When in WV . . .

My in-laws came to visit West Virginia for the first time over the 4th of July weekend. They were probably expecting banjo-playing, toothless rednecks like most people do and, yes, we have our fair share of those. But so do Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Luckily they both enjoy the outdoors, so we were able to show them a lot of what WV has to offer.


The first night they came, we stayed at the Dian Lee House in Bluefield:





Brad and I stayed in the Abe Lincoln Room. It was awesome.






Over the course of the 5 days they were here, we did a lot of this:

And Brad and his dad even did some of this:

We spent some time in Fayetteville, ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Diogi's, and I purchased a pair of Merrell Pace Gloves (which I ran in for the first time today and LOVE). We hiked, drank, ate at a fancy restaurant, visited the Capitol Market, and hiked some more.

While we were showing them around our lovely new(ish) home state, I felt proud of WV. There are so many beautiful places to go and gorgeous natural things to see. So Charleston has very few good restaurants and there isn't a Whole Foods or a Lululemon in the whole state. So no good bands ever play here (outside of Mountain Stage, of course) and the theater is limited. So we're not a major city and we don't have a professional sports team. We have met wonderful people, are making great friendships, and we can get anywhere in the city in 10 minutes. There's never any traffic to speak of. You can hike up a mountain 5 minutes from your house. The air is clean (if you're not near a coalmine) and the trees are big. I've become a trail runner, and Brad a better cyclist. Mountains do that to you -- they make you strong.

Post HM Blues

It has been a week since I ran my first half marathon. My hips were sore last Sunday so I did nothing except eat Mexican food and drink a margarita with Brad. But already that evening, I was starting to feel the post-event blues.

"I'm kind of depressed that the half marathon is over," I told Brad in our kitchen on Sunday. "I don't have anything to work toward anymore."
"See? Now you get it! Sign up for another one!" said the man who races nearly every weekend from April through November, every year.
"Um, no."

But I have spent the last week thinking about what I want to do next. I love the feeling of setting a big goal and achieving it. All of those weeks of work actually led to something real. I'm not ready to commit to a marathon yet, but I don't think it's completely out of the question in my lifetime.

I think for now, I'm going to keep running (because, turns out? I like it) and try to get faster. I am running with a new friend, E., on Sunday. She is probably much faster than me, and I think that is a step in the right direction. My plan right now is going to be:

1 "track" workout per week (will probably be done on a TM sometimes)

1 fartlek per week

1 LSD per week

2 strength-training sessions per week

+other runs at my regular pace

+more protein in my diet

+run with someone faster sometimes (E. or Brad, if I can ever convince him to run)

Hopefully this will all help me get my average pace down below 10:00 miles.

The Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon

I did it! I set a goal that seemed crazy, and I achieved it. As a fat kid and non-athletic adult, part of me never thought -- even a couple of weeks ago -- that I would actually complete this race. I am ridiculously proud of myself and I'm already thinking about running it again next year.
*****
I took Friday off from work because I knew I would be a ball of nerves, and I needed to get things ready for my trip up to Morgantown. Brad came home from work around noon and brought me a Jimmy John's veggie sub, my absolute favorite sandwich ever. He then packed up and headed to Ohio to race the Mohican 100 and I took Ilsa to the dog spa (AKA Shamrock Stables Boarding Kennel) and headed out.

I spent Friday night at the Clarion Hotel Morgan, which is a beautiful old historic hotel right in downtown Morgantown. There was a special rate for the half marathon, otherwise I would never have been able to afford it. I checked in, then walked over to Black Bear Burritos to get dinner. I ordered the Wing it! burrito to go, and took it back to my hotel room to eat. I drank a bunch of water, watched "I Love You Man" in bed, and then zonked out around 10:00. Do I know how to party or what?
*****
On Saturday I woke up, ate my peanut butter on bread (no toaster), packed up, checked out, and drove to the Hazel Ruby McQuain park to pick up my race packet. There, all of the runners were loaded onto buses and driven to the trailhead in Masontown. I was so nervous during the bus ride. Luckily, I sat next to a friendly, chatty guy who has five kids and was running with his wife, both of them in Vibram Five Fingers! We talked about West Virginia, his shoes, and our training. He told me that I was more dedicated than most, for driving up from Charleston all by myself to do the race. Talking to this guy really calmed my nerves -- I never got his name or saw him after the race, but I hope he did well!

Once we arrived at the trailhead, I waited in line for a really long time to use a port-a-potty, walked about 400 feet down the trail to where everyone was convening, and soon someone yelled "Go!"

So I went.

I had previously committed to using the Galloway Method due to my injured foot. I ran through my first couple of walk intervals (even though Jeff Galloway says those are the most important!) and then settled into my 5:1 intervals. I firmly believe in the power of the walk breaks now. The first few intervals, I would get passed by people during my walk breaks. I would pass them again when running, and they would pass me during my next walk break, etc. But you know what? After about 4 miles, I never saw those people again. They were fading and I was speeding up.

The first 10 miles went by relatively quickly. I stopped at every water station (there were 7, which was awesome) and had water at one, Gatorade at the next. I had eaten 2 of my Powerbar Energy Blasts at mile 7, and that plus all the Gatorade gave me a little boost when I needed it.

Miles 11-13 were tough for me. They were on pavement (the rest had been wooded, dirt trail) and in bright sun. It was hot and my feet were starting to hurt. My right foot was cramping a bit, but my left arch (the injured one) was actually doing OK. I kept trucking along at my intervals. There was a high school rock band playing under a tent at mile 11. There was a water station and a hose spraying down at the trail at mile 12 -- that felt wonderful! A guy wearing a surgical mask rode past me on a recumbent bike with a boombox BLARING Will Smith's "Miami." Not sure where he came from.

Pretty soon I saw mile 13! There were a bunch of people cheering. I was almost there! I ignored my Garmin beeping for my last walk interval and ran right through the finish, grabbed a bottle of water from a volunteer, and went to stand under one of the hoses that were set up to cool people off. I took off my hat and got my hair nice and wet. Then I walked for about 1/2 a mile, ate a slice of pizza, and talked to an acquaintance, Shelly, who had also raced. Before I left, I drank another bottle of water and a bottle of Gatorade. It was HOT and I was pretty dehydrated.

I finished in 2:31, which I am really very proud of. My goal had been 2:45 and, with my injury, and I wasn't sure that I would even achieve that. This race was awesome. The course was beautiful, the volunteers were amazing, and the water stops were well-stocked and often.

Every mile -- every single step -- of my training, motivation, preparation, and race was done alone. Would it have been more fun if I'd had a friend to run with or someone waiting for me at the finish? Probably. But I did it, despite thinking that I never could or would, and I did it all. by. my. self.

The Bad News

I always want the bad news first. So here it is: my first half marathon, for which I have been training for months, is next weekend. And I hurt my foot.

I had to go out of town for work last Wednesday, and I ended up walking all over downtown Huntington. In ballet flats. And somehow, I stepped off a curb weirdly and strained/pulled/hurt the arch of my left foot. I took a few days off from running, and I've been icing, taping, and taking it easy since. My last long run that was supposed to be last Saturday, was shortened to 6 miles. I feel, suddenly, totally unprepared. I wanted to get one last long run in. I wanted to feel awesome and finish with a time that I was proud of. I wanted, I wanted.

Sometimes shit happens. Life is full of setbacks. I was on the verge of freaking out for a couple of days, until Brad reminded me that I want to continue to run for many years, right?

So here's the good news (there's always good news): I'm going to do it anyway. I'm going to show up with my weirdly taped foot and, if it's not 100% better, I'll set my watch for 5:1 intervals, and Galloway this bitch.

