Jubilee Run for Cancer 8K Race Recap

May 21, 2016

This was my third year running the Jubilee Run for Cancer. The proceeds from this run benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life organization. This event is held to celebrate life, encourage survivors to continue fighting, and honor those who lost their brave battle with this disease.

I like this run for the 8K distance because it is not offered around here that often. I also like to participate in any run that benefits cancer organizations. Cancer has impacted so many families including my own. I've lost my brother and both of my grandmothers to cancer. My mom and grandfather are both survivors. Two months after this race my dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Fortunately, it was detected in the early stage. He recently completed his chemo and radiation treatments and will undergo surgery in January 2017.

I pray that one day cancer will cease to exist. In the meantime, I will do my part to support charities such as the American Cancer Society that help families affected by this terrible disease.

This run begins and ends at Old Alabama Town. It runs through portions of downtown Montgomery and through historical residential areas. It's a challenging course with no shortage of hills. It has been incredibly hot in the past, but this year it was overcast and breezy.

I saw my friend Valerie at the start of the race. Although she's run several races, this was her first time running the 8K distance which meant it was an automatic PR for her. I was hoping for a course PR. My current 8K PR (43:35) was from this race in 2014.

There were two hills in the first mile of this race. The first up Madison Ave followed by a long gradual incline up Dexter Ave towards the state capitol. I was settling into a comfortable sub 9:00 minute pace and I was hoping I could maintain it.

The climb up Dexter Ave towards the State Capitol

 

I encountered another hill somewhere between Miles 2 and 3. I was determined not to walk it. I knew I needed all sub 9:00 minute miles to beat my current 8K PR.

 

Another hill between Miles 2 and 3

I ran to the top, but my pace was slowing.

 

Mile 1- 8:33

Mile 2- 8:44

Mile 3- 8:57

 

The hills were beginning to take their toll on me. I could feel my pace slowing with every mile. I stopped to walk at the second water stop and I had a tough time getting back into the rhythm after that. I clocked Mile 4 above a 9 minute pace. I thought a course PR was out of the question at that point.

 

  Mile 4- 9:16

 

The final stretch of the race ran past Oakwood Cemetery and up Columbus Street (the biggest hill of the entire race). I was feeling defeated at this point. My hopes of a new course PR were diminished after seeing the last mile I clocked over nine minutes. I walked the majority of this hill.

 

 

The final hill of the race

 



Near the top I looked at my Garmin and realized I was closer to a course PR than I thought. I was only paying attention to my mile splits and not my overall time. If I pushed I could beat my time if only by a few seconds. I took advantage of the downhill stretch to the finish and picked up my pace.

 

Mile 0.98-8:09

 



I crossed the finish line in 43:43. I came so close, only eight seconds from my current PR. I was kicking myself for walking so much in the final miles.

 

I enjoyed catching up with Valerie (icecreamrunner) after the race while we waited on the results to be tabulated. They posted our results before the awards ceremony. We were both excited to place in our age groups.  I placed 1st in my age group and Valerie placed 2nd in hers.

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite local races and I will run it every year that I am able. My PR from 2014 still stands. Hopefully, 2017 will be my year to PR this distance.

CCAD Run for Autism 5K Race Recap

April 23, 2016

This was my third year running the CCAD Run for Autism. This run benefits the Center for Child and Adolescent Development, a private nonprofit corporation that provides diagnostic and intervention services to children from birth to 18 years of age who reside in central and southern Alabama who are present with, or are at risk for, developmental delays, autistic spectrum disorders, behavioral, emotional, mental, or learning disorders or other disabilities.

This run was held in June, but it was moved to April in 2015 to coincide with Autism Awareness month. I wasn't able to run it in 2015 because it conflicted with the Gulf Coast Half Marathon. I was happy to have the opportunity to run it again. Several of my students have benefitted from this organization through autism evaluations and related services such as speech therapy. I dedicated this run to my students.

I met another local runner Billie while picking up my packet. She followed my posts on my Facebook page. It was nice to finally put a face with a name. I also met a sweet lady whose son was diagnosed with autism. She was wearing the same Sweaty Band for autism awareness. I spoke to Holly (HoHo Runs) before the race, but I was conversing with the lady that I just met about her son and my students. We would have time to chat after the race.

