Race #7 of 13 - Melbourne Art Festival Flamingo 5K

I am halfway through my goal of running 13 races in 2013.  This weekend's run of the Melbourne Art Festival Flamingo 5K was race #7.   I ran it with a couple of my fellow Science teachers from our high school.  It turned out that teachers from the Math, English and Exceptional Education departments were also represented.

I can't say that I love this course because it involves running up the Melbourne causeway (bridge) twice!  When I first ran this last year, I was just new to running.  I remember thinking "why on earth do I do this to myself?" as I ran the first uphill climb up the bridge.   I hated it then, I hate it still!  I should really add hill training to my run repertoire!

As with any other run though, it felt great after!  It was even better this time because I beat last year's finish by 10 seconds!  Yay, me!  The after race festivities did not disappoint either.  There were fresh fruit, pizza, smoothies, bagels with cream cheese, donut holes, and oh yes, ice cold beer!!!

So the race countdown continues.  Next on the calendar is the Run for the Gecko Hawaiian Luau 5K.  I hope you all can join me!

Getting ready to run with fellow teachers from my school

We were all happy it was over!

First uphill climb!  Don't be fooled by the thumbs up! 

(Photo courtesy of Doug Carroll)

Outbound! 

(Photo courtesy of Michael Tapes, Leslie & John Redrup)

Pizza and beer after the race!

(Photo courtesy of Michael Tapes, Leslie & John Redrup)

Reflections on the tragedy in Boston

A week ago today, I was glued to the TV watching the network coverage of the  Boston Marathon bombings.  It was all surreal to me.  Truth be told, I have never followed any marathon until this past year.  You see, I just started running a little over a year ago.  Even then, I never really felt that I was a runner.  I just ran/walked 5K races.   It wasn't until I ran my first half marathon at Disney this past February that I finally called myself a runner.  So when I started reading tweets and facebook posts about the Boston Marathon, I began to see it with runner eyes.  I felt excited.  I started rooting for runners whom I have met virtually.  For the first time I felt a connection to the race.  I was at work during the run so I got updates online.  At first check, I read that Lelisa Desisa Benti from Ethiopia crossed the finish line first in the men's division in 2:10:22 and Rita Jeptoo from Kenya crossed it in the women's division in 2:26:25.  They ran 26.2 miles faster than I ran 13.1 miles!!!

Just before the end of the school day, I decided to check more race results and read instead breaking news of two bombs going off at the race.  Just like many others who may have first read or heard of the news, I thought this can't be true.  Unfortunately, it was.  The initial questions was, who would do such a heinous act?  Now we know.  In the aftermath, four innocent lives were lost and nearly two hundred more were injured.  My thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost their lives and their families:  Richard Martin, Lu Lingzi, Krystle Campbell, and Sean Collier.  To those who are still in the hospitals recovering from their injuries, I continue to offer my prayers.

We now wait for the suspect to speak.  Why?  This is the question that so many of us want answered.  Why did you do this?  If the media reports are true, that they may have "hated" America, why?  Why do you hate this country so much?  This county that gave you the escape from your own country's troubles?   Where is your sense of gratitude?  I, too, am an immigrant and a naturalized citizen.  I love this country as I do my country of birth.  How could you do this to innocent people, especially to the runners who have just endured running for hours.  They were all defenseless?  Why?

I cannot help but feel so proud that I have become a part of great community of runners, both in person and virtually.  The overwhelming response from runners all over this country and overseas was incredible.  In the days following the bombings, social media mobilized runners to get to the streets and do what we know best, the glue that brings us all together - run!  And we did.  I have learned that the soul of a runner cannot be destroyed.  It is strong, stubborn, resilient.  Nothing, it seems, can and will bring us down.  I learned that instead of cowering behind the safety of our houses, we go out and face the enemy head on instead.

Will I ever make it to Boston to run the marathon?  Maybe never.  I do know that I will continue to run, until I can't.

On Tuesday following the bombings, runners were encouraged to wear a race shirt to work.  I wore the race shirt for my first half marathon, Disney's Princess Half Marathon.

Wearing my virtual bib, I ran 2.62 miles in memory of the victims of the bombing.

Our local running store, The Running Zone, hosted a "Runners for Boston" run/walk event.  Over 200 runners/walkers/dogs came to participate.  

Race #6 of 13 race recap: Pirate Plunder 2-miler

For the first time since I started running, I wore a costume to run a race!  I had fun dressing up that it almost made me forget my bib and timing strap!  It was a great race because it was a short race!  There were close to 1000 runners of all ages.   The number of costumed runners were just as numerous.  This was also my first afternoon race.  The horn sounded at 5:30 pm.  It was hot during the run.  On top of it all, I ran with my hair down, head covered with a bandana and a pirate's hot on top of it.  Before I even reached the first mile marker, I wanted to rip off my bandana to cool my head down.  I fought the urge and ran on.

