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<p>"All y'all" (the southerners on the board know that that's the phrase that is the plural form of "y'all") who are on facebook saw my 5k time from tonight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>31:47.</p>
<p>15 second PR!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On a hilly-ass course,</p>
<p>in unseasonably cool rain for the time of year,</p>
<p>AND...</p>
<p>significantly NOT at 100% in the respiratory end of things.</p>
<p>In fact, the doctor didn't think I needed to be running tonight, nor doing any exercise for the next 2 or 3 days. I said, "weeeellll, that's gonna impact the 5k I'm supposed to do tonight." She's irritated with me right now, I think......so, I guess I won't let her know that I PR'd the course, huh? No telling what she'll prescribe for me as revenge. She gave me script for Bactrin, Prednisone and some cough stuff to help me combat the drippys that prevent me from getting to sleep. And, she gave me an injection to jump start the steroids. I got TONS done at work today, and am probably now typing about 120 wds a minute as a result. Too bad the effects taper off after awhile. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This race is the first in a 15 week summer series that will be held every Tuesday night on the same course. My job each week will be to treat it as a speed workout with occasional weeks being specifically designated as RACE days.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Today's job was to "run as fast as you can." Considering what's taking up residence in my head, I figured that that would have to mean, "whatever you have in you is ok, just push to the point that you can, but don't drop dead in the middle of the street." Then, I remembered the steroids.........Yay! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rabbit and I weren't sure the race was on due to the weather. She and I have an agreement of Thunder=no running, and there was thunder early in the day. The race director said it would be a time of race call. The cool thing about this race series is that it's super small. I don't even think there were 20 people there today. So, a nice friendly group of people who will see each other every week for the entire summer. A clipboard and display clock are used to record times. Friendly is the word of the day. Then, weather permitting each week, the RD will be grilling out, and any who want to will head on over to the outdoor ampitheatre that the city maintains to listen to the various summer swing concerts each week.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I did admit to Rabbit that the doc wasn't thrilled about me running, but since Rabbit has training and experience with medical issues and has acted as volunteer medical staff with various groups on campus, I figured I'd be ok. And, I knew that if push came to shove and I crossed the line between "stubborn" and "stupid" that she'd pull me from the course. It's an agreement that we have with each other. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was directed to be taking my inhalor regularly every 4 hours until what I have clears up so prior to the race, I'd had two doses throughout the day. I wasn't coughing during regular activities, but figured that the cool air, the rain and the exertion would bring something on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yup. But, it was manageable. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is a pretty hilly course compared to what we normally run. The hills are closer together, but a bit shorter than our regular morning route. They're a tad steeper, too. Still.....a nice challenge, and definitely a course that's going to make me get stronger over the course of the summer. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The start was informal..... "on your mark, get set......go!" and off we went. Down a hill, up a hill, along a flat, down a hill, up a hill along a flat, make a turn up a hill.....repeat for 3.1 miles. The "water stop" was a little blue cooler sitting on a chair in front of a friendly neighbor's house. Stop if you need it. lol</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I pretty quickly passed a lady who was working super hard to run. </p>
<p>I then caught and passed a dude who was working, but not as hard as the lady......I knew I could stay ahead of that lady, but I kept telling myself....."that guy doesn't get to pass you back." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rabbit took off at the start and lost me on the first big hill, but she looped back around to reel me in. About half way through the course, she did it again, and I told her to just go......luckily I was able to do it with a clear enough voice and enough force that she did what I said. By that point, I was where I needed to be in my head.....and I was working hard. We're working on teaching me to maintain a tempo going up hills as well as going down hills, and just changing my stride length to allow for gravity's assistance. So, that was one thing to focus on for me. The other was remembering that it is ok to feel like shit! Because I've been a bit sick, I made sure to really listen to my breathing (and so was Rabbit) and make sure that I didn't let myself wheeze until a good bit after the 2nd mile marker passed. I can push through some wheezing with less than a mile to go, but much more than that and I would have been in a world of hurt. So, if I needed to relax (not back off, just relax) a bit going up the hills to keep the wheezing at bay, I did, then let the downhills do their jobs for me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I liked the course because it had enough turns not to be boring, and enough hills to be restful but workful at the same time. And yes, I do believe I just invented a new word. