Never Enough T-Shirts

I popped right out of bed and got dressed for my run this morning. That's unusual lately! Maybe it was because I was looking forward to entering my run on this blog, or maybe it was because I had planned to run off base this morning. I usually only run off-base on weekends.

We are supposed to leave here 1 month from today! Tomorrow night the other 2nd grade teachers are having a going-away dinner for me at a restaurant called Transit Cafe. It's always easier for me to find things on foot than in the car, so I decided to run there today. It was easy to find, and about a mile and a half away from my house. Once I got there, I slowed down a lot while I ran around looking for a parking space. Parking in Okinawa is crazy. The crazy thing about it is that it barely exists! I thought maybe the restaurant had a little parking lot in the next block or something, but it looks like I'll have to try my luck with street parking. Anyway, I ended up a little bit lost, but as long as I can find my way back to the seawall, I'm alright. I hopped onto the seawall and thought about what I'll miss when we leave Okinawa. We've been here 3.5 years and it really is time to move on, but I've loved running along the seawall, and watching the surfers.  It's so peaceful...even moreso on a weekday like today. I had the seawall to myself for a while.

When I got back on base, I decided that if I finished the 4th mile in 9:45 or under I could call it a day and head straight to my house, but if not I'd make myself tack on a mile loop. I was 4 seconds too slow... I thought it might have been because of the time that I spent showing my ID to the gate guard, but did the 5th mile anyway!

Today my plan was to run some fast miles on the treadmill. The treadmill is really the best way for me to do fast miles, because it's hilly here and because it's too easy for me to let my mind wander and forget about paying attention to my pace. 

The gym is a mile from our house, so I use that mile as my warm up/cool down. I ended up heading out a little later than I had planned, but that worked out in my favor because there were plenty of treadmills to choose from. I hopped on a treadmill and started running at 8:00 mile pace (I consider that a fast pace at this point). I was going to run 3 miles at 8:00 pace, but I was struggling on my way to 2. That's what I get for skipping out on my weekday runs so often lately. I made myself hit 2 miles and then slowed down. I cranked it back up to 8:00 pace for another half-mile and felt like I had had enough. I stayed between 9:30-10:00 pace until I got to 3 miles total...but that still means I only ran 2.5 @ 8:00 pace. I pushed the "cool-down" button and let the treadmill slow down. While I walked, I reminded myself that I had planned on running 3 miles at 8:00 pace, not 2.5. So when the cool-down was over, I started the machine back up and knocked out that last half mile at 8:00. And you know what? It felt easy! I love being able to tell myself, "You can do this for 4 minutes". Slowed down for another half-mile and then ran the mile back home. On the way home, I saw tons of people. I didn't have my contacts in, but when I got closer I realized they were all teenagers. Maybe they were out walking for P.E. class? Most were in shorts & t-shirts but there were several girls with giant earrings, one girl wearing a short skirt, tights and cowboy boots, and another girl walking backwards and taking pictures of her friends with her camera phone! 

It's a beautiful day...cool but sunny. I hope it will be like this again tomorrow, because I want to run outside. Maybe 5 miles? This Saturday there is the monthly 5k at the gym. It doesn't start until 8, and usually I do my Saturday runs much earlier, but since this might be the last one they have before I move, I'm going to plan on running it.

I'm so pleased with myself for getting out for runs 3 weekdays this week! There have been (too) many weeks in which I don't run at all except for Saturday morning running group!

I'm going to do the 5k here on Saturday, and the last almost-mile of it is up a big hill that's right near my house, and it helps me mentally to run up it a couple of days before hand. The worst thing about my house is that it's at the bottom of a hill, and no matter which direction I head there's nowhere to go but up! (The best thing is that on the way home, it's downhill!). I didn't want to run up that particular hill first thing, though, so I turned left instead of right and went up the other big hill. I went into this paved trail that we call Habu Hills or Habu Trail. I've never actually been afraid running by myself on Okinawa, but running Habu by myself does creep me out a little. Maybe because it's named after Oki's deadliest snake! At any rate, I was happy to see two other runners back there! 

