It's a PR party. St Patty's Day Style.

Pre-race photo.  See how windy it is!  Sweet hair me.

I finally had my St. Patty's Day 5k this morning that I've been talking about for. ev. er.  Or maybe it just feels like it.  But if you're my friend, co-worker, or even just someone dumb enough to pause next to me in the streets/elevator/hallway I've told you about my training.  Anyways,  it went pretty darn well.  My cheering posse dwindled down into almost none existence, but that's to be expected.  Hah.  

I've been a little concerned about the race because my hip has been bothering me considerably for the last few weeks, both running and walking, so I wasn't sure how she was going to hold up.  Also, I was running/training for the race with my running buddy Matty.  We weren't planning on actually running together, but we've done a few of our training runs side by side on the ol' treadmill.  The race started fabulous.  Oh so glad I decided to wear running pants/tights rather than shorts.  Eek.  Because I've been running on the treadmill so much in training for this race (meaning only ONE run in the last 2 months has been outside--it's been cold.  Sue me) I haven't really had to pace myself, the machine has done it for me.  I had it all planned out in my head where my mile splits should be for me to PR in the race.  My first glance at my watch was at 8:50.  What?!?!  Am I going THAT slow???  No mile markers wtf?  At this point I realized that there were no mile markers.  Awesome blossom.

I also had time to smile and wave to ma and pa when I ran by them.  They're just super fans, it's not even funny.  So I'm trudging along into the bitter bitter cold and wind, trying to run behind people to take off some of the wind for me.  Unfortunately, runners are tiny, so ya.  Great wind shield you are scrawny chick.  At the halfway point my watch said 12:58.  Whoo.  Under 26 minutes, plus I have an oh-so-fabulous kick stored up inside me.  Secretly at this point, I'm also hoping to catch up to Matty and beat him.  Heheh.  I slowly start to pick off people, knowing that the majority of the second half of the race is downhill (since the previous half was uphill, duh).  My first step down this hill and I have this sharp shooting pain in my side.  Really?  This is what a cramp feels like?  How have I NEVER had one of these?  Ouch.  Ouch.  Must stop.  Pain.  Oh...there's mom and dad again.  Try not to look like I'm in too much pain.  Must look cute for the pictures mom's snapping.  Ouch ouch ouch.  Basically at this point I think that it'll hurt just the same if I stop (big big BIG lie I'm telling myself here) as it will if I keep running.  I only have a mile left, no biggie.  Who cares that I can't take a full breath, right?

This inner monologue goes on for roughly 1/2 a mile when the route starts to go slightly uphill again.  Just enough to ease my cramp.  YAY.  I start to pick up the pace a bit from the slow painful march, and again start running into the wind.  Seriously?  Wind the whole route, out and back?  Is that possible?  I look at my clock and realize that I have to finish in the next 2:30 to PR and the finish line doesn't look that far away.  I sneak behind some unsuspecting runners for the next 1:30 so they can fight the wind on the remaining incline, and then kick in the ol' sprinteroo and pass 5-7 of them before the finish line (all boys except one, thank you very much).  I came in at 25:48 which is my best time by 46 seconds.  Go me.  Plus it's my best time in 2 years, which is even cooler, since the last 3 5ks I've done I've gotten progressively slower.  

Matt and I will be heading to eat delicious food and drinks as soon as I get my lazy butt off the couch, and will be celebrating St. Patty's day like a true Irish (wo)man should.  Don't worry, I'll also be celebrating on Tuesday.  Dual St. Patty's Day week--you just might kill me.  Erin go bragh.  

Post-race photo.  He's got a sweet Leprecaun/tuxedo shirt under that jacket. 

P.S.  I didn't beat Matt.  He did FABULOUS.  But there's always next time.  :)

Race Stats:

Division Place: 10 out of 70

Gender Place: 21 out of 167

Overall Place: 91 out of 284

Countdown.

The St. Patty's Day 5k is in 6 days.  Whoo.  I did my last long run of 7 miles this morning and it felt good.  I really hope the weather isn't atrocious, because I think I have a honest shot of a significant PR.  I'm mentally planning about 3 different race outfit options depending on the weather.  Having as much green clothes as I do really makes it difficult to narrow the decision down.  What a horrible problem to have.

I'm just really excited about falling back in love with running.  The last couple of years I've just been running for the sake of running.  It's been awhile since I actually looked forward to my runs, and started to get that competitive streak back in me.  Looking at my 7 mile from today, I really think I'll be able to get under 2 hours in one or both of my 1/2s this year, which would be amazing.  I had kind of given up on that hope since I had started to run at a snail's pace.  I'm also even contemplating doing a half this spring.  I could have 2 months to train (if I found one in May) and I'm already up to 7 miles for my long run.  It's not a bad idea.  But scary.  I'm used to "training" from February to September for my 1/2.  But since that training consisted of about 1 long run a week, maybe that's why it took so long to prepare.  :p

If you're in the area on Saturday and want to see me in all my green glory, let me know.  I'd love to have some extra support!

