Hat's Off to my Friends!

I am happy that I can say that I have been consistent with my running last week. Though it was a tough one physically, I pushed through. Even yesterday was a hard one. But in review, I am more than pleased that I put in as many miles as I did. This is the first time in a while I've put in a decent amount of mileage. And I am proud to report...30.57 miles!!! Woo-hoo!!

The week was filled with a lot of new things and adventures. It is the first time I've run on the streets in Laurel, first time to run on streets with some hills, first time to run so early in the morning, first time to run with 2 new friends, and first time to run this much when fighting the "I don't want to's".

I wasn't feel well nearly all week but couldn't put my finger on it. Then Monday, it came to me that I have been fighting sinus problems all week. Last Tuesday, a cool front came through and each year when these start, I suffer from sinus headaches and sore throats. I'd not taken much medication (I really put off doing this until I absolutely have to, except for race days) and I felt sluggish, draggy and all around slothful and whiny. I truly do not know how in the world I came out with 30 miles.

I am experiencing running differently than before. I know I can run now and even at a decent pace (for my age and experience), but now I'm entering a different level, the mental part. I guess this is the hardest part of running, except for dealing with injuries. I am so thankful that I have great running friends that encourage me and keep tabs on me. And with the posting of their runs, it has pulled me through last week's trials. With that said, my hat's off to you for being special to me! Be kind to one another, you never know who or how you affect others!!

Great Tuesday!

Today began with a great run with new friends. It also marked the first of several adventures for me. Let me start by saying that I have NOT run on the streets in Laurel before. Yeah, that's right. Call me a chicken but I didn't want to take a chance meeting up with an "unfriendly" dog. Being bit a couple of times in the past just brings back frightening memories. So I just don't go down that road any more...no pun intended!

With that being said...I met a nice lady last week at BodyWorks where I have been doing my treadmill runs this summer. She began at a pretty high speed increasing to an even faster pace. I was almost at the end of my run and she only put in two miles having us finish about the same time. Although I was interested in who she was and if she lived locally (I had been wanting to meet someone who ran in my area), my first interest was in her iPod armband. I'm always trying to find a better way to wear my iPod and I really liked hers. After briefly talking, it came out that she has run for a while and that she did live locally. Then she invited me to join her and another friend to run with them early Tuesday mornings. I was elated!! This has been a dream come true. But it wasn't just about meeting up with someone, other things fell right in place, too. I need the companionship of other lady runners of different levels (check), wanted to run the streets in Laurel (check), include a run with a little hill work (check), and running early in the morning (check). WOW!! What an accomplishment today; all in one. Though Lesley is an experienced runner Catherine is new at running. She began running in February. She's doing fantastic and is building her endurance by leaps and bounds. She ran 8 miles last Saturday!! Both of these ladies will never know how much it meant for me to share their run with them today. I can hardly wait until next Tuesday!!

Tonight we had our weekly Trek the Trace with our Pine Belt Pacers group. This time we met up with USM's Track Club and had our pictures taken with them. Our Trek the Trace run this week was a duo/couple 2 mile run. Some of them joined us. Each "couple" predicts the time it takes TWO of you to finish and you must come across the line together. Being a predicted run, it doesn't matter how fast you are. It's how close you come to guessing when you will finish. Kent and I ran together and I really like it. We never do this and tonight brought back memories of how much I enjoyed it last year. I'm not sure what our time was but I didn't care. There was great food and fellowship afterward with pizza and other things. It is so much fun and I wished we could do this more than one month a year. Even once a month would be great. Below are a few pictures taken by Frank...thanks!

USM Track Coach with team and Ben Hughes, Pine Belt Pacer, and other Pacers

Julian, a USM Track Club Member

Mitzie and Terry

Beside me are Raul and Ginny, good friends



Caught in action. Everyone seem to know what was about to happen, but me!

Oak Grove Awards

The awards for the Oak Grove 5k Race on Saturday were really cool. They looked like relay batons that relay teams use in their race. The top winners did not receive one so Kent made me one like his. Isn't he the sweetest hubby?? I love trophies that are unique and I was thrilled to have one. Aren't they creative and the neatest? Kudos to whoever came up with this idea and having them made!! What do you think?

