Garmin Connect Test

Garmin Connect 

Time to catch up

So here's the deal.  In late March I lost strength in my right arm.  The tricep and pectoral muscle on my right side were almost paralyzed.  I couldn't do a single pushup.   Went to the Dr, had an MRI, went to a specialist.   I had two herniated discs that were pressing on my nerves that the specialist described as 'impressive'.    Because of the pinching of the nerve and to prevent permanent damage, I was schedule for surgery.  

Soon after my diagnosis, I had a real bad episode with my lower back.   I believe the back was related to the neck herniation.     Because of the back and drs orders, all working out and running stopped.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion on two discs.     Major surgery that would keep me in a neck brace for 6 weeks,  not able to pick up more than 10-15 lbs for 3 months.    I was scheduled for surgery May 3rd.

I was pretty devistated that I wouldn't be able to run, but more worried about the impact  on my family.  A 2 and 4 year old and not being able to pick them up or really help out with them for a couple of months.

Fast forward to roughly 10 days before surgery.  I made an extra appointment to meet with the surgeon because I noticed I was getting my strength back.   Over the weeks from my first meeting the surgeon,  I noticed I could do one pushup.  And then two.  I thought I might just be compensating with strength with my other arm, but I was actually gaining strength back so I decided I should let the surgeon know.    As soon as I told him the situation, and he did some strength tests, he immediately took the surgery option off the table.

YAY!!

He gave me the green light to start running again, as he assured me the injury wasn't running related (although we don't know what really caused it).  On April 20, I ran a very happy mile.

Freeze Your Buns #5 - PR

--Again, months late --
The Freeze your Buns #5 was the final in the winter series, and the first race I'd be running with a 'natural' form, and the new kinvaras. I didn't know what to expect, I was a little worried how my calves would hold up. They have been pretty sore the past couple weeks as I worked on the new form. The weather was pretty nice, at least nice enough for shorts, especially compared to the single digit temps of some of the previous Freeze Your Buns races.


With only about 100 racers, its a pretty small group. The course is three loops around the highschool with a 1/2 mile stretch to and from the school. There aren't many hills, other than a couple minor elevation changes by the school, and one bigger hill right in front of the starting line.
Normally I'm not a headphone wearer during races, but this race I really wanted to use every advantage I could get, so I put on my "Speed" playlist. The playlist was about 36 minutes longs, so if I ran out of playlist, I was in bad shape. I even timed my playlist so I would finish on one of my favorite running songs to provide an extra kick at the end.

The race started, and soon I realized something was different. I wasn't in the back of the back. Although I was no where near the front, I was firmly in the back-mid-pack. Often times in smaller races I'm one of the last ones through across the starting line, or close to it.
My new form was doing its thing. It allowed me to keep a pace I never really experienced, while not exerting a ton more energy. The race was uneventful as most are, and I managed to maintain a good pace. I reached the final 1/2 mile stretch, I realized that the song I wanted to finish up on hadn't started yet. I was actually two away which meant I was doing really well on time.. I clicked next button twice on the iphone, and powered through to the end. I was spent by the time I crossed the finish line, but I managed a 5k PR and beat my next best time by 3:29, and met my goal I set for a sub 30:00 5k.
Awesome day of running!

Natural / Forefoot Running

I heard quite a bit about Natural / Forefoot/ Minamalist running from both podcasts and reading the book "Born to Run".  I was sure it was great for some people but never felt the need to explore it further.  A book come out by one of the owners of Newton Running shoes called Natural Running: The Simple Path to Stronger, Healthier Running and decided to read it, just for informational purposes.  I had no intention of changing my running style.

After reading, I found myself trying the forefoot running just a bit.  The main thing I really liked about the Natural Form is the lack of 'braking'.  'Braking' is the force that slows you down as your heal hits the ground as you are running.  By not landing on your heal, running becomes a continuous motion.  Makes running more smooth and efficent.  

After a couple of weeks of practicing forefoot running, I found myself unable to heal strike.   It wasn't a painless transition, there were times when my calves felt like they were broken.    Once I got over the calf issue,  natural running has become second nature.

I upgraded my shoes to Kinvaras.  They have a lot lower heel than your traditional running shoe.  If you are forefoot / natural running, you don't need that large unnatural heal on regular running shoes.  And they are super light, and super bright!

