updates and end of racing season stats

Hi! Merry Christmas to all!!!!
we made the move across a few states safe and sound!
albeit 3 of  my 4  kids  were sick and it did not make for an uneventful travel!!!
the good news is that the children are finally on the mend, even though there are still lingering coughs and congestion and now ear infections (antibiotics are still needed until next week,ugh)

the other good news is that we are in our new home for Christmas!!!!
the other other good news is that my last race of the year went great!
it was a small race but EVERYONE was decked out in jingle bells and all sorts of Christmas decorations, from Santa clauses to reindeer and everything inbetween!
I had jingle bells on my shoes and deer antlers on my head.
I sported my lucky batman shirt for this race as well!
gun goes off and surprisingly, there is not a mad sprint out at the start. Becca, the young gal I ran with a few races ago was out in the lead along with a young middle school boy. I let the younger ones set the pace and trail on their heels. after the 1rst mile, I pass Becca, and try to catch middle school boy. the jingles on my shoes are annoying, so I turn my iPod on to drown out the noise. Ozzy is on, so I just put myself on cruise control and try to close the gap. at the 1.5 mile mark, the middle school boy sees me and puts himself in another gear. at mile 2, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn my music off to be able to hear my surroundings better. I pick my pace up in order to shake this person off my heels.
at the 3 mile mark, I get passed by a guy and I cant catch up to him. he outkicks me at the end.
I did end of overall female winner and 3rd overall person though. cant complain a bit!!!

as I cross the line, I see my sons best friend and his mother and sisters. they were volunteers at the race!!!!!!it was so good to see familiar faces and have a small cheering section for me as I accepted my award!
I talk to Becca and her Dad for a bit, and wish them well for the upcoming seasons of running. Becca is just going to get more awesome the longer she keeps running!!!

now to sum up my "racing" season
only 17 races this year

5 Overall wins
4 2nd Overalls
1 3rd Overall
4 1rst in AG
2 2nd in AG
1 5th in AG


considering my training plans went NOTHING how I expected this year,(um hello no speed work after august) I think I did OK.
I did end up winning that friendly competition, the Kings and Queens of the 5k!
wont know what exactly I have won, but will find out at the start of the new year...
more updates and pics in my next post!

now its off to get this new house ready for Santa Claus!
Hope all have a very wonderful Christmas, safe travels (to those who are traveling) and warm wishes!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

updates and 5ks

hi!!! remeber me?
yeah its been a while......
but im still alive and kicking,
and up to my eyeballs in school work,
and getting things packed and ready to move to a different state in 11 days,
 i have snuck in a couple of 5ks though
and they were pretty awesome....

in the last race recap,i mentioned that for the next 5k i needed to " Run my race without comparing myself to my race shape self."

and thats just what i did.
Race 1-thanksgiving 5k:
woke up to a lovely 26 degrees,i was actually excited to try out my new nike tights and saucony ear cover/head band (which i got the night before,completey free-thanks to gift certificates!) i grab my batman shirt and head out the door. i felt like i needed to harness batmans powers for the run ahead.

the race was large,around 3 thousand or so. i park 2 miles away from the start. this was my warm up. i try to time it just right so i just go straight from warming up to the start line. i almost got it. still had about 10 minutes to kill. when we finally get lined up,i tie my jacket around my waist,put my ipod earbuds in and immediatly get a "whooooo! go bat girl!!!!!" from quite a few ppl around me. i smile and the gun goes off. i have no delusions of making overall,i just focus on running strong and not play head games with myslef like the previous race. i usually dont run with music,especially during a race,but i felt like i needed the distraction.
mile 1
goes by fast,my legs feel strong,i am not winded,and the back of the lead pack is in my sight.
mile 2
im rocking out to Ozzy,keeping up with a pack of various individuals,i still feel good,like im running effortlessly. there is a small loop around,i hear several "go batgirl go!i start passing people without trying,my legs feel fresh.
mile 3
im in the final stretch,and give a nice kick at the finish-the only part of the course i feel winded.
when i cross the line,i am pleasantly surprised at the time.
not my fastest ever,but almost a minute faster than last race......
when results were potsed i made 5th in AG
143/2998 and 34/1188 females
this was the best i have felt physically during a race in a long time!
but that 2 miles back to the truck? ugh. froze my biskits off!lol!

on to race 2,which was bright and early on sunday
weather conditions on race day--winter storm advisory and cold and windy!
i wanted to stay in bed.
but i grab my superman shirt and ipod,and out the door i go. i needed to channel my inner superman to get me through the cold and hilly course!sleet and snow started as soon as i left the house.
the wind picked up right before the start.i am freezing.
small crowd gathers and gun goes off.
some girl in front of me takes off like her britches are on fire!!!
 i turn the ipod on,and just focus on keeping her in sight and running strong.
i forget my watch but am ok with that.
mile 1
same as last race-my legs feel great,my lungs feel good...
and shortly before the turn around, i see the lead gal. she has passed all the boys and is leading the way.
i make the turn around,hear several "go supergirl!!!!!!!"
on the way back, i cheer for all the other runners,i thank the volunteers.
the snow and ice is really coming down and the wind is swirling in my face.
i still feel good,my legs and lungs feel fresh...and then the huge hills.
i feel myself fade some,and i get winded. but i still feel OK. and actually pass a coulple people.
(one of the things i think helped me here was actually running some hills last week with my friend crazy sue. we met for dawn patrol in freezing temps and got lost in some hilly subdivision.good times. who wants a "normal " friend who wants to meet over coffee,when ive got crazy sue who wants to meet and run hills in the bitter cold?lol!!!)
so up the hills i go,i catch up to a high school boy and am hollaring at him to stay with me. he does and outkicks me at the finish. i am greeted at the line by a small group of loud cheers and "great job supergirl!!!!!"
again,i am surpised at my time-not my fastest ever but is about the same from last race.
i immeadily make a bee line for the tent with hot chocolate and make my way back to the truck to get my change of clothes. thank goodness i actually packed extra socks and shoes!!!! i didnt realize how much wintry mix i had ran through. the temperature is dropping and i needed to change quick before i froze!!!!
 i change and wait around for awards-all the volunteers are AMAZING at this race. there is a hot bar set up with real food-like cilantro rice and black beans, hot pizzas, hot donuts from duncan donuts--yes,thier shop was a few feet from the start/finish,and yes,hot donuts were brought out!---there was a 1/2 marathon going in conjunction with the 5k,so all sorts of goodies were provided to all the runners--free massages,endless fruit and bagels,and lots of hot chocolate and hot coffe and blankets and heaters!
even though it was cold and the weather was crappy-everyone was in good spirits.
i wait around for awards and get 2nd overall female....
: )

so....
that about sums up the past 2 races. i have one more scheduled for next sunday,my final race here in VA....
it is bitter sweet.
but i know the journey that lies ahead will be quite an adventure.

lots of things to do over the next 11 days!!!!!!
i will be so glad when we get moved and settled in,and i can get back on a good lifting/running schedule/routine again. it is killing me not being consistant!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anyways,ive rambled enough.
hope all are doing well in blogland,
if your still reading this,you must still be following my blog!
ill be on here more once things get settled and i have a chance to get 2014 plans in order....
the pro stage is calling my name again,
as with some pretty big races!
cant wait to get things started and get back in the swing of things in the midst of starting over all over again!
happy monday!!!!