This was also my fastest run.  I have never run a mile in under 11 minutes.  I actually thought that I broke 11 minutes for my overall pace, but obviously I didn't do the math correctly.  This was definitely a run I will do again next year!

Had to pose beside a "pirate"

With my teacher friends

These two ladies flanking me are great runners! 

Gone crazy!

Well, I've done it!  I have gone crazy!  I just signed up to run the full marathon at Walt Disney World in January 2014!  I don't know how it happened but I originally planned to run the inaugural 10K race on the same weekend.  Somehow I clicked on the marathon instead.  My heart was beating so fast and my palms were cold after I hit send.  The pain I felt after I ran the half marathon this February is still vivid in my memory.  I just signed up to double that pain to run twice the distance!  

I will be blogging about my experience during training and the day of the race.  I hope you will follow my journey through this craziness!

Race #5 of 13 recap: The anatomy of a run and the elusive negative splits

I ran my fifth race for 2013 and my third 5K on this past Saturday.   I was very tentative in signing up for this one so I didn't feel that excited feeling I usually get before I run a race.  Since I signed up the day before the race, I got a shirt two sizes larger than what I wear.  The forecast for the morning was in the 60s.  This was great. It had been in the 40s, even in the upper 30s, throughout the week.  I set my alarm to 6:00 am and settled in bed.  I had the most restless night and when the alarm sounded off, I begrudgingly hit the snooze button; and kept hitting it two more times.  I got up and dragged myself out of bed to prepare breakfast.  I usually eat a hard boiled egg, toast and hot tea before any morning run.  However, I didn't realize that we had run out of eggs!  So, I settled for just the toast and tea.  I debated whether to take a shower or skip it; I took one.  I felt the house was really cold so I knew it was nowhere near 60 degrees outside.  It was in fact 48 degrees!  Brrr...yes, for me down in Central Florida, this is downright cold!  I decided not to wear long running pants nor wear a long sleeve shirt.  I know that once the sun comes up it will be hot in no time. I was running late and the event was about 20 minutes away so I hurriedly attached my bib number and my shoe tag and left.

The race was a fundraiser for The Haven, a shelter for abused and neglected children.  It was definitely for a good cause and was reflected by the number of runners who were already at the venue.  This race was also different because the men ran at 7:30 am and the women started at 8:15 am.  I thought this was very interesting and a first one for me. When I got there, all the men had already gone through the finish line.  Since I decided to run at the last minute, I didn't go with anyone I knew.  When I got there, I didn't know anyone either.  It seemed that those who were there all knew each other!  I just stood on one side and waited for the lady in the blow horn to signal "GO".   I decided to check out the new headphones that I just unpacked from its case.  Big mistake!  The earplugs didn't fit my ears and it kept falling off!  The price I pay for getting it on clearance and not checking it out before using it in a run!

The temperature had gone up to about 52 degrees by the time we crossed "Start".  I've run in this venue before.  At each of the other runs the route always included a run up the bridge.  This race didn't. Instead it just looped around Downtown Melbourne twice.  Score one for me!  I decided that this will be the race that I will probably break 30 minutes!  So off I went.  A few yards into the run, I realized that I couldn't feel my feet hit the pavement!  I started to feel panicky.  Maybe that's a good thing so I can actually run faster, I thought.  That was the strangest thing ever.  I still don't have an explanation to it but eventually I started feeling them again.

I thought I was doing really well especially when I passed Mile 1 and the clock had my pace at 10:25!  I have never run a mile at this pace.  Momentarily, I thought, this is great!  However, this is where the run unraveled for me.  This happens at every 5k race I have ever run.  You see, my left (or is it the right) brain tells me "keep going" but the other side, and the more forceful side would say "that's a fast pace, you can slow down now"!  And that is exactly the remainder of this story.  A few yards after this mile marker, I decided to stop and walk.  Not because I was out of breath, nor because my legs were tired, but I just decided to stop and walk!  It's like I just hit a wall.  A wall running a 5K?  Really now, seriously? And when I start walking I lose all momentum.  I slow down even more and finishes at a time that I always feel should have been better.  I finished at 35:43.

It is true that running is not just a physical sport, it is mental as well.  When I ran my first 5K last year, I could hardly finish a mile without walking.  I have now surpassed that hurdle and can run 5Ks nonstop during my practice runs.  However, I have not overcome the hold that my brain has over my body's will to keep running in races.  Why is it so difficult to win over this?

Do you have any suggestions on what this runner should do?