Am I a Runner?

A few weeks ago... Dan said "Well, you're a runner."

Got me thinking... AM I?

I like to be active, but I don't log a certain amount of miles each week. I can't run more than X amount of miles at a time. I don't know some of the "runner lingo" used. If I push myself too hard, I get really bad pains in my lower legs. I don't own a Garmin. I use my running shoes to cross train. My legs turn out behind me when I run (which I'm sure it terrible form.) I don't have the desire to ever run a full marathon.

But yet, Saturday mornings are my time to hit the pavement. Or sometimes after my morning cross training workout, I want to get in a couple of miles. I love 5Ks (I mean... collecting bibs, finishers' medals and t-shirts is fun, too!!) and the sense of finishing one, especially if it's a PR. Or sometimes when I'm at my desk at work and I look outside and it's perfect weather, I just want to throw on my sneaks and pound pavement! And who can pass up that feeling after a great run.

So maybe I'm just a runner in training.

And if I ever need the extra motivation... I have this list.

A quick video

I have so much I'm behind on blogging about... Allison's wedding, my most recent 5K. (no details yet! I'm going to hold you in suspense.)

But I need to get the pictures unloaded off the camera first!

However, this video is too good not to share.

Enjoy.

A Stand Up Guy

I've never really had much of an opinion for Matt Kemp. Sure, I know he can hit the ball. He knows how to play! But never fought for him to be on my fantasy league or had a weird obsession with him. (as I do for Melky Cabrera. Don't ask. I don't know why, but I just do. My fantasy team last year was even named after him.)

But upon seeing this video of Kemp surface... I think this is really cool. Kind of makes me wonder if a lot more ball players do this but we just never see it.

Heroes in Recovery 6K - April 27, 2013

I've been putting off this blog post because I wanted to share more pictures, but enough is enough. I'm just going to write it & come back to edit later.

I was kind of nervous for this race because I haven't been running at all. Just been going to Slash and spinning. But I knew from the Fast & Furriest race that I didn't necessarily need to have a lot of running under my belt to excel. My cross training adds enough endurance.

My original goal was 32 minutes for the 6K. I had thought that finishing a 29 minute 5K would set me up for this. I finished at 36:22. And upon further investigation, this really isn't that shameful.

Of course throughout the race when I realized I wasn't going to hit the 32 minute mark, I was preparing excuses in my head. "I shouldn't have eaten that hotdog last night. Those chicken wings didn't help. The "random" songs on shuffle on Spotify weren't inspiring enough. The dead mouse on the path scared me and threw off the rhythm of my run. The landfill is nearby and there are probably fumes interacting with my lungs." Etc... etc... etc... :) When all in all, I did well.

I finished 8th out of 38 in my age group. Looking at the results page, I'm thinking there were about 466 runner total and I was 117th overall. I kept my pace under 10 minutes which I am very pleased with. (~9:47 minute miles.)

I even got a finishers' medal which was one of the main reasons I wanted to run this race!

 

All in all a successful race. And in the end, just the sense of finishing a race is always a great feeling. Onto the next: May 18!