Race Photos

Here's the drawing my niece Remington made for us. I'm on the left with Stephanie on the right. Megan Witte (who is also Remi's teacher) is in the middle. Note that she even drew the two of us with yellow hats. :)

My mom and dad took a few pics, along with Shawn. Here are the few I got from mom & dad.

We still don't look quite awake!

Sexy ponchos!

We're kinda blurry, but we're crossing!

Let the tears flow!

Heather's Race

RACE DAY - September 19, 2010

Wooo! Race day!!

Last night I went to bed feeling pretty peaceful and calm for today. The nerves hadn’t quite began. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t sleep worth crap. I was in bed by 10, but it was much closer to midnight before I think I even fell asleep. I was awake a short time later, and that continued on and off all night long. It seemed like I was always awake, so I’m not entirely sure how much sleep I actually got. The more I tried to shut down all my thoughts, the wider awake I became.

My alarm went off bright and early at 5 am, so I’d have a chance to get dressed and eat before Steph and I needed to head to Columbia. I heard my sis up and about, so I knew she was as antsy as I was...or else she would still be in bed. :) We had a quick breakfast, me with toast and yogurt, her with some oatmeal. My nerves started kicking in a bit, so I wasn’t really able to eat much else. We had planned on taking a couple of bananas with us, but completely forgot them at home.

We left the house a little after 6 and made our trek to Mizzou’s campus in Columbia. The skies were turbulent, as it had rained pretty much nonstop throughout the area all night. We hoped it would hold off long enough for the race, or at least be done before it started. It was still dark and gloomy outside, so that did not help my energy level at all.

When we made it to the race site, we mingled throughout all the tents and took some time to head to the ladies’ room before race time. I did NOT want to be running on a full bladder! Soon, our parents, along with Steph’s husband and two girls, met us and they looked over our stuff while we stretched and participated in the group aerobic warm up. If you could call it a warm up. It consisted of about 5 minutes of jumping up and down and stretching the quads. Uh, really? I need a bit more of a warm up than that!

The skies had not looked good all morning, but around 7:20 or so, the lightning and the thunder started...but still no rain. And this was the kind of thunder that pretty much hit right after the lightning, letting us know it wasn’t hitting far away at all. This did not bode well. I had barely wrapped my mind around the race in general, let alone the race in the bloody rain. A few minutes later and the skies opened up for a little downpour. Mom and dad had brought some cheapie ponchos and Steph and I threw those on to try to keep the majority of the rain off of us. We looked mighty fine! The rain continued to sputter on and off, dropping buckets one minute, misting the next.

The race officiates were trying to decide about holding off for 10 minutes or so, or starting on time. I was lost in my thoughts, trying to keep the poncho from sticking to my skin because it was so damn humid out. They decided to continue slightly behind schedule, so we went and took our place among the other runners. It had pretty much stopped raining at this point, but I wasn’t ready to take off my poncho just yet. I didn’t want to ruin my mp3 player, nor did I want to run without music.

Steph and I were nervously bouncing about, waiting for the countdown...I just wanted to start already! The anticipation was killing me. Finally, they started the timed runners (they were giving out prizes for the fastest times). The original plan was to start the timed runners and then 10 minutes later start everyone else who was running, followed by the walkers. Well, as soon as the countdown was over, everyone just started running, so Steph and I both took off with the mob. It was 8:10. I wished her luck and told her I’d see her at the finish line.

I had looked at the race route the night before, so I was pretty familiar with where the mile markers would be. I was determined to finish at least one mile without walking, so I paced myself pretty well and made it up the first hills in stride. Apparently a few of my cousins were on the sidelines, but I completely missed seeing them. Since we were still pretty much in the beginning stages, most of the people were still kind of stuck together. I had to bob and weave to get out from behind the slower runners or the people who had already stopped for a walking break. Between dodging people and trying not to slip on the wet pavement, I guess I ran right by them without seeing them. Bummer. But, at least I know they were there, thanks guys!