Common Misconceptions about me

I have a few free minutes because I am procrastinating with school work,so I thought I would throw this out here......
As a Pro Figure competitor, there are quite a few misconceptions about me. I'm sure anyone who is even anything of a fitness enthusiast or endurance athlete may get these misconceptions as well.
here a are some of the more common ones in no particular order
* I stay in "show shape" 24/7/365
*I NEVER eat junk food
*I do not allow processed foods in my house
*My kids aren't allowed junk food
*I am always motivated to be in the gym
*I spend hours and hours in the gym
*I am always motivated to workout or run
*I am always confidant with how I look
*Fitness is my life
*I never struggled with getting back in shape after having children
*I am always organized and structured
*I always know how to balance it all and be superwoman
*I judge others as harshly as i judge myself

are all these statements true?
No.
To begin with,i do not look like this all year:

 

truth be told,
I do not stay ripped and shredded all the time.y I try to keep in shape and stay somewhat lean.
On stage, I am around 4.8% body fat. when im not competing I am around 8-9%. this was a picture taken a few weeks ago

  see? I am not tan and I am not in "show shape"
ill do another post with current pictures soon.

FOOD
Now about food. yes, I eat healthy most of the time but not ALL of the time. in fact, I have M&M's and jelly bellies in my cabinet right now!!do indulge in sweet treats on occasion as well as steak dinners and pasta. I LOVE pasta!!!!!Moderation is the spice of life! My nutrition is not contest prep meal plans ALL of the time. I switch from a 40/40/20 split during prep to around a 50/30/20 split when not competing. I don't analyze and crunch the macros when im not competing.
I do have an idea of my ranges though.

now, having said that, there is junk food in my home, and my children are allowed to have it on occasions. I teach my children about nutrition from an athletic point of view. food fuels the body and the better foods you eat, the better you will perform in athletics (in conjunction with practice, of course!) sweets and junk food area sometimes food, but not every day.

off the subject but on similar lines,
one thing i have noticed especially if see someone at the grocery store know from the gym. they immediately apologize for all the bad foods in the cart, or try to justify or find an excuse...im having a party...im getting this for my sister and not me....relax people! i don't judge!!!!!! take a look at what im buying!lol!

MOTIVATION
about being motivated.
I m not always fired up to workout everyday. I have my days, just like everybody else, that I would much rather sleep in and not do anything.
I go through periods of fluctuating motivation levels. on those days I don't feel like working out,I try to make myself show up to the gym anyway. usually once I get there and get moving, I get in a pretty decent workout. some days I just don't feel the gym mojo and either just go through the motions or even just leave and make it up the next day. there's been times I've walked in the gym, didn't feel like being there and then I walked back out and left. there's also been times I've walked in the gym,didnt want to workout but once I got started I end up having an awesome workout.

BABY WEIGHT AND BALANCING IT ALL
while I do have some pretty good genetics (thanks dad!!!!) that doesn't mean the baby weight melted off immediately after I had my children. now the first two children, I have to admit. the weight came off pretty fast without trying much. the last 2 babies.........
I had to WORK and work HARD to get back in shape, specially after the 4th baby!!!!!
I really struggled to get back to normal after the last baby. in order to force myself back in shape, I decided to compete 10 months after he was born. I needed every bit of that time. i had so many things going on, I was struggling to find the balance between family,fitness,going back to school, soccer practices, meal planning, contest prep training,etc etc etc.... there were times i felt i was disorganized and overwhelmed with school work. late nights and early mornings were taking a toll on me.
while I was still managing to keep up with my children and all their sports activities and not take away family time, my marathon training took a hit because school work took precedence over extra cardio time, just as family time took precedence over workout and cardio time. I hade to prioritize and realize I could not be supermom and do EVERYTHING!
through that chaos, I learned how to juggle things a lot better and I found that balance again!

i wrote a post about it Balancing it all HERE

but somedays,yes, schedules do not go as planned and I feel like a disorganized hot mess!!!

THERE IS MORE TO ME THAN FITNESS
yes, fitness is a passionate hobby. yes I do lead a healthy lifestyle for the most part-I do indulge in sweets on occasion, I do have a life outside the realm of figure competitions and do not live in the gym 24/7.
I do not stay in show shape all of the time, I do have my insecurities with how I look, I am not perfect, I am too hard on myself, I try to do too much sometimes, I don't stick to a strict schedule all of the time. now granted, with having children, the younger ones need structure and routine, so we have that but as far as being on a strict schedule when im not competing, I loosen up and don't sweat it that much if I can only get in 45 minutes of running instead of 60minutes. i do try to stay in shape but I refuse to let the gym dominate my life......


the list could go on,im sure I could list more, but my times is running out.

to sum things up, all I can say is that
contrary to popular belief, I am a human like every body else! now granted,
I may be a little bit more crazy than the average Joe, but non the less, I am still human!

So, any of this surprise you?
what are some common misconceptions about you??

head games-the weekend of back to back "races"

Hey yall, much over due post!
a brief  recap of last weekend:
Race 1:
small race(less than 80ppl), freezing cold outside
my plan going in was to take things slow,try to make overall.
the first mile and a half I slowly catch up to the elementary kids,they are so much fun to run with. I talked to a girl named Makayla(she has her name written on her hat) we chat for a few minutes and I encourage her to stay with me and catch the girl in front of her. She stays with me for a little bit,but falls behind,i catch up to the young gal in front of us,named becca (her parents shouted her name parts of the course). I encourage her when I reach her. great job becca! your first female under 19,and we are 2nd and 3rd place girls! lets try to catch the girl in front of us!
she smiles at me and says OK.
we stay together almost the rest of the race. we are close behind the lead gal,who I thought was a high school kid,but close to the last half mile I realized she was older. then that lady turned her jets on up the hill and made a large gap to close. meanwhile, I try to slowly increase my pace,and becca stays with me and will not let me get ahead of her. she is doing an amazing job but I see she is getting tired. with about  300 yards or so left to go, there is s small hill and she loses steam, me and her parents were encouraging her like crazy to finish strong!!!!!  I cross the line and stay there until becca crosses,which is only a few seconds later. I shook her hand and told her she did an amazing job! she smiled and told me thank you for pushing her through the course...
awwwwwww!

i went up to the first place gal and congratulated her. we actually talk for a while. she was as cool as the other side of the pillow. she is getting back into running after having her first baby, and i have no doubts she will reach her goal of a sub 20 5k!

so while im waiting around for awards, I freeze my biscuits off.
i get 2nd overall female,a gift  certificate to the running store, and then i go home.

i wasn't too hard on myself, for placing 2nd,i was intentionally taking things slow in order to have fresh legs in the morning for the race i knew i  needed to make top 3  to be happy. my legs felt good the rest of the day.
RACE 2
the next morning after around only 3 hours of sleep (due to a fussy baby,who wound up in my bed only for me to keep shoving his toes out of my nose),i drag myself out of bed and get ready to race.

this was a newly certified course,which sounded pretty awesome. running through subdivision and trails with minimal hills. I show up with plenty of time to pick up my race packet and to warm up. immediately I spot fast gal 1 and 2. I make  a mental note to keep these gals in sight. along my warm up route,i spot several others I have ran with before,and while this race is bigger than the day before,its still pretty small. that gave me a small glimmer of hope to make top 3,as I knew I wouldn't be overall.
for some reason,my lack of  feeling in race shape hits me in the face and creeps inside my head. for the first time in  a LONG time, I am doubting myself, even before the race starts!!!!! I
I feel nervous. I get myself worked up questioning why I'm choosing to run a competitive race when I haven't been consistent with training...
5 minutes before the race,we get corralled to the start--and who lines up next to me is becca's dad! he introduced himself and said becca used that race as training for upcoming nationals.

