One Weekend, Two Races, Two States

Friday night I drove down to Rhode Island for the Blessing of the Fleet 10 mile race. Shockingly I arrived without getting lost, just stuck in traffic for awhile. I quickly met up with David at the designated meeting spot, full of smiles and positive energy, followed by Bill. We waited as long as we could for Michelle, but had to head to the starting line without finding her. We started at the back of the pack and 1/4 mile into the race Michelle and her friends spotted us. We chatted for awhile and headed off at different paces. I ran with David for a bit and then with Bill until mile 4ish.

For the next 6 miles I tried to keep at a steady pace. I felt energized by the crowds and ‘party scene’ neighbors. It was hot and very sunny, but I love the heat. I won’t deny that mile 7 in the shade was wonderful and there were a few difficult spots along the way, but all in all I was happy with my running. After the race the RBF members gathered for race stories and the ‘dreaded’ post race picture. Bill was gracious enough to give two very stinky runners (David and myself) a ride back to our cars where we said our goodbyes.

After the race, I drove over to a friend’s house (she had walked the race, her husband ran the race). I showered and we headed to Charlie O’s Tavern for drinks/food. The food was great and it was fun catching up with more friends, a perfect way to end the night.

Good Times-Good Friends-Can’t wait ‘till next year!
1:26:39 online finish time = 8:40 pace



This morning I drove to Massachusetts to meet relay team friends for the Danskin triathlon. I ran the last leg of the course, the 2.8 mile run. As I headed out for the run, feeling strong and fast, I felt guilty because the other athletes were exhausted after finishing a .5 mile swim and 12 mile difficult bike ride. Yet, the other part of me felt like a Rock Star, I was passing everyone and I had a lot of energy. I had an awesome time!

It was my first time to be a part of relay and also my first time at a triathlon. I loved it. I was inspired by all the athletes and the experience *almost* made me want to train for the whole tri next year. However, that would mean I would actually have to learn how to ‘really’ swim. I don’t think I could Doggie Paddle for half a mile. :)
Lisa\Swim = 16:26
Jenn\Bike = 1:01:12 (There was a Killer hill.)
AA\Run = 20:29

Race

Tonight is the Blessing of the Fleet 10 mile run in Narragansett, RI. I'm excited to meet up with some of my favorite RBF members (David, Michelle, Bill). I just finished a bowl of oatmeal and printed directions.....so here we go!

Americana

I live in a small, old fashioned town full of New England charm. It's the type of town where neighbors still talk to each other and BBQ together in their back yards. People trust each other, wave to strangers and stop to offer rides to wet runners. Today I headed out for a short run. What started as a light sprinkle turned into a downpour in the middle of the run. During the final mile, I had two people stop to offer me a ride (an older man with his wife and a 'typical soccer mom' in her mini-van). Of course I didn't accept the offer because there comes a point when you are already so wet, it doesn't matter that it's still raining. Yet, it's nice to know there are a still 'good Samaritans' out there.

running over the weekend = none

crossing training = Does spending all day Saturday shopping for wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses count? :)

Thanks for a great weekend Dawn and Mike.

Now it's time to hit the training log hard this week.

Numbers

5 miles - 49 minutes
Pathetic, I know......but in my defense it was hot and humid.
I couldn't allow those numbers to stay in my training log, so later in the day I headed out on the roads again, this time to the local 5K 'Run Fun' and my pace was much faster. A little 'friendly competition' goes a long way. :)
Happy Running!

Yoga

I have always wanted to try Bikram Yoga (Hot Yoga) and tonight I caught a glimpse. The air conditioner wasn't working at the studio, so we opened the windows and in came the warm weather. (85 degrees, 75% humidity) I loved it! I swear the heat gave me extra energy.


During the last 15 minutes of class, we lay down on our mats and relax (Savasana). During the school year, it's my favorite part of class. I completely relax and nearly fall asleep each week. I absolutely love my job but it is very stressful with administration demands, curriculum requirements, preparing for state tests, mountains of required (unnecessary) paper work, and pleasing parents. Now that summer is here and I am completely stress free, Savasana bores me and I can't stop fidgeting. Tonight I almost burst out laughing in the silent room because I was thinking about a joke someone told me recently. Oh, the joys of yoga! :)

New

My old Asics served me well with 462 miles.

Here we go.... Asics 2120's

Color: Raspberry/Silver Lightning

With a color like that, these sneakers *have* to be fast. :)

Almost Double Digits

I had a great run today!
Everything seemed to 'align' properly.

- no knee pain
- nutritious breakfast
- perfect weather
- fun running partner
- scenic route

about 1 hour, 20 minutes = about 9.5 miles*

* One of these days I'm going to buy a watch and millage tracker, but for now using the clock in my car and the odometer work for me. :)

Three Years Later

Today is my blog-a-versary. Who would have thought three years later I would still be typing away about my running adventures (or lack there of at times). Thank you to the RBF for your encouragement and inspiration.

Today is also the day for my New Years resolutions. I started July 1st resolutions a few years ago after reading something that said, "The time to turn over a new leaf is when the leaves are full." and I took the quote literally. :)

As an update from past resolutions: I have been donut and soda free for three years (minus one slip by 'accident', but that's another story). I take a multi vitamin every day and I only drink plain ol' regular water--no more flavored or carbonated water. Sadly, I still haven't donated blood, even though its been on my list for years.

This year I really want to work on the 4 hour marathon goal and I want to cook at least one new meal a month. Honestly, I think cooking is going to be my biggest struggle. Yieks!