Back at it

Hey guys,

Remember me? The one who hasn't posted for 5 months? Yeah, I'm still here.

As far as running goes .... I'm getting back into it. Went for a run a month ago and twisted my ankle. Went again on Sunday and I'm definitely not in as good shape as I would like (at all) but I did not twist my ankle, so I consider that progress. I downloaded a couch to 5k app to my phone because sadly I'm back to that, but I'm looking at the bright side: it's not completely new this time.

For awhile I reconsidered the idea of doing the Honolulu Marathon for my 30th birthday in December 2014, but I'm back at it. Heeeeeere we go. I downloaded a bunch of running podcasts to keep myself excited and motivated.

I only have 1 upcoming race: the Diva 5k in September. It's advertised as being through DC's wine country, which was news to me because I was not aware we had wine country. Who knew? It's also at a spa in Leesburg, so I'm taking the previous day off and just staying there the night before go get a massage and hang out at the pool. Originally I had signed up for the half marathon and semi recently came to the conclusion that there was no way in hell I'd be ready for 13.1 miles by September. So I changed my registration to the 5k and I'm feeling better about that decision.

I'm thinking my new timeline is to do that 5k in September, then a spring half marathon in 2014, maybe one in fall 2014 which should hopefully sorta fit into marathon training, and finally the Honolulu marathon in December 2014!! It's coming up. Craaaaaazy.

If you could send some encouragement my way, that would be appreciated. Thanks friends!

5 miles today!

Today I went 5 miles, which meant my weekly mileage is 15! I haven't done that before! Full disclosure, I did my run/walk for 4 miles and then was completely bushed so walked the last 1. I'd started at a different part of the trail and had to get back to my car.

After I finished my run I had some pain in my left foot in the inside arch. Last time I was at Road Runner Sports (for the Color Run, I think) I noticed they had this funky foot roller thing for about $20, and it got really good reviews on the website. I've been massaging my foot and everything but I think I'll head to Falls Church tomorrow and get one. I'm debating a regular foam roller too. I don't know. Maybe next paycheck.

What else ... I've been listening to a lot of podcasts. I'd had one on my iPod from several months ago from Jillian Michaels and she talked about vitamins. She recommended one brand of multivitamin, Rainbow Light, because it doesn't have all the damaging toxins that other cheaper brands have. It's ironic that vitamins have toxins. Anyway, this was supposed to be more expensive but Amazon had it for about $20 for 120 or 150 vitamins. It's a 1-dose multivitamin for women, which is good because I've had omega-3 supplements that turned out you're supposed to take 3 at a time and those damn things are huge to begin with. So, we'll see how this one works out. I never really saw a difference when taking the Women's One-A-Day except that it turned my pee fluorescent yellow. (Sorry, TMI.)

I'm signed up for BodyPump tomorrow morning. It'll be good to get back into that. Good cross-training.

1st Half Marathon - 9/14/13

Well, I signed up for my first half marathon! I'll be running the Diva Half Marathon in Leesburg on September 14. On the one hand, I'm a little intimidated to run 13.1 miles at once. On the other, how intimidating can something really be that encourages tutus and tiaras? The whole website is basically pink. I think I'm going to take the day before off work and stay the night since the race starts at 7:30 and there's really no way I'm waking up at 5 to get there. Plus, if you stay the night there and you're involved with the race, you get 20% off spa services. Fabulous. I'm all for that.

I'm also thinking of signing up for the Baltimore Half Marathon. My friend Erin is signed up for the full one on the same day. It's about a month after the Diva, so I should theoretically have recovered enough and my mileage will be up anyway. Also, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in race swag that has crabs on it. Maryland pride.

I've rediscovered podcasts as something to listen to while running...and in the car on the way to/from Baltimore for work. I've got some from the Nerdist and also the Marathon Training Academy. There are probably others I'm forgetting. For awhile I listened to WTF wtih Mark Marin (sp?) but wasn't really a fan. If anyone has some they recommend, let me know! I love free entertainment.

The weather is supposed to be in the 60s this weekend! Wooooo! Maybe I'll go run along one of the other trails in the area instead of the one by my house. One thing that's nice about the DC area is that we've got a lot of hiker/biker trails to utilize. The Mount Vernon one has been on my list to bike for a long time and somehow I never got around to it. Maybe I'll get there on foot!

4.5 Miles!!

Hi, friends! Happy New Year! I bet you all thought I forgot about you and this little running goal of mine. That's half true - I forgot about the blog (as I do occasionally) but have been running.

