That Dreaded Hill....

Today was 3.8 miles, up that dreaded hill again. I made it this time (and immediately started walking after it) then kept running.

Congrats!

I am so happy for Angela who was in the top third for female finishers in the 10K, as well as the top third for her age group, running the 10K at an average speedy pace of over 6.5mph! Woo-Hoo!

Any way, life has consumed me.....and I haven't run since last Saturday!! (2 miles though:) And the plan everyday was to run, have always had my running shoes with me but for some unforeseen reason or another I haven't not been able to get 30 minutes! And today is another day that is going to fall into that category.

But the good news is I found someone to run the MCM with us! Jill said she would run the 17.75K and the marathon and she is really excited about it.

But the week was not completely wasted. I read alot of interesting information about the importance of training (despite my lack of it).

My 10K Race Results

http://results.bazumedia.com/event/results/event/event-2198?entryID=2694692

I'm really excited because I finished my 10K in under 1 hour this morning. Although I think I may have started too quickly and paid the price towards the end, I'm still glad that I set a goal to finish in under an hour and I achieved that goal.

The worst part of the race was around mile 5 when I had a really bad cramp in my side (I don't think I drank enough water or I ran too fast for the first few miles) and I had to walk for a second to dull the pain. I then reminded myself that it was okay to slow down, but that I should at least keep jogging. And so, I started jogging slower and that helped ease the cramp and I was eventually able to resume my race pace. The best part of the race was being able to see the finish line and then of course crossing the line and confirming my goal of finishing in under 1 hour.

This is a really proud day for me because this is one of the few times that I set a lofty physical goal and achieved that goal. I feel like I can definitely train for the Marine Corps 17.75K with no problem and of course for the MCM next October.

My 5K Yesterday

Yesterday was my last run before the 10K on Sunday and I had to run a 5-7K or run for 35 minutes. So, I decided that I'd run to my aunt's house because it's just over a 5K away (3.2 miles to be exact). I really wanted to see if I could complete the 5K in under 30 minutes because it would be a good indicator or whether or not I could finish Sunday's race in less than 60 minutes. 

Well, I'm happy to report that I ran that distance in 29 minutes! This accounts for me slowing down for hills, darkness (some parts of the run were really not well lit), and a BMW that was racing down a neighborhood street and caused me to back up onto the sidewalk as I was midway through crossing the street. Boy was that scary! 

Anyway, I'm pretty confident that I can finish Sunday in less than 60 minutes. Although, I may be just under that time, I'll be proud that I've increased my speed through training. Now, I get to rest for 2 days until the race and I'm really looking forward to it because we are supposed to have nice weather. 

3.1 miles today!

The run I made up went like this:

Segment 1 (4x's; 8:00min)
1:30 min run steady pace (slow)
  :30 sprint (stretching it out)

Segment 2 (3x's 7:00 min)
2:00 min run steady pace (slow)
:20 sprint (stretching it out)

Segment 3 (6x's; 13:00min)
2:00 min run steady pace (slow)
:10 sprint (stretching it out)

Segment 4 (3:00min)
3:00 cool down (just to get me back to where I started)

3.1 miles in exactly 31:00 minutes!! That makes a 6mph pace, but remember this includes 3:00 minnutes of "sprinting" (I wouldn't exactly call it sprinting, more like stretching it out), so it was mostly a slower pace but I think I am getting better!!

My Sunday Run

My Sunday run yesterday went well. I ran it with a friend who is doing the Veterans' Day 10K with me next Sunday. I ran for 57 minutes and covered almost 5 miles, which is a bit slow, but at least I did the long Sunday run. I've stuck to the 4-week training schedule thus far and that makes me proud.

So, this week is pretty easy as far as training is concerned. I have a couple of easy runs and on the cross-training days I am going to do yoga, so I can get some good stretching in. I'm excited for the race next weekend.

I also have a 5K Turkey Trot coming up at the end of the month that I'm running with my friend and husband. Then we'll head up to Delaware and consume massive quantities of calories. I'm fine with that though because I love Turkey Day and I will at least have exercised before the big meal.

What's your goal for this Rachel? How many times are you running? How long, etc.? Blog it.

I'm Still Running

Today I ran 2.9 miles in 31 minutes (5.6mph) but I didn't stop at all!

I ran by the old house on Callow Place.

Thursday I did the big hill again. Still didn't make it up, but did better. :) Yay! Now I think I might actually start a legitimate training schedule soon. So, I am still working over here!