April Fools! This race wasn't timed and was an official fun run. It also corresponded with RWBs #RunAsOne campaign. The race itself benefited the local Patuxent River Habitat for Humanity in support of their Veteran's Critical Home Repair Program. Click on the green links if you would like to donate to either cause! Ran this one with the boys, or rather behind the boys. They both wore red to support RWB. I opted for my #wearblue shirt as the post-marathon weight gain makes the RWB one a little snug. I am looking forward to their new website opening in mid-May so I can find a better fitting top (or maybe be back down to marathon weight!). Please excuse the crazy hair too, this is why I normally shower and braid my hair before races, wild woman curly frizz! I wasn't in a hurry to push this race knowing that I needed to push myself to make the Cherry Blossom time limit the next day. The RWB group decided that they wanted to stick together as much as possible and I went with that plan. It gave me the opportunity to meet some RWB members and enjoy a leisurely pace along the Three Notch rail trail from John Bagget Park north to the turn around point and back. It was a lovely spring day and a little on the warm side for the 1st of April. I definitely worked up a sweat by the runs end. Kerri ran with the flag, a feat that I will have to try once I get a little stronger. Boys were happy with wonderful finish line food and medals for all. Biscuits and sausage, donuts, coffee, and samples of foot cream that I grabbed for post race tomorrow. This fun run gave me the confidence to face the challenge of the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler the next day and I am thankful for the casual atmosphere and the support of the RWB team members. Joining the group has been one of the best things that I have done. I was glad to get out and support these Veteran's organization. Help those who have sacrificed so much!
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Ran with the boys today. My side of the running was sad. I have a toe that is halfway black so this was my first run since last weekend's Baltimore-athon (I'll post about that race later). This run was untimed and actually closer to 3.5 miles. We run this trail a lot in the middle so I was comfortable sending the boys on to run their own pace. We did dress up and bring Dino for this one. We did a Disney Frozen theme and represented Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. They started the runners first, then the runners with dogs, and finished with the walkers. Can you find Olaf and Anna in the picture below?
Another weekend 5K with my boys. Grayson was in a much better mood this time and we all were less than a minute from a PR. This is a very organized and fun local 5K. Music playing at the start, well marked, chip in the shoe not the bib - that's a little different, kind of race. I was worried about parking but there was plenty right next to the race start. I liked this race because the extra loop was around the southern end of the island and you felt like you were by the water more than other races that start on the northern end. My brother was in town so he ran with us which I'm sure added a little motivation for the boys. It was much cooler this weekend and that might have contributed to our success and love of this race as well. The boys had the opportunity to meet the Chesapeake Mermaid, who I am happy to say we were able to stay ahead of! G and I started out together. He stopped at about 0.6 miles in and was upset that we were behind everyone (at least in his mind). I gave him a little pep talk about how we run against our selves and the clock. Told him, I just wanted him to beat last weeks time. We ran together a while longer and I knew he was feeling good when he kept changing his goal for where he wanted to take a break. He made it all the way to the half way water stop without another break, and then took off quickly after drinking some water. I told him to push ahead of me, and he did (although he did look back every once in a while to see where I was). Landon was gone after the start and finished with a great time for him! Awards were given to 1st place overall and three deep in each age group. Landon walked away with a second place age group (0-20), and G was disappointed that he didn't place. The medal was an oyster shell that was painted in gold, silver, or bronze. Really cool and unique!
I was proud of Landon for going off on his own and running his best race. G took a little more motivation today. His back has been bothering him so we walked more than ran. He did sprint down the final stretch. The photographer caught a lovely picture of me encouraging Grayson but unfortunately he was not in the photo and I have t-rex arms! It was my first run after Lasix surgery last week so I guess I needed to take it a little easy too. Solomon's Island running is always great with nice, flat courses. The race was well organized and a slightly different course around the Island than other races that I have run that start at the Calvert Marine Museum. There were cute markers at each mile and two water stops, which are always encouraging points or G. Hoping G feels like running in next weeks race because I really need to start to push myself for some speed. Love these boys! We will be back on Solomon's for the Run for Research next week.
