Archive for November, 2011
Seen Through Someone Else’s Eyes
3November 30, 2011
in Simply Happy
I recently took the risk of being raked over the coals by my friends on facebook and asked them, “What word describes me?” When you ask someone to describe you, chances are they won’t give you negative feedback, so keep that in mind. These were my results: (must admit they made me blush)
Dedicated x4 (4 people said this)
Devoted
Determined x2
Driven
Motivated
Reliable
Enthusiastic x2
Loyal
Passionate x2
Positive x2
Committed
Confident
Opinionated
Incredible
Independent
Strong
Tough
Original
Unique
Inspirational
Fun
Honest
Buzzbomb x2
Bananas
I think it’d be refreshing if everyone could see themselves through someone else’s eyes for a moment. I think we’d be surprised. Too often we judge and expect so much from ourselves. By doing so it makes it that much easier to see our faults, which leads to putting ourselves down on a daily basis. If we could see ourselves through someone else’s eyes it’d allow us to see how much we bring to the table.
With that being said, something else to think about…are you genuinely the person people believe you to be? Or is it a façade? It’s most important to be “you”.
PS Not surprised, but I think people’s perceptions of me solidifies the notion that I am truly a ESTJ
Be Grateful and Keep Smiling =)
FitFluential Ambassador
6November 28, 2011
in Fitness
Over the long holiday weekend I received notice that I was named a FitFluential Ambassador. So what is a FitFluential Ambassador? In a nutshell I will have the opportunity to be partnered with FitFluential brand partners. For instance, I may deal with product launches or social media campaigns. Basically I will be given the opportunity to link the brand/product to other fitness enthusiasts.
It’s pretty cool and I am thrilled to finally be able to link my passions together. I’ve already started to meet other FitFluential Ambassadors and must say everyone is so energetic and welcoming. I’m very excited for this opportunity and am looking forward to an exciting 2012.
Jessie Schenk Turkey Chase 5K Race Recap
0
I came across this race on a local race group’s website I frequent. I was unable to do a 5k on Thanksgiving due to our schedule and since this was within 20 minutes of home I made this my “thanksgiving race” for this year. This marks the 3rd year for the race. I found it to be well organized and I absolutely love the bright orange long-sleeved shirts given out. The race is called a turkey chase because every year there is a guy dressed up like a turkey. He holds the course record of just over 17 minutes. If you beat the turkey you win a pie. Of course I had no chance of beating the turkey, but I thought it was a fun concept.
Weather: 48 degrees – overcast – 14 mph winds…Definitely not the best of circumstances, but not the worst either. I debated whether to wear pants or shorts and went the shorts route. Although chilly to begin with, especially since the first half was heading into the wind, I was glad with my choice of shorts. I have found that if I keep my core warm then I’m good to go. By the time the race finished the sun was shining and it ended up being a gorgeous day.
I don't usually race with music, but figured, "Why not?" today.
Terrain/Route: Out and back, paved route, along a golf course. This was a VERY winding path with rolling hills and several decent inclines.
Can't really see me, but this gives you an idea of how winding the course was.
High Points: With no running buddies available to join in this local 5k race I went at it alone, which is no big deal to me. However, my parents surprised me by showing up 5 minutes before the race. =) I felt loved. Their support is always appreciated. They don’t have to come to my races but they often do, standing in the heat and cold, and oftentimes only seeing me for a few seconds during a 30-minute (or longer depending on the length) race.
As I’ve discussed inclines/hills are a weakness of mine. To be honest I haven’t had time or the opportunity to work on inclines as of my last recap. With that being said I attacked the hills on the course today. It was awesome to feel my attack as it was happening, especially as I passed each and every one on the hill. Oh yeah!
As I sit here typing my body is sore…especially my abs. I must admit it’s been awhile since that has happened for a race. I think it goes to show how much I really pushed.
Low Points: I was having a bit of GI upset pre-race. Upon the race start I thought I was good to go. It seemed that way until approximately 1.5 miles in. At that point my intestines started to become active and I was seriously eyeing the neighboring cornfields to relieve myself. I slowed my pace slightly and thankfully it passed. My guess is that with my original GI upset on top of really pushing myself through the rolling terrain, the cold and wind, my body was saying, “WHOA!”