And you know? I think I'll still feel proud. Finishing a 13.54 (according to the course map) run, even with a one minute walk break out of every six, is still an accomplishment, something I never thought I would do, ever. I'm going to try to remember that as I eat everyone's dust next Saturday.

Charleston Lately

Brad is gone for the weekend at a 9-hour mountain bike race. Not only did he take my car, the peanut butter, and all of the beer we had in the house, but he also took the last of the coffee. That was a pleasant surprise this morning.

*****

KSF is beautiful, the trails have been great, and I went for an 11-mile run with this guy this morning:
He and I were running at about the same pace today. Look at the pity in his eyes. He's all "Dude, lady. You should be faster than that by now."

I know, turtle, I know. It was just a bad day.

I also saw my first ever bear while running today. It was HUGE and lumbering away from the trail I was on. I stopped for a minute to contemplate what I should do. Sneak away? Continue to stand completely still, staring at it? Yell? In the end, I just continued on my run, checking over my shoulder every now and then. It did not give chase.

*****

My friend Misty turned us on to these real femur bones that are filled with food for our dog. She (the dog, not Misty) has been gnawing on a bacon and cheese flavored one for the past week, with her eyes closed in ecstasy. Probably one of the better purchases I have made for her.

If you have a dog, especially one who is lazy yet needs constant attention like our dog, I highly recommend these. It keeps her occupied for hours.

*****

We finally bought that living room furniture! I am the proud owner of two huge comfortable couches and I love them. They're so nice that they make all of our other furniture look extra shitty in comparison.

*****

Week 5 Training

Monday - yoga + 3 mile run
Tuesday - 3 mile run, tempo pace
Wednesday - 2.75 mile run, 5 horrible hellish hill sprints at the end
Thursday - unplanned rest day. My knee was bugging me.
Friday - Blissful Rest!
Saturday - 11 miles that took a lifetime
Sunday - 4 or 5, depending upon my mood tomorrow

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

Yesterday I ran the 11th annual Susan G. Komen WV Race for the Cure here in Charleston. I ran this race last year, and it was my first 5k. This year, my goal was:

1. to PR (My previous 5k PR was the last 5k race I ran, the Turkey Trot, with a time of 31:45)
2. to finish in under 30 minutes.

However, last Wednesday I ran speed intervals on the treadmill and didn't use my knee sleeve. Thursday I ran an easy 2 miles, and my knee hurt pretty badly. I spent the rest of Thursday and Friday icing it every few hours, and my plan was somewhat derailed. I didn't want to hurt my knee in the 5k and risk not being able to run the Half Marathon (which is now less than a month away! EEK!), so my goal became to finish, run as much as I could, not kill myself, and walk if I needed to.

Friday night, Brad and I went out with some friends for happy hour and then dinner, but I made sure to drink a lot of water and only two beers so that I wouldn't be dehydrated for the race on Saturday. After the 5k, my HM training plan called for 6 more miles, which would not be fun hungover!

Saturday morning I woke up, had cereal and coffee, woke Brad up, and we went down to the Capitol grounds, where the festivities were in full swing (Brad was awesome enough to come with me to cheer me on! Thanks, B!). I wore my pink Nike Dri-Fit T-shirt, pink socks, and my pink Bondi band. I don't normally dress in all pink when I run, but at the Susan G Komen race, you stand out if you're NOT in pink!

I hung out with Brad for a while and then went to line up. I was so nervous! I always get pre-race jitters, even though I will never win a race in my life. Soon enough the horn sounded and everyone took off! The other runners and walkers fill both sides of Kanawha Boulevard. It's inspiring when 7000+ people come out to support a cause, especially to do something active.

I kept a good (for me) pace throughout, didn't have to stop to walk at all, and felt good! My knee didn't hurt and I thought maybe -- just maybe -- I would achieve my goal of under 30 minutes.

