An Introduction

It started with a failed new year's resolution. In 2007 I started casually running a few times a week at the lake by our apartment in an effort to lose that last bit of weight to fit into my beautiful wedding dress. The path was 2/3 paved and 1/3 trail and went around the humid lake during the then escalating summer heat. As an adult with childhood asthma, running was something I was always excused from and then asthma became my excuse. When I'm out of shape, I get exercise-induced asthma - which should have been a clue to stay in shape. I was somewhat athletic in high school, playing on our softball team and cross training. But running was never something I enjoyed. My brother had the runner's body and ran ~a lot~ back in high school. He was doing 100 miles/week during cross country seasons and I remember being amazed that he would carry on conversations (gasp!) during his runs with friends. I could barely make it across the soccer field without gasping. So there I was - having put on nearly forty pounds in college - trying my best to "like" running. I even signed up for the Susan G Komen 5K in Raleigh the week before the wedding, but alas, my plans were foiled by the havoc of final details before the weekend. I never thought I would or could run a 5K and maybe that was my only shot. The five pounds were lost for the wedding and we then went on the honeymoon, returned to our college apartment for a week, and packed everything up to move across the state so I could start graduate school at Wake Forest. As classes started, I started running again though not very often as I found myself working 60-100 hour weeks between research and classes. Then came 2008 and a new years resolution to run that 5K. That was until classes took over my life and I was working nearly nonstop from 8 am to midnight/1am each day. Running fell to the wayside again. The summer came and went and so did my fitness. A 5k in 2008 was not going to happen. Then in October or November, there was a gorgeous 60 degree day in the middle of what had been quite the cold snap. The sun was out and I would have thought that it was the springtime! So I dug out my running shoes, ran down the hill from my house and to the park a mile away.

It felt GREAT! I tried to keep up the running through the winter, although some of those colder days were a struggle and I did my best to start running about 3x a week in January. My sights were set on the Susan G Komen 5K in Winston-Salem. I soon found out that I would be out of town for a friend's wedding that weekend and got bummed until I found the Twin City Track Club's website. Apparently, Winston-Salem (W-S) is crazy packed with runners and there is a 5K almost every weekend in the spring and summer. My friend Melissa was doing a Beginner 5K program at our local Fleet Feet store with the Heart and Sole 5K as their goal. It benefited the Heart Center at WFUBMC which seemed very fitting as I am in graduate school at WFUBMC doing cardiac MRI research. With a goal (finish a 5K) and date (April 18) in sight, I found a training plan online and tried my darnest to stick to it, remembering that flexibility is the key to a successful training program.

I quickly found out that running in Winston-Salem is very different that running 2 miles around a lake in Raleigh. There are hills. A lot of hills. And my house is at the top of the tallest one in town which means every path takes me downhill for a warm-up (not bad) but ends on the uphill. I also learned that there are some absolutely gorgeous houses off the beaten path. I usually do my runs in Ardmore and Buena Vista - two historic neighborhoods near the hospital which hold gems of houses. All unique, all quaint in their own ways. It's a great distraction when my shin in pounding or my lungs are burning.

The Heart and Sole 5k arrived and I felt ready. I had been having shin splints running in my old college cross-training sneakers so I had bought some running shoes which helped. I knew I could run the distance, but the course had a big hill just before the turn around. The crowd was modest in size, but anything greater than 2 people was more than I had run with before. The gun went off and I took off, nerves carrying me out too fast. I was checking my watch and realizing that I needed to slow down. I walked through the water station at the turn around and started up the big hill. I was hurting. But I wanted to finish and had a goal time of 31 min (10 min pace) which I knew would be achievable. I started running again until the final hill in the course got me. I walked 30 seconds to catch my breath and then jogged to the top where the finish line was in sight. I surged ahead and saw Melissa (who finished with quite the impressive time for a first 5K) there cheering the other runners on. She yelled at me to kick it in and so I did. My official time was 29:22 (9:27 pace). I was very happy with my time. And more importantly, I was HOOKED. Racing was fun and I wanted to run faster. I wanted to run more races.

And then something even better came out of the race day - Chris wanted to run too! I had been pestering him to come out and run with me for months and seeing me go across that finish line was the trick - he wanted in the club too. So we laced up and started his training. I was faster than him and could run further. He finished about 3/4 of a mile the first day out. But he kept at it. I was really proud that I could inspire him to run (he's the one inspiring me now though). We set our sights on the Beat the Heat 5K in July for his first race. I really wanted to PR. Unfortunately I had been having asthma badly that week (we found out its actually from acid reflux) and was out of breath often. Melissa ran with me and helped coach me through the run/walks I was forced to do, but her encouragement got me an official time of 29:51 (9:37 pace). Not a PR, but I knew I couldn't beat myself up too bad. When you can't breathe, you can't breathe. Not much else you can do. Chris, on the other hand, flew through the finish line at 26:36 (8:34 pace). I was so proud! And most importantly, he was hooked on running too!

The next race of the year (yes, my first year and I was already collecting race numbers) was the Ardmore 5K. We organized a group with my graduate department to run the local race together as an effort to raise money for the local food bank. The weather was cool and I felt great before the race. Chris had done his research and prepped us with an adequate race-day breakfast followed by a good warm-up. The gun went off and we ran the very hilly, very challenging course. But this was one we knew as residents of Ardmore. We had practiced it several times but the weather was perfect that day for running. I had my sights set on 28:00 for the day. I ended up coming across the tape at 26:28 (8:32 pace) - I beasted the goal time and set quite the new PR! Chris PR'd that day with 23:05 (7:22 pace)! Then we went out to Yadkinville with to the Yadkin Valley Grape Festival (=drinking lots of wine all afternoon). Great end to the day!

