One friend who I thought would commit was out of town. Forgiven.  Another signed up and then ended up out of town. Forgiven.  The others?  Who knows.  So that meant it was just me.

Really, it was a well-timed race.  I ran a 10 miler last weekend and am running another one next weekend, so I wasn’t really sure what sort of workout to do this weekend.  A 5K race seemed as good an idea as any.  And hey, a girl can always use another t-shirt.  Especially an organic cotton one.

This course was surprisingly hilly, but also nice.  It ran partway along a trail that I didn’t realize existed.  Terrible of me, given just how close it is to my apartment.  I may have to check it out again sometime.  I knew during the first mile that this was going to be a tough race.  It was an out and back and the first mile was very much downhill.  Which meant that the last mile was very much uphill.

Great race support.  Tons of volunteers dancing and cheering people on.  They seemed to be enjoying themselves much more than the runners.  Or maybe they were just trying to keep moving because of how cold it was.  When I left my apartment, it was 39 degrees out!  Not bad running weather, but I was definitely cold afterwards.

I really didn’t worry too much about time on this one.  Someday, I want to do a 5K in under 30 minutes, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon and I’m okay with that.  I finished in 32:34, only 30 seconds off my PR from a few years back.  And much better than the 5K I ran last summer with my old roommate where we ran slow and I felt gross afterwards.

I have to admit, when I saw that one of the race sponsors was Whole Foods, I was excited.  That had to mean tasty post-race food, right?  I mean, let’s be honest.  We run to eat.  And I was right.  Post race, we had water and  bananas and Clif Bars and HonestTea and VitaCoco (their van is adorable!).  Run to eat, baby, run to eat.

And then I went to Whole Foods and got breakfast, loitered in Borders for an hour or so reading triathlon books, then went and picked up my race packet for next week’s race.  April is a crazy month for me.

Somehow, I managed to convince some friends from college to run the race as well.  It’s amazing how so many of us have become runners.  The joke is that we were so lazy in college that we would order pizza rather than walk to the dining hall (which couldn’t have been a full block walk).  Now we voluntarily go out and run ten miles.

I was really hoping to finally make this the race where I finally break 1:50 for a ten mile race.  Yes.  I’m slow.  At the beginning of the year, this was a feasible goal, but after getting sick in March and getting thrown off my training schedule, I knew it wasn’t going to happen.  A PR was definitely a possibility though.

The course itself is gorgeous.  It starts and finishes near the Washington Monument and, of course, passes tons of cherry trees.  It’s a relatively flat course, and it’s always a fun race.  It’s not a huge race, but it’s a good group of people.  The course is well-staffed, and there’s always someone offering beer somewhere along the course.  This year it was beer and Oreos.  Deeeelicious. Not that I ate any.

I knew that I was the slowest of my group of friends and fully intended to finish last, which was okay by me.  I even figured I would be in the last corral.  But I was wrong!  My time from last year bumped me into the second to last corral.  A green bib at last!  I was so excited.  So we got to start together, and then promptly lost each other.  As I ran, I was checking my watch.  For the first few miles, I thought that maybe my 1:50 goal was in reach.  But as I settled into my pace, I realized it just wasn’t going to happen.  I was going to be close, but it wasn’t really doable.  That was solidified when I got stopped up at a water stop around mile 6.  I wasn’t even getting water, there was just an unusual collision of people and some girl slipped in front of me.  She was okay, but it was all a time delay.

By the last mile, I just kept chanting in my head “One more mile, less than 12 minutes to go” (knowing that my pace was closer to an 11 minute mile at that point).  And I kept counting down.  Six minutes.  Five minutes.  Three minutes.  I can do anything for three minutes.  And then it was done.

Final time?  1:51:32.  Only 92 seconds over my goal.  And a new PR!  Averaged an 11:10 pace.  Last year it was an 11:17 pace, so I’m improving.  I’ve got two more ten milers this year (one in a week!) but I think the Cherry Blossom course is going to be where I finally hit that goal, thanks to the lack of hills.  Maybe next year!

