It's Not Good News

After my run yesterday I experienced some stinging, burning pain on the outside of my knee. With all the aches and pains I have had in this knee I hadn't really had this one before. Naturally it concerned me especially after my hubbie telling me his torn meniscus had felt that way. He had knee surgery a few years ago.

So this a.m. I decided I needed to have it checked out. Luckily I go to a medical clinic that I don't need an appointment for. During the consultation I stressed the importance of knowing what the problem is. She decided an MRI was appropriate. So I had that done this a.m. too.

If you have never had an MRI done before don't be in any hurry. Technology really is amazing but just to give you an idea of what it sounds like. Place a large pot over one of your ears and bang on it at varying speeds with a medal spoon or knife. That gives you a good idea. Plus you have to be extremely still. Also, an MRI isn't a fast test. After about 20 minutes I was about ready to go crazy.

And the diagnosis? A torn meniscus. So now I am waiting for a call from the sports clinic to see what has to be done. Ugh!!!

A Fun Run....Not!!!

After being off the last two days due to rain, Mr. Sunshine was out in full force this a.m.Was I ever so glad to see him. So, around 9:00 out I went to, hopefully, enjoy my run. Not to be had. The wind was blowing so hard, 20-30 mph gusts and I felt each and every one. If I had sprouted wings I could have flown for my exercise instead of running.

Luckily my right knee didn't bother me much but I'd say this wasn't my most pleasant run.

W Stands for Wimp

Well I hate to admit it but I've turned into a big, fat wimp. My running is suffering terribly. Or is that, I'm suffering terribly? Last week while in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving I had the privilege of running on a treadmill at my brothers house. Since returning home I have ran once in 4 days.

But in my favor I do have to admit the weather hasn't been entirely cooperative. This week we have seen chilly temps, overcast, cloudy skies and 10-20 mile an hour winds. Probably most enthusiastic runners don't see this as a problem but for me..........

Lets just say after standing on my feet all day at work, outside in this type of weather, the last thing I want to do when I get home is run. I really wish I had the motivation to just get out there and do it, but I don't. All I have wanted to do is come home from work and jump into a hot shower which is exactly what I have done.

As I am sitting here typing this now, it looks to be another day exactly like the last few. But the one good thing is I am now thru with work for the season. Hopefully, I will muster up enough motivation to get out there today.

However if I don't you'll be able to spot me in any crowd. I'll be the one wearing a big "W" on my back.

The Blackbird 5k

Sat. morning started out in the low to mid 40's, sunshine and beautiful blue skies. It was the perfect morning for a race. This one was held in Brandon, MS at the United Methodist Church. It was a benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. It's also a memorial to a former member of the church who had been a coach. His nickname was Blackbird. Even my hubbie had coached against him years ago.

In addition to the 5k a 10k and a mile fun run was being run. All in all over 250 runners participated.Before any race the setting looks much like this. Racers visiting with other racers. My last post was about reasons I run and me not being really sure why I do. One thing I am sure of is the friendships that are made before. We're not really here to compete against each other. I think our biggest opponent is the clock. The 10k racers took off about a minute before we did and then it was our turn. Luckily, the start was downhill. See the guy in front? What an awesome runner! He ran a 5:30 pace. I can't imagine it.This is the uphill that led to the finish line. Uphill finishes are no fun.But I have to say having your own personal cheerleader cheer for you is really great!In the end I finished 1st female overall again. Sweet. All that hard work does pay off. They had wanted to do a big group picture of all the overall winners but unfortunately most of them had left at the end of the awards ceremony. See the young lady standing in the red next to me. My hubbie use to coach her when she was in the 8th grade. She's real sweet. She came in second right behind me.My final time was 22:23, the same as the Wellsfest run. I was 13th overall. Even tho this run was fairly hilly I still enjoyed it.

Why Do I Run?

It seems like a simple question. Why do I not have a simple answer? I've seen and heard views from people and they all seem to know exactly why they run. Some say they enjoy the "runners high". Some say to stay in shape and lose weight.