Our next race was a bit different. It was a memorial run for a local high school student who died after a football accident. Matt Gfeller loved sports and loved eating, so his friends put together a "donut run" much like the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh. It was a 5K race where challengers ate 6 donuts at the halfway point before rushing back. The event sold out and the crowd was so spirited that day - it was obvious that Matt had touched a lot of people in his short lifetime. My plan was to race hard the first 1 1/2 miles to the donut stop then smash 3 donuts together so I had 2 stacks to eat. And yes, I dunked them in water and shoved them right down. It was disgusting to watch I'm sure, but it worked and I was out of the donut stop in less than 4 minutes. 6 donuts was manageable and while it was a little uncomfortable, I was able to run a decent clip back. The course ended in a strong uphill and I was tired from pushing the first bit of the race. I couldn't kick it in but I just wanted to finish strong at that point. There was a mix of "challengers" (must eat 6 donuts) and "casual" (could eat 0-6 donuts) runners in the midst of the crowd running back so it was very difficult to judge where I stood amongst the Challengers. I crossed the finish and made my way back to the car to grab my camera and jacket. Melissa was working the race due to an injury and was at the finish line gate that separated Challengers and Casuals and she let me know that I had finished really well. The smell of donuts coming back up at the finish was awful, so I quickly let the finish line area and sat in the grass near the awards stage to relax and stretch. The awards came finally for Challengers and everyone was in such a positive spirit. They did the age group awards first - Chris came in 2nd in his age group!!! My age group came and went and I realized that my time was considerably faster so I knew I placed overall - 2nd in fact! My first medal!!! Hey, I'll take it - I may not be the fastest runner out there, but put an eating challenge in the middle of it, and I can do some eatin'! Watch out Krispy Kreme Challenge - I'll see you in February!

My final race of 2009 came with the Turkey Strut 5k. A few weeks before the race I had rolled my ankle on a slippery sidewalk that was covered in leaves and was forced to stop running for a bit. Race day came and Chris and I got up early, ate a good race day breakfast, and put the turkey in the oven before heading over to the race. This was a tough course and my ankle wasn't feeling so great so I wrapped it in an Ace bandage and set off, hoping to PR but realizing during the race that my ankle was not going to have it that day. Chris came across the finish in 23:32 (7:35 pace) and I followed in at 27:16 (8:47 pace). Not my best day, but considering the circumstances, I was pleased with the results and all the more happy that I had now burned some calories before the Feast began that afternoon! (By the way, the turkey was amazing!)

Chris's final race of 2009 was the Mistletoe Half Marathon. He decided to run it with barely enough time to ramp up his mileage safely. Race day arrived and the weather was AWFUL to say the least. I think it was about 35 degrees, pouring and windy. Terrible weather to be a spectator in, but I felt even worse that he'd have to run 13.1 miles in it. Chris took off that morning from the house and made his way to the race start (~1 mile away) and started his warmups. I drove down there before the race and took all his warmup gear that was now soaked from him and stuffed it in the pack I had made for the day. Carrying the golf umbrella and about 40 lbs of stuff in the backpack, I chased Chris around the course, taking shortcuts and hustling with soaked jeans. I made it to the 4 mile mark about a minute before he did and grabbed his soaked windbreaker from him and got a few cheers of encouragement in before he was out of sight again. I then meandered over to the finish and met a nice guy with a german shorthaired pointer (my dream dog) and chit-chatted until Chris rounded the corner with about 1/2 mile to go. I had placed myself here so I could catch him and cheer him up the last hill. He looked strong and was ahead of his pace, finishing with a time of 1:42:58 (7:52 pace)! I was so proud of him and when I finally caught up with him at the finish, we headed inside to the YMCA where the afterparty was so we could get an ice pack on his knee and he could change into all the warm dry clothes I had been lugging around for the last 2 hours. We finished up the morning with a lunch at 4th St Filling Station and spent the rest of the day relaxing. It was a good finish to quite the eventful year.

So those were the races and major highlights of 2009. My goal with this blog will be to post the ups and downs, the highlights and challenges of becoming a runner. We've got a difficult race scheduled planned for this next year and I keep working at getting faster, stronger, and running further. There are so many times on a run that I'm able to enjoy something that would have been missed if I was at home on the couch (like the squirrel losing his nut and doing a backflip on Robinhood Road, or snowflakes that no one else saw because it was for 2 minutes in one area of town only and nobody forecasted flurries). I also hope that blogging this stuff will save my poor friends from having to listen to me ramble on and on about my latest run through snow or rain. I've been reading several other blogs about running and felt inspired to share my journey too. I hope this all goes well - here's to a great 2010 race season!

Feb 6 Krispy Kreme Challenge: 4 miles, 12 donuts, under 1 hour

Feb 20 Pilot Mountain Pay Back Half Marathon: trail running on my first half marathon - have I lost my mind? quite possibly

Mar 20 Chris is running the NC Marathon in High Point!

April Thinking about running the Heart and Sole 5k again to see my course time improvement

May 16 Biltmore 15K in Asheville

June Pilot Mountain Challenge (5k up Pilot Mountain)

July 8 The Bear: 5 miles, straight up Grandfather mountain - over 1500 ft elevation gain with no flat spots and certainly no downhills!

Aug 28 The Cub: 7 mile run in Valle Crucis

Sept May try to run the Salem Lake 30K

Oct run one or two 5Ks (The Knob in Boone, Ardmore in W-S)?

Dec Charlotte Marathon

Seeing as flexibility is the key to a successful training program, this may change, but I would very much like to run the Bear and Clt Marathon this year. I'd also like to get into some trail running this year as well - there are great trails in Boone/Blowing Rock, Wilkesboro, Greensboro, Pilot Mountain and Salem Lake.