My last 5K was in January, so I didn't know what to expect for this race. My previous time on this course was 27:17 in Summer 2014. I wanted to beat that time for a course PR. I also felt pretty confident that I could place in my age group. They awarded three deep and it didn't look like there were many runners around my age. I really wanted another bobble head trophy. They are my favorite!

I started out entirely too fast. For the majority of the first mile I was positioned first overall female. I started to imagine how awesome it would be if I could hold on to that position. I've never finished first overall female before, maybe today was the day. That vision was short lived when I was passed by another female runner just before the first mile marker. I tried to pump my legs faster to hold pace with her, but after a few short turns she was out of sight.

Mile 1- 7:58

First overall female was out of the question, but I was going to try my best to hold onto second. I looked back on one of the turns and noticed there was another female gaining on me. She was closing the gap and just past the mile 2 marker we were neck and neck. There was a water stop here. I was praying she would stop, but she didn't. The final mile was going to be a race to the finish.

Mile 2-8:38

I remembered there was an incline around 2.5 miles with a long downhill stretch to the finish. We were still neck and neck. I knew I had to push up that hill. I couldn't afford to walk. As I approached the hill I noticed the other female runner hang her head and start to walk. This was my opportunity to close the gap. I pumped my arms and took  the hill in stride. "It's all downhill from here," I said to myself. I picked up speed on the long downhill stretch to the finish. I widened the gap enough that I wasn't worried about being passed in the final seconds of the race. "Second overall female," I heard to race director announce as I crossed the finish. The third overall female was 35 seconds behind. I congratulated her on a great race when she crossed the finish.

Mile 3- 8:44



My chip time was 26:32, a course PR. I enjoyed talking to Holly while we waited on the results to be tabulated. They awarded the top three overall females and then three deep in the age groups. Turns out all three of us were in the 21-30 age group. I was so excited to take home another bobble head trophy.

Holly placed 2nd in her age group.

I will participate in this run every year that I am able. It's always well organized and it's for a wonderful cause. 









Pancake Run for Missions 5K Race Recap

May 14, 2016

This was the 25th Annual Pancake Run for Missions 5K. The course ran through Old Cloverdale, one of Montgomery's most scenic neighborhoods. Proceeds from the race went towards missions for the First United Methodist Church of Montgomery.

I've always wanted to do this run, but it has conflicted with the Mother's Day Run in year's past. This year it was held the weekend after, so I was excited to finally have the opportunity to run it.

It was only May, but we were already experiencing summer like temps. Fortunately, it was cooler this race morning. I understand it's been much hotter in previous years for this race.

I started out way too fast as usual. I have trouble holding back for shorter races like the 5K. I was running a sub 7:30 pace, which I knew I couldn't maintain. I had to remind myself to dial back and settle into a more manageable pace.

Mile 1-8:06

I stopped for water at the halfway point. I don't always need water for a 5K, but my mouth was feeling dry. I was passed by several runners at the water stop. I wasn't able to pick up the pace after stopping for water. I clocked Mile 2 much slower than the first one.

Mile 2-8:44

 

I noticed some female runners gaining on me when I made the final turn into the park. I worried that they might be in my age group. I picked up the pace on the loop around towards the finish line. I managed to finish ahead of them. I hate being passed in the final seconds of a race.

 

Mile 3- 8:29

 

 

I finished in 26:05. After crossing the finish line, Michael and I went inside to enjoy the pancake breakfast. They had a nice spread for the runners with plenty of pancakes, sausage, and orange juice. Additional pancake breakfasts were available to family members for a $5 donation.

 

It took a while for the results to be tabulated. The suspense was killing me. I didn't know if I had done well enough to place in my age group. I really wanted a trophy. I enjoyed conversation with my friend Valerie (icecreamrunner) and other runners at our table. I could tell Valerie was thinking the same thing about the results. She kept asking if they were posted anywhere.



 

Finally the wait was over, the results were in. I was so excited to hear my name announced. I placed 2nd in my age group.



 

 

My friend Valerie placed 1st in her age group.

 

I really enjoyed this race. I would definitely run it again as long as it doesn't conflict with the Mother's Day run that my mom and I do every year.  It was well organized. The course was nice. I enjoyed looking at all the historic homes. The pancake breakfast was pretty tasty and it was great to sit and visit with other runners while the results were being tabulated. I love the trophies! It's not that often that races hand out trophies for age group awards. I was pleased that I did well enough to earn one.

