the road goes on forever...

It's going to take a little while, by getting together info for my 2009 year in review:

Feb 7- Run for the cookies 5k 19:46
Feb 14- Rush to Brush 5k 19:23 
March 7- Thomasville Road 10k 41:38 PR
March 14-  Gate River Run 15k in Jacksonville, FL 1:03:43
March 28- Springtime 10k  41:42
April 11- Palace Saloon 5k 19:37
April 18- Habitat for Humanity 5k 19:25
May 2- Tails and Trails XC 5k (a little short) 18:58
May 23- Magnolia Meltdown 5k 19:37
June 11- Baltimore, 4 miler 26:05
June-August- Summer Track every Thursday night
400m- 66, 800m- 2:29, Mile- 5:39, 2 Mile- 12:07, 5k- 19:20
June 27- St. George Island 5k 19:47
Aug 15- Breakfast on the Track Mile 5:27 PR
Sept 5- Red Cross Hurricane Run 5k 19:22
Sept 19- Women's Distance Festival 5k 18:59 
Oct 3- Pine Run 20k 1:31:30
Oct 24- Alan Sundberg 5k 18:59 PR
Oct 31- Hoover Dam Half Marathon 1:36:56  PR
Dec 11- Cellular South Half Marathon in Jackson, MS DNF

400 repeats

Hello everyone. It has been a super long time, and I have to update on the last month or two. Basically it was lots of school work and little running. I will add my runs (all 5 of them) some time soon.

But in exciting news I think I am attempting the Krispy Kreme Challenge tomorrow afternoon. 2 miles out, eat a dozen donuts, 2 miles back. I don't think there is any way I can eat a dozen donuts but I am going to try. There is also an hour time limit that I think seems impossible.  I am thinking 7 minute miles on the way out (or as fast as I can go). 2 minutes per donut (which seems nearly impossible) and 11 minunte miles on the way back (yeah right). So we will see how it goes!! I have never puked from running... I think tomorrow may take that streak from me.

The race started at 1pm, and I decided it would be best if I didn't eat anything all morning. So I got to the race hungry, and we started off with the first "2 mile" run. It was a little short, I heard my friend say we were running 6 minute pace and we got there in less than 11 minutes.  I figured that was a good thing anyway, I needed all the time I could get.  

So then we were eating. I got my box of donuts and chose the squish and stack method. I ate three donuts at a time, but squishing them down and make a donut sandwich.  I got through the first half dozen with no real problem. Donuts 6-9 were somewhat troublesome. By the time I got to donut 10 I could no longer handle the stack method. I was just taking little bites here and there and trying to get it down. I even tried dunking them in water like my friend Andy did, but that just made them too heavy and slimy.  Some of them I couldn't get down and I just had to spit them out.  I had to take a couple minute break at one point, and then I was finally done my dozen. (They didn't make me eat the pieces I spit out though, thankfully).  

Time for the two mile run back. I had stopped my watch when we started eating, I am not sure why, I just got overwhelmed.  So I wasn't exactly sure how much time I had left, but I knew it was going to be close.  My friends (all male) were done way before me, so I was on my way back on my lonesome. I started talking to a young man Peter who was running near me, but we both found it difficult to talk. It was better to just be quiet and forget where you were.  My stomach felt really good for the most part. At one point my chest started to get a little warm and I got worried and walked a few steps, but I was able to get going again.  I pushed the pace the best I could, probably around 8:30 miles. I made the mistake of looking down while running, and about every 100 meters there was a trash can and writing on the sidewalk that said "vomit here." I had to look straight ahead because every time I read that I wanted to follow the directions. Before I knew it, I was making the turn to the finish. I could hear my friends going "and there is the female runner of the year!" I didn't get my exact time, but I know it was less than an hour and that's all that mattered.  And I beat the guy dressed up as a ranch dressing bottle, which could have been embarassing.

So I am an official Krispy Kreme Challenge finisher! 2400 calories, 144 grams of fat later... and I have a t-shirt that says that just in case I forget!

4 miles at the Heartbeats for Haiti fundraiser.  Waaaaaay out of shape, it hurt so bad! I hope that I will be able to start running again but I'm not going to force myself if it stresses me out. 

Ran to a friend's house for dinner... I love it when I actually use running for it's true purpose- transportation

It hurts! My bones, my muscles, my shins, everything.  Now I know why people quit when trying to get into shape!

