Indoor Sprint Tri Freak OUT

So tomorrow is my first triathlon of the season.   It’s indoor, so I’ll be swimming in a pool, riding a spin bike, and running on a treadmill.  It’s a sprint distance.  The swim is only 400 meters, the bike is 8 miles, and the run is 2.5 miles.  I know I can finish all three distances without a problem.   I’m not sure I can finish in the time that I want.

That is why I’m freaking out.  Well, that and another reason.  I looked at the results for this sprint tri from last year.   I did it while I was pregnant and it was the first one I ever did.  This is why I’m doing it again this year.  I want to see how well I can do since I’m not going to be watching my heart rate.  However I’m too competitive to stop there. I had to look up the top 5 women finishers and the top finisher for my age group.  I decided my goal was to claim a top 5 finish.  I decided I want to be top 3 for my age group.

This means that I’m freaking out this week.  The woman who got first in my age group also came in 2nd female over-all.  There is no way I can match her swim.  She did 400 meters in a little over 6 minutes. My goal was to get mine to 8 minutes. I don’t think I’ve done that.   The bike, I have no idea. It’s a spin bike so I know I’ll keep it on low resistance and therefore I’ll be faster than using my bike outside.  The run, I’ve got the run.  My goal is 7 min miles for the run.  That would beat her 8 min miles from last year.  If I can match her on the bike, I have a chance of coming in first or at least coming close to it.

This means I’m freaking out because I want to hit my goal and I’m not sure I can.  I know I do this for fun, but it’s still intimidating, It’s still nerve wrecking.  I’m also dealing with some aches/pains/possibly injuries.  My workouts the last several weeks have sucked. My last two long runs I’ve had to cut short for various reasons.   So I’m going in to this triathlon knowing I can do this distance but wondering how well I can do the distance.  Stay tuned for a race report next week!  And please wish me luck for an awesome experience tomorrow.

I’m also going in to this triathlon knowing that it kicks off a very aggressive race season for me.  A race season that doesn’t end until November. This freaks me out. 

I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m crazy, I’m a runner.  ‘Nough said.

Zombie Mode Workouts

I knew when I was pregnant that I wanted to continue working out once R arrived.  I also knew it was going to be incredibly hard to pull that off.  Not only would I have to be home to take care of an infant, I would also be exhausted.  Plus there is that Mom guilt.  Will I really leave my child just to go run?  Am I ok with strangers (gym daycare) watching her just so I can workout. Does it make me a bad Mom?  etc.

My running, my workouts, are very important to me. I have a lot of anger issues. I have a lot of issues with depression. I have a lot of issues period.  Running and working out does help me with these issues. I know that if I had to give it up, it would be worse for me than dealing with the guilt of continuing to do this even though it means not always being their for my daughter.

Husband and I came up with a plan on how I could get in my workouts with minimal disruption to the new life.  This means that I am often up at 4am in order to run.  This means that if I do go to the gym after work, I pick R up from daycare and put her in the gym daycare.  This means that Husband is on baby duty for several hours every Saturday while I do a long run.  This means that I take her to the gym daycare for 2 hours most Sunday's.  This means that I often get in strength training after she goes to bed at night.



This is what happens when you can't
see where you are going at 4:30am



4am

4am comes very quickly.  I admit that I don't sleep the best. I can have nights where I only get a couple hours of sleep. It's not due to R, it's insomnia and recent health issues.  I have other nights where I want to go to bed at 7 and sleep all night. I have mornings where getting up at 4am is the last thing I want to do.  There are other mornings where I naturally wake up around 4am and am ready to go.  Either way, actually getting up to run at 4am is incredibly hard. It would be nice to lay in bed for another 1.5 hours.

Running at 4am comes with it's own issues. I recently fell because I tripped on an uneven sidewalk.  Falling and skidding on concrete sucks.  The bruise on my thigh and the scratches on my shoulder and leg are horrible.  However I continue to get up and do it.   It's also very dark when I run.  I live in a relatively safe area that I'm comfortable being out there, but it's still a bit scary.  You don't see too many people out and about at that time. 