Solomon's Jingle Bell 5KThis is the last official race of the year (unless I can find one in the last two weeks of Dec). I am kind of sad, as this was a good year for me. My speed has slowly started to creep back, and while I haven't yet earned, the half marathon PR that I want, I am starting to enjoy running again. Did I just say that? It must be the cooler but not yet frigid weather. For this race I had the opportunity to meet up with a great bunch from work. If we include spouses and children there were 10 of us in the race. I almost convinced my husband and eldest to run with us too but the silence of the woods and rest before futsal deterred them both. It's so great to see everyone out and supporting the community through events like these. I know there was a large bunch from the Chesapeake Bay Running Club there too. I just haven't had the opportunity to put faces and names together with them yet. Connecting with the running club will be one of my goals for next year. I totally messed up with this race. For some bizarre reason, I thought the start time was 9am and not 8:30. Our 8:30 arrival in the words of one of my students, "Cutting it close." We had just enough time to get our race bibs pinned on. I was about to attempt a mad dash to the car, which was parked a little ways away when my friend Kathy appeared and saved the day. She and her daughter were parked right next to the Holiday Inn and so I got to throw my stuff in her car. This allowed us to squeeze in a pic with the Chic-Fil-A cow before starting the race. Luckily for me, the race organizer is extremely organized so it was an easy in, easy out. If you are looking for a first race to do with your kids this race is a great way to go. Race day temps were perfect this year! I had this lofty goal in my head that I would end the seasons with a PR. I squeaked out a PR last week during the turkey trot and really felt like I could beat it today. Life would have other plans though, on the way to the race G informed me that he just wasn't too excited like last week about running today. Don't get me wrong he was happy to go to the race and try (maybe it was the reindeer antlers), but just didn't have the energy. When the race started he dashed out full speed and I struggled to weave through the strollers and walkers to keep up with him. He really wasn't going exceptionally fast for him but after only a quarter mile, he complained of a stitch in his side. We switched to a walk-run pattern. Just before mile one, I noticed he had dropped back quite a ways and so I stopped and waited for him. I thought he might be too hot so we tied our jackets around our waists and started off again. I noticed a gathering at the turn around point and told him that this was probably the water station. Oops, it was a gathering because a runner had gone down and hit his head in the process. I hope he is ok but haven't heard an update. G was then aggravated because I misinformed him about the water stop, but after another walk break he was off and running again. I felt great, and really wanted to push faster but knew that I needed to stay with him. The water stop was just up a small hill by the church, thank goodness because that was my leverage to get him to run the hill. I still had to stop and wait for him to get a cup filled and drink before heading further down the course. This next stretch after the water stop he really put the breaks on. I really wanted to go faster; he even waved for me to go on. I contemplated it, but I knew if I want to keep him running I needed to stay with him. We ran walked some more and then when we made the final turn back to the finish, he did what I knew he would do....he took off. This time I was not going to let him leave me too far in the dust. I had to hit full stride to keep up with him. An SUV began pulling down the road with the runners and I worried it would try to turn in front of him. When I say took off, we hit strides that were according to my Garmin, under a 7 min mile. After looking at my Garmin analysis and reviewing the amount of time, I stopped to wait for him and examining our average moving pace, I really have to say that we didn't run a bad race. Would another post-40 PR have happened today, had I not paused for him, who knows? He did end up finishing ahead of me (last image by Bert Hindman Memories Photography). This was more because he is agile and can negotiate other runners and strollers and looks cute doing it, while I just look like a large crazy lady who is not going to make it! On the way back to the car, he shared how much he enjoys running because he can talk to me and doesn't have to compete for my attention with daddy or his big brother. I am looking forward to running into 2016 and will be posting goals for next year soon! Instead of being annoyed and frustrated that I couldn't run as "fast" (cause that's relative) as I wanted to I am seeking solace in the fact that we spent this time together and that this pace is no longer a struggle for me. There will be many more races to break PRs, but not many until he grows up and no longer wants to run with Mommy. Enjoy the miles...... Seems to be a pattern, I forget my Garmin, and then run a great race and get a post age 40 PR! Turkey Trot at Hagerstown Community College was no exception. I realized I left my Garmin at my Mom's as we left the hotel for the race. This race has always been a family affair, even though it's only my second time running the race. My extended family gather's each year for the race. This year there were a total of seventeen of us at the race of over 1000 turkey trotters.
