911 Memorial 5K

September the 11th, 2011 marked the 10-year anniversary of that dreadful day in American history that changed all of our lives. When we saw that there would be an Inaugural 911 Memorial 5K locally, we thought that would be a perfect way to remember, and pay our respects to the thousands of families impacted by that day and the events that followed.

Proceeds from this race help support the nonprofit group Homes for Our Troops, which was founded in 2004 to help provide housing to injured military servicemen and women when they return stateside. Specifically, funds raised by the event will go toward building a home in the Lutz area for Army Sgt. Austin Burchard who was left a paraplegic due to severe injuries caused by a gunshot wