B.O.W. -- Ocala, FL

Sponsored by FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Comission --- Becoming an Outdoor Woman is 3 days of outdoor related workshops - from wilderness survival to knot tying, boating basics to canoeing / kayaking even firearms & archery basics. This was great fun -- I am so glad I went. Several friends were there as well. Actually created a photo album of some of the fun we had http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570756057HeyCMK?vhost=outdoors -- definitely recommend this to any woman who wants the outdoor experience but has been afraid to give it a try.

Race photos & other thoughts

Race Photos…

Received via email a link to a photo of my friend Stan running in the Gate River run last Saturday. This is one huge race, nearly 20,000 people! Unbelievable! The photo is a good picture of Stan – he looks fit and working hard.

I remember how excited I was to be able to send everyone a link for the photos from the Seaside race. The race photos are typically sorted – using the runners’ bib numbers with a “lost & found” area for photos where the bib numbers are not visible. I think it is fabulous to have professional photographers on the scene at these events. These men & women take some really nice shots. I have only one complaint – The pictures are expensive ($). The cheapest product I could find was $14.99 for a single 5X7 photo. If just 10% of the racers have photos ordered @ 15.00 each for the Seaside race there would be $4000 charged. The Jacksonville race is 10X larger than so the math says there is somebody making some money? Hmm… could be neat way to earn a living.

Having personal photos taken by friends and/or family is special. These photos mean someone cares about you enough to be there for you in the wee hours of the morning. [it is much easier to run in the early morning temps than in the sweltering heat of the day here in Florida] There is something invigorating about seeing and/or hearing someone you know (or not know) rooting for you. Such power in simple phrases…”You can do it!” “Way to go!” “Almost there – Keeping going!” To hear the clapping, whistling and cheering is FABULOUS! For me, running is so hard! Trying to dig a little deeper is tough especially towards the end of the race. I can see the finish line, I know I am almost there – but trying to find the “big push” forward is so hard; hearing the cheering just gives me a little boost – just enough momentum to surge forward across the finish line strong and triumphant!!!

Gate River Run

Just received an email from a friend who just completed the Gate River Run 15k! He had 2 goals for the race: 1.) finish the race 2.) Not end up in the ambulance -- Both goals were acheived. Kudos to Stan! He did well with a 1:22:41 time - He managed an 8:37 pace for 9.6 miles. I am impressed. I am fortunate to manage a 12 minute mile pace. Now Stan was a runner earlier in life unlike a newbie like me. He has recently returned to the sport and his health has improved dramatically.

Of Course I want to run faster... However, I am still working on the basics. So far my best 'run' has been 20 minutes interrupted -- my average is 5 minutes running with 1 minute walk for 35 minutes. I really want to be able to run 30 minutes without breaking to walk -- once I reach this goal I know I can build up some speed and distance. Just keep going one foot in front of the other...

Not running alone

This was a new experience, running with someone. A co-worker decided to run with me after work... we are the same age and both very slowwww runners. I usually do my runs early in the morning but the county fitness test is always done in the afternoon - thus I need to run some later in the day. Pat & I paced each other pretty well. We talked along the way, I am not used to conversation while running... time went by rather well. We both developed a decent sweat - we only covered 2 miles but a nice start for the two of us. I did like the run but I not the kind of run I would do every time - I think I prefer the solitutde aspect of running. Getting to know my body and pushing myself forward one step at a time is part of the process that keeps me going -- as I improve my motivation stays stronger. I am a runner even if it is at a turtle's pace.

Running is Hard...

That's what my legs say every day. Feeling so heavy, almost like stone my legs struggle through the beginning of every run. Usually takes at least 10 minutes for my legs to accept the notion of running. It is such a huge mental effort for me -- everytime pushing myself to convince my body to keep going forward. I have heard of people 'zoning' when they run - I wonder when this will happen for me?

When I finish my runs - there is an enormous sense of accomplishment. "I Did It!" I will keep plugging away - One of these days I believe I will find this elusive place, the "zone". I know I am stronger and faster than when I first started this journey towards becoming a 'runner'. I guess what I seek is the feeling of being a runner while running!

Currently it is still a battle to keep moving one foot in front of the other over and over until I reach the finish line or return to my front door. And so it goes...

Livestrong.

Wednesday workout

Today's workout went really well, I think my body is finally forgiving me after Sunday's challenge at Seaside. My next goal is to pass county fitness test and run 1 1/2 miles in 19:30!
The test is in early April so the month of March is all I have left to get it together. Last fall I came just short of the goal and I know I am stronger now but I plan to focus my energies on this one goal!