These seem to be perfectly good reasons. I'd even venture to say these answers can apply to me as well, but I don't think they are the definitive reason. Take the "runners high" for example. Before I can say I have experienced this I would have to define it. What is it exactly? Is it a feeling of elation during the run? Is it a sense of accomplishment when finishing a training run or a race? Or maybe it's as simple as the joy one may receive while running. (For sure, that is definitely not me).

For now I'd have to say my "runners high" comes after I have completed a race and I know I gave it my all. Now don't get me wrong. I have had a few of those training runs where everything seemed to go great; it was a beautiful day, lungs and legs felt strong and I was happy just to be able to run. But unfortunately for me, those days don't come along very often.

I don't run to lose weight even though that can be a benefit. One thing I do enjoy about running is I can eat whatever I want. Granted I don't eat everything in sight and I don't overindulge in sweets.That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to.

So, I guess I don't really have a for sure answer as to why I run. Maybe it's a combination of everything I mentioned. Maybe it's because I have always been active and running comes along with that.

One thing is for sure, until I know the answer I will just keep asking myself, "Why not run"?

Sun King 5k

Saturday a.m. the alarm clock rings me awake at 5:45. I had been awake off and on for about an hour wondering if I really wanted to leave my nice warm bed to go run in the cold. Bless David's heart he gets up and goes to check the weather for me. I had told him if it was going to be windy I would not go run. Running in wind during the summer is one thing but when it is 49 degrees that's another lion.

He came back with the update telling me the stars were shining and it was 49 degrees. So, I got my self up and began to prepare for what lay ahead. I went back and forth trying to decide what to wear. In the end I decided upon a short sleeve t and a pair of shorts. But I also took a long sleeve t and the much needed cotton balls. Cold air makes my ears ache. So I have to stuff my ears with cotton.For breakfast it was the usual toast with butter but this morning I decided to add a little jelly. And to drink? Just water. Boy, does that sound good or what?!?

The race started at 8:00 so we left the house about 6:50. I would have to register once we got there since I had not done so previously. The race started at an Episcopal church in the Fondren area of Jackson. When we arrived there was lots of activity going on. Of course my nervous stomach was there with me as usual. Would I ever love to start a race without him accompanying me. I wonder what that would feel like?I was surprised to see this pic. That sneaky hubbie took it without me knowing it. No, I wasn't fixing to throw up even tho I might have felt like it. I was stretching. Have I ever learned how important that is. The start. When I am standing there waiting all I can think of is, can you just shoot the gun and lets get going!?!??As you can see, the short sleeved t idea was ditched. The air was really cool. I'm so glad I had taken the long sleeve with me. At this point I had only been running for about a minute and my brain was already revolting. A big war is raging between it and my body. Fortunately the brain didn't win or I wouldn't be typing this.The race was in a really pretty neighborhood. Love this house. Funny thing is I don't even remember seeing it during the run. Don't remember seeing the ghost in the yard either.See the ghost again? I still didn't. But what I did see was those two guys in front of me leaving me behind. Hey, wait for me!! They didn't listen very good.Still not listening. Imagine that! The guy in the white t must of slowed his pace somewhat because we ended running side by side for the last 1/2 mile.Here we are coming toward the finish line. I tried to kick it in and leave him but that wasn't happening.Oh well, I gave it all I could. He only beat me by a second. And after seeing the results I found out he's only 24. I'm old enough to be his mom. Nuff said!In the end I took 1st place female overall. Yippee!! My first win! Instead of the normal trophies this piece of stained glass was my award. Very nice and very different. In addition to the stained glass trophy I won these prizes. See the platter? I won that as a door prize. I also won two gift certificates and that really nice jacket. Wow! What a nice surprise! This is the t-shirt that every runner received. Unfortunately they had run out of my size so this one goes to my number one cheerleader. He's the best!

In the end my final time was 22:25, 35th out of 152 runners.

I think this has been my favorite race so far. The course was in a very picturesque neighborhood. It had a few small hills with lots of turns and I did notice lots of trees.

So until next time, happy running!

