732 Miles~~~2012: Three Years Today

~~~Not your typical blog...these are my thoughts in the moment after my run...and that.is.all.~~~

On May 2, 2009, I ran in my first race ever. May Day 5k in Republic, Mo.
I am positive, looking back, that I did everything wrong for that race. Oh, I had "trained"...on a hamster wheel. Heck, I had done 10 miles in 2.5 hours just one month earlier to raise money for St. Judes. So I was ready, right? WRONG!
I was so excited the night before that I couldn't sleep. I awoke at 5 in the morning...dragging. I ate my normal breakfast~~scrambled eggs with my spicy concoction that consisted of tabasco, jalapenos, cayenne, pepper and cheese, with turkey bacon on the side. (I'm from New Orleans, that's just how we do breakfast :)
On the way to the race, I was convinced that there was no way I was going to have the energy to do this race without some help. Another major mistake then happened...I asked my hubby to stop at a convenience store so I could grab a Monster. And I chugged it on the way to the race which was about a 40 minute drive.
My gym manager, Amanda, was there when I arrived. She was my super partner for this go. She was also in way better shape, and half my age...I wanted to impress.
Having never been to a race, I was surprised at just how many people showed up to this sucker at 7 in the a.m. on a Saturday, no less. My hands were shaking while attempting to get my bib all even and un-wrinkly and such. It was cold.
Waiting for the race to start seemed to take FOREVER. But finally we were all released and I shot out of the start like an Arabian Horse that had just been spooked. We hadn't even gotten out of sight from the start/finish line before I had to stop and walk. Embarassing. I was cursing myself for many things. Lack of sleep, eggs, bacon, MONSTER.
Amanda was totally calm. Jogging in place next to me while I caught my breath. Really, I thought to myself, she is doing circles around me and I can't even attempt to run right now. RUN, ALI, RUN! So I did.
I would all but sprint for a few blocks, and commence to walking again. I have no clue what pace I was going, or what pacing even meant at the time. I was just trying to go fast! This was not going like I had planned. At all.
Amanda started coaching me...Run to that stop sign, she said, then you can walk 1 block. So I did.
I remember watching little children pass me, with much shorter legs than I. I remember a senior citizen with bright blue spandex from head to toe pass me and I continued to curse myself out.
Amanda never left my side. She gave me tips to work out my 3rd side stitch. She kept giving me mini-finish lines to reach and I finally reached the real finish line.

6Th Annual Republic May Day 5K 2009

5/2/09

124

9:53

30:43

I entered several races after that. Loved them all. Dressed as a cat for Halloween at the Bass Pro 5k, dressed as a reindeer for Run to the Lights at Silver Dollar City...however, I was never able to grasp that first race PR.
I battled with ITBS that took me out of the game for a few months, and then in July of 2010, I tore my meniscus. I was pretty stubborn about surgery, so my doctor and I waited to see if this was a real injury or just in my head. After 10 weeks of being in a knee immobilizer from hip to ankle, we decided that I was losing way to much muscle mass on my right leg and it was time for an official MRI to see what was going on. Yup, officially a torn meniscus.
On October 7, 2010, I went in for surgery. Absolutely terrified, but just wanting to be able to walk normal again. I had steadily been getting crankier and crankier from lack of running, so at least there was some hope that I would be able to get out there again eventually.
I endured months of physical therapy. MONTHS! The muscle I had lost on that right leg was the major culprit in slowing up my recovery. It would be almost a year before I would be strong enough to hit the streets again. I would try a lil run here and there and just never felt as strong as I once did. Wonder why...
In August 2011, we moved to Charleston. I'm not certain if it was the change of scenery, the loneliness (didn't know anybody), or just my own stubbornness that got me back out on the streets but I could RUN! It hurt. I had to concentrate HARD on every step I took. It was HOT. But I hadn't felt this good in over a year. YAY!
I had always adopted the "Run for Fun" motto. Stop and smell those flowers that caught your nose...stop and look at the lake in the wee hours of the morning.
But I wanted MORE...I DID want to be faster. I DID want to kill that PR from 3 years ago that always seemed to elude me. I started reading about training. I filled out my training book, and I followed it. I did speed work for my first time ever in January of 2012.
I signed up for the Save the Light 5k at Folly Beach. My husband was there to cheer me on. I was ready, I was willing, and I was nervous. I had on my Idiot's Running Club shirt and stuck out from the crowd compliments of the retina burning bright color. My husband gave me a sweet kiss and said, "Now, go run like an Idiot." So I did.
My lungs burned, my heart raced, and my legs went numb after the first mile. I heard so many quotes and motivations that I had come to love... Pain is temporary, Pride is forever~~ No pain, No Gain~~ You get what you give~~
They kept pushing me forward. Pushing, pushing, PUSHING me not to slow down, not to say "Ow, side stitch." The words that I had read and written and burned into my head were working...and they were on MY SIDE!
As I came around the last corner and saw that finish line, I sprinted. I left it ALL on the street. I couldn't breathe fast enough, I was grunting, but all I could see was that my time was in the 20's...I passed several people that had passed me earlier because I was going to make my goal of 28 minutes. So I did.

Save the Light Half Marathon & 5K 2012 - Run-5K

2/4/12

9:00

27:59