Race Annoucements

I am excited to announce some big races I have decided to do.  I have decided to finally commit to running a marathon.  Whoo.  I've wanted to run a marathon for as long as I can remember, but each 1/2 that I have trained for and completed has shown me my lack of dedication.  I have been thinking about my running and training lately, and realized that this is the time in my life when I have the most time to dedicate towards working out.  It will be very difficult to train for a marathon when I have a family, and that could be reason enough to keep me from training at all. 

When I first started running races, I said that I wanted to do the Green Bay marathon as my first.  It's a great Packer fan first marathon.  The last mile is a lap around Lambeau Field.  What more could a person want?!?  I've decided that May 2010 will be my first (and hopefully not last) marathon.

I know this may seem like pretty far off, so I do have a plan to keep me motivated and excited to train for the next 15 months.  I will be running the Sioux Falls 1/2 marathon in September as I have done for the last 4 years.  Instead of falling off the face of the earth after the race, I will set my sights on the Dallas White Rock Marathon in Dallas, TX in December.  From here I will be able to continue on my training with Green Bay in my near future.

Over the next few months, I will be running a few 5ks or 10ks to keep me going prior to starting my 1/2 marathon training, and am really excited to see what my race times will end up.  I've put so much more time and energy into running this last 2 months.  It'll be nice to see what the ol' legs can pull off.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Last Wednesday I got super bummed out because I thought it was Ash Wednesday, thus meaning I had missed Mardi Gras.  Once I got my dates straight, I was happy to not have missed it.  So what am I doing to celebrate?  Sitting at the library.  Twittering.  My new obsession.  And I do mean OBSESSION.  Not that I update all that much on there, but it's just fascinating finding new people to follow.  Really it's just a large stalker realm, but whatever.  Stalk on.

I had my first run outdoors since the bitter cold hit (and since slightly before that since I got purty lazy after my 1/2 marathon in September).  Let me tell you.  Running around outside is a gazillion times better than running on a stupid machine, in a stupid hot gym, staring at your stupid reflection in a window.  It was fab.  Of course there's snow in the forecast tomorrow.  But whatever.

I think I might wear some beads to the grocery store after this.  Just to show folks what's up.  :)

Jeri=hypocrite

I went to my gym Friday night after work to get a little running in.  The way my gym is set up (like most any other gyms) is with the treadmills in the front, facing the floor to ceiling windows leading to the outside.  Of course this leads to good stalking of gym members.  As I'm running, I see a lady hop into a car.  Apparently her hubby, boyfriend, whatever came to pick her up from the gym, so sweet.  As SOON as she gets in the vehicle, she pulls out a cigarette and lights up.  Don't worry, she did roll the window down at least one centimeter so that the poor kids in the back can have some "fresh" air.  Meanwhile, I'm criticizing her to no end for ruining her workout with smoke.  Eew.

After I got done at the gym, I drove across the street to the liquor store to get two bottles of wine.  Um..  yeah.  I'm a hypocrite.  Whoops.  :)

Vampires

I finished the Twilight series a week and a half ago. Watched the first movie about a month ago. And for some reason, I think I might be in love with a vampire. Seriously. School girl crush. I haven't had one of those since...well...school. Perhaps I think Rob Pattinson is oh so dreamy because he was in one of my other favorite series....HP. Or the fact that he has one of the most amazing voices ever. I may have googled his bio prior to writing this to make sure he was over the age of 18 because I just felt so wrong. (5-13-86 FYI).

But back to the books. I've heard a lot of criticism of the books and the poor writing of Stephanie Meyer, but I think they set out what they were meant to do. Entertain. And secretly make me want to sparkle in the sunlight. Whatever.

Speed of Light

I've decided I'm going to be speedy fast again. Ok. Let's be honest. I'll never be fast-fast again. Speed of Light (heh heh) fast. But faster than I've been. Whoo. I've been training for my first race of the 2009 year and it's been going great. I have a running pal to help motivate me to not skip workouts, and someone who will listen to be babbling about my runs (hehe) without their eyes glazing over.

I went through all of my 5k times and sadly realized that I got slower each time I ran one. This year I'm destined to beat my PR. Coincidentally, it was at this very race 2 years ago that I had my PR. In the freezing freezing cold. There's probably some significance w/the race being on St. Patty's Day. Gotta love dressing in all green and having it be not only condoned but encouraged.

I've been comparing my training logs from the past 2 months and my 2-3 months of training leading up to my last half marathon this past summer, and I think I figured out why it was so so horrible. Um. I barely ran all summer. Seriously. Who trains for a 1/2 marathon by running 1-2 a week? I'm an idiot. Anyway...I have a ton of time on my hands, so I might as well get in insane shape and kick some running butt while I'm at it. I'll probably get so buff that I'll be Miss Universe 2010 and end up married to some dude named Sven who lifts semis for his morning curls. Man. I can't wait. The future is looking promising.