marathoner452

I'm enjoying running shorter distances more than I imagined I would. I'm learning that there is just as much satisfaction to be had in running a shorter distance like a mile and doing it well as there is in finishing a marathon. Well, almost, but it takes a lot less time to recover and start thinking about the next one so it evens out.

I ran the Main Street Mile two days ago in 6:30. Keep in mind that a month prior to the race I was down in New Orleans where I didn't run a step except up the Mississippi levee in the lower 9th ward for 3 weeks. I was half tempted to forget about running any kind of a quality race, forget about training for the race with the Flying Feet, and worry about nothing but processing my experiences and getting my money back for the training program. I'm so glad I didn't decide to do that. I needed to get back to running. Running is as much therapy as it is exercise. I needed running to get back to feeling like myself. So I did it. Not much at first or even all that much now, but I stuck with the training program and met the goal time I set for myself before the Red Cross sent me down to Louisiana and I learned more than I could have imagined about life and injustice and the human spirit.

Judy told me when I got back that I would wake up one morning and feel back to normal. I resisted getting back to normal for a long time because I thought that what with all the people living down there are going through I had no right to get back to normal.  I can't pinpoint a day, but I've gotten back to waking up and feeling back to normal.  I've come to the realization that I did what I could while I was there and stewing in my own juices here at home is not going to help out the people down there on the Gulf Coast. Better to take care of myself so I'm ready for the next time the Red Cross deploys me because like it or not, there will be a next time.

Running is about so much more than putting one foot in front of the other.

Race results-if they're not up now they will be shortly

~Bethany

Yay for turning on the Caribbean music last night and dancing/lifting free weights/stretching. It was just too cold and windy out there to go for a run, even if I knew I should. Upshot is I'm actually a little stiff today, which means I worked harder than I thought I had. I still can't wait for it to get warmer and lighter outside so running is a little easier.

I was going to post a list of books I've read so far this year, but I decided to wait until I reach 10, so back to work. Not that today is all that much more busy.

~Bethany

EDIT: Hey look, I won my first race! http://www.carr.org/%7Ewrrc/WRRC_Results/2006/results06_bearrun4mi.htm

EDIT again: Here's the results from my first race ever. I finished in 28:04, #109, and I could barely breathe afterwards. http://www.carr.org/~wrrc/WRRC_Results/2002/results_2002_Lynam5K.htm

NCR Trail Marathon in 4:14:16!

results here---> http://www.brrc.com/nctm2005/NCTM-ALL.txt

That's a 15 minute PR over Baltimore 6 weeks ago, and nearly even splits.  (For those of you non-runners, that means I ran the second-tougher-half almost as fast as the first.)

~Bethany

x-posted to runners and marathoners

I ran the B&A Trail 1/2 this morning in 1:55:01. That's a PR of 1 minute and 34 seconds, and a pace of 8:47. Woo hoo! It was a perfect day-chilly and breezy and sunny-couldn't have asked for better weather. And the race was very well-organized-complete with a performance shirt that I can actually wear running and a nifty medal and a free massage and lots of bagels and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. And the B&A Trail is very pretty and less isolated than the NCR Trail. I would highly recommend it.

One disclaimer though-the race is not flat, even though the trail is. We cruised through some rolling-hills neighborhoods for the first 3ish miles, then at the turnaround (mile 7), we left the trail and went down and then up a big hill. The trail is paved and flat and straight, though-perfect for fast times.

I'll post a link to my race report once it's finished.

~Bethany