My First 5K

I finished in 33 minutes. Not as fast as I was hoping for, but still about my average pace of 10:30. I ran the first mile in 9:16 which is a minute faster than ever before, no doubt due to my competitive edge wanting to keep up with the pack, but I had to make myself slow down after that. Runners are a funny bunch, all jogging around unsociably in their fancy gear. Just my kind of sport. The winner ran the whole thing in 16 minutes. I saw him sprinting to the finish as I was heading into the middle of my second mile and a small, evil piece of me wanted to slap him. The rest of me was very happy for him, ha ha.

Anyway, I felt really good, no cramps or pain or such. I spent much of the way just ahead of the high school girls' soccer team and their coach, who happens to be the assistant pastor of the church where I work, so he was verbally dragging me along the last quarter mile to the end. Our church really needs to start a running team. There's at least six of us.

Of course, as soon as I crossed the finish line I came down with a cold. I kid you not, it was that instantaneous. I got all stuffed up, starting sneezing, and now I am in great cold form. Bother. But still, I want to put on my shoes and get out on the road again.

Two Days To Go

Forced myself to run today even though my meds have really screwed up my energy level. I drank sugary drinks beforehand and water but it was still hard. My pace sucked, which is frustrating, but I am getting longer strides. For the run, though, I'm going to keep it slow, at least at the beginning.

There is a 10K in October that the guys are running and I want to also (providing this 5K doesn't turn me off races forever). The high school girls' soccer team and Felipe are also running with us on Saturday, so we'll have quite the crowd.

Becky and I are taking tomorrow off. I'll probably just walk a mile or so. The race is at 9:00 in the morning on Sat and I never run in the mornings. I hate mornings. I detest them. I loathe them. I must go to bed way early on Friday. Bother.

I should probably jog half a mile before leaving home to warm up, since I doubt I'll get a chance to do that once we're there, although everyone except me forgot to preregister so we'll have to get there early anyway. And here I was worried that everyone else had already sent their registrations in and I was going to be the late one. Ha ha.

Justin loaned me a couple running magazines yesterday so now I get to read up on how I should have been training and where I can find super duper Teflon, titanium sports bras.

Gaining Distance

Ran my 1.4 miles today without a single walking break, first time. Poor Osito, he gets less and less rest as time goes by. I waited half an hour, then ran another 13 minutes without him, although I was more tired tonight than last night. Still, I feel so much better after having a four day break. I guess I need to take those once in awhile. I need to find a second sport to do on my days off. Swimming would be good, I suppose, but it's not free. Sigh.

My lungs feel different now all the time. It's like I need to breathe less or something. Weird. Maybe I've gained lung capacity? I know nothing about this.

On The Spur Of The Moment

Just ran for another 16 minutes after dark. It was great. I didn't take any dogs with me and I didn't try to figure out how far I was going, I just timed myself and ran through back streets. And I never once had to stop and walk! I wish they'd hold this 5K after dark. I seem to get extra energy then, I don't know why.

I guess it really does help to run a mile or so to warm up. I feel like taking a mile to warm up is a waste of energy, but actually it gets you going. Who knew?

Below 10 Minutes A Mile At Last!

Ran 2 miles tonight and finally dropped my pace below 10:00. Yay!!! I took very few walking breaks, despite a bad cramp in my side. The cramp eased up after about half a mile and was just a dull pain the rest of the way, so I was able to ignore it. I don't know if I'll have my pace down to 9:00 by Saturday, but I don't care. I'll be able to run the whole 5K, I think, and that in itself is enough to start with. I love running. I hope to keep running outdoors through November and buy a three month gym membership at the first big snowstorm. Hopefully that way I can keep it up through the winter and be ready for longer races next spring.

I guess there is another race the next day in Auburn that I could run, but I don't think I want to. Besides, taking Sunday off is not easy for me.

I was able to watch some of the Olympics marathon last night. I didn't see the finish, but I saw the first hour or so. Paula Radcliffe finished 15th place, a friend said.

Feeling Better, Finally

After a four day break from running due to gender imposed monthly illness (how about that??), I finally got myself back out there today. I figured I might do better thanks to the days off, and turns out I did. I beat my best pace by 15 seconds and my 1.4 mile time by 28 seconds and didn't even work that hard at it. This time I tried drinking a Pepsi beforehand--not that I think any of these little attempted tricks of mine actually change things, but it amuses me.

