2015 Resolutions: Mid-Year Check-In

I made me some resolutions (slash to-do list) way, way back 6 months ago. Let's see how they're panning out.


1. Have baby, name the baby!
Done, and done! I had said in January that naming was harder than birthing, but I got a stubborn one who had to be induced at nearly 2 weeks late. Named in about an hour after birth, little Audrey Francine has been a pretty awesome baby so far.

2. Still be pumping at work a year from today.
As much as I was dreading pumping, I'm doing great! And I don't dread it. I got my routine down and my supply is doing beautifully. I can pump out her full 4oz. feeding in less than 15 minutes usually (and in my first morning session, it's more like 6oz.) It's too early to say, but I think I'll make it the year.

3. Decorate Cora's room.
Done! The only thing missing is the curtains that I haven't made yet. B has contributed, too. Her room runs really hot in the summer and he bought these tinting decal sticker thingies for the window that have really helped!

4. Read 12 books.
Well, I thought I wasn't on track because my book club read the same book for 6 months (which did not help light any fires under my bum), but actually I've finished exactly 6!

My book list so far, and I'm currently reading another two:

1. Drop Dead Healthy by A.J. Jacobs
2. The Beginner's Photography Guide by Chris Gatcum
3. Marriage: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures by Amber Dusick
4. Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella
5. Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
6. Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

And yeah, 2 of those (numbers 3 and 5) are sorta what I call "throwaway books" that I read in like a day. Totally counting them.

5. Run ONE race.
I have gone running once so far since giving birth (one mile, and it was S L O W), so I'm sorta on track! I think my goal is to run the River City Rat Race in October.

6. Host 4 dinners at our house.
We've had one. And does Cora's birthday party count? Or hosting Book Club? (Things to ponder.) My sister and her family and my parents are coming in town this week and we're having a baptism party, so I think I'll count that somehow as another.

7. Learn how to use my fancy camera.
I read the photography book, sorta figured it out but still haven't invested the time or energy to do everything on manual. But I do know my other settings pretty well and have gotten decent shots.

Taken a few months back while Cora ate a snack and I messed around with manual settings.

8. Get that blasted passport already.
Still need a push on this. Maybe we just need to plan a trip to Canada so I get it done.

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Basement Update:
And this was on last year's list, but it keeps evolving, so I thought I'd share. I had the goal to clean/fix up the basement back in 2014.

Before everything, here was what we were working with:





Yikes.

Mid-year check-in (a year ago from now) it looked like this:




Nice, right? Except then life happened.

End of the year, it looked like this:




And now, thanks to my wonderful husband, it looks like this!

I had no idea we had beanbag chairs until I took this picture. Where did they come from?

Yep, B's homework table is still there. And the beach chairs stay . . . We'll get a couch eventually.

So those are my goal updates. I think I have a good chance of hitting them all within the next 6 months. How are you doing with your goals?

Race Recap: Gallopping Gobbler 4-Mile

My first Thanksgiving Day race! (And possibly my last?) It was cold. Like, under 30°F. I ran a race last March in this type of weather, but I wasn't pregnant then. Or trying to keep my mother warm.

Oh, have I mentioned how awesome my mom is? I figured I would be going to this race solo, but my mom was in town for the holiday and wanted to support me. She didn't run or walk it, and I wasn't even going to suggest it to her. I did loan her a pair of fleece-lined leggings, since her Georgia version of 'winter attire' was quite lacking. Mom luckily got to stay inside a warm building for most of the time I was running.

Only picture you can even tell I was pregnant. (I could tell because I the blue shorts I had wanted to wear don't fit over my fat butt any more!)  A day shy of 21 weeks.

As for the race event, it was . . . eh. It was so bare-bones. "Packet" pick-up consisted of your bib and a t-shirt that didn't even have the year on it (very possibly re-used from last year). But I did get to pick between pink and gray. There was organization to the race, but it kinda felt like the guy in charge just isn't interested any more. (He didn't cash my check for nearly a month, so I was starting to think it got lost in the mail.) The post-race food consisted of a long line with only a bottle of water and some nasty "corn cake" (think rice cake but Indiana-style) sample. Blech. I think all the fastest people got bagels and fruit or something, but I guess they ran out for all of us 'slow' people. (Um, I still finished in the top half! Color me unimpressed.)