About a half mile or so into the race, I realized I would not be able to run with the poncho. I figured I wouldn’t, but wanted to keep it on for as long as possible to stay dry. Well, that idea didn’t last long. I ripped the front open a little to let some air in and it ended up ripping down most of the middle and fell off my right arm. I said eff it, and tried to rip the rest off. That would have been easier had I not tied a knot in it. So, here I am, running, trying not to trip or slip and trying to tear that poncho off without stopping to walk. I finally got it off, while looking like a spaz in the process....I kind of felt like the Hulk ripping his shirt off! I didn’t see a trash can handy and I did not want to run with it, so I just handed it off to some unsuspecting volunteer keeping traffic off the course. Oh well!

As I was nearing the end of the first mile, I was feeling pretty good, a bit winded, but good. I hadn’t quite gotten into a groove yet, but I did finish the mile without stopping. And I was on track with what I usually do for the first mile...right around 11 minutes. At the end of each mile, they had water stations, so I took that chance to down a few gulps of water and walk off some of the exertion. I looked back a couple of times to see if I could see Steph, but there were just too many people.

Also, while I was walking a few times, people were running REALLY close to me, and as I was swinging my arms, I punched one guy in the arm and another girl in the crotch. My bad. But geez, don’t run so bloody close to me! The second mile wasn’t quite as good as the first one. I switched off quite a bit, but I still did more running that walking. I usually tried to only walk on the uphill portions to conserve my energy. It was muggy and cool all at the same time, so sometimes my breath was a bit labored. I rounded the corner to complete mile 2 and I was happy to see the water volunteers once again. But, seriously, don’t fill the cups so darn full! I didn’t want to slow down to drink it, but I think most of it went up my nose or onto the ground, since I was bouncing around so much. I only took two sips before I tossed the rest onto the ground.

The final mile was coming up and I finally hit the sweet spot and fell into a good groove. I was pleasantly surprised that I had no stitch in my side and I was feeling pretty good. Most of the third mile was downhill, which was a relief, but I found that running down the hills was starting to take a toll on my knee. I prayed I could finish without any serious pain and pushed through what was starting. I walked up one small hill, but for the most part ran the entire last mile. I had hit 24 minutes at the end of mile 2, so I knew I had to kick it up a bit to keep under my 35 minute goal.

As I was rounding the last half mile, the emotion of the day started to hit me, but I forced back any tears, trying to save them for when I was done. I didn’t need to be trying to run through tear-soaked AND rain-soaked eyes. The end of the course was to put us into Faurot Field, the football stadium at Mizzou. As I was rounding the lot outside, I was ready to be done already. I wasn’t sure how far into the stadium I’d be running, so I was trying to conserve what little energy I had.

There wasn’t a huge crowd of spectators all day. I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that this was Columbia’s inaugural Susan G. Komen race, or if the weather kept most people at home. But, fortunately, there was a decent number of people in the stadium cheering us on. It spurred me forward and as I saw the finish line in sight, I kicked the speed up to about a 7 and sprinted across the finish line with my arms in the air (I’ve always wanted to do that!)

Holy crap, I’m finished!! Woooooooooooo!!! I looked down at my watch a minute or so later and it said 8:45. So, I finished in under 35, which was my goal. Booyah! They didn’t have a time clock, so I don’t know the exact time, but who cares?! I finished! I finished! I finished! The whole time I ran the rain just sputtered and misted here and there, but pretty much stayed away. Moments after I finished, the downpour started to gain speed. I had no rain gear, throwing away my only defense. Oh well. At least it kept me cool!

I was having trouble gathering my thoughts at this point. My brain was a bit jumbled mess. All I could think about was breathing and getting water. I know I walked around mom and dad and Shawn, but I have no idea what I said or did. I just couldn’t process anything at that point.

