Today I raced the Howey-in-the-Hills half marathon in central Florida. Wow, the elevation gain was unreal! 556 feet of climbing over some serious rollers. This was not your typical ‘flat Florida’ style event!
There’s actually a road down in front of the lake A little glimpse of the rollers
I put up a good fight and shaved off 1 min 48 sec compared to the very flat half I ran last month! Still not a PR, but getting closer to my goal race pace. Today was focused on a good pre-race routine, warm up drills, and form, form, form! I’d say it all paid off.
Last year I attempted a half marathon a month – but only successfully completed the distance about 6-8 times over the 12 months. Granted there were fewer races, however I fell off the wagon due to my own laziness and cannot blame anyone or anything else. The goal is simple – run 13.1 or more miles within 24 hours, meaning you can either race or just go for a run, or 2, as long as you get the total mileage in a 24 hour period of time. So far I’m 2/2 in 2022, so I’m planning to keep the streak alive and see where this training, and racing, takes me!
Another race in the books! Don’t snicker, I really did want s’more bling! 🏅 I didn’t have any fancy Twix up my sleeves tho, so today I took my sweet time crossing that finish line in 27:47. Not a bad Skor for racing 2 days in a row!
My left quad felt like I was running on a Rocky Road in the last mile. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew racing again, but it sure was choc full of fun! 🤷🏻♀️😁🍫❤️
It’s been a while since I raced back to back, but it sure did feel great! Another successful practice of those pre-race rituals – a decent bedtime, proper hydration and fueling, and execution of a race day warm up. You know what they say…practice makes perfect! And, while I’m far from perfect, I am one step closer to reaching my goals today than I was yesterday.
Later this afternoon I attended a ladies only bike skills workout with my local triathlon club. It was mainly focused on beginners, but it was nice to spin out the lactic acid in my legs with some easy brick (bike/run) sets. In between the morning 5k and this afternoon’s workout, there was just enough time to rest, live-stream church, refuel, and caffeinate on this Super Bowl Sunday.
Now, off for some pre-game gluten-free snack prep and weekly Sunday meal prep. I will also be planning out the week with my Happy Planner (love!) and packing tomorrow’s gym bag. Preparation is the key to success because when one fails to plan, they are really just planning to fail! Oh yes, and let’s go Bengals! 🏈
This morning was the 7th annual Purple Pride 5k to kick off the Orlando City Soccer season. I must say, I am proud of the girl who showed up today!
This opportunity made me feel closer to where I used to be and helped me see that my goals are coming into focus. I need to stay patient, give it some time, and keep putting in the work.
On December 29th, I clocked a disappointing 30:33 5k, when doing an unofficial time trial assessment. With a 5k PR of 25:06, never have I ever run that slow 😞 After a full year of 70.3 triathlon training, I knew something had to give, and I was beyond ready for a change.
I crave speedy sessions and the feeling of leaving it all on the pavement! That kind of training does not go hand-in-hand with 50+ mile bike rides and hour-plus long swims. So, I decided it was time to focus on developing that quick turnover again with a 5k training block to kick off 2022. A running coach wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
For some reason I seem to be ‘uncoachable’. In my attempts to reach out to local triathlon coaches, I have either been dismissed, ignored, or put in the beginner level groups. After 7 years of racing triathlon and 30 years of running, that’s just not what I’m looking for. While a bit frustrating, I channeled that energy into getting my own run coaching certification.
It’s been about 6 weeks of dedicated 5k training and 3 weeks of coaching myself. The gains are starting to appear! I shaved about 3 minutes off my time, but still need to work on not going out too fast in the first mile. I did execute a proper pre-race warm up today, went to bed on time last night, and hydrated well ahead of this event. I have a few more races lined up over the coming weeks and plan to keep making, and sharing, forward progress! 💜
How original, right? But also, nothing more true. We’ve all been through something that has either challenged us, changed us, or made us grow into who we are today.
I grew up an only child, which was always a very lonely existence once I was old enough to realize it. I guess when you are a baby you don’t know any better. When you get older you start to feel it – the summers that were oh so long. I spent them with my grandma during the day, and usually at her house. She always had toys and games for me there, and LOTS of snacks, as grandparents do. But it was never like home, never quite the same.
