Archive for the ‘Torture’ Category

Don’t believe the little runner girl in my sidebar. She’s way off on how far I ran this morning, because I still haven’t calibrated my iPod sensor. So when I was crossing the 3 mile mark, my iPod thought I was at 3.8. It was a 10K race, which is 6.2 miles.

This was in central park in Winter Park, at the start/finish line. After the race, those booths have things like bananas, strawberries, smoothies, milk, water, sports drink, and other stuff.

This was the start line.

It was a pretty run through the mansion-lined streets of Winter Park. I think this is Lake Osceola.

Different lake, with a saxophone player playing for the runners. We ran around this lake…

…and this is the other side of the lake. I was so relieved to see there were plenty of runners on the other side of the lake. Yay! I’m not last!

I passed this quartet twice, as the course looped back past this intersection a second time.

After almost an hour and a half, I finished. This was a difficult run for me; my fault for never running regularly.

Official results are posted:

1,779 people finished this race
I placed 1,696
I was 915 of the 979 women who finished the race
Clock time: 1:29:25
Chip time: 1:28:06
Pace: 14:10.7/mile

Mile 1 took me 13:10.
Mile 2 was about the same pace.

I started strong and fizzled fast.

It’s another race number hanging proudly on my wall!

Around about mile 4.5, I was dying. And my mind went morbid, and I started wondering if my husband would enjoy the life insurance payout if I died on the course! I’ll be the first to admit that life insurance rates confuse me, as do the whens and whys of payouts, but surely running a race would be one of the ways to die that would pay out without question, right? Moot point, I lived. And will race again. My next planned race is on tax day. An evening race.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (5)

On Wednesday, I stopped at Track Shack to pick up my race packet. There’s a 10K race tomorrow that I’ll be attempting to complete. I’m worried because I have not run since my February race, back on February 5th, I think it was, and that’s a long time to be stationary. Even though I know I can do six miles with relative ease in about an hour and fifteen minutes on a bad day, I’ve managed to psych myself out about this race tomorrow. The distance seems insurmountable.

Yes, I know, I’ve run much, much, much farther.

My race packet listed my age as 33. GAH! I’m 33! I literally gasped when I saw that on my race packet in the store.

I stopped today to take advantage of the 20% off sale Track Shack was having. I finally bought my fabulous new running shoes. My MIL gave me a gift card for my birthday, and with the sale, I ended up only spending $35 out of my own pocket. I’m elated to spend so little of my own money on my $100 shoes.

They’re Asics GEL-Cumulus 11 in White/Paradise Pink/Black. I choose not to link to them, but if you’re so inclined, that search term will bring up the pretty orange shoes that were too narrow for my fat feet. So, pink. Good thing I have recently come to embrace pink as my power color!

Several people have urged me not to break in my new shoes on a 10K, so I’ll be wearing my way worn out old running shoes in the morning, and then begin breaking in my pink shoes later. I may need to apply for disability insurance, since my shoes are so worn out. Then again, if I end up breaking in my new shoes, I could end up with massive blisters and unable to walk. So, I’ll take the guaranteed leg pain from the worn out shoes over the blisters of new shoes. At least I already know what to expect from the leg pain, whereas blisters on feet are annoying. Ask Boudicca!

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

If you’re interested in seeing race pictures from Saturday’s Lady Track Shack 5K, the pictures are here.

In the Start Line group, you can find me in pictures 402 and 405. I’m wearing a white, long sleeved Disney Half Marathon shirt (so, yellow and blue design with Donald Duck).

(this shirt: )

In the Finish Line sets, I am in group 40-45 minutes, pictures 833, 841, 845, 849, 853, 856, 857, 858, and in group 45-50 minutes, pictures 2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16, 20.

Some of them are decent. I might look into purchasing them.

wRitErsbLock

Post a Comment

You may notice my little runner avatar is finally off her butt and moving again. I got a new sensor for my Nike + iPod so my runs can “count” and get her moving. It is not yet calibrated, and is way off on mileage counting, but I’ll calibrate it soon. It thinks I did almost 4 miles this morning when I only did just over 3.

I participated in the Lady Track Shack 5K. It was a women only race, which was kind of nice, and it supported cancer research. That picture was taken at the start line… sort of. The actual start line was around the corner to the left, but that’s where I started, back behind the 10 minute mile pace sign. No, I don’t do 10 minute miles, but that was the last pace card they had for starting position, except for the next pace card for walkers with baby strollers.

It was a great race. I really enjoyed it. You know, but for that running thing. It took me around 42 minutes… wait, Track Shack has just updated their site (seriously, 2 minutes ago, results were not yet posted), so I can give you my official results.