As I approached the finish line, I saw 30: on the clock. I was so close! But I picked up my pace to finish in under 31:00, and I made it! The official chip results aren't up yet, but I crossed the finish line, high-fiving Brad, just before the clock turned over to 31, so my time will be 30-something. I'm happy with that. Next time, under 30!

After the race, I went home, ate a bagel, and drove to the state forest for another 6 miles. It was a perfect day, the trails were in amazing condition, and I was happy to be able to run on them.

Week 4 Training:

Monday - yoga
Tuesday - 3 miles tempo
Wednesday - 3 miles intervals
Thursday - 2 miles easy
Friday - Blissful Rest
Saturday - 5k race + 6 miles
Sunday - rest -- sore legs!

On My Legs

I've always had big thighs. For the record, I am not calling myself fat. But my legs have always been fat. Large. Shapely. Thick. Or, to use the quintessential midwestern term, "sturdy." Because of this, I have never really worn shorts. Bermudas, sure. Knee-length running tights, yes. But never shorts.

Last week I purchased a pair of Nike Tempo running shorts. Partly because they are popular among runners and I want to be like everyone else, but also because Charleston? It gets super hot in the summer. Last year, I would put on my workout capri pants and run a couple of miles a couple of times a week. But now, my running schedule is busier and I run longer and the capris aren't going to cut it once the temperatures hit 90. And this will happen very soon.

I took them for a spin yesterday, drove to my favorite nearby trail for a quick and dirty 3-miler over my lunch break (Can I just say that this is the best part about working from home?). I'd already applied my Body Glide to avoid chub rub issues, so I took off in my shorts and I started up the hill.

A woman was walking on the trail, and I passed her around the 1.5 mile point and nodded pleasantries. She was looking at my legs as I passed.

"Oh shit, she must think my legs are too fat for these shorts. WTF lady? I can wear shorts if I damn well want to." These thoughts are rolling through my head as I plug along.

I reached the end of the trail and turned to head back. Wouldn't you know, I passed her again! "Hello," "Hi there," still obviously staring at my legs as I went by.

"I clearly should not be wearing these shorts. They must look really bad. I am a giant fat monster." It's amazing how quickly what I imagine one complete stranger thinks of me can ruin my mood.

When I got back to my car, I remembered that my leg looked something like this:

IMAGE SOURCE - if this was my actual leg I would not have these issues

And that might have been what she was staring at. Whew! Self-esteem meltdown caused by total stranger averted.

Here's a little bonus story:

Picture it: Pittsburgh, 2008. Brad's friend Ned rolls up to our house on his road bike to go for a ride with Brad.

From inside our kitchen, I hear Brad say, "Dude. Your thighs are huge."

And Ned answer,"Yeah, thanks!"

There's one conversation that would never pass between two women.

An Easy Week

This week ended up being quite an easy week in my half marathon training, due to a skipped workout (oops) and another shortened one (oops). Here's what I did:

Week 3 Training

Monday - yoga
Tuesday - (should have been 4 miles, actually skipped because I waited for 10 hours for the Suddenlink guy to show up to install my office phone. Not cool, Suddenlink.)
Wednesday - 2 miles intervals (fast and fun!)
Thursday - 3 miles tempo (this should have been 4 but I was short on time)
Friday - Blissful rest
Saturday - 9 beautiful KSF miles
Sunday - 4 miles easy pace

My 9-miler this morning was awesome! The weather was perfect, the trails were perfect, and I had one of those elusive good runs. I felt strong and bad ass running hills, even with my dorky water bottle fanny pack thing. I borrowed Brad's iPod because mine isn't holding a charge for some reason, and it was great to hear something different than my normal running playlists. He has great taste in music, and today I heard everything from Lil Wayne and Jay-Z to the Decemberists and Grinderman. It was a welcome change.

Off to enjoy this beautiful Saturday!

32 Going on 13(.1)

After weeks of quietly training, I finally signed up for the Decker's Creek Trail Half Marathon. The race is on June 4th, and I am simultaneously excited and terrified. 13.1 miles is a long distance to run, but I feel confident that I can do it. I just hope I don't win the caboose award for bringing up the rear.