Oh, how pregnancy changes things.
I definitely would have been in the next corral up a year ago.

The course, however, was beautiful. We ran about a mile down a street, and then turned into a large cemetery. There were about 5,000 people doing this race (both the 4-mile and 15K races started shared a start and the first 3 miles), so you could see a whole train of people snaking through gentle rolling hills of the cemetery. It was mostly quiet, even though I had my music playlist running. I felt pretty good the whole time, minus some tightness in the bottom right of my baby bump. I couldn't figure out if it was round ligament pain or a stitch-in-the-side. Could have been both, honestly. I just put some pressure on it and mostly ran through it except for one small part of a hill in mile 3.

Fun race story: I overheard a conversation from two 20-something gals behind me. One was saying how she and another buddy come to this cemetery and run all the time. "Yeah, it's beautiful. And there's never anyone here." I turned back and threw in my 2 cents, "Except for all the dead people."

Nary a chuckle. C'mon, that totally deserved a chuckle.

About to cross that finish line!

My final stats for this one:
Chip time: 42:48
Age Group Place: 50 out of 135
Overall: 1192 out of 2495

The website put my pace based on the gun time, which is stupid, so I looked it up on whatsmypace.com (love that site!), and it was 10:42/mi. Not great, but not shabby.

While I was happy to run this race, I was probably even more happy to finish it. Winter running is not my cup of tea. At all. (I don't even like tea, so is anything really my cup of tea?) If I do another Thanksgiving Day race, it most likely won't be this one. I think I would have been happier at a smaller race and a shorter distance.

Race Recap: Matthew 25 5K

This is the first race that I've done 2 years in a row. It felt different, even though it was the exact same course. I have made a running buddy in the past few months, and I convinced her to do this one with me. I told her about my success last year, since it's such a small race, so we were both out to win! (We're in different age groups, thankfully.)

Running the same course 2 years in a row is actually really nice since I could compare my time against the exact same thing and see improvement.

The weather was great (actually a bit cold, even though it's July), and I felt like I got a decent warm-up in. We were waiting at the line for probably less than 2 minutes before the horn went off for the start. No fanfare, just start. Even though it was shoe-chipped, it's such a small race that there's no chip time vs. gun time kinda thing. So it was very good that my friend and I basically had our toes on the starting line.

I know that my friend is faster than me (we do longer distances together where we just chat and take it slow). My goal was to try to keep up with her, or at least keep her in my line of sight. We stayed together for about the first three-quarters of a mile, and then she took her lead. Around the one-mile mark, I tried to look at my watch, but it had failed to start. Ah, well.

Right when I lost her. Those are my blue shoes and the top of my head behind her.

Around the half-way point, I realized I wasn't feeling so good, with some uh...bathroom issues going on. (I'm not going to delve any further into this one.) I just tried to chug along as best I could, willing myself to go faster if anyone passed me. I got passed a lot because I obviously started out way too fast. I had my headphones in and tried my best to let the music motivate me.

The good news is that I shave a minute off my time from this course last year!

My final time was 27:12 (last year's time was 28:17)

Unlike last year, however, I did not win my age group. But I came in 2nd!!

Here's a not-so-great pic of me receiving my trophy

There were 5 ladies in my age group, and once I saw the 1st-placer get her trophy, I remembered her passing me in the third mile. I tried to keep up, but she ended up beating me by 13 seconds. I came in 24th overall, out of 113.

Aside from my race, the best part of the day was that my running buddy WON the race! Top Female Finisher! She got a much cooler trophy that a local metalworker/artist made. It was super heavy!

Doing a race with a friend was great! I hope to do some more with her again, but maybe I'll just not try so hard to keep up in the beginning.

7 Quick Takes From the Lake

Actually being hosted at Svellerella this week, and I don't think you'll be disappointed by taking a gander at that lovely blog.

