BFF 10K - Year Two

The BFF 10K finish line at Barefoot Landing and Resort

Howdy people. We had a great weekend full of exercise here in SC.  Saturday was the second year that I ran the BFF Pink Ribbon 10K. The purpose of the race was to create awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research and treatment. It was so awesome because we had ladies there who have survived breast cancer and then those that were honoring loved ones who had lost their battle with this awful disease. Just like last year, I ran this to celebrate my cousin, Terri (Sista Sista), who is a longstanding breast cancer survivor.

BFF 10K Finisher Medal

Me, Christie and our friend, Wendi

The race began in N. Myrtle Beach near Barefoot Landing and wound it's way through a lovely subdivision behind the resort. My friend Christie and I ran together this year. She told me that she had been sick all week so she might have to walk some and talk very little. I considered myself forewarned. I tend to talk.....a lot. She then told me that she could do a lot of listening, though. HaHa! She's so sweet that way!

It was a beautiful day for a race. The sun was shining. It was a little cool, but by the time we lined up to start, I had to peel off my jacket. And then......we were off. First order of running.....conquer a bridge! What? I don't remember the bridge being that steep last year. But looking back, I did refer to it as Mt. Kilimanjaro. Good thing it wasn't too long and good thing it was near the beginning of the race. Now, by this time the crowd was starting to thin out. Christie and I began plotting our "who are we going to pass" strategy. So, up ahead we saw this lady that I passed last year at around mile 5. I was jubilant back then about passing her.....seeing that she has to be at least six and half feet tall with legs as long as I am tall. 

(You can read about that race here. And yes, if you must know, I did wear the same running outfit as last year. So what?)

Anyway, we honed in on "tall lady"....our first victim. And guess what? It was a surprise attack. We overtook her in mere minutes and she didn't even see us coming.  

HeHe. I really am a good sport...really. Just ask Cliff. Although, cordial and kind to my fellow opponents, he'll tell you how I used to pout for days after losing a tennis match.  

The first 2 miles were tough. It seemed to take both of us that long to get our legs loosened up. Finally, getting totally warmed up and settling in for the next few miles, we started the hunt for our second victim. Miles 3 to 5 were okay. And then, around mile 5, it was clear. I set our goal to pass the lady who had been hovering near us practically the whole race. We would take her out. She was just ahead at this point and I told Christie that she was "the one". Christie was having some concerns and I reassured her that once we passed her we didn't have to stay passed. HaHa!  We both used that energy, I think, to accomplish our goal. Not only did we pass her, but we stayed out in front. Score!

As we came closer to the finish line, I told Christie that I like to sprint to the finish. By this time my legs were itching to kick into sprint mode. With her blessing, of course, I took off. Rounding the corner to the finish line, there is a slight downhill section. I looked down at my Garmin at that point and I was running an 8:53 pace. Felt like I was flying. Well, don't get all excited. That is certainly not my usual pace. You know I'm slow. I wanted to keep that pace soooo bad though, but as soon as I got to the end of the hill, it felt like I had just launched a parachute out the back. None-the-less, I crossed with a smile on my face, feeling sure I had beat last year's time. And I did, by one minute. Christie was not far behind. We had a great time and for sure, it was a great cause.

BFF 10K Finisher

Goals for this race:

Pass at least one person - check

Don't finish last - check

Beat last year's time - check

In Retrospect:

I felt like my workouts at the gym were successful. I felt stronger and faster. And even though the stupid Nerves showed up that morning, I felt more confident. I feel excited about future races. I began running with the goals of losing weight and getting healthy in mind. It certainly has been a learning experience. The right combination of nutrition and exercise is a juggling act, to say the least. I am constantly learning. It's a lifestyle change....and it doesn't happen overnight. Slow and steady is the name of the game.

Laurie

How Are Those Goals Coming Along?

Well, the first quarter of the year has come and gone.

That didn't take long. 

So right about now, I think it's time for a little goal assessment or reassessment, as the case may be. To read more about my 2013 goals click (here).

As you are probably aware, half of my 2013 goals centered around health...as in exercise. I started the year off with an IT Band injury, but have since gotten over that. I am back to running, oh praise be!

So, let's check the list and see how I'm doing otherwise.....comments (in blue) will follow the goals below.

• Begin a swimming regimen  (Swam a few times. I will continue to work on it, but have to say...it is not my favorite activity.)
• Learn to speak Spanish, fluently and maybe French  (Not yet.)
• Continue to lose weight  (Ahem, can we say hard!!! However, I have lost approx 2 lbs. since starting back running. I'm in menopause, y'all. Weight loss won't be easy nor fast, if done healthily.)
• Run a few 10Ks  (I have run one 10K and have another scheduled for the end of May.)
• Run a half marathon  (I will begin training probably in August for my first half-marathon....I want my first half to be at the same venue as my first 5K and that is the Georgetown Bridge to Bridge. This is a beautiful course, but it will have 3 bridges. Yikes! Gotta lot of work ahead.)
• Begin working on my scrapbooks again  (Not yet. What am I waiting on? Heck if I know. With thousands of pictures to go through, it can be daunting. I used to be a Creative Memories consultant. I need to take my own advice and take one batch at a time, work backwards so at least the resent pictures are currently preserved in an album with journaling done.)
• Continue to research my family history  (Ongoing, however, a bit slow at present. I'm still fixated on finding my great-grandfather's death certificate, which continues to elude me.)
• Finish my first quilt completely by hand (I have actually made several quilts with a sewing machine....just haven't finished the one I'm making by hand, yet.)  (I have not even picked it up. I did, however, work on knitting a prayer shawl this winter. It's not quite finished, either.)