Not knowing the course all that well I thought I was nearing the end (why didn’t I look at my Garmin?) I started to kick out only to find I had more than another ½ mile to go. Whoops. This called for me to do not only one but two kick outs due to my error. I tried to keep a decent pace and finished decently strong.
Just after realizing I kicked out too soon. Whoops!
Time: 30:50 Not a PR but I know I backed off on my pace mid-race and I think I did quite well considering this wasn’t a typical terrain I’ve trained/raced on. I’m very happy with my time.
Distance: 3.17 miles
Pace: 9:45/mile
Standing: No results posted yet. Awards were only given to top three male/female overall.
It’s Fun To Swim At The YMCA
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My first year of running back in 2007 I pounded the pavement no matter what the conditions. Ice, rain, snow, you name it I was out in it. After that first year I became a wimp. What happened? I didn’t want to go outside in the elements. At the same time we didn’t have the finances to afford a treadmill. Needless to say my second winter running season didn’t go too well. The following year David was hired by the local school district, which allowed us to use the school’s newer fitness center with weights, treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, etc. Since then we have free use of the fitness center whenever we like. It’s like belonging to a gym, but not. With the exception of weekdays after school and early mornings on Saturday chances are we have the gym to ourselves. It’s actually pretty nice. Although I am not a fan of using a treadmill, it’s still nice to have the option. This winter season I’d like to work on getting back out running in the elements again. Even though it’s tougher I actually enjoy it more. It’s great to have access to the school’s fitness facilities, unfortunately even though the school has a pool we do not have free access to using it. Bummer.
When I signed up for my first triathlon last winter for the summer of 2011 I didn’t have access to a pool. I patiently waited for Lake Erie to warm up, ordered a wetsuit, and then used Lake Erie as my “swimming pool”. Say what? Yes, I did all of my triathlon training swims as open water swims. No following a black line for me. I’ll admit this was an undertaking for me. I had some anxiety to get over. The meshing of water and sand, the cold water, and the history of having anxiety the last time I swam 8+ years ago. I’m grateful to say that the anxiety passed and I looked forward to my training swims in the lake. Even as winter approaches I still find myself checking out the lake conditions and saying, “Today would be a good day to swim.” That’s when reality sets in and I realize I would probably suffer from hypothermia if I attempted a open water swim in Lake Erie at it’s present temperature.
So what am I to do now that I can’t swim in the lake?? This is my first winter after catching the “triathlon bug”. With that, it’s obvious that I need to make some changes to my winter training schedule. For the past several months I came to the realization that I need to join a gym of some sort that had a pool. Locally we do not have much to choose from. It’s either the YMCA or….the YMCA. Yep, that’s it. Thankfully it’s affordable. I have no reason that I’ve put off joining other than just not getting off of my butt. That all changed this morning.
I woke up knowing that today was a “run day” on my schedule. I just didn’t feel like running. I thought, “Well I could always making it a bike trainer day.” But honestly, I didn’t feel like doing that either. That’s when I figured it was time to join the Y. I needed a change in my routine and I needed to gain access to a pool sooner than later. That’s when my anxiety set in. I’ve never gone through the process of joining a gym/pool. What do I do? Will they judge me? It’s been 3 months since I swam. I haven’t swum in a pool in years. Needless to say I felt like Bella Cullen on her wedding night (sorry for the Twilight reference, but those of you who are fans will understand). I did a quick shave, including my bikini line (which I’m sure I’ll be regretting later….). I took several long stares into the bathroom mirror. I finally packed my bag and jumped in my car. I made it a block away before I realized I forgot my cap and goggles. What was wrong with me?? I’m Heidi. I’m adventurous. Situations don’t intimidate me.
I gave myself a quick pep talk and it was all good. I walked into the Y, filled out paperwork, asked questions in confidence, paid my fees, and made my way to the locker room and then out to the pool. Thankfully a lane was open and the water temperature was decent. I secured my cap and goggles and off I went. My anxiety? Gone. I once again had the peace I experienced in Lake Erie this past summer. It’s no wonder I was like a fish when I was a kid. I love to swim.
So where did all of my anxiety come from? Number 1, although I’m adventurous, certain situations where I feel I may be judged cause me issue. Number 2 the anxiety issue I had while swimming laps 8+ years ago. My guess is I was out of shape, overdid it, and freaked out. This one time experience set me off. I think it’s safe to say any swimming anxiety I had is now gone.
