Candle Lighter's 5K Sept. 25, 2010

Let the games begin!

Okay, first things first. I feel compelled to let you all know that the Candle Lighter's 5K was my second 5K that I've ever participated in...EVER. The first was June 5, 2010 at the "Run the Rails" event in Sagnaw, TX.

All of the proceeds of this event went to support the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Greater Fort Worth, TX.

Once I received my runner's number and attached my chip to my shoe, a volunteer came up to me and asked me if I was a survivor or a supporter. I told the gentleman that I was a supporter. He thanked me and then handed me the blue glowstick that you can see wrapped around my arm. (I don't like necklaces, esp while running, so I secured it to my arm!) It worked out wonderfully while running! (Oh, I even secured the ignition key to my shoes so that I could be hands-free during the event!)

There were significant differences between the two races: morning vs. night; certified courses; people; temperature; training styles leading up to the race; etc.

This time around was exciting because I approached it all together differently. I was estatic that this race was at night because of cooler temperatures. Also, I'm an afternoon/early evening workout kind of gal so I knew that I'd be fully awake and ready to hit the course.

I also "trained" for this race whereas the previous was more so just run it and see what happens. I felt great throughout the entire race! I studied the course and I knew the turns even though I had never ran it before. That turned out to be a great move on my part (knowing the course) because I could feel where I was approaching the 2-2.5 mile mark. I knew I had to keep going for another mile. Funny thing is that the self-talk/motivation started to chime in at that point. I had to get my breathing under control and I had to tell myself to dig deeper! I kept thinking as I passed 2.5 miles that I only had one more mile left. "You can do it! Just keep running, don't give up!" All those things were replaying over and over in my head. I hadn't stopped at any point throughout the race up until then, why would I stop and walk now? So, I pushed forward.

I crossed the finish line strong! There were people of all ages infront of me and behind me. The volunteers took off my timing chip and I drank some water. Immediately, I saw on the timer 30:44:09. Now, I knew some seconds could be taken off because that was the gun time, not the exact time my chip crossed the starting line. So, I walked over to the tables and saw that I placed 9 out of 27 for females ages 25-29. My over all time was 30:33:06. My average mile was 9:45... not so bad. It could have been worse! The thing I was so fired up about was that I didn't walk, I didn't stop, and I actually shaved 6 minutes off my time since June! That's awesome! Again, I am new to running so these are awesome feats for me to have! I'm just so fired up!!!

I have another race on Sat. Oct. 2nd. This race is in the morning so conditions will be totally different than on the 25th. I am excited to see how much time I can shave off overall! I know that I need to incorporate longer runs into my training routine to make these short 3.2 miles seem like a piece of cake! Stand by...more to follow after Saturday's race.

Off to the Races

As I sit back and take out my calendar, I realize that I have six 5K races and one 4mi race scheduled every other week starting tomorrow. Holy Smokes! What was I thinking? I'm not a runner, or at least I don't view myself as one. What prompted me to create an account on active.com and register to participate in local events? Why now? Why so many? Why tell so many people about these little 5K's? I mean, it's only 3.2 miles for heaven's sake. It's not as if it were a half marathon, full marathon, or triathalon! All these thoughts swarm my mind as I experience a little anxiety about participating in my first event tomorrow night!



The more I think about it, the more I realize that I enjoy the personal challenge of doing more on this journey to better health and fitness. To be honest, this week has been a train-wreck for me nutritionally. I've struggled to eat well referencing total calories and nutritional content. I've posted comments about Tootsie Rolls for breakfast, M&M's, Snickers, and basically any type of chocolate on Facebook this week. I even made a pot of coffee for breakfast and I'm not a dedicated coffee drinker! I document all this to let you know that I am human. I may treat my body as a machine, but sometimes I crave the junk just like everyone else. The trick is to not let it consume your thoughts and to stay strong. And, of course, to remember that classic slogan of "everything in moderation" is truly key.



(I think) I chose to begin a series of races to challenge my endurance. I want to push myself to the next level as it seems to me that I'm in a plateau. I figure that if I challenge my body to perform different activities things it will start to change. Or at the very minimum, I will begin to notice changes taking place.



I've been running an average of 3 times a week since the beginning of August. Typically, I run anywhere between 2-4 miles outside vs indoors on a treadmill. The only time I use the treadmill is if it's really late at night or too dark outside and to work on hills. I live in a flat neighborhood so the treadmill is a great substitution for those environments. I've been experimenting with the time of day in which I run, speed, and distance. I've come to realize that I am definitely an afternoon workout kind-of-girl vs early morning! This is one reason why I'm super excited about tomorrow's race...it's at 7:45pm! Yeah!



In closing, I cannot wait for tomorrow to get here! I am going to give it my best shot! And no matter what place I take, I know that I am going to finish with a smile because it's the beginning of a new era. October is right around the corner. The temperatures are falling. The days are getting shorter. Winter is approaching. Before we know it, snow flurries will be flying and Christmas will be here. All I know is that I've found an activity that I enjoy and I am excited to share it with you. :-) Stay tuned. Tie your shoelaces. And get ready to run! I know I am...