"The Journey is Part of the REWARD" by SenoraHarlow

Planning 2 run the whitestone 30k (18 mi)  http://www.ktc.org/RaceWhitestone.html  on Sunday.

Beautiful Bed & Breakfast: http://www.whitestoneinn.com/weddings.html

I anticipate a time of 3hr 20/30 min or so. Starts at 8:30 - suspect will be crossing the line about noon, just in time for the awesome brunch provided. everyone says it is delicious! I am excited about my husband, kids and mom being at the finish line to support me. I have a great family!

I am always amazed at how quickly time passes between my blogs. I always intend to be more frequent in my postings, but time just flies by. I ran the Calhoun's 10 miler in 1hr 44 min. After that was the Strawberry Plains half marathon. my time on that was a bit slower, but the course was tougher. I ran that in 3hrs 24 min at about 11min miles.

I have committed to preparing a little harder for this 18 miler. I ran a 17 miler on Saturday with the Knoxville Track club http://www.ktc.org/  starting at the Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic out to Neyland Stadium. I am pictured here w/ my 2009 Covenant Health Marathon Teammate - Chevy just after the 8 mile turnaround point.  http://www.knoxvillemarathon.com/RaceInfo/MarathonMinute.cfm

I will run this week each day w/ an increasing distance Mon/4, tues/5, wed/6, thurs/5 then fri/4. Additionally, the elliptical each evening for no less than 4 miles. I will rest on Saturday and then hopefully be prepared for the 18miles on Sunday. I did pick a route w/ some hills on Monday and was able to continue running, so I am hoping to develop my strength on hills as Whitestone  is a challenging, hilly course as is the Knoxville marathon. see the course description & map: http://www.knoxvillemarathon.com/RaceInfo/Marathon.cfm

I do plan to reward my commitment this week w/ a night out for Mex food and Margaritas  at Pelanchos (our favorite) w/ my husband on friday night. Then maybe even out salsa dancing at Fairbanks where he and I met since I have all of Saturday to recoup.

Wednesday morning I am going hiking Cades Cove w/ Missy Kane and friends mall walking group: https://www.covenanthealth.com/coldfusionapplication/covhlthwhatsnew/Detail.cfm?Post_ID=17607 for a an 8 or so mile distance. It is supposed to be a beautiful day so I am excited about that as the last 3 wednesdays have been horrible storms.  More Later!!

Saturday long run was another milestone in my beginning program as a "marathon runner".  I would love to classify myself in such an accomplished group, but, I have not yet earned that title and can therefore . . . "not yet bestow it upon myself."  I don't really talk like that; i just thought it sounded cool, or intelligent - maybe poetic -->alright, wierd. My mind works like that sometime.  Maybe that is what happens after running 16 miles and taking 2 hours and 57 minutes of my life to bang one foot in front of the other relentlessly on the pavement in the very cold and rainy weather. What was I thinking??  Is this supposed to be good for me?

Again, it was a great feeling of accomplishment. I try to not be concerned about time but I know that I am. Some call it competitive, some call it Type A personality, I call it wanting to do the best that I know I can do and not settling for less than that --> you don't have to share with me what YOU call that! Especially if it includes words like "anal" or "compulsive", "uptight" or any of those other endearing and charming phrases used to describe people like me.  I find comfort in knowing that there in fact are other people like me which may be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view and what kind of person you are, but that's O.K. I consider it good - ha, ha.

One of the other team members expressed a desire to get less than 4 hrs 30 min in time because that is the time Oprah Winfrey ran her marathon in.  I remember a similar incident in which I set a time in my mind. Just after I was selected to be on the 2009 Covenant Health Marathon Team I heard that Beth Ostrosky, 36 yr old former model wife of the radio shock Jock Howard Stern completed the NYC marathon in 4 hrs 15 minutes, http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/11/03/howard_stern_on_hand_for_wife_s_nyc_mara Being of the non competitive, type b personality that I am NOT, I told myself if she can do it, I can too! So that 4 hr, 15 minute time just can't seem to get out of my head - UGH. So that is the story behind the time in my head.

I'll keep you updated. Gotta go Run!!

