When It's All Said And Done...

This week started out being a miserable and difficult week to say the least. Last Wednesday, I decided to give myself a week off from running because my groin pain popped back up. I thought I was over that issue, but my body didn't think so. Within a month of my half marathon at Thanksgiving, panic began to set in thinking I would not be able to get in the mileage I needed in order to run a better half. On top of that, my worry increased fearing I would be "put down" long enough that I wouldn't be able to work on distance for my first full marathon. The last one takes months to prepare for and I'm in the window now.

Secondly was the fact I can't seem to narrow down a program to go by for running a full marathon. I've asked friends, read mag articles and searched online for programs until I've overloaded with data. They're all good but differ enough that I have now become confused. Well, with not being able to run each day, this gave me way too much time to worry about it causing me to become indecisive. There are races I want to participate in during this time and still being new at running distant races, I think I'm going to have to make a decision and choose something "close enough" that I can tweak to my ability, times, and racing wants. I just don't want to over-extend and do something stupid.

With that said...Ginny, I'm going to do what you said and come up with one to fit me. Of course, I'll probably ask you and others a hundred questions during this time! Bear with me because I'm a novice in this realm. ALL of your suggestions and tips have been printed and I read them all the time. They are a great help...thanks, thanks, thanks!!

Thirdly, I've been dealing with a personal problem and hope it will go away. There's nothing I can do about this one...so I worry (or try not to).

During this week off, I will say that I walked and stretched most every day and decided to do a race that we had signed up for earlier on Saturday night. Yep, our first night race. It was really fun. See this post for details.

When Thursday arrived ending my week off, I was so ready to try to run again. I hoped I could get in 3 miles of slow running beginning and ending with a mile of walking. Taking it real easy. Not being much of a walker (I'm trying so hard to do better), my run went this way: .5 mile walking, 5 miles running, ending with .6 mile walking. When I got home I worked on my core, did some weights, and stretched. I felt great-with no pain! A wonderful feeling again. Maybe my "rest" did me some good physically (though it just about killed me mentally, ha). This was going to be my only run this week until Saturday.

We had already signed up to run in the Ellisville Rotary Fest 5k Race at the Howard Tech Park. Kent and I signed up to help out so we were there around 6:40 for the 8:00 race. It was 38 when we left home. It had been windy in the park earlier this week but was still now. Thanks, Phillip, for letting us help out. There's a lot to do at races and we were thankful that we could help.

Getting the trophy table set up.

Today I ran without my Garmin or watch of any kind. I had charged it up but for some reason it must have been bumped on because it had no charge when I turned it on. So I put it back in the truck. For some reason, I felt a sense of freedom I'd not felt in a long time. By the time the race began, the sun had come up and warmed the temps to about 42...PERFECT running weather! I had changed into a long sleeve shirt and though it didn't get "hot", I wished I had left my short sleeved one on. Needless to say, it got changed when the race was over.

I felt so good running. Being a flat course made it an easy one to run faster. I wasn't feeling the slightest bit of pain and ran the best I could considering I had just come off of a week's rest. I sure did want to run harder. Frank and I ran together most of the time and he kept me informed of our pace. At the end of the race, he went on ahead. When I got where I could see the clock, I got soooo excited....I was going to get a PR!! If only I had known I was running so well, I would have sped up some and ran with Frank to get an even better time...one that would have been UNDER 26:00! My time was 26:10 and I am more than thrilled with this. As it turned out, I received the Masters Trophy!!

Neil and me with our Masters Trophies.

Kent received 2nd Place in his age group.

When all was said and done, I helped with the race, ran well, got a PR, received the Masters Trophy and left with NO pain!! What a wonderful day this has been. This week ended up being a great one!

