Which Wolf Do You Feed?

Words for Wednesday

Be your own hero.

-unknown

Race Recap - Cupid's Cup 5k

This past weekend, I left my two-exit bubble and ventured into the Queen City to race a 5K.  This was actually supposed to take place the day after Valentine's Day, but due to the Snowpocolypse the event was pushed out a week.

Coach Sarah had this race distance on my training schedule.  Some folks asked me why did she want me to do a 5K.  I don't really know.  What I do know is I do whatever Coach Sarah tells me to!  But, if I had to fathom a guess, I'm thinking she wanted to do a little time trial to see what kind of speed I had. It's been awhile since I've gone all out, more than a year actually, so I'm guessing she was curious to see where I was and to see if the workouts she's been giving me are giving us the results we want.  Makes sense in my head anyway!

So, after a restless night and an early wake up call, I inhaled my English muffin and peanut butter then rushed to make my beasties their breakfast and herded them out the door for their morning poo, (Yes. I just said poo.  Get used to it, because my life's schedule seems to now revolve around when my dogs need to poop.  My new tagline should read "a chronicle of mis-adventure within the world of running, triathlon.....and dog poo) and then was on my way to Charlotte.

I met up with some fantastic ladies I work with that happened to be doing this race as well, huddled around the outdoor space heaters to keep warm until the start.  We took our time to line up.  This was actually the first time that I had the nerve to line up closer to the front part of the crowd.  We chit chatted about what we were going to try to do, laughed a lot and then...oh crap we're moving!  So, off I went.

Since I had no idea of what kind of speed I had, I didn't know quite what to do as far as strategy.  Well, let's be honest, I never have a strategy!  But, a good friend and running guru suggested to hold an 8:00 pace for the first mile in which the first .5 mile was the course's only major incline.  If I could do that then just try to hang in for the rest of the relatively flat course and take advantage of the down hill finish.  

Yea..I think I can do that, Captain.

Mile 1:  7:45

What The Captain neglected to tell me was that there was another substantial incline at mile marker 1 for another .5!

Well Dammit.

Mile 2:  7:57

PRs for All!
That's me on the left, Jennifer, Kim and Sarah!

After mile 2 marker, The Captain's ears MUST have been ringing as I was doing my darndest to hang on and thankfully the course began to level out.  Then I felt a descent.

Mile 3:  7:19

The Captain was however spot on about the downhill finish, and it did NOT disappoint!

The Last .10:  6:02

Not too shabby.  I'm pleased and I think Coach Sarah is too!  

PRs abound, but sadly no Cupid's arrows to be had :(

The Actual Results:

2/48 in Age Group

12/350 in Gender

49th overall out of 552 finishers.

I'll take it.

Ripping off band-aids

Apologies in advance for the following negativity.  I don't do it often but I ask that you allow a girl a second to get something off her chest.  She'll be alright, she just needs a venting moment and this is honestly the only outlet she's got.

It's hard when band-aids are ripped from fresh wounds.

You're going along, laughing and smiling, almost feeling normal, almost feeling like your old happy self.  And then something happens and it just hits you in the face, kicks you in the gut.  And then you're just left standing there with a deer-in-the-headlights kinda look.  You're standing there, trying to breathe, trying to move but you're paralyzed.  It's such an irritating contradiction because you know the right decisions were made.  You know you are where you need to be; standing on your own two feet, focusing on yourself and trying to move forward.

And then the second blow occurs, so then you can multiply everything x2.  Dammit.

You try to talk about it, but no one quite gets it.  Hell, you don't even understand.  So you're standing alone, trying to make sense of it all.

You start asking yourself questions that you know you will never get an answer to.  Old questions like, where did we go wrong?  What was the precise moment?  Would things be different if we made a different choice all those years ago?
And then new questions like what do you do when the person you made your entire life has completely erased you from their existence?  And why?  What was it that you did to make this person detest you so much that they can't even say thank you when you offer your sincerest wishes of happiness, let alone wish you the same in return?  You've shared years and years together, how did you end up meaning so little to them?

And it's not like the answers are going to help you either.  They won't make it any less painful, so why bother even wondering?

And you curse yourself again because you can't help it.

And just like that you're back on the roller coaster.

Folks, I'm ready to get off this ride.

The Achieve

In one of my classes this semester we are tasked with doing a Pecha Kucha style presentation.

No, I didn't sneeze, but thank you.

It's a 20x20 presentation, meaning there are 20 slides changing every 20 seconds, each slide an image illustrating what the presenter is saying.  Of course we needed to see examples because who the hell knew what Pecha Kucha was?  Well, I need to see examples anyway, so I went to http://www.pechakucha.org/ to figure out exactly what the heck I was supposed to do.  

Wouldn't you know it that the presentation I happened to click on was this one....

Yup.  Just about sums it up I think.

It may not be graceful and it may not be pretty, but it will happen.
70.3

Words for Wednesday

Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, 
that there's no reason to fear starting lines...

or other new beginnings.

- Amby Burfoot

marathoner, author, speaker

Editor of Runner's World

winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon 

quote found at Runner's World

Words for Wednesday

Actually, more like some observations on a cold and snowy day in the south

• Grocery stores are mad houses
• Everyone is either in the beer/wine aisle or they have already been to the beer/wine aisle as evident by the 12 packs and bottles they carry
• I'm thinking my invitation to their snow party got lost in the mail...
• Peanut butter M&Ms are not, I repeat NOT, the same as Reese's' Pieces
• Storms in the south might be slow to start, but once they decide to get going...dammit boy!
• Calories don't count on cold and snowy days
• People are going to complain about it and talk about, either pick a side, turn a deaf ear or lock yourself in a padded room.  
• My stance?  Cold is cold no matter who you are.  Ice is ice, and it is just as slick as it is in the north, south, east or west
• Music is powerful.  
• Pirate's Booty is addicting.  And it is evil.

Now go in peace...and as my friend told me yesterday.............

"Don't fall and break your coccyx!"

Words for Wednesday

There is a certain satisfaction in knowing that I've done something great for myself 

before most people even think about 

rolling out of bed.

#5a.m.swimtimeisfuntime

Rise and shine.

- me