we chat for  minute then its go time. I am still feeling nevous and comparing myself to the runners ive ran with before. can I hang in there with the top pack?will I mke top 3 overall? will I get completely smoked???

gun goes off and the pace is set to fast.
I start off trailing the lead runners. I see fast gal 1 and 2,and a high school gal who I have raced with before. I know I can keep pace with HS gal,as ive passed her before in previous races. she usually starts off fast then slows down.

for the first mile,i am 4th overall,HS gal just keeps getting faster and speeds up the inclines. after the first mile,i feel spent. I try to stay positive and keep the lead girls in sight. I try to make myself catch up to the hs gal so I could get that top 3 spot. try is the operative word. about a half mile later,i hear  pack of women behind me. I her loud brething and they are talking. "come on,stay with me. pass her. pass her!pick em off one at a time!!!" wow. this was something I was not used to--being chased down!!!one gal catches me,i pass her,she passes me. we play that game for a minute then she takes off,as she does,i feel deflated. crap,im 5th place now,maybe no one else will pass me. but I hear more gals behind me...a half a mile later I hear another "come on,pass her!!!"

what??? I am so not used to being chased like this. im the chaser,not the chasee!!!
2 women catch up to me,again,i try to speed ahead,but I cant shake them. I encourage the ladies,tell them "great job,keep going,catch up with your buddy,shes right there!" while my words were cheerful, mentally I was done, I wanted to just stop running. I didn't know where my competitive mojo went. typically I wouldn't let anyone else pass me, heck, typically I would have caught up to the 3rd place gal and stayed there. but I just wasn't there today. after those ladies passed me,i felt the wind go out of my sails (despite the large wind gusts that were swirling in my face.)

I try to just maintain a decent pace and keep the gals within striking distance. now its through the woods and grass and trails, the best part of the course-a reminisce from cross country days! I still have the gals in sight, I pass a high school boy, I see the final turn, the volunteer was shouting at us, "finish strong,dont give up,turn it up and sprint to the finish! when I passed him he told me to catch the girls in front of me....however,it was a few other women who actually listened to him-when I make the final turn, I hear footsteps behind me, women are talking to eacother...."go,go,go!
and then the final stretch,
i .
get.
 smoked.
 I cant believe I didn't will myself to outkick these ladies!! but I was done. and felt sourly disappointed when I crossed the line, a full 2 minutes slower than my usual race pace.
*sigh*
oh well.
at the line, there were handshakes,pats on the back. all of the ladies who passed me talk to me afterwards. they are all part of the local running club and knew eachother well.how I wish I was part of the club!!!!! all the ladies are supernice and I get invited on their cooldown run. it was so nice to be with a group of runners! the 2-3 mile cool down was all in good company. I have said this before but I really do love the comradeship in this running community!!


after I get my jacket on and text my husband what a crappy race I had,i went to check the results that were taped on the door.
to my surprise,i was 9th female overall and first in age group!!!

I hang around for awards, which are unique in the fact that they had Olympic podium stands for first, second and third place winners. it was a little awkward standing up on the platform, especially since the 2nd and 3rd place gals didn't stay for awards---I was up there by myself for the pictures!
lol!

but I did get a gift certificate to the local running store,2cards for  free frozen yogurt cups from sweet frog,3 cards for free chic fila meals  and 1 card for a  free cheese pizza.
when I got home,th kids were extra happy to see the free stuff,
: )

while this race went nothing how I thought it would, while I let some stupid mental block interfere with a potentially GREAT race, the main thing I learned is that for the next races (until I get my speed back) i need to
Run my race without comparing myself to my race shape self.


and of course, to not play head games, and to simply SHUT UP ND RUN!

next race is thanksgiving. I am ready for redemption!
however,i am not quite sure I will be able to get in the training time I need.
things are crazy busy hectic and stressfull here to say the least.

I will try to fit it in when I can, and will do my best to finish the race schedule as strong as I can with the abilities I have.

for those still following along, bless your hearts!
time to get things going here--hope all have a great friday and enjoy the weekend!!!!!

That big fish that just jumped in the frying pan

in my last post I mentioned that my athletic adventures have been taking a back burner lately due to a bigger fish that is frying.

this big fish, just kind of happened to jump in our boat. a huge job opportunity was offered to my husband so we are packing things up and moving a few states away to South Carolina!
 we have about 4 weeks or less to get moved. next week our house goes on the market and there is SO MUCH STUFF that needs to be done.

so,i run and lift when I can,but my focus over the next few weeks is to get things prepared for a new adventure...and to keep the household running smoothly during this transitional time..and to keep on top of my school work.....and then to hopefully still attempt to run well these last 3 races (maybe one more race in December, if I am still in town). I have 2 back to back 5ks this weekend. my plan is to run the first one a few minutes slower than race pace. this is going to be a really small race, so I still may place well or even win overall female with a slow time. the second race, held the next day, is bigger, and will bring with it some competition. if I can make top 3 overall, or even first in AG I will be happy.

I am still undecided about the marathon that is in 10 days. ive always wanted to actually race a marathon and BQ.
BUT  I have not been training for a marathon, there is NO WAY I could BQ right now. part of me thinks that since I already paid for the race,why not just go for it? I would be slow as anything, but at least I can say I ran a marathon! and why not? im only here in this town for a few more weeks. the new place we are moving to does not have a strong local running community like it is here. part of me just wants to race all I can until we move, as I know I will be jonesing for a good race soon!!!!!

speaking of good races,the thanksgiving turkey trot is bound to be epic. this is going to be a  large race (about 6-8 thousand are expected) and lots of fast runners will be there. if I am going to have a PR this year at all,this is race to do it,as the pace will already be set to ultra fast, and im pretty sure the course is flat, unless they changed it. no expectations of even placing in my AG,as last years female winners were in the 16's and the top 3 in my AG were in the 18's  I have ran around the 20 and 21 min mark and was hoping to see the 19's by Christmas. I still have a few weeks left......right??

: )

anyways ,that's what been going on here, all sorts of crazy but it will all be for the better in the long run!
 will leave yall with some pics of my sweet little babies!!!

 

what did i manage to get myself into??

ha.
two 5k's scheduled back to back next weekend(sat and sun)
and the weekend after that a full marathon.
and another 5k the next weekend, and for the one after that
have I been training for any of this?
uuuummmm.
no.
 life has gotten in the way of all my training plans, and running has been moved on the backburner, yet again...
so
im debating on just doing 1 5k next weekend and then the turkey trot 5k and leave it at that.

bigger fish are frying right now,but more on that in a different post!
(and no,i am NOT pregnant again lol!!!)

hope all are having a great Monday!
even though ive been away from blogging, ive still been trying to follow along and catch up on yalls post!

and guess who turned 10  eleven days ago????
gah! where is time going???? it was just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital, scared to death but SO in love!!!!
and now hes coming home from school wearing bracelets from a "friend that's a girl"
im so not ready for this. someone pleeeeeease slow down the clock??

happy Monday!

a workout to post,and 5k pics

Finally made it to the gym yesterday for a short but effective workout
only had an hour so made the best of it
3x15 each
cable crossovers ss with pushups
pressdowns ss with reverse pressdowns
DB press ss with kickbacks
DB flys ss with dips

3.5 miles on TM

nothing fancy or crazy but enough to make me sore!
 and, these are the pictures from the Sunday newspaper
just look past the pasty pale complexion and goofy grins

 

I was hesitant to post these but since most the  town already has already seen, what's a few more? lol!
I forgot to mention that this race was held in memory of "Fallen Hero's" from the Police Force in our area. That's why this race had special attention. I do hope that this event continues to grow and bring in more runners each year. The event was also held in conjunction with a food drive and proceeds from the race benefited  the VA Special Olympics, so this race has potential to really blossom!

anyways, time to get ready for another good workout.
I've been away MUCH too long!!!!