I continue to get up and run at 4am though because that means I have more family time after work.  That's important to Husband and I. In order for me to continue to do what I love I have to find a balance between that and family.  This is my balance. It's hard. It's exhausting. I walk around in a daze a lot.  I'm not saying this will work for everyone, but it works for us. 

Some people have questioned the fact that I take R to the gym daycare.  Don't I worry about her? Can't Husband watch her?   I feel guilt because there is usually one day a week that I pick her up from daycare, where she's been since 6:30am and immediately take her to the gym where strangers are yet again watching her.  Yet I know that deep down it's ok. 

The gym daycare is awesome. I don't mind dropping her off.  The set-up is very safe and the people there are wonderful.  Whenever I pick her up somebody is holding her. Sometimes they don't want to give her up and try to convince me to work out longer (I can use the daycare a max of 2 hrs per day).   Sometimes when I drop her off I'll ask if they want me to put her in a swing or if they want her.  Usually the person is excited and wants to hold her. I have shown up at the daycare to pick her up and the person working the desk is holding her and when I comment on how content she seems, they have told me how much they love this baby.  This is before they scan my card and realize she is my child.  I've taken her often enough and normally at the same times that it's usually the same people watching her. So I feel even more comfortable now because they recognize me and are comfortable with me.



Soooo not a good photo of me, but this happens at least
once every weekend..my only chance to get a nap is to get
R to sleep with me.  And I need my naps. ha

 I feel that working out is worth the trouble and zombie like mode I experience most days.  I feel it will make me a better person and a better Mom most days.  I am proof that you can do it with an infant in the home. I've been working out regularly pretty much since we brought R home from the hospital.    If you want to work out with kids in the house, you can.  You just have to find something that works for you and your family.

Pregnancy and working out

Running at the gym in March, final leg
of an indoor sprint triathlon

I've done posts before mentioning how I was working out while I was pregnant.  I was very happy that I was able to work out the entire time.  In fact, I ran 5 miles the day before I started having contractions.  I suppose that's about as close as somebody can get.

I took the time not too long ago to actually figure out how many miles I did while I was pregnant.

My total mileage: 1,172.61
Running: 564.92
Swimming: 29.49
Biking: 566.15
Walking: 12.05 (this was when I set out to run but had to walk instead)


I am so happy with how well I did.  My goal had been to work out till February.  February came and went and I was still movig well.  The further along in the pregnancy I got the worse I felt, major pains.  However the baby was safe so I handled it. 

Triathlon marked off the bucket list

My facebook status read this on Sunday afternoon:  I swim. I bike. I run. I tri. Pregnant

Sunday morning I officially completed my very first triathlon.  Now, it was a sprint tri which means the distances were very low. It was a 400 yard swim, an 8 mile bike ride, and a 2.5 mile run.  This is compared to the Ironman 70.3 that Lance Armstrong competed in on Sunday. The distances for that one were a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run.   Everyone has to start somewhere though right?

I had decided I wanted to get into triathlon's last year.  At the point I did strength training and I ran. I have a pool in my yard but don't swim in it (who would when you could float around on a raft and nap?) and I don't own a bike.  So why would I think it would be a good idea to do a triathlon when it had been years since I did the other two sports?   I think it was because of the challenge.  Why would I think I could possible do a triathlon?  The more I thought about it the more I felt it was something I wanted to prove I could do.

giving Husband the thumbs up before I started

I talked to Husband about it and he didn't really want to spend the money on a bike when we own a pool and I don't even swim.  So we made a bet that if I could prove I could swim the distances for a sprint tri I could get a bike.  Not long after that I was able to join a gym that had a lap pool inside.  I slowly started to work on swimming and started to take spin class.  I could do the swim for a sprint tri but not very fast.   I couldn't ever get Husband to get to the gym to prove it though.  Still no bike.  I didn't push it though because by then I was training for my fall half marathon and I cut out swimming to focus on the running again.  