Centerpoint Half Marathon Race Recap

April 2, 2016

Race Week

I had a tough week leading up to the Centerpoint Half. I debated skipping the race entirely, but I didn't for two reasons. Number one I paid $80 bucks in registration fees. That's pretty steep for a small town race, but it's the price you pay when you miss the early bird specials. Reason number two is pretty silly really, but I'm a numbers gal. If dates have any significance I feel like it's going to be a good race. This race would be my 13th half marathon, two years and two months after my first half marathon on February 2nd, 2014. Get it? Two years, two months later (February 2nd, 2/2). I know it's ridiculous.

I debated running this half the past two years, but it never worked out with my schedule. I heard great things about the overall race organization and course. I knew several people who ran PR's on this course. I doubted that I would beat my current sub 2:00 PR, but I was hopeful that I could run my best time of the year.

That was until race week began with what I believe to be food poisoning. I woke up with both vomiting and diarrhea late Sunday night and it lasted well into Monday morning. I had to call in to work and I had nothing planned for a sub. Thank God for my paraprofessionals! I don't know what I would do without them. Once my stomach settled, I was able to rest the remainder of the day on Monday.

The stomach bug was nothing compared to the news I was confronted with when I returned to school on Tuesday. One of my students had fallen critically ill over the weekend. She stopped breathing and she was air lifted to Children's Hospital in Birmingham. She passed sometime later Tuesday night. She was just six years old. She was first introduced to me by her nickname "Precious". I couldn't think of a more appropriate name for her. She was the first person I saw every morning. I could hear her squeals and contagious laugh from the parking lot. She always greeted me with a smile and extended her arm for a hug every morning. She greeted most everyone the same way. She was a happy, fun, loving child.  Although our time together was brief, I will always cherish the memories I have of Precious. She touched many lives including my own.

I couldn't bring myself to run the remainder of the week. How could I do something that brought me so much joy when all I felt was emptiness and sadness? I didn't think I should race on Saturday for that same reason. Then I realized Precious wouldn't want me to go on mourning her death. She would want me to celebrate her life and continue to do the things that make me happy. I decided to go on and run the race as planned.

Race Day

I picked up my packet on Friday night before race day. Good thing because I would have felt rushed otherwise. There was limited parking at the YMCA where the race began. Overflow parking was available at a church and neighborhoods nearby. There were only three porta potties that I noticed and the lines were pretty long just thirty minutes from the start of the race. There may have been other porta potties elsewhere, but I didn't want to risk my spot in line to search for them.

While I was in line the song, "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me began playing. This song came out around the same time that my brother passed away. Since then, I cannot listen to it without crying. I thought of Raymond, but I also couldn't help but think of Precious. I had a huge lump in my throat and my eyes began to water. I tried to drown out the song by listening to some other runners discuss the course. I felt like they were staring at me and I wondered what they must be thinking. Luckily, a porta potty opened up just in time to escape the awkwardness.

With about ten minutes to spare, I met up with some friends Valerie (icecreamrunner), Dee, and Holly (HoHo Runs) at the start line. I felt much better chatting with them. The race directors went over the course and said a short prayer, then we were off. It rained the night before the race and there were large puddles near the start/finish line. I tried my best to dodge them, but I had to go through some of them because of the crowd.

I settled into what felt like an easy pace in the 9:00 min/mile range. Holly and I were pacing together. We chatted some, but we both agreed that we struggled to hold conversation while running. It was just nice to have someone to push me. I was pacing better than I anticipated after such a rough week. I started to think maybe this could be my best half of the year after all.

Mile 1- 9:47

Mile 2- 9:48

Mile 3- 9:30

Mile 4- 9:29

Mile 5- 9:28

Mile 6- 9:32

I ate some Honey Stinger chews at the halfway point. I tried them on my last half and actually liked them better than the waffles because they didn't leave my mouth feeling so dry. I slowed down while I ate my chews and walked for the first time in the race. I lost track of Holly sometime during the break. She was completely out of sight by the time I started running again. I couldn't speed up to catch her no matter how hard I tried.

