Sunday, March 31, 2013

Rumpshaker 5K Race Report


Hello all,

Feels so long since I wrote my last RR, and in fact it has been. Oct of last year. That's five months without a race! Always seemed like one thing led to another and we never got around to registering for any of the races we wanted to do, but that's OK! We are going to shoot for at least one race a month. I'm sure you all don't care about that and just want me to stop rambling and get on when the good stuff but I like to talk, and I like pictures so kick back, relax, and enjoy the read! Smile

Saturday, March 30th 5:45am - Alarm goes off, and I was already awake just laying in bed waiting. Pre-race jitters got to me this weekend and I had about 4 dreams and they all involved racing. Perhaps it was the cajun chicken pasta I had for dinner... who knows?? I get up, get in the shower "I know, I know, I about to go run a race and get all hot and sweaty so why shower?" Well.. because I wanted to! I hop out of the shower get my running clothes thrown on and go to grab my swiftwick socks, I find one black and one grey and blue, neither has a pair. I go into the laundry room and lo and behold they are in the bottom of the laundry basket, really? So I throw two socks into the washing machine by themselves "talk about a waste of water" and put them on a quick cycle. While those are washing I'm trying to get the dogs taken out, fix a quick breakfast, make sure I have my watch, HRM, and all that to take with me. Its about 6:40 we need to leave at 6:45 and my socks are still in the dryer. I just said screw it, grabbed a sock, I know have one wet and one dry sock on and we head out the door. I drive the majority of the way there with my feet heater on trying to dry my sock before we get to the race... Just wan't my morning... yet!

We arrive at around 7:20 and I get a call from Mitch saying that he is on his way! We mope around the place for a while and while we are wainting on Mitch I run into a old GameStop buddy of mine who was running the 5K as well, which was pretty cool. Mitch finally arrives and we head over to the Porta Potties at about 7:45, they have 10 with about 100 people in line waiting to use the bathroom. We manage to get back to the race line at 7:58 but had to get back in line with the walkers instead of where we needed to be.

The lady tells us to start and we are off..... at a slow walking pace for the next 2:30min before we even pass the start mat, we finally get across it and we start our watches and pick up our pace. Mitch being the awesome guy he is asked me as we started off what pace I wanted to hold, I said 8:50 and so we found it and ran with it.

About .15 miles into the course we have to run up this decent incline across a bridge and back down. I don't have good hills where I live so this was a bit rough for me, but I managed and actually did fairly well keeping the pace right along side Mitch. (I guess those leg workouts are paying off). Once we cross the bridge and go back down its about as flat of a course as you get. I do good this first mile and pretty much stay right on Mitch's heels the entire first mile, even was able to attempt to make small grunting noises to let him know I'm still breathing and everything is good Smile My Garmin beeps for the first mile and I'm at 8:51. I tell myself I got this and we keep running...

We are now into mile 1, we hit the half way mark and Mitch calls back to me we are half way there, I'm not going to lie, I'm tired and its starting to warm up and had it not been for Mitch I probably would have slowed down some, but if he is going to set a pace for me then by God I'm going to keep up. Aside from being tired, winded and tired mile 2 beeps and its 8:50.

8:51, 8:50, and we only have 1.1 miles left to go. I so got this, I'm not giving up, I can tell my heart rate is on up there but I just keep breathing and keep planting one foot in front of the other. We pretty much make a big loop and before we get to the finish line we have to go across the same bridge with the same (*$($&% incline! REALLY!!!??? Oh well, I knew what was on the other side of that bridge and I wasn't slowing down.. ok maybe I slowed a little bit but I caught back up on the downhill and picked up the pace some, Mile 3 beeps and its 8:41, I really haven't been paying attention to overall time I just knew I had a goal and I was really hoping to beat it.

I push hard that last little stretch and cross the finish line with an effort of 6:04 for that little bit of push, I finished in.... well that's at the bottom, its time for a picture break Smile

Of course no race is complete with out our number 1 fan!