Then I was happy to find myself finally pregnant and kinda put doing a tri out of my head because I knew money would be spent on things getting ready for the baby and medical costs etc.  However I started to have Achilles issues and had to take time off from running, hello cross-training.  I started to build up the biking and swimming again.    I also realized that part of my depression was being upset I couldn't do any of the winter races I had planned on.  So I did a quick search and found an indoor triathlon.  This wouldn't required me to own a bike since it's all inside at a gym.   Now I had something to train for.

Proof I can do the swimming! Now when can I get that bike

You might think I'm crazy for deciding to do my very first triathlon while pregnant.  I'm sure many who found out I was training for it thought so.  I even felt crazy sometimes.  I waited until the last week in January to sign up for it, waiting as long as I could to make sure my body was ok and baby girl would approve.  I got worried the week leading up to the tri though because it was my worst week yet and I wasn't sure how I would feel that day.  That morning, though, I awoke excited and ready to go. Baby girl was cooperating.

While I was nervous, I wasn't too bad. I was more nervous about how it would work and what it would be like than anything else. I actually think it helped for me to do my first one while pregnant. I knew I had to watch my heart rate, which means I couldn't go as fast as I could or want to.  This means I had no placement goals, I couldn't try to be first in my age group.  I knew I didn't want to be last but also knew it was a strong possibility and told myself not to be upset if I was.  This was my first triathlon and I was completing it while 26 weeks pregnant.

During the swim portion I knew I was slower right away.  I was doing breaststroke while everyone else seemed to be doing freestyle, which is just naturally faster.  I kept it steady and did what I could.  Husband said that I was behind the first lap but after that I started to gain on people and finished before 2 others..although barely.

Just getting started on the bike

I was last getting to the bike area though due to a required restroom break. Shrug. It happens when pregnant. haha!    Normally I can keep my heart rate down and push it on a bike but due to doing the bike right after the swim I was at my max heart rate within 5 min of pedaling.  At times I would get it too high and have to back of but I tried to keep it at a steady pace, the fastest I could do.  I believe I was last off the bikes for those in my heat but not sure.

Then the run was next.  This is where I felt the most comfortable. After all, I rarely stop a run at 2.5 miles and that was all I had to do. My legs were very tired and fatigued from the swim and bike though, during the bike I was actually worried about the run portion.  However the minute I started to run that all went away.  My legs felt strong. My breath was even. I felt GOOD.  When my 2.5 miles was up I didn't want to stop. I wanted to run faster and I wanted to run further.   That was one of the best feelings.    It also felt good that I know I passed up two others on the run portion. I admit, since we were on treadmills I would sneak glances at the two ladies on either side of me and I could tell that my pace was faster and I slowly watched as I gained on them.  Man did that feel freaking good. I was doing a tad over an 11 min pace. My normal pace for my non-long runs is under a 9 min mile.  I can't even imagine how well I would have done had I been able to run a normal pace. Plus, knowing I only had 2.5 miles I would have pushed the pace and gone faster than normal.

Not a good picture but the best of the runs
I was putting on my ipod since running on
a TM is boring as heck

As for how I did in my very first sprint triathlon?  I wasn't last!  Woohoo!  I was 91 out of 108.  I am so freaking pumped about that. I wasn't even the bottom 10.  I came in 11 out of 15 for my age group. Another  happy surprise.  In my specific heat I was 5th out of 8.   I cannot believe how well I did.  I realize that the people who competed were, for the most part, just doing it for fun and first time triathletes.  However it was my first time too and I was 26 weeks pregnant, that has to count for something right?