--- 1 ---

We're at the lake right now!* Hooray! (I just got the Blogger app and am giving mobile blogging a whirl. Any suggestions for apps very welcome because I'm having a hard time with pictures on this one.)

*Okay, actually I had SO much problems with four (four!) different blogging apps that I am now back home with an actual computer finishing this post up. APP SUGGESTIONS MANDATORY.

Oh, and then I'm going to the Brickyard 400 in Indy on Sunday (weather permitting, I suppose). My first car race! Ear plugs have been bought.

--- 2 ---

Hey, did you know that it's NFP Awareness Week?

In case you didn't know, I've never taken any form of birth control, and I learned Natural Family Planning (NFP) during our engagement. I learned all about my fertility and my cycle, and we have used that knowledge to both avoid and attain pregnancy. Knowing all of this stuff about when I ovulate and how my body shows signs of that has been so powerful. It makes me mad that I didn't learn this stuff in 7th grade health class.

--- 3 ---

There have been a lot of great NFP Awareness week posts, and I haven't read most of them. However, I did read this one by Kendra and it struck a chord with me. We are currently trying to have another baby, and it has been much slower-going this time around.

--- 4 ---

Speaking of being at the lake, I caught this little guy today.

I've only been fishing like 3 times in my entire life, so I was excited.

--- 5 ---

The other day, I posted this picture and explanation on Facebook:

Okay mommy (and daddy) friends: we need advice. Every time we put her down for nap or night, even when she's dog-tired, she spends at least an hour destroying the place and climbing up the window. At least she found the bed again today; we usually have to move her from the floor. I really don't want to put the front rail back on. This has been going on for weeks now. What to do?

We got some really great responses, but all we have really done so far is remove all the clothes from the dresser, and the glider and ottoman have been moved out. (The glider was actually becoming a safety hazard because she pulled it over one night and was sitting on top of the over-turned chair when I checked on her. Yikes!)

I'm very open to more suggestions and we'll come up with a plan to start implementing next week. Yes, the bookshelf is built-in. Yes, we have a consistent bedtime and naptime routine (the same routine, both times). Yes, she has a consistent bedtime. Yes, she will be getting a twin bed soon, but probably not for another few weeks.

--- 6 ---

I got to cross something off my running bucket list the other day. I showed up for the weekly pub run at the running store, and they were doing a prediction run! That means you predict your time, and the closest to it wins! [No watches, no phones, no music allowed.] You can win the whole thing without having to be fast!

I yanked this from the store's FB account; this is from a pub run I went to back in June.
I'm to the right of the girl in the yellow headband.

Well, I didn't win. I actually finished a good 30 seconds under my prediction. The winners finished closer to 2 seconds off theirs. But it was a lot of fun! And we got free sandwiches afterward, so I was a happy girl.

--- 7 ---

I'm in an awesome book club here in Fort Wayne, but July kinda snuck up on us, so we had craft night instead. It was great!

We all sewed these grocery bag holders (with a machine that someone brought), and I'm so proud of mine.

Isn't she pretty?

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Race Recap: Nun Run 5K

Who could resist a race with a name like Nun Run/Brother Boogie? I couldn't, that's for sure.

This race was about 20 minutes away in a small city called Huntington, former long-time residence of Dan Quayle. I have only been out there one other time, and it felt like stepping into a different world even though it's so close. The run was at and benefited St. Felix Oratory, a Catholic retreat center and home to nuns and monks or something like that. (More info on the place, if that's your thing.)

Anyway, the building was beautiful, and the day was gorgeous as well. They even got this group picture before we started.

I'm somewhere in this picture. I still haven't figured out where.

The 5K and 10K started simultaneously but on opposite sides of the building. I started off good, toward the front. We ran around this pretty lake and then ran on the side of a road that had NOT been blocked. So yeah, cars going by on a 2-lane road with no shoulder. Whatever. They had warned us, and told us to be safe.

I was feeling pretty good about halfway through mile 2 until we started running up the biggest hill I have seen in the entire state of Indiana. It reminded me of my hometown in Georgia and not in a good way. Of course my pacing song was set to come on during that. Yeesh.

