Who else is lovin' the Olympics?!

I know I sure am! I've got my DVR set to record every minute of it! I don't even dream that I'll watch all of it, but I want to be able to turn on the TV and have it on immediately.  I'm so proud of all the athletes that have been performing their best and I just love seeing what the human body can accomplish!

The surprising thing of this year's games has been how much I haven't really cared who was winning. Normally I am so Team USA, but this year I have just been happy to watch the joy on the faces of the winners, regardless of nationality. Of course, I'm rooting for Team USA, but I'm not mad if we lose.

My favorites athletes for these games have been Allison Schmitt and Danell Leyva. Allison is so positive and bubbly, it's hard not to like her. And Danell Leyva had an amazing comeback, jumping from 5th to 3rd place in only two events. Amazing. And to see him with his Dad is just touching!

Photo found at slate.com

But all that aside, I think watching this year's Olympic Games has motivated me to train a little harder. Who says I couldn't do that? I don't ever think I'll ever have a desire to compete on the international level at anything (except maybe couch surfing or baby kissing), but who's to say that I couldn't compete in my races or any chosen sport to the best of my ability. No one. And it's made me want to strap on my shoes, throw the kiddo in the jogging stroller and go all out crazy with my running! I think that coupled with the fact that I clocked my fastest 5k pace since high school (11:20 min/mile) the other day really have got me excited again about TYR. So here's to the next 14 weeks of training and gettin' my run on!

Raleigh Rocks Half-Marathon and 5k

I did it!! 

I finished my first 5k in The Racing Year (or TRY is it will henceforth be known). I ran it in 43:44 at an average pace of 14:06 minutes. I am so happy with that! I shaved two minutes off my normal pace (yes, I was "running" a 16 minute mile and no I'm not ashamed of that...ok, so maybe a little ashamed) and I was able to finish with a smile on my face (as opposed to the last race I ran...)  And I was able to run the whole thing! I had planned on run/walking, but I was able to mentally push myself to keep going. I've heard it said that running is a mental game, and I think I finally understand that now.

Any way, the morning was beautiful and the bands were rockin'! It was actually nice how the bands were set up. As soon as you were far enough away that you couldn't hear one, you could just start hearing the next. One band was even playing my jam - Buddy Holly by Weezer. And, as an added bonus, I was able to hear the birds singing their morning songs. It was actually very nice. I think I may have to run in the morning without the headphones more often. Not every time, mind you...

Matt was super supportive and thankfully Baby Girl slept almost the entire time! I was amazed that we were able to change her diaper, get her dressed and put her in the car seat without her waking up at all. Man, we must be real parents now! :)

So, for my next race in May, I plan on trying to shave another minute off my mile in addition to having a smile on my face at the finish line. :) I'm still looking for my May 5k, so if anyone is interested in running circles around me, let me know!

 

Hey numba one

Sooooo, my first race is this Sunday. I'm running in the Raleigh Rocks 5k at the PNC Arena (Formerly known as the RBC Center. I suppose those crazy Canadian bankers got wise and retreated back to the north) on April Fool's Day and I'm going to die. I am NOT prepared for it, but I'll do the best I can. But hopefully the addition of this new jogging stroller/bike trailer will help me be able to run during the day in the future.

Image from www.recicleta.com

It's pretty sweet, right? I got the most AUH-MAZING deal on it at REI. Clearance + Dividend + 20% off. Heck yeah.

Also, I've decided that I'm going to participate in the Triangle Race for the Cure in June with my family. We're all going to walk it (except for my mom who will be pushed in her wheelchair) as a team. I think our team name will be The Dudley Do-Rights. We're walking in honor of my mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer in December last year. I'm really looking forward to participating in this race with other breast cancer survivors and their families. If you are interested in participating in this race, visit www.komennctriangle.org/komen-race-for-the-cure for more information. And if you want to participate but are unable to join us on June 9th, please consider donating any amount to our team to help us in our fund raising efforts. Thanks!

 

The Racing Year: An Explanation

So, this year, as one of my goals, I decided to run a half marathon. It was a goal to get me back into exercising and to get me in shape post-baby. I haven't picked the half marathon yet (because the Outer Banks race is on a Sunday. Boo.) but I figured I should start off slowly by signing up for races throughout the year. My first race is coming up on April 1st (yes, I realize it's a Sunday too, but I didn't realize that until after I registered. Luckily it's General conference weekend so I don't have to find a sub for teaching or playing the organ!) and I'm getting pretty psyched! I've been able to go running after Matt get's home from work and the occasional Saturday and I've worked up to running 2 miles without stopping! Hopefully I'll be able to run the whole 5k without needed to walk, even if walking might actually be faster than my running sometimes.

Any way, I've decided this year is going to be known in my personal history as the racing year. I'm going to try to sign up for a minimum of 3 races (one 5k, one 10k and the half marathon), but I'd like to run more in order to get myself worked up to the necessary mileage to tun 13.1 miles. I've had somewhat of a rocky start due to working around nursing and Matt being home, but I'm working towards it little by little. So wish me luck on April Fool's Day!