And now for the details that those of you thinking of running this race want to know.  Transportation to the race?  Easy.  Metro opens early.  Course amenities?  Water and Gatorade, pretty standard fare.  Post-race amenities?  Water, bananas, and muffins.  Again, pretty standard fare.  This year, they also offered the option to purchase a finisher’s medal (purchased when you register).  I didn’t purchase one, but I saw people wearing them and they were pretty.  The expo is small, but nice.  Good number of vendors and they do what they can to keep the lines moving.  It does get crowded picking up your number.  Not much swag involved in this race packet.  A t-shirt (that’s always horribly brightly colored) with the option of upgrading to a technical t-shirt.  Info about other races.  Nothing exciting.

All in all, I’m happy with how this race turned out.  I was nervous, knowing how slow I am and how fast my friends are, but it seemed like everyone was happy to wait for the slow runners to finish.  And that’s always nice.

I did notice that all my treadmill training has really helped me pick up my speed, but I’m no longer as comfortable on my normal hilly running route. I was getting good at modifying my pace to account for the hills, but now I find myself in or near HR Zone 5 and having to walk a bit (under a minute each time though).

I’m also trying to swim more as part of my crosstraining. I don’t use the gym as much during the summer months, so using the pool helps make me feel like I’m using my membership a little bit.

This week’s goal is to get back to regular strength training and start the hundred pushup and two hundred situp challenges.

Not too long until my half marathon.  Less than 50 days.  Unfortunately, as of Tuesday, my knee’s been a bit twingy, so I’m going to have to step back the mileage.  Down from 9 this weekend to 6.  It’s my own fault – I haven’t been doing enough strength exercise, due to the above mentioned busy.  Clearly, I should be doing more balanced workouts.  I’m hoping the relative rest, ice, anti-inflammatories, and strength work will do it.  I took a bit too much time off from running and stepped up my mileage too quickly.  I may just drop back to the Hal Higdon novice plan, which would mean not completing more than 10 or 11 miles before the race, but I’d rather be able to finish the race in no pain than be in pain just to get a good finishing time or worse, not being able to finish at all.

I’m planning to sign up for the Disneyland half marathon this fall.  It seems strange to sign up for a second race at that distance before I’ve even run one, but it would mean a third medal (for running a half marathon at both U.S. Disney parks), plus it’s the 5th anniversary of the Disneyland half, so it’s kind of a big deal.   Plus, committing to a race will keep me running through the summer heat.

Just about every weekend, I go out for a longer run.  I run in an area where I pass people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, doing all sorts of things – walking, running (both of these often with strollers or dogs or both), roller blading, biking, horseback riding, etc.  There are people of all skill levels out, and I’m often impressed by the huge packs of cyclists in their matching jerseys speeding along the road.  Personally, I would be afraid of crashing.  I don’t do well with speed outside of a car.

Today I went out for a 9 mile run, my last long run before next weekend’s 10 mile race.  Around mile 7, I passed a group of runners stretching.  And one of them had to comment.  “That chick is way too fat to run,” he said, and the others laughed.

Well first off, I was clearly running, so obviously, I’m not too fat to do it.

I’m not built like a runner.  I never will be.  I’m okay with that.  I also will never be fast.  It’s a combination of my build and my weight and a host of other factors, I’m sure, but I’m ok with not being fast.  I’m not out to win any races, and unless I’m still running in my 80’s, I have no chance of ever winning anything.

A quick glance around a popular running path will show you that runners come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are faster than others.  But they’re all out there doing something great.  I have friends who are significantly heavier than I am who could kick my ass in a race.  I have other friends who are significantly lighter than I am who couldn’t make it through half of the training run that I did today. I have runner friends who literally weigh twice what I weigh, but you know what?  They still run.