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the mile markers, I glanced at the watch and at mile one was SUPER surprised to see sub-10 minute mile on garmin (which didn't correlate with the mile markers). Also, at mile 2 I was still sub 10. I think Garmin was havnig trouble talkng to the satellites thru the clouds....but, th estop watch worked and according to that I finished in 31:47......which puts me at somewhere around 10:15 or so for a pace. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Post race I was introduced to the physical feelings that indicate it's time to take the inhaler. My throat HURT right at the bottom, where that v-shaped notch in your collarbone. I kept rubbing at it and sort of hunching over to make it go away. Rabbit got her medical directive voice in her...."take your inhaler." I kept thinking it was just typical post-race surge of ouch. Nope, that's what asthma feels like that. And, part of me HATES it when she's right. But the othe rpart of me is starting to learn to "do first, ask questions later." She's young, but she's knowledgable. 10 seconds after I took the first puff, I felt better.....then didn't feel enough better, so took a 2nd puff. I've been lucky that my asthma is controlled really well and haven't had trouble. I'm working hard enough now that it's actually going to trigger. So, in addition to learning how to push my body I have to learn to learn my body. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was scared to look at the final time, and all I could do as I was coughing and hacking up a lung......then I did. Funny thing about the hacking up a lung, though.......Rabbit is there behind me, encouraging me... "that's a girl...get it out of you." lol </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, I'm VERY happy.</p>
<p>and....a little nervous, but in a good way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Who would have thought I had that in me?</p>
<p>Certainly not me in my wildest dreams.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rabbit says by the end of the series she'll "pull my ass under a 30 minute 10k." </p>
<p>Ok.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>31:47.</p>
<p>15 second PR!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On a hilly-ass course,</p>
<p>in unseasonably cool rain for the time of year,</p>
<p>AND...</p>
<p>significantly NOT at 100% in the respiratory end of things.</p>
<p>In fact, the doctor didn't think I needed to be running tonight, nor doing any exercise for the next 2 or 3 days. I said, "weeeellll, that's gonna impact the 5k I'm supposed to do tonight." She's irritated with me right now, I think......so, I guess I won't let her know that I PR'd the course, huh? No telling what she'll prescribe for me as revenge. She gave me script for Bactrin, Prednisone and some cough stuff to help me combat the drippys that prevent me from getting to sleep. And, she gave me an injection to jump start the steroids. I got TONS done at work today, and am probably now typing about 120 wds a minute as a result. Too bad the effects taper off after awhile. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This race is the first in a 15 week summer series that will be held every Tuesday night on the same course. My job each week will be to treat it as a speed workout with occasional weeks being specifically designated as RACE days.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Today's job was to "run as fast as you can." Considering what's taking up residence in my head, I figured that that would have to mean, "whatever you have in you is ok, just push to the point that you can, but don't drop dead in the middle of the street." Then, I remembered the steroids.........Yay! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rabbit and I weren't sure the race was on due to the weather. She and I have an agreement of Thunder=no running, and there was thunder early in the day. The race director said it would be a time of race call. The cool thing about this race series is that it's super small. I don't even think there were 20 people there today. So, a nice friendly group of people who will see each other every week for the entire summer. A clipboard and display clock are used to record times. Friendly is the word of the day. Then, weather permitting each week, the RD will be grilling out, and any who want to will head on over to the outdoor ampitheatre that the city maintains to listen to the various summer swing concerts each week.