Of course, I will be completing, not competing. I do have a goal time in mind, but that is plan B. Plan A is just to finish. I read a lot of runners' blogs, and I can't help but compare my slow running times to their much speedier ones. Not to mention all of the seriously fast runners who will be running the half marathon that day, who will probably be showered and on their way home by the time I finish. It's going to be very hard, but I'm going to try to only focus on myself, how I feel, and the goal at hand -- just to do it.

Brad, who has been sidelined for the last few weeks with a knee injury and is missing the beginning of his race season as we speak, helped me set up a training plan for the 8 weeks leading up to the race. This week was week 1 of his plan, and so far I've been doing well.

Week 1 Training:
Monday - Yoga
Tuesday - 3 miles intervals
Wednesday - 3 miles steady (I actually ran intervals this day instead)
Thursday - 3 miles intervals (I actually ran steady / tempo on this day)
Friday - Blissful rest!
Saturday - 9 miles
Sunday - 3 miles easy / recovery

You will see that this plan has me running 5 days a week, and before I had been running 3 or 4 and taking at least two complete rest days per week. It's going to be hard, but everything in life worth doing is hard.

The Best / Worst Run Ever

Yesterday was the day that I have been thinking about with simultaneous dread and excitement for weeks now. It was my very first 10 mile run.

I have been covertly training for something that I'm not ready to talk about yet, but it has involved running distances that I never thought I would be physically able to run (see above: 10 miles).

It's been well documented here that I was a fat kid / fat teenager / fat college student, and I grew up almost completely sedentary, using my energy to smoke and be angry at the world. I've never been athletic and I still don't consider myself an athlete, a runner, or even particularly fit. Just last summer, I thought running 5 miles was something I'd never be able to do. Now, 5 miles on nasty / lovely KSF trails is a great way to spend a weekend morning, or decompress after a rough day at work. It's still not easy for me, but it's fun and challenging in a good way.

Yesterday, I woke up and looked at the weather forecast. It was supposed to rain, and then not for several hours, and then rain again. So I hung out and drank coffee until about 10:30, when all signs of rain seemed to have passed. Brad taped up my knee for me, I packed some jelly beans, water, and my Uggs (for the drive home), and headed out to the state forest. I was wearing my new Brooks Cascadia 6's for their first long run and would be using this water bottle fanny pack thing that Brad bought for me. I was set.

I parked at the back of the forest and headed out. Uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, pass some mountain bikers, eat a few jelly beans, 5 miles. Easy peasy. I was at my turn-around point and feeling pretty good.

Then it started to rain. I was wearing knee-length tights, a tank top, a light jacket with thumbholes, and a running hat. I was warm enough, until the hail came. With it came wind. I was on the top of a ridge, and the wind blew right through my wet lycra and into my exposed ears. I was freezing and I had 5 miles to go!

I saw the mountain bikers again in another mile or so, they called me "fucking crazy" for running in the hail storm.

But it did end after a short while, I did make it back to my car, I did live to tell the tale. Of course it all seemed very dramatic at the time, but it was kind of awesome. I felt pretty bad ass.

I was freezing on the drive home. I was also starving, but I can't really eat for a few hours after a long or difficult run. All food is unappealing and I get sick to my stomach if I do eat. So I took a hot hot shower, made a smoothie and sipped it, wrapped in a blanket on the couch while watching Project Runway.

And today it is 65 and sunny. Ah, the irony.

Five Things To Do With an Unexpected Day Off

1. Go to Target and purchase a miniature Christmas tree, along with a pair of Boy Mini Gloves from the dollar bin.


2. Decorate said miniature Christmas Tree with ornaments that you received at your bridal shower and have never taken out of the box.


3. Go for a trail run in the middle of the day. Be simultaneously enchanted and creeped out by the fact that you seem to be the only human being in the State Forest.