Today I ran 4.5 miles! That's longer than I have ever gone before. I meant to run 4 miles but I was tracking distance with a FitBit and miscalculated ... yeah, there's really no excuse for not counting 2 miles right as the turnaround point, but what can I say? Math was never my strong suit. There's a reason why I'm a social worker and not an accountant.

Yeah, so I ran 4.5 miles and I'm feeling very good about April's 8K. I'm really thinking about a half marathon in Baltimore in October. My friend Erin is signed up for the full marathon on the same day and I'm thinking we could meet up for a beer afterwards. I was called in on a really difficult case at work and as a result had a VERY long December (long story - I'll tell you later if you really want to know) but I am very proud of how I handled it and figured if I can do that as well as I did, I can train for a half marathon in October. I have a training schedule laid out for myself and the 8K fits in really well with it, though I'm already ahead of schedule with my 4.5 mile run today. Registration rates don't increase til the end of March, so I have awhile to think about it.

Hurt but not out

Hi, friends!

Yes, once again I forgot I actually had a blog. I do have some updates though.

On October 27 I participated in the Run For Your Lives as a zombie. I was giddy for most of the day and it was well-worth the 4-hour round-trip drive. However, I also broke my left hand. Long story short, I think the runners forgot that the zombies were actually living people and they got too protective of their flags. It happened in the 1st 10 minutes of my shift and I figured it was probably OK so I finished the 3 hours. Then it was rather swollen the next morning so I went to Urgent Care and found I'd fractured a metatarsal. It was a bit of a circus trying to find an open orthopedist and contacting my doctor and insurance company since this was during the Hurricane Sandy hoopla, but I have a brace for probably 6 weeks. I can exercise/shower in it, so I can still run. Typing is a challenge since I can only really do that with my right hand. Despite the injury, I had an absolute blast and am definitely going to do it again next year. The makeup was amazing. If we're Facebook friends, check out the pictures.

Other than that, I purchased some gear for running in the dark. Woohoo!

Small Victories, Nerd Alert

Well, it has been quite awhile since I wrote. That's not because I stopped running - it's more because I forgot I had a blog. Funny how that happens.

Monday I had a small victory! I moved back home from the disastrous Boston experiment a year ago and back then I was taking long walks on Rock Creek Trail by my house. Monday I went for a run on the same trail and ran farther than my walks!! And I didn't even cheat! I've been doing intervals, which works for me much more than just straight running. Monday I was running 4 minutes and walking 1. I like it better because when I get really tired I look at my iPod (LOVE the free interval app I downloaded) I know that I only have to keep running for so long before I get a walk break. The app uses my playlists and plays a cuckoo sound when it's time to run and dings a bell when it's time to walk. I've been increasing both the run time and the number of intervals and that is working incredibly well for me.

It's my favorite time of year, and while that means Halloween, fading leaves and lots of orange and pumpkins, it also means that the hours of daylight are sharply decreasing. It would be a shame to halt my progress because of a silly thing like darkness, so I did some research on running in the dark, went to Amazon and got a headlamp with a strobe light feature and a reflective single earbud. Yeah, it's safer to run without the iPod at all but it tracks my intervals and I need some kind of musical motivation. This way the sound isn't compromised, I can have 1 ear on my surroundings without the unused earbud flapping around in the breeze, and the cord itself is reflective. Score! I also have to get some kind of reflective vest thing. Picture me with a headlamp, reflective vest and 1 earbud. Yes, nerd alert, coming to a neighborhood near you! Still, I've come to really enjoy running and this is a way I can continue to run outside. I really, really hate the treadmill.

I learned that Chicago has a Halloween marathon and half marathon every year in October. I think I'm going to train for the 2013 half marathon, which will put me in good shape to do the 2014 full on in Hawaii as originally planned. I can definitely get there by then. I heard some quote awhile ago that the difference between a goal and a dream is a plan. True story.

What else ... last weekend I signed up for an account on myfitnesspal.com. I was on Weight Watchers for awhile and it was expensive. This is free and has the same stuff. You log in calories rather than points, but it's all still tracking. I've found that I like this a lot better. The online community is really good and supportive, and they have a lot of ideas for things. The app is also really easy to use. I'm tired of being dissatisfied with how I look. Day to day I don't feel too bad about it, but then I see a picture and I'm like, "Ew. Get your act together." So I am.