New For Me

Well, outside of being really hurt from my fall earlier this year, this is my first time to make myself stop running totally. Though I've been running quite slow the last couple of weeks, it seems my soreness will pop back up here and there; therefore not giving it adequate time to heal as fast as it should. So after researching the "net" I've decided to take a week off from ANY running hoping this area will completely heal without putting any stress of a run on it. I've done some walking and riding my bike a little and have done more stretching than I've done in this short period than I've ever done. Although I should do more stretching on a regular basis. I am SOOOOO not flexible at all! Reckon I will ever learn to incorporate this regularly??

The only exception I made to this was a 5k we did this weekend. We had already signed up for it and I really wanted to try something different and this one was held at night. Everyone was given 2 glowsticks: one to go around your neck and the other around your wrist. When bent, these give off a glow so traffic could see you. They're kinda hard to see in these pics since it is still daylight here...



It wasn't long before this gorgeous full moon appeared. Snapped a quick one before the race. The picture does NOT do this beautiful moon justice.


The course was well marked as far as turns go, but not marked (or not seen) as far as mileage goes. They had large bright lights along the way that help provide visibility.

My plan was to run as carefully as I could so as not to destroy the time I'd already been "down" and have to start over. This meant running much slower...as far as the race itself is concerned and as far as visibility of the streets was concerned. This is, also, the first time I had not run with my iPod. There is just something about hearing my breathing and foot strikes that I do NOT like. It is so distracting to me. And since I've begun running consistently 2 years ago, I've not run without my music. I made that decision for a couple of reasons so I could be aware of traffic around me and to keep me from running a faster pace. That way I wouldn't be tempted to over-stretch the area I've been babying. My time was absolutely horrible but I was happy when I crossed the line...no pain and no strain. With no concern to winning or PR-ing this event, it really made for happy, stress-free running.

There was a band performing during this whole time that was fantastic. And, may I say not a one looked like they had graduated high school yet! They were all very young. The music AND vocals were phenomal for their age and experience. They played songs from the 70's to present and were very entertaining. This was a family time and many came to support the event. Some came in and some ran in costume. I really wished I could have gotten a picture of one child. She was dressed like a lamp with a lamp shade over her head and two holes cut out to see through and there was a light on just above the rim of the shade...soooo cute!! Especially seeing her dancing around to the music. Kinda reminded me of what you might see on an old Adams Family episode.

Barbecue sandwiches were served to runners and were delicious...yummmm! We stayed for the awards as we really enjoyed the atmosphere, music and children all around. There were 208 runners; their largest race so far. The shirts were nice tech shirts. This is the first time I wore the shirt of the race during the race. The last "runner" was in a wheelchair and pushed by another lady. Several things were amazing...it was a regular wheelchair, the woman appeared to be in her 80's and she was excited to cross the line. They got her medal and left early so I had no stats on this. Would have loved to known them. Such an inspiration from the woman that pushed her...What love! Surprisingly, we both won awards!! And, I do mean surprisingly. I won the Grandmasters and Kent won First Place in his age group. No pictures were taken at this time. But here are our awards...the first one is mine and the second is his.

Come Back Cool Temps!

This week has been a typical southern week temperature-wise. It was so nice last week only to be followed by some warmer temps. I don't mind that at all as long as the air is cool. By Friday, the temps had dropped in the low 40's again.

Monday brought some changes to my running. As I have the marathon on my mind, I'm trying to adapt to things I've not normally done. One thing is that I wore a fuel belt for the first time carrying my water with me for hydration. In the past, preparing for a half marathon, Kent has ridden his bike alongside me on my longer runs to hand me water. But this time, I wanted to be self-sufficient as much as I could be. Carried my water, GU gel, iPod and cellphone. The GU was not bad and had no idea what to expect. I got to where I could manage "whipping out" my water bottle, placed behind me, like it was a six-shooter. Got pretty good at that. The longer I ran the easier it got and then realized that it was attributed to less weight of water as I drank more and more. The belt takes some getting use to, but can be done.

Planning to do 11-12 miles, I mistakenly pressed the "start" on my Garmin twice and didn't know it. I had stopped for refreshment and thought I had started it again until I looked down and saw where it was not "clocking". Though I got my mileage correct, my husband took information I had gotten by pressing "lap" during that part of the missed run (on the way back) in order to come out with a total on time and calories. It is within a couple of seconds from being exact. He's great at figuring these kind of things. I just hated I messed this up on a long run.