My best friend (a.k.a Running nerd Bobby). W has started running the C25K. His wife came too (Running Nerd Melanie), and don't tell her I said so, but she is pretty cool herself, in fact she is the photographer for this race, thus why we don't have any pics of her.

My wife and I before race start

A few pictures of the crowd that was there



Here is Mitch and myself after we crossed the finish line

My wife coming in for the finish

After the race and we have cooled off a bit


And of course i have to end the pictures with my two most favorite women in the world




Now for the moment you all have been waiting for!!!

I had two goals set for myself. I wanted to run sub 28, I would have been happy with this time as it would have been a big improvement over my Liz Hurley back in October. My next goal was to run sub 27:30. Now just so you all now this was my Liz Hurley time last year

Liz Hurley 5k 2012 - 29:39

This race I finished in 26:47!!!!! That's almost 3 mins off my last PR, I was so super excited about my time and I owe a lot of thanks to Mitch for setting a pace and running along side me! So Mitch, Thanks for that!

My wife set a new PR as well. Her Liz Hurley run she completed in 42:08 and this run she completed in 41:07. That's 1:01 faster and I couldn't be more proud of the progress she has made since we started. However, if you wan't to know anymore than that about her race then she will have to share her side of the story herself.

I hope you all enjoyed the read and I guess I need to get busy getting faster because I don't plan for that to stay a PR very long Smile

test post

Melanie test post

Saturday, March 30, 2013

A Short Introduction

For months now, Jim and Ash tried to talk us into running with them but Bob and I just weren't on board yet.  I wasn't completely opposed as I knew that I needed exercise but had not made the commitment to anything yet.

About 4 weeks ago, we all four helped another couple (and very good friends) move.  That marked a change for Bob. It was time to do something.  Getting out of breath carrying boxes was not going to cut it.  By Sunday afternoon, we had a text from Jim to meet them for a run and we were purchasing our first pairs of running shoes.  That day we jumped in head first to this world of running.

Jim and Ash are much more experienced runners, having completed multiple 5K's and running an average of 5 miles in their workouts.  They were kind enough to start from scratch for us and we all began the Couch to 5K program.  Not every day is easy but it is so worth it.

After 4 weeks, we have both achieved weight loss and have yet to skip or repeat any sessions.  Personally, I am on the verge of coming off of high blood pressure medication.  After.  four.  weeks.  Completely amazing how much better we feel and we are only halfway to achieving our first goal of running a 5K. 

So many people say it, but it is true.  If I can do it, anyone can!

~Melanie~

ENTER JIM & ASH'S STORY
Its Jim here, so I guess this is the part where I go into detail about what got my wife and I running. Well, it was a plethora of things really, everything from health benefits, to wanting to be a good role model for our daughter to even the more primal of reasons (better sex, wanting to like what you see in the mirror, to wanting people to notice you when your at the beach) Perhaps the ladder of reasons aren't the right reasons, but the way I see it, what does it really matter as long as it's what gets you out of the door and on the road?

So to begin we tried this whole C25K thing a while ago and we made it about 3 weeks in and just stopped, really don't have a reason/excuse we just simply quit. It tooks us several months before the notion of running reared its little head back up and this time we were determined to stick with it. We started in May 2012 and it took us about 10 weeks to make it through the 8 week program (yes, we had to repeat a couple of weeks).

After we finally completed the program we signed up for our very first 5k race. It was a small little race just right down the road where we lived called the JarrodFest 5k (no it's not a festival for the subway guy). It was to support a family who had just lost their husband/father to colon cancer due to Crohn's disease. Once we completed this race we were hooked and have since raced 3 other 5Ks with quite a few races planned out for this year.

Running really has changed our lives in so many ways. I never imagined I could go out and run for 5 min straight let alone over an hour. I challenge anyone who thinks running isn't for them to just give the program a try. All it ask is 8 weeks/3 days a week for a something that will hopefully change your lifestyle for the better, at least I know it did for us...