Each day I would settle in for breakfast, cartoons (cue the classics like the Flintstones and Jetsons), card games or puzzles, lunch, and then the hours of afternoon TV. The line up started with soap operas and ended with the 5 o’clock news. The ever popular 80’s and 90’s talk shows were sprinkled in, too, with 3pm ice cream and cookies.
At some point I got bored. Really, really bored. Grandma tried to entertain me, sure, but she was older and didn’t have the energy to keep up and could no longer drive. She did take me for bike rides and played a backyard version of 2-square with me. We gardened and cooked together, and I spent a lot of hours jumping rope and dancing to my Debbie Gibson boombox out in her carport. But I needed more.
It’s funny, I can remember it like yesterday, her backyard. The perfectly square shape with a thick viburnum hedge for a fence bordering the back. It is there that I found my ‘more’, there that I discovered running. I couldn’t have been more than 4, or 5 at the oldest, and I would run and run and run laps around the yard. And it felt so good, both the freedom it gave me and the release of what I realize now was the stress of those long days away from home.
When school finally started in the fall, I was so excited to go back! One of my favorite parts of the day, in those early years, was PE. Our oval shaped dirt track looped around the grassy back corner of the campus. Back then, PE was true physical activity and occurred every single day. We would warm up with jumping jacks and other calisthenics like toe touches, arm circles, windmills, etc. and then it was time to run our laps!
I always wanted to be the first girl to come in. And I did, lots of times. But there were other times I came in 2nd to a girl named Deana, and this used to drive me crazy! I would chase her around that track once or twice depending on what coach assigned us that day. We would laugh about it and were always friends, but I remember that feeling of wanting to win.
As I grew older and my body and interests changed, running faded away for a while. But when I was 13, something relit that spark. I cannot recall what it was, but I remember that first run around my neighborhood. The navy blue spandex shorts I wore and the midday sun shining on my skin. I did not know pace, time, or distance, all I knew was the love of the run and how it made me feel.
Over the next few years I began running more and eventually joined my high school track team for one season, but once again, running had to take a backseat. I had to choose either competitive dance or track. But those 5 mile runs with the other girls on the track team – out on the country roads by ourselves chasing endorphins – those made a lasting impression on my soul!
I stuck with dance all 4 years of high school, but I did not stop running. Instead, I managed to fit in 3-4 mile runs around the school track between dismissal and 4 pm dance practices. Or around my neighborhood after school before evening events. I would run on the days I didn’t have dance. Eventually I started running before school and later before college classes, as early as 5 AM which made my mom, and most everyone else, think I was nuts!
My first road race circa 2000
On September 4, 2000 I ran my very first race. It was the Miracle Miles 5k benefitting Arnold Palmer Hospital where I worked at the time, and coincidentally, also part of the same work family I belong to 22 years later. Reflecting on this, it seems very ironic how life can come full circle, just like the laps around that dirt track.
Running has always been a constant in my adolescent and adult life, even when everything around me shifted. I plan to run for many more years to come, God willing, and want to share my love of running with others. I’ve learned a lot along the way. I’ve made mistakes like we all do in this journey of life, yet I’ve come out stronger on the other side each time. Running has brought me peace in times of sorrow, joy on the best days, and confidence to handle everything in between. I can truly say I have found my ‘strength in running’.
Ok…maybe some healthy eating and triathlon tidbits too!
I’ve been a recreational runner since I was 13 years old, completing distances from the popular 5k to the entry-level ultra 50k and everything in between. In 2015 I entered the world of triathlon, competing first in sprint races and eventually working my way up to the 70.3 distance (x2!) in 2021. Along this journey, I’ve had many successes, but I’ve also hit a few bumps in the road related to injuries.
In the early days, I kept a running scrapbook with all my race bibs, course maps, and finish times to document my progress. Eventually that method transitioned over to the Garmin connect app plus Instagram, as life seems to have gone paperless these days. But I sure do miss the good ‘ol days! Now doesn’t that make me sound ancient???
My old school running scrapbook
Since I am “well seasoned”, I would like to share what I have learned along the way, as well as where I plan to go from here. In doing so I hope to inspire and help others in their journey to happy, healthy, strong running and every day life!
Determined to Tri AND Run 