Staying Motivated

Staying motivated while in-between races is a hard thing for me. The training I put in during the week can get quite mundane. I would love to have a dirt trail to run on. But unfortunately I don't. So what do I do to stay motivated?
I pick up some good reading material such as books. This book is filled with helpful info such how to train for races, proper eating habits, cross-training and other useful advice.
Another book I just finished reading is this one about a woman's journey to becoming an ultra-marathoner. An ultra-marathoner runs more than the usual 26.2 marathon miles. She won the Badwater Ultramarathon race twice. This race is 135 miles and goes from Death Valley to Mount Whitney. Can you imagine!?!? She also holds the record for the first woman to run 300 miles without any sleep. Amazing!
And then magazines are filled with fun stories and useful info. I like the Womens Running since it is geared toward women but I went ahead and picked up this Runners World and am currently enjoying it.

This morning it is cooler and rainy which makes me wonder if I will be able to go out and run today. Also, this past Friday my right knee came up with a new pain. It's not unusual for me to have achy knees sometimes, but this is a different type of pain.

I have a race coming up this Sat. a.m. and am concerned that I may not be able to compete. I guess I will have to wait and see.

A Valuable Lesson Learned the Hard Way

Since I ended up unexpectedly not working today due to a.m. rain, I did my run around 1:00 p.m. It was sunny, and hotter than the 80 degrees it was. I'm so use to running either early in the morning or later in the afternoon that to run in the middle of the day throws me into a kink. It never, ever feels right or good.

But the real lesson learned today was not to eat peanut butter and graham crackers 1 hour before running. It sat really heavy in my stomach. A heavy stomach doesn't make a run much fun.

Next time I'll eat lighter or run a lot later after eating.

Thoughts of Running This Morning Quickly Ran Away

It's the kind of morning that is perfect for a race; beautiful fall blue skies, warm sunshine, temps in low 50's, what more could you ask for? This morning my body and mind asked for more sleep. So, who was I to argue with it?

Truthfully, I haven't felt good in the last couple of days. I'm not sure if I've had a sinus infection, allergies or a virus trying to take over. I just know if I had ran this a.m. I wouldn't have been able to give it my all, so I decided to skip the race. I'm glad I wasn't pre-registered for it.

So for now I'll run and train for the next race which I hope will be in a couple of weeks.

Til then, happy running!

Wellsfest 5k

After seeing a forecast of 90% chance of rain for Friday night and Sat. a.m. I was glad to get up to dry roads. I was dreading the thought of running in the rain. The race was scheduled for 8 o'clock so I got up at 5:45 a.m. for my traditional slice of toast and water. Yum, doesn't that sound good?

My stomach really didn't seem quite as nervous as usual which I think was due to hurting my back on Friday and being concerned about that. I hoped it wouldn't cause problems in the middle of the race.

On the drive down it was very cloudy and foggy. Some mist began to show up on the windshield. Thankfully, it didn't rain.

When we got to the ballparks where we thought we were suppose to park, there wasn't many runners milling around. Hmm, interesting. Come to find out we were in the wrong place. Thankfully we arrived early and quickly found the right place.At the start we were a little jammed.............but quickly we all spread out. Downhills are a wonderful way to start a race, but unfortunately what goes down, must go up. Toward the end of the race we would be headed back up this hill.

The road flattened a bit and then as we hung a left there it was. A killer hill. I was not prepared for this. For some odd reason I had it in my head this would be a relatively flat course, wrong. The hill was one of those that seemed to go on forever. I was already huffing and puffing. How was I ever going to make it? Only with the help of the good Lord above did I. Trust me, I was already begging.

In almost all the races I have ran previously I always seem to find myself running alone(with exception of the last race). And for the most part, this one was looking about the same until I heard the clomp, clomp of shoes hitting the pavement behind me.Uh-oh, where did she come from? (She) being on the right in this pic. David was standing at the corner here and yell's to us both, we are 2nd and 3rd and no one is behind us. Now (she) being on the left. Hello new racing partner! This has not ever happened before. What shall I do? Hmmm?

As you can see back up the hill from whence we came. Okay, at this point, running up a hill at the end of a race, when you are dog tired, is no fun. We continued up the hill and then took a right at the next light, down straight and then another right in to the parking lot where I knew the finish line waited.At this point, I was thinking I may have kicked(yeah, right-what kick?) too soon. But luckily I made it. Yippee!!Ah, the sweet taste of victory! I brought home the Grand Master trophy.I love receiving these but I know there is always someone who can and will beat me. I never want to take this for granted.As with all runs this is the t-shirts we received. Cute, huh?