Tuesday was a very busy day but had planned on a "rest" day after the long run on Monday. Wednesday, my legs felt heavy but running with Frank helped me eke out 5 recovery miles. Though I didn't restart my watch, we walked an additional mile c/d, giving me a total of 6 miles for the day.

Thursday, Kent and I ran at the Howard Tech Park for the first time, other than running the Rotary 5k race held there. It was very nice. While eating an apple and drinking our water, we sat on a bench overlooking the little pond. It was so peaceful and nice. I do think we will run there again.

On Friday I planned an easy 3-miler but I felt soooo good, mentally and physically, that I enjoyed a tempo run instead. Now that I'm running longer I don't look at 3 miles as much any more.

Earlier this week, one of my Tuesday running buddies, Catherine, contacted me to see if I would be interested in joining her and some others to run 8 miles on Saturday. I was very excited because I'm always wanting to meet other local runners. This group is preparing to run in the Jazz Half Marathon in New Orleans at the end of the month and needed to put in a distance run. As it turned out, 5 basically ran together while 2 others wanted a longer run therefore they began earlier and came in later.

I had wanted to run a 10:00 minute pace in order to prepare for running slower and longer but it didn't happen that way. I wasn't use to running roads, per se', and it was a little challenging for me. As we all spread out to a comfortable pace, I somehow ended up by myself...in the middle of the group. Using my iPod kept me at a little faster pace than planned. As it turned out, my overall pace was 9:49. I've got to work on this slower pace thingy.

When everyone was in, we enjoyed a nice hot breakfast and good fellowship. Here is a picture of those that ran. Are we not "hot" or what??


Before everyone started leaving, Ms. Caroline brought out a surprise for all of us. She had had t-shirts made with the day's info on it. "CR8" means: CR (County Road) 8, 8:00 we started and 8 miles. Is this not cool or what!!! I love the catchy saying.


And here we are all spiffy with them on. Oh yeah, to be festive, she gave us leis, too. She's so cool!


I finished the week with my best mileage yet, 34.62 miles! About 1.5 of those miles were walking. What a great way to end the week!! I'm so thankful I'm healthy.

5 = 30 !!!

Yep, 5=30. That is, 5 days of running equals (actually) 30.57 miles of running to include .5 mile of walking yesterday. Woo-hoo!! I've only run this much only once or twice and I am excited to reach this number again. Now, I'm hungry for more!!!

This has been a great week. The weather and temperatures have been perfect in the 40's with some warming up on Friday's run. I have felt fantastic running and on top of that I've not experienced pain anywhere for the first time in a long time. This has been a year of tests for me starting with my fall in February at the Mardi Gras Half Marathon. Looking forward to great fall running and a new year.

For more details of the week, see the previous post.

What More Can One Ask...

This week has been an absolutely gorgeous week with perfect weather and temps! I can hardly wait each day to don my running shoes and head out the door. The average temp when I leave the house has been 43 degrees and by the time I'm heated up it's in the low 50s. Breathing fresh, cool air makes for an exhiliarating run.

I've had mixed runs this week. Kent and I have had the pleasure of visiting with his cousin and wife from Colorado while they are in town. We've spent more time with them than we ever have before. I just love them. They are so easy to be around. And with us running every day, they have elected to join us most days. Ronnie ran Sunday morning. We joined him and Judy, as well as a local friend, Frank, for a run on Monday. As it turned out, Frank lived around the corner from Ronnie when they were kids and played together. What a coincidence! Our visiting afterwards was like a reunion.

Monday is usually my distance day because I normally take off running on Sunday so I'm good and rested for it. But this week we changed it up a bit. I ran 5 miles with Frank while Kent and Ronnie ran together. Judy walked and was able to run a tad; but she is working around a broken foot and it was braced. To begin with, she recently had knee surgery on that leg; shortly afterward, she turned her foot while at the house and broke her foot. She's doing exceptionally well considering.