Speed has been the biggest different I noticed.   While heal striking, I found it very difficult to ever go faster than 11:00 pace.    My endurance isn't magically any better, and running is still very hard, but my pace is usually significantly better.

 

Hampton Half Race Report

*** Sorry for lack of updates.  Gonna do a few posts to catch up ***
It was beautiful day in Hampton.  Beautiful, cold and windy!    The day started out fun by meeting with a group of Daily Milers in the morning.  A very friendly group of people.  It was surreal seeing people in real life I only know from little avatar pics from the Daily Mile website.

The weather was cold enough that I had to wear my big goofy winter hat (it has a face cover you can pull over your face if necessary) and sweat pants.  I HATE HATE HATE running in sweat pants.   I think this race was a hint that I might want to invest in some running pants, especially if I need to training in the winter.  

The first 6 miles were uneventful, and I maintained a sub 12:00 pace which I was content with.  As with all my running, I struggled, but I  felt ok.  Soon after that, I started falling apart soon after the first and pretty much only significant hill.   Below are my splits:

mi	TIME	AVG.PACE
1	11:53	11'53"/mi
2	23:38	11'45"/mi
3	35:17	11'39"/mi
4	47:22	12'05"/mi
5	59:03	11'41"/mi
6	1:10:57	11'54"/mi
7	1:23:17	12'20"/mi
8	1:36:13	12'56"/mi
9	1:49:00	12'47"/mi
10	2:02:43	13'43"/mi
11	2:16:33	13'50"/mi
12	2:30:25	13'52"/mi
13	2:43:53	13'28"/mi

As I think back to the race, I only recall the last 3 miles being really tough to plow through, but by looking at the splits, it seems mile 8 was where the trouble began.   Nothing in particular hurt, I was just tired, or tired of running.  Not sure which. 

The last 4 miles were absolutely beautiful.  Running down Rt 1, even though it was still brutally cold, the scenary was stunning.   It seemed like you could see for ever, including  every detail from the Isle of Shoals.   At this point my body was done with running and I just wanted to be done, but the fastest way home was to run.

My finish time was 2:46:53.  Less than 2 minutes better than my Manchester half, and Manchester is a lot tougher of a course.   At first I was surprised and dissapointed at this result.  After some reflection, I realize this is exactly what I should have expected.  My training for this race was almost identical as my half in Nov.   Never did a run more than 7 - 8 miles.  And both times I only did one of those.     So in the future, I need to do more, longer runs if I'm going to do a Half.    Some pics of me struggling:

Tomorrow, Tomorrow....

Tomorrow is the the Half at the Hamptons.  Once again, under trained.   Probably a little better than the last time, but still I could have used more miles under my belt.  I blame the weather, because I've really been enjoying the running lately.

I'm working on a more natural running position when I run.  This basically means no landing on your heel, but instead landing on your forefoot / midfoot when running.    It uses different muscles so it is something you need to transition to slowly.   I got a new pair of shoes that help facilitate that change (more on those later).  I haven't run in them though, don't want to screw up my feet/ankles/legs before the half.

I was almost successful with my weight loss.  I wanted to be down to 200 by the race, which I didn't hit, but I was 203 as of this morning.    I could go on a big run right now and sweat out those three pounds if I really wanted to :)

During runs, or drives to work, I like to listen to podcasts.  All my podcasts tend to be running / triathalon related.   Frequently they talk about DailyMile.com.   Essentially a facebook, but for people who exercise.     I love this site .  I get no support with any of my weightloss / running, so to find a place of like minded indivduals is fantastic.    This group of people understand what its like to struggle,  to be injured, tired, as well as the feeling of great run.   I can't put it into words, but it is nice to find a support system, even though  its a bunch of strangers.   However, about a dozen of us are doing the same half marathon this weekend and are going to do a 'meet up' before the race.     100% out of character for me to do something this social, but I'm starving for support.

Very excited to get on with this race.   Next big race is in 45 days (if I survive this one).

3 Weeks to go.

I'm always learning new things with this 'running hobby'.   The lesson learned the past couple of weeks has been, training for a half marathon when we are having a near-record snow accumulation sucks.    I managed to get an 8 mile run in today, which was very slow, but it was great to get the miles in.    The 'plan' I spoke of a couple of weeks ago is out the window for the most part.  I'm still aiming for the mileage, but all the cross training and rest days are at the mercy of the weather.    Just doing what I can.