I'm getting there!

A nice run to clear my mind. It was super productive and I figured out what to do about this extremely huge job predicament I am in.  I was so excited that I made up my mind that I called Jason right when I got in the car to tell him.  Of course, he questioned my decision, playing devil's advocate, and now I am questioning it again. Ugh.  I can't wait to have all of this job search business behind me. 

Would have run a little further but my friend Olivia's foot was hurting her.  No reason to risk it!

Hopefully I will be able to continue running through all the travel for my job interviews the next two weeks. (Wisconsin this week and Arizona next!) 

2 more measly miles than I planned!

So sick from all my job interview travels.  I've been down and out for 4 days now.  It looks like I won't be in shape again before I move from here, which kind of makes me sad. I really wanted a couple good races before I leave.

On a positive note, I have two job offers but I'm waiting around for my #1 choice. Should hear from them within a week or so. This search has been extremely complicated to say the least, and I am so ready for it to be over so I can finally get a good nights sleep.   

Brushed the dust off my running shoes (literally) and officially began attempt #3 of getting in shape this year.  More importantly, I enjoyed being outside on this beautiful first day of Spring, and taking some time to myself to not think at all about dissertations or job searches! 

20 minutes. mileage just an estimate.  Hope to do 2 more 20 minute runs this week, then bump up to 30 minutes next week, and so on. But we'll see what happens.  

short run with Olivia between school work sessions

If anyone reads this I would love your two cents.  I am completely out of shape. Would it be crazy to jog a 10k this weekend? How soon is too soon for 6 miles? I think I can do it but it will hurt.  I just don't want to get injured.  I'll go really slow.  Can a marathoner run 6 miles when completely out of shape, or should they start low like everyone else? 

Over 4 miles at sub-8 pace! Woot Woot.  I'm pretty surprised I was capable of that honestly. I actually think I will make it through the 10k this weekend. I think I'll start off 8:30-9 minute pace and then go from there.  

The weather is absolutely perfect for running right now. I am just trying to appreciate being outside and thinking about something other than my job search and dissertation. Although that is tough to do right about now.  

Hope everyone had a great day! 

Today was the Springtime 10k, the largest race in Tallahassee. We had about 2000 people run this year.  I was convinced to run by some of the people I train with here. They needed one more person on their team.  I had two goals: finish, and don't do anything dumb.

I went out in 7:15 pace, which was dumb.  But I was able to hold a respectable pace and finish in about 46 minutes. I forget my time and didn't wear a watch.  I am pretty happy... this was my longest run in 2010! Hopefully I will have time to keep building on the little base that I have.   

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

An extremely long report about a race I kind of raced:  

Today I ran the best race in Tallahassee- The Palace Saloon 5k- completely out of shape. Well almost. To be fair I am averaging about 15 miles a month, or 3 miles a week. I have run only 2 miles in the past two weeks.  I wasn't going to run because the race is super competitive (as far as a local race is concerned) and I am also disappointed because a few months ago my goal was to PR here.  Things have obviously changed due to sickness, job searching, and dissertationing.  But I was guilted into running by a friend of mine who needed one more person on her girl's team.  Okay, enough excuses.

With absolutely 0 expectations and the only goal to not be absolutely miserable (although I doubted I would achieve that one either) I set off with the 1200 runners at 8am.  There are only three turns during the race, which starts at a park and ends at a bar.  I took off with a friend of mine who is recovering from a nagging injury, and at our first mile she said "about 7 minutes." (You know you are out of shape when you forget to bring your watch to a race). I just laughed and told her I decided to hold this pace as long as I could- having no idea how long that would be.  

It really is great starting a race and not feeling at all nervous. No crazy goals of 18:45 caused me to lose sleep last night. I didn't warm up, or put on my racing flats or watch.  However, something got to me during the race. There were all kinds of girls around me that I didn't know. There was a group of girls with bows in their hair in front of me. The competitor in me had to do something about that :) 

Mile 2- 6:54. My first sub-7 mile of the year!! Woot woot.  

We hit the only real hill in the race, charged up, coasted down, and finished in just over 21 minutes.  This was way better than I ever thought I could do. Something about the Palace Saloon 5k doesn't let you run it easy, even if you are in bad shape.  It was also way more fun than I expected.  Running with Olivia was great, and beating your expectations is always invigorating.  Also, the weather was absolutely perfect.

