Life gets in the way

 

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! The family traveled to Pennsylvania to enjoy time with everyone. It was nice to get away for a little bit. There was snow on the ground and the temperatures were in the single digits at night. I became a bear hibernating on the coach. 

Before Thanksgiving we had a small kitchen fire. Thank goodness that the damage was minimal and no one was hurt. The clean up process has been overwhelming. EVERYTHING needs to be washed. It's been painstakingly slow and I'm still not done. The cooktop will need to be replaced. It could have been worse. Things just need to get back to normal.

runDisney posted the medals for the Princess 5k and 10k. I need to post the pictures around the house to motivate me to get back to training. 

It's A Bridge...Get Over it

This is my favorite race. The official times and pictures are not available yet but I feel great!

There was a slight chill in the area but the sun shone bright. I started the race with a light jacket. Once we were moving I warmed up quickly and lost the jacket around 1.5 mile. My running companion was my daughter again this year. She danced and sang the entire 6.2 miles. I love that this is how we get "girl" time in. Not sure who will be running with me next year. She has been my biggest cheerleader. 

I turned on my Extra Mile podcast and listened to Jeff Galloway encouraging words. There was no fear of the sweeper buses this year because 1.) I have been training consistently and 2.) we started in a much earlier corral then assigned. I also learned the importance of anti-chafe and what areas might need it. 

I have traveled across this bridge many times since moving to Maryland 15 years ago. Shortly after moving here my parents came to visit and I drove them across the bridge. My dad asked me later why we had gone over to turn around and come back. My reply "isn't it an awesome bridge". I still think that the bridge is awesome and love that they open it once a year for this race. May I have many more bridge crossings.

My only regret is that I will never complete the puzzle. I needed to start in 2014 to get all the pieces. 

Jefferson Patterson Park Museum 5K

I have some mixed feelings about this race. 

The calf pain drama continues. I am learning to listen to my body and seek professional advice when needed. On Thursday I had an appointment with the orthopedist to get to the bottom of this pain. X-rays showed nothing of significance. The finally diagnosis is bi-lateral calf strains. Doctors orders...rest (ugh), ice the calves 3 times a day, compression socks during the day, and ibuprofen. He did say that I could walk at a leisurely pace.

There was a part of me that thought about skipping the race. It was a cold, dreary morning and I was disappointed with being sidelined. After reminding myself of how far I have come we were ready to go. 

Since I was going to have a leisurely race experience Kathryn went on head of me. Goal-just to cross the finish line and enjoy the park. Threw on The Extra Mile Podcast so I could hear Jeff Galloway cheering me on. As fellow racers started to pass me my competitive nature kicked in. On those flat stretches I had to remind myself not to run. I didn't want to finish last and paid the price for it. 

Cardiac Hill

After the race we were super hungry. Celebratory breakfast at Bob Evans. Everyone looked at me funny because of my fashion statement. I see nothing wrong with my Sparkle Skirt, compression sleeves and flip flops. 

The remainder of Saturday was spent resting with ice packs strapped to my legs. 

Looking forward to the Across the Bay 10k in November!

Inflatables and other great things

The name of this race says it all. Who doesn't love running from inflatable obstacle to inflatable obstacle?

Go team am-BASS-adors! We were not out to beat any personal records but to cross the finish line in one piece.

There are more videos available on my youtube page.

I made it through week 4 of C25K. 

My husband rubbing my feet and calves after my long runs.

I was able to get a few personal records during week 6 of C25K.

I didn't quit!

Half way through C25K!

Really proud of myself for making it this far. Haven't repeated a week (so far). 

Also...

When things got tough I didn't quit! During the last few long runs my feet would go numb around mile 2 causing some anxiety. Before you ask I had already made sure that my shoes were not too tight. I have also replaced the insole of my shoe to help with the foot cramping that I experienced recently. 

Jump to Friday's long run. At the 2 mile mark the numbness started but I kept to the training. Decided with the start of each interval that I would maintain my pace. I focused on what was ahead of me. When I hit 2.5 miles my feet were no longer numb and I finished strong. 

I didn't quit! 

Upcoming Races:

September - The Great Inflatable Race

October - Jefferson Patterson Park Museum 5k

November - Across the Bay 10k

December - Jingle Bell Run 5k

January - No race just focusing on training

February - runDisney Princess 5k and 10k

TEAMUP - The am-BASS-adors

I have joined up with Autism Speaks for the runDisney Princess 10k. There are 2 wonderful ladies that have also joined me. All of us are touched by Autism daily. 

GO Team am-BASS-adors!

I am running in support of Autism Speaks to help fund treatments, increase advocacy efforts, and raise awareness in the fight against autism. Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States, affecting one in every 68 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and research is crucial. Every 11 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. This is your chance to help change the future of all affected by autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness.

Please consider supporting me. All donations are tax deductible. Click the link below for my personal fundraising page.

http://act.autismspeaks.org/site/TR/AutismSpeaksU/General?px=4789839&pg=personal&fr_id=4046

Why are we The am-BASS-adors?

There is a wonderful group of people you have dedicated their lives to support children and families affected by autism. Behavior Analysis Support Services, Inc. has been providing these services since 2003 and has locations throughout Florida. 

http://behavioralsupports.com/

Hello new school year

It has been nice getting back to work. 

After several hours of work my personal touch has been added to my office. I like to make the health room welcoming. Stress levels are always at an all time high this time of year. Bad habits tend to creep in. I'm drinking more soda, eating take-out and not getting enough sleep. 

There are a few things that I am proud of:

1. I have had my fastest mile.
2. Sticking to my C25K schedule.
3. Used my run as a stress reduction.
4. Completing a run, late at night, instead of skipping it.