But what’s the point of making a crack at a runner who isn’t tiny and lithe?  What good does that do anyone?  I know some elites who think that allowing slow people in a race belittles the sport.  Why?  Does it make you any slower?  As long as people line up to start a race properly (fast people in the front, slow in the back), those slow people have no effect on you.  In fact, I’ve been in races where the course loops back on itself to finish where it started, which means that at some point, those leaders are going to pass the back of the packers.  And what happens then?  All those people in the back start clapping and cheering.  Because hey, that guy’s in the front, and look, there’s the lead woman.  Look at what they’re doing.  Sure, those of us at the back of the pack have no hope of ever being them, but that doesn’t mean we’re not impressed by what they’re doing.

This guy’s not going to make me stop running.  I hope he slipped in the mud and fell on his face today though.  But for a new runner, for someone just getting started and struggling to get through every workout, this might end their running career.  I’m not saying that everyone has to be nice.  Just be civil.

I’m having trouble grasping the fact that it’s September.  (And that I’ve lived here for two years – yikes.)  I’m not sure where the summer went.  Especially August. 

Oh wait.  August was the month of crazy.  My sister came to visit, and we went to museums and IKEA and ate more food than two girls should eat.  The following weekend was the celebrated Merellowicz wedding, which was probably the cutest wedding I’ve ever been to.  Sorry, other brides.  Amy’s happy bouncing during the service trumps all.  A few days after that, my parents arrived for touristing, restauranting, and football watching (Go Irish!).

And that brings us to now.  September should hopefully be a quiet month.  A lazy month.  A month of detoxing from the eating that occurred in the preceeding month.  I’m running the Army Ten Miler the first weekend of October, so I guess September will be a month of much running.  Thankfully, the weather is finally cooling off.  I don’t know how people in tropical climates manage to become runners.  They must be crazy.  Or maybe they run with portable air conditioners.  The added weight increases the benefits of the workout, after all.

I think this means I have a problem.

I spent about two hours yesterday putting together a tentative running schedule to get me through the winter and spring racing season.  Yes, I said winter and spring.  I know it’s only July 3.  I told you.  I have a problem.  Of course, I also have a big race in March that I’m really excited about.  I have this tendency to run races, then take a whole month off – so I’m hoping that creating a detailed schedule will mean that I will stick to it and not be screwed and end up with an over-use injury.  Again.

So I’m ramping up slowly.  I’m probably putting in a 6 miler this weekend, and I would like to make my base Sunday run at least 6 miles, hopefully a bit more.  It doesn’t seem like much to runners, but it seems like a lot to me!  I’ve got a good 5 mile loop that I love, so I need to figure out a good way to extend that.

I’m exciting, right?