Happy Tuesday!!!

Im still here! 5k recap

yeah I know its been 3 weeks.....im still here though!
time for a quick update.
I haven't ran or lifted for 3 weeks.
shocking I know!

But sometimes life happens and things have to get put on the backburner.
Well, this morning I had the chance to get running back on the warmer.
I decided to hop in a local road race this morning, and it was just what I needed!

I woke up bright and early to rain, rain, rain and more rain. half of me wanted to stay in bed under the nice warm and cozy covers and let the sound of rain drift me back to sleep....
but why waste a perfect morning to race?
I LOVE running in the rain. add in cooler temps and slight wind and that adds up to some great racing conditions! I hurry up and get my stuff together, get dressed, lace up my new running shoes I just bought the night before, grab a half of a granola bar,Gatorade and diet coke and head out the door. Since I know I haven't ran or have done any speed work over the past 3 weeks, I was not expecting a PR, not expecting an overall win, I was just expecting to do a tempo or some fartlek's-just enjoy the run...and maybe snag an age group award.
: )

 this was a new race added on the schedule, so I didn't know what to expect in terms of how large the race was or who was going to  show up. so I get there
with plenty of time to register and warm up. the rain keeps pouring and as I'm doing my warmup I notice that not many people have arrived yet. maybe the yucky weather was keeping people away? I keep running trying to get a feel for the new shoes-and trying to get the kinks out of my legs.
 I do  couple striders and make my way to the very small group at the line. my legs feel good. Its go time.

just a simple 3,2,1.GO! for the start, and off we went.
I start off top of the pack, immediately some girl comes out of nowhere and sneaks around me.
I was like, what? who is this chic? my competitive side came out and I told myself I have to keep her in my sight.....
 she stays ahead of me for maybe a half mile, (I have no clue what my pace is, I didn't bring a watch and there are no mile markers) I zone in on her heels, she looks behind her, sees me and tries to pick up the pace. I catch her on a down hill, pass her and take off in a full sprint, giving the impression that I was full of energy. I  pass a couple guys in the process and then settle in a good pace, with the wind and rain in my face. enjoying the moment, loving that my legs felt awesome.
until I notice how my lungs felt.

 I wanted to slow down, but the sound of footsteps behind me kept me moving. thank goodness my legs felt good! I knew I had to maintain the pace in order for that girl not to catch me....
about 2.5 miles in there is a small loop, I make the turn in to the loop and then I hear the footsteps get louder, and I get passed. by a guy who I thought was that gal I passed earlier. I start to be on the look out for any other females as I made my way out of the loop. nope, didn't see any. wow. that was unexpected!

I put myself on cruise control and gave myself time to catch my breath. the last 800 meters felt long, but I was really enjoying just being able to run in the rain. I cross the line faster than I expected, but slower than last race.
oh well,still fast enough for overall female, so I wasn't complaining at all!
I do a brief cool down,
wait around for awards an walk away with a plaque,$75 cash and $25 gift card to local running store.
and lots of pictures were taken for the local newspaper....ha! hate it I looked like a drowned rat,but till pretty cool I get my picture in the paper?

SO, that was my run this morning,
the cardinal sins of running I broke
#1) running a race in a new pair of shoes
#2) running a race after not doing a bit of running in 3 weeks


after the race it was off to the last soccer game for the season. it was not cancelled due to the rain,and my daughter was excited to play in the mud and rain!
they won 7-0. my sweet girl was the first to score and set the tone and attitude for the rest of the game!

now its off to finish homework.....
just a few more races of the year left, and hopefully there wont be any more jumping in races last minute without running for a few weeks!!!!

hope yall have a great rest of the weekend!

3 for 3....running goals and 5k recap

well, the past 3 weeks I have ran a race every weekend.
a good way to jump start and get back in the groove of running again after taking 3 weeks off due to an unexpected death in the family.
I feel I am just now rebuilding the speed I lost, and can now focus on getting faster from here. My initial 5k goals were to break 21 minutes by September, and break 20 minutes by December. I've accomplished breaking 21,so now its on to breaking 20. my lofty goal is to see the 19's,possibly 18's.....we will see how that goes though!!!!
there are only 3 more local 5ks this year. October 12,November 10 and December  8th. well actually 4,but I will be out of town on thanksgiving for the turkey trot race. I wish I could run that one because t is a huge race, with lots of fast runners and a very flat course. that would be the race to PR at!!! I may try to jump in on a 5k when we travel back home though???
I do know that the November and December courses are hilly, so looks like hill repeats are being added back in the training mix this week!!!!!!!
the good news is that now that the weather  cooling off some (yaaaaaaay fall is here!!!!!)I can take the little ones running with me in the double jogger. AND the place I usually run outdoors has a PERFECT 600m hill to run repeats with-having the added weight of pushing a 3yr old and a 1yr old will only make me stronger!!

Now,onto the race report.
the morning of the race,i woke up to a bad mood. I was tired, crampy and really wanting to stay in bed. but I made myself get out the door. the cool weather made me feel a little better as I made my way to the registration table. and then I realized how crowded things were!the night before I looked at the race information web page. I didn't know there would be cash prize of $200 for overall winners until then. no wonder things were crowded,and I knew the fast runners would be there.(already saw them)
I had no delusions of making top 3 overall. my goal shifted to 1rst in age group.
I overhear 2 guys behind me pointing all the fast people out and trying to determine who would be in the top pack.
one guy told the other "don't go by how they look, go by the shoes they wear.the fast ones are either wearing racing flats or a really expensive, good pair of running shoes".
I just had to giggle to myself, because ive had this exact conversation in my head, numerous times.

but, how true that statement I overheard  is though, as looks alone are never a true indicator of how fast someone is on the course!

so a few minutes before the 5k,i take some Mydol, and am doing sprints and striders. I make my way to the crowded start. I push my way past all the highschool kids, to the very front, right next to all the fast folk. I spot 3 gals I had to keep in my sight. the gun goes off, and for once,i wasn't bombarded by kids. i made a point to go out with the top pack and stay there.
immediately fast college gal sets the pace for ultra fast. fast gal 1 and 2 follow suit. fast gal 3 and 4 are trailing them, and then I am on their heels. the first 2 gals I knew I would probably lose sight of, I know they run in the 18s,and I know I am not that fast (yet).
the first mile im trying to find a good pace and still keep sight of the lead gals. I fear I am going out too fast,but as I get to the 1rst mile marker, im not going fast enough.
6:39
as im approaching the turnaround point,i see the lead runners and start counting females. I am 5th. i had to try to catch the gal in front of me to grantee my spot as 1rst in age. i have no clue the ages of the other gals. just then 2 guys pass me. i heard them behind me,but what i didn't realize is that a female was in that group. and she just blitzes by me. ugh. i pick my pace up and stay on her heels,but she sees im there and finds another gear and takes off! my goal is to keep her in sight.
mile 2 is 13:51
dangit!!! how did i get slower when i thought i felt faster???
if i was going to get under 21 i had to pick it up.
the last mile seems to take forever. i hear guys behind me and me and i encourage them whenever i picked my pace up.  going down the final bend,some young boy passes me, and yells at me to finish strong! im hollering at him to not let a girl beat him, that i was on his heels..... right at the 3 mile mark, i look at my watch and mutter a curse word,(20:56-not what i wanted) some guy tries to pass me and he tells me to sprint to the finish. yes sir, here i go! i kick it in to the line and about 5 yards before i cross, some girl comes out of nowhere and passes me!! i didn't even hear her behind me,lol!

ahhh well.
at the finish, high fives, handshakes and pats on the back are given. the young boy who passed me shakes my hand and says, "thank you so much for encouraging me!"
awwwwww. i love seeing that type of sportsmanship from the young ones! i pat him on the back and let him know he did a great job. more handshakes to all the gals who were in front of me, and then i hang around the finish for a little bit to cheer other runners in.
 when results are posted, I see that i am 7th female overall and 1rst in age! i didn't expect that one,so just icing on the cake!

overall, a pretty good race.
im looking forward to the next one so i can see how much i can improve!!

here's hoping to some good training weeks ahead!
happy Monday!!!
Has Fall arrived where you live yet??