2,077 women ran this race.
Place: 1,391
Division Place: 213
Clock Time: 45:03
Chip Time: 42:17
Average Pace: 13:36.4

I think that’s fantastic! Look, I’m never going to be a fast runner. But at least I’m consistent!

And I cannot even begin to properly express to you just how proud I am of myself that I get out there and do races. I have come so far from that scared girl who ran her first 5K in February 2007.

This marked my eighth race, but I only have seven race bibs to show for it, as the race in PCB cheated me out of having a number and a shirt.

I still hate running, I do. But the enormous sense of pride I get from doing this is amazing. It boosts my self-esteem and self-confidence. And, frankly, even though I now have tons of friends/acquaintances who are all runners that I see at all the races, not many people in my real life run, and this is something I do for myself, for my health, to balance out my unhealthy eating/drinking, and to help battle my depression.

Also, it’s pretty frakking cool to tell people I’m doing a race, or I just did a race.

I am a runner.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (6)

Regarding the Seasons 52 5.2K race I participated in on Saturday:

Clock Time: 45:34
Chip Time: 43:50
5K Time: 42:19
Pace: 13:33.8 (wow! that’s pretty good for me!)
Gender Place: 1,290
Overall Place: 2,360
Division Place: 203 (not sure what that means)

I feel really good about these results! Go me! I Rawk!

(5.2K = 3.23 miles)

wRitErsbLock

Comments (3)

One of the things we gave my MIL for Christmas was the autobiography of Andy Williams. I have always loved Andy Williams’ voice, and enjoy reading biographies of people who became celebrities when celebrities first became celebrities, so I wanted to read it. The book was okay; I had thought about writing a decent book review but chose not to. But one thing I took away from the book was that Branson Missouri has become the Las Vegas of the — what area of the country is that? And Andy Williams built a resort there where he is known to be a regular performer. So if I ever plan a Branson vacation, I will definitely get a ticket to his show. That would be the kind of vacation I think vacations should be: fun and slightly relaxing.

Instead, I am planning a trip to Los Angeles in September to, get this, run the Disneyland half marathon. Really? Shouldn’t I plan a vacation that does not include months of training before hand and actual physical exertion? What is wrong with me?

Cue a facebook message from my good friend Rob. Rob’s coming to Orlando for my birthday! WOO HOO! To… run the Disney Princess half marathon. What is wrong with him? He came down in October 09 to run the final Tower of Terror 13K. He came down in January 09 to run the Disney full marathon. What kind of freak hops on a plane to go run an endurance race?

So here I sit, trying to figure out how to explain to my husband that I want to spend $120 to do a half marathon in March plus another $120 to do a half marathon in September (plus airfare). I had traded doing the Princess half when he agreed to let me do the Disneyland half. And now I want to do both. (And, the Disneyland half is non-negotiable. If I run it in the same calendar year I ran the Disneyworld half or full, I get an additional Coast-to-coast medal. And since this is the 5 year anniversary of the coast-to-coast challenge, the medal will be really cool, as they go overboard on medals in anniversary years.)

Also, my brain had already breathed a sigh of relief at not having to do a half in March. And here I am telling it maybe a half is back on the plate.

Not to mention, I have to make this decision immediately as the Princess race is 93% full already.

wRitErsbLock

Post a Comment

My Nike + iPod sensor is dead, so don’t expect that little avatar girl to start running any time soon.

Pity, because this morning’s race would’ve perked her right up!

It was a 5.2K race and it took me just over 45 minutes.

At the 5K mark, I was just under 44 minutes, so it was a bit slow for me, as I tend to do a 5K in 42, while always shooting for the elusive 38.

Running on brick roads sucks. You have to really pay attention to where you’re feet land so you don’t hit a bad brick.

My left leg, which was feeling good since I had not run since my 1/2 marathon, is angry at me again/still. Dammit.

Next race: Feb 6. I’ll have a new Nike + sensor before then.

Saw a number of my TNT teammates out there this morning. And, truth be told, but for the running, this was a really fun morning for me!

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

I’m running the Seasons 52 5.2K race next weekend.

I just registered for the Lady Track Shack 5K for the first weekend in February.

The goal: to keep myself motivated to run so I don’t fall back into my slothful ways.