I had trouble catching my breath right away and went in search of some water and the bananas they were handing out. I could see people drinking and eating, but couldn’t see where they were. Someone finally told me they were at the other end of the field. Good grief. I started to walk down, but quickly realized it was a lot further away than I anticipated and didn’t think I could make it down and back in time to see Steph cross the finish line. I turned around and headed back in time to see her enter the stadium. As she got closer to the finish, I headed towards her, so we could run across together. I saw her clutching her side, so I wanted to be there to urge her forward. I ran with her the last 50 feet or so, and she made it in under 40, beating her goal as well! Woooooooooooo!

It was an emotional hugfest after that. We were both gasping for air and crying at the same time. Not easy. We were also getting completely drenched. I tried to put my sweatshirt over my head, but that didn’t really help. We quickly stretched and decided that the rain was getting worse and we needed to get to drier land. We headed under the stands, where I FINALLY got a banana, and took a much needed break. At this point the rain was coming down so hard it was difficult to see some of the people on the field. I felt bad for those still running and especially those that were walking. I just thanked God that he let the two of us finish before it started. We still had to make the trek up the hill to our cars and even though I shared an umbrella with my niece, I was still soaked clear to my bones. My shoes were so full of water, they felt like cement blocks. The whole left side of my body was sopping wet and I was tired. T. I. R. E. D. And majorly hungry.

We headed to Bob Evans afterwards, where I ate my weight in omelets, potatoes and french toast. Yum! But, after I ate, I was cold and full of food and just wanted to sleep. My cousin, Angela, was such a sweetheart and let me shower at her house before I headed back to St. Louis. It felt amazing. Although, I’m not sure it was such a good idea. The hot shower just made me sleepier. It was an incredibly long 2-hour drive back to St. Louis!

After it was all over and done with, I was full of so many emotions. Pride at what we accomplished. Exhaustion over the morning and the last 4 months of training. And a little lost as well. It’s over? Really? This has been on my mind for 4 months, what do I do now? Remington, my niece, asked me if I was going to do it again and I told her maybe. Just not anytime soon. :)

Well, we did it. My first 5K is officially over, and despite the craptacular weather, I’m very happy with my finish.

I have to first thank my sister Stephanie for running with me. This has been an amazing journey, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else. You inspire me every day and I’m so proud of you. Thank you.

Thanks to my parents for their support and for standing in the cold rain to watch us. I’m very blessed to have such wonderful parents in my life.

Thanks to my brother-in-law Shawn and my two beautiful nieces for supporting both Steph and I and for being there as well this morning, even though it was pretty gross out. And thank you to Remington who drew us each an awesome picture of us crossing the finish line. It was awesome.

Thanks to my brother for his support and for cheering us on from Illinois. Sorry you couldn’t be there, but maybe you can run with us next year! ;-)

Thank you my cousins Angela, Terron and Stephen for getting out of bed way too early in the morning to cheer us on. Sorry I didn’t see you as I passed, but I know you were there!

Thank you to ALL of my friends, family and coworkers for your support today and over the last four months. It has really meant a lot to me that you’ve all shared this journey with us. I can’ thank you enough for pushing me out of my comfort zone into something new and unexpected.

And thanks to everyone who donated to a very worthy cause.

Will there be another 5K? Who knows. Never say never, right? But, I think I might take a break from the gym this week. :) We’ll see what happens after that.

Stephanie's Race

RACE DAY - September 19, 2010

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! 5 AM. Oh my. 5 AM. I’m not sure I’ve been up this early since……well, I don’t remember the last time I saw 5 AM. But here it is. RACE DAY.

I woke up pretty groggy, because, as I knew, the night’s sleep was pretty restless.

There was no lingering in bed with hopes of sleeping on into the morning. My sister had driven in and stayed the night. I listened to see if she were awake, too, before I began getting ready. I wasn’t sure how to dress, so I opted for warmth in case it was too cool for my pleasure. I put on my running shorts and my new Susan G. Komen shirt; then, layered on a pair of sweat pants and zip-up hoodie. Ahhhh, nice and warm, as the temp showed 67 degrees outside. Plus it was damp from the night’s storms.