Football,Soccer and a 5k-and things that make my heart smile...

hey yall,
the weekend always seems to go by so fast!
we had perfect weather for ball games and a race!
My sons football team won their game, my daughters soccer team won their game, and she even scored the winning goal, her first one ever!!!!
AND the highlight of the weekend for this proud mamma (aside from the ballgames)
The entire family was signed up to race,even the baby!!!!

(yeeeeee!)


Me and Terry ran the 5k, B and A the 1 mile fun run, and M and E the Rookie Run firemans "chase"(they basically ran 400m around a field and had to "chase" after the firemen-this was M's first race 2 years ago!)

We woke up to a chilly morning, (thankfully T and I got everything prepared the night before so all we had to do was get the kids dressed and in the car) and the 6 of us were out of the house quickly and smoothly. We met the babysitter(who I wish could be our nanny) at the race so she could watch the kiddos while T and I ran.

It felt so nice to be able to walk up to the registration table and get all of our bib #'s! I was really excited to run with my husband and so happy the kids were all going to be involved!

After we got everything we needed, i only had about 5 minutes to warm up before the 5k. it was chilly, and I was already cold!a few strides later it was go time. A small crowd starts to gather and we make our way to the start line. the plan was for me to race and then come back and finish with T.
I get close to the front, behind a large pack of kids. the gun goes off, and the kids take off like their pants on fire. I just sit back and wait until the kids tire out, while at the same time keeping in the top pack of men and trying to see if there were any females I needed to catch. I see two high school girls in front of me. I pass one at about a half mile in, and then try to catch the lead gal.

 since the first mile of this course is uphill, I knew I could make up some time on the downside, and while I was going up, I saw the lead gal slow a little bit. I focus on the blue soles of her shoes. she keeps looking behind her and speeds up. mile 1 comes and goes. im closing the gap, pick up my pace, pass her and zone on the guy in front of me. my goal was to not let any  one else pass me the rest of the race.

 shortly after I take the lead spot, I see my husband cruising along he hollers at me to pick my pace up and holds up a #2,incinuatng im 2nd female. I think to myself "where is she at?? I have to run faster to catch her!" and off I went, passing a couple guys in the process. at around the 2nd mile mark there is a small loop that backtracks so you can see the top runners and those in front of you.shortly before the loop I see the lead male making the turnaround/backtrack,and  I am trying to see where the lead gal was at.........I make he loop and then slowly realize, Its me.  the lead gal. gotta love hubs for making me go faster!


a few turns and loops later, I hear someone behind me, i pick up the pace and turn down the last stretch, the half mile of down hill!!!
I cant shake this person on my heels, finally he catches up to me. he was at the last race last weekend and I finished about 2-3 seconds ahead. we chat almost the rest of the way to the finish. a little before the 3 mile marker, I see all of my kids!!! they are cheering and screaming like crazy! Totally made my heart smile!!!
and then,runner guy picks his pace up, I try to stay with him,but he outkicked me at the end......
ahhhh well.
 still a good race, albeit an odd course with a lot of tight turns and loops.
now it was time to find T and cross the line with him! I didn't have to look long, a couple minutes in I see him and we coast downhill to the line!
another moment that made my heart smile.

sharing my love of running with My big strong hunk of awesome man/ highlander/strongman/powerlifter/football player, is just pure awesome.

then it was time to get the little ones ready for their race.
M didn't want to do it when she saw all the firemen. I wasn't going to force her, so me and A got baby E ready, and off we went. the gun goes off and off goes a lot of little kids and a lot of parents! me, E and A bring up the rear. E is running/toddling along. I carry him for about 100yards and the  let him finish on his own. he does so good, and then at the line all the firefighters are kneeling down encouraging and cheering my little baby on!
he gets to the end, hears he applause,stops on the line, sits down and cries. I wish  I had a picture! but this is all Ive got:

right after the rookie run, its time for the 1 mile fun run. B skips out,so its just me and A. she is nervous. im just as excited as can be. I explain to her to stay with me, and NOT go out fast because she would lose her steam and have to stop and walk. she laughs and says she wants to run fast. I told her OK but just stay by me.

gun goes off, and she wants to sprint, but I tell her to stay with me. she wants me to go faster so I do, but about  400 yards in, she was spent. she did good not giving up and pushing through the finish. the firemen also ran this race in full gear, wanting the little ones to chase them. that was A's motivation, that and she saw 2 kids from her class,lol!!!!
she crosses the line a full 2 minutes faster than the last 1 mile fun run she did.
another moment that made my heart smile ,watching my baby girl dig deep and accomplish her goal!!!!

then its time for awards, baby E goes with me to get my trophy and gift certificate....

: )

Its not very often we are able to race as a family, but when it des happen, it is always amazing, and  it leaves my heart smiling!!!!

Happy Monday!

5K results.....

a good cool morning to run a race!
I knew today was not going to be a PR,so my mindset going in was to just run and have fun.it was going to be a small race,so I knew I could get away with a slower pace and still probably place in the top 3.

mile 1:it was me and another gal up front. she left me at the start of the huge hill at 1.5miles in. I kept her in sight the rest of the way but knew I wouldnt catch her after  2.5miles in. I just sat back, relaxed and cheered for every.single.person.
and thanked every volunteer I saw.

it was nice to jut relax in a race and enjoy it,rolling hills and all!
I ended up 2nd overall female, with a slower than normal time(about 2.5minutes off race pace),but still not bad at all for not being in race mode today.

what's even better is that my placement in todys race, bumped me up to first place in the overall standings of that friendly competition I mentioned a few post ago

I am now leading by .07 of a point,lol!

there are 4 or 5 more races that count towards points so ive really got to step up my game in order to keep the lead.
wish me luck!!!!!

easing back into speed work

Well,finally I felt ok enough to try to run with a little bit of turnover in my feet!
just a simple 32 minutes on the treadmill
6 minute warm up and then 24 minutes of a HIIT,with 1 minute "on" and 1 minute "off".
my "off" pace was at 7.0mhp(8:34 min mile)and I laddered my "on" speeds, which ranged between 9.0mph., 9.5mph,10.0mph and 10.5mph (6:39,6:18,6 and 5:42min mile pace)

Not my fastest ever, but after taking a month off from any speed work and only 3 running 3x in the past month....I will take any speed over nothing at all any day!

My legs felt great, so did my lungs for the most part, albeit I got really a little winded at about 18 minutes in. I can really tell I've had time off, but it felt really good to run at a pace I haven't been running in a month!!!

