IronGirl 5k

I'm not convinced this was a full 5k but I ran the whole thing. 34:07 not my best time but I haven't run since April, save once this past week. As usual I was in the middle of the pack. I beat the speed walker I was having trouble passing but a woman finished the 10k before I finished the 5k. Cuh-razy.

This race was super fun. All women. All pink. Our free shirts are wicking, pink, fitted for women and have flowers on them. The food at the finish was yogurt with fruit and granola and muffins. We all got participant medals.

5ks are starting to feel short. 10k in my future?

July 09 tally

Well, I wanted to beat the number of miles commuted last month but then we had that awful weather and I didn't ride for over a week. Boo! But good lord it was hot. So.... this month I saved 41.14 lbs. of CO2.

My total bike riding for commuting and pleasure was a measley: 77.14 miles!

June 09 results

I've had so much fun biking this month! I saved 51.06 lbs of CO2 by riding my bike to work and to the gym. That alone was 42.6 miles of biking. Including my recent 60 mile ride on Sunday, I rode 158.6 miles this month. Do I hear 200 in July?!

Here's a picture post ride on Sunday at Ivar's.

Biking instead of driving

I added 12.59 lbs of CO2 that I saved this month. I also logged that into the number of miles I have biked. I only counted the number of miles riden instead of driving. If I had included all the miles I biked that number would be...drum roll please, I'm quite proud....106.14.

Here's to more miles in June!

Ouchie rhymes with...something I'm sure

Hopped on the Burke-Gilman today and road about 24 miles.  Took a side trip to the Union Bay Natural Area to check out my old restoration site from college.  I couldn't find it.   Everything's over grown, but I think that's what was supposed to happen.  Here are a few pics....with just one of my poor knee.

Sarcoma Fun Run

There's nothing like going on vacation and running a 5k! Ran the Beat Sarcoma Fun Run and beat my goal by 8 seconds! AND I ran the whole thing!! hooray!

31:52

St Patrick's Day Dash 09

The most important thing about today was that it was snowing.  The flakes were big.  The air was cold.  The ground was wet.  But the most important thing about today was that it was snowing.

The most important thing about running a race is sharing the experience.  My friend Jason ran with me.  We were wet and cold and huddled under a tree for a while.  We were happy to run the race.  But the most important thing about running a race is sharing the experience.

The most important thing about a race in the cold and wet is finishing.  You can take off your wet shoes and jacket.  You can put on dry clothes. But the most important thing about a race in the cold and wet is finishing.

The most important thing about running a race is eating some good food afterwards.  And that is the most important thing.

I should have mentioned this blog was brought to you by The Important Book By Margaret Wise Brown.  Also, so that i have a record of it my time was 42:05 for the 3.75 mile race.  A pace of 11:14. meh

run run run run runaway

The St. Patrick's Day Dash is in a mere six days.  I still haven't practiced running outside.  Yesterday, I doubled my endurance on the treadmill so I"m feeling like I might be ok.  This weather has really been keeping me from running around the lake, though.  And next Sunday it's supposed to rain.  Hope I can survive!

another race

So I was coerced into doing the Firecracker 5000 last night. Yes, a 5k at midnight. After also being coerced to eat pizza. I didn't do too badly, 34:45. That was with some walking and not having run since the ole St. Patrick's Day Dash.

What really irks me is that I'm not horribly sore today. yeah a little bit but I can walk and squat down without wincing. Which means I could have pushed it so much more.

burst bubble

Turns out my ride from home to class is less than 4 miles. 3.7 to be exact. Sigh. So, my weekly total is 19.8 miles and lbs CO2 saved. I did not ride today because my knee hurt and my back was tight. Considering the issues I have with my back I feel it is a very good excuse. I won't ride tomorrow because we are goign straight from class down town to run the Firecracker 5k. Yes, I'll be running through downtown tomorrow night at 11:55pm. wowza!

It'll hurt in the morning!

I've been doing fairly well at riding my bike to work every day. That's a total of 5 miles each time. Today I stepped it up a notch. After work I rode my bike to class. That's another 10 miles. A total of 15 miles today and 15 lbs of CO2 saved. If I get into this habit I will shatter my record set last year in no time!

I should have been keeping track this whole time but I'd say we could start the counter today at 40 miles, and that's just since summer started.

I LOVE my bike!

I just did a practice ride from my place over to Discovery Park via the Ballard Locks. I can't believe I forgot how much fun it is to ride!! It's about 2.5 miles one way so I figure that will give me a good amount of exercise per day this summer. I put my gym membership on hold for the summer assuming my 5 miles a day and walking around a park with kids all day will keep me in shape.

ohhh it's hurty

I think running the dash triggered a chain reaction that tweaked my SI joint again. My back was tight, but then yesterday, in the middle of a program for work, TWEAK! Can't bend over, can't stand correctly because I can't have that curve between my back and my butt and can't get out of bed without SERIOUS effort. Fun times!

So I'm on muscle relaxers and fake vicodin again. Thing is, it still hurts. I may need to take more vicodin but I'll wait until later because that stuff knocks me out.

I did it!

OMG! I did the St. Patty's Day Dash in Seattle today! It's roughly 3.5 miles and guess what? I ran the whole thing! No walking!!!

