and generally good run, I also have the most wonderful, thoughtful husband in the world. I truly am a fortunate girl.

Another Week...

has come and gone and I am just getting around to blogging. Which is funny, because when I am actually out running, I am thinking of stuff to blog about. By the time I get home, I am worn out and too lazy to write it down, and then I forget.

So, last week I did an amazingly difficult run on Saturday... thanks to my new best friend mapmyrun.com. What mapmyrun DOESN'T show is the hills you will encounter. It really amazes me how something will seem not so bad in a car, but feels AWFUL on foot! And these were roads that I KNEW! I started at my mom's and ran 11.5 miles to the next town- down a mountain, across a river and then back up to the top of the "plateau" as it is called back home. A little research showed that my elevation gain from my low point to the end of the run was over 1200 feet. I was (and am) very proud that I made it at all. It wasn't fast, but it was steady and I wasn't even a little bit sore the next day. A victory in my eyes.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to do a 12 mile run and I have it all planned out. However, I went for a 5 mile run last night in the dark and twisted my ankle on a poorly lit, poorly maintained sidewalk. It is a little sore today and I am concerned about running on it. At the same time, however, I feel as though I HAVE to because I am scheduled to do a 10 mile race next weekend. ARGH! What's a girl to do? And hydration is a whole other story. I need to learn to run with water and I feel stupid trying to figure it out. Oh well. I need some rest. Hopefully tomorrow is a big day. I will report back!

A Full Time Job

Okay, running and planning for the next run has started to become a full time job. Seriously. It is starting to be less than fun. It is partially my own fault for being so ADD. I get bored easily, so I am always looking for someplace new to run. Mapmyrun.com is my new best friend. I am CONSTANTLY trying to find the next long run. It is starting to drive me crazy. The weather is going to be beautiful tomorrow and if I don't plan carefully, I will miss that window. i wish I lived somewhere else. I really do. Somewhere with real streets and runs that people have already mapped. But alas, I live in the sticks where, when I tell someone I ran 10 miles on Saturday, the immediate response is "What was chasing you?". Failure. That is what chases me. And I refuse to let it beat me. I ran 5 miles on the tread mill on my birthday, three miles on the treadmill yesterday, and am planning on being a tiny bit late to my birthday party tonight so I can sneak in a little run first. Then I have to find somewhere to run tomorrow, and the time to do it. I can do this, I really can. I just need a good plan. Wow! Listen to me. I am generally so far on the Type B personality spectrum that I am practically a "Type C". So then why, oh why is it that when it comes to my running, I am a "Type A+" ?

On a totally unrelated note, my wonderful husband bought me a new running outfit for my birthday. It is so cute and I can't wait to wear it, but it is a warm weather outfit. I wanted to post a picture of it, but can't find one. It is by Nike and says "Practice MADE Perfect". A Little more conceited than I would have picked for myself, but it is wonderful to know that he thinks that I am perfect. It is what I will be wearing when I cross the finish line of my first half marathon and run to my perfect hubby!!!!

Rambling thoughts...

Tomorrow is my birthday. I am officially halfway through my thirties and honestly am happy with the way they have turned out. I miss my dad. It is hard to believe that the last time he sang happy birthday to me was 12 years ago. His beloved Steelers just won the Super Bowl. This is the time of year I miss him the most. i often wonder what he would think of the woman I have become. When he passed away, I was a 23 year old kid. However, when I start down this road, I remember that it doesn't matter who or what I have become. He would have been proud. I also know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would have been at every race I have ever run. In fact, he would probably have run them with me. He really was the best dad ever. He is the reason I have never lost my faith in men in general. If only they were all so good.

But on I go. My birthday also means snow. Period. It doesn't matter. I swear, I could go and live in the Bahamas and it would snow there on February 4. While I have the most wonderful boss in the world who is not making me come in if we get the snow we are supposed to get, what good does the day off do me if I can't go run??? And what better way to celebrate my birthday than to go for a run? I think I will do it anyway, even in a snow storm. Celebrate a 35 year old body that can do something it couldn't do at 25. Run for the first man I ever loved who can't run with me. Run for all those who can't...even if it's cold, even if it's snowing. That will make it the happiest birthday of all.

the Fun Run

I am so annoyed with myself. However, I think it is funny, so I will write about it. I decided on a whim to join a running group. A very wise decision on my part, as it turns out. See, I am actually kind of shy, though no one believes me when I tell them that. I have a hard time being alone in a crowd and meeting people. But I decided to join and looked at their web site for the first time on Saturday night, only to discover that they were having the first fun run of their winter series the very next day. The day AFTER I ran 10.2 miles, which was the day after running 6. I was so looking forward to a rest day, but decided I wanted to do the series nonetheless. So off I went.

Everyone was wonderful and it was such fun. However, the annoyance part... it was cold. So I put on my good Under Armour gloves and off I went. Hard. Off course, my hands got hot and sweaty after a while, so I took them off and put them into my jacket pocket. So, I am making good time and I reached down on a whim, only to realize that one of my gloves had fallen out of my pocket. So, I had to go back looking for it (I LOVE these gloves). I didn't have to go too far and I found it and went and finished... 10 seconds slower than my PR. That's right... if I hadn't had the glove catastrophe, I would have PR'd on a hilly, miserable course, so less. ARGH! The next one is February 22, the day AFTER the 10 miler I am planning on running in Blacksburg. Maybe that will be my day...

Just a P.S. ....