4. Drink.

5. Watch six episodes of Arrested Development in a row.

Confessions of an Almost-Runner

That horrible 5-mile run that I went on a couple of weeks ago? That was the last "long" run I've done. I have kept up my weekly running schedule, but I've only run 3 or 3.5 miles at a time.

Since Daylight Savings Time ended and I've been leaving work in the dark, I've moved my weekday runs indoors. I've been hitting the good ole 'mill at the YMCA a couple of mornings a week at the ungodly hour of 6.00 am. It has allowed me to maintain my schedule but, man, do I hate running on the treadmill. My goal for the winter is to do at least one (long) run outside on the weekends, and run on the treadmill during the week. I even bought a pair of winter running tights this weekend.

I signed up for the 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning at the beautiful KSF. I convinced Brad to sign up, too, and since I'm not making him run with me this time, I expect that he will finish a good 10 minutes before I do. Since it is likely going to be a small race, I also expect that I will finish near the back of the pack, if not DFL (dead fucking last). I've come to terms with that and am going to run with my only goal being to finish faster (or less slowly, as the case may be) than my last 5K. A new PR, if I were a real runner.

After the 5K, Brad and I are going to come home, put on our stretchy pants, and cook a huge Thanksgiving dinner for just the two of us. It's going to be legendary.

Lessons I Learned on My Trail Run This Morning

1. Even if it is only 50 degrees, don't wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt on a run. You may think that you will be fine, but after one uphill mile it will be all sweaty and you'll be hot. Then, later, you'll be freezing in the damp cotton.

2. Drinking water is good. Drinking water the day before a long, difficult run is even better. If you fail to do this you will have a splitting headache and you'll want to die. Also, you should buy a damn hand-held water bottle and use it already.

3. Just when you are about to die of dehydration, a knight in shining armor on a white horse (or, a husband in shiny spandex on a single speed mountain bike) will show up and offer you a drink from his bottle and words of encouragement. Fairy tales do come true!

4. Do not eat chips and hummus and halloween candy for dinner. There is no nutritional value in that and your body needs decent food to work properly. Your body hates you right now.

5. While trail running in late fall, sometimes you have to shuffle sideways down a rocky descent, holding onto a tree for dear life. It's the only way to avoid a rolled ankle. Also, you should buy some damn trail running shoes already.

All excuses aside, today's run was probably my worst ever. But shit happens. Bad runs happen. I'm sure even elite athletes have bad days. What matters is that I did what I could and I'll try again another day.

Scenes From My Thursday Evening Run

I feel so lucky to be able to run on these beautiful roads. Even if they seem to be in an area where drug deals go down. Maybe it's time I start running with this little lady:

Feel the Fear

This morning, one of my greatest fears was realized.

OK, maybe that's a little bit dramatic.

This morning I woke up, ate my almond butter and banana oats, and prepared for a trail run. I headed to the Kanawha State Forest with my awesome Garmin (a birthday gift from Brad) and planned to do about 3.5 miles. I chose one of the flattest, most well-traveled trails in the forest, since I was alone, no one knew I was there, and I did not want to carry my phone (not that it would have reception there anyway). I love trail running more and more every time I do it. There's so much to look at and listen to in the woods, I don't even run with my ipod. I heard a lot of woodpeckers today!

I reached the end of the trail and start heading back, trucking along at my slow speed, enjoying nature and really, feeling that all was well in the universe.

And then it happened.

Every time I go hiking or trail running I worry about tripping and falling off a cliff. There are cliffs everywhere in West Virginia, and the trails are pretty gnarly; rooty and rocky, basically one tripping hazard after another.

Today was the day. I felt my toe clip the root and thought "Oh no, I'm going down." There was a fairly steep drop-off to my right, about 6 feet down into a creek bed full of boulders, and to my left, a super steep uphill. When I hit the ground, the only place for me to go would be to the right.