On Tuesday, we headed out for my long run on the Longleaf Trace in Hattiesburg. Plans were to put in 10 miles. It's been quite a while since I've run a double-digit mile and was looking forward to it. With the weather so nice, I felt great and ended up making it an 11 mile run! I was very excited. Unfortunately, I did not plan my water breaks correctly and was quite tired, thirsty and exhausted afterward. This won't happen again. It's an experience-thing! I drank my water and stopped at a store to get a banana and shortly I was on top again and was able to relish in my accomplishment.

I passed Kent toward the end of his planned 6.5 miles and he looked great. Heat and humidity have a terrible negative affect on him because he loses so much fluid and he gets weak. But not Tuesday. When I got in he was so excited and began to tell me to ask him how he did. You know, like a kid would do...guess what I did?...guess what I did?... Throughout the last couple of weeks I've talked so much about the Rock-n-Roll Half in New Orleans last February and getting excited about doing it again that it has rubbed off on him. He's been thinking that he might could run/walk it. His run went so well, too, that he extended his 6.5 to 8.5 miles!! We were both stoked! He is beginning to see that the Half may be something he can accomplish. I know he can as I've done it and, to me, it was easy because it was fun (except for my fall, which won't keep me from doing it again). The Rock-n-Roll's are a lot of fun!

I am ahead of schedule preparing for my half coming up at Thanksgiving that now I'm toying with the idea of using this time to work on doing the Full Marathon at the Rock-n-Roll! It seems to be on my mind a lot. Though I would love to run the entire thing, I will not put that pressure on me and accept walking some if I have to. Sooooo, I'm about to talk myself into doing it.

Wednesday we all met again at the Sportsplex and ran like we did on Monday. And, today Kent went to the pool while I ran quietly on the streets. It just doesn't seem like I've put in so many miles this week. And if it wasn't for our garage sale on Saturday, there would be plans to run somewhere then. I'll put in a few more miles tomorrow and that will end my mileage for the week.

I hope everyone gets a chance to get outside and do something good for your body. Please try to make some time to enjoy this wonderful, God sent season!!

SCRMC 5k

Last week was a great week in many ways. I felt so good. The weather has taken a turn for the good bringing us a very pleasant fall. I enjoyed running in the cooler temps and adding a mile each week has been working out well. In the last few weeks, we both have been strong enough to win awards in the races we have participated in. That's always so nice and such a nice thing to experience.

We both ran in the South Central Regional Medical Center (SCRMC) 5k on Saturday. It was another gorgeous day with temps in the low 50's. The sun was out and the sky was so blue. There was no wind or rain and everything was perfect for racing. I had some apprehension regarding the race. I've not raced in Laurel before and I knew this one was going to be hilly. It will be my first to race on hills. But as it went, it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. Still nursing this groin pain some, I didn't push my limits as I want to continue to add mileage each week and not take a chance in being laid up on the couch for a while.

Happy to be running today.

Frank is so kind to take photos at the PineBelt Pacer events. He is greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time and skill. He received 2nd Place in his age group...congrats! Also, a big "Thank You" to Charles Jackson and Terry Lawhead for running the clock for us!! We know times were accurate because they were in charge!

Around the table checking out the results.

We both received awards and were very happy about that. Kent got 2nd place in his age group and I received the GrandMasters Trophy. I was so grateful as I had prepared as best I could to run the hills.

Tom & Kent (1st & 2nd respectively)

Me with my Grandmasters Trophy...it's so purdy!!

Others that ran with us (not sure if they are all Pacers or not) are: Karen Lott, Dennis & Renee Bisnette, Gary Thornton, Serina Williamson, and Sandra Wargel. Also, running were friends, Gary & Sherri Dykes. He placed in his a/g and Sherri had a PR (I think). My Tuesday running buddy, Catherine, and her cousin, Caroline, as well as Donna and Christina ran. (I hope I didn't leave anyone else out.) Unfortunately, Karen fell when she began the climb up the brick street. She had to walk some as she hurt her knee. It was swollen and one of her fingers was cut. I hope she is better now. All in all, it was a great day...

