First, let me tell you that I got through the entire Lenten season without stepping on the scale. It felt great. I didn't gain any weight, in fact, I lost a few pounds. I'm now a weekly weigher, just to keep track of where I am. It was a great experience to let go of the scale and focus more on what my body needs. I'm glad I did it. That demon has been banished, at least for now.
Running. Yes, I'm still running. In fact, after I finish this post, I plan on heading out for a short, easy run today. I'm trying to find a balance of speed work, distance runs and just plain "fun" runs that will both meet my fitness goals and make me a better runner. I'm not ready to take on a training plan. I feel like the structure of the training is not what I want right now. So for the time being, I'm just finding my own way.
The good news is that I ran a PR in the "Race for Hope" on Sunday. I finished the 5K in 31:35, which is fast for me! I have never broken the 32 minute mark before. I do have to qualify that the weather was perfect (50 and cloudy with little to no wind) and the course was flat as a pancake. However, I did run faster than I have ever run in a race before and was pretty steady the whole race.
I ran as part of "Team Nancy". A girl that my daughter, Jessica, went to school with lost her mother to a brain tumor this past year. Ashley is a senior in High School and organized this team to raise money for Brain Cancer research and to raise awareness. That made the race very meaningful. It was a great event and raised a lot of money ($2.5 Million). There were so many people. I was impressed by all of the Survivors that ran in the race. It was heartwarming to see the yellow shirts. I ran most of the way with an 8 year old boy and his Dad. The boy was a survivor. His energy was contagious and his smile when he finished, priceless. I also saw David Cook, an American Idol Winner who lost his little brother to a brain tumor, run past me. He was the Honorary Chair of the Event, but is also an avid runner. Here is a photo of "Team Nancy". Ashley made us the shirts.
Yesterday, I did a 3 mile tempo run at the same pace I ran my 5K at. I was pleased to see that I could translate this speed to the treadmill. It was a great workout, too.
Today is a beautiful spring day. I plan to go out for an easy run around the neighborhood. I think I deserve it. Just a run to enjoy the day and get some exercise.
Saturday, it's off to Nashville. I'm toying with the idea of running the Country Music Half Marathon next year. I ran 7.2 miles of the course when I was out to visit Jessica at Easter. I hope to run the other half of the course, this visit. I'm not sure I'm ready for such a hilly and long event, but it's a year away. I wasn't even running this time last year so who knows!
No comments:
Post a Comment