As I was falling, the following thoughts were going through my head:

"Come on, yoga balance, where are you now?"
"I'm going to fall onto those rocks and it's going to hurt."
"How far am I from the end of the trail? Will anyone find me if I can't walk?"
"Oh christ, are those mountain bikers approaching?"
"Shit, I hope it isn't anyone I know."
"What if I get hurt and can't run anymore?"
"Ow, ow, ouch, ow."

That last one was happening as I hit the ground and slid on my left hip, leg, and hand down the hill.

The two mountain bikers were now rushing to see if I was OK (luckily, I didn't know them). I was embarrassed and could feel my face turning red as I tried to assure them I was fine. I got up, assessed the situation, and realized that I really was fine. No blood, not even a scratch, which I thought was amazing but actually shows that I didn't fall as hard or slide as far as I felt like I did.

I climbed back up to the trail, thanked the bikers, and jogged off on my merry way. I escaped unscathed, except for a bruised ego and a slightly swollen palm.

I am now going to soothe my ego with lunch from Subway. It's the little things, you know.

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

Running a 5K is something that I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now. So last week, when Brad told me that his firm was getting a team together for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, we decided to sign up.

Although I run at least 3-4 days a week, most of those runs are on the treadmill at 600 am. I only run outside once or twice a week, and I have no idea how far those runs are. I was very, very nervous all week and I can't really articulate why. I guess it was my inner teenage fat girl telling me that I couldn't do it. I was afraid I would finish in last place, even though intellectually I knew that would not happen -- there were thousands of people running, walking, and even some wheelchair participants.

Yesterday was the big day. I woke up, ate some toast, slathered on sunblock and got dressed. Brad and I drove the 3 minutes from our house to the state capitol building, where the festivities were in full swing. We saw a bunch of people we knew, and talking to them eased my nerves a bit. I had previously made Brad promise to run with me, even though his natural running pace is much faster than mine (he's an athlete and 7" taller than me).

Soon, the race was on! I made the most common rookie mistake and started at a much faster pace than I could sustain for 3.1 miles. After about one mile, I had to slow down and eventually take a 30 second walk break. After that, I began to run again, trying to keep my pace slower, but I had to take a few more short walk breaks in the second half of the race. I tried to keep them all to no more than a minute or two. Before long, the finish line was in sight and Brad and I picked it up for the last maybe 50 yards so we could finish strong!

When we crossed the finish line, the clock read 35:19. But the time chip didn't start recording until we crossed the start line and, since that took a little while due to all of the participants, I'm not sure what my official time was. I think it must have been 34-something minutes, which makes me super happy. My goal was to finish in under 37 minutes! Eventually the results will be online and I'll know for sure what my time was.

I'm so happy that I did this! I'm also so happy that my wonderful husband did it with me. He walked when I needed to walk, told me to slow down when I was going too fast, and made me laugh even when I felt exhausted. On top of all of this, he never runs and he has a 40-mile mountain bike race today in Virginia! So he risked sore knees at his race to be there for me.

I know that running 3 miles is not a long distance, nor is it a big deal for a lot of people. I also know that I did not run fast. But, for me, the fact that I even did it is a big deal. I tend to tell myself that I can't do things, and then I never even try. But now that I've done one 5K, I know I can do others. Then maybe a 10K?

The one bad thing is that, by the time we got to registration, they only had XL t-shirts left. I was hoping to be able to wear my shirt to the gym with pride, but it's so big that all I can really do is sleep in it. Ah well. Maybe next time.

Kneepeas

Because I'm sure the universe is simply dying for an update, my knee is much better today. I took three days off from working out and elliptical-ed this morning at the gym. It felt so good that, after I got off the hamster wheel, I ran a mile on the treadmill before heading home to ice my leg with my kneepeas (a bag of frozen peas that are designated for icing body parts, not for eating).

