Blog Post

I'm excited--and I can't seem to stop being excited.  I ran the 5k eeeaaarly (for me, ya'll runners are perky ones at 7am on a brisk Spring morning!) on Saturday morning.  My expectations were tempered:  I knew that physically I could run the mileage, I was worried about mentally though.  Could I not talk myself out of doing well, could I avoid getting defeated by the other, faster, more experienced, runners? 

The answer turned out to be yes, I can.  I ran my own race, I picked a faster runner and stayed with them mostly until she ran away from me at the end. Hehe.  That's experience talking, I think.

I came in 187/668 runners overall.  11/77 in my division and 55/377 female runners.  My final time was 28:28:08.  That's what really got me excited.  I was pretty sure I was going to be right at a 10 minute mile, which isn't what I wanted but sort of what I expected.  And I was wrong.  Which can be really nice (c:

Now I want to go do it again, only faster hehe.

The best news, however, is that while my calves hate me and I'm sore and I literally went home and went to sleep for three hours after the race (can we say adrenaline rush?) and all of those things...no IT problems!  None.  Not even a twinge!  That was the bigger, cosmic goal-run this thing without a peep from that ridiculous fascia.

Success.  (c:

Hmm...there's an awesome trail run 5k in Lawrence on May 5th that I might have to go try now...I had to sit out on it last year because of running like a drunken bear...maybe I can get it this year.  I'm going to aim for moderation and see how it all feels between now and then.  But it sure would be cool.

Several months ago I posted about whether my nine year old was ready to run.  I'm proud to say she completed her first timed 5K in September.

I'm also very proud to say my five year old completed his first 5K at Thanksgiving.  Did he run without stopping?  Nope.  Has he mastered his running form?  Nope.  And it doesn't matter at all. Man, he ran.  Ran the whole thing and worked really hard.  He was unstoppable.  Actually I did insist that we walk 25 yards in the middle and we stopped at one point to work out a cramp in his leg.  (Which meant I picked him up and ran about 30 yards with him in my arms to catch up with the rest of family - good training).

Unfortunately, at the end of it all, I had to explain to him that the finisher medals for the "Kid's Fun Run" were for kids who just ran around the block and not for those completing a full 3.2 miles.  He understood and even understood the irony, I think.

Running has become a great family activity.  Witness the wife and kids. :)

I've doted so much on the son at this point 'cause he's five and he just ran 5K and partially 'cause the daughter's awesomeness at running is so obvious.  She was also very patient with her little brother and his smaller legs, despite running considerably slower than she would have liked.

18 days and I'm going to be running an official 5k.  I know it's only 3.1 miles.  I know I've technically already run that far.  But this is the first all-running event I've ever done.  What's more, like so many others out there, at this time last year, if you'd told me I'd be running anything...away from a bear, to the store, around a track...I would have told you you were crazy.  What a difference a book, some discipline, time and the insatiable "what if" curiosity bug can make!  I'm really looking forward to my little run and I'm already setting my sights on the next goal-10k or half here I come!  While I'm on the topic of dreams, I have a crazy idea: I want to compete in the half Ironman in Lawrence, KS in 2013.  It might be a big bite but it's something I've wanted to do forever.  So, as we welcome a hasty Spring and a fast approaching Summer, here's to big dreams and that streak that drives us to get outside and PLAY!