My time sucked . . . but I'll take one victory at a time!

Here are some race day photos stolen from Jenny! First is of Jenny and me, second is Nick, Jenny and me. My number is under my sweatshirt. It was too cold to take it off yet!

Update: my official time is 37:16 that's a minute faster than I had thought and eleven minutes faster than they originally posted.

Once you start, never quit

Running, I mean. I really haven't run since Dec. 8th and decided I better get my act together since I'm doing the St. Paddy's Day Dash on Sunday. So I went to Greenlake this afternoon. Remember when I was so proud because I was hitting, four, five miles? Yeah, today I'm lucky if I pieced together two. Killed me! It took me almost 40 minutes to get in three miles of run/walk. At least the weather is better...

It's official now

The results are in, I did better than I thought. 16 seconds better. ; ) 31:44. I can do better and I will do better. Just watch me!

Here's a picture of the mighty racing girls in the car on that blustery morning. (stolen from jenny)

it's not official

Friday night I went to the Century Ballroom to see Wayne Hancock and do some dancing. Turned out to be a fabulous night for me as I was the only girl in my group of dancing friends! I two-stepped, jived and east coast swung until about 12:30. Oh I also spoke a little French. Got home about 1, woke up at 7 and made it down to Jenny's in federal Way by 8:30am Sat. morning.

It was a cold morning but at least the sun was shining! We drove down to Kent, pinned on our numbers and rushed back to the car to preserve a little heat. I could not fathom taking off my winter jacket and going back into that cold to wait at the starting line. Yes, Sat. was the day of my first 5k.

I'm not sure how I feel about races. There were so many people on that one little trail. I couldn't keep up with Jenny. That girl has a need for speed and she found it! So I was alone and assumed that eventually things would even out and someone would automatically become my running partner. Not so much.

We ran along the Green River and the blackberry bushes along the banks had a straight line of mud from where the river was several feet higher just a few days ago. Huge earth worms littered the path. Most had already been stepped on but one was stretched out to almost a foot long. I had to turn around and save it. I couldn't bear the thought of someone's heartless foot coming down on it.

It was shortly after the worm save that I decided to walk. The trail seemed to go on forever and without knowing where the end was I couldn't keep my legs moving. I had no watch so I couldn't tell you how long I walked for but I don't think it was too long at all.

When the end was in sight, I felt my strides get longer and I passed by a few folks. I saw Jenny rounding the corner to get a spot where she could cheer me on. (Thanks Jen!)

My legs are sore today. I don't remember the last time my legs were sore for running. Even when Phil and I went four miles over Thanksgiving they didn't feel like this. It's a good sore though and it means I ran had and I feel less bad about walking. It also shows what great shape that Jenny is in! Holy crap, girl!

It's not official but I think I came in at about 32 minutes.

100th post, 100th monkey has 100 things to say

I had such a fun time last night at book club chez Jenny! I got to meet new girls and chat with two friends I don't see nearly enough! Unfortunately, I bought my book for book club new and so I need to decide what to do with it now. I was joking when I suggested this, but now I think I might do it! You know how you get dollar bills that people try to track across the country? Well this is a way to track your book. You just leave it somewhere and hope someone logs in its location. It's a way to share your books so others don't consume more AND a fun experiment! Now where should I leave mine? In Ballard or on the airplane?

I didn't exercise for an entire week. I will go today, after I digest these three donuts.

I turned on the heat in my bedroom for ten minutes last night. It felt luxurious. It's 59 degrees in my living room and I need to go study, I'm tempted to turn it on out there for a little while to take the chill off. I don't know why I feel so guilty using heat.

I got my zen stone plus. It's bigger than a Shuffle, I learned that last night but I heart it still!

Oh AND Jenny gave me four knitted squares, my sister left one before she left a few weeks ago and my mother's coworker gave me 8 crocheted squares. YAY! Getting closer to being able to put this together!

I have learned that early elementary is not the place for me. I do not deal well with boogers and wet pants. OMG, please don't touch me with those hands! It was awful.

I just ripped the seams out of a favorite pair of underpants that were nearing the trash. I'm going to copy the pattern and try to make a new pair. And I JUST put away my sewing machine. Sigh.

Five out of six

I ran allllll the way around GL (plus my .2 to make it an even 3 miles) without even my water break. Then I did some more.

All in all I ran about five miles out of six (including warm up and cool down). It took freakin' forever. This is the first time my legs have told me to stop before my heart and lungs did. woot!

harder better faster stronger

So I went to Greenlake this afternoon after much procrastination. I clocked with my car the extra .2 miles I would need to make the tour de Greenlake 3 full miles. I did 3 miles in 31 minutes including my stop for a drink of water and perpendicular walk to let the water settle.

But then you know what happened? I kept running. I did 4.2 miles and RAN 4 of those miles! RAN! That doesn't include warm up and cool down either! HOLY CRAP! All in all 4.6 miles in about 50 minutes.

I almost cried when I crossed the 3 mile mark and again when I hit the four mile mark. In fact, when I hit the four mile marker (GL has quarter mile markers I just noticed today) I jumped on it, startling the woman behind me. HAHA!

That's right Jenny, I'm coming for you! ; )