The post race party was as much fun as I remembered last year being, and I got to hang out with all of the Gulf Wind-ers that I have been missing this year.  I ended up getting 5th in my age group too, which I was very excited about because they give away cool pint glasses. Bonus! What a great going away prize before the big move in a couple of months. 

This race made me remember how great it is to run, especially in Tallahassee. I will really miss Gulf Winds because of the awesome races and the wonderful combination of camaraderie, love of running, and competitive spirit.  This race also reminded me how thankful I should be. It is easy to get down on yourself when you are not able to run your fastest, but I am truly blessed that I can not only do this, but pull out a respectable performance off of very minimal training.  

Congrats to Herb for another well-directed race.  

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!

On my annual two week storm chase in the Great Plains! We are in Goodland, Kansas and I finally had time to go for a run. I went to the car to get my shoes and the wind was so cold that I could barely walk in it. The weather service said there was a wind chill of 28. Brrrr. This Florida girl was not feeling that. So I went for a quick run on the Holiday Inn treadmill followed by a little strength training.

As far as chasing is concerned, there were minimal chances for some good stuff yesterday and nothing really came of it.  But we cored one cell and got hailed pretty hard. It was enough to keep us content until the next good chase day which is probably Monday. The Storm Prediction Center is already using the t word, but I don't want to get my hopes up.  I think we are headed to Colorado for the weekend.  

2x1 mile repeats- 6:30 and 6:28.  Not too shabby for this out-of-shape girl!

Did half of the tempo with the Thursday tempo crew. Well about half. Ouch!!

2x1 mile- 6:28, 6:15

2 days until dissertation defense! 

Tempo with the Thursday crew. Much much slower than last year when I was in shape (about 3 minutes) but my first time completing the full tempo since I started running again.

Dissertation D-FENCE tomorrow at 1!!!! This better be my last post as Miss Kelsey Scheitlin!

To all the wonderful FRBers:

Jason and I are finalists to win a "green" wedding in Bermuda and I had no idea! Voting started a week ago so we are way behind. Please help us catch up by voting for us! You can vote once a day. I'll post this multiple times until voting ends on June 15th in hopes to catch different peoples eyes. Thanks so much in advance!!! It means so much to us.

http://global.theknot.com/contests/bermuda-destination-wedding/TopStories.aspx
 

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Jason and I have a chance of winning a wedding in Bermuda!! We are one of three finalists and need people to vote for us every day until June 15th (bonus if you use both your home and work computers!!!)

type in the encrypted words and hit vote. It only takes 15 seconds and this wedding would be such a dream come true!!! If everyone can just write themselves a little reminder to vote at the same time every day, I would appreciate it so much. 

I pledge to run every day during the rest of the voting period so I can earn the right to beg for your votes! Feel free to leave us a little comment too so I know you were there :) But most importantly, vote!!

Thanks!!!! 

Ran with my friend Jill who is getting in shape for her wedding.  Speaking of weddings...

 ****** PLEASE HELP ME AND JASON BY VOTING FOR US USING THE LINK I POSTED YESTERDAY!!! We really appreciate it!!  Have a great night :)********** 

*******CALLING ALL FRBers!!!********* 

Hi everyone!! If you haven't seen yet I am working really hard to win a "green" wedding in Bermuda. I am asking that you help me out by voting here:

http://tiny.cc/xdxfi

just type the words and click the vote button. Easy peasy and your vote means more than you know.  Don't take my word for it though, try it out!!!

Thanks so much, and for those voting please hang in there, one week left! 

Let's do this!!! 

On to the running:

First full tempo workout in a while!! 1x1600, 8x400. Slow due to the heat, but finished is finished! It's always worth it to see the friendly faces :)

As promised I will continue to run daily for your daily votes! 

1 mile with fellow bride-to-be Jill :)

If you haven't seen yet I am working hard to win a green wedding in Bermuda!!  My FRB friends have been AMAZING and oh so supportive. Please continue to do so! And if you haven't voted yet:

http://tiny.cc/xdxfi

Just type in the encrypted words and click enter. It only takes a few seconds and means a lot!!

You can vote once daily until June 15th! Together we can do this :) 

Thursday night I do a tempo in the Florida heat to earn your votes! 