1. The other day, a guy thought I was in high school.  I took this as a compliment and not a comment on my outfit at the time.
2. I often get confused for a college student.  I figure it’s good to look young, though it can get annoying to continually be confused for an undergraduate intern.
3. Secretly, I think I look much better than I did in college.  If nothing else, I’m much healthier.  I would have laughed at you if you told me that five years after graduation, I would be running 10 mile races.
4. I’m definitely a better person than I was in college.
5. I think I have a problem with accumulating books and dvds.  I discovered that I have over 150 books in my personal library that I have yet to read.  But my apartment is a great place to be on a rainy day.
6. I’m slightly obsessed with budgeting.  While others might point and laugh, this means that I have money to go on vacation (or buy books and dvds) and feel less stressed about the economy.  But only a little less stressed.
7. Were the economy better, I would probably quit my job in order to focus full time on job hunting.  My current job is slowly driving me crazy.  But I really like paychecks.  And health insurance.
8. I agree with Obama that D.C. has no idea how to deal with inclement weather.  But I do like that if it snows enough (read: 4 inches), my office will be closed.
9. I have four birthmarks, but I bet that my mom is the only other person who knows where all four are.  I only dislike one, and that’s because people continually think it is dirt or makeup and try to rub it off.  Some even tell me I’m wrong when I say “No, that’s a birthmark, it won’t rub off.”  Some people are not smart.
10. I bought a Wii Fit, and the people who say it’s not a workout are lying.  Okay, so you could make it very easy for yourself, but if you do the yoga and strength exercises, it’s not a bad workout.  It will never replace my 40 minute cardio sessions, but it’s a good addition.
11. I have two cats who I adore, but I really wish that the one would not insist on getting up before 8:00 every day.  Weekends are for sleeping in.  The other cat understands this perfectly.
12. I like living in D.C., but I miss Midwestern sensibilities.  I don’t miss getting stuck behind farm equipment on the road though.
13. I used to be a closet sci-fi geek.  I think it’s safe to say I’m out of the closet on that one.
14. I really miss my law school workload.  I know, it’s crazy, but I liked spending hours reading Con Law and Criminal Law and Juvenile Law.  Contracts, I don’t so much miss.
15. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.  I still think Ninja would be a good job title.  It would look sweet on a business card, that’s for sure.  
16. I get irritated by happily ever after movies, but I get mad when a movie doesn’t have a happy ending either.  I think this is a battle I will never win.
17. I sometimes wonder where I would be in life if I had followed my dreams.  Probably not as successful as I am now, but I’m not sure if that’s consolation or not.  It’s nice to have a steady job though.
18. I would like to quit my job and be a writer.  First, I need to improve my writing skills.  Or just marry a millionaire.
19. I really love to dance, and am completely awful at it, and really regret never taking dance lessons as a kid, but none of this stops me from making a total fool of myself and loving every minute of it.
20. The Giving Tree still makes me cry.
21. In high school, I played the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and I absolutely loved the looks of awe and wonder on the little kids’ faces when they came to see the show.  I felt like I really was magical.
22. I love The Muppets and am highly disappointed in the new version of Sesame Street.  Did any kid really think that it was a good idea to be like Cookie Monster and only eat cookies?  Kids are smarter than that.  Besides, he had Captain Vegetable to counter him.
23. I took the same oath for my job that Joe Biden took.  I think his job is slightly more important though.
24. I really love to bake, but I never do it because I also love to eat what I bake, and I would prefer to never have to break out the fat clothes again.
25. Making a list of 25 random things about myself was a much harder task than I thought it would be.

Back at work this week.  No one’s around, which is alternately awesome and awful.  It’s awesome because it’s quiet and non-stressful and I can do things like catch up on Holidailies.  It’s awful because it gets really boring really really fast.  There is only so much internet you can read during the day.  Well, that you can/should read at work, anyway!  Umm, not that I would read those things.  Or blog at work.  Obviously.

The break was great though.  I think I ate my weight in cheese one day.  It’s my idea of heaven.  Of course, now that I’m back, it’s back to the gym.  I signed up to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler again this year.  I’m a super slow runner and haven’t been running very much the past few months, so I need to get back into it.  January 1.  I’m going running.  My luck it will be rainy and cold, because that is what D.C. weather does.  But I despise the treadmill, and even though I’ll end up having to use it, I’m not looking forward to it.

I’m also not looking forward to the gym getting crowded after everyone starts their New Year’s Resolutions.  I like my non-crowded gym!  I’m very spoiled about things like that.

Well, perhaps I should check out the Holidailies prompts and see if there’s anything I want to write about.  Hope you all had a great holiday!

Of course, I’m also watching swimming and gymnastics and diving, sports I always love watching.

Which reminds me – has anyone heard anything about Rhythmic Gymnastics this year?  I feel like we used to see that on tv at least occasionally.  Does the sport even still exist?

I am also a little concerned with how China trains their athletes.  It sounds like kids are shipped off to training camps by the government and don’t get to see their parents.  I was saddened to hear that a number of athletes didn’t even have their parents at the games because they couldn’t afford to be there.

In non-Olympics talk, I’m almost done going back through my beginner running program.  Going back to a beginner program after being sick for so long was definitely the right plan.  It’s amazing how much I’ve progressed and how much easier it feels now.  I was really struggling when I first started back up.

Randomly, I think I bruised my thumbs assembling shelves the other day.  I think I should call in sick for a week so I can heal.  My job would totally go for that.