I don't remember any big downhills. After the big hill, we ran around mowed paths through grassy fields. Can't lie, it was kinda boring. I saw a sign for mile 3 and started to push a little harder for the final 0.1. But the course kept going. And going. Winding this way and that way, with the finish line in sight for some of it. That was wayyyy longer than 0.1 at the end. Finally made it to the finish line, and sprinted next to a gal I figured was in my age group and I needed to beat. (I did, by a second.)

After the race, there were not only the requisite bananas, but cookies and chocolate milk! I've only ever heard about chocolate milk for much longer races (half-marathons and such), so I kinda felt like a big deal. Nice touch, even if it was donated (it was).

I finally made a race friend during the after party as well! I had been trying to catch up to this one lady and never was able to, so I told her. (Running pick-up lines, anyone?) She was in her 40's and ended up winning her age group. We chatted for a bit, and I'll probably be seeing her at some other races. Maybe I'll catch up to her then!

My time was 27:46, which is way worse than what I did the previous week.

I came in 29th overall and 3rd place out of 22 in my F 20-29 age group. I stayed around for the awards, but they only gave awards to top 2. I cheered on my new pal, though!

B and Cora did come to the race, but B was in a bad mood the whole time and didn't take any pictures. He apparently hates coming to races to chase after Cora, and his bad attitude was actually affecting me during the race. I won't be inviting him to any more. I'm working on making some friends who actually want to run the race.

But at least I got this awesome shirt.

No actual nuns in habits were seen on race day.

Race Recap: Frontier Run n' Fun 5K

This past Saturday, I did my 2nd race of the year, the Frontier Run n' Fun. There was both a 10K and a 5K option that started at the same time. I chose the 5K.

B was out of town for the weekend, so I got his aunt and uncle to come and wrangle the toddler. After seeing it would be kinda cold in the morning, his aunt called me up the night before and asked if I just wanted to drop Cora off at their house. I declined and convinced them to come. I knew it would be in the 40's and that's not too cold for Cora, and goshdarnit, I didn't want to go do a race by myself again! I didn't tell them that last part, but I knew Cora would wear out her batteries faster running around outside. Plus, I heard there would be a bouncy-house.

Anyway, it was a well-done race with decent course markings since both races were on the same route for the first 3 miles. At the start line, a guy tried to tell us about something that was in our race packet that looked kinda like a shoe chip (it was bib-chipped, and that thing was just a trinket), but NO ONE could hear him (no megaphone or anything).

B's uncle took a pic of the start line.
Definitely a small race, just under 350 racers for both races combined

I started out WAY too fast because I was fiddling with my mp3 player. Next time I need to remember to take my setting off 'random' before the race. Sigh. I have been doing speedwork about once a week since March, and I have been doing longer runs lately. I also timed myself for just a one-mile run (7:40) to see my potential. My goal for this race was under 27 minutes. My ultimate goal is to get under 25 minutes on a 5K. I have also been able to ditch the knee brace! So far, it's been going okay without it.

Volunteer photographer posted race photos on FB!
This was somewhere in the first mile

The course was interesting--it was road, sidewalk, then some gravel trail with giant puddles to dodge, then a mowed path through grass, and a small uphill. We don't have a lot of hills here in Indiana, so that hill was rough! There was no marking for mile 1, but I looked at my watch at mile marker 2 and saw that I was under 17 minutes. That's fast for me! The second mile of this race was probably the first time I've ever consciously told myself to go faster during a race. Apparently it worked.

Coming through the finish chute

I finished proudly with a new PR of 26:14.

Our bibs also got us some lunch and beer. I gave the beer to B's uncle and chowed down the sandwich myself. B's aunt and uncle left shortly after, and I waited around for results since I had a hunch.

Hunch was correct: First place in F 25-29! (9 racers in my division.) I came in 36th place overall, out of 159 5K runners.

I won a plaque and a $20 gift card to the running store. I need new shoes, so that will help a bit!