In the end I finished 2nd female overall, Grand Masters winner and 17th out of 178 participants.

Right now I am eyeballing a race for next Saturday. Not sure if I will or not. I will just wait and see.

Another Spin in the Park

I made it to the park again today. This is my last practice run before Saturdays race. I don't know why but as soon as I start running that sick stomach feeling starts. Maybe it's adrenaline, I don't know. But I do know I wish it would go away. It stays with me the whole time I'm running and then as soon as I am finished, it's gone.

Today was another hot and muggy day but I set another PR, 21:46. Wish I could run like that on race days. But then again that is only 3 miles and not 3.1. Other than the sick stomach I felt okay with just a little tiredness. Upper thighs are no longer bothering me, yippee!

After my 3 miles of running I walked 2 miles. Thank the good Lord above tomorrow is a rest day.

My Afternoon Run

All day long I was dreading my run. Since I am now working 5 days a week again I will not be able to do my morning runs. It's back to the park and afternoons for this girl.

Weather wise it was a hot and very, very humid day. Temperature was 92 degrees. Argh!

After I stand on my feet all day in this weather, running doesn't sound like much fun but I am happy to report I did it!

After the first 10 yards I was pretty much ready to quit. It's amazing how much running is such a mental game. My brain was so ready to stop but the legs wanted to keep going.

So much to my amazement I made it thru. Yippee!! Thank the good Lord above for cloud cover. Little did I know tho a big, big rain was getting ready to move in.

I finished my 3 miles in 21:49 which is a PR for me. I was able to walk my 4th mile and started on the 5th but the rain set in. Oh well, I'm just glad I got my run in.

A Rainy Run

This morning I couldn't make myself get up for my regular run. I guess there are some days where you need to listen to your body so I did. Of course, as usual, I felt guilty but had told myself I was going to run this afternoon.

But then, just as we pulled into the garage after buying groceries the rain started. Then I really felt guilty cause I didn't run this a.m. But luckily(?) it stopped and I went for it. It was cloudy, 84 degrees and very humid. After about 15 minutes it started raining again. My upper thighs weren't really bothering me so I kept on running. I have to admit I felt like I was running in concrete. At 30 minutes it was still lightly raining and David came out to walk. So, I joined him and we walked together in the rain.

After awhile it started continuously thundering so we decided to call it quits. But I was glad to get in 27 minutes of walking.

This is going to be an interesting week since I have now gone back to work full-time. That means no a.m. running for me. I'll be having to stop at the park to complete my runs on my way home. Since it's a one mile path I'll be able to keep up with how good or bad I am doing.

A Runner's High? Not Hardly

I thought since I hadn't exercised in 4 days I would be feeling great this a.m. Well, that didn't happen. It was very humid this morning with temps in low 70's. I guess I stated out too fast(nothing new to me) and I tired fast. I did run for 36 minutes but was hoping for 45.

After my run and walk I decided I better start implementing some speed running into my training. I ran 5 x100's just to test the water. By the last 100 I was feeling pretty spent.

It won't be long til my next race and hopefully I won't feel like I did this a.m.

My Run this A.M.

Since I didn't really exercise much yesterday due to rain I hoped my run this a.m. would have been energetic. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. It was 74 degrees with very high humidity. That really takes a toll.

I had hoped to do some speed work today but it just wasn't in me. At least I did run 36 minutes. I will be taking a few days off this weekend. Then I'll get back to it since my next race is the 26th of Sept.

This Morning's Run

As I opened the garage door I saw that I would be running in the fog. The humidity was still present but the temperature was about 68 degrees. Even though my glasses kept fogging up it was pleasant.

I had hoped after not running yesterday that I would have felt great this a.m. Fact is, I felt about the same.

I started out as usual and when I loosened up I decided to try fartlek. I picked out a landmark and would run as fast as I could to the landmark and then slow the pace. I did this a few times but now I realize I need to have a more structured course in order to do this efficiently.

I really wanted to run longer this a.m. but I guess with the fartlek I tired more and had to stop at my normal 30 minutes.