Long time no blog

Wow, it has been about 2 months since I last wrote! I'm still here. I stopped running for a month and a half maybe - the DC area did its best impression of Hades and I couldn't bring myself to run in a heat index of 100+. I also got LASIK and couldn't wear contacts for a week before and couldn't exercise for a week after. With all that, I got out of the habit, and I'm good as long as I'm in a routine. Getting back into a routine is like pulling teeth for me. Oh well.

I joined the coed MCRRC 5K group. It started August 15 and I'm really enjoying getting back into running. It's nice that I don't have to start at the total beginning - I can actually run longer than we're supposed to and I'm not overly out of breath. I think it's starting to cool down outside too, which is nice. The tradeoff with that is it'll get darker earlier, and I don't know how safe it is to be running around the neighborhood before/after work when it's dark. Anyone have any suggestions?

One of the world's best marathons

Ultimate goal: running the Honolulu marathon at the end of 2014 for my 30th birthday. If I'm going to run 26.2 miles, there sure as hell better be amazing scenery along the way as well as blue water to jump into and umbrella drinks waiting for me at the end!! ;)

Reevaluating

Yesterday I did the 5K Run for Roses, and that marked the end of the Beginner Women Runners group. A couple people in my pace group and I decided to keep meeting on Saturday mornings to run together, and I'm glad for it. I've really enjoyed them and the group as a whole.

The 5K was good. My mom came to cheer me on and I was surprised to see her handing out water in the Brookside Gardens portion. I figured she parked there, saw the water stop and thought, "May as well hand out some water." (She said that's exactly what happened.) It meant a lot that she came, and it gave me the impetus to continue and finish the damn thing. My time wasn't great, but my feet started hurting in the middle, and I finished regardless.

I started re-evaluating my running goals while going the 3.1 miles. I decided against the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon in February because I don't want to push my body faster than it wants to go and injure myself. I was considering doing the MCRRC 10K program in the fall, but I think I'm going to do the coed 5K one and work on getting really comfortable with that distance. I've got 2 5Ks in the fall anyway - the Color Run in September and the Run for Your Lives in October. The fall 5K program ends with a race on November 4. Once I'm done with that, I'll work on other distances and go from there. Maybe work up to a half marathon in fall 2013. The ultimate goal is the Honolulu Marathon at the end of 2014 for my 30th birthday. I have 2.5 years to get there - no need to rush it right now. Granted, it makes the web address of my blog a little obsolete since I have no current plans to run with Mickey, but what are you going to do?

My weight loss efforts are paying off. I'd be irritated if I did all this and saw nothing. I'm still frustrated with the scale, but I got a tech shirt at the Run for Roses in a size smaller than I usually wear, figuring it will fit sometime soon, and found to my surprise that it actually fits rather well now! Then I dug around in my closet for my old jeans in a size smaller, and those fit too! I can sit down and everything! 3 people in a 24 hour period told me I've lost a lot of weight, and my grandmother added to that today. So, even though I've only lost 7 lbs since I started, the inches are definitely going away. Thank you, running and BodyPump! And Weight Watchers. The thing that bothers me about WW is it's so focused on the scale, but I knew I needed to tackle the food as well as the exercise. I was up a pound this week, but that's most likely because I weigh in on Friday mornings and our pace group dinner was Thursday night at Mamma Lucia. I'd saved something like 30 of my points for that dinner and though I was within my daily and weekly limit, there just wasn't time for it to digest. As long as the numbers generally keep going in the right direction, I'm OK with that.

Solo run

I was supposed to go to the BWR group tonight, but I had a meeting in Baltimore til about 6. It took an hour to get back, but luckily it's still light outside until past 8pm! I love the summer for that reason. Also, beaches. Anyway, I tried out a Garmin watch that tracks my pace and distance. That is a fun toy. One day I'll figure out what I did with the instruction book that comes with it and will learn how to program it to do things. That day is not today. Oh well.

I'm a little frustrated with how freakin' slow I am. I keep reminding myself that everyone has to start somewhere, but I don't really like the somewhere I'm starting. Goal for this summer: get to the 10K in October at a consistent 12-minute mile pace. I can work with that. Breaking down the larger goal into smaller ones is probably the way to go here.