I cannot wait to do this same triathlon next year.  I won't have to watch my heart rate so I know I can go faster and push pace.  After completing only one triathlon I know I want to do more and I realize that these distances aren't going to be the challenge I need.  I also feel that I want to do several more of the sprint tri's though just to get comfortable with the sport and to watch myself improve.  Of course, until I get a bike I also have to stick to indoor tri's and most of those are of a sprint distance.    

All finished!!!

 In fact, I'm signed up to do a triathlon at work in early March. It's their first one (I work for a University and we have a gym on campus where it will be held) and instead of having people do a distance it will be a time. It's a 15 min swim, 15 min bike ride, and a 15 min run.  Your place will be figured out based on the distance you can do in that time.  I have no idea if there will be more students than faculty/staff, so I have no idea what to expect as far as my placement.  However I'll be even further along at that point and figure just completing it will be awesome. Plus, if I'm not last, I'll feel on top of the world.

Sometimes we need motivation

I never really thought I was the type of person to really "get" motivational posters or sayings.  Sure I read them and some I would think "that's cool" but never thought of them again.

Lately I've found that I really like them. I'm not sure why this happened all of a sudden. Of course most of them are running related or deal with working out in general.  I have also found some that are really funny and have been sharing them with a friend I run with once a week or so and it at least makes the work day a bit easier to get through.

There is one saying that I saw that I actually printed and taped up in my closet. I wasn't going to admit this to anybody. I felt embarrassed by it, in a way I kinda of still am.

The above really stuck with me for some reason.  I have it taped to a container that my sports bras are stored in, so I see it every time I go to either change into my workout clothes or gather them to go in the gym bag for a workout later in the day.

One day at work I was talking to a co-worker/friend who also works out and we were talking about insecurities with our workouts.  I mentioned the quote and told him how I had it taped up in my closet.  I told him not to make fun of me.  He said he never would, he has a motivational word written on the inside of his gym bag so every time he works out he see's it and it motivates him to work out harder.  It was great to see that somebody else understood where I was coming from.  Sometimes a word or a saying will really hit a nerve and stay with us and mean something to us.

Why this one specifically?  It's because I always feel like I'm not good enough. My pace is slow, my runs are just ok. I know so many people who run faster, and further, and better than I do.  I was running with a group on Sunday's for our long runs.  The pace was slower for all of us, only for them it's 2 min or more slower, for me it was either less than a minute or 1 minute slower.  I felt like I was somehow always struggling to be as good as they were.  I didn't even realize this at first, but late last year noticed how their race times were so freaking fast. It's awesome, I'm happy for them. I started to get upset about my race times though when I realized just how much better they were than me. How these slower runs must seem really slow to them, when I sometimes struggle because of the distance, the heat, etc. I enjoy the challenge, I know that it helps me to push myself. It doesn't mean I don't get upset about it though.

I know I improved a lot with my running last year. I worked my butt off for it and it paid off. I know I can get back to that once I'm able to really train again.  However right now I am forced to go at a slower pace and take things easy. While I realize this is for the best and I don't mind doing it, it can also be frustrating.  I've also been dealing with a lot of depression issues and feeling inferior in my running played in to that.

Then I came across the quote above.  It hit a nerve.  I felt it was true for me. I strive to be better, I work on it (when I'm able).  That's what really matters.  That I don't give up.  We all have bad days, there will always be somebody better.  What matters is that we strive to be the best that we can be, in whatever that is.  For me, that's in running, in my over-all fitness, and my goal to start doing triathlons.

I read this almost every day, sometimes twice. I'll read it sometimes in the morning when dressing for work but always when I'm getting my workout clothes together.  I'm a bit embarrassed to say it, but it's helped. I'm much more confident in myself as an amateur athlete. I know the level of fitness I'm at now, or rather what I was in before becoming pregnant, and I know what I want to be at after baby girl arrives.  I know it'll take a lot of dedication and hard work to make it happen. On those days when I read about everyone else's workouts and I see them getting in mileage I've never even attempted, and I see people doing mileage I can do but at a much faster pace than I've been able to do, I remind myself of this quote.  For me, it's making a word of difference.