So, I guess it's time to reassess, tweak and add to the 2013 goals. My goals do change from time to time and I will be adding to them, from time to time. It keeps me on my toes and from getting bored. Heaven help, should I get bored. All sorts of things start happening. Cliff's response to my calls of, "Hey, I've got a good idea"!,........... "Oh, Geez"!  Ha!

The Tweaked Goal List:

• Continue to Work on Swimming
• Learn Spanish and maybe French
• Continue to lose Weight and get as Healthy as possible
• Continue to work on Running Goals....a couple more 10K's and that glorious Half-Marathon in October and possibly a second one towards the end of the year.
• Work on Scrapbooks
• Work on Family History
• Finish Quilt and Prayer Shawl
• New! Goal: Home Improvement projects.... 1) New upstairs bedroom windows (energy efficient)  2) New covers for foundation vents  3) Replace front porch column  4) Paint garage  5) Revamp front flower bed, raising it and adding stone walls.  5) Replace carpet and kitchen floors at beach.  6) Make new curtains for beach.
• Learn to make (healthy) homemade bread

This should keep me busy for awhile. I  better go. I need to call the carpenter.

How are your goals for 2013 going? Is it time for you to reassess? Go ahead, take the time. Look over them, get yourself on track. You'll feel so much better.

Oh wait, in case you were wondering:

First quarter miles run.....140.05

Grins from my running accomplishments.......multitudes

Later,

Laurie

Race for the Inlet



2013 Race for the Inlet

Race for the Inlet was an 8K race I participated in Saturday, March 30, 2013. It took place in the picturesque fishing village of Murrells Inlet.

Cliff picked up my race packet the day before the race and when I got home, he had all my loot laid out.

Included in the race packet were my Bib number, t-shirt, a lanyard, a couple key chains, a pen, lots of coupons, water bottle, etc. Also included was a koozie with a DUI logo and a finger printing kit. Were they trying to tell us something? Sometimes, you just have to wonder....what were they thinking?



I was excited! I was anxious to know how the interval training had played into my time/pace. I planned and prepared everything the night before.

I pinned the bib number on my shirt, placed the timing chip on my shoe, had a bag ready with a few essentials...hat, Garmin watch, water and a few mini Snickers candy bars. Hot dog, I was ready!

The alarm went off at 6 a.m., Saturday morning. Ugh!! I rolled out of bed and was jack slapped with a good case of "the nerves". What the heck? I should be used to race day by now. I know "the nerves" affects everyone differently. For me.....my intestines go haywire. The intestines say, "Out! Everything, get out"! And that happened not just once, but three times Saturday. "Ain't nobody got time for that"! Ha! (I do apologize, if that's just TMI). Well, then my mind starts playing games with me. I almost back out every single time. I have to fight through "the nerves" and make myself just put one foot in front of the other.

Cliff was not going to be with me on race day. He had a 3.5 hour bike ride scheduled with a couple of friends and a run afterwards. They are in training for Ironmans and Triathlons. So, he left a little earlier and scouted out the parking situation for me. That helped. One less thing for "the nerves" to get their panties all in a wad about.

I arrived to the race and began my warm up. The legs were feeling good. The temperature was very nice. I chatted with a few people I knew at the start line. The time was getting near to start, so we lined up and was on the mark. What happened to "the nerves"? Those wicked pre-race jitters? Well it's crazy how our mind can affect us and then, just like that....they're gone. They disappeared the moment I stepped foot at the start line. Always does.

I had set a few goals for myself and began to mentally run through them. Goals: 1) Finish in 1:06. 2) Run the whole race (except for water breaks...don't want to get strangled and choke to death right there on the 8k race course).....And, 3) Don't finish last.

And then we started. Something was a little different this time. I was not getting left behind. I was keeping up with everyone around me. Wow! That's cool! So I checked the Garmin and I was doing a 10:30 min/mile pace. I couldn't believe it. I ran a little taller. We were nearing the first mile and I had even passed some people. I noticed this one particular lady running beside me. We ran neck and neck until the first water break. We both stopped for water and quickly began running again. Then she started walking just a short span and I would pass her. She would start running again and pass me. This happened 3 or 4 times until finally somewhere around mile 3. That time, I passed her and she never caught me again. That was fun! Cat and mouse games....a girl needs something to help pass the time. 