As soon as I complete the fitness test my next goal will be the Sundancer Adventure Race on May 16th. This race has been cancelled twice in the past - once due to a hurricane and the second cancellation I am not sure the reason... hopefully, this time (being the third) will happen. I have signed up for the sprint biathlon of 3miles on bike (off-road) and 5k running (with last 1/2 mile on the beach) -- I know I can do this I want to do really well (feeling competitive perhaps?) in my age group at least.

Livestrong.

Seaside Half Marathon & 5k

March 1st 2009 -- coldest AND windest ever! We started @ 39 degrees cold! with 24mph wind!
Of course, I only ran the 5k but I do believe the half will be do-able possibly next year? This was a brutal race to me... so cold that I ran 2 miles before warming up, my feet stayed cold the whole time. Guess I need different socks :-)

My official time was 43:43 -- not fabulous but better than I expected given the conditions. I have been training pretty hard, glad to see that the extra workouts did indeed help. This is definitely a T-shirt that I truly EARNED. Interesting note: one of the rewards for completing the 5k or half-marathon was a Vera Bradley tote bag... I was not aware of this until a friend tried to sign up to run with me and the race was full. These bags are very popular. 750 people were signed up for the 5k with over 2,000 registered for the half-marathon. Being a 'newbie' I was not aware of how this race is such a big deal. I am glad I did it, proves to me I CAN DO it if I just stick with it one foot in front of the other over and over again....

(Additional note: I had planned to use my mp3 player to help me through the race, however I failed to check the status of the battery and thus I did the whole race without the tunes in my ears -- so again I have found I CAN do this without the distraction of the earbuds plugged in...)


Livestrong!

More lessons learned...

Yesterday I attempted to pass the employee fitness test. I had to run/walk (run is the operative word here) 1 1/2 miles in 19:30 -- should be easy enough -- yes?
Well, I missed it by 18 lonnng seconds. Geez... What did i learn?

one: I need to run in the afternoons at least once a week. Much hotter and higher humidity than early mornings.
two: hydrate!!! I failed to do this and suffered. I know it is only a mile and a half but I am a beginner and running is hard for me.
three: I need to run the course used in the test a few times ... it has more inclines than my route near the house. (or find a course even more challenging)

The next testing date is in April -- I WILL PASS the next time!!!

Taking stock...

Let's see, I have been very lax with my entries. I had hoped to use this blog to track my progress. It is difficult to see improvement if my entries are months apart. The Sundancer Adventure race has been postponed until 'Spring 2009' - unsure of even what month this event might happen. We will see...

My running is improving, I can feel it. I may not be the fastest on the planet but I am moving along a bit quicker than in the summer. I can maintain for longer stretches -- 20 minutes is very doable for me now. I am still aiming for 30 minutes continuous. With my gym opening closer to 'work, I can now use my lunch hour with the treadmill or the life fitness equipment for strength training. I am still a bit inconsistent with 30 minutes 5 days a week and maybe 2-3 times a week getting in a second 30 minutes during lunch. I am sure that 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at lunch could speed up my improvement towards my fitness goals.

I have read somewhere that if you write down your fitness goals - they become more 'real' and you have a better chance of obtaining your goals. So hear it goes... my immediate fitness goals:
1. To run 30 minutes continuously.
2. Lose 15 pounds (down to 130)
3. Run a 5K in under 40 minutes.

Next, my goals in 6 months:
1. To run a 10k
2. To ride my bike in a metric century (March 2009)
3. Wear a size 8.

My goals in one year:
1. To run a half-marathon
2. To ride my bike in full century

Ok - now that I have written it down, I can concentrate on the steps ahead to achieve these goals. One day at a time, one foot in front of the other.

Livestrong.

Lessons Learned...

Two things I learned this morning... number one: I must remember to drink some water before I head out on my morning run. (or at least bring water bottle with me) and number two: starting my run later means much hotter temps! Today is day off from work so I slept in a bit - thus instead of heading out at 5:30 am my feet found the pavement at 7:30 am -- two hours is a HUGE difference in the heat factor. By the end of my run my legs were getting VERY wobbly -- kinda scary actually. When I got back to the house I sat on back porch and got the liquids back in me... Running later also meant more traffic on the streets. I didn't like that so much either. Well, hopefully I have learned my lesson this time. I really, really need to drink some water before I head out and maybe even bring a water bottle too. Was almost 80 degrees by the time I was halfway through my route. I felt very sluggish early on but I didn't put two & two together to see I was pushing it on an empty tank. My legs are starting to come back so I will add my canine partner tomorrow morning (@ 5:30am) and begin kicking it up a notch. Livestrong!

my favorite bike jersey

This is my favorite jersey that i own... so much fun!