We both sat down and ate a “runner’s” breakfast…… I opted for some oatmeal and Tang; she went for the peanut buttered toast, a breakfast bar, and some yogurt. Both our nerves were “working” and I was hoping my stomach stayed “settled”!

We were out of the house within an hour. My husband and girls were following later and our parents were going to be about a half hour behind us. As we’re heading down the highway, lightning popped in the sky to the north and east. Hmmmm? That is not a good sign!

We arrived in Columbia and found our way to the parking lot behind Mizzou Arena. There were already lots of people gathered on the Mizzou campus between Faurot Field and Hearnes Center. The sun was coming up, but it was a dark, cloudy sky as we gathered our stuff and walked down to the gathering area. Lightning still crashed in the sky……..

My nerves were really making my stomach do somersaults! I tried to focus on all the people, what was under all the tents, etc. Anything to calm my nerves! The crowd was amazing and the energy spread! My adrenaline was starting to flow and I was getting excited as the crowd grew and grew. They had a stage set up and two folks did announcements. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying! It reminded me more of Charlie Brown’s teacher!

As the crowd grew, I saw more of the folks I knew who were from my husband’s school: Megan was there with her brother and his friend; the assistant principal, Greg; Title I teacher, Micky; kindergarten teacher, Michelle; guidance counselor, Cindy; and those I didn’t see but were there: Spec. Ed teacher, Rachel; and 4th grade teacher, Roberta, her husband and son. I also knew some ladies from my church that were attending, but never did see. They announced that over 4,000 people had registered!! Amazing! What an awesome feeling to be a part of this!

Time was fast approaching and so was the thunderstorm from the north……
We waited at the “starting” line when it began to sprinkle and lightly rain. My parents brought my sister and I some disposable ponchos, so we put those on to help stay somewhat dry. We didn’t start on time and I’m assuming it was due to the storm. They announced for the crowd participants to make their way to the “starting” line. As we were standing there, nervous as can be, we tried to keep limber by moving around, jumping up and down, etc. Excitement just took over!

10….9….8….7…..6…..5…..4…..3…..2….1…..GO!!! The mass began to run and here we go! Woo hooo! I can’t believe I’m doing this! I waved to my husband on the sidelines and then set my sights on all the people in front of me. My sister was soon out of sight and I got into the groove of the ‘Stephanie Shuffle’. Megan came running by not too soon after we started and whispered, “you rock!” as she went by. :)

The rain had stopped except for a few sweeps of mist every once in awhile. I soon decided I didn’t need the poncho and ripped it off. I was about ½ mile in when I saw a trash can up on a sidewalk, in which I deposited my poncho.

I loved the cheering squads along the route….most of them, anyways! They were very encouraging and very energetic!

Mile 1! Yeah, I ran to Mile 1, now where’s the water. :) As I approached the water station, I noticed the people in front of me weren’t stopping. Huh? Am I the only one that needs water already? Nope. They were out of water! Dude! Seriously! OK, Steph, you can do this!

The run between Mile 1 and Mile 2 had to be the toughest. I tried to run the downhills and walk the uphills. Lots of jog/walk/jog/walk. But I also wanted to make sure I had the endurance for the last mile…..to finish with jogging. I made it to the mile and a half point to the next water station. Thank goodness! Hydration!

Mile 2. Here we go. The last leg of the race. What was nice was the cool breeze that swept through every once in awhile. I like the fact that I wasn’t dripping with sweat and wiping it out of my eyes the whole time. But I was damp from the misty rain that was here and there.

My heart skipped as I saw how close I was to the “finish line”. Tears started to well up but I told myself I had to save those up for the end. Plus, I couldn’t sob now, I’d mess up my breathing pattern. :)

Downhills are soooo nice. That’s what the last leg of the race was. Nice! We wound down Hospital Avenue, under Stadium Blvd. through the Mizzou tunnel, around the east side of Faurot Field, to enter through the south side of the stadium. As I entered the stadium, I was overcome with emotion: 4 months of training, joy, pride…..
“Lord, let me have the endurance to cross that finish line!”