I did 200m x 15 with 15-second breaks in between. Although I know there’s room for improvement (when is there not?), I was content with where I stand, especially considering the circumstances.
What made it even better? When I got out of the pool I looked over to see a fellow swimmer wearing a Rev3 cap. Rock on! I couldn’t help but smile and have a little hop in my step. I am so excited to be back swimming again and look forward to the progress I’ll make this winter.
Tag, I’m It
8November 21, 2011
in Simply Happy
I was recently tagged by Mike over at Just A Little Run. The deal: He tells us 7 random facts about himself and then tags 15 more people to do the same. I must admit, I kind of like these types of things. It does help you to have insight into the person.
I’m going to bend the rules a bit. I already had a list from Facebook and figured I could use it. It already had 25 random things listed. I was able to get it down to 21. So my random 7 things are now 21. And I’m only going to tag 10 people.
Please don’t judge to harshly. I can’t tell you normal things about myself…that would be boring.
1. I like to turn on music and dance around the house for fun. I am known to watch YouTube videos in order to learn and memorize dances just for fun.
2. I have strong beliefs but as time goes on I question organized religion more and more.
3. Long ago I wanted to be a physical therapist or teacher when I grew up.
4. It’s weird for me to see people I went to high school with getting married, even though I’ve been married for 9 years.
5. I have no desire to have children. When a child walks in the room, no matter how well behaved, my anxiety and blood pressure go through the roof. Thankfully this has gotten better over time, but it still exists. At the age of 28 D had a vasectomy and at the age of 27 I had a tubal ligation. People may think we’re nuts, but we wanted to be absolutely sure. We have never ruled out adoption at a later date.
6. I clean our bathroom almost every day.
7. I grew up recycling but stopped once we got married. Within the past year we’ve started back up and I’m absolutely obsessed with making sure I recycle every little thing.
8. 4 years ago I couldn’t run to the corner of my block. I’m not fast or pretty when I run, but I’ve now run many 5ks, a half marathon, and a triathlon. I am looking forward to training for my first Half Rev (half-ironman distance ) in 2012 and someday a marathon.
9. If it weren’t so taboo I’d shave my head in a heartbeat. It’d be much easier.
10. After David went to boot camp I had the desire to go through the experience myself. I even went to talk to the recruiter, but chose a different path. I still have a desire to have a boot camp experience. It’d be a huge challenge for me, and I’d like to see how I deal.
11. I make everything more complicated, no matter how easy it is. I like to know the ins and outs. The hows and whys.
12. I make notes/lists of everything. Even when I know I won’t need them, I still make them. And of course even if I did something that wasn’t on my list I still write it down just so I can cross it off.
13. I rarely watch tv. However, I can’t go minutes without being connected to the internet.
14. I’m weird about my silverware. Certain kinds I can’t use, let alone eat with. The shape, the weight, it’s just wrong. It gives me the heebie jeebies. Thankfully regular restaurant silverware is usually ok….And since I’m mostly low fat raw vegan now silverware usually isn’t needed.
15. I’m all about equality. If I eat with my right hand, I have to give my left hand equal opportunity. Or if I touch something…both hands have to have the same opportunity. This especially flares up when I’m having a bout of OCD.
16. I don’t have premonitions but sometimes I have feelings of discernment. I can’t always place who/what it is/when it will happen, but stuff happens. It doesn’t scare me, and I wish I could tap into it better.
17. I’ve never touched an illegal drug and have no desire to do so.
18. The best decision I ever made was to get married at the age of 18 and get out of Ohio for some time.
19. I don’t think I have any fashion sense. I just wear what feels right and what I like. I do wish I could follow my heart more with what to wear. Sometimes my high school confidence comes back and I doubt myself.
20. I know our companion animals are not human, but I still hold conversations as if they are.
21. As you can probably tell from this list, I have a history of OCD-like tendencies. I kept my issues hidden for years. Now they are known and for the most part I can keep them in check as an adult. Some of my past issues: When I used to make the sign of the cross, as I prayed as a child, it had to “feel right”. If it didn’t, I would do it over and over. When I would go to bed I had to do the same routine: close my door, go over to my closet and pull on the door (even though it was already closed), touch both sets of blinds, check my alarm clock (multiple times), turn off the light and get in bed. I had a specific order of watching tv channels and remember the order to this day: 8, 5, 2, 20, 29, 44, 45,11,12, 22, 13, 35, 38, 57. Like I said, I have been able to keep this in check as an adult but sometimes have small relapses. I still prefer odd numbers (which makes no sense…you’d think I’d like even). I always hope I get an odd number when it comes to my races. Recently I had a racing buddy offer to let me register first at a race so that I could get the odd number bib…she knows me well =) Speaking of odd numbers, I think I shall finish with Number 21.