I think it is important to have fun on my bike -- not just be commuting to and fro OR training for a race. The sheer joy of riding cannot be overlooked. When I saw curious george jersey I couldn't pass it up. Livestrong!

Against the wind. . .

Makes for a difficult ride to work this morning. I did not realize how much wind was blowing this morning until a mile or so into my ride. At this point I realized I was working very hard and not much speed was happening. The trip into town took 10 minutes longer than normal and I felt every minute! This string of thunderstorms every day is creating havoc on my commute. When I arrived to work I went online & discovered the winds were 10-12mph WSW -- a headwind the whole way -- hopefully, this translates to a tailwind going home. We can hope :-)
I do not mind riding in the rain, thunderstorms are a different matter. We shall see how the afternoon falls, I just might get lucky and enjoy a repreive from the weather on the journey home.

Livestrong.

Good easy run this morning...

Finally pushing myself back into excercise groove. Getting tired of seeing the roll above my waistband. I am still signed up for Sundancer Adventure Race October 4th so it's now or never if I plan to be in shape for this race. Actually, this morning was pretty nice although a warm 80 at 5:30am! I wore a regular t-shirt and sweated something fierce. The "keep dry" shirts work so much better I will try to remember in the morning. (Tomorrow is bike day) I will start the dog running with me again soon but I need to get my 'legs' back a little before I take on the long legs of a labrador. :-) Hopefully in couple weeks I will be ready for my canine running partner again. Livestrong.

My other 2-wheel ride

My other ride is a 2002 Honda Metroplitan Scooter, it is a 49cc load of fun! With nearly 100 miles to the gallon this is definitely one super way to get around town. Today on the way home from work thunderstorm hit with a vengence -- thank goodness for rain gear. I have discovered that I need rain booties or something I was dry except for my feet and my hands. The coming week there are 3 days I have to drive a car :-( -- and the week following also. But then the rest of the summer is open for 2 wheels almost every day!

Vacation is over...

Darn,it was so nice to wake up whenever -- no alarm clocks being rude and disturbing our slumber. This morning everything returned to the world of timeclocks -- oh well. Commuted by bike today after a long absence... $4.00+ per gallon of gas is enough convincing. I don't HAVE to drive a car to work -- so I choose to go by 2 wheels! Actually this morning was not too bad, This Afternoon was HOT!!! (93 degrees) -- There is a hint of rain "out there" and I felt a nice tailwind shortly before arriving home. I took my time as it has been awhile and actually my travel time wasn't too shabby. I finally replaced my helmet mirror as the old one never stayed in postition (I would look and see the sky, my panniers, anything but the traffic behind me -- scary) I also have a new rear light I plan to install on to my rear rack... being visible is soooo important! My legs are feeling it at the moment but I am know the soreness will be ok as long as I drink enough water and stretch it out some. Livestrong!

Training is going along finally

I have finally started training again. This week I have managed to stay with it even with unusually cooler temps in the morning. My motivation is simple, I have signed up for the Sundancer Adventure race which occurs one week before my 50th birthday. (Also, I tried on some clothes I really liked but my fat rolls made them look horrible!) Now the trick is staying with the running. The bicycle training comes with commutes to work (plus one long ride on the weekend) I also need to add 2 weight training sessions a week to build up additional strenght and endurance. The Sundancer is six months away I have enough time to prepare. Now stay injury-free and illness-free. Livestrong!

Time just flies when you let it...

I admit it, I have just not done anything for two months now. I think I have allowed myself to get bummed out and I just stopped doing anything. No running, no riding, nothing. Geez... time to get off the pity pot and get going.

2008 is rolling along already

the year is starting off slowly, I have not ridden very much so far and I have run just a few times. After looking at this year's race schedule I have made my choices. April 5th is the Sunset 5k I will do again and I will try to improve over last year's time. Since this was my first race I really hope I can get it together and find a way to find my stride. For cyclist in me, I bought a new bike jersey for fun -- curious george on a bike how fun is that?
Livestrong!

one more day

left in the year 2007... the year hasn't been too bad. The last couple months my fitness efforts really dropped off. Motivation still needs a good kick start. Now is the time to get moving and just do it!!!

only two weeks left in 2007

Yes, the end of the year is so near now... I am glad to report I am getting back in the groove again. Friday I rode for a bit with some 'real' cyclists. Actually, I followed behind and realized how slow I ride, really. Almost depressing but definitely motivating. I will keep meeting them on Friday mornings and continue trying to tag along. Tomorrow is a run/walk day -- my canine partner has a hurt paw so I don't think she will be able to join me. I know she will want to try - but I am worried she will hurt herself even more.

My resolution stays the same -- Get Fit, Get Strong, Get Lean but never mean :-)