I ran 10.2 miles today. It feels great. I am fatigued, but in a good way. I am not an athlete, but I love to run!

The Magic of the Run

Recently it has occurred to me that I am, indeed, an addict. And I have begun to wonder how anyone in the world could turn to drugs, when there is such a healthy alternative available! I don't do winter well. The cold weather and gray days get me down terribly. I have to drag my dead butt out and make myself get going on a run. But the feeling at the end is so worth it, I would do it twice!

Last week we hit a deep freeze here. It was sub zero temperatures for several days. When the temps finally rose to 25, I went out for a run. But not just any run. I went out for a 7.5 mile partial trail run with one of my oldest and dearest friends in the world. Running with her made me get out and the conversation was so great I didn't even notice the cold after a while. Afterward, I felt so good that I have managed to run a little over 20 miles this week.

It has been a tough week at work, to say the very least. It was 56 degrees here yesterday and sunny, so at about 2:30, I looked at my secretary and said "I am going for a run. I'll be back." I ran 6 miles and had the best evening I have had all week. I think I need to do that more often.

So, here it is Saturday, my long run day. It's cold again. I don't think my friend can run with me today. I am on my own and not one single part of me wants to head outside. But I know in my heart how I'll feel when it's over versus how I will feel if I don't. So, I am going to go, eat a good breakfast, and head out for my daily dose.

It's All Gone to the Dogs

I ran 9 miles today!!!! I feel absolutely amazing. Well, except for my little *ahem*, problem, but I will get to that. First, in case I don't say enough what a lucky mom I am, let me say it again. I really am blessed with the most loving and supportive kids. I have a four year old who sweetly asks EVERY SINGLE TIME I come back from a run "Mommy, did you have a good run???". I am not sure my 11 year old notices my absence, but he helps occupy his brother while I'm gone, so he gets points for that. Kate, however, is in a league of amazing all her own. She gets her 17 year old butt out of bed and goes to cheer me on at races. She offers advice without nagging. And today she drove, one mile at a time, to make sure I was safe and to carry water and whatever else. Even though I am slow and it took an hour and a half out of her day, she volunteered to do it and encouraged me the whole way. She also helped with the dogs. I wish I were kidding.

The first encounter with dogs was wild to say the least. There were four of them. Little and yappy and skittish, they "attacked". It is only fair to point out here that I love dogs. I don't just like them, I adore them. All of them. So, consequently, I am not scared of them. Not even a little. Sometimes that is good, sometimes it is bad. today, I think it was good. These four little yappy dogs came at me, so I stopped. I reached down and spoke gently to them. They ran away. I tried to start running, here they came again. I finally got by them by walking VERY, VERY slowly past their yard. they finally retreated, only for their much larger next door neighbors to take over. It was a repeat of the whole scene. After about 5 minutes, I escaped unscathed. My daughter was up ahead, wondering what took so long, but on I pressed. This was between miles 2 and 3.

So, on I pressed. Now, miles 4 to 6 of this run are miserable. I am not exaggerating, either. MISERABLE. Straight uphill for the better part of two miles. Needless to say, when I hit mile 6, I was worn out. My legs felt like rubber, but on I pressed. Then I saw my daughter- signifying the end of mile 6- and her new friend. There was a dog. A BIG dog, and it was circling her car. Of course, on the best of days, I am a dog magnet. But during my run, additionally I was a moving target. So, the dog sees me, I see the dog and the dance begins. the dog barreled at me, with all it had. I had time to think that either it was very friendly or I was going to die. Well, fortunately it was friendly. Unfortunately, it was VERY friendly. And strong. I was weak. NOT a good combination. My daughter jumps out of the car and has no idea what to do. I am petting a jumping dog that rips my earbuds out of my ears, rips the ipod off of my jacket and throws it into the road. I try to ease away, and, no exaggeration, the nearly knocks me over the guard rail. Katie screams "Oh my God, are you okay?" and comes to "rescue" me. Kate holds the dog by the collar (as it barks its head off) while I escape down the hill. As soon as she lets go, then the dog comes running down the hill and catches up. After that, she became my running buddy and finished the last three miles with me.

So, I finished the run, covered in mud and pawprints, but I finished. Only to find that my sports bra had chafed away BOTH of my boobs and was full of blood. Needless to say, the shower was agony. But I did it, and it is another step closer to my ultimate goal. Yay me!

Happy New Year!

Wow! I can't believe that I let the whole month of December get away without a single post. And I have thought about it so many times, too. Like the other night when I realized how great it is to be a runner. I was out, running through Christmas lights, the sky was completely clear and the stars were so, so bright. I could smell wood smoke from someone's fireplace and all I could think was "I am so glad to be here! What a wonderful place I live in!!!!". Fast forward to today, when a creepy ex-student of my husband's cut me off with his car and acted like a freako stalker (before he recognized me, but no better after!) and all I could think was "I am never going to be able to run at night again!". It really scared me, and I don't scare easily. I am a Public Defender...crazy people and mean people are my stock in trade. I am NOT easily spooked. However, I have spot on instincts and this guy is a real, true nut job. Fortunately, I have friends who will look out for me- but still, it taints the whole experience.

Otherwise, all is well. I finally got new shoes and I have run 19.5 miles so far this week. I am trying to gear up to run the Blacksburg Distance Classic 10 miler on February 21.

My New Years Resolution is going to be to blog more on my progress toward my first half Marathon, which looks like it will be April 18 in Charlotte, NC.