Sorry if you don’t want to be tagged. I tagged people who I’d like to know better and who I thought may be interested. If not, just pass =)
Carey – Chapstick Chatter
Ben – Vegan Gym Rat
Ben – Becoming Timberman
Jenna – JenoJoon
Juls – Double D Athlete
Sugar Magnolia – Sugar Magnolia 70
Donna – TriNTriAgain
Jen – Miles, Muscles, Mommyhood
Jocelyn – Enthusiastic Runner
Eric – Roc The Run
Be Grateful and Keep Smiling =)
Back Bends, Cart Wheels, And Push Ups…Oh My!
2November 20, 2011
In an effort to mix up my routines and bit and focus on some of my weaknesses I’ve been implementing a few things.
Weights - Weights intimidate me. Sounds crazy, but they just do. If I’m going to do something, I want to do it right. When it comes to running, each person has their own form. Although certain forms are better than others there’s really not too many ways you can go wrong. I see weights as a totally different animal. I don’t want to hurt myself by having poor form. I have no knowledge of form when it comes to lifting. I could watch videos on the internet, but I think this is something I’d rather do with a someone in person. Although I’d like to add some weight lifting to my routine, a weight trainer isn’t in the cards at this very moment. In the meantime my plan is to continue doing research and possibly add some small free weights to my routine.
Plank A Day - Thanks to the #plankaday tweeps on twitter I was made aware of Plank A Day. I initially started with 15 second planks and am now up to 60 sec0nd planks. I do about 6 planks a day. I hope to continue to increase in time and amount of planks as time goes on. This will help strengthen my core and may even help my arm strength a bit. I also think this may help get even more comfortable in the aero position.
Back bends - I was in dance (Tap, Jazz, Gymnastics) for 11 years. I was super flexible and miss my flexibility. I’ve taken the time over the past week to work on getting back into doing back bends. Holy crap, I can’t believe how hard they were initially. I’m getting old. But, I’ve gone from laying on my back going into back bends and am at the point where I can stand up from a back bend. Today D helped spot me while I went into back bends from a standing position. Once I get comfortable with that my plan is to attack front walkovers. Like I said, I hope this helps my flexibility. I’ve already seen a huge difference. I’m sure this can’t hurt my core, but mostly it’s just fun =)
Cart Wheels - A fellow tweep, Skibba Doo, has the goal of crossing the Rock N Roll Las Vegas Strip At Night Half Marathon finish line with cart wheels. She was looking for other tweeps to join in. Unfortunately I can’t make it to the race, but it gave me the idea of adding cart wheels to my mix. Kind of like back bends, this is mostly in fun. Just like back bends, after not having done one in years I was amazed how sore I was after I only did a few. Although I don’t expect much out of this other than a smile I can see it possibly helping my core, flexibility, and arm strength.
Push ups - Prior to 2007 running was my biggest challenge. I’ve been able overcome this challenge and quite obviously run regularly. Next to running I think push ups would be the next hardest thing for me to overcome. My ability to do push ups is basically non-existent. I’ve attempted them many times with no luck. It’s time to make it happen. With the help of twitter and D I’m ready to take on the challenge. Today was my first official day on the 100pushups challenge. I’ll be honest I was hurting and to the point of tears in frustration, but I kept on. Trust me, I’ll get there. It will happen.
My push up motto?
Be Grateful and Keep Smiling =)
Who Are You?
2November 19, 2011
in Simply Happy
Who Are You?
Just for shits and giggles I recently took a Jung Test. Basically it’s a personality test that identifies attributes and what occupations would be best for you. Here are my results:
Your type is: ESTJ
ESTJ – “Administrator”.
Much in touch with the external environment.
Very responsible.
Pillar of strength.
8.7% of total population.