Bet This Hasn't Happened to You!

This morning we got up early to go run in the cool temps. It was so nice at 65 degrees. The funniest thing happened just before we began running. When I got out of the truck I looked down and saw something dark go underneath my leg as I was gearing up. The first thing I thought was that something fell out of the truck and the wind swooped it up and blew it under the truck. I was hoping I wouldn't need it because it was gone! Within a couple of seconds, I heard Kent yell out and throw open the driver's side of the door. There seemed to be something inside the truck; it was all happening so fast. All I could tell was that he was moving as fast as he could trying to get out. Then I saw something dark leave the truck. He said a bird flew inside the truck and was up against the window of the driver's side where he was sitting. To be honest, I don't know which was the most anxious: him trying to get the truck open or this small bird trying to get out! It was hilarious and we both had a good laugh over it...especially since neither he nor the little bird got hurt trying to get free.

Our runs were very good today. I had hoped to get in 8 miles like last week but I really wanted to increase it a mile. As of last night, I still wasn't sure whether I would feel like it or whether it would be too hot in the sun to run this extra mile. BUT...it rained a lot yesterday and brought in a cool front last night - a glorious, wonderful cool front. It was absolutely a beautiful, clear day with blue skies and warm sun.

When we finished we soaked in a hot jacuzzi...soooo relaxing. After we cleaned up, we went out for po-boys and a cold Barq's Root Beer and ate them on the patio outside. Kent had a sloppy roast beef and gravy po-boy and I had a shrimp. Yummm!!! It's been a perfect day...hope you had one, too.

Waiting for a Cure 5k

The race today was a great one! It started at 8:00 a.m. in pretty high humidity. The course took you through a very lovely, shady neighborhood. Did I say shady? I loved running through this area. There was even a little breeze to go along with the scenery. It was so nice. It wasn't as hot as it had been, but let me tell you, we're still having summer temps here.

Kent decided when we got there that he would change from running to walking. He's been nursing a pull in his hamstring for a couple of weeks or so. Though he ran in the race last week, he decided he needed to slow it down this time. I thought he did great. My plan today was to run as best I could without running hard. I'm still experiencing some pain in my left groin but am happy to say that it is getting better. I've finally found a good pair of shoes that I am loving. The pain I was experiencing in my right foot has gone away. I will be glad when my body starts cooperating again and I can start running like I use to...freely and painfree! Guess I can say that my year this year has been quite different than I had hoped. Maybe I just needed to go through challenges I've not had before.

Congratulations, Leonard, for winning first place and organizing a great race!! Out of the first 6 people that crossed the line, 3 of them were over 50! You can't keep us down...okay I said it, I'm over 50, too. I didn't get many pictures today but here are the few taken.

Jeanne getting her award


A couple of pictures of some really cute little girls and their awards

Kent receiving his 3rd Place RW Award

And, finally, Debra, me and Nancy (3rd, 2nd, and 1st)

Leonard and those helping him did a great job putting the race on. Run-n-Tri was a great sponsor, too (the race was held at their location). There was plenty of drinks and fruit (always a welcomed refreshment). There were even some door prizes. Congratulations to everyone that ran and, of course, to those that won an award.

For complete, race results, go here:

I'm so glad to go through the things I have this year and am so glad that I still love to run. You can never appreciate your health enough...God is so good!!

Bobcat 5k

Saturday (Sept. 18), we ran in the Jones County Jr. College Bobcat 5k Race. It was quite humid and warm. When we left the house, our gauge read 94% humidity. Though it's hot to me, it is difficult for Kent. There was a good turnout; this is their fourth year to have it.