The course is a double loop through the college campus with rolling hills. There's one final climb before the finish and then it's all downhill. You finish in the gymnasium on the indoor track. I hadn't stepped foot on the track since high school. We were fortunate to have an indoor track meet invitational there with the Russian high school athletes. My husband decided to run this one with us and he tried to stick with L, who shaved another minute off of his time. I ran my normal coaching pattern with G, who as normal pulled ahead at the end. I was surprised by a 5K post 40 PR just days after running back to back 1/2 marathons. Negative side of the event: Indoor bathrooms and water stopped working right before the race. Crowded start line, be sure to seed yourself correctly or it may take you a while before you can actually run. Positive side of the event: Everyone is entered to win a cash purse for the event. Food drive and Toys for Tots drive. Plenty of post race refreshments. Dog friendly and a puppy packet is available. Running off that piece of pumpkin pie before dinner! I took the boys out for another run through downtown Leonardtown. The National Youth Day 5K is all about getting kids fit by introducing them to running. There's also a 1 mile version of the race if you have younger kids and are looking to break them in to running. The first half of the course is fairly challenging, although getting my kids to look into the sun and take a picture at the start was more challenging (note G's crazy face in the pic at left). The race starts at the Leonardtown Wharf which is at the bottom of a fairly steap hill. You wind up the hill though by turning right through a neighborhood, then it's up and down the main roads until you head toward the elementary school where the hills level out. The finish though is a glorious down hill jaunt back to the starting line. The Leonardtown race had around 100 participants, mostly kiddos (of course! it's for the kids!!!) and the kid winners ran some amazing times in the 21 minute range. This was the first race where L took my advice and started slower. He was surprised that it worked and he broke 30 minutes this race. G has been maintaining his time but I don't want to push him at this point. He enjoys running and spending time with Mom and that's really my goal at this point. When he is ready to push faster then we will let him go right ahead! I'm also proud of him because of a food reward for their good times they chose to go see the Peanuts movie. Love, love, love. Any race that I do with my children I fall in absolute love with, however, this was a standout in the list of races that I have completed. A small hometown race, with just the right amount of drizzle, and lots of love. The race was held by the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse with a finish/start at the Calvert Marine Museum. The race is in memory of marathoner Mike Blackwell who was killed by a drunk driver while running on Broome's Island Road. When I run with my children, my focus isn't on my time, but making sure that they have a fun race. They both have the ability to leave me in the dust. They both still have that tendency to start off fast and then crash and burn. My youngest (G-man) needs a pep talk about mid race so once I catch up with them, I slow my pace and give them some encouragement and tips until he gains the confidence to take off again. G-man actually decided to run with his mom for the second half of the race. He had his second best race that day, running around a 36 min pace. My oldest (L) crashes and burns, gets a stitch in his side, and then walks the rest of the race. We are working to get him to start out slower but his desire to be competitive gets in his way. G-man and I went back out on the course to find L and encourage him. We tried without success to get him to run the last quarter mile. The finish line staff did a great job of encouraging both boys even though L walked his way across the line and probably did not crack a smile to anyone. I have started sticking around for the awards ceremonies, even though my times are generally not award worthy. G-man loves the snacks available post race. I met another CBRC runner who was also headed to Annapolis to run the 10K Across the Bay the next day. She had great running advice and a very friendly spirit as well. It was great to finally connect with other runners in the area. Mike Blackwell's widow posed with every award winning runner. My boys and I all actually placed in our age groups (and there were actually people who finished after me). Even my oldest, who struggled to finish, beams with pride as he holds his 3rd place age group finishers medal. He also was delighted to find a door prize (gift certificate to McDonald's) in his race packet. A huge thank you to Mrs. Blackwell, I am sorry that I didn't catch your first name, who came up to us after the race and told me that I was setting a good example for my children. Your time and praise means a lot to me and you really made the race extra special with your kindness. Thank you so much! |
JK McDowellLong time back of the pack runner, science lover, Christian, educator, and mom. Archives
July 2019
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