Sugar its whats for dinner!

So my eating habits have been horrible!  I am like a sugar monster!  I had a pampered chef party and had a leftover turtle cake that was made in one of the pans.  So I have been eating that with some butter pecan ice cream all week.  I have been drinking coke like it is my job.  (For those of you that do not know I do not work in a coke factory so it really isn't my job..I work in a library and no coke drinking is required).  Because I have been eating crap I have been feeling all sluggish and crappy.  I know it is because of my food choices, but really that coke and cake and ice cream has really been tasting good :) 

I crapped out of the 5k run at run club yesterday.  It really did look like it might storm (it was storming off and on all day long).  So Megan and I stayed behind and waited for everyone while enjoying a beer. 

Tonight I almost didn't go running at the gym b/c of a storm rolling through.  I have a fear of running the mill while their is lightening outside.  First I have a fear of being struck while running in front of the huge bank of windows.  And then I fear that the power will go off mid run and I will end up killing myself on the treadmill b/c of the sudden stopping.  I know that sounds odd, but it is my fear not yours :)  I did end up running, but I only ran 3 1/2 miles.  Tomorrow I have a 5 miles planned with Kristen after school.  And that means that Friday becomes a long run day.  If I can fit in two long runs in the next week before the half the following week I should be good.  We will see how that ends up though.

Race Schedule

So here are some races that I have coming up.  I have my third half marathon at the end of the month in Alexandria, VA.  Hard to believe that I have ran 3 half's this year.  I am already looking into some for next year.  There is one in West Virginia that is ran in Jan during the middle of the day (so hopefully the sun warms things up for the run).  This race only costs 20 dollars and would help me cross off another state to run in.  I also was looking at running a race in Kentucky..I think it is the derby half marathon...we will see about these two.  Last night I signed up for the Army 10 miler.  It sounds like it is going to be a really nice race.  I hear that it is very inspiring, especially running with amputees.  I also read that there are bands and music every two miles.  Its like a Rock N' Roll race in camouflage. 

I am also going to run a local 5k for Hep C.  I ran my first Hep C run last year and what can I say I am hooked.  I also loved the fact that they had mucho door prizes to give out!  And a band.  I think it is the Sock Monkeys.  You have to love the Sock Monkeys! 



Saturday plans

So this morning I am helping my friend Becky move.  It is a beautiful rainy day to help a friend move.  I am hoping that she has a canoe all tethered out front :)  I am thinking I will count lifting boxes as my lifting for today. 

Then after the move I need to run 8 to 10 miles.  If it didn't take me so damn long to run 10 miles I would probably look forward to it, but as it takes me 2 hours it is not on my list of fun today.  Then at some point I have to clean and then put together some food for my pampered chef tomorrow.  Although I guess it doesn't have to be that much food, b/c I don't think too many people are coming.  I guess that makes it easier for me lol. 

Pink is the new Black

So on Monday I had a few girls that ran the 5k come up to me and tell me how proud their parents were that they ran a 5k...looks like I might be doing it again next year.  Once they cross the finish line and I hear things like my parents were so proud of me, I forget about how the week before the run I vowed never to organize a girls run club again.  I think next year I will do it in the fall instead of the spring. 

I went to run club last night.  What a great night for a run.  It was fun as always although the fact that 2 chatty girls were running on our heels for most of the run was rather annoying.  I don't mind that you are so chatty but really if I can feel your breath on the back of myeck just pass me.  Trust me you will not irritate  me at all by passing me. 

Came home from run club and went to bed.  Woke up at 3 am and felt like I had a case of pink eye.  I went back to sleep and woke up to get ready for work and lo and behold pink eye.  I hear that pink is this seasons black...The crappy thing is that it is not bacterial (no goop) so no prescription will help get rid of it.  I just have to put warm compresses on my eye and saline drops.  The silver lining would be that I get 2 days off of work and maybe I can then run tomorrow morning around the hood.  I also got some cleaning done today and got to sit in the backyard and enjoy some sun.  The bad thing is that I am now the town leper...

Girls Run with Pride 5k recap

So Saturday was the big day for 10 elementary school girls, their first 5k!  It turned out to be a beautiful day for a run.  On Friday I went and picked up 20 packets.  Thankfully the lady who was putting them together was nice and didn't kill me :)  There were 220 people running the race.  Perfect numbers for a first 5K.  I love smaller races.  We got a lovely 2006 Manassas City Police Department Christmas ornament.  It was Christmas in May!  That will go front and center on the tree this year. 

Saturday I woke up and picked up two teachers, Becky and Kristen and then headed off to a local school to meet two more teachers.  Lucy shows up and we are waiting for Lisa.  For some reason Lisa is at Kohl's dept. store instead of Coles Elementary School.  She will head over to the race and meet us there.  One teacher arrived at the race at 7am.  It was her first 5k and she must have been very excited too :)  We make it to Manassas and unload the large bin of race packets.  The girls start to show up and they look a bit nervous.  We start pinning bibs and applying tags to shoes.  Oh I hope they all have a great run.