In other news, I’m shocked that I had an email this morning with a link to the professional photos taken during my half marathon on Saturday. That was quick! I’ll have to scroll through all their photos to make sure they didn’t miss any (because my race number was probably obscurred a lot due to my fashionable garbage bag) before I place my order. I’m not in all of the finish line pics they have in that link, so I imagine they just threw all photos from that general time period into my folder just in case I’m in there. I realize this is only exciting to me, but my blog, so, it’s all about me!

wRitErsbLock

Comments (1)

I opted not to stay at my Disney hotel last night, preferring to sleep with my warm husband in my sleep number bed. I was so cold after that wet, frigid run, that I needed my space-heater-husband to keep me cozy. But, I had team mates and my CIL to cheer on this morning for the full marathon, so I was back up at 330a and on the road to Disney at 4a. For a change, my gift for getting lost enabled me to find the perfect route to get to Epcot, and I missed all the traffic! Fortune smiled upon me, then, as I ended up like the 7th space from the exit of the Family Reunion area (where the runners reunite with family after the race). That’s also where the runners congregate before heading through bag check for the mile long walk to the start line. As I was pulling layers of jackets on, my cousin, to whom I had texted my location, knocked on my car window and let me know where their friends were collected.

Bunch of crazy runners sporting the fashionable garbage bags

The crazy girl in the ears ran the 5K on Saturday, and did Goofy. That means she ran (3.1 + 13.1 + 26.2) 42.4 miles this weekend. Nutter!

I haven’t checked the weather all weekend, but I’m pretty sure it was colder this morning than it was yesterday. But dry. Thank god it was dry.

There was much dancing and jumping around to try to get warm.

After the runners went through baggage check, my cousin and I headed over to the viewing area to see the start. Turns out the start line was way far away, but we stayed until some runners passed before heading to the monorail tracks to watch the runners. We saw CIL at that point, and then hiked up to wait in line to get to the transportation station.

By this time, I imagine we had been standing outside for an hour and a half or more. And, we were cold. The wind was biting. I wore my long sleeve 13.1 race shirt, a sweatshirt over that, a zipper fleece over that, a button fleece with hood over that, and my husband’s fabulous winter coat over that, with a scarf wound around my head/ears/nose. And gloves. It was cold. I wish I had more than one pair of jeans on. My cousin was, I think, trying to text message with gloves on, which is impossible, and she was complaining about how much her fingers hurt from the cold. It was cold.

Over at the Magic Kingdom, I managed not to get CIL’s picture as he came up Main Street, due to my gloved hands being securely placed in my warm pockets. But here’s my cousin watching for her husband to come through the castle.

And, just over 11 miles, my CIL was kind enough to veer off course to come in closer for a picture. I hollered to him, “You’re going the wrong way!”

The girl in pink with the ears is the aforementioned nut who did 42.4 miles this weekend. I have so much respect for her. She’s done something like 13 ironmen competitions. Amazing woman.

And then I got the text update about my running buddy from last year crossing ten miles and ran to the other side just in time to catch her taking a picture of the castle.

I hollered to her, and she came up to give me a big hug and thanked me so much for being there to cheer her on. She finished the race in 6:57 and change, I think, which is faster than my time last year. Go her!

I then had the text update that one of my teammates had crossed 20 miles. Since I had his tickets to tonight’s victory party, it was very important that I catch him at the finish line. My cousin and I parted ways (she was still tracking her hubby, as she should), and I stood in a ridiculous monorail line to get back to Epcot. And even though I stood with a view of the finish line, I missed his crossing. He’s pictured here with the mom and step-dad of the little boy, Alex, who died December 8th. My teammate had also run all three races this weekend, for 42.4 miles. And he PR’d today by 2 hours over his last best marathon time. I think he did 4:32 and change. Amazing man. He raised a ton of money for LLS, too. Go team!

I missed my CIL crossing the line, but I watched him get his medal. He did it in five hours and some seconds. Amazing! Well done, CIL! I am so proud of you!

This is when he was telling me the first 20 were easy, but that last 6 nearly killed him. Funny, the full 26 nearly killed me last year!

I couldn’t find my cousin and CIL in Family Reunion, but my cousin texted that they were on their way to my car. Poor CIL was starting to show the pain.

He asked me to please drive them to their car, and I had to apologize for how high off the ground my Element is. You never realize it until your legs are screaming and you try to climb up!

Tired CIL. And that’s dried Cliff Shot on his face. Sticky stuff, that.

I am so proud!

Don’t be fooled by the sun being out; it was still wicked cold, and I remained bundled up until I got to my car and cranked the heat.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (1)

The Disney site reveals my race results:

Chip Time: 3:25:15
Clock Time: 3:55:59
Ovarall Rank: 15,572
Sex Position: 8,530
Division Place: 1,308 (what does that mean?)
Age Grade: 32.2%

wRitErsbLock

Comments (4)