Also, I  think the Tri thing is out the window.  I'm a sucky runner who is working on being an OK runner,  but training for another activity I'll be sucky at as well, my running won't improve as much as I want.   Not to mention the cost of getting into triathlons (bike + wetsuit)   is not something we need to be adding to our expenses this year.       It looks like I can fill the year with more half marathons (assuming  my body holds up)  that will keep me busy.   Not to mention the seemingly endless supply of 5Ks.  

Winter in the Hamptons

So my second half marathon will be the  Winter Half Marathon at Hampton beach on Feb 20.  It was going to be May 1st at Wallis Sands in Rye, but I saw this listed on CoolRunning.com and it looked interesting.  Then I went to the website and it said registration was almost full.     That pushed me over the edge.  Not sure why.

The Half Marathon distance scares me.  You can BS your way through a 5K,  but a Half is serious mileage.   I managed to survive the Manchester half, but I did horrible.  Walking a majority of the last 3+ miles.    Realistically, I know I won't be able to run the entire thing but I think I can do a lot better.  This time I have a little more time to prepare for it.    And this time I'm going to try to follow a plan.    I'm starting at the 6 week mark because I have 6 weeks to go and my base mileage was close enough to week 6.

So tonight, Thursday the 13th (week 7), I have a 4.5 miles run.  Of course it snowed two feet yesterday so I'm going to do the run on a treadmill instead of the slippery roads.  I hate being on the treadmill for anything longer than 3 miles.  Tonight is gonna be rough.  

I'm hoping to be around 200lbs for the half marathon.  I've been really focusing on the number of calories I'm intaking, and the scale is floating around 211 lbs.    With the amount of running I have scheduled,  I should have little issue with the goal weight.  

Goals for 2011

1)  break  the 200lb mark (15 lbs to go)

2)  break the 30 minute 5K mark (I'm very very slow)

3)  complete one, maybe two sprint triathalons without drowning, or needing to be saved from drowning

4)  complete 3 half marathons (all in NH)  Wallace Sands, Apple Fest and Manchester.  

5)  break 2:30 half marathon  time (again, very slow) 

(sprint) Triathalon here I come

This is my first week of tracking my run/bike/swim distances.
Week starting 12/13/2010
13 Miles run
15.6 Miles biked
1.6 Miles Swam

All those numbers look very small to me compared to how much time I spent in the gym this week.    I would have had more running, but I slept through my outdoor run on Saturday.  The only time I get to exercise is early in the morning or late at night so its extra tiring (mentally mostly)  to get miles in for all three disciplines.  My swim still concerns me.  I can do the required 1/2 mile in a session at the pool, but I'm a long ways off before I can do it continuously.   Good thing I have 9 months to get ready.   However, as  I do more research I've found out there  are several sprint triathlons in NH starting in June.   So maybe I only have 6 months.

(on a blogging note, this should have been posted a week ago).

Momma said there would be days like this....

I don't know if its a lingering cold in my chest,  the 5 pounds I seemed to put on just this weekend, or just an off day.  What what a crappy day of workouts.   Did 20 laps in the pool this morning, although I was ready to give up after 4.  I could hear a gurgle in my chest as I was breathing heavy.    I did do a 50 meter swim (a full lap down and back non-stop)  for the first time so thats good.  It wasn't pretty, but it doesn't have to be yet.

Then the plan at night was do an almost 5 mile bike ride (in gym)  then hop on the treadmill and do 3 miles like I did last Thursday.  I did the bike ok,   a little slower than I did it the other day but that felt fine.  But when I stepped on the treadmill my body and mind was just not into it.  So I did hill intervals for a mile,  started at 1% for a minute, then walked a min, 2% an min, walked, up to 2 sets of 4% and then I was done.  Nothing left.

And this follows a poor outdoor run on Sunday.   I really hope its my weight that makes me sucky athlete.  I would hate to lose 25 more pounds to find out it doesn't make a difference in my performance.

Let the Tri-athalon Training Begin!!!

Foots / Ankle better.  Nuff said.

1/2 Mile Swim,   14 Mile Bike Ride.  5K run.    Roughly 9 months from now in September at Clough State Park.

The 5K run I have covered.  I figured no matter how tired I am, I can still run (or walk)  it under an hour.

