My Second Ras na hEireann

Beer is yummy, there are different opinions on the subject but that is my view. Although it has kept me from running on occasion, in this case it was a motivation to finish.  Not necessarily as strong as I had hoped, but run the whole 3.1 miles to the end. This might be my slowest (PW) while still running the whole course. I will say that my training has not been what it was in past years.

You know what, I am not going to beat myself up about it.

Now back to beer! So you finish the race in Davis Square, Somerville where there is not really a shortage of bars until you finish a race with 5000 people and they all want a few drinks and breakfast. So we waited about 15 minutes to get into the Joshua Tree and went straight to the bar for many a few beers.

if only my eyes were open for these pictures.

I Have Surprised Myself

Usually when the new year comes around and I hit the treadmill after the holidays I have to start right back at the beginning.  I can barely make a mile on my first run back.  This year after barely running during November - February, I have been able to do a slow 3 miles, which feels great! I have already started my 10K training program.

With my success on the treadmill this far I have not been gun shy about pulling the trigger on race sign ups. I have signed Gavin and I up for our 3rd annual Energize the Earth 5K in Beverly, MA (My PR course).  Also, since running the half in San Jose last year I have been debating on which half to run this year. The one that stands out the most from seeing friends run it last year on Facebook and since it was my backup if I couldn't make the California trip work, was Smuttynose Rockfest Half in Hampton, NH. Gavin and I are all signed up for him to run his first half. Everyone I know that ran it in the past said it is a great flat course. Tomorrow me and 5 other girls are going to enter the lottery for the Harpoon 5miler, last time I ran that was 2005... Oh, how things were different 9 years ago!

One week from today I will be running my first 5K of the year, Ras na hEirearnn.  It is my second year in a row running it. My time last year was 35:03 and although my training has been lacking this year, I want to beat my previous time. Last year was all about firsts, this year it is all about competing against myself.

Wintertime Blues....

The sun setting before i get out of work is a bit of a drain on the motivation pool. 

There was a lot going on this winter... we moved, there was Netflix to catch up on, and Candy Crush to play... It is possible that I was busy with other things but it is all a blur and I could have just been really lazy. Let's not forget the record breaking snowfall this year. 

To put in perspective, I ran more one day in October than I did November through until March. 

Here is a little winter recap via Instagram:

I have signed up for my second annual Ras na hEireann 5K, hoping to do a lot better than last year, but without as much training. (Sometimes I set myself up for failure) 

Here goes! 

Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5K

So it occurred to me that I could post date the blog posts back to when I actually did these things... but eh, I am over it. However it does mean that I am going to start out with a bang, lots of posts and then I will do my best to post a couple times a week. (I write with the assumption that someone actually wants to read my nonsensical rantings)

I ran the Ras na hEireann USA... don't ask me to say it out loud, I have no clue!

My friend Amy (someone I aspire to run like) before we started.

It was my first 5k of 2013, not gonna lie the time reflects as such. If you haven't already tried to look me up on runkeeper, I have to tell you now, I am so freaking slow.  Official time that I finished this race was 35:03 (MM:SS).  The part that makes me more sad about it, I ran without stopping, no hydration station stop, no porta-pot for me, and some (maybe running elitists) might think that what I was doing was practically walking, but for me, I was running. The technical term is probably jogging, a word for some reason doesn't leave my lips very often.

I am sure that for a good portion of the time when I am doing 3 or more miles I am essentially jogging.  It could be my need for the strive for more or it is all the publications, apps and websites that just keep it simple, and call it running.

That being said, I started back into the running game in January where I could barely eek out a mile without stopping let alone 3.1 miles. So for a 5K in March, I ran it!  I will leave it at that.

This is the first medal for any road race I have done! 

The fact that I got it for possibly one of my slowest race... well, whatever I will take it!