I found I really liked doing the 5K so I could watch the first place 10K finisher come in. I usually never get to see the 1st-place finishers at races, so that was really neat for me (especially after B's "chased by a dinosaur" comment from the last race). I'm doing another 5K/10K combined next week, so I'll be sure to cheer on the top finishers.

One turn left to go!

This was a great race, and between the lunch and the prize money, I basically made back my entry fee. I'll be doing this one again!

7QT: Lazy Marathons, Tortoises, Lamb Chop Selfie

--- 1 ---

In major life-altering news that I have not disclosed on the ol' blog yet, my husband quit his job. He needed out, for various reasons that are not my business to disclose here, but he is definitely going to get his Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering with his GI Bill. However, his timeline for that is still up in the air, thanks to the Navy Reserves. He has one week left, but now we both are applying for jobs. I have no idea what our life will look like in a month or so, but we'll figure it out. If anyone needs an electrical engineer/marketing specialist/admin assistant/budgeting class instructor, just holler at La Casa W.

--- 2 ---

A few online friends and I decided to run a "lazy gal's marathon" in May. The goal is to RUN 26.2 miles between May 1st and May 20th. I'm at 12.3, so I guess I'm almost where I need to be right now. I have a 5K next Saturday, too, and I can't wait!

My 5K prep will look like this but with much less clothes and snow.

I also ran with a buddy for the first time since high school last week. It's a girl (woman? when do you switch over? she's 35?) I met through our kids' gymnastic class a month or so ago. It was so great chatting and getting to know her that our 30-minute run turned into a 40-minute one. We'll definitely be doing that again!

--- 3 ---

It was really cold and windy out during that run with the friend, and I decided at the last minute to wear an ear-warmer over the headband that I already was wearing. Well, somehow I LOST my favorite headband. It's a Sweaty Band that B gave me for Christmas (those things are not cheap!). I was so bummed, so I went back to look for it. I ended up walking over a mile [even though I was 99% sure it came off during our cool-down] and asking the few joggers out there if they had seen it.

I finally gave up, went back into the Y, and asked the front desk if anyone had turned it in. They had! I kinda wonder if it was there before I even went back out to look for it. Next time, I will ask FIRST before walking a mile in the wind and cold. Lesson learned.

--- 4 ---

One more take about running, I promise. I decided to run JUST ONE MILE this morning before Zumba so I could see my time. I run 9-10 minute miles when I do longer runs, but I have some goals to reduce that, so I definitely needed to see the potential. 7:40. Pretty sure the last time I did that was 8th grade. (I came in 2nd place on Olympic Day. That ribbon hung proudly in my room for many years.)

--- 5 ---

Hey, I heard you like tortoises, so here's a picture of 2 people on a fake tortoise while 2 tortoises walk around in the back ground.

--- 6 ---

Can I rave about my cell phone company just one more time? I promise I'll shut up about it after this. I am loving Ting. And I still haven't actually paid a bill! Somehow I amassed $100 worth of referral credits (in addition to my $25 signup bonus), and that has paid for FOUR MONTHS of smartphone service for B and me. I have like $1.81 left to use on May's bill, too. Unless you want to sign up, that is. Hint hint, nudge nudge.

--- 7 ---

My book club has officially decided to read Something Other Than God for our June meeting! I started it this morning, after patiently waiting because I refuse to read more than one book at a time now (after last year's issue with never actually finishing any books) and hadn't finished our previous book (Strange Gods by Elizabeth Scalia, since I know you're wondering). I have a hunch this one won't take me the whole month to read. As I've learned lately, I'm a sucker for a good conversion story.

Here is my official #SOTG selfie:

That is my Lamb Chop puppet from when I was a kid!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Race Recap: 5-Kilt Run

I braved the cold for my first race of the year!

The 5-Kilt Run was part of the Fort Wayne Get Green festivities, sponsored by our professional firefighters. Obviously, by the name, you were supposed to wear a kilt or at least be festive for St. Patrick's Day.