14 Miles Bike Ride, well, I have no bike.   So thats an issue.   I figure around my birthday I can find a used bike to use, and I can drive myself over to lake and do the bike route.  Until then the gym is full of bikes I can pedal until my stubby legs fall off.

Then there is the swim.  This is what excites me most about the triathalon.  Swimming is something I've never done.  The concept of swimming a 1/2 mile in a lake is so foreign to me.    I'm starting from scratch, very much  the way I did with running.    Every day I swim, which is usually twice a week, I learn something new or see some improvment.

The other day I did almost 5 miles on a stationary bike, then immediately ran a 5K after on a tread mill.    My last swim workout, Friday Dec 10th,  I completed around 20 laps total.  18 is 1/2 mile.  So I can swim a bunch now compared to how I was 3 weeks ago when I started, but I can't do those laps consecutively.  There is a lot of rest between the laps or even the lengths.  And when I get tired, I get super sloppy.

Should be interesting on what happens in the next 9 months.  I still have at least one half marathon to worry about before then.

Don't call it a comeback (yet)

After the half marathon, I felt great. The race was on a Sunday, come Monday I was a little tight but wasn't too sore. I expected to be incapacitated but I wasn't (probably an indication I could have pushed myself harder). I had no pain, just felt like I did an extra long run. I thought I got away with doing a half-marathon I physically wasn't quite prepared to do. I believe it was Tues when I noticed my right ankle I was a little sore when I dorsiflexed and plantarflexed my foot (basically pointing my toes up and down). The next day it was even worse, with pain that spread a bit to my shin area. This was my biggest fear of doing the half marathon, an injury.

Over the next few days the tendons in my foot became extremely tight, to the point of when I pointed my foot up, the tendons would actually squeek. At first I thought I was imagining the squeek because of how bad it felt, but Erika heard it too. I knew I would never run again. (although I know this seems stupid, when you are injured all sorts of wacky thoughts go through your head).

I stopped all activity (let the weight gain begin), and proceeded to R.I.C.E for the entire week. No improvement, but I did start cross training. Stationary bike, elliptical and SWIMMING ( I love the swimming). Even though the swimming hurt my ankle, all the cross training kept my spirits up.

After two weeks of rest and a lot of ice (while still cross training), I went to see my jack-ass of a Dr. The entire appointment lasted about 37 seconds, and he diagnosed extensor tendinitus. Although not all the symptoms fit, it seemed reasonable enough. I left with a steroid pack to help with the inflammation. A week passed with little relief. Now I have an appointment with a specialist (it was a week away when set up, but I haven't gone yet, it happens tomorrow).

This passed weekend, I worked out Friday, pool and cardio. Over the weekend I didn't do anything, other than play with the kids. Monday came and.... Poof. No Pain. No discomfort. No tightness. Nothing. I didn't think much of this because of the past three weeks, there would be moments when things got loosened up and felt good, but then would get all tight and janky all over again. I went to the gym Monday night, did a solid 35 minutes on the elliptical. Everything felt great, so I walked over to the treadmill.

1 mile. 11 minutes, 9 seconds. No issues. No pain. The following night, did 15 bike, 15 elliptical, and did a half mile on the treadmill. Still no issues. So far so good.

Manchester City Half Marathon 2010

Time to change my my blog to 13.1 Fuzz.

On a freezing Sunday morning in November, around 7:50am, I took my first step towards completing my first half marathon. It was truly a
fantastic experience. The running one was thing, but what I found most enjoyable about the running was the people. And not being much of a people person, that says a lot.

I met up with my cousin Denise and her friend Nancy a few minutes before the race. It was very nice to see someone I knew before a race. Once the race started, I was going a nice easy pace, well aware that the distance before me is not one that I've tackled before. While running down Commercial St. I said good morning to a fellow runner. After chatting with her, I found out her name was Dianna and she's a special ed teacher from NJ, who was running her 20th marathon of the year. She had to drive back to NJ that night because of a teachers conference the next day. Then I met Andrew, from San Fransisco, who wasn't enjoying the cool weather too much. Next was Marla from Pompey, NY. Her husband was running the full Marathon and she didn't want to wait around 5 hours for him, so she was doing the half. We talked about how we just wanted to hit the 6 mile mark before getting passed by the fast runners (non-early starters). For the record, made it past the 7 mile mark before getting passed. Yay!

