cheryl

I went outside to run with the dog.  It was so windy that I got discouraged fast.  So then I went to the Rec Center to run on their track.  The tight turns were bugging me though.  I ran as fast as I thought I could just to see how fast I could run a lap.  My fastest was 35 seconds, my fastest for two laps was 1:15.  I then went back home and finished everything off by riding the stationary bike for 30 minutes.

Back at it with the group.  We've decided to take it pretty easy for the next little while.  So we ran around a lot of our favorite streets, Temple View, Bonanza, Bridle Oak, etc., etc.  It was fun.  My legs hurt a little at first, by the end they felt a little better.  Maybe running slowly helps to work things out.  This evening we went to Nancy R.'s house to help her celebrate her birthday.  Apparently her husband was able to keep it a total surprise.  It was a fun get together. 

Treadmill work--fast sprints, other things.  Felt good.

Met the group at Parkway Palisades and we ran around that area.  Hit a few hills, but nothing too bad.

 ran twice today.  Here are the details:

1st run--I took my dog and went to the canal road and ran for 30 minutes straight, at an easy pace.  Just tried to keep it a very easy run.  It was a great day to be outside--no wind, shorts and t-shirt weather, I just really enjoyed being outside--it was about noon when I was out.  We don't seem to get a  lot of days like today.  It seems like it's windy a lot of the time, so I'll savor non-windy days when we get them.

2nd run--the fun run.  My friend Michelle White left a post on Facebook a few weeks ago about a 5K her sister was in charge of that would benefit the YWCA.  She asked that any runners would try to support it.  So I figured I hadn't raced a 5K in a long time and I wanted to help out Michelle and her sister, so I signed up.  I was pretty sure it would be one of those small events without many speedy people there; not that that was important to me, it's just easier when there's not a whole lot of pressure to really push it.  I wanted to just kind of push it.  It was at 4pm.  They first had a little fun 1K where people, mainly men,  ran in high heels.  Then the 5K.  We took off, and there was a woman running with two men who took the lead, plus a couple of women.  I passed the two women, so then I trailed the woman and two men.  They seemed to not be really pushing the pace and I could tell they were talking to each other, so it didn't  look like they were intensely racing.  I trailed them until about mile 2, when I finally caught them.  Then one of the men took off, and about 30 seconds later I heard steps and thought it was probably the woman trying to pass, but it was the other man.  At that time I knew I was the lead woman, but had no idea how far behind me was that other woman.  So from not really wanting to push the paced I knew I needed to keep at it if I wanted to be the 1st female.  So I tried to run that last mile as hard as I could, finished, looked behind and there was that woman not more than 10-15 seconds behind.   Then for the really good news--they gave $100 to the first man and woman, so I won some money!  That was pretty exciting.  I had no idea they would have money prizes.  I'm glad I didn't know before the race because I probably would have panicked and blown it.  It's always nice to win a race and to win some money at the same time.  Next year maybe some of my group will show up if they know about this, then they can battle it out for the 1st place prize.  I'm glad none of them were there today because several of them would have beaten me.

Up early to run 10 with Cheris, Julie, Michelle M., Eric and Alan.  We did a route we've done before, mainly in Riverton I think.  I'm thinking if I can regularly run 10 miles on Saturdays, that maybe in the spring when we start our serious marathon training the long runs won't seem so daunting to me.  I enjoyed the company today.  It did seem a little hard to get that 10 miles done; my legs felt weak and numb at the end.  Maybe in a few months it won't seem that difficult, at least that's what I'm hoping.