I got in almost 3.4 miles in 24 minutes, which is about a 7 min mile pace.
Again, I have no expectations going into this race, other than to just have fun and enjoy the hilly course. I am in desperate need of a good race, and I'm sure that with the 3 races I have lined up this month, one of them will be stellar!
Happy Friday!!!!!!

Is anyone doing anything fun or special this weekend?

Under the weather

yup,the past week I haven't felt that great and have only ran 2x.
and it was only 8 miles total, a slow 8 miles at that. today I am resting and will hopefully be able to do at least one good speed workout this week.

there is the lingering thought in the back of my mind that I don't think I am going to do well at the race this weekend. add the fact that this is a HILLY course....
lets just say I m NOT expecting a PR.
just hoping missing 3 weeks of running and 4 weeks of speed work doesn't throw me off too much!!
still planning on showing up and doing my best and see what happens.
Top 3 is still the goal!
happy hump day!

Whats the plan,stan?

First I have to say,
Thank you so much for the support and prayers from all of you!!!!!
Things are slowly getting back to a routine in the Cunningham house. slowly. The little ones were thrown WAY off schedule during our trip back home, and with school starting back again next week for the older kids (as well as for my husband and I) a new routine is getting set in place.

 Summer is ending even though I don't want it to. I may be a weird mom for saying this, but I DO NOT enjoy it when the kids go back to school. I DO enjoy the fall sports though, and practice for football and soccer have been in full swing. My sons first game was a few days ago,

Since he missed 2 weeks of practice, he didn't get his jersey until the night before the game. turns out, he is the same # his papa Houston was when he played football-- #77---looks like the team and Bailey have one awesome guardian angel watching over, they won big! (and who knows, maybe Bailey will inherit papa Houston's nickname in the game--"Jukebox")

My daughters first soccer game is next week.
From now until the end October, we will pretty much be at the ball fields 4-5x per week.
Which is fine by me.
I enjoy it!

but I sure will miss the summer fun...

 

 

Now, as far as my athletic goals and such....
well ,I feel like I'm at  stand still. missing 2 weeks of running and time in the gym is never a good thing, and I feel a little out of sorts trying to get back in the groove.
I have 3 races lined up for September, and I have to win every single one in order to bump my placing/score for a friendly competition between runners in this town. . the higher you place in a race, the higher your points earned are. the higher the points, the higher the score, and highest score wins. Out of all the runners in this area, I am 1/2  a point from being first place female, and the gal above me,she is about 20 seconds faster than me....



I know I have to step up my training.
I'm still trying work out a plan though.
I have an idea where to start as far as types of workouts. I am 12 weeks out from a half marathon, so that plan is already posted on my fridge. I just have to make some tweaks here in there that will compliment my secret mission training!
Finding a schedule for the little ones will be the challenge though.
Now that flu season is fast approaching, I really want to skip taking the kids with me all together and go back to pre dawn workouts!!!!I can always take the little ones in the double jogger for my longer runs as long as the weather is good....

I'll figure it out soon.
No choice in the matter if I expect to get my rear end faster for these upcoming races!!!!

now its time to get ready to run and spend the last weekend of "summer" with my kids before school starts up...
hope yall have safe and great weekend!!!!

In Loving Memory......

Houston William Cunningham, holding Elijah William Christian Cunningham

On august 14th,2013 Houston William Cunningham,my Father in law, unexpectedly passed away.
This was a shock to the family and things have been difficult to process.
However, even though our hearts are heavy, I cant begin to express how blessed I was to have had this amazing man as my Father in law. Not only did he accept me as one of his children and loved me for who I am, Houston was by far the most loving person I have ever met and probably will ever meet. He was the type of person that lit up a room when he walked in, and when he walked out, his charisma and charm was still there. He didn't care what you looked like ,how much money you made,what clothes you wore, he made everyone he met feel special and cared for. He just had a genuine love for everyone. If my children are only a fraction as loving and giving as their "Pappa Hoo Hoo",then they will be beyond amazing individuals.
Words cant express what a unique and wonderful person Houston was, words cant even begin to describe the impact he left in this world. Rest in peace Houston, I know we will see you again.....

3,2,1....time to suck wind

today the plan was for a quick 3,2,1
3x400,2x800,1x1 mile with 400m jog in between. I promised to take the older kids swimming  before football practice so I had about a 40-45 minute time frame to run.
the 3x400 were slower than I wanted too,at about a 1:30 pace
the 2x800 were at a 3:04 pace and used 800m jog in between. I skipped the mile and just did one more 400 at 1:30pace.

needless to say,i todays speed play left me feeling like a pansy.
I can really tell ive been only doing 1 speed day a week over the past 4 weeks.
that has to change asap.
or after statistics class is over,which will be in 17 days.(but who's counting, eh?)
holy wow that class is so time consuming!!!!!
and im so sleep deprived right now,its almost funny.
almost.

and this lack of sleep business is really showing its ugly face while I run!

come on statistics,hurry up and be over with so I don't have to pull such long late nights!!!!

5k in 4 weeks...
both my husband and I are running,so it should be a fun morning!

happy Thursday!!!

stuck in the dinner rut....again!

hey yall, i'm stuck in a rut with fast dinner ideas that are healthy for the kids. with fall sports practices starting up this week,(yeah football is 2-4xper week,soccer is 2-3x per week! Almost every night we will be at the ball fields!)i have to get creative again...and they are tired of the same ol same ol go too diners like make your own pizza bagels, ham and cheese sandwiches, breakfast on the go, spaghetti,and homemade chicken nuggets.
any of you have any suggestions????

ill share mine if you share yours!!!!
one of my kids favorites (but getting old now)

pizza bagels
ingredients:
whole grain/wheat bagels
pizza sauce
cheese
any other topping kids like

have kids place bagel halves on cookie sheet
kids can put sauce on bagels
add cheese
add toppings
lace in oven for 5 minutes at 400 or until cheese is melted.
 serve and enjoy!

another kid friendly meal kids can help cook
chicken nuggets
preheat oven to 375
adult cut up boneless skinless chicken breast into cubes
have kids crush up whole wheat crackers (or just use shake n bake if no crackers) add seasonings-mrs dash-
kids can place chicken cube in ziplock bag using tongs,and shake until coated
place on sprayed cookie sheet,bake for 25-30 minutes until done
serve with favorite sides (green beans and mac n cheese!)

those are 2 of mine
what are 2 of yours that are fast and easy????
please share!!!!!!!!!!

Good things in 3's

hey yall!
this summer just keep going by faster and faster! will someone please press a pause button?
one of 3 great things this weekend:
another 5k race! this is the same race I did two years ago,the first 5k my oldest son ever ran, the first experience lil M had at  a race with daddy pushing her in the jogger, my first overall win since having the 3rd baby ,and first overall win in a new state (recap HERE).

 I ran last year,7 weeks after having Elijah, and placed 2nd in my age group.
1 year later, I was back at the same race, wanting to defend my title from 2 years ago.
the best part about this race was that my husband and all 4 of my babies were going to cheer me on!!!
that alone, was reason enough for wanting to do well. My children had high expectations I was going to win--I couldn't let them down, right?

since this was a later race-730pm,i knew it was going to be hot, and humid. and the course was hilly. I had no expectations of getting a PR.
I did expect to be in the top pack of females.

