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| Before - Freezing
By this point we are in month 2 of WOGSTRONG 2013… Signed up
for a smaller local 5K called “Run the Reagan” (held on a section of a 6 mile
highway in the county we live in) We are wogging 3 times a week, after work,
before dinner and while our sons are at wrestling practice) However we are
still on week TWO of our Couch to 5K program (8+ weeks in, yep we’re animals) …
we love the APP, have certain suggestions we’d like to make to the company, but
even still we use it religiously. Our “coach”
on the app is a British Woman, who we call Fat Amy…. Because I’m pretty sure
the voice over person just sat and ate donuts while she recorded all her
phrases! Amy helps us through each run
with a “that’s it, 15 seconds to go” and a “almost there” or “halfway there!” Every bit of encouragement helps, however I personally think when she says “45
seconds left” she waits about 80 before saying “that’s it, walk now” at least
that’s how it feels. Even still we have become extremely dependent on Amy for
our Wogging sessions and don’t leave home without her.
Preparation: We were
doing better, actually running ALL our sessions with Amy, so we were in check
as far as physical training. We both
started making changes in our diets…. I made radical changes in January…
eliminated starchy carbs, eating low fat, low calories and much smaller
portions than I had been… I thought I’d lose weight fast, I didn’t. I had to eat right for 4 weeks before a pound
came off. I was frustrated with the numbers, but I felt better. I no longer felt gross and blaa after eating! As far as our appearance for the race Elise
and I decided to resort to our roots and dress/costume for this race. I joked
that seeing it was a Presidents day race and we were running on the Reagan,
that we should dress as Ron and Nancy Reagan and pass our Jelly beans, but we
figured no one would know who we were dressed as and if we dropped Jelly Beans
there could be cartoon like madness on the race route! We decided to stick with
American Flag theme! I was personally frustrated that EVERY store in the mall
had British flag shirts, pants, earrings, but nothing American. We managed to find one store that had silk
flag scarves and we went with those, got red and blue running skirts and
jackets from Walmart and USA tiaras from the party store….we wanted flag leg
warmers and searched high and low (Have since found some) but in a crunch we
bought soccer socks and cut the toes out to make leg warmers out of them.
Layered on top of my sports tank, TWO running bras, a fleece lined buff and a
pair of mittens I was ready. So we had
our outfit prepped and our bodies ready, mostly.
Packet pick: up was a couple days prior at a local Sporting
goods store, fast in and out, Small race, no lines, easy peasy!
Race day: Seeing the race was 12 miles from my door we weren’t
worried about major traffic or parking issues, our only worry is that it was
now cold. COLD! Temp in the 30’s and the wind was horrible, cut straight
through our clothes, but we had just the right amount that we didn’t freeze pre-race
and were just right on the run… ear coverage is a must for me, the wind in my
ears causes serious aches! Because I was
more relaxed and the race started later in the morning I thought it’d be safe
to eat a banana before heading out! My 16 year old went along to cheer us on
aka hold our stuff and possible pick up a cute girl while there! On arrival the
music was pumping, people warming up/huddled in groups to keep from freezing. The
three of us danced in place until the start to keep from freezing up and there
were even people there in shorts! (another sign runners are a little crazy)
There weren’t corrals
for this race, everyone was in one group for the 5K, TONS more personal space
while standing waiting for the start compared to the Hot Chocolate run last
month. Looking around I was far less judgmental, you’d be surprise how many
people can run faster and further than I
can, the only thing I thought was “why does that dude have a GoCam strapped to
his chest while we merely run down the straight highway, weird” We were far less nervous this go round, after all we have Fat Amy and
my son at the finish line. The mc calls
the Race’s start and we start our 5 minute warm up walk. Doing good, really cold, but really well. Ran
our first 5 sessions, not a hitch as we hit the halfway point we pass a girl
singing “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” and pumping her fist at the
sky… we cross the median/halfway point to head back… feeling so excited to be
where we are and then it happens I dropped my iphone. I dropped Amy. (I’ve dropped my phone a million times and
never had an issue, til this day) the next 3-5 minutes were up hill and I wogged
and tried to get my phone to boot back up…It came on and then shut off
immedietly . I shook my phone, squeezed it and tried again, it turned on and I clicked
on Amy and she turned off again…”No Amy, NOOOOOOO.. you can’t quit on us now” it was like a movie when the person gets
tunnel vision, the road ahead looked 100 miles long and ALL up hill (I only had
a mile and a half to go, but it was all up hill) Elise tried to be cheerful,
but I could tell she was scared too. It was like all rational thought was gone,
I didn’t know to stop, sit down, go the other direction, without Amy we were
lost. Elise said “we’ll just run to that
sign” and “we’ll just run for 45 seconds, I’ll count it out in my head” we
stayed strong an pressed on!
 
As if I wasn’t in a
panic enough and mourning the loss of Amy, IT hit me….the banana! Not a thought, the
feeling…. All the sudden I had to GO. (Yep, that’s another fun and interesting
runner tip… if you have food in your system, and you haven’t pooped before you
run, running can make things move, faster.) So Elise is saying “we’ll just run to that
sign” and I’m tightening every muscle in my body and I say “I can’t” In her uber sweet way she says “Yes you can,
you’ve done this before” and I say “NO, I can’t I’m trying not to crap myself”
to which Elise says, “I totally understand that” and she stops pressing…. I
walk, hard and fast… concentrating on every muscle…. The gloves come off, literally,
I’m sweating profusely and not because I’m running! Without a phone I can’t
send the text to my husband and kids that we are almost there (who had arrived
with the littles and 2 more of our bigs) or even say have the car waiting so I can make
a mad dash to the bathroom…..but like a desert mirage we see the finish, and I decide
to pick up the pace and actually run it in (Elise left me in the dust again)….We
made it! Even bettered our time from the Hot Chocolate 5K! It was an awesome
feeling to cross the finish line and have my children and husband there! Our
celebration was short lived, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go! I can, I will, I did
and not in my pants!
 
Such satisfaction in
completing month two’s personal challenge… more lesson’s learned, Next race I WILL not eat before hand! March’s
race was 1 week away so we went to lunch at our favorite restaurant and started
planning our wardrobe for the CUPCAKE 5K, oh yeah! For those of you just
reading, I wont continue to blog 2 and 3 times a day, I am trying catch up to
present day races. I’m sorry if I’m confuing past and present tenses or talking
about we and I a lot, I’m just wanting to share the races that got us to where
we are now and where we are headed and dealing with my aches, pains and weight
all along the way. Once I catch up on posts, I’ll make more sense. Then again,
maybe I won’t!
This is my 16 year olds interpretation of my new running prowress! Love it! Me-yow!
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Tuesday, May 7, 2013
February - Run the Reagan 2013
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