Running with the Dawgs

{Sometimes it is easier just to do like ten posts at once. So here are 4 new posts for today}

Jeff and I really wanted to do something fun for Memorial Day, so we decided to run the "Running with the Dawgs" 5k at the University of Georgia. I got up at 5 am to feed Cheyenne, get stuff packed and we left at 6 am. We picked up the missionaries to be the babysitters (if I was going to pay for a race, I wanted to go fast!!). The original plan was for me to wear the new garmin watch (my Mother's Day present) and keep us at 7 minute mile pace for the first two miles. At the last second, I decided I didn't want to wear the watch, so I told Jeff to wear it and I would just stay with him... BIG MISTAKE!! At the shot of the gun, I had to sprint to keep up with him! Needless to discover, we were going WAY faster than 7 minute mile pace. A little after a mile, I told Jeff to just go ahead because I was dying. THEN we got a nice surprise that the whole second half of the race was UPHILL. It was not a pleasant discovery. I kept asking the workers, "how much longer." They were annoyingly happy and would say just up this hill. To me, just up this hill means about 200-400 yards. Apparently just up this hill to them was still a whole other mile which is a third of the race! Well, we finished the run without puking (barely), and overall we were pretty satisfied with our results. Especially considering the very fast start and the long hills. Jeff finished 3rd in his age group and 26th out of 322 overall. I finished 3rd in my age group and 53rd overall. Jeff was under 7 minute mile pace and I was at 7:30. We are hoping the Seattle half marathon will not have a lot of hills, but we have been thinking about it and it probably does. We both really want to get under 8 minute miles for the half, so we have about one month left to train hard for that goal. I hope so bad we can do it!! My last long run was 14 miles and was really really painful, so hopefully I will have no more runs like that one. Running is such a roller coaster, you never know day to day how your run will feel, and you have to try not to let it affect your mood, motivation and attitude. I think that is why it is constantly challenging and so good not only for your body, but for your mental toughness in life. I am so happy that Jeff is finally into running now. It is so fun to share that with him and hopefully we will be able to share that with our kids too:)