I warm up,do sprints and strides,i feel the humidity seeping in my lungs,making it harder to catch my breath. I knew this wasnt going to be a fast course/time right then. a small crowd gathers to the line(mybe 200 or less)i make a spot right at the front. I learned the hard way that gun time, not chiptime determines the winner if its a tie at the line.

so gun goes off. I take off trying to keep the boys in sight.
two high school girls pass me immediately. I let them,as I know most young kids lose their steam after the first mile. one of the two high schoolers slowed down at 1/2 a mile in. I pass her and zone in on the blonde pony tail swinging in front of me,orange soles on her shoes. my plan was to stay about 10 yards behind her and pass her when either she showed signs of slowing down,or about 800 yards to he finish. I wasn't planning on placing second.

at the turn around point (1.5miles in) she sees I am behind her and picks up her pace. i zone in oh her orange soles and keep up. at mile 2,she slows down to grab some water,and I see that as my chanceto make my move. Even though I knew there was still a mile left for her to catch me, I took the chance bc I knew if I didn't do it then, I probably wouldn't. I was feeling the effects of the humidity and hills and had to keep moving to keep momentum rolling. After I pass the hs girl I knew I couldn't slow down. I didn't know if she would catch me or pass me at the end so I tried to take advantage of every downhill I could. I had to keep my place as first female as I knew my kids were going to cheering me on down the last stretch to the finish. I couldn't disappoint them! So I held pace and wanted to just hurry to the finish. My lungs were swamped with humidity! I make the last turn, I hear my famIy before I see them. My kids are yelling like crazy and my oldest daughter runs with me the final hundred yards. We cross the line together! And I couldn't be happier!

We wait around for awards and all but m went with me to accept my award. ($100 gift card to local runners store!!)They were all so excited  for me!! I can't express how awesome it makes me feel when my husband and kids come to races with me. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's amazing!!

 another good thing:

The great thing about weekends is that my husband and I alternate with who gets to sleep in
The baby is usually awake between 5:30-6:30am. On weekends one of us gets up w the baby while the other sleeps as late as possible! these late nights are catching up to me, i feel exhausted during the day! both my husband and I are back in school-he is earning his doctorate degree so we are both pulling long nights with studies and homework. fun times I tell ya! weekends have become a chance for us to catch up on much needed rest!!!

Oh and another great thing great thing happened. I heard from crazy Sue today and she's moving back!! I will have my friend back! I can't wait! She always convinces me to take on crazy challenges so no telling what crazy idea she will have me thinking I can do or that we can do together. But that's part of why she's awesome!

Anyways time to go to bed. I'm exhausted!!!
Happy weekend!

what ive been up to

wow,its been almost a month since ive posted?
time is flying by here!
the summer is going by too fast!
having fun with the kids and
I'm up to my eyeballs in school work I don't understand-Quantitative statistics and research methods really sucks and is very time consuming. I'm still pulling an A so far though...so far.
 5 more weeks of class though!
since I don't study and do my homework until after the kids are in bed, I am pulling many late late nights( 2-3am) and am waking up at 6am with the little man. it doesn't matter how late this baby goes to bed, he is always up before 6:30,wide awake and ready to play!!

needless to say, I am one exhausted mamma!
I'm still getting in workouts and running, albeit I did have to take 2 weeks off because the little ones caught a tummy bug from the gym.
 I am really hoping that by the time the 2 youngest start school, they will have really strong immune systems and not be as sick. I really do NOT want to take the kiddos to the gym child watch this fall, which would mean pre dawn workouts again. while I don't mind early workouts at all, I don't think 4:30 or 5am workouts running on 2-3ours of sleep would be beneficial. I really have to get to bed before midnight!!!!
: )

in other news,i have a race next weekend.
this past week has been spent trying to regain speed I felt I had lost when I took those two weeks off. i really want to do well at this event. this is the same race I won 2 years ago, and I feel I have to defend my title. since this race is being held at 7pm,all the kids and my husband are coming to watch. I am looking forward to having a cheering section, and of course I want to place well for my family!
even though i want to win, my main goal is just to be faster than last race. this race is hilly, so im not expecting a PR, but if i can be faster than i was 2 years ago and still make top 3 overall, I will be happy!

heres hoping to some good training the rest of this week and next!
and hopefully i can get caught up on sleep one day,but i have a sneaking suspicion that i wont sleep until im dead!!!!

hope all are having a great week so far!
happy Thursday!

Finally,an overall! and stress.....

hey yall! its been another week  and another race!
this was a small event and all the fast people stayed home,so it gave me a good chance to finally win an overall title.
: D
i actually woke up feeling ready to run,excited to see if i could shave some time off my last race. i knew the course going in,and knew it was a slower course than last week. gravel roads and hills dont make for a very fast course,unless your a mountain goat.

so i get to the race with plenty of time. i do a warm up and sprints and then notice that not many ppl are here. i see a handful of folks from the last race but not a crowd of runners just yet. as race time approaches a small group forms at a start line.i get a place right at the chalk drawn line. and then a short gal with tatoos on her arms sneaks in around me as the gun goes off. she takes off like a horse out of the gates. for the first 400 yards,she is ahead of all the boys. at first i was thinking,"great,another fast college kid,looks like i got second today" and then i notice her losing some of her steam. i just keep her in sight,about 50 yards ahead of me and  wait for my opportunity to pass. after around mile 1 she is is still in mt sight. after around mile 2,the gravel roads and hills start. i keep her heels in sight,i pass a couple of boys while trying to close the gap. for a brief minute,i feel like slowing down and just being OK with second place. and then i told myself, "helllll naw!!!!"
i knew that if i didnt catch up to her soon,i would regret it. so i pick my pace up,pass her up a small hill and fly like crazy on the downward slope. i tried to make it look like this was an easy feat,and even made it sound like i wasnt even out of breath when i told her "good job!almost done!". and good thing i passed her when i did because there was only about 800 yards or so to the finish. as i am coming up the final stretch,i see the clock,well part of it. some guys head was blocking part of it so all i saw was 2X:22-the X was where tall guy was standing. for a moment i became hopeful that i would be under 20:59, i thought i would hit the finish at 20:30. i was so excited coming through the chute,and then tall guy moved and i saw my actual time.
21:36
boo.
 oh well,i was fast enough for being the overall female winner,so i cant complain much!
i won a $50 gift card to the local running store and a nice big framed inspirational painting.
over the past 4 races i have won over $100 so i think i will cash in and go shopping soon!

when i got back home,this was in my inbox:

Congratulations Melissa Cunningham you finished the F.R.E.S.H2O 5 km on June 22, 2013 with a time of 0:21:37. You placed 7 of 94 runners, 1 of 56 Female runners and 1 of 3 in the Women's Overall division. Your pace per mile was 6:57. You scored 1000 points in this race. Weather on Race day was 66 degrees, 63 degree dew point, mostly sunny.

so,thats how the weekend went,a nice little breather from the stress of school work. i have 3 papers due by thursday and i am feeling overwhelmed. and i am super apprehensive about my next class that starts a week from now. quantitative research methods and statistical data. oh what fun!!!!!

anyways,hope yall are enjoying the official start of summer!

will leave ya with a few more random facts about me that i didnt mention in last post.

1)i love sleeping on my right side. however ever since i have kids,i cant sleep on my right side without getting heartburn.

2)i dont have Facebook,instagram or twitter

3)i have never been drunk

4) if given the choice between cardio and weights,i wold choose cardio

5)TV shows i admit to watching: Long Island Medium, Ghost Hunters,River Monsters,I didnt know i was pregnant,A baby story

6)movies i have watched more than 5 times- the Predator, Alien,Aliens,Aliens 3,Lord of the Rings,Braveheart

7)During the last contest prep,i averaged about 4-5 diet cokes a day

what are some random things about you???

post about it!

happy weekend!