Afterward I did my normal 30 minute walk. There was a breeze blowing that helped me cool down.

It's a No-Go

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you know you need to get up and run but your brain can't talk you into it? Unfortunately, this was one of those mornings for me.

Normally I like to get up on Sunday a.m.'s and run before going to church. But this morning my brain refused to tell my legs to get up. Was it the fact that my legs were enjoying the soft cushiness of my bed? Or was it that my legs didn't want to get up and be subjected to pounding first thing this a.m.? Or could it have been that I just felt like being lazy this a.m. and was genuinely tired?

Well either way the legs won and I enjoyed a restful morning in my bed until eight o'clock. I haven't slept that late in I don't remember when.

Even though I enjoyed it thoroughly, now I am sitting here as I type this, feeling oh so guilty. I think it is terrible when we runners put this much pressure on ourselves. (or maybe other runners don't and it's just me).

Oh well, I guess I can chose to run this afternoon in the hot and very humid day. Or maybe I'll just do an hour walk with my hubbie.

Whatever your choice of exercise be today I hope you enjoy it more than I know I will mine.

New Update from this past Saturdays Race

Somehow I just found online the official finish results for Run with the Raiders race. I finished 26th out of 136 runners with a 7:15 pace. Nice to see!

Run For The Raiders 5k

8/29/09-After not running a race in a couple of months I decided I needed to get back out there. I found this race thru the MS track club website. It took place in Jackson at Jackson Academy.

I had been checking the weather and thought it was suppose to be cooler this a.m. but unfortunately it was about 74 degrees, sunny and hot. Even tho I wanted to I didn't back out.

The race was at 8:00 a.m. and would start in their parking lot. All morning before the race I felt bad with the normal nervousness that always rears it's ugly face before any race. I have the worse case of dry mouth and my tongue feels like it's way too big for my mouth. This too is a normal occurrence for me.

The race starts and as usual I know I am running too fast to try and keep up with the boys. I just did a lot of heavy breathing and kept pushing. Finally out into the neighborhood we went. It was partially shaded which is always welcomed.

As I was rounding the first turn there my hubbie was telling me I was the fourth woman. He hollared I might be able to catch the third place girl. I thought, yeah right, you're not in this body.

At the first split I pulled a 7 minute pace. Wow! My best ever. About this point in time my mind was beginning it's constant war. My stomach was still bothering me and my breathing was so loud. I was probably scarring people as I came upon them.

At the second mile split, 7:26; music to my ears. This too was my best 2 mile split. Just up ahead was the 3rd place woman. She seemed to be slowing and to my surprise, I wasn't. I passed her and continued on. It wasn't much longer that I came upon the second place girl. She had really been running hard but all of a sudden it was like she ran out of steam. So, happily I ran on past her.

At this point, the war in my head was getting bigger. My lungs were begging to stop, my legs were feeling okay and I was trying to think of anything to get my mind off of how I was feeling. I was asking God to help me and I was singing Amazing Grace in my head. I thought of a statement I had read in a running book a couple weeks ago that said "your body is capable of a lot if you let it".

The next thing I knew I had side stitches. I haven't experienced those in a long while. Luckily it was on a down hill. At this point in the race, I didn't have a clue how far away I was but all of a sudden I started hearing cheering. I knew I must be close to the finish.

I was never so thankful to see the gate that lead back in JA and into the track field. I didn't see the finish line but knew it was there.

As I entered the field my sweet hubbie was there cheering me on. It means a lot to have your own personal cheerleader.

As I rounded the curve I looked back and saw the finish line and the clock. I couldn't believe my eyes. As I went under the clock, it read 22:30; my best time ever.

I've been telling my husband if I ever finish a race and I feel good then that tells me I didn't run hard enough. Today, I felt horrible at the finish.Not only was I the second woman to cross the finish line but I got to bring home this baby. It's the Grand Masters Female trophy. Now I can say I feel good.

GI & Assoc. 5k at the Rensaissance

6/13/09-Just knowing over 500 had signed up for the race was enough to turn my stomach inside out. The race was at 6:00 which meant getting up at 4:00 a.m. The Renaissance 1/2 marathon was being ran the same day.