I'm basically too much of a cheap-ass to buy something I'll only wear for 30 minutes and sweat in, so this was the best get-up I could muster:

The socks are more of a yellow, but they were necessary as none of my running socks were tall enough to reach where my leggings stopped. I'm actually wearing these over my fancy Balega running socks. And I'm holding my gloves in my left hand (in the pic above) because they got too hot about a mile in and my hands were getting clammy (at least I expected this).

Cora helped me stretch before the race

As for the race itself, this is the first time I've had a mental battle going on during one. The first mile was mostly in the shade, and it was COLD. I had a mild stitch-in-the-side and was really not very happy about the race at that point. There was also ice on the course. They warned us about it beforehand, they tried to salt it, but I still had to slow down and even had a slight foot slip on one part (kinda scary!).

We had run into B's cousin before the race, and one of my goals was to beat her. Mind you, I knew nothing about her running--no clue how fast she was, and I didn't even see her the entire time I was on the course, but it helped to just have some type of goal in mind.

I put my pacing song ("We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift) in the mix as song #4, so hopefully it would hit around just before the halfway mark. The course wasn't marked very well, so I have no idea where the mile splits were or how I paced. But darn if that song didn't help me out! The first time I checked my watch was around the 17 minute mark, and knew I was at least halfway there.

My cheering squad. Apparently they were handing out the hats.

I came down the home-stretch, yelled at Cora so she would see me, and did my best to sprint my finish. It was probably more of a stumble, to tell the truth. I was so glad to be done.

But my time? 27:16  PR!! By a minute!

[315th/901 overall, 25th/133 in my age group]

I just looked up my pacing song and it turns out it paces to a 7:24 mile. I had been running 9-10 minute miles on my practice runs, with an occasional 8:40ish. This whole thing has inspired me. B thinks I should just put my pacing song on loop, but I think I'm going to go full-force with actual speed work on the track. I'll be running a race in May and the new goal is under 27 minutes, with a long-term goal of under 25. Although I might just try B's suggestion eventually if I get to a certain point--that would get me down to under 23 minutes, which just seems unfathomable right now.

It turns out that B's cousin finished well after me (by almost 5 minutes), and he even went back with Cora and cheered her on while I did some recovery stretching. (I should probably pick a different target next time, eh?)

After the race, the firefighters turned our mucky brown river into a mucky brown river with some bright green in it.

And Cora met Johnny Appleseed and screamed.

I used to be scared of animatronics at Chuck E Cheese, so she is definitely my kid.

Quote of the day, from B: "You should have seen the guy who finished in first place. He came through like . . . like he was being chased by a dinosaur." (Sounds like a good theme for my next 5K. Fort Wayne Dinosaur Chase. Who's in?)

Pushing Myself In My 30th Year

It's my 30th year of life (I'll hit the big three-oh on June 1, fyi), and I'm trying to get myself out of my comfort zone and push my limits. I did that twice this weekend.

If you had asked me to run outside in cold weather a year or two ago, I would have said, "No way, no how, forget it!" But that was before I fell in love with running.

I decided back in late January that I should sign up for a 5K in March. I missed the 'race atmosphere.' And it would hopefully be warmer then! The more snow I shoveled, the more I looked forward to March. The race is a St. Patrick's Day one on March 15th, and people are encouraged to wear kilts!

Well, it turns out we shovel snow in March just like every month that might border on winter. (I did know this based on last year, but I had hope!) Although I am seeing a trend toward a bit higher averages. As in high 20's vs. 18°.

So back to March 15th. That's in less than a week! And, sure, I've been running. Inside, on an indoor track at the Y. I finally had to make the executive decision that the weather probably ain't gettin' better in a week, and I better get my butt out there! I had to go to the local running store the other day to get a few things to help. (Who said running was a frugal thing?? That ear warmer cost almost as much as my race entry!)