In other news, I got health insurance in April so I've been able to get lots of things checked out. Some of you know that last year I had a cervical cancer scare and had to have a couple procedures to remove precancerous cells. The first one didn't get everything, so I had to repeat it in July and then my insurance ran out so I couldn't get it checked. As you can probably imagine, that has been weighing in the back of my mind for over a year since this whole thing started. I'm happy to report that it's all gone! Hooray!! I'm so grateful I applied for Peace Corps last year - if I hadn't, I wouldn't have had the tests that found it for another two years, and who knows at what stage it would have been at. It's disturbing enough that it was all clear the year before and it had already gotten to a stage this time where it had to be dealt with. One day I'll listen to my own advice not to Google medical conditions. Everything that came up mentioned a hysterectomy. I'm eternally grateful we caught it in time and I didn't have to undergo that! Just wanted to share my good news. I've been thrilled since I found out. I've still got to get tested every 6 months for the next couple years to make sure it doesn't come back on its own, but the likelihood of that is low.

First 5K: Done!!

Yesterday was my first 5K! I did the Race for the Cure in DC and there really couldn't have been a better day for it. It was beautiful outside - low humidity, highs in the low 70s, etc. I had planned on running most of it but I found another person in my running group and we made the trek together, which meant walking a good part of it. Not to be all competitive ... well, OK, maybe to be a little competitive ... but she's in worse shape than I am, which, not gonna lie, felt kinda good. I'd rather have someone to talk to for the 3.1 miles than go faster. It was a good time, and I'm looking forward to the Run for Roses on the 16th and the other races coming up in the fall.

I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this process. I totally thought I'd have the idea to run a (half) marathon and then suffer through it out of pure stubbornness until I ran the damn thing. The key to this was probably joining the running group. Previously I'd decide I'd run and then get frustrated when I couldn't go very far and stop. The group has given me accountability and made me continue to go and stick with it, and it has been very cool seeing myself progress.

I read a good book the other day: Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong, who happens to be Lance Armstrong's ex-wife (I didn't know that until after I finished and saw someone mention it in their review on Goodreads). The author talks about the various reasons why women run and uses running as a metaphor for pretty much everything. It made me want to continue to make strides (pun completely intended. Ha!).

Summer's here

It is HOT today!! 90+ degrees, complete with humidity. I'm not doing the track workout tonight. I'll get up early tomorrow morning and do it. It's easier for me to run in the mornings. I actually got up at 6:30 Friday morning to run - and did! Who knew?

I think MCRRC has a transition program for after this Beginner Women Runners group is done but before the Rockville Twilight 8K. I think I'll do the transition program - it's really nice having people to run with, and it makes me get out of bed on Saturday mornings! Doubt I'll do the 8K (4.97 miles) in July, though it isn't too much farther than the 5K I have coming up this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend ... I'm running the Race for the Cure to benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation. If you'd like to make a donation, I'd appreciate it! :)

What else ... I broke down and got a hydration belt last week. It's basically a glorified fanny pack, which is why I was resisting. There's a pouch for your crap and 2 10-oz water bottles. I was annoyed swinging my water bottle around as I ran and other people seemed to really like theirs, so I got one. It made such a difference!! I'll happily look like a fanny pack-wearing dork to have water that I don't have to carry.

The other day I came to the realization that I'm actually looking forward to the Disney Princess Half marathon rather than dreading it. Had I decided to go whole-hog and do the full Disney World marathon in January, I would be feeling the opposite. However, I'm enjoying myself with this running thing and I know I'll be ready for it. Also, my goal for it isn't to have a good race time - it's to have a good time racing, if that makes sense. Rather than aiming for under 2 hours or whatever, I'm just aiming to finish, have fun, and take pictures with the characters. I will probably be taller than all of them. Last time I went to Disney I was 8 and I don't recall the characters being much taller than I was. Except for Jafar. He was enormous. And terrifying.

Speaking of Disney World, I found this article today and it made my world a better place. Sweetest kid ever. Enjoy.

3 miles!!

I ran 3 miles today, 2 weeks ahead of when I thought I would!! My goal was to get an iPad when I can run 3 miles, and I'm psyched to report that happened today. It's really exciting to see how much progress I've made since the end of March. I had a hard time running at all when I started. Today I did 3 whole miles!! I did about the distance of a 5K! I have a 10K in October and the half marathon in February, and today I really felt like I can get there. I'm really proud of myself!

Yesterday registration opened for DC's Color Run. There are 2 dates this year: September 9 and October 21. I opted for the September one since I have the Run for the Parks 10K on October 7, the Zombie Apocalypse Run For Your Lives 5k (soooooo effing excited) on October 27, and will most likely be visiting the O'Malleys in Kansas the weekend of the 20th/21st. For those of you who haven't heard of it, watch this video - it looks amazing. So excited!  If you want to run it with me, click here!