As we were driving to the Renaissance shopping center we noticed lightning in the northeast sky. Hopefully, the rain would stay away. It was a mostly cloudy morning which I was thankful for.

When we arrived people and cars were everywhere. They had over 1000 running the 1/2 which would start first. Excitement filled the air while my nerves were torturing me.

The line-up for the 1/2 began and off they went. Next up, 5k runners. We started lining up and I took my place close to the start. My heart was already racing and I hadn't even moved a leg yet. Next thing I know, the gun goes off. Luckily I knew this course from driving it earlier. The first mile would be almost all uphill; nothing serious, just a gentle incline. After that a flat area around a nice pond and then back down hill.

As I rounded the pond I wondered how far back I was in the pack. In the back of my mind, I didn't think I was too far behind. I noticed a lady about 200 yards in front of me but she seemed to be struggling.

At the next water table she grabbed a cup but I kept on going.

As I rounded the final turn I could see the finish line. How exciting! There were lots of people there shouting and clapping. Oh was I ever glad to finish. And my time? 23:35, my best time yet.

In the end I finished 2nd lady and 12th overall. My best yet!

MS State Senior Olympics-5k

5/16/09-I never knew such a race, or the senior olympics, existed. I heard about this 5k thru the track club. This race took place at MS college in Clinton. It would start on the track and then run thru the campus.

The race started at 7:30 a.m. so I had to be up around 5:00. Clinton is about a 30-40 minute drive from home. After my morning race day rituals we headed out. I was feeling pretty nervous about this race. Maybe it was because we had a ways to drive and that gave me plenty of time for the nerves to wreak havoc.

We we arrived at MS college there were a few people mingling about. It was a sunny, and already, warm morning. I went ahead and signed in and got my number. It was number 1. I hoped that was a good omen.

As the starting time drew closer I noticed there was mostly men showing up. So, in the end, I was the only female runner. There were some women who were walking the race tho. So that made me feel a little better.

So we all walked across the track to the opposite side and the race began. After 1 1/2 times around, out we went. Up a small hill and then out to the streets. Did I mention hilly streets? Oh no, another hilly course. And this course would repeat itself so I knew after the first round just exactly how many more hills I had to run. Looking back, I think that probably helped tho.

Toward the end I was so happy to see the track again. As I went back down into the track field I could smell the finish. I crossed the finish line at 24:35, a few seconds faster than my last race. Wow, I couldn't believe it!

In the end I took a first place medal. I finished 3rd overall. I got to stand on the podium just like in the olympics.I was told that if this had been a qualifying year for the National Senior Olympics more people would have participated. So, next year will be a qualifying year for the Nationals which will be in 2011.

I don't know if every state has a Senior Olympics but they do allow competitors to participate in other state's olympics.

When I was younger I always dreamed of running in the olympics. Well that didn't happen then so hopefully this will be my chance. I believe that God has always directed my life and knows what's best for me. God's timing is perfect!

Race for Grace

May 5, 2009-The Race for Grace at the Christ United Methodist Church in Ridgeland would be starting at 8:00. I got up about 6 to wake up, eat and begin the morning nerve session that was always present on race day.

Once we arrived at the Church I couldn't help but notice all the runners here. There was lots of them, more than at the last run.

My hubbie had told me this would probably be a flatter course than last and he was right but it was really hot. After the gun, I started out faster than I should have, as usual, and at about 100 yards I was ready to quit. My stomach was not good and I just felt terrible. But I kept on prodding along and was running a pretty good pace.

In the end my pace ended at 24:41 which was good enough for 4th place woman and 35th overall. Once again I took home the Grand Masters trophy. The fire under my feet was getting bigger.

Run for Your Life at UMMC

Since the March race put a fire under my feet I was in search of the next. I found it on the MS Track Club website. It was a 5k at the University of MS Medical Center. The whole race would be ran on the campus. Dear hubbie had cautioned me that it could be hilly but I decided to do it anyway. The race date was April 18.

That a.m. we got up and after having my one piece of toast and NO coffee we headed down to the race. It was a cool morning with a breeze blowing.

Upon arrival I discovered many people would be running in this race unlike the last. Oh well, I would just do the best I could.