The course was well marked and they had people posted on all corners. Many students participated, which is good and bad. I'm glad to see young adults out running but most don't take it serious and were kind of a hassel to race with. You were constantly dodging them after they sprinted ahead of you only to stop and walk until you passed them again...over and over again. But with all that said, it was a little better than last year. The race was mapped throughout the campus, to the President's home and along the streets ending with a lap in the stadium.

I had to take it easy in this race. Originally, we had signed up to walk it. But when we got there, I knew I had to change. If I wanted to run, then I would be disqualified if I had signed up to walk. But I could walk if I signed up to run. After I did that, Kent got to rethinking his decision and eventually changed his to running, also. I'm so glad I did. I had experienced some left goin pain earlier this week but was able to "baby" it. As it turned out, I felt well enough to run this little hilly race in its entirety. I didn't push it and just ran the best I could.

After Kent got rehydrated, we had good refreshments and enjoyed great fellowship with several friends. There were lots of wonderful fruit with drink which was soooo welcomed after such a hot race. Then there were cookies and crackers, too. We saw some with Smoothie King cups but never found the smoothies. Below is a group picture of Audrey, Ginny, me and Kent all absolutely drenched but brandishing huge smiles. It is so much fun to run with friends.


As it turned out there were many Pacers that won awards. Frank not only took pictures but was the recipient of an award, too; thanks! Congratulations to all the winners!

I was excited I had fully run the race. The results were wonderfully unexpected and paid off, too. I received the Grand Masters Award and all I wanted was to be able to run the whole race. What a surprise!!




For complete race results, you can go here.

Wonderful Cool Morning Surprise

All I can say is how great I feel today. I woke up to a 61 degree temp and a spring in my step. Soon we were headed out to do our morning run. I took off yesterday and was anxious (with the nice temp) to see what I could do. My run started off the same as Saturday with walking a half mile followed by a slow jog for a half mile; I did this for 3-4 miles all the time thinking I had put in about as much as I could. Then I caught up with a lady I'd seen last week and talked with her. She was walking and I was ending my walking. She is very nice and close to my age. Sylvia and I walked a little and then we began running slow. She does not run much (but I'm going to work on that). Before I knew it, we had gotten back to our vehicles and had put in a couple of miles or so. We exchanged phone numbers and I'm looking forward to doing this again. When I looked at my Garmin I was shocked to see that I had clocked in 7 miles even!! I hadn't even realized it. Most of it ended up being a good, slow run. First, I didn't think I would be able to run and second, it's been a while since I'd run that far. In all honesty, I really believe the weather had a lot to do with it; but who cares? It's done!! I'm now happy and sassy!!

Don't let anything stop you from doing something good for your body today...

Running is Never Boring...

I'll have to admit last week was unusual. I thought having certain "things" were down-pat but guess my running is making a change...for the positive! Being off from any exertion for a couple of days, I was about to go crazy. Funny, how you can talk yourself out of running and it's okay but when you're told to stop a few days, you're dying to get out again. Anyway, I thought...okay, I know that can be dangerous; but in this case it was a breakthrough. Why can't I just get out and do some walking. I mean, after all, walking a Walmart Superstore or a Lowe's is about 3 acres (maybe not that many) but by the time you go from one end to the other a time or two, you're bound to have walked a mile or so.

Friday came along and with that thought still bouncing around in my head, I decided to go with Kent and see what I could do. I was able to get in 4 easy miles with no running. I tried to add a little running but knew by the third step that was NOT the thing to do. On Saturday, we had a funeral to attend at 2:00 and waited to do our run/walk after then. This time, I was able to add a little bit of slow jogging throughout the 4 miles I got in then. I felt pretty good but did feel a "pull" and some pressure at that site. My running/walking total miles this week ended up with a tad over 20. I'm real excited about this as I wanted to maintain a weekly mileage of 20+. Maybe I'm learning how to listen and control my body better.

Each day brings a challenge of sort to all runners, whether it is to increase your speed or your mileage, whether it is to overcome heat and humidity or to brazen the cold and wind. Running is NEVER boring!!