In other news, I'm headed to a brand new doctor tomorrow, whose name I randomly chose from my health insurance's network of doctors. My doctor in Pittsburgh was kind of a dick, and he never listened to me. I have high hopes for new dude tomorrow.

Pain Cave

I have finally gotten to a point with my fitness that I am proud of. I can run that 5K that I was aiming for -- in fact, I have been running 10-15 miles a week pretty consistently for the last month or so (a combination of treadmill and trail). I know that is not a lot, but I hope one day to be one of those people who runs 10-15 miles at once, and for the first time I have been feeling like that is achievable. "Every runner has to start somewhere!" I tell myself. So what if I'm starting later than most; I spent my teen years being over 200 pounds!

Yesterday I went to the park near my house to run, on a familiar trail that I have run several times already. I ran this particular trail end-to-end and back (about 2.75 miles, I estimate), was chased by a goose in the process, and then got back into my car to drive home. As I sat down in the car, I felt a twinge in my left knee. Huh. I have had problems with my right knee for years, but never the left.

By the time I got home, moving my foot on and off of the clutch was excruciating. I showered and iced my knees, and then took a look -- very swollen, as I suspected. Walking up and down stairs is seriously difficult. Putting pretty much any weight on the knee while it is bent is very painful.

I'm so discouraged, I don't know what to do. I have worked very hard to get to this point in regards to running, and I am afraid I'll lose a lot of fitness by taking too much time off. On the other hand, I know I need to take care of my body and, frankly, I think I could run today if I tried.

So, I'm bummed. Super bummed. But hopefully a couple of days' rest is all I will need to heal.

In the meantime:

Easy Like Saturday Morning

This morning, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful, crisp 35 degrees outside. Brad left on his road bike to do a century just for the hell of it, and I decided to head to the Kanawha State Forest to do a trail run.

First, let me say that I have spent a decent amount of time hiking on the trails at the KSF, but I am the girl who needs the super stiff hiking boots to keep from rolling her ankles. Second, I can run a couple of miles easily now, but all of the miles I've run have been on the treadmill. As I drove the 15 minutes to the forest, I began to think that this was not a good idea. The trail I was headed for, the Davis Creek Trail, is one of the flattest in the forest. It does, however, have its share of rocks, roots, and slippery, muddy areas. I imagined myself spraining an ankle and lying in the woods, waiting for mountain lions to kill me. I hoped that they would be swift about it.

Before I could talk myself into turning around and heading to the gym, I arrived, parked, strapped on my ipod and Smartwool hat, and was on my way.

I'm sure you saw this coming: I think I ran the whole time with a huge grin on my face.

Wow, trail running is awesome. I had to walk one short, icy section along a little ridge, and when the trail suddenly became a river, I had to walk off trail to get around it, but otherwise I ran along at a good pace, my "girl power" playlist blaring, smiling and sweating in the sunshine. I don't know for sure how far I ran, nor do I really care, but based upon how long it took, my estimate is about 2 miles. I would have run longer, but the trail mysteriously ended and I wasn't sure where to go next. When it finally dries out, I'm going to be all over Middle Ridge trail -- that one goes on forever.

Now I'm home icing my dodgy knee. I have to head to the mall this afternoon to find something to wear to my brother-in-law's wedding in Wisconsin next weekend. I hate the thought of spending such a nice day in a mall, but it has to be done.

I hope everyone has a glorious weekend!

An Actual Conversation

It is 5.45 am. I have dragged myself out of my warm bed, put on my workout clothes and driven to the gym. Squinting against the uber-bright florescent lights, I choose a treadmill, set my program and start to run. But my legs! They feel like whole frozen Christmas hams. They are heavy, heavy, and after 5 minutes I slow to a walk and hang my head in shame. I feel defeated.

Man on treadmill next to me: Seems harder today, doesn't it?

K: Yes, it does.

Man: That one is stuck at an incline.

K: That would certainly explain it. Thanks!

I moved to the next treadmill and had no trouble pounding out my 2 miles. Crisis averted!