As I rounded the last corner, I got a severe side cramp. This….is….not….going….to….stop….me!

There’s Heather! We finished the race together! We embraced and then the tears came! What a feeling of accomplishment! How awesome to finish the race! To be a part of something so powerful!

Megan was there, too! Another tearful embrace for me. And my hubby: a kiss of praise and an embrace of pride. Kisses from my two beautiful girls and words of pride from my parents. Words can’t express what I was feeling at that moment.

I finished behind Megan and Heather, but according to them, we all finished in great times!! We watched a couple more people we knew cross the finish line and then we headed to take cover under the “canopy” because the rain started to pour!

And did it pour!!!! Due to the weather, there wasn’t a whole lot of standing around. My family decided to go out to eat breakfast, which was good, because I was hungry! We all went to Bob Evans and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. From there we exchanged “Good-byes” and words of “Thanks” before everyone went their way.

I came home and curled up under the warm blankets and took a nap. A perfect ending to a special day!

Thank you to Megan for encouraging me to be a part of this event and being a very special friend over the past few years.

Thank you to Heather, my sis, for doing this with me. We may have been miles away in our training, but we encouraged one another to do something we never thought we’d do.

Thank you to my husband and girls for standing by me and encouraging me to keep at it! I love you!

Thanks to my parents for supporting Heather and I and coming out to watch us, even in the rain!

And thanks to everyone who laughed their way through Heather and I’s blog, supported us from the sidelines, and supported us monetarily.

I LOVE YOU ALL! And I bid you farewell………..

Stephanie's Training - Week 17

THE FINAL WEEK!

Training Day #51 - September 14, 2010

This week has brought about a much needed attitude adjustment! I’m in much better spirits and have the tenacious need to kick this training into gear! I opted for the indoor run today….the skies were overcast and there was a chance for rain.

I spent some time on weights, oh, how I’ve missed them! I actually needed some good muscle warm-up to get things back on track. I worked out on these for about 20 minutes before heading to the treadmill.

I wasn’t hoping for a record finish, I just wanted to put forth more effort. I programmed in the “5K Loop” and started out with a nice warm up walk. I pushed through some pain and lack of oxygen to finish at 44:28 minutes. Little over my usual but I was happy with the fact that I ran about half the time and walked the other.

Training Day #52 - September 16, 2010 (MY final training run!!)

I, again, ran on the treadmill today. I had to take Charlee to another basketball practice and thought I’d spend my hour and a half wisely.

I went straight to the treadmill and set off on a 10 minute warm up walk. I then set into my jogging pace and jogged for 20 minutes. I closed out my time with a 10 minute warm “down” walk. I finished in about my usual time: 41 minutes or so (I wasn’t watching my time too closely).

I can’t believe that 17 weeks of training have come to a “close”. The race is in three days!
Let’s bring….it….ON!!!!!!!!!!!

Heather's Training - Week 17

Training Day #41 - September 13, 2010

I know I’ve said this quite a bit in the last few weeks, but I can’t believe the lack of motivation I have to run. I kept running through my head of all the things I’d rather be doing tonight instead of running. Dishes, laundry, yard work, cleaning out my closets, wrestling an alligator with my bare hands. You know, all the usual chores. And I nearly talked myself out of running thinking I could run later in the week. Then, to my shock, I realized that I am only free today and Thursday to run, so it’s either now or never. Wonderful.

Off to the gym I went, and I thought maybe I would punch up the speed to try to get it over with faster. Wow, I’m really dumb sometimes. I kicked the speed to 6mph which should equal a 10 minute mile. I was able to finish the first mile in 10 minutes (I was haulin’ the mail), but the last 2 miles were back to the alternating walk/jog because I wore my ass out.