2.2

On Saturday morning's run I got to 2.2 miles on the trail. That's progress for me! Yeah, some of you hardcore runners who read this (coughcough Pat O'Malley coughcough) are way beyond that and could probably do that in your sleep, but for me it's kind of a big deal.  I ran most of it too - we're doing a run/walk and we're doing 4 minutes running, 1 walking. I'm over 2/3 of the way to the 5K and not very far to the half marathon, but I've got time to get there.

Saturday morning I also went to a stride clinic put on by the MCRRC. I'd signed up for it when I had that hardcore knee and shin pain when I started, but the shoes fixed that. I figured I may as well go anyway, and I'm glad I did - as part of the clinic, I met with a podiatrist, running coach, massage therapist, physical therapist, and shoe specialist. The podiatrist said I was fine, the running coach gave me tips on what to look out for and correct, the massage therapist worked a major knot out of my back, the physical therapist stretched out my IT band and showed me how to do that on my own so I'll minimize injuries there, and the shoe guy didn't have too much to say. My shoes are still rather new so there's not too much for him to analyze as far as wear and whatnot. He said definitely bring those shoes when it comes time to get a new pair so the store can see where I put the most pressure. Oddly, the part that was more worn was in the front of the shoe rather than the heel. The running coach also said I'm a heavy foot striker and I should be striking on the midfoot rather than the whole foot, and I don't know how to do one without the other. Runners, any suggestions? I've also got to work on my cadence, which is wicked slow. Meh. The other thing the running coach told me was, "Don't take it too seriously and remember to have fun." My response was, "Oh. Right." I feel like I've been so goal-oriented that I completely forgot about that part.

I hung out with my good friend Priya on Saturday and we walked around Brookside Gardens. She said she'd come to Disney World with me in February! Woohoo! I was fully expecting to have to go alone, which I would have done but it would probably be kind of depressing. At first she said she'd come cheer me on, then I told her it starts really early in the morning and she said, "Well, maybe I'll come see you at the finish line." She also said she's really proud of me for following through on this wacky idea of mine. I like positive reinforcement. :) I'm also really grateful to have such a good friend who will come to Florida with me and hang out with Mickey, Minnie and Harry Potter. I'm telling you, we are SO going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And it will be AWESOME.

My reward for being able to run 3 miles is an iPad. I was on the Apple site today trying to decide what color iPad I want and what color cover I want. I have still not figured out which to get, and I'm fully aware that other people probably don't spend this much time debating colors for things. I did this with my car, too - I was between orangeburst metallic and blue raspberry. I'm happy with the orange but everytime I see the blue one on the road I think about how pretty that is. Anyway, I've been saving for it and I have the Race for the Cure on June 2, so I should be able to get it in less than a month!

I'm supposed to have the running group at the track tomorrow, but it's my brother's birthday (Happy 25th, Eric!!) and we're going to go to dinner around 7:30 or so. I think I'll probably go run around Brookside - it's so pretty and they've got that Heart Smart trail that's about a mile around. It's also probably rather safer than the trails.

Mixed Emotions

I have mixed emotions today. I weighed myself last night and was displeased. I've never been this heavy, and I hate it. I also hate the negative feelings toward my body. So, rather than just bitch about it, I decided to sign up for one of the online calorie trackers (which is so much easier now that I have a smartphone!) and got my ass to the gym. I signed up for a 6pm BodyPump class, which kicked my butt, and before then I actually walked/ran 2 miles on the treadmill!! That's IN ADDITION to the class I'd signed up for, which is kind of a big deal for me. I'm feeling strong and good after the workout and positive steps forward towards getting in shape and losing weight, though the current state of my body has me feeling gross. Thus, mixed emotions. However, I'm now no longer dubious I can do the 5K in June. No problem.

I think that's about it for now ... didn't go to the running group on Saturday because I went out on Friday night. As of now, no Friday night plans for this week so hopefully I'll actually be good and go early Saturday morning.

Conquering my fear of the treadmill

Oops, I haven't written in awhile. Oh well.

