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Post-Cleveland Half Marathon



Finally got my courage up on Friday 5/25



I've looked at the list and realized I'm not making much progress - out of 40 things, only about 10-11 are fully complete - I need to get MOVING.  But I've managed to get a few things done:

16.2 more miles toward my goal of 50 miles in races - I ran the Jeep Davis 5K on May 6 and completed the Cleveland Half on May 20.  Cleveland was hot as balls . . . ugh, I've never been so happy to be done with a race.  I was thrilled with my finish time and was VERY surprised it wasn't slower.  Next up, I think, will be the Irish Fest 5K right here in the Falls, then the Color Run 5K on 6/16 (can't wait to do this with Lisa and Katrina!).

This weekend, I finished planting impatiens around the back porch, with the help of the boy (we planted the one he gave me for Mothers' Day that weekend).  I REALLY hate yard work but have to say, I'm happy with how the back porch looks with the flowers and mulch.

After seeing how great my friend Lisa's nose piercing looked, I decided that would be #40 on the list.  After much encouragement from Lisa, and finally finding some guts, I stopped at Electric Tattoos on my way home from work Friday night and got it done.  The piercing itself DID hurt - it's a big needle and not a piercing gun, after all! - but the pain dissipated really quickly and now, I can't even feel it (though I have to admit, it sometimes feels like something stuck in my nose).  I don't know what it is about Memorial Day weekend - eight years ago, it was the weekend I decided to bleach my hair platinum for the first time and get a tramp stamp . . .

Why I Run

Five months into the year, and I have racked up 16.2 of the 50 miles in races I have resolved to run.

I am an OK runner.  One of the things I love about running is that if you are a recreational runner and not tremendously competitive, you're usually out to beat your best time - not necessarily to win races or break records.  So by "OK" I mean that I am not super fast, or one to run ultras (26.2+ miles), or on a crazy running streak (there are people who haven't missed a SINGLE DAY of running in 10-15-20 years!).  "OK" means that I run consistently, I enjoy it, and I am pretty healthy.

But why do I love running and why have I stuck with it?  Some of the reasons are obvious and heard often (e.g. it keeps you in shape), some are not.  Here are a few:

• I love to eat and drink.  I really, really do.  Especially booze and chocolate.  And anything bacon.  And burgers from B-Spot.  And did I mention booze?  Running seems to counter this for me. 
• I love running outside in the morning, before most people are even awake.  I love starting with the moon still up and ending when the sky is getting light in the East, running in the street without worrying about cars.
• It is amazing to see so many different runners and walkers in races, from local 5Ks to big marathons.  I am impressed by the nervous, first-time runners in the mid- to back-of-the-pack, much more so than I am by the super-fast "elites," chomping at the bit right at the start line.  It takes a lot more courage to run your first race than your 15th or 100th.
• I love Jelly Belly sport beans.  Candy that is good for you?  Woo hoo! 
• I love the rare runs when I feel like I could do it forever.  Sometimes, running feels really hard, like slogging through mud.  Many times, it feels OK, but I am still glad when I'm done.  But once in awhile, it feels really good - my breathing is even, the aches and pains are minimal, and I feel fast.  Maybe that's the so-called "runners' high?"  Who knows.  It's enough of a good feeling to keep me pursuing it.
• Finally, running increases my confidence.  In all aspects of my life, things often don't turn out like I want.  I screw up.  I get mad.  I disappoint myself and others.  But I've kept running. Every early run, every race bib pinned to my bulletin board, every hill I run up without stopping to walk helps me to know that I can set goals and I can achieve.