The course was gorgeous. For about the first mile, the creeks were visible. And then we turned onto streets lined with moss draped oaks.

As you can imagine, the adrenaline was pumping and my time was really great at the start. Over the course of the 5 miles, however, I grew tired and slowed down a little. But as I rounded the last corner and was into the home stretch, I felt the strangest sensation. I felt myself speeding up. I didn't feel like I was consciously doing it, but noticed that my stride had lengthened and my arms were really pumping. It almost felt like an outer body experience. Or, it could have been that bite sized snicker bar I inhaled at mile 3. Ha! But whatever it was..........I. Was. Running!

Finally, the finish line was in sight. And, just before crossing, I saw Cliff taking pictures as I ran across the finish line. Ahhh! That was a great surprise. He and his two riding partners had arranged their bike route to come see me finish.

That's me crossing the finish line. If you look closely, you can see my finish time on the clock in the background...57:29 min.

Wow, a great ending to a great race. I finished nearly 9 minutes faster than my goal time. I didn't win any awards or break any records, but setting goals and exceeding them was enough to give me a natural high. Cliff and his friends proceeded on and I stayed around for the awards. I knew I wasn't getting any, but wanted to support those who did.

8K Done!

Oh wait, in case you were wondering:  

8K = 4.98 miles

Goal: Finish in 1:06

Actual finish time: 57:29 min.

Ran the first mile in 10:51 min.

Finished the last mile in 11:24 min.

Average pace: 11:34 min/mile

Average speed:  5.2 mph

The End.

Laurie

In 2012, I Learned That........

Dawn of a New Year

January 1, 2013

Today is a new day, the beginning of a new year.....and oh what promises lie ahead. Everything is fresh and new. 

Someone asked me, recently, if I had made any New Year's resolutions and I answered, no. Mostly, because I believe that resolutions, if broken, tends to seem like a failure opposed to not meeting a goal you set for yourself. Not meeting a goal doesn't mess with your psyche as much as a failed resolution. Goals, if not met, can be reassessed. You learn from them and you get a do-over.  I set quite a few goals for myself in 2012 and can honestly say that I met most of them. And since this time of year typically causes one to fall into a full blown case of "retrospection", I would like to share a few of the things I learned in 2012.

1.    In addition to taking care of yourself physically, you must take care of yourself mentally and spiritually.

2.   Nothing is ever as it seems. (This can be especially good to know for someone with an overactive imagination....I'm just saying...)

3.    You make time for and even crave the things you are passionate about.

4.    Hiking is more than a walk.....it's an adventure.

5.    Just when you least expect it, your husband of 32 years can still surprise the heck out of you. (Best Valentine's Day eva!)

6.    Kayaking is one of my many passions. Kayaking is more than a boat ride....it's an all-out, alligator fretting, thunder and lightening, monster waving adventure!

7.    Although seeking great adventures can result in being in the middle of the Murrell's Inlet creeks during a thunder and lightening storm, you are so glad you had the experience and wouldn't trade it for the world.

8.    Nuts (use your own imagination) are sensitive by nature. See item #2.

9.    I love running!

10.  Nothing is more powerful than running your first 5K race. The feeling of accomplishment you get from that will blow your mind.

11.  Dramamine works! Depending on how many you take....they may work too good, causing you to fall asleep in places you never intended.

12.  Writing a blog (baring one's soul to the entire World Wide Web) is very soul cleansing.

13.  72-73 degrees Fahrenheit with a light breeze is my perfect weather.

14.  Laughing to the point of snorting over the funny things your grandchildren say is the best medicine ever.

15.  You must listen to the experts. If not, this thing you've been trying to avoid the most will happen. (Slight injury....major bummer.)

16.  There are people out there who genuinely want to be your friend. You HAVE to let your guard down and accept it.

17.  Everyone needs alone time.

18.  Green juice is healthy, healing, energizing and tastes AWESOME!

19.  People are sent into your life, when needed most.

20.  Last, but not in the least.....as a matter of fact, probably the most important.....There is no problem that can't be solved through prayer! My favorite verse of all times....."When a believing person prays, great things happen". James 5:16

I'm going to wrap it up by giving you a few of my goals for 2013. These goals may be added to during the year or reassessed and tweaked, but for now they are:

• Begin a swimming regimen
• Learn to speak Spanish, fluently and maybe French
• Continue to lose weight
• Run a few 10Ks
• Run a half marathon
• Begin working on my scrapbooks again
• Continue to research my family history
• Finish my first quilt completely by hand (I have actually made several quilts with a sewing machine....just haven't finished the one I'm making by hand, yet.)

Did you set any goals for yourself in 2013? Come on, tell me a few. Accountability is everything!

Oh wait, in case you were wondering...........

How I spent this first day of the new year:  Watching Cliff and friends compete in a mini triathlon

Miles run today:  Maybe 1/2 (still nursing my knee, but had to get somewhere fast)

First meal of 2013:  Eggs Benedict

Number of friends sharing in this first meal of 2013:  4 plus the hubs = 5

Talk soon,

Laurie