I talked to my psychiatrist this week about whether or not my meds could affect my running ability and turns out in a former life she herself was a runner. No, she said, the meds wouldn't have anything to do with it, but she wasn't at all surprised that I'm having so many abdominal cramps. "Oh yes," she informed me, "run ten miles and you might start peeing blood. I puked all over everybody after my first 5K. I can't wait to see pictures of yours!"

Such cheering good news. I do love my psychiatrist. She is one of the best mental health professionals I have run into. She doesn't give me any bullshit. I can tell her exactly how I feel and why and how overwhelmed I am and she just listens and nods and accepts it. She doesn't tell me it's going to get better or that I shouldn't feel that way or that everything is going just great. And she laughs, all the time, at every funny thing I say. She thinks I'm hilarious. No wonder I like her.

So, tomorrow I run 2 miles, then after that I have to hit 3 miles. Tomorrow, I must mail in that race registration. And I'm NOT going to puke!

I Never Thought 25 Seconds Could Make Me So Happy

I did it! I shaved 25 seconds off my 2 mile time this afternoon, running it in 20:59. That cuts my pace down to 10:30. Again, I felt really sick and figured I was making horrible time, so I guess I shouldn't judge success by how good or bad I feel. I had two dogs with me too, instead of my usual one -- I am babysitting a 2-year-old black poodle who is INSANE. He was exhausted after half a mile though, ha ha. Perhaps now he'll sleep and stop peeing all over my house.

Just Keep Swimming...

Feel like total shit today--I was puking at work this morning--but I made myself run anyway and amazingly beat my 1.4 time by 20 seconds. I have no idea how that happened. Now I'm curled up in a ball, still in my sweaty clothes, freezing cold and wishing there was a fast forward button on life.

Do Meds Make A Difference?

It's 63 degrees and raining. Had a hard time getting myself out the door. I thought I'd feel better once I did, but instead I ended up with really bad abdominal cramps after a mile and walked the second mile home, limping and groaning. By the time I got back I was feeling okay again, but I'm disappointed. I didn't even bother timing myself. I wonder if my cup of coffee and lack of water thereafter had anything to do with it.

I feel really crappy anyway, all tense and like I'm being bombarded by noises no one else can hear. If my dogs so much as bark I practically take their heads off. I'm also crying and sinking into despair. I took all my meds this morning, so I'm not sure what's going on. If only I could always blame my moods on PMS!

Tomorrow we'll try the two miles again and see what happens. I need to do some research on how psychotropic medications affect running, energy, etc. Haven't found that addressed anywhere yet. Any other runners out there on meds for depression or bipolar related illnesses who care to share?

The Muff 5K Top Racing Times

CITY OF Derry duo, Diarmuid Grant and Anne Paul were the individual winners last Saturday afternoon as the 2008 Furey Insurances 5k series came to a close at the Muff festival race, which despite a day of intermittent downpours, was run off in surprisingly dry conditions.

The Muff race was the seventh in the very successful series which began on the Bay Road circuit back in April and the close to 70 finishers delivered a great spectacle for the vocal spectators on the testing lap circuit in the border village.

Grant was in command from early on and with a performance reminiscent of his Balliniska win in mid June, the red vested student came home alone 30 seconds clear of clubmate Colin Roberts with an impressive 15m 26secs clocking.

Roberts was on 15m 56 secs taking the runners up spot by three seconds from another Spartan, the Culmore winner Declan Reed on 16m 59 secs.

Indeed, promoting club runners grabbed all the top six places as Declan McCarthy (16m 52secs) outsprinted two of his teenage teammates, Declan Burns (15m 55secs) and Eamon Colhoun (16m 56secs).

Burns took the Male under-20 award with this excellent effort, his first time on the winner’s podium and McCarthy yet again claimed the Male U45 prize.

In the women’s race Anne Paul had 42 seconds to spare on Letterkenny rival Margaret Kelly with Springwell’s Gillian Wasson in third.

The Spartan’s 18m 6secs was a great effort over the course and she confirmed her domination of the series races with another strong performance.

Kelly ran 18m 50 secs and Wasson 19m 23secs, Jacqueline McMonagle and Bernie Ryan clocked 20m 2secs and 20m 42secs respectively to take the F40 and F45 awards.

Roisin Lynch missed the Jog in the Bog but returned to winning ways in Muff, running 24m 46secs to once again claim the F55 age group victory.

Local cafe proprietor, Declan Moore made his series debut a positive one by taking the Male 35 award with 18m 24secs, Springwell’s Colin Loughry in 8th overall was the top Male 40 on 17m 7secs with his clubmate Gerry O’Doherty yet again grabbing the Male 50 honours with 17m 32secs.