We lined up for the start and waited for the gun. As I sit here typing this, it still makes me nervous just to think about it. You could probably see my heart beating in my chest if you looked close enough. Nausea had sit in again so everything was normal.

As I looked around at everyone I wondered what they were thinking. Or, were they feeling the way I was? The gun shoots and off we go. As we round the corner the first hill appears. Oh no! As I later learned, this would be the first of many.

Now I'm not afraid of hills, in fact, I find them challenging and they help to keep a race from becoming too boring. But let me tell you, this course is extremely hilly, especially for someone who trains on flat roads.

The course ran back by the start where my hubbie watched. When he saw me he hollared out, "you are the 5th woman". I thought are you joking me? So then I knew I had to keep my pace going.

When we did our final turnaround I knew the finish line wouldn't be far away. I let one girl pass me and managed to finish 6th female. I really couldn't believe it! My time was 24:48. The best part besides it being over was winning the Grand Masters Trophy again.

I was hooked for sure!

The Panther Run 5k

March arrived and the school where my hubbie teaches was going to have a 5k on the 28th. This would be my first race. Was I really prepared? No, not by a long shot. Physically, I was okay, but running is a mental challenge as well.

The morning of I got up at 5:30 for a 8:00 start. The first thing I did was check the outside temp. It was 64 degrees and overcast, perfect. At 6:15 rain started falling. I proceeded to go ahead and eat and drink coffee. I knew I needed something in my stomach but drinking coffee? That was not too smart. I was already a nervous wreck and that caffeine didn't help.

Luckily the rain only lasted a few minutes and then off we went to the race. After registering I stretched out my legs and tried to get ready for the race. My heart was about to come out of my throat and I felt like I was almost shaking. Amazing what caffeine and adrenaline will do to a person.

At the sound of the start I bolted like any untrained runner does. As I'm running along I really feel like I am going to "lose my cookies" and I hadn't gone 200 yards. Oh my, how was I going to make 3.1 miles? I realized I needed to slow down which I did a bit.

The course was really a nice, flat one. Gray clouds floated above our heads but luckily held back anymore rain. No one was calling out splits so I had no idea where I was in the race. I just had to keep on truckin. Finally we were on the very last part of the course but I was feeling pretty tired.

I could see the finish line just up ahead. Wow, what a glorious sight! My time? 25:24. No too bad for my first race but I was feeling really glad that it was over. In the end I got the Grand Masters trophy and 1st place for my age group.

Even tho I felt really horrible during the race, I knew now that I wanted to do more.

The Beginning of The Run

I guess you could say I have always been the athletic type. Way back in high school I was definitely a runner. A sprinter mind you, and not a long distance runner. In those days if someone had told me I would be running long distance one day, I would have laughed. But they would have been right. I use to run 10k's years ago when I lived in GA but now I train for 5k races. (I use the term "train" lightly).

I had quit running before we moved from GA. My knees were giving me fits so I had resorted to walking with my husband. Since living here in MS we have continued walking for exercise with an occasional run(a few yards) here or there.

There's a nice park convenient to work that I stop at to exercise. It has a one mile paved trail that makes it easy to keep time. Back in February of this year while walking I decided to run a mile and see how it felt. When I finished I didn't feel too bad. The next time I ran I tried it again and again. I would run a lap, walk a lap, and then run another.

Next I decided to run 2 or 3 laps without walking. I guess the cool winter days were helping because I wasn't feeling too bad. As a matter-of-fact I think I was actually enjoying it. I began keeping my times which were around 27 minutes. I didn't think that was too bad for someone my age.

I started researching some times on the MS Track Club and saw that I might actually be able to compete with women my age. Wow! What a surprise! I never imagined that.

So, I guess that is where my quest began. Stay tuned.

The Beginning

First, welcome to my blog. As you can see the subtitle says, Running to the National Senior Olympics. Sounds like a mighty big task, right? I'll be the first to agree with you. It's not going to be easy. Probably won't be pretty either for that matter. But as a middle aged woman that feels like she is standing at a crossroads in her life, I'm willing to take it on.

So, won't you follow along. Heck, take the lead! I'd be all up for that too! You never know where it might take you. In fact, we may, might I venture to say, enjoy it.