Oak Grove 5k

Today we ran in the Oak Grove 5k Race in Hattiesburg. Though it started at 7:30, it was still VERY hot and humid by the time it was over. Guess that's because it's run out in the open with no shade. It is a double loop, meaning you repeat the course by running it twice, then enter the stadium and making a lap to the Finish Line.

My first mile was really good for me and I was (and am) thrilled to accept this time. It was the second best first mile pace I've had so far with only a few seconds difference. With mostly a 7:15-7:48 recorded pace (Garmin) and only a couple of times in the 8:00's, it ended me up with the 8:14 pace for the mile. My best was the last race I ran 3 weeks ago in Jackson. BUT when I reached the hill taking me into the second mile, it changed my pace for the rest of the race. I think a few thought the course to be pretty flat but with the grade and distance of the grade, I'd rank it a little more than flat...that's subjective, of course. Then add a huge dose of heat and humidity AND to repeat it a second time took some energy out of me.

Thankfully, I've been reading a little more in running books and am finding out that each race is different for every single person...that when things get tough your mode of competing may change. I had thought about this before starting because I remembered the course from last year and how that long grade played havoc with me. So, I refocused my efforts and instead of getting discouraged I ran the best I could run with no one or anything else on my mind.

My friends are faster than I and to put that in focus, I watched them race up the hill on the other side of where I was heading...thinking at first just how far ahead of me they had gotten when in the first mile (and for a while) we were not "that" far apart and this is only a 5k, right? But being thankful that I have running friends, I mentally cheered them on and because of that they won top awards...yeah, right!!

To sum it up as best as I can here are some of the results:
Terry Lawhead...First Male
Vicki Copeland...First Female
Ginny Dufrene...Masters (and second female)
Neil Solomon...Grand Masters
Me...Grand Masters
Kent...2nd in his age group
Philip Wedgworth...Placed in his age group
Mitzi Lawhead...PR (Way to go, congrats)

I hope I didn't leave someone out. If I do, I will make adjustments to this article. Congratulations on all because we are all winners today!!

I'm hoping my times will improve considering I'm still working out consistently on the treadmill. My next goal is to begin some hill work. I've never done this before and I hope to start Tuesday with a new friend.

Trek the Trace #2

We weren't able to make it to the first Trek the Trace the Pinebelt Pacers had but we got to the second one. The humidity and running so late in the day were key factors in a little hesitancy I had in going. Most everyone runs outside some and I hardly do and stay with treadmill running. BUT we wanted to meet up with our group again to visit and do what we love to do...run. Trek the Trace is only done the month of August so it's been a year since we've gotten with the group in a non-competing way.

Tonight the 2 mile run was a predicted run where you guess how long you think it will take you to run the 2 miles. You had to leave behind any method of timing to prevent cheating. The man and woman closest to their "guessed" time won a prize. We went back to last year's record and reviewed what we predicted and made modifications for the run tonight. I lowered mine 10 seconds and Kent made an adjustment to his (don't know the difference in his), signed our release forms and off we went! We both came in faster than our predicted times. I was 32 seconds faster and Kent was 2:25 faster! He was much better than he thought he would be. Congratulations, honey! This gave me an 8:34 pace which pleased me very much! Not having my iPod, it was hard listening to me breath...yeah, that's right, it's a different kind of noise and quite distracting if I may say. Chad D. came closest to his time and Crystal Stricker came in closest to her time.

Below are a few pictures taken from tonight's event.

Chad & Ginny

Nestor compiling the scores followed by the results.

(Sorry my foot is in the way but the page kept blowing the page up.)

Other random pictures:




(Aren't eating pictures always graceful, ha!) It was a lot of fun and everyone had a good time; we enjoyed the fellowship, a big plus for this Club. Water, drinks and chicken fingers were provided and many brought different things to compliment the chicken.
One of the 2 tables of food. Yum!!

And, finally a quick shot of us...
Thanks, Ginny, for getting our picture!

Summer Beach 5k

Leonard is the BEST in coordinating runs on the coast!! I don't know how he does it. The course is always accurate and well marked. There's always plenty of water and drink and refreshments to help you regain your strength. He is NOT lazy by any means and pitches in to do whatever it takes to make the race run smoothly, times are recorded right and people are satisfied. We, also, LOVE the way results are posted on the website quickly. And because of this, we love running in the Gulf Coast Running Club's races. Our hats are off to ya, Leonard...again!!