This morning I conquered my fear of the treadmill!  Previously, I avoided the treadmill like the plague. I had visions of my uncoordinated self thumping along on the machine like a hippo trying to do the ballet before spectacularly flying off the back end and wiping out a whole section of unsuspecting gym-goers. However, I'd heard colorful reports of men exposing themselves to women on the trail, masturbating in front of them and others trying to abduct them, so I decided that rather to subject myself to any of those unpleasant fates it would be better to attempt the treadmill. I'd stick to the trail if I had someone to run with during these scheduled solo run days, but I don't, so here we are. I have to say, I broke more of a sweat during the 20 minutes I spent huffing and puffing on the treadmill than I do when I'm running with the group. I'm happy to report that as much as I resisted that machine, I found a lot of value in it for training. I can easily do the run/walk training, for example, since the clock's right there and I can push a buton and have to keep up with it rather than looking at my watch and figuring out when I started whatever portion I'm on. Maybe I'll walk a minute, jog a minute, run a minute, jog a minute, repeat. Who knew? (Don't answer that. I know many people know of the benefits of treadmills.)

I missed the Saturday run last week due to an excess of sangria the previous night with my lovely friend Erin. I wasn't hungover, just not willing to get out of bed.

I'm a little dubious about my ability to run 3.1 miles in 2 months. Maybe I can, particularly with this newfound treadmill doohickey. I signed up for a 10K (6.2 miles) in October. Since I signed up early I get a free jacket. Score! This race swag may actually have people mistake me for an active individual.

What else ... I replaced my bike last week. Mine got stolen in Denver and I've missed it. I rode (along those same creep-infested trails) to Lake Needwood last Friday. It was fun! I didn't see any creeps.

Team Self-Care

Yesterday was the Saturday morning run. Our pace group divided into the faster runners, the slower runners, and the run-walkers. I'm probably the fastest in the run-walkers (hey, progress, right?) and was running with this other woman, Sally, when we discovered that we were both social workers. Then we learned that the others in the group were either social workers or LCPCs (LCPC = Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor). Random. We're supposed to come up with a team name and I vote for Team Self-Care, since that's what we're doing and it elicits a giggle from anyone who has gone through social work school. We did the Matthew Henson trail and it was pretty. It's nice getting to know some of these parks in the area. I'm keeping mental notes of them for when I do my Thursday runs/after this program is over in the middle of June.

The solo Thursday run was pushed to Friday morning. Allergies got the better of me on Thursday and I ended up passing out for a few hours when I got home from work. Oh well - I still did the run, just not on the assigned day.

I started reading this crazy book, "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner" by Dean Karnazes. Ultramarathons are anything past 26.2 miles, and at this point in the book he's running 200 miles by himself. It was supposed to be a relay and he did the whole thing himself. While I admire his discipline, passion and tenacity, I think I'll stick to my 5Ks in June, possible 10K in October, and Disney Princess Half Marathon in February, and I like the idea of doing a full one around my 30th birthday. A milestone birthday deserves a milestone achievement, I think. Maybe before then, depending on how all this goes. I turned 27 in November, so I've got about 2.5 years for the 26.2. I hear the Marine Corps one is a good one to run, and I think this year registration was maxed out in something like 5 hours. Crazy.

Progress!

I had my Tuesday night run with BWR last night and it went pretty well. There's a group of run-walkers that I'm running(/walking) with and thanks to my nifty new shoes and insoles, I'm no longer in massive knee pain! And thanks to that, I'm no longer the slowest! I mean, I'm like the 5th slowest, but I'm not the actual slowest. The nice thing about being a complete beginner is that I see improvement and progress almost immediately. Can't argue with that!

I'm really enjoying running outside among the flowers, but I am not enjoying allergy season. My adorable little spunky orange car has a yellow film on it. I'd wash it, but what's the point?

Oops

I slept through the BWR group run on Saturday. I'd set my alarm, but the volume was all the way down. Oops. I did a solo run on Sunday morning to make up for it. I went to the Aspen Hill park and picked up the Capitol Crescent trail there. The beginner pace groups were scheduled to move up to 15 minutes from 10, so I set a timer on my iPod to go off after 8 minutes and then turned back around. It's nice to see that I'm making some kind of progress. While I'm still walking for a good part of it, it's not as much as it was when I started. Here's hoping the progress continues! Also, no knee pain! Woohoo!

Good shoes!!

I took the new shoes/insoles for a spin around the block today and was pleasantly surprised - the only knee pain was residual from before and was substantially less than it had been! All in all, the store in Elkridge was definitely worth the trip out there. Here's hoping I can keep up with everyone tomorrow and that it doesn't rain too much ...

New car today! I'm impatiently waiting for work to end so I can go pick it up. :)