I hopped off for quick 15-25 second breaks more than I would have liked, but I did finish in 33 minutes. Seriously, can I pack up one of these treadmills and take it with me to run on? I’ll return it, I swear!

Wow, only one practice run left until the big race. I gotta say, I’m pretty damn excited about that thought!

Side note: There was a girl on the treadmill next to me that almost bit it when she started running. I felt so bad for her, b/c I know that I’ve come close to tripping as well. But, I still had to giggle. I didn’t feel so bad when later she was yelling at the Monday Night Football game going on, and annoying me in the process.

Training Day #42 - September 16, 2010

Last run before the big race. Wow. Am I really only 3 days away?

I wasn’t looking forward to running. I almost talked myself into just “resting” before the big race. You know, I didn’t want to pull or strain anything to keep me from running on Sunday. I nearly bought that crock of BS, but then I told myself I needed one final run. One final time to prove to myself I could do this. And I did.

Once my warm up walk was over, I set the treadmill at a steady 5.4 (no 6 mph this time!) and I took off. My mp3 player started playing Loud by Big & Rich and wow, was that an instant energy boost. I cleared my head, cranked up the volume and let myself run in time with the music. I became absorbed in what I was doing and didn’t even notice the first 3 or so minutes that went by. I repeated the song, since it was doing such a great job at keeping me focused and motivated. So much so that I listened to the song 4 times in a row, to round out my first mile in a little over 11 minutes. Holy shit. Who knew one song could be that much of a boost? It probably helped that I was choreographing a cha cha in my head while I was listening to it. I tend to do that with music that I hear...choreograph dance routines like I’m on Dancing with the Stars or something. Dorky? Yes. But, it’s effective.

I switched to a fast walk and walked less than a quarter mile before I ran again. I finished the final 3/4 without taking any breaks. Another quarter mile walk, and then the final 3/4. I did start to lose my stamina a bit in the last mile, and I had to break for 10-20 seconds here and there. But, the last 2 minutes, I kicked it up to 6.2 mph to make up some ground. I finished at 34:23. Mission accomplished.

I really can’t believe it’s been four months already. I clearly remember that day back in May when I started this crazy journey and how much I would have rather jammed a fork in my eye than run for 30 minutes. I remember how opposed to treadmills I was. Now, they’re more like that one family member everyone has. You’re not a fan of them, but you tolerate them because you have to. And eventually you decide they’re not all that bad. I remember all the nights I went to bed with pain in my shins and my knees. I remember talking to my sister about our victories and failures, and listening to her journey, so similar to mine. I remember the first time I ran for 5 minutes without needing a break and what a small victory that was. And then 10 minutes and then a full 20 (although that last one didn’t happen as often as I would have liked). I remember what it was like when my pants were starting to fit looser and I could salsa dance longer without getting winded. I remember what it felt like to hear my aunt had lost her battle with cancer. I remember why we're running this race. And why we went through this crazy journey.

I’m excited about Sunday, a little apprehensive as well. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m also looking forward to being finished with it! I can’t say if I’ll continue to run 3 times a week, but I don’t think I’ll give up running altogether. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of the way it’s making my booty look. But I think I may take the next week or so off. Just to give my body a rest. :) We’ll see how it goes.

Wish us luck and the next time you hear from me, hopefully I will have killed this race. Watch out cancer, you’re going down! I’m about to open a can of whoopass on your....ass. Wait..... ;-)

And a big big thank you to my sister for giving me the motivation I know I never would have had, had I done this alone. And for taking the journey with me and keeping a record of it, even though I know she didn’t want to in the beginning. I love you and can’t wait to complete this journey with you.

Heather's Training - Week 16

Training Day #39 - September 7, 2010

Betsy joined me at the gym tonight. I needed the motivation to get my butt movin’. We weren’t planning on trying to pace each other, it was just nice to have a running buddy. I got there a few minutes before she did, so I was able to get my warm up walk and stretch done before she got there.