This race should have been a PR race if any could be due to it being so flat...BUT...boy, is running in the heat tough! All I can say is at least we're doing it. I have come to the conclusion (along with the confirmation from others all over) that running in the summer is left to those who are committed, crazy, persistent and want to be consistent in their running throughout the year. Did I say crazy?? Well, in the "heat" of running in it, that's what comes to my mind (this is my addition...runners won't admit that that's part of it, but hey, the truth is.....). Okay, back to the race. This is the first 5k I've had to get water along the way in a short race!! I rarely get something in a 10k but this was a hot day. So for now, getting a PR is out of the question and that helps me run the best I can instead of passing out trying to obtain one. I should have learned my lesson from running in last week's 5k but we can hardly resist running in the GCRC's races when we can. Last week 4 people demanded medical attention with one of those heading to the hospital due to the heat!! Can I repeat here...are we runners crazy or what??? With all of that said, I was VERY pleased to finish like I did. My time was 27:08 and I received 1st Place! I was more than happy with this and this award was definitely worked for.

First, second and third: me, Jo and Lynn. Jo and I have competed a lot but I do not know Lynn. Good job, ladies!

Here is a self portrait of Kent and I. Not too bad considering we were drenched from head to toe.

Below are pictures of other runners I know. I tried to get one with Bob C. but there was some discussion going on about one of the winners in his a/g and before I realized it their picture was taken and I missed it. Sorry, Bob!!

Congratulations, Janet (middle), on 1st Place!

Great job, Nancy (our great club president), on winning the Grandmasters. You so deserve it!!

You can see all race results here.

Outside Running

This is a short article as I will do a week write-up later on. Yesterday and today were pretty good outside running days for me. I'm so use to running on the TM inside where it is cool but this wasn't too bad. I decided at the last minute after my little biking trip to add a couple of miles running and was glad that I did. It is very different from just going out to run. The transition, of which I wasn't expecting, was a little hard; but I wanted to run a little before finishing for the day. Thankfully, we got this in before the terrible storm hit. It was terrific and blew so hard it rocked the camper. The wind caused rain to come in through a couple of the windows. Lightning was beautiful!! And scary because it was all over us. It passed after a couple of hours and rested well for the night.

This morning I ran a very nice 5 miler on the beach. The only thing is that I should have had a little more rest between running last night and early this morning but I took it slow and enjoyed it nevertheless. I love looking over the bay when I run; it is so relaxing and I never take its beauty for granted. The water was as smooth as glass!! And you couldn't see where it ended and the sky began. Though it is a little eerie when this happens it is very beautiful. A light breeze was blowing and it wasn't as hot as it has been. Humidity is still high but the heat was not near as bad. Getting wet from the humidity in the south is just a given.

My running hasn't added up to the miles I had planned to get in on a weekly basis but I'm pleased with the overall different workouts I've had. See you later this week.

Bruin Burn 5k

Boy, was I hesitant to run in this race! I've run outside twice in two weeks because of the heat and that was always close to 7 a.m. Now I'm entering a "race" to begin at 8:00 AND the temps are suppose to be higher than all the days before. It was forecasted for 102 and 103 Sunday with heat indices reaching 110!! Am I crazy?? All I have to base my ability on are the runs I've been doing on the treadmill in nice cool temperatures watching TV with my iPod going and going and going.

Well, to begin with I had a knot in my stomach and felt like it was the first race I'd ever done. With MUCH mental coaching, I talked myself into focusing on the speed that was comfortable for me and to do the best I could do. Winning was not an issue for me this time. I was more concerned about the temperature and doing a pace that would keep me from overheating. So with much "prepping" behind, I lined up at the starting line. For some reason, I didn't get as close to the start as I usually do. I think it is because Kent didn't run with me this time. He has been preparing himself for racewalking and this was his first time to try it. The 5k Racewalkers were to have a minute's delay after the 5k runners were off. Personally, I think this is great because many times they will mix into the crowd of runners and cause delays until you can get pass them. So it was kinda like having two races going on at the same time but without interference from one another.