Tempo in maaaajor Florida heat. Didn't quite get a 5k done, instead 2.5 miles. And I am proud of those 2.5.

Meanwhile... still hoping to get your vote! 5 days of my begging left, and you can vote daily. You all are being so awesome about this, and I appreciate every single vote you send our way!

And apparently Jason looks like Nevels. What do you think?

http://tiny.cc/xdxfi 

I didn't enjoy tonight's run :( I think there is going to be a full moon tonight and it brought out all the creepies. Lots of weirdies honking horns (turning directions just to honk again) and even spitting at me, a backyard fire, and a dead body (I didn't see it though). All of that in 1.5 miles. I ran scared the whole time. I hate it when that happens. C'est la vie. 

Please take a second to vote for me and Jason to win the wedding of our dreams. We only have four days left to get votes. It only takes a few seconds:

http://tiny.cc/xdxfi

This whole contest has been an amazing (but tiring) experience. The support people have given us has been humbling and brought me to tears several times. We're just asking for four more days.  Please and thank you! 

Another short run so I can go long tomorrow. This is my first time running every day in one week since my sophomore year of college. And I just finished my 9th year of college, so it's been a while!!

Went out the same way I did yesterday and within 3 minutes someone had made a crude comment. People are crazy lately, but I guess I need to stop letting it get to me. Or start running in the morning again when the crazies are still in bed.

After tonight only 3 voting days left! Please stick with us.  http://tiny.cc/xdxfi

You all have been nothing short of awesome! I think it has to do with our innate competitive drive. 

P.S. There was still a heat index of over 100 while I was running, and tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. Ew!

5 miles of hill repeats. Man it's hot out there!!

That makes 8 days straight of running :)

Please take a second to vote for me and Jason. Just go here: http://tiny.cc/xdxfi  type in the "code words" and click the vote box.  We only have to beg you through Tuesday, them Thursday we find out if we will get married in Bermuda in October!  Thanks everyone for all of your support. 

Don't kill me, but I broke my "run for your votes" streak. I walked about 5 miles in my flip flops on campus today and it killed my feet and for some odd reason one of my ankles. So I decided that would have to stand for my work out today. The good part is I am finally finished with the 8 million forms I need to get signed, pay for, etc. in order to graduate. What a hassle! 

If you will forgive me and vote anyway, here is the link: http://tiny.cc/xdxfi

If not, you can wait until tomorrow when I do intervals for your last night of votes :) 

You know it's hot when you come in from an evening workout and the heat index is STILL 102!!!! No wonder my legs were trashed!! It was one of those that leaves you saying "I am never running again." But I am super proud, even if the times weren't the best. I always say times mean nothing in this heat. And I am proud of my spot on consistency!

2x1200 (4:52 each)

2x800 (3:11 each)

2x400 (82 each)

For those of you that have been following my blog the past ten days, you know what today is! The LAST day to vote for me and Jason to win the green Bermuda wedding.  Please cast your final votes and keep your fingers, toes and anything else you can cross crossed until Thursday! You all rock!!!!

http://tiny.cc/xdxfi

I don't usually run on Wednesdays, and today I will definitely not be running! I woke up and my legs were super sore from last night. And then Jason called and I ran to get the phone, slid on yesterday's clothes on the floor (serves me right) and banged both legs on the bottom of my bed, and my head on the bedside table. Ouch! I think I need to wear padding today. 

But I did want to come on to give one last Thank You to all who have voted and/or spread the word for me and Jason. Tomorrow we should find out if we are getting married in Bermuda 10/10/10 or in Baltimore next June as planned. I would much rather not have to plan a wedding for an entire year, but either way it will be a great event! While I wouldn't wish this type of contest on anyone (how nerve wracking) it was amazing to feel support come from so many places, and I will never forget the experience. 

We wonnnn!!!!! Thank you all!!

12x400 on the hot, humid track. The workout actually felt decent (I'd rather do 400s in the heat than mile repeats) but the heat upset my stomach so I didn't really get in a cool down. 

started around 93 and slowly picked it up, finished around 82. 

5k tempo with my favorite running group. Only one more tempo with them before I move :(

Oh, and I actually finished it this week... and without complaining too much about the heat! But I'll just say the heat index is STILL 96 as of 9pm! Grooooosssss.