Birthday 5k and 25 things you may not know about me

yesterday was my birthday and to celebrate i woke up early and did a 5k race.
in all honesty,i didnt think i would actually run. i was up late the night before writing a paper and being up with a teething baby until 3:30AM, so when 6:30 rolled around,i was not feeling the running mojo. but i knew i would regret it if i DIDNT run,so i sucked my tiredness and general feeling of blah aside and went to the race.
i get there,get my bib# and realized
i forgot my watch. and
i didnt feel like warming up. so i dont.(shocking,i know!i almost always warm up and do sprints before the start).

it was a small race,around 300. i knew i could probably make top 3 overall.but i was worried i couldnt be fast. last week i was only in the gym 2x,and only one speed day. oh well,i decided not to put pressure on myself and chalked up the days run as just a training run. the gun goes off. blonde pony tail gal takes off. she was lead female so i just stayed on her heels. the pace felt good,so i told myself i would stay with her until close to the end and pass her at the finish.
mile 1:
i hear a gal behind me and she tries to pass me and blondie.i stay with her,as we both pass blondie shortly after the mile 1 marker. i have no clue what the pace is. it felt slow.i did know that this new lead gal,  was going to be the gal to chase. i stay on the new lead runners heels until about mile 2,then she takes off. i keep her in my sights.

 at mile 2,there is a huge hill-the same one that was in the half marathon i ran last month. uuuugggghhhhhh. lead gal sprints up this hill like its nothing. me,eh,not so much....while im plodding along uphill,the lead pack of guys have turned around and are heading back the opposite direction, i become the cheer leader and holler for everybody. i make the turn around and then there is the down hill.yay! im cheering all the runners i see,and they are cheering for me too! i have several ppl tell me im 2nd female and i need to go catch #1. i use the downhill to get my speed back, i still see the lead gal........i think im closing the gap,and just then,with about 600 yards to go,she takes off like her pants are on fire. my steam is gone,i just laugh and find a steady pace to take me across the line. the last 600yards take. forever. lots of little bends and turns. but the cheering section is awesome! for such a small race there was so much crowd support. even the volunteers were cheering runners on,giving high fives and shouting encouraging words!
then i see the last sharp turn and the finish line,i cant see the clock until right before i cross the line. i cringe a little as i cross the line,but oh well-this was a training run,right?!
21:56. a full minute slower than last race.
slow time but good enough for 2nd overall female!
at the line,again,lots of high fives and handshakes and congrats.
there were actually a few people who remembered me from the last few races and we all chatted for a while before awards.
i walked away with a medal and $35 gift card to local runners store!
what was in my inbox:

Congratulations Melissa Cunningham you finished the Battling Cancer 5 km on June 16, 2013 with a chip time of 00:21:56. Your pace per mile was 7:04. You placed 16 of 249 runners, 2 of 139 Female runners and 2 of 3 in the Women's Overall division. You scored 998 Kings and Queens points in this race. Weather on Race day was 70 degrees, 62 degree dew point, partly cloudy

so a good way to start off my birthday! even though i initially didnt feel like running,im so glad i did! and another race this weekend!

hopefully a good training week this week?

anyways, in other news, i thought id leave yall with some random facts about me.
 25 things:
1)my hair started turning gray when i was 25. ive been dying it ever since.

2)i was born with 2 extra bones in my feet

3)i have scoliosis  and needed a lift in my shoe to balance the leg length discrepancy. i do still have a 16 degree curvature but do not need the lift anymore due to strengthening my core and back muscles.

4)i have NO sense of direction what so ever. i get lost in the walmart parking lot!seriously! it happened so much that my kids know to remember the aisle number we parked in. they are in charge of finding the car

5)i have a phobia of vomit. so much so that i (and my children) avoid indoor play areas and public restrooms at all costs whenever possible.

6)i was picked on/bullied as a kid and in high school. kids can be so mean!

7)i am a firm believer in Karma. if you send positive or negative vibes,they will always find a way back to you. maybe not immediately,maybe not the next day or month or even years,but those vibes will always come back around.

8) I  have a 6th sense. no i dont see dead people. but i do have a rather unusual sense of premonition,or rather, i usually go with my "gut feeling" 99% of the time. for example,when im driving,and have a feeling i need to slow down some or maybe take a different way than normal,usually i will see a police car hidden somewhere within just a couple minutes ,or the different route i may take on a whim has helped me avoid a wreck,heavy traffic,etc. this 6th sense i have is usually right 8/10 times. so whenever my gut tell me something,i listen to it.

9) i am shy by nature,and often times my quiet disposition can be taken for being "stuck up".this could not be further from the truth! many times people  have gotten the wrong first impression of me.

10)i am so not a girly girl. i know nothing about hair,makeup and fashion.although i love a good pair of jeans and a ball cap,i find myself wishing i could be more girly and look put together all of the time.

11) i started working when i was 14. i was a waitress. i still remember vividly my first day at work. at that time i was PAINFULLY shy. and i mean it was torture for me to get courage to talk to other people. it took all i had to walk to my first table,introduce myself and ask if i could get them something to drink while they looked over the menu. my face turned 10 shades of red,and i stuttered over my words,but i i survived.i ended up being one of the best servers there and started to enjoy busy crazy hours. i prided myself for being able to remember everyone's order and drinks without having to write it down. i continued to waitress until i was 21. that first step to my first table helped me come out of my shyness. while im still very quiet and shy it is nothing like i used to be!

12)i have mommy senses like crazy. i think i really do have eyes in the back of my head. i know when my kids are up to something,i know when they are hurt,i know when they are sick,i know when they need me---way before they tell me. its like my 6th sense. i just "know".  theres been nights i cant sleep and wonder why i cant. i will go check on the kids and one wmay have a fever,or will meet me in the hallway telling me that they dont feel well.

13) i have been described as stoic. i have a hard time expressing emotions.sometimes this can come across to others as me being cold hearted,however the exact opposite is true! ive got such a big heart and will do anything i can to help others,even perfect strangers.

14) due to said stoic nature,i write poetry to express my deepest thoughts and emotion.

15)  i follow the golden rule,even when others treat me poorly. one day karma will reward me,right?!

16)i wear long pants and long sleeves when i workout.when people do find out i compete some are shocked because they say they just cant picture me as someone who would wear an ittty bitty suit in front of hundreds of strangers!

17) im addicted to watching food network.

18.)other shows i admit to watching: here comes honey boo boo,19 kids and counting,toddlers and tiaras

19) the food i craved with my second pregnancy was noodles,butter and ketchup. this was the same food i ate as a kid. we called it poor man sketti. i still LOVE this "comfort"meal,albeit now i make semi healthier by using whole wheat noodles and fat free butter spray.

20)i am such an oxymoron. i am a distance runner and a figure athlete. im stoic but big hearted,modest and old fashioned but others are surprised i compete bc i have to wear such a small suit!......

21) i have four older sisters. i am my fathers 5th daughter.
my older brother did not survive a premature birth. in his honor, my youngest son's middle name is my brothers first name,which is my fathers middle name.

22)i am from the south but am NOT a high tech redneck. i know very little about technology! i can barely figure out my new iphone! i am so old school.i know just enough about computers to get me through course work. im 5 months into getting my MHA via an online university.

23)i ran my first mile with my dad in 1992.

24)i worry WAY too much about what others think about me. i go out of my way to be on everyone's good side.

25). my first competition i did was in 1999. i competed as a bodybuilder....

so did any of this surprise you? which one?
do you have a list of 25 random things ppl dont know? if so,post it!

happy Monday!