The teachers (4 have never ran a 5K before)

The nervous Girls Run with Pride crew

We decide to start to do some stretches to loosen them up and take their mind off of the race.

 Now we head off to the start line.  Oh the parents looked so proud taking pictures of the girls.  It was great! 

We did our group cheer...1,2,3 Girl Pride!  And they were ready to rock out their first 5K.  I also yelled out some reminders:  pull off to the side to start walking, have fun, try to maintain a steady pace and make sure you run across the finish line!  And off they went.  I was running with a 9 year old girl with long legs.  She was a jack rabbit.  Sprint for a few feet and then walk..sprint and then walk.  I couldn't get her to do a slower jog.  If I would do a slower jog she gave me the look like I am walking..oh well its her race.  It was a beautiful area to run.  We ran through some quiet neighborhoods that were very shady.  It was great.  We had some nice neighbors that were out handing out water.  At one point my girl just looked at me like am I allowed to take the water bottle?  Sure you can, that is why they are there.  It was the only 5K that I have been in that you had 2 water stops (thanks to some nice neighbors).  Towards the end I was trying to get her to run a bit more by pointing out the guy running with a small boy on his neck.  She didn't want them to beat us??  Well it didn't really work.  As we approached the finish a man with no shirt came running up and tried to get her to run some more by telling her that he was the winner of the race.  I don't think my girl cared that he won the race lol. She did run for a tiny bit and then she let him go.  I thought the idea that he just ran the course twice would inspire her, it didn't.  We climb up our last hill and hear the crowd!  We start running (I might have started her running too soon, but she made it running across the finish)

Yeah we did it!  Kristen and I decided we would head back out and see where the last few girls were at and run back in with them.  Turned out they were not that far behind us so we only ended up running the last bit with them.  But the funny part was that every time I ran with a girl they would call my name crossing the finish line.   Pam just kept running the finish! lol 

Afterwards the man who put together the race pulled me aside.  They had extra medals from previous years and offered me up some medals for the girls.  How nice was that?  So  I got to present each girl with their first medal for their first 5k!  I was so glad I picked this race as their first 5k race.  It was the perfect size, the people were really nice. 

Now to find out if anyone won their age group.  Rumor has it that one of our girls might have won.  But after checking we realize that the girl didn't because it was the 10-14 age group and not the 10-12..two 14 year old kids beat her!  So close.  But wait, my girl that I was running with won the under 10 category...I won!!  I mean she won!  I think that is the closest I will ever get to winning :)  So she stuck around for a medal. 

 Ok time to head home.  Wait they are handing out door prizes.  I love door prizes!!!  This is the best 5K race ever!!!  And since most people left, my odds are pretty good too :) 

 Kelly is the first of our group to win a door prize.  50 dollars to a local running store.  Then more prizes are given out.  It seems like they are never ending.

Kristen is the next to win a prize.  Yeah Kristen!  Turns out I didn't win but that is ok, it was a great day for a run! 
One of the girls asked if I was doing the running club again next year. I don't know.  I said last week never again.  But it did turn out to be a great day for a run.  If I do it again, I think I will do it in the fall.  The springtime was way to busy.  We will see. 

I thought I was faster...

So in my mind I used to be fast..well not fast fast, but pretty fast for me.  Then I visited http://www.athlinks.com/default.aspx  Athlinks gathers up all of your race info that is posted online.  So I registered for free last night and started to gather some of my races.  My first race was in 2008.  I thought I ran a 10 min. mile..turns out is was 10 but the ten was followed by a  26 (not bad for the first race).  I was also doing some crazy workout competition and was working out for hours a day so I was really in shape. Then the competition ended and so did my 10 minute miles.   Then in my mind I stayed at that 10 min something pace..turns out I must have been dreaming..I am really more of a 12 min mile runner.  WHAT?!?  I know it shocked me too!  Well at least I haven't lost a lot of my run time.  I am much slower at longer distances, but it is not as bad as I had previously thought.  I am not that far off of my average.  I am not sure if that is good or bad. lol.   Ok my goal is to get back down in the 10's. 

Running randomness

So this is the last week for my Girls Run with Pride. :)  Saturday will be the first 5K race for 11 girls in grades 3, 4 and 5.  I am so proud of them!  I hope it is a nice day and they have a great run (or run/walk for some).  I think I might have some pizza delivered on Thursday (our last official practice) to celebrate their running. :)  Some have really taken to running.  Which makes me really happy.  I can't wait to see the look on their face when they cross the finish line! :)

Speaking of running, I did none of that this weekend.  I am hoping to squeeze in  7 miles tomorrow..but not sure if that is going to happen.  I have girls' run club and then I have to run over to Michaels' to get some t-shirts to make for the run on Saturday. It may get pushed to Wednesday..but we will see.  Maybe I will try to get up early and squeeze in a run before school...as some of you may realize this will probably not happen, but one can hope right?  I have 4 more weeks until the half marathon.  Yikes!  I hope it is not too hot.