Hey, I finally joined a gym, you got something to say about that?

In late March I decided to start taking yoga classes.  As a runner I'm putting my legs through a lot.  My legs aren't always happy about this.  I felt that  yoga could make my legs happier and if my legs were happy my performance would improve.    I searched around and found that a local rec center offered yoga classes. I didn't want to join the center because it's pretty expensive but did more digging and found that I could get a class pass for $50.  This would give me 10 classes ($5 per class).  Then when my 10 classes were up, all I had to do was give them another $50.  I could take as many or as few classes as I wanted.   This was perfect.  My husband saw that spin classes were an option and suggested I try that. He has mentioned it in the past, thinking it's something I would like.  So I took one.  I liked it.

I had a new routine.  Sunday was my long run day, Monday was a rest day with yoga, Tuesday was a run, Wednesday was strength training, Thursday was a run, Friday was spin class, Saturday was either a rest day in anticipation for a long run on Sunday or another workout that I decided that day.   Repeat.

Then a couple of weeks ago at an employee meeting one lady talked to us about this Vitality program my work started using last year.  I have been using the Vitality program but she introduced me to something I was unaware of.  Vitality has partnered with some gyms in the areas where Vitality is available.  Ok, I did know that.  What I didn't know was that if you link up your gym account with Vitality you could get a subsidiary.  To make it simple..they give you money towards your gym membership.

Front lobby

Hmm....now I'm interested.  I quickly got on Vitalities website and started looking up the info. I found a couple of gyms in my city that were close to me. One I drive by frequently and it's fancy smancy.  Every time Husband and I would drive by and he would catch me looking at it he would tell me to not even think about it.  So at first I didn't look at that one.  But then on a whim I decided to look at what the subsidiary would be.  For the level I'm at with Vitality (you earn points for working out, doing other healthy things and this allows you to move up levels) the subsidiary for this fancy smancy gym would $50.  How expensive is this freaking gym?!  I went to the gym's website and couldn't find it so I contacted them.  I found out it's $60 per month.  That seems like a lot, but knowing I would get $50 back I knew it was affordable. I knew it was cheaper than what I was paying now for only 2 classes per week. Plus once I reach the next level with Vitality the subsidiary will be $60 per month, that covers the membership!  I'm working on moving to the next level by August.

I mentioned all this to Husband and he was not on board with it.  So I created an excel spreadsheet detailing the cost of the 2 classes I was doing and both gyms I was looking at.  I did cost from May through December, pointing out when I would start getting the subsidiary, when I would break even, and ending with out much money I would save by joining the gyms compared to the current method.  He still wasn't sold.

I made an apt with a sales rep at the fancy smancy gym and dragged Husband along to look at it.  We talked to the sales guy first, got a tour of the gym, went back to the office, and Husband agreed I could join.   I was super excited!!   This gym has everything I wanted.

locker room

The gym is Life Time Fitness.  The benches in the locker room are granite. The lockers are wood.  There is granite in the showers.  There is a huge spin room with a projector.  There are a ton of treadmills, bikes, and other equipment.  There is an outdoor pool and an indoor pool. Including a lap pool.  The gym is open 24 hours.  There are two sauna's in the locker room.  There is a spa inside the gym.  There's a cafe inside the gym.  I don't need to continue do I? You're already sold right?

How much will I use the gym? Only time will tell.  I know I plan on taking at least 2 classes each week. There's a third class I will probably start taking too.   I joined a week ago Saturday.  Since then I have used it  for a spin class, barbell strength training, treadmill, pool, and I had a fitness assessment. (By the way, the fitness assessment has determined that my body age is 21, so from now on that's how old I'm telling people I am. haha)

cycle room

One of my goals for this year was to do a sprint triathlon.  I know how the pool so I can start swimming and access to bikes.  I'm pumped!

