What I thought about on my 5 miles – Meghan July 13, 2008

Congrats you two on your race! I did my 5 miles today, although it was less exciting then your 3rd place finish! I agree 100% with Kirsten in her post about the difficulties in coming up with things to think about on a long run. Here are just some of the things I thought about today:

-Imaging what running 5X what I am running now will really be like

-Life’s uncertainties and what my future will hold (believe me, I have a lot of things on my mind right now between med school, residency, and my personal life!)

-How well my steps are in beat with the current song I am listening too

-Sweat burns when it gets in your eyes!

-Sometimes I focus on slowing down my breathing and just kind of zone out

-Pondering the reasons why I run (I can think of some good ones early in the run, but it can be tough towards the end when all you want to do is quit)

That’s all for now, but I’m sure there will be more as we start increasing our mileage!

5 miler…Week One is OVER! – Silvia July 13, 2008

The Beginning

Kirsten and Silvia Ready to Start the 5 miler

I just finished 5 miles! Yippee!

The Finish

Well worth running 5 miles for!

We thought our faces weren’t red!

I woke up at 3:47am this morning with insomnia. I was upset because I knew that at 8 am I was running a 5 mile race with Kirsten. I lay in bed awake, trying to force myself to relax. But we all know trying to force yourself to sleep only leads to more anxiety…two hours later I got up and made coffee. Ohhh I love that smell. I made Decaf because I thought that caffeinated coffee would make me have to go during the race. I have a bladder control problem. I will be running and I will have the sudden urge, and there is nothing worse than running and holding it. Having to go the bathroom becomes all consuming. Those are the moments I wish I was a dog and could just lift my leg and let nature take its course.

At 7:03 I picked up Kirsten and away we went to the 5 miler. It began to rain and although I had misgivings about wearing a white T-shirt in the rain, I did have on my trusty new under armor so I knew nothing would show too bad. It was a good run. The rain kept us cool and the puddles were a welcome relief to our hot feet. The trail went 2 miles through the MetroParks so it was interesting…we had to dodge some horse poop along the bridle path but that was kind of fun – like an obstacle course. We both finished third in our respective age groups and more importantly got pizza after the race!

On the way home we both agreed that our bodies are willing but our minds are weak. Running is a mental sport. The problem with “slow” runners like us is that we take longer so it actually requires more mental stamina to keep you from being bored to death from listening to your own thoughts. Everyone has their own mental demons to conquer. I remember having a half-mile or so to go today and I just wanted to stop; I thought about my students and how I always tell them that they have to do the work, they have to think, I showed them how but it’s up to them to do the work. I know how to run, one foot in front of the other , over and over again. I know how to do it. Now I just have to do it. Nike’s slogan is so apt…Just do it! Easier said than done. But it is that simple.

By the way I love my new sports bra. I felt supported and comfortable. Absolutely no chaffing. It’s a Champion Maia brand. Well worth the price.

5 Mile Race-July 13th by Kirsten July 13, 2008

I woke up this morning at 6:30 to the sound of down pour. All I could think about was how I didn’t want to get up, I really didn’t want to get up to run of all things, and I really really didn’t want to run in the rain! But now it is 11:00; I am home, in warm clothes, and feel great after finishing my first 5 mile race.

I figured out my biggest weakness; it is not neccessarily the movement of running, but more so the ability to occupy my mind during. As I passed the 3 mile mark, a guy passed me on the opposite side of the course. When I say pass I mean he flew by. His body was not only lean and tone, his strides were so graceful and long. He made the act of running look easy; for him maybe it is. And that’s when I realized there are those in a race who finish first, and cut the time on the course considerably. So for those of us who have to be on the course for almost double the time, we encounter different struggles. What do you do with your mind when running for 45 minutes? 4 hours? 5 hours? That is the challenge I am working on for myself…any ideas blog them!!!

Silvia did awesome today. She and I both placed third in our age groups. Now between you and me, we didn’t have MUCH competition but any accomplishment is one worth celebrating. This is only the beginning for our accomplishments. A week ago 5 miles felt impossible, but throughout this race I felt strong. That’s not to say the whole time I wasn’t thinking about the end…because we all know what we found there….pizza.

And please make comments on here if you have any!

Under Armor – Silvia July 13, 2008

Yesterday I went sports bra shopping. This is a necessary evil if you are bouncing your girls on a regular basis. I am endowed with size D breasts. Before you become envious of my hooters, keep in mind that these are not the perky Barbie Doll breasts, like the ones that had guys drooling when they watched the Baywatch lifeguards run along the beach. Mine are more like the National Geographic kind. You know what I am talking about. The kind that hang to your knees. Yup, my boobs hang low and they wobble to and fro and I can tie them in knot and I can tie them in bow and when I run I wish I could throw them over my shoulder. Oh, not so jealous now are we?

So, I am in the running section at Dick’s Sporting Goods and I look at the colorful cute tank tops made from fabric that wisks away mositure to keep you dry and fresh. Some, even have built in support. OK – false advertising there, there’s barely enough “support” to support my nipples. I move away and gander over to the colorful sports bras. The kind you see women runners wear during races and on the streets nowadays. These are the closest things that women have to going shirtless. They are so cute – colorful patterns, sporty colors, racer backs. I remember when Brandi Chastain took her shirt off after the win in soccer to reveal her sports bra and the controversy it caused. We’ve come a long way baby. Now, Women wear them everywhere in athletic events. I tried one of those kind once. I looked like I stuck an extra large Chipotle Burrito on my chest. I move away reluctantly to the ugly bra section.

Bras for women like me are not pretty. They come in white, black, or pink. No sporty colors or designs that make you feel like an athlete. They look like maternity bras. They have huge wide straps and built in wires and seams everywhere. The bonus is that that seams are covered with extra padding to prevent chaffing. Oh joy, oh bliss. I pick out my size and buy it. A young guy is at the checkout counter and I see him struggle as he lifts the huge bra and puts it into the bag. When I get home I try it on (I know you should do that at the store, but I don’t). I strap myself into the armor and feel like I am ready for a jousting battle not a nimble foot race. Nonetheless, my girls feel supported. I put on my baggy cotton T-shirt ( I can’t wear the thin breathable shirts because all the wires and seams of my bra show through) and no one is the wiser. Don’t worry world, I won’t be pulling a Brandi after a race.