Major bummer... Today was supposed to be my longish run (aiming for 7) but 4 minutes in I got stung my something. It got me on my forearm and flew away before I got to see it. In the past I have reacted pretty badly to bee stings, and the person at my school's health center (who are definitely not the most reliable) told me that I have a chance of having an even worse reaction (i.e. throat closing) so I have to be very cautious.  So I ran to my car and didn't want to go home, because I live by myself so that makes no sense. Instead I figured I would just start driving to the hospital and get something to eat on that side of town.  Yumm Chick-fil-A. 

I am home now and it has been a little over an hour. "They" say most horrible reactions occur within an hour, so I should be good. My arm is a little swollen and red and blotchy and I am just really hoping that it doesn't get much worse and then just goes away. Only time will tell. 

my friend and i messed around with all the at-home remedies for bee stings and i healed about a week faster than ever! i think it was the vinegar and baking soda paste- it is known to suck the venom out. not bad.

tonight was my last interval workout with the track club before i move to virginia. sad, sad day. i will surely miss these people, especially the one and only Micah Adriani.

the heat index was only in the low 90s when we were running tonight... awesome!! 

4x1200 

4:49, 4:47, 4:41, 4:37 

Second to last tempo run with the "Boston Express"- my favorite weekly run in Tallahassee. 

I tried to race it and it paid off- I ran 21:59... almost 3 minutes faster than last week! (It was also 20 degrees cooler, so it's not that I completely slacked last week). My fastest time on this course is 21:39, so it was a really good run. I looooove overcast and drizzling in June!

My first race as a Virginian.  There are only 2 races a year in the town I live in, so I drove an hour west to Lynchburg, VA.  I have three nice sized running communities near me, all about an hour away to the North (Charlottesville), East (Richmond), and West (Lynchburg). So finding races shouldn't be a problem, but I will likely be on my own for training (not my strong suit). 

Things have been crazy with moving and other things that are going on, so let's just say I was verrrrry tapered for this run.  I was nervous about the distance (I can't believe I get nervous about a 5 mile race these days!). I have only run 5 miles in the last two weeks total, so I didn't know how my legs would do.

Miles: 6:55, 7:07, 7:02, 7:02, 7:01  

I had planned on going out slow and pushing the second half, figuring that would help me enjoy the race better being out of shape.  But I went out and my competitiveness didn't let me hold back.  I got in a group with two other girls who knew each other and asked if they minded if I paced with them for a while.  I felt good going out and the pace felt good. I knew right away that I still have my speed, but it's no secret that I have no endurance right now.  One of the girls asked us to slow down the 2nd mile, and we did, but then left her to drop back closer to 7 minute miles. Me and the girl I was still with were in 4th and 5th and could see the next two girls ahead of us. 

I definitely felt the distance and had nothing left the last mile. I couldn't catch anyone but the girl I was with moved up to third.  I am extremely happy with my time and look forward to racing these girls again.  I have learned that my favorite part of running is the competition- with myself, others, and the clock.  I was hoping this race would remind me how it feels to compete and get me to train so I can run faster times. It did, and I plan on having some rebuttal races against the first place girl (she ran 33:54, I know I can do that if I train some).

Cheers to Virginia running! 

Parts of my life are in shambles right now.  I am just waiting to see how everything plays out and then I can begin the healing process. Since you all were a part of making it happen, I should let you know that the Bermuda wedding has been canceled. 

As one of my intelligent running friends put it,  it is a great time for a long easy run down a country road while trying to fit the pieces back together. 

I appreciate everyone thinking about me during this tough time. I have gotten lots of nice messages and posts and while I didn't respond to all of them (sorry, I've been really busy with my new job) they meant a ton.  

When I am busy I struggle to fit running in. I know it is possible, a lot of people on here juggle running with way busier lives than mine, but when I get busy I always let running go first. Now that I am somewhat used to what my life is like as an assistant professor I hope to do a better job at fitting it in. 

My friends were having a Labor Day party and live three miles away, so I figured that would be a good way to kill two birds!  

Long story short, ran to get a newspaper. 

I just got an email saying Longwood has a 5k October 30th. Looks like I have some motivation! 

Great running weather! I keep going out way too hard on what should be easy runs... I am sure I will learn my lesson the hard way. 

Now time for some college football and environmental science lab grading!