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I did admit to Rabbit that the doc wasn't thrilled about me running, but since Rabbit has training and experience with medical issues and has acted as volunteer medical staff with various groups on campus, I figured I'd be ok. And, I knew that if push came to shove and I crossed the line between "stubborn" and "stupid" that she'd pull me from the course. It's an agreement that we have with each other. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was directed to be taking my inhalor regularly every 4 hours until what I have clears up so prior to the race, I'd had two doses throughout the day. I wasn't coughing during regular activities, but figured that the cool air, the rain and the exertion would bring something on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yup. But, it was manageable. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is a pretty hilly course compared to what we normally run. The hills are closer together, but a bit shorter than our regular morning route. They're a tad steeper, too. Still.....a nice challenge, and definitely a course that's going to make me get stronger over the course of the summer. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The start was informal..... "on your mark, get set......go!" and off we went. Down a hill, up a hill, along a flat, down a hill, up a hill along a flat, make a turn up a hill.....repeat for 3.1 miles. The "water stop" was a little blue cooler sitting on a chair in front of a friendly neighbor's house. Stop if you need it. lol</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I pretty quickly passed a lady who was working super hard to run. </p>
<p>I then caught and passed a dude who was working, but not as hard as the lady......I knew I could stay ahead of that lady, but I kept telling myself....."that guy doesn't get to pass you back." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rabbit took off at the start and lost me on the first big hill, but she looped back around to reel me in. About half way through the course, she did it again, and I told her to just go......luckily I was able to do it with a clear enough voice and enough force that she did what I said. By that point, I was where I needed to be in my head.....and I was working hard. We're working on teaching me to maintain a tempo going up hills as well as going down hills, and just changing my stride length to allow for gravity's assistance. So, that was one thing to focus on for me. The other was remembering that it is ok to feel like shit! Because I've been a bit sick, I made sure to really listen to my breathing (and so was Rabbit) and make sure that I didn't let myself wheeze until a good bit after the 2nd mile marker passed. I can push through some wheezing with less than a mile to go, but much more than that and I would have been in a world of hurt. So, if I needed to relax (not back off, just relax) a bit going up the hills to keep the wheezing at bay, I did, then let the downhills do their jobs for me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I liked the course because it had enough turns not to be boring, and enough hills to be restful but workful at the same time. And yes, I do believe I just invented a new word. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the mile markers, I glanced at the watch and at mile one was SUPER surprised to see sub-10 minute mile on garmin (which didn't correlate with the mile markers). Also, at mile 2 I was still sub 10. I think Garmin was havnig trouble talkng to the satellites thru the clouds....but, th estop watch worked and according to that I finished in 31:47......which puts me at somewhere around 10:15 or so for a pace. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Post race I was introduced to the physical feelings that indicate it's time to take the inhaler. My throat HURT right at the bottom, where that v-shaped notch in your collarbone. I kept rubbing at it and sort of hunching over to make it go away. Rabbit got her medical directive voice in her...."take your inhaler." I kept thinking it was just typical post-race surge of ouch. Nope, that's what asthma feels like that. And, part of me HATES it when she's right. But the othe rpart of me is starting to learn to "do first, ask questions later." She's young, but she's knowledgable. 10 seconds after I took the first puff, I felt better.....then didn't feel enough better, so took a 2nd puff. I've been lucky that my asthma is controlled really well and haven't had trouble. I'm working hard enough now that it's actually going to trigger. So, in addition to learning how to push my body I have to learn to learn my body. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was scared to look at the final time, and all I could do as I was coughing and hacking up a lung......then I did. Funny thing about the hacking up a lung, though.......Rabbit is there behind me, encouraging me... "that's a girl...get it out of you." lol </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, I'm VERY happy.</p>
<p>and....a little nervous, but in a good way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Who would have thought I had that in me?</p>
<p>Certainly not me in my wildest dreams.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rabbit says by the end of the series she'll "pull my ass under a 30 minute 10k." </p>
<p>Ok.</p>
</p>