Totally Tuesday

So much happened on this day. It started out with my regular run with two others at 5:00 a.m. It was not as cool as it was a day earlier. Although running this early did help keep the heat from being too bad, the humidity was VERY high. After running a mile, Catherine said she was not up to running any more. She had run 10 miles the previous day and I guess it had caught up with her. So we walked the rest of the way ending with 4.21 miles according to my Garmin. She walks fast so it was a good workout.

When I got home, Kent mentioned that he wanted to go run. I began thinking that "Yeah, I want to, too!". So off came the wet clothes replaced by some fresh, clean, dry ones and away we went. Within a short time, we were running. I decided to run on the treadmill because I wasn't sure how far I would feel like going since I had done 4 miles on the streets. BUT...I felt great!!

Right after I got started I realized that this was going to be a good run. So with about three miles in mind (this would give me 7 total), I increased my speed. As I got into my third lap, one of the personnel came up and told me that our lights were on in the car. This aggravated me because I was running so well. Now, how in the world am I going to register this with a break in the run. The treadmills cut off just seconds after stopping it; they don't pause long. So I ran outside real fast, hoping I could beat the time before it turned off but didn't make it. I had to start all over. So my total time is real close but not exact. Because of being in the middle of a lap my figuring ended up being a little weird, too.

Regardless I stayed focused; I felt so good, got back on and ran harder and faster than I did before getting off. Now, I've become quite a techy with my Garmin and recording my runs/times/paces/calories, etc., so when I began trying to figure when a good time to stop at the end of a mile would be, I'd add a lap, then say, no I need another 2 laps, then my figuring got off again, I added another lap...well, you see where this was going. I wanted to run and not spend mental energy on FIGURING!! So, when I thought I was at a decent length, I called it quits. The problem: I only needed a couple more laps to equal 10 miles for the day!!!! If only....BUT I'm so excited to record a total mileage of 9.5 miles. This is way more than I would have ever figured I could do without having "inched" up to that distance.

Though my day had ended as far as working out goes, it was just beginning with having to go have a minor procedure done in Jackson. This is done every 5 months and detains my running for 10-14 days. I know it takes about that long because I tried to run in a race 5 days afterward a while back and thought I would die. So, here I am writing my article and catching up on my blog. Feeling better than I ever have after this procedure, I'm thinking of going out to walk some today. Maybe this won't kill me and give me some endorphins to play around with.

Labor Your Legs 5k

We participated in the Labor Your Legs 5k at Cloverleaf Mall in Hattiesburg on Monday. The temp was great! Nice and cool compared to the sweltering heat we've been experiencing this summer. There was a great turnout and the ones that managed the race did an excellent job! There was plenty of water, drink and refreshments.

Here is a pre-race picture of Sonja, Ginny, me and Kent. This is a good picture but wish it was a little larger.


My goal was to run the best I could according to the way I felt. My running outside has been extremely limited and mostly been confined to treadmill workouts. So when I've run in races lately I've had the "challenge" of adjusting to the heat and humidity. And though my fall in the half marathon this year has been a while back, I was out of pocket so long that I lost my speed and gained some weight. Then summer came with a vengence and kept me inside. Even a few pounds can make a difference in your speed and how you feel. I still need to lose 5 pounds...these are the tough ones because they come and go so quickly and don't stay at the lower end of the scale for long. If you're not careful they will "stick" on the higher end. This has been a constant struggle for me. Believe it or not, I don't feel good inside when I have these 5 hanging on.

Today was an exception because everything seemed perfect for a change. Kyle and Myssey even came by to cheer us on. We've not had "an audience" before and was excited to see them. Well, I haven't. I've always been there for Kent throughout the years, but still this was different because our son and his wife was there. Thanks, guys!

I finished with a good time and now can't wait to get this back in order. Kent was able to run a better time than he had in quite a while. I received First Place in my age group. Many pictures can be found at Pat Mitchell Photography site and at Frank's page. If you have trouble connecting, please let me know and I'll get it fixed.

Here we are during the awards ceremony and lastly, me receiving my award.

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.