It was a cool, foggy morning on the trail.  It makes me realize that a season I haven't experienced in 5 years is quickly approaching. Hooray for fall! Not so much for Mondays...

Big MNF game for my Ravens tonight!!! 

Same run as Monday but tacked on a little extra so that I had to run up the hill on Main Street on the way home. 

There is a 5k in a week and a half which I am going to slug my way through.  It is going to be ugly, but it will be a great workout.  I am not setting any real goals, just to do my best. I have my eye on the 5k at the end of October when I may be able to get a respectable time.    

Home for my niece Bella's 2nd birthday. She is my favorite person in the universe! Did a jog with my pops before we head out to Chuckie Cheese's :)

Slowly but surely...

Giving my first exam today, wish them luck! 

Woo hoo! After a week long hiatus due to plenty of (sometimes valid) excuses, I finally got myself out the door to do a fartlek I have been planning. I am realizing there are two big hurdles to get me running in the morning: 1) getting out of bed, and 2) getting out the door. But today, with a little moaning, I overcame both! 

Have you ever realized you have no sense of temperature when you are done running? I have to feed my turtle when I get home by putting him in a small tank that I fill with room temperature water. But after I run I have no clue what room temperature is because everything feels burning hot.

Today I am meeting my Environmental Science labs out by a creek where we will be picking up trash, in conjunction with "Clean Virginia's Waterways." Hopefully we don't get rained out but its looking like a bust :( 

Beautiful day to squeeze in a run! (Although this Florida girl is getting a little worried about this fall/winter).

Woo hoo! Proud of myself for fitting this one in. This old lady can't see in the dark, so I have to make sure I am in before the sun sets. I got out there pretty late, so I cut my run a little shorter and added some speed (800 on 800 off x 3) in the middle to make sure I was back in time. Timed it perfectly and soaked up the last bit of sunlight as I approached my car.

Running "fast" (relatively) felt good, I can tell my fitness is improving!

Beautiful day for a wildlife-sighting filled run. If that made sense. I am sure it was one of my last warm runs of the year. 

Longest run yet! Looking forward to getting to the double digits in a few weeks.  

Went out for my run but started feeling sick right away... had to head home

My plan was to do 2x1 mile surges during my run, but I think I did my first too hard and had to pretty much hobble the rest of the way.  Whoops.

My brothers are running the Baltimore marathon right now! For one of them it's his first. GO BILLY AND BRENT!!! 

4 miles with my Dad and my brother Brent, the newest runner of the family and newly-minted marathoner.

This race was what I had been training for, and things were going great until school got nuts for a while. But I ran it anyway and mannnn did it hurt. They couldn't have found another hill in Farmville of they tried. I ran it in 21:21 but I highly doubt the course was accurate. I am thinking it may have been short but I have no way to tell. It was very unorganized and we (me and a 10 year old who were leading the race) had to work together to figure out where to go. I ended up getting 2nd overall... which is actually disappointing because it goes to show the running scene in Farmville is no bigger than I thought. I did meet a couple colleagues there who run occasionally, and I am hoping to get them to run more often so I can have some running partners.

Took my running clothes to school so as a little encouragement to get out there after work, instead of going home and realizing how tired I was and that I would rather sit around and eat candy. It worked perfectly!

For the second time since I moved to Farmville, I ran somewhere other than the rails to trail. I ran some loops around a small neighborhood and got a few hills in, which is good compared to my normal flat route.

Main steep (my new name for the main street hill): 5:08. I want to see how much I can improve on that. (High Bridge west sign to cross walk sign). 

What was supposed to be a leisurely run turned into a three mile warm up then a three mile tempo trying to beat the darkness.  I definitely have a fear of running in the dark, and the sun setting over the trail at 5:30 was very intimidating. I didn't think it would get dark THAT early!

In more important news, I got a puppy!!! 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=38045769&l=7587ea9107&id=26512182 

I couldn't figure out how to get his picture to load, so instead I *think* the above is a link to it.  

Today was one of those days where you fall in love with running again.  Last weekend one of my new friend's girlfriends was in town and shortly after meeting we realized we were both runners so we of course hit if off.  She told me she was doing the Richmond Marathon but was very nervous because her longest run was only 15 miles because life had gotten so busy. When she asked if I wanted to help her out at the end, I jumped on the chance!