I suited up yesterday afternoon, walked out our front door, and I did it! 3.1 miles in our neighborhood. It was about 31° at the time. Sure, I had some annoyances since I'm used to minimal loose-fitting clothing when I run (mostly that I had to keep pulling my Under Armour shirt down), but overall it was good. I had to stop and walk a few times due to some other issues, but it wasn't because of the cold. I don't really love the feeling of my ear buds underneath my ear warmer, but listening to the "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" podcast was the best thing to keep my mind off the cold and not worry about pacing. My run was slow, almost 5 minutes longer than I usually run a 5K. I was previously scared of the burning in my lungs, but I didn't really feel it. The sun was shining and beautiful, and I think it helped a lot. I even saw a woman out for a walk, bundled up with a scarf covering her mouth, and she gave me a wave. I felt like I just joined some type of crazy Midwestern bad-ass club!

The other thing I did this weekend to push myself? Auditioning. They scare me. I've mentioned I'm a singer on this blog here and there, but I have only posted videos of me singing within a choir or something from 10 years ago. I'm not some belting Broadway star, sorry. Actually I'm NOT sorry because I know that is not where my voice sounds best.

My audition was to sing the national anthem at a minor league baseball game. And as I continue to push myself, I might as well share my version on my blog. I'll find out in a week or so if I got it, but I heard some other auditions while I was there and let's just say there is some fierce competition in this town!

(This version is from Thursday, which was the first day after I had recovered from my illness enough to even hit every note. But I don't feel like doing another take, so there ya go.)

When I Fell In Love With Running

It's been a long up-and-down journey for me with running. I don't jump in to anything very quickly, and

In high school, I ran cross-country for one season, and one season only. I mostly did it to stay in shape for soccer season. I didn't mind running after a ball, but running the neighborhood streets in our very hilly part of Georgia ended up not being something I really enjoyed. I joined the Quiz Bowl team the following year instead of the Cross Country team. That was also the same year I ended up screwing up my knee in a soccer game, trying to brush it off, which then landed me in a few months of physical therapy.

I ran some races here and there for next few years, mostly for charities I was involved in. I was never really 'ready' for any of those. My senior year of college, my roommates asked if I wanted to go running at the trails behind the intramural fields a few times a week before class. I actually liked those trail runs a lot, until I eventually tripped on a root and sprained my ankle. I learned that sprained ankles can take almost 6 months to heal fully, and I was no exception.

Fast forward a few more years and I made a list of 101 goals to accomplish in 1001 days. One of my goals was to do the entire Couch-to-5K program, and then run a 5K without walking any of it. After I had my miscarriage, I decided it was then or never. I did the program, running with no music and holding my husband's watch in my hand so I could know when to run and when to walk. I dug out my knee brace when I realized that my knee was hurting for the next 24 hours after a run. But I wanted to finish what I started. I ran the Fiesta 5K through the streets of Pensacola, and then got pregnant the next day (or something like that).

Combine Florida summer humidity with pregnancy, a bad knee, and someone who wasn't full sold on running, and I just flat-out stopped. I did the elliptical throughout my pregnancy. It wasn't until after my kid was weaned that I became a bit more serious about running again.

It probably helped that there is a fabulous trail system here in Fort Wayne. And that our YMCA was smack-dab in the middle of a 1.5-mile loop of trail. The child-watch policy was cool with you going out there as long as you left your phone number. So 3 times a week last summer, I would drop Cora off, do some stretching inside the Y, and hit the trail with phone in hand. I started with 1 mile. Then I just tacked on more and more distance each time. I just ran as far as I could and tracked it on RunKeeper when I got home. I got new shoes, an mp3 player, a pink sports watch, and I was feeling good.

I signed up for one race. Then another. And another. I even won my division in a small one. I decided to end my season with a 4-mile race, my longest distance. The Fort4Fitness 4-mile race is actually where I decided that I loved running.

I had read some of the policies for the race, and it seemed they frowned on listening to music during it. So I decided I wouldn't. I would just enjoy the camaraderie of the biggest race in town. I remember being in line for the bag check when I overheard a girl tell her friend, "Well, I hate running, so I need music so I can take my mind off of it." I didn't say it aloud, but all I could think was that I'm pretty sure I said the exact same thing 6 months ago.