The last person I met was a VERY nice older gentleman from Texas, Larry as he introduced himself. He could have introduced himself as Larry Macon, Guiness World Record holder for the most marathons in a year. He was the nicest guy to chat with, and he personally thanked every volunteer on every corner he came across, talked with every person cheering the runners on. It wasn't till after the race I when I was looking up finish times for Larry and the others I met, did I figure out who he was.

All in all, a great bunch of people with fascinating stories. After the mile 8 marker, I was pretty much on my own.

As for the run, Manchester City Half Marathon is very hilly course. I believe I did the first couple of miles non stop at pretty casual pace (as if all my paces aren't casual). The first two or three miles were almost, dare I say, easy. Soon I started hitting some of the major hills on River Road and took to walking any of the significant hills. I knew the course well enough to know where the downhill parts were going to be so I could make up for this walking. And I've learned from the experienced runners (like Mr. Macon), there is no shame in walking when it comes to a big hill.


The first 6 miles went really well, very little difficulty. I was tired because after all, it was 6 miles. But no issues. Although, I did turn my ankle twice right before the 6 mile mark (more on this in another post). My big concern was my lower and upper back, and it held up just fine, not only the first 6 miles, but the entire race.

Mile 10 I started walking more and more. I just didn't have much left in the tank. I ate most of a bag of Sharkies between miles 8 and 9, and drank Gatorade at every station so I think my nutrition was holding up as well as could be expected. Before this race I never did more than 8 miles, so at mile 10, I was on borrowed time/miles. From mile 10 to 13, the mid-packers who started at the normal time had caught up with me. 100's and 100's of runners were passing me as I struggled to keep up any consistent running down Hanover street (the last 3 miles was a straight shot down Hanover street). Although I knew this was going to happen, it was still a bit disheartening. Occasionally a passing runner would offer encouragement, but at that point I didn't want any acknowledgement of my existence. Most of my issues, I believe, were mental. I was tired as heck, but I probably could have pushed harder.


I sucked it up the last 1/4 mile and managed to run my way on to Elm St and across the finish line. Erika was there waiting for me, camera in hand. The pics she took were way better than the pictures from the event photographers. Thanks Sweetie!

With a time of 2:48:17, which is a pace of 12:51 I was content with the race. Over all, it was an accomplishment, but I can't help but think I could do better. Time wise, preparedness wise ect.

My Dogs are Barking because the race was TOO long.

October 16th, 2010 was a cold and WINDY day. But there was no snow or rain, so I won't complain too much. The animal rescue league of Bedford was holding their first annual 5K race. This is the place we got Dixie, my sleeping compadre so I have a special fondness for them.

I was feeling good, no issues that I could point to. Hoping for a new PR, as always. Roughly 200 runners, so it was cozy, and it was fundraiser so I knew there were a bunch of walkers so I knew there were some people I would beat.

The race started off at a good pace, hit the first turn and WHAM! Into a wall of wind. Bye-Bye PR. It wasn't just breezy, it was holding me back. I picked a girl as my rabbit, but after a mile either her pace picked up or mine dropped (probably mine dropped) and she pulled ahead. At that point I was pretty much running alone, which was fine by me. For the most part, if I don't stop, I'm happy with my race.

The race was really uneventful. At two miles I was feeling ok, the wind still taking its toll on me. As we completed the half mile, someone asked how much further. I said ".6 miles" (thanks iPhone GPS). Then there was this little girl, probably 8, who doing great running, but then stopped to walk, as I passed her I tried to give an encouraging "less than half a mile to go". I think thats the most I've ever said to other racers. We're down to .3 miles left, I tell another woman who asks how much further. What a nice guy. At .2 miles, I start to kick it into high gear. On my death bed, I'll still have enough energy to push through .2 miles. Its nothing. So I pumping my stubby little legs like my life depended on it, pulling away from the ladies that I just told the distance. Still holding out hopes for that PR! Funny thing though. I hit the 3.1 mile mark, and I was no where near the school that we started at. 3.2 miles. Still no school. 3.3 miles. WTF! 3.4 miles. Someone needs to die. At this point, all the extra energy I had was out the window and I'm beyond winded. Finally cross the finish line at 3.46 miles.

The extra distance wasn't a big deal, it was the extra push toward the finish that wasn't where it was suppose to be that killed me. My finish line photo makes me look like a monster that ran .36 miles more than he expected to run.