So today I road to Richmond with some people and we waited at the 19 mile mark for Jessi to come by. I think it was about 3:20 or so in the race when she passed us with a huge smile and said "let's go lady!" So I hopped into the race with her and run/walked to mile 26, then watched her surge to the finish.  She was a ton of fun to run with, and we were laughing, singing and dancing the whole way. She finished around 4:45... not bad for the lack of training. The marathon really seemed like a great one from the parts I saw. I was pretty impressed.

And to make things even better, Jessi is now moving to Farmville, so I will have someone to run with!! Finally!! 

This morning my mom and dad both won their age groups in a Jingle Bell 5k!!!  This is a huge deal to my mom, who only started running to stay healthy but is really becoming a runner. Can't wait to Turkey Trot with them in a couple of weeks!!

 Today my oldest brother finished the JFK 50 miler!  So proud :)

Today was the Longwood "Turkey Trample" and some colleagues and I put together a team. It was a relay, where you passed a (cooked) giant turkey leg. Each person ran 400 meters, then did it again, so we each ran half a mile.  It was done on campus, so the first quarter was slightly downhill and the second was slightly uphill. Unable to restrain my competitiveness I almost took a dive doing the downhill quarter, but was able to hold on. When I finished my second quarter my butt and quads were killing me and I couldn't even see straight. But it was worth it because we won first place coed team! My abs, legs, and butt are still sore 3 days later and I only ran half a mile!

Feeling thankful :)

Home for Thanskgiving (for the first time in four years!) I finally got to run the turkey trot that my dad runs each year. It's for Chrons and Colitis research, which is meaningful to my family. My brother Barry was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis about 10 years ago.  Four years ago he got Lyme's disease, and the two diseases worked together to make him very sick. He was in the hospital and near death. He is not a very religious man, so when he asked for a preacher to come in and talk to him we knew he was feeling  horrible. But then last weekend he finished the JFK 50 miler, which was very inspirational considering what he had overcome.

So my dad runs this race every year, and this year I was able to tag along with him and my other brother, Brent, who just started running.  It is kind of weird. It's fairly large, has good food and entertainment (Brooks Robinson was there!) but there is no official start, no clock, no bibs, and no results.  I ran much of it with my father, but with about a mile to go my brother and I picked it up a little bit to finish strong . It was a very hilly course but we averaged 7:30- not bad! I am feeling better about my running shape, and excited to keep improving. I have a lot of little goals coming up to keep myself motivated.

I hope everyone has a wonderful turkey trotting and turkey eating!!

5 miles with 2x1 mile surges within it

I am proud of this race because, while I am not the fastest I have ever been, I am trying very hard to train during my first (insane) semester of teaching. Sub 7s... I'll take it! I hope that I can continue to train until I am back up to my potential.

I was supposed to turn this race into a long run, but I was too tired and cold once I stopped to get started back up again. I should have time this week to get one in though.

Time to make some finals! 

56 laps around the indoor track... wow.  I have a lot of respect for those of you who have trained in the winter every year. This is my first cold weather training in a while and I have been a major sis!

Home for the holidays :)

8x400s with my brother!

2 mile tempo with my brother! hills galore, so the "tempo" speed wasn't too fast, but still hard.

The first annual "Frosty Frolic"!

My brother wanted me to run the bike loop (10.5) with him and I said sure, knowing he usually does his long runs at 9 minutes I thought I could shuffle through it and be nice and sore for Christmas festivities. Instead, he wanted to go closer to 8 minute pace. It was hilly, cold and windy (30 mph gusts in our faces!) but a TON of fun :) I did lots of catching up with my best friend who came along for the fun, and we finished averaging 8:15 pace, and ran most miles sub 8 because we were distracted by our talking. Needless to say I am sore! Next year we are making shirts!

This was, sadly, my longest run of 2010. The double digits make me feel like a runner again!

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays!

My brother Brent has joined the FRB crew! He is the last Scheitlin to take up running, but has done so with a vengeance. He finished his first marathon in October after running less than a year, and is now putting his name in for the JFK 50 miler and training for the Eagleman Tri.

We are planning to run the Charlottesville Marathon together in April (his second my third). Since I have no one to train with in Farmville, I will hopefully be motivated by seeing him rack up the miles!

4 x1200 around the neighborhood with Brenty

my last run of 2010 was my longest of 2010... it's nice being on the way up!

8:12 pace