But during that race, somewhere among the rhythmic shuffling of everyone's shoes pounding the pavement, the dad behind me giving encouraging words to his daughter, the chalk art beneath my feet, and the chain of musings running through my own head, I found this thought bubbling to the surface: Hey, this isn't so bad. Actually, I kinda like this. Running has kept me motivated all summer, given me stories to tell, and provided me the time to think through all the junk in my head. Perhaps I won't take the winter off. Maybe I even love this? And maybe I could push myself even harder eventually.

It took 29 years, but I was finally ready to call myself a runner.

Race Recap: Fort4Fitness 4-Miler

This is the race I've basically been training all summer for. And it finally happened. And it was just as awesome I was hoping!

The race was back on September 28, but right after it happened we drove up to South Bend for the Notre Dame football game, then a few days later we headed off on a multi-state adventure. We're busy people!

I was looking forward to this race because I'd heard a lot a talk about it around town. There were actually FIVE different races as part of the event, but I chose the 4-mile race because I'm not quite ready for (or even sure I want to attempt) a 10K. There was also a half-marathon, but that's not even on my radar--I only get 2 hours of child-watch per day at the Y, so it's not even feasible.

A picture of the finish line I took the day before at packet pick-up

When I signed up for the race, I was asked my pace since they did corral starts. I put down a 9:30 pace, and noticed that my bib told me to go to Corral C. I figured the corrals were just big or something, because that pace isn't very fast. I got the corrals, and saw N and O at the back of the line. Seriously, I was right up front! Corral A was wheelchairs, so I was actually in the second corral! (I guess it technically was a Run/Walk, and I suppose there were a lot of walkers?) They did a little opening ceremony with a gal singing the national anthem, some minister did a prayer, and we had a countdown a canon-fire start. Then we were off!

Running through downtown Fort Wayne--fall colors starting to emerge!

The race had a pretty cool route. We raced a bit through downtown Fort Wayne, then through some old neighborhoods, then finished at our minor league baseball stadium. We ran the outfield, then down the first-base line and finished on home plate (although it was covered).

Yep, running through the dirt of the outfield!

We got lots of cool swag, the best being a Vera Bradley market tote, a more mesh-y t-shirt (although mine is ill-fitting), and FREE digital pictures!! They had a handful of photographers, too, so I got some good ones!

There was a lot of energy at this race, and a lot of community involvement. There were 2 drink stations on the route, and a lot of people just outside their houses cheering for us. This was also the first race where I've ever seen ads specifically put up for the runners. It was mostly banners for other races in the coming months, but I thought that was sorta neat. My favorite on-the-route thing, though, was the decorated streets! A few of the neighborhoods chalked some motivational messages for us to run over. Most were around the 3-mile mark, which is where we definitely needed it.

My favorite picture of me running EVER! Also how neat is it that our names were on our bibs?

I ran the whole race sans music. Mostly I listened to the pitter-patter of everyone else's feet (which was actually very cool to hear), but I also got to hear what I assume was a dad/daughter pair behind me. The dad was doing a really good job motivating the girl, and it was helping me out as well! They were right behind me for at least 2 miles but I lost them at a water stop I think. I never did get a good look at the girl, but thanks Dad!

I sprint my finishes. Can you tell?

The best part of this race, however, was finishing it! The whole point of this thing was to just get more people into fitness around here, so they did darn near everything to make you feel like a queen for accomplishing it. And hey, 4 miles is actually the longest race I've ever done, so I was okay with that! As I came down that stretch toward the finish, the baseball announcer said MY NAME over the PA system! And he said it in the style of a baseball announcer. It was cool! I also had signed B up to get a text when I finished (he stayed home again), and that was nice because I also could see my time (it was a second or two off, but still).

So yes yes, I should tell you my time, pace, and place, shouldn't I?
My time for this 4-mile race was 37:16. My goal was to be under 38, so I was very very happy with this! That's a pace of 9:19, which is way under what I was doing in practice runs. (I'm still convinced that races mark the courses short.)

My standings: I came in 293rd place overall out of just over 3600 runners! And I came in 18th in my division out of 286! I'm quite pleased.

Tough, but fun. Maybe I'll do it again next year?