Yes, I Am Still Alive!

Hi everyone! It has been twenty-five days since my last post....Holy cow! This is the longest amount of time that I have let sneak by without posting. I miss you all and feel so out of the loop not knowing what is going on with your running. I have been so crazy busy with work and family stuff that it has been nearly impossible to post or to comment. I am running my kids to their sport activities every night and usually do not get home until 8:30 to 9 PM. My daughter has b-ball practice and games to attend and my little guy is doing swimming & skating lessons. I am exhausted when I get home...this is before I can even get a run in:)

I have officially started my spring marathon training. I am currently in week two of my plan and things are going slow and painful. Damn, I wish I could say that I feel great and my running is awesome. Not so much! I am only running three times a week and two of those runs have been on the mill. Anyone who has been reading my blog for some time knows that I absolutely hate the mill!!! God, give me outside running any day....well, maybe not in the frigid below zero temps that we had last week here in Minnesota. I have to draw the line somewhere and that is way too cold for this girl!

I have to start running more and getting back into the groove. I know that it will come but it just takes a little time to get lost fitness back. I am kicking myself in the butt every day for taking such a long running break....never again! Today I am scheduled to run six miles and I will do this outside. Keeping my fingers crossed for a run that feels amazing!:) Wish me luck:)

Happy running, biking, swimming, lifting and surfing! Cheers to you all!

The Team Ortho Polar Dash 5K Race Report!

God, there is nothing like getting up on a New Years day in the freaking cold and running a race! This morning I ran in the Team Ortho Polar Dash 5K. I thought that I had signed up to run the 10K. When I opened up my race packet and pulled out my bib it had a 5K printed on it:) All I am going to say is....blessing in disguise!!!! Your blogger friend Julie is so out of shape! Good Lord, remind me never to take a full month off of running...ever again:) I mean it!

Mr. Julie was kind enough to drop me off and as soon as I got there I headed to the warming tents. It was packed and I had to wait a few minutes before I actually made it inside! Holy cow, it was so cold! My toes felt like they were going to fall off! Brr!

When there was about five minutes to the start many of us started walking to the start line.

This is where I decided to start. The pacers were actually for the 10K runners but I would be able to run with this guy for at least a mile and a half or so. I am so out of shape and have not run one single mile in over a month! I knew it was going to be ugly....it was:)

I ran into Mike who is my blogger buddy Beth's hubby:) They are heading off to Florida to run in the Goofy races next weekend. Mike is a super fast runner who was taking it easy because of running next week. Beth, I am so sorry that I missed you! Hope to see you soon:)

I stayed with my pacer for most of the first half of my race. I was okay in the beginning but the farther I ran the more terrible I felt! So many random thoughts bounced through my head. Why and the hell did you not run once during this last month? Are you stupid? Surely you knew this would really suck! God this sucks! Who's idea was it to drink three glasses of champagne last night? Umm, your's...remember...you thought that since the race was at 11AM you would have nothing to worry about. Whatever!

Damn, where is the turn around? It is a good thing I didn't run in the 10K:) This sucks bad enough! Do you remember when six miles seemed like nothing? Hell, do you remember when 3.1 miles seemed like nothing? Are you stupid? Man, I should of put myself with the nine minute pacer. Just suck it up and run!

Thank God! Turn around and mostly down hill:) Slow and easy pace...no sprinting involved today. Just keep moving...one foot in front of the other. Oh crap, a woman is passing me! It is okay...she is way younger, fitter, faster and looks like a freaking rock star! Next year no drinking!!! Next year there will be no freaking month long running break!

I survived! It was an ugly race but I am glad I ran! Yes, I know I look like crap...I felt like it too! I think tomorrow I am going to run six miles...slower pace:)

Walking back to my car with hot chocolate. It is the little things in life that make running a 5K in Minnesota during the month of January worth it:)
Here are my official race stats....

Final time 25:54, 8:20 per mile.

I placed 81 out of 972 total runners.

I placed 18 out of 614 female runners.

I placed 4 out of 92 in my age group.

Happy running, biking, swimming, lifting and surfing! Cheers to you all!

Wishing you and your families a wonderful New Year:)