 Mile 7- 10:30

Mile 8-  9:45

Mile 9- 10:01

  Mile 10- 10:07

I had only a 5K remaining when the wheels came off. My knees started aching after my first walk break and the pain intensified with each mile that followed. By Mile 11, it hurt to walk much less run. I stopped and stretched, but it didn't seem to help. It was the same pain I felt at the Sea Turtle Half Marathon in February. I hadn't experienced any knee pain since that race. I thought maybe poor hydration the week before might explain some of my pain. I also thought the course was a bit windy. Almost the entire course looped through residential neighborhoods. I lost count of the endless turns. There was one steep downhill followed by an uphill climb in the beginning miles, but the course was mostly flat. The course map will give you some idea of the number of turns.

I gave up both mentally and physically. In the final miles, it was all about just finishing the race. I was no longer concerned about my time.  The cheer stations and other runners on the course did their best to cheer me on and motivate me. I love the camaraderie that I experience at the races. I couldn't push any harder if I tried, but at least they lifted my spirits some. The final mile looped through a park and came out around the YMCA entrance. I was so happy to see that finish line.

Mile 11- 11:24

Mile 12- 12:04

Mile 13- 11:37

My official time was 2:13:53. As much as I wanted to do better, I thought it was cool that I got a time of 2:13 on my 13th half. There I go with the numbers again.

After the race, I met up with my friends Holly, Valerie, and Dee. Holly had a strong race and finished way ahead of me. I wish I could have kept pace with her the entire race. Valerie had an awesome time and placed in her age group.

Holly, me, and Valerie

Dee had a great race and ran a new course PR.

There wasn't much post race food or festivities. I didn't really expect there to be with a small town race. There was an adequate amount of muffins, bagels, crackers, and fruit for refueling. I chatted with Holly and Valerie for a short time afterwards before heading home.

Overall, I was glad that I did this race. It's a nice small town half marathon to support missions for Centerpoint Church. I was pleased with the overall race organization and course support. Some people had timing issues which occur every year with this race. I would definitely recommend wearing a GPS watch or using an app to prove your time in case it didn't register. Luckily, I didn't have any issues. It wouldn't matter for AG placement, but I'd hate to know I just ran 13.1 miles and my time didn't register. The tech shirts and medals for this race were nice quality and design. I would definitely run this race again.













Weekly Wrap

June 6th-12th, 2016

I am joining the Weekly Wrap hosted by Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin. The Weekly Wrap is a blog link up where bloggers share their active lifestyle and other exciting things weekly. To find out more, click on the image below. Feel free to join in on the fun.

 

I am not training for anything currently. I will begin training for the Pensacola Marathon (my third marathon) in July. I am participating in the Runner's World Summer Run Streak (run at least one mile a day Memorial Day through the 4th of July). I just wrapped up Week 2 of the streak.

 

Monday, June 6th

 

I ran a short 1.5 mile run on Monday. I normally cross train or rest on Mondays, so I try to keep my runs short (1-1.5 miles) on those days during the streak. I don't want to overdo it.

 



 

Tuesday, June 7th

 

I ran a 5K for Day 9 of the RWRunStreak. I got an early start because I had a meeting before Summer School at 7:00. I do fine getting out early when I have somewhere to be in the mornings.

 

 

Wednesday, June 8th

 

I ran 4 miles for Day 10 of the streak. I can't believe I've made it into the double digits already.

 

 

Thursday, June 9th

 

I ran 5 miles for Day 11 of the streak. Technically, I ran 4.99 miles. Does that drive anyone else crazy? I'm usually one to make loops in the driveway until I have an even number of miles, but I goofed. I hit the save button too soon.

 

 

Friday, June 10th











 

I ran a short mile and a half for Day 12 of the streak. There's no summer school on Friday's, so I didn't have any morning obligations. I hit snooze one too many times, and it was HOT by the time I finally got out the door. I started out way too fast, but I felt ok. That was until I stopped to talk to a neighbor a mile into my run. While I was standing there, I felt like I was going to throw up. I ended up walking the last half mile home.

 

 

I may have had a tough run, but at least I looked cute in my Aurora Borealis print Spandits Boardies! You can save $10 on Boardies or 1/2 inch Tights now through July 1st. Use code SPLASHINTOSUMMER. Don't forget to tell them I sent you at checkout.