After my half I kinda lost it.  I still wanted to run and still wanted to be active but I wasn't. The half was a bad race for me and that took something out of me.  It was hard to get back into the swing of things.  Combine that with no big race until Fall and I had nothing to work towards.  With the gym, I've got my interest back. There is so much I can do there.  I'm excited about working out again!  I won't use it to run a lot, but I will use it sometimes. I'll use it when the weather is bad. I'll use it when I want to work on pace.

I think it's funny when I talk to people about the gym and mention the cost.  I think $60 is very expensive for a gym but can understand why this place is so expensive. It truly is super nice.   However a lot of people think it's a decent price. In fact, those who know what you get with the gym think it's a decent price and not expensive at all.  I guess it's all in how you view things.

**copyright info - all pictures were taken from the lifetime fitness website for the location I go to. I didn't snap the pictures myself.  However..they are accurate as to what those areas do look like**

Special Operations Warrior Foundation 5k

Last Saturday, October 9th, I participated in a 5k that benefited the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
If you aren't aware of this foundation, here's a brief description.  This specific warrior foundation benefits the Spec. Ops. soldiers and their families.  It will help those who are injured in war. If the soldier is killed in action, the foundation helps their families, their children.  

When I saw this 5k advertised around town I knew I had to run in it.  My friend's son, Brandon, was KIA October 15, 2009 fighting for his country. For our country. For my freedom.   I ran this race in his memory.

It was a small race. I was disappointed by the lack of runners, because that meant less money going towards the warrior foundation, yet I was excited because that meant I had a good chance of coming in close to the front of the pack.  My husband and his brother actually came to the 5k (his brother was in town visiting and spending the day with Husband...I guess he didn't have much choice. haha).   I gave Husband the camera and asked him to take some photo's.   This was also Husband's first time going to a 5k, I normally do only 2 a year and when I leave the house he is always still asleep in bed. Lucky duck.

I'm in blue shorts and a blue top, making sure my nike sports band is ready to go so I can record the run.

Now I'm checking my ipod, making sure my playlist is ready to start. 

Finally the race was on, I was standing towards the front of the pack at the start and took off with them. It was myself and a bunch of guys.  I quickly lagged behind them..those guys were really fast!  I could tell I started out a bit faster than normal and slowed down a bit.  Two girls did pass me within the first mile and I thought about catching them, but I was tired already. Soon...I was having doubts about this race.  It was hot. It was humid.  It was really really hilly.  I started to think of slowing down even more.  I kept reminding myself that I was doing this in Brandon's memory and I couldn't disappoint.  I just couldn't.  So I kept on going. Soon I saw the finish and while I wanted to kick it in and go faster at the very end, I just didn't have it in me.

I actually ran behind this guy almost the entire time. I passed him coming up the last set of hills right before the finish, he was able to put in the extra effort and pass me again though.  Hats off to him..I tried to go faster and keep my lead but couldn't do it. (psst..don't pay attention to my bad form..that just shows how tired I was feeling since I normally have pretty good form)

I came in with a time of 26:42.  The result website shows that I had a 8:36 pace.  When I crossed the finish, I saw my husband standing there and went over to him.  He was surprised to see me finish so fast and hadn't expected to see me for another couple of minutes.  That actually made me really happy.   I then said that I thought only 2 females finished before me and he thought I was right.  So we stuck around for the awards ceremony.  I was giddy, up until earlier this year I had never won an award at a 5k before.  I mean, I did in highschool when I ran cross-country competitively and was fast, but never since then and especially not for something like this.  As it happened, I was the 3rd female to cross the line, I was the 23rd person to cross the line over-all (out of 109), and I was the 1st person in my sex/age group!  I was so excited!  I received an award and a $10 gift card to a local running store.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm still super excited about how well I did at this race.    Up until several months ago my average pace was 9:40-9:45 min/mile.  This was for a 4 mile run or less.   Several months ago I started to play indoor soccer.  Since then I have seen my pace get better. I was doing a 9:13-9:16 min/mile pace a couple of months ago.   Then I ran a 5k in September and ran with somebody who was averaging a faster pace and I stayed with her, and I dipped below a 9 min/mile.  I think that did it for me. I realized I could run faster for at least 3 miles.  I've since then been averaging an 8:43-8:46 pace for my 4 mile runs.  I've also been  increasing my miles for my long runs due to a 10 mile race I'm training for in November.  So far I've upped my mileage from 4 to 7 and my average pace for those was 9:16-9:17 min/mile.  I thought for sure I was going slower than that...but I guess not. haha!