Extroverted (E) 50% Introverted (I) 50%
Sensing (S) 58.54% Intuitive (N) 41.46%
Thinking (T) 52.94% Feeling (F) 47.06%
Judging (J) 79.31% Perceiving (P) 20.69%
Organized, group oriented, focused, conventional, leader, emotionally stable, anal, attention seeking, planner, realistic, fearless, responsible, finisher, decisive, norm following, respects authority, punctual, hard working, stiff, self confident, thinks rules and regulations are important, follows the rules, clean, outgoing, social, content, does not like being alone, normal, regular, does not like weird or strange people / things – intolerant of differences, strict, disciplined, aggressive, assertive, content, happy, proper, formal, strict with self, meticulous, strong sense of purpose
Hit the nail on the head. I can’t say that any of this is a surprise. I think this is pretty accurate…whether I like it or not…I’ll get to that in a bit.
“Favored careers”:
executive, ceo, supervisor, business consultant, manager, strategist, financial planner, business person, office manager, public relations manager, international business specialist, business analyst, management consultant, operations manager, loan officer, lawyer, marketing, sports management, government employee, investment banker
“Disfavored careers”:
poet, artist, songwriter, musician, novelist, art therapist, theatre teacher, art curator, film editor, video game designer, photo journalist, travel writer, actor, record store owner, camera operator, art historian, music teacher
This I find truly funny. If I hadn’t taken the road I took, I think this would’ve been where I’d be. Living in New York City, absorbed entirely by my job, being a ball buster, rocking the powersuit and heels. Yep, that definitely could’ve happened. Even funnier though, I don’t see myself as competitive….with the exception of with myself. I have absolutely no desire to live that stress-filled of a life. And although I would love to own a company of some sort, or build my own brand, I’d want to take an entirely different approach than the typical corporation. And funniest, as time goes on I get farther and farther away from my “favored careers” and closer to my “disfavored careers”.
I am what I am. Although I feel that many of these characteristics are good, some of them, not so much. The cool thing is, it doesn’t have to be that way. You say, “What do you mean?” I mean, take the good and leave the bad.
I’ve started to face some of my negative characteristics head on by focusing on changing my actions and reactions and by stepping outside of my comfort zone. Although initially scary, by doing so my stress has lessened and life is happier. It’s not always easy, but I’m taking small baby steps.
I guess the question isn’t who are you, but who can you be?
Be Grateful and Keep Smiling =)
Who Doesn’t Love A Chubby Bunny?!
2November 17, 2011
In order for the next Team Rev3 Triathlon 2012 name to be released Revolution 3 has requested that starting today at noon est Chubby Bunny videos be posted to the Team’s Facebook page. The rules? Shove your mouth full o’ some food…crackers, marshmallows, or in my case an entire banana, and say, “I LOVE REV3!” There must be 5 videos posted before the name will be released. So here’s my best chubby bunny. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it!
Now it’s your turn! Get to making your videos so you can post ‘em at noon!
Who Is “D” And What Does He Have To Do With Me Running
4
For those that follow me on Twitter, you may see that I reference “D” a lot. You may wonder who or what “D” is. Well, “D” is short for David, my husband =) Although I don’t call him “D” in real life I find it easier to reference him this way in technology. With only 140 characters allowed per update I have to cut where I can. You get the idea.
I’ve written a ton about myself on here and thought it’d be good to introduce you to David and what he has to do with my relationship with running. David and I met when I was a freshman in high school…he was a sophomore. We were both bandos…I played trumpet, he played percussion.
October 1997
We dated for about 6 months until I broke it off due to maturity issues on both of our behalves. Following our breakup, like most high school romances, we didn’t give each other the time of day. After a year apart I received a letter from him stating he still had feelings for me. I knew I still had feelings for him too but brushed it aside. At that point we became friends again, hanging out, just having a good time. My junior year he made his move, kissed me, and I guess you could say it sealed the deal. Within a month of being back together I knew he was the “one”.
April 2000
David soon went off to boot camp to become a Marine while I finished out high school. The following year he was stationed in New Orleans, La and I started college at a local university. To make an excessively long story short, he was to be medically discharged from the USMC, we became engaged, we expected a long engagement, he WASN’T medically discharged, so we decided to get married shortly before my 19th birthday. Yes, I was 18 when I got married and moved down to NOLA. To this day it is the only thing in my life I’ve ever been absolutely certain of.