We began running downhill which was great because it allowed you to run at a faster pace before you got too hot and have to slow down some. The only thing about this is that that doesn't really apply to me. I try to maintain a pace throughout my race and not sprint forward during a downhill and ultimately suffer for it going back up when I reach bottom. Therefore, my pace was comfortable and I felt great. I couldn't believe how much I had missed racing. First of all, I still am surprised that I'm a runner at times...and this day was one of them. Trying to maintain my pace decently I constantly checked my watch to see how I was doing. The first time or two I was shocked to find that my pace was so fast. I re-evaluated myself and realized that my breathing was comfortable and everything seem to be alright. Still thinking that I would catch up with myself and begin panting I monitored how I felt the first mile. Again, every time I checked, my pace was quite fast for me. Thinking back, I remember when I spent time on the TM that my road runs would be better and since I've increased my running in the last year, I was okay with it so far. It wasn't until toward the end of the run that I realized that we were going to make a loop and return the way we started. This was going to be very hard to finish. As I said earlier, it was downhill for at least a mile. Now I was going to have to face this "challenge" with an extra one to boot...the rising temperature!! And, it was rising fast. Running in the 90's has not really been something I looked forward to, but I thought since it was only a 5k I should be okay even if it was difficult. At least, I would be close to the finish line where an ambulance was waiting for all the idiots in this race to come in demanding their attention, ha!


Here I am crossing the line...tee-hee! Okay...I'm the one WITH the shirt!!

From the onset, I had no intentions of seeking an award for anything except to complete it without issues to deal with. I just wanted to do it. Therefore, I had not taken notice of anyone my age along the route that faced me going back to the finish line. I knew my pace dropped dramatically but I kept my focus on my little pep talk at the beginning. When I got to the top of the hill and made my final turn, I was able to pick up some speed to finish triumphantly (to me) and head straight for as much water as I could possible get down my throat as well as a couple of bananas to keep me from cramping should this become a problem. I looked up at the clock and realized that I was only seconds from my PR and was sooooo elated!!! So I ran faster and faster only to be a few seconds later than my record. If only I had realized that I was doing so well I would have tried to pick it up a little faster in order to have competed with my own record. All in all, I am very pleased with this "hard" but satisfying run.

After getting nourished, I got back to the sidelines to watch for Kent. It was hard to get pictures of him coming in but as it turned out, the Mississippi Track Club had a photographer taking tons of pictures. So we did get a couple of good ones. Kent did well and since it was his first racewalk he learned a lot. When I realized that we were going to have to return on the huge downhill we started off on, it worried me that he would have trouble with his foot. He had strained it a couple of days ago and had been nursing it; now he was going to have to tackle the stress of walking superfast up this last mile. But it all turned out okay. As soon as we could that night we got it iced down and he got off of it. Of course, it would be a while before he could do that because immediately after the award presentation we checked out of our motel and were headed to Germantown, TN, for a wedding later that afternoon.


Kent crossing the line with a lot of focusing going on in his head!

This was the St. Joe High School Bruin Burn Inaugural 5k Race. The Mississippi Track Club did all the race work and did an excellent job. There were so many categories to have to get in order...more than the usual. The School did a fantastic job providing much water and bananas...a race participant's important replenishing needs...and then there were turkey biscuits, ham biscuits, sausage dogs (just grilled), Gatorade, more iced bottled water, donuts, cookies, and much more. There was a great turnout and was way more than they had expected. The t-shirts were real cute; they looked like they had a race number pinned on the shirt with the year 2010 on it.

GOOD NEWS:
As it turned out, I won the Grand Masters Award and was absolutely elated!! I felt I had truly worked for it and this was such a cool surprise. Here is a picture of the nice overall trophies and of me receiving mine.




My time was 26:33 (my PR is 26:15) with a 7:59 pace for the first full mile. I've NEVER run that fast before and I had times of 7:07 in the 2nd mile and 7:43 in the last. If it had not been for that blame hill...oh, well...good training I say.

And here is Kent receiving his 1st Place Award. We were so happy with the turnout.


Phillip Wedgeworth ran in the 5k with us. It was so hot and he looked so exhausted after the race. He told me about 4 people that required medical assistance due to the heat. One lady was running along his side and almost passed out. Luckily for her a policeman was nearby and was able to get her the assistance she needed. One (I believe) had to be taken to the hospital. Anyway, he won 1st Place in his age group with a 21:23. Congratulations, Phillip!


One more tidbit. This is a first! We NEVER dress alike and for some reason we both brought the same color shirts, shorts and caps and all were Nike but the caps!!! This will never happen again, ha! [For all race results, go here.]