I hit 15 minutes at a good run before I took a break. I was wheezing pretty bad at that point. Damn seasonal allergies. I wasn’t quite at 1.5 miles, but I needed to walk it out for a bit. The remaining time was spent walking and running on and off, with a few pauses in the time to catch my breath.

Just like all my runs, it wasn’t pretty, but I got the job done. I finished in 34 minutes on the nose and I was very glad to be finished.

There’s a good possibility that I wouldn’t have ran the entire 5K if Betsy wasn’t there. I spent most of the last 20 minutes counting down the time one second at a time. But, I figured if she was still running, I could do the same. Turns out my running was what was keeping her going too. Hey, whatever gets it done!

Training Day #40 - September 11, 2010

This week has been so crazy. My assistant is out on emergency medial leave, and September marks the beginning of our busiest season at work. So, I’m doing two full-time jobs right now. Not. Fun. I tried to get to the gym more than once this week, but each time, I was so close to falling asleep that I knew it would be a crappy workout. I was in bed by 9:30 last night, I was so tired. Because of that, I woke up bright and early this morning, and decided to get a quick run in before my charity Bar Bounce started. (Basically, I’m paying money to a charity to get to do a bar crawl all afternoon. Hey, it’s for a good cause. ;-)

I didn’t have a lot of time, but wanted to get something in. I hit the gym at about 8am, still kind of in a sleepy fog and without eating any breakfast. Not the best of ideas, but it’s what I had to work with.

I ran for a mile before stopping and then walked a quarter mile, ran a quarter, walked a quarter and then ran the last quarter. I finished two miles in 22 minutes. Not bad on an empty stomach. That’s an 11-minute mile average. I’ll take it. By the time I stretched and got home, I had enough time to shower and get ready for the bar bounce. I wish I had more time to finish the third mile (who am I kidding, I really don’t!), but I did get something in. I also count the full day of yard work earlier in the week and a night of salsa dancing as two great workouts!

Holy crap, 8 days! :O

Stephanie's Training - Week 16

Training Day #49 - September 7, 2010

I don’t have any exciting words or funny gym stories to share………
Today was a “must” run to catch myself back up. I have been finding every excuse NOT to run. Yesterday was supposed to be my scheduled run, but with it being Labor Day and family things to do, I just didn’t make it to the gym.

I slept in this morning and after rousing myself out of bed, realized I had better get my butt to the rec center. My body was tight and sore from, my best guess…..not running for several days! Imagine that. :)

I started out with some stretching. I MUST get this body limber again before hopping on the treadmill. I opted to set the treadmill for 30 minutes. Reason: I’m finding it hard to have the time to squeeze in an almost hour of workout…….LOTS of things to do!
It wasn’t pretty, but at this stage of the game, I’m at least ON the treadmill! I walked for 10 minutes, ran for 10, walked for 5, ran for 5. I completed 2.04 miles in 30 minutes.

‘Ya know, I agree with my sister: I’m going to finish that race on Sept. 19th. One way or the other! But running IS NOT my new hobby!

Training Day #50 - September 9, 2010

I’m glad that the finish is in site! And those words I’ll repeat on Sunday, September 19th. :)

I worked out today during another of Charlee’s basketball practices. I haven’t been feeling well for about a week plus. Just a nagging “blah” feeling, of which, I’m tying to the stress my husband and school have been going through. I know it has transferred down to the girls and I. I don’t feel like eating much at one setting and even when I do eat it doesn’t taste great. I just feel like I have a “pit” sitting in the top of my stomach that won’t go away. It’s also not annoying enough that I’m concerned. I’m sure life will resume back to some sense of normalcy in the weeks to come.

I programmed the treadmill for 30 minutes again today. I started with a steady walk for about 5 minutes and then increased my speed to a jog. I jogged until the 16 minute mark; walked another couple of minutes and jogged until the 23 minute mark. That’s all I had in me…….I walked the rest of the time to reach my 30 minute mark.

I didn’t end up with time for a third run this week. Oh, well;-)