July 2002
David’s time in the military proved to be trying on many levels. One problem: He had never addressed his weight until enlisting and from then on it was a battle. He was running 3-4 times a day….a person who had never run in his life prior to his time in the Marines. Me, being a non-runner could only encourage and support him in any way possible. After doing this for 4 years it’s no surprise that his body was physically and mentally worn down.
November 2002
After his four year enlistment David’s body was broken. What was our answer to excessive running and dieting? Eating whatever we wanted with no physical activity. Our weights ballooned higher than either of us had ever been.
January 2005
It wasn’t until 2 years later that he actually picked up running again. This time I decided to join in the party. I started run/walking with a friend and then finally was able to maintain a run. (My running story is much more involved, but I don’t want to stray from David’s story). Our weight started to melt off…wahoo! We looked forward to our daily morning run dates. He is a faster runner than me so we’d start off together, he’d stay with me for a mile or so, and then we’d finish at our own separate paces. My runners high soon had me signing us up for 5Ks and even a half marathon. David followed along with no complaining.
August 2007
Unfortunately, he soon found his body deteriorating once again. His body was never 100% following his time with the Marines, but it was usable. This time the deterioration wasn’t necessarily due to the running, but it wasn’t helping either. His body was in constant discomfort, the same problem which he dealt with while in the Marines…The same reason he was supposed to be medically discharged. Long story short (again) he was originally misdiagnosed while enlisted and we now have a correct diagnosis….fibromyalgia.
David’s fibromyalgia over the past 2 years has become significantly worse. He has been on multiple medications only to find that they may initially help but lose effectiveness soon after. Every so often he will try running, make it a few days, but find that his body screams at him, making him stop. Even without running he has still been able to maintain a healthy weight. David has a love/hate relationship with running, like so many do. I don’t know if he necessarily misses running, but I think he misses the effect it has on his health (weight). I know that I miss our daily running dates.
Last 5K Together - July 2009
It’s crazy for me to think that as I get deeper and deeper into running/triathlons, his chance of getting back into running gets farther away. I’m grateful that he understands my need and passion to run, bike, and swim. He acknowledges it and encourages it. He’s one of my biggest cheerleaders and I’m grateful for him in more ways than I can count. If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am today, as an athlete or as a person.
Be Grateful and Keep Smiling =)
Fall 2011 Race Recaps – Part 2
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Although I appreciate VLOGing I wasn’t thrilled with my Fall Race Recap Part 1. I think it will be best if I stick to writing out my recaps. I really dig Eric’s recaps over a RocTheRun. Although I will continue to VLOG I have decided to steal his recap template. Hope you don’t mind Eric!
I will list distance and time for my results, however so often 5Ks don’t measure out to true 5K distances, especially in smaller races. With that being said, I will also list my average pace since that’s what I tend to focus on and it gives me a better idea of how I did.
Firelands Area Runners (FAR) Scholarship Run
FAR is a local running club and this is a race to raise money towards their scholarship fund. It’s held at a local metropark called Osborne Park, which is often where local cross-country race are held. 
Terrain/Route: The terrain is gravel mixed with some trail running. Not too many hills and any of the inclines are rolling and not steep inclines/declines. I had previously done a non-competitive race at this location when I first began running several years back. It didn’t go that well. Two loops of the gravel “track” equals a 5K. The gravel proved to be a huge menace at the time. I felt as though I wasn’t going anywhere. I was hesitant to do this race due to my previous experience, but wanted to give it a go given it was for a good cause and was local (we don’t have too many local races, which calls for me traveling for any races I want to do.)
The Weather: Mid 50s with a slight breeze coming out of the west. It was hard to get out to warm up, however when I did I ended up choosing to run in my running skirt and keep my core warm with my polar fleece pullover. I ran in a hat and gloves too. The hat ended up being a bit warm so I flipped up the ears, but I was happy with my choice of running gear for the day.
High Points: The race started on the gravel path and then wound through trail terrain. Everything went surprisingly well…even the gravel areas. Yes! I don’t know if there’s now less gravel or if it’s because I’m a stronger runner, but I was happy. The only other trail run I’ve done was the Muddy Buddy race, so trail running is still new to me. It was nice to mix it up a bit. A friend of mine also chose to run the race. Although we didn’t run together it’s always nice to have someone running that you know. And lastly, David was able to come be our cheering section and took pictures.