 

 

Saturday, June 11th

 

I learned a valuable lesson on Friday's run. There's no sense in making myself sick over a practice run. I told myself to forget what the Garmin says and run by feel on this run. Surprisingly I ran even splits (10:38, 10:38, 10:36). It worked! Plus, I felt much better when I was done.



 

 



Michael and I went fishing Saturday. We didn't go to our usual spot because it's so crowded on the weekends. Instead, we went fishing on a different lake just below the dam. I get nervous fishing below the dam with the swift current, but it's usually a guarantee to catch fish. We didn't catch anything really worth keeping. I caught a few drum. They're not the best eating, but they are so much fun to catch. They bend your rod and put up a nice fight.

 

 This picture doesn't really do the current justice.

 

This is the biggest drum I caught. He lived to see another day.

 

Sunday, June 12th

 

I did a 7 mile long run on Sunday. Once again I got another late start, so I took this one at an easy pace.

 

 

 

Do you have a hard time getting up early when you don't have any morning obligations?

 

Do you like fishing? What's the biggest fish you've caught?





 

 





 

 



Weekly Wrap

May 30th-June 5th, 2016

I am joining the Weekly Wrap hosted by Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin. The Weekly Wrap is a blog link up where bloggers share their active lifestyle and other exciting things weekly. To find out more, click on the image below. Feel free to join in on the fun.

 

I am currently not training for anything. I will begin training for the Pensacola Marathon (my third marathon) in July.

 

Monday, May 30th

 

I joined the RW Run Streak on Monday (run at least 1 mile/day Memorial Day through the 4th of July). I attempted the streak last year, but quit after 17 days due to a stomach virus. I'm hoping to redeem myself this year. My plan is to run my usual mileage on five days of the week and run a 1-1.5 miles on the other two days when I would normally rest.

 

I ran 1.5 on Memorial Day. We didn't do anything special on Monday for the holiday since we just returned from our beach trip. Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day! May we never forget the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

 

 

Tuesday, May 31st

 

I ran a 5K for Day 2 of the RW Run Streak. Don't you just love my Starry Night Spandits! boardies. Use code SPANDITSLOVE to save 10%.

 

 

This run made 102 miles for the month of May. I am still a little behind on my goal of 1,200 for the year, but I am catching up.

 

 

Wednesday, June 1st

 

I ran four miles for Day 3 of the streak and for Global Running Day. I started teaching for the Extended School Year program on Wednesday. It's only half days Monday through Thursday for the month of June. It keeps me busy. I can't imagine sitting around the house all summer.

 

 

Thursday, June 2nd









 I ran five miles for Day 4 of the streak.

 

 

 Friday, June 3rd

 

I ran 1.5 miles on Friday to continue the streak.

 

I met my grandfather and cousin for breakfast. My cousin is staying in Fairhope before moving to Texas this fall. She was passing through town. I enjoyed our short visit.

 

Michael and I went fishing later that afternoon, but we didn't have much luck. I enjoyed the peacefulness on the water on a week day.

 

 

 

Saturday, June 4th

 

There was rain in the forecast all weekend, but luckily I caught a break in the rain to run a short 5K for Day 6 of the streak.

 

 

Michael's cousin got married on Saturday night. Luckily the rain held off for the ceremony. It was beautiful!

 

 The happy couple

Shay and Shelby

 Those are weights on top of the groom's cake. Shelby is a personal trainer.

 



The bride's cake was chocolate chip and cream filled cookies.

 

The bottom dropped out an hour or so into the reception. Water flooded inside the tent and they had to cut the lights because of the electricity. A party that should have lasted well into the night was quickly shut down. We were home by 9:00.

 

 

Sunday, June 5th

 

I ran a long run of 6.2 miles on Sunday. It was another steamy day as evident from all my sweat.

 

 

We went to the assisted living around lunch to celebrate Michael's grandmother's 90th birthday with cake. Her birthday really isn't until Thursday, but this was the only time we all could get together.

 

Later that afternoon, I visited my mom and dad. They're fostering a two year old Chihuahua mix for a week. He's really sweet. Maybe they'll decide to keep him. His current name is Goro. That would have to be changed. Haha!

 

 

 

Have you ever fostered an animal? Did you decide to adopt after fostering?

 

Are you doing the RW Summer Run Streak? If not, have you ever done a running streak? What's the longest you've been without a rest day?