It was a fun race and I look forward to next years.

3.46 Miles 36:10. A 10:27 pace, not bad for me.

8 Miles and Half Marathon

I've increased my mileage to 8 miles. And oh yeah, signed up for a half marathon. Manchester Marathon /Half Marathon. My cousin Denise suggested it, because she's walking it, and suggested I do it as well. After thinking about it for 10 min, I was in.

8 miles. 13 miles. Close enough. I feel like I'm cramming for a test I didn't prepare for. Going to get at least a 10 mile session in this Saturday and see how my body handles that. I will have a week to take it easy before the big day.

I am VERY excited.

Biggest concern. My lower back and nutrition during the race.

Time prediction.....3:20. <-- lots of walking after the 10K mark.

7 Miles

On October 12, 2010 I ran 7.0 miles. I ran very slow, because thats how I run, but I did it non stop. When I started running in April, I never thought I would be able to run a couple miles continuously, never mind 7! Still stuck at my weight (due to my own poor eating decisions), but I'm really excited about the possibilities. Now as I look in the future for races, I'm not restricted just to 5k races. Now I'm looking for 10Ks! 6.2 miles. Easy-peasy!

Erica's Run To Strikeback Against Cancer 5K

My 5th race of the year was pretty uneventful. It was in Merrimack NH on a beautiful September morning. It was a race of about 250 people, a good majority of them were just walkers as this was a charity event. I love walkers. Anyways. The course was a flat loop. 3 times around. It was my first loop course and I didn't think I would like it, but it really didn't matter. Although being lapped wasn't a highlight. But I showed some of those walkers who the boss was by lapping them.

Race Results

Good Things: I didn't stop, but the weird thing is I was about 100 yrds from the finish line and I almost stopped. It was like a little battle was going on between my head and my legs. Head won, but legs were pissed.

Personal record. Only by about 30 seconds.

Bad things: Only knocked 30 seconds off my personal best. I run better than that now a days. At least I should.

I was tired! I think my big mistake was not taking a rest day before the race. The day before I did a 5.1 mile run (at a blistering 10:19 pace I might add) that really wore me out. I didn't think it would matter, but it was clear it did.

Still 215, but 5 miles instead of 4.

So I'm really stuck at this 215 weight. I've seen it dip down, but 215 is just where my body wants to sit for a while. Hopefully I'll break through the barrier at some point. I've added weight lifting to my routine two days a week so maybe that will help.

The more exciting thing is that Sunday I hit the 5 mile mark running. 5.07 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes of continuous running. I was running and felt pretty good, so decided to go for 4.5. Then at 4.5, decided to go for the big FIVE-O.

I feel pretty good, took the next day for total rest just so I wouldn't push it (did 12 miles total this weekend (Fri, Sat and Sun).

A 5K in Merrimack on Saturday. Hopefully I can improve my times a little bit. Excited to try.

Wild Rover 1/2 Way to St Patricks Day 5K

I didn't stop. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I wanted to stop. At one point I couldn't even take a deep breath because I tweaked a muscle in my back/shoulders that was cramping or something. I remember running down Chestnut St not being able to take a breath, an issue that would have been debilitating even if I was walking. I kept pushing one step at a time (cliche, I know). The weird thing is I don't remember when it stopped, but as my legs kept going, my issue simply went away.

So as I mentioned my goal was not to stop, and didn't really care about time as long as I kept moving. The race took us up Elm St, which is a pretty big hill. I was mildly proud of myself as I ran up the hill, and people all around me had to stop and walk. This is what I've been doing in my runs around the house, hills (not a fan). It was nice to see work I've been doing paying off.

Once I crossed Webster St., which I guess was about a mile away from the finsh, I was very confident I was going to go the distance. I was looking for a 'rabbit', someone I could follow to pace myself. The problem was everyone I started following, either slowed their pace or ended up walking. I wasn't used to the situation of passing people. I was always the pass-ee. So that was another plus.

I finished up the race with a 33:52. More than 4 minutes better than my last race roughly two weeks prior, so that was another positive of the race. Then, after I was huffing and puffing from just coming across the finish line, a lady came up to me and thanked me for pacing her the entire race. ME! I paced someone!

Anyways, a very fun race. Its fun to see that I'm improving as a runner.

The pictures are pretty random, just me taking them of the crowd (finish line and the starting line). I didn't know anyone and no one knew me.