Last picture, I promise.  Myla got a bath before we left for this 5k (it was at 4pm in the afternoon) and decided to tag along to dry off and show off her clean coat.  She was the life of the event too.  She stood, sat, or laid down the whole time, but the kids sure did flock to her.  Oh, and before you ask, nope..she doesn't run with me.  Myla's idea of a long walk is less than 1 mile.  And she's slow. I've never met a slower dog.

DeSoto 5k

This past Saturday I ran in the DeSoto 5k.   It's the first year I've participated but chances are I'll run in it from now on.  One of my friend's runs in it, her parents both grew up in DeSoto and most of her family still lives there.  The reason she runs this each year with her Dad is because her Uncle actually organizes the race.  

This year, not only did I run it, but so did my friend's sister.   I had planned to run with my friend, right now she's at a slower pace than me but she's also pushing a running stroller and just had her baby 4 months ago.  I can't expect her to be back in perfect running condition right away now can I?   However, when we got there her sister asked me what my pace was.  I told her around 9:06/mile the last time I ran.   She then wanted to  pace herself with me, saying she's been running about 8:30/mile.  I said sure, why not.  It might make me run a bit faster and it gives her sister somebody to run with.

Now, I should mention that this was a very small race.  I normally run 2 per year that are rather huge, so this was different for me.    Anyway, her sister and I had a good pace and felt good the first half.  Then the second half we realized we didn't see many other females ahead of us.  Hmm...   we could see 2 ahead of us.  We decided to pick them off.  We increased our speed and soon passed one girl.  We could see the other one and we were gaining but not by much.  The finish was getting close so I said "you see it?" and increased my speed.   My friend's sister increased hers as well and we were able to pass the other girl.   Then we got to the finish and my friend's sister started to sprint.  I soon followed but couldn't reach her.  However, the last girl we passed had also started to sprint and neither of us realized it.  She passed me right at the finish line!  Oh it was so frustrating!!!!!  Yet, I congratulated her because she did awesome and really kicked it in to gain on us.

We got our numbers and realized that my friend's sister came it at 16, the other girl came in at 17, and I was 18.   Then we got our times and we couldn't believe it!  My friend's sister came in at 26:28, the other girl came in at 26:29, and I was 26:30.  We were all so freaking close!   Plus, the best news is that the pace for me was 8:48/mile, the fastest I have ran since I competed in High School!!  I couldn't believe it and was giddy!     I'm also happy to report that my friend came in just under 30 minutes, although I can't remember the exact time.  That's awesome!  Especially when you factor in that her daughter is only 4 months old and she was pushing a running stroller.

I am also happy to report that while we weren't the top girls to come in, I did place 3rd for my age devision.  I got lucky and the runner who passed me was a bit older and in the next age devision.

(I'm #18)

Seriously, I had a runners high all freaking day on Saturday.  In fact..I still have a bit of a runner's high.  If you have never experienced a runner's high, you are really missing out. It's the best feeling in the world.  I've played soccer and while I love to win and it feels good to win a game, it's nothing in comparison to a runner's high.

I'm thinking of doing a 10 mile race in November.  It's the longest mileage I'll have done.  I haven't completely convinced myself I can do it but I did run 5 miles this morning instead of my normal 4.