Low Points: Loud breathing runners. I know this sounds petty, but it’s a peeve of mine. Especially when you try to get away from them and they just keep returning. Ugh. I also try to keep my eye on a person and make it my goal to pass them at the end. The point isn’t to beat them per se, but it’s a challenge I always give myself. Unfortunately things didn’t go my way this time. When I started to kick out, so did she. Ah well.
Time: 30:41
Distance: 3.12miles
Pace: 9:49/mi
Standing: 55th Overall 6 out of 10 in AG 
5K For Patty
Back in 2007 my first race was Outrun Ovarian Cancer (OROC) in Cleveland. David and I ran in honor of Patty, a coworker of David’s mom. Patty has since lost her battle with ovarian cancer, but her husband has decided to let her memory live on through a 5K walk/run. This was the inaugural year for the race. I happened to stumble upon it on active.com and knew I had to run it. It was a short 15 minute ride to the site, but I still considered it a local race. 
I am not placing myself on a pedestal by any means, however I believe the majority of the people that came out were there to support the cause and most were either walkers or not experienced runners. It was great to see so many that came out.
Terrain/Route: The route consisted of a small ¼ mile loop then a decent incline followed by a road race out and back route. Real basic and simple, which is cool with me.
The Weather: Gorgeous! Mid 70s with no breeze. The fall season in Ohio can change from one hour to the next. Although the 5K the previous weekend wasn’t horrible weather, it had been chilly. This run was scheduled mid-day allowing it to heat up a bit and the weather couldn’t have been better. I wore my running skirt and a tank.
High Points: Although I wasn’t near the very front, it was nice to be near the front of the pack. Since it was an out and back route I usually see a ton of runners on their way back as I’m still heading to the midpoint. This time I didn’t have many people pass me while on my way there and I was passing people on the way back. Kind of cool. This allowed me to encourage others that were behind me. My MIL decided to run/walk this 5K…it was her first. She did great. It was awesome to see her out there and was so rewarding to be able to run back to her along the route and encourage her through to the end of the race. David wasn’t able to make it to the race, but my FIL did and was able to take pictures.
Low Points: The incline, although short, was a slight bear. The good thing about living where we live….no hills. The bad thing about living where we live…no hills. It’s nice to not have to train on inclines, but when presented with one in a race I realize how flat our terrain really is and how much I need to work on inclines. I dealt with it, no biggie, but I need to add it to my list of things to work on.
Time: 29:51
Distance: 3.12miles
Pace: 9:48/mi
Standing: 27th Overall
Run Like An Animal 5K
As stated previously, I have very little experience with trail running, but this race looked interesting. I’ve been very lucky the past month with races located close to home. This one was no different. It was only 15+ minutes away at another local metropark. I was able to meet up with the same friend who ran the FAR Scholarship run and meet some of her other running friends. It’s always nice to expand your running family. Since it was a trail race I don’t have any pictures.
Terrain/Route: The race started on a paved road, but quickly took you into muddy grass trails, which lead to a trail through woods, then more muddy grass trails, and finally the paved road back to the finish line. Throughout the entire first half of the race I was thinking, “What was I thinking signing up for this?” It was a bit more of a challenge with dodging mud pits. Normally I wouldn’t worry about mud pits, but it was a wee bit chilly to be messing with wet, cold feet.
Weather: Low 40s. The week of the race was our first frost in Ohio. The morning of the race we woke up to frost-covered grass. With this being a morning race, through grass trails, we were still dealing with the frost throughout the race. I wore pants, my thermal top, polar fleece pullover, hat, and gloves. The first half of the race I had to pull my fingers into my gloves due to being cold, but as usual, ended the race very warm and comfortable.
High Points: I finished 3rd in my age group! I have never placed or received an award for my running. I’m proud!
Low Points: Trail racing is a challenge. I’m not sure yet whether I like the challenge or not. I think I need a few more trail races before I decide.
After finishing the race I had a friend come up to me and said, “Did you run the full route?” Huh?! Come to find out the trail wasn’t very well marked and more than half of us missed a turn and cut the route short by approximately ¼ mile. Bummer. What’s crazy is there was a spectator standing at the turn-off…why didn’t he say something? I feel like my 3rd place is tainted, but at least I know I wasn’t the only person to cut it short.
Time: 29:07.72
Distance: 2.81miles
Pace: 10:21/mi
Standing: 3rd in AG