And it was the red vested Christy McMonagle dominant once more at Male 60 level with a 20m 1sec clocking.

There's more--click the post title to read the whole story--but that's a fascinating look at some 5K times. I now have goals to set, ha ha. :)

Thoughts On Gatorade?

I've been told I should start drinking it, but frankly I hate the stuff. Also, do you drink it before or after you run? A friend told me it is only sugar and salt, and that you can mix up a solution yourself if you know how. What's the general consensus?

Forced myself to take a rest day and found out I'm a lot less grumpy and stressed in the evenings when I run. Tonight I am wound tight as a spring and would like to lace up my shoes and tear into my frustrations, but I've eaten junk and it's late and my body is not prepared. I'm doing two miles tomorrow, come hell or high water.

Slowpoke :(

Ticked at myself. I shaved only 2 seconds off my 1.4 mile time this evening, even though I sprinted the whole last tenth of a mile home. Last time I practically walked that last tenth, yet my time difference was only two stinking seconds. How does that work? Oh well. My 1.4 mile record is now 15:09. Also, interestingly, my overall best pace was yesterday when I ran the 2 miles. Haven't figured that one out.

I didn't eat well this afternoon, though. I had pizza and Pepsi. So I suppose it's my own fault.

Tomorrow, I rest. Instead of running, I plan on floating down a river in a tube with Kathryn. What haven't I thought of making a river do all the work long before this?

A Day Without Cramps

Ran 2 miles today in 21 minutes with no cramping afterward. I drank a big glass of water in the half hour beforehand and started out slow, taking a 20 second walking break before I was tired. That seemed to help. My diaphragm is no longer cramping up on the right side after half a mile and I find my mind wandering, which only happens when I've reached a certain level of autopilot.

My goal is to be down to 9 minute miles by the race. I'll finish the 5K in around 28 minutes if I can manage that. I'm at 11 minute miles right now, and I have 2 weeks and 4 days left to train. Pretty doable.

Osito, incidentally, is completely flattened. 1.4 miles he takes easy, but 2 miles appears to wear him out. So much the better.

Meanwhile, Back In Beijing...

Okay, so all my whining looks pathetic compared to this:

Paula Radcliffe leaves marathon decision to last minute

The world record-holder has defied medical advice by continuing to train while recovering from a stress fracture of her left femur that was only diagnosed in May, but she will be given all the time she needs before finally committing herself to a punishing 26.2 miles in stifling heat.

"If Paula thinks that she can perform, and the signs are that she is going to perform, then why wouldn't we give her the time and space?" said Dave Collins, the UK Athletics performance director.

"My responsibility is to put the best team out. I'm sure if you asked Sir Alex Ferguson, he would probably be looking right up to kick-off to find out whether he could play a certain player if there was a doubt about his fitness... It's no different here."

Radcliffe will check into the Team GB pre-Games camp in Macaa, 12 days before she is due to race on Aug 17, and will be under close scrutiny from coaches and medical staff alike.

Although her bone has now healed, a big question mark still hangs over how much fitness she has lost in the recovery period. She has always insisted that she would not race unless she felt she could do herself justice.

Never one to do anything by halves, she will be accompanied in Macau by "Team Radcliffe" to support her during her race against time to be fit, with husband Gary, 18-month-old daughter, Isla, her parents to help out with child-care duties and her physical therapist, Gerard Hartmann.

Collins said seeing Radcliffe on the start line would be an inspiration for the rest of the team: "I remember Steve Backley in Atlanta coming off an operation on an injury at very short notice and achieving a medal. The marathon has its own special challenges, but Paula is an athlete of quality and proven experience."

By Simon Hart in Macau

The Eating Disorder Breakthrough

Here's something I'm sure you were all dying to know: Pushing yourself past your running comfort zone can give you belly cramps worse than those from ODing on laxatives. So next time you've got those little pills in your hand, try running wildly around several blocks instead and then you can feel fit and accomplished and virtuous while balled up on your bathroom floor. And it'll even clean out your system. Isn't that the most exciting eating disorder breakthrough ever?

Anyway, I did the 1.4 mile loop in 15:11 minutes tonight (can you tell I stopped at Wal-Mart on my way home from Kathryn's today and bought a stopwatch?) I was hoping to shave more than a minute off my time, but at least I ran the first mile without once stopping to catch my breath. It was only the last .4 that made me feel like I was dying.

Tomorrow, I think, I will shoot for distance. 5K, after all, is 3.1 miles. I have a bit of endurance to work on.