Can't believe how time passes. Now it is the new year and I have not done well w/ training workouts, blogging nor cleaning my house over the past two weeks, but I am back. New year, new resolutions, must get back into training w/ a purpose in mind. 

Today was the first Knoxville Track Club www.ktc.org training run for the NEW year.  I was very excited about it and went to bed somewhat early, hydrated as I should and brought the cell phone that I use for the alarm next to my bed.  Unfortunately, I forgot to ensure that the alarm was turned on --> my bad.  I woke up at 4:35 a.m. in anticipation for the run. Oops, too early, back to sleep. Next time my eyes opened, my clock showed 7:31 a.m. Darn it!! that is take off time from the Runner's market 15 minutes away. Luckily I had set out my stuff the night before so I threw it on, jumped in the van and headed to the starting point.  I did feel a little relief as I saw one other runner just taking off as I pulled up. At 8:00 a.m. I started on my run with the encouragement of Jason who said I could probably catch some of the other runners as some had just taken off.

It was a good feeling to catch up to some of the other around third creek @ neyland drive, just past Tyson Park.  I continued running with a group up to Neyland Stadium, the turn around point for 13 miles.  I ran into Chevy Lewis at that point and she and I ran a good portion of the return run together along with two other guys who ran just a bit quicker than my pace. That was good because it gave me incentive as they would occasionally curve around a corner or over a hill out of my sight. I would push a bit harder to catch back up near them.  The end of the 13 miles took me up a pretty steep hill and I walked the last half mile or so, but wow! two hours and 25 minutes of running.

It was a great feeling of accomplishment. I'm on my way for the New Year and ready to commit to a year of great family fitness.  The best feeling was when I got home and my 8 year old daughter asked if I was ready to run? She reminded me that I promised her that she and I could run the neighborhood together when I was done w/ my training run. I was very sore, and very tired, but excited about her motivation and desire to follow my example and run! So, off we went! It should be a great year!!

. . . on Saturday or Sunday at 7:00 a.m., you'll find they're either already out running or just about to head out the door" explains Hal Higdon in his Chapeter 10, Running Long - endurance is essential for success as a marthoner.

Well, I don't consider myself yet a distance runner or a marthoner, but I was out on Saturday at 7:00 a.m. in the frigid 27 degree teamperature on my way to the Orhopedic Clinic on Weisgarber Road to run what is long distance for me - 8 miles.  I was apprehensive about the distance beacuse I can't remember the last time I ran that far, if ever.  Though I do believe I did an 8 miler or two while running cross country on the 260th Military Intelligence cross country team while stationed with the Army at Ft. Huachuca Arizona in 1990. Our races were 10k distance. 

I was fortunate to have a faster runner, Michael Harvey from the Green team, agree to pace for me.  We started out well and hit the 3 mile turn around point a little faster than expected.  We were still conversing at that point.  We then went on to the 4 mile turn around for the 8-mile training marker and I sure started feeling it. I was questioning my decision to run 8 miles instead of the 6-mile option that some were running.  When I hit the 5 miles, I was moving very slowly. I felt bad for Michael because I know that he is capable of running so much faster but so grateful that he kept me going. I know had he not been running with me that I would have broken down and walked. Then I got a second wind on the 6th and 7th mile and ran the last mile so-so.  I was pleased with the overall time of 1hr 21 minutes - aprox. 10 min. miles.  That is about 30 seconds per mile faster than I have been running, and I attribute that to Michael's encouragement and pace setting. 

Today I ran the Reindeer 5k run in Maryville.  That was lots of fun, but it was cold and hilly.  I ran the first mile in 9:30 and hit the second mile marker at 19.12.  both less than 10 minute miles so I was thrilled.  Then the 3rd mile was quite a bit slower with lots of hills to end the run.  My finishing time was 32:03 which was a minute slower than my last 5k which was on flat groung. It was nice to have my husband and 3 of my kids at the finish line to cheer me home.

Bottom line: I am seeing impovement and that gives me a sense of accomplishment which is a good feeling.  I am feeling good and am getting the "me" time away that I need.  I also love the social aspect of seeing people I know and meeting other people at every event all with the same goal in mind - get out, get moving, get healthy!