I came out of the Habu trail & ran up the hill that's at the end of the 5k. I did really well at first, but then I hit the 3 mile mark and gave myself the okay to take it a little bit easier the rest of the way up the hill. I ran the rest of the way to the finish line and did a lap around the track to make 4 miles. Then I took a 2 minute walk break and then cooled-down the last mile home.

I ended up averaging 10 minute miles. Those hills just get me every time! 10:43 (uphill the entire time), 9:10 (huge hills, but some downhills too), 9:31 (almost all uphill), 10:05 (about half uphill and half level ground), 10:34 (2 minute walk break and level ground/downhill cool down)

 I won't run again until Saturday morning, but I might go for a walk tomorrow morning. We'll see.

(Don't ask me who comes up with the names for the 5Ks around here!)

I usually drive my lazy self to Saturday morning running group, even though we meet at the gym 1 mile from my house. On 5k days, though, I always run there...mostly to avoid the crowded parking lot afterward, but also so I can get in a couple extra miles and a warm-up/cool-down.

I got there at about 7:45 to register. Registration is just writing your name, rank & signature on a list. You don't get a t-shirt or check a box for your age group or pin on a number or anything. Today they gave out jingle bells to get in the holiday spirit (but collected them at the finish line...what kind of holiday spirit is that?!) I didn't take a jingle bell anyway.

I saw lots of people that I know, but NOBODY from my running group! Lazies!

The start of the run is always crazy. Walkers, kids & people with strollers just pile on in. Usually I get stuck in the back and end up working too hard passing people. Today was my lucky day though!

I started at a decent pace and didn't get stuck in the crowd. One Senior Master Sgt. that we know came up next to me and I decided that I wanted to stick with him for the first mile at least because I remembered that his pace is challenging, but do-able. I did, and I even passed him up as we came up the first hill. He was able to re-open the gap on the downhill. But then he had a wardrobe malfunction at the bottom of the hill (his glasses fell apart!) and I was able to catch back up. By this time, we were heading up that big hill. SMSgt H. was pretty strong up the big hill, and I tried to be. The hill is tough, but I try to tell myself that uphills are actually the time that my short little legs come in handy! Even though I didn't manage to catch back up with SMSgt. H. on the way up that hill, I did pass quite a few people. And I like people, but passing them still makes me happy ;) When the ground leveled out, I just kept telling myself to push for just a little while longer. Then, when I was almost at the turn that leads the last few yards to the finish line, I heard someone say, "We've got the third female coming in here" and I realized that was me! So I really turned it on then because I had no idea how close behind me the next woman was.

So I finished as the 3rd place female (we don't do age groups here) and my prize is...my name and time listed in size 12 font on a plain piece of printer paper that will hang in the gym for a few weeks. SMSgt. H., SMSgt. T., and I cheered the rest of the runners in and talked about how much better these runs could be if, say, they gave medals to the 3rd place female ;) or t-shirts for the participants or had bananas and did a little more promotion. Other than the people near the finish line cheering on their family members, there were NO spectators. And we ran right through 2 housing areas! SMSgt. H. also commented on how "efficient" I looked going up the 1st hill by the middle school and that made me happy. I got to cheer for 2 of my old students (and their siblings & parents)too! Their smiley little faces were so cute when they heard someone call their name! One little guy came to me afterward and proudly told me that he beat his sister, his dad, and his dad's friend. I like to think that maybe when their parents asked them if they wanted to go out and run a race this morning, a little part of them thought about their old teacher...they all know I run and Michelle & her family have even been out cheering for me during both Okinawa marathons!

My time was 23:25. Last time I did this race it was 24:19, so I'm happy with that!

This is getting too long, but I have to say one more thing...there were a few Marines running in their camis and boots! Not too strange of a sight around here, but one was pushing a baby stroller, hit a curb and nearly tipped the baby head-over-heels out of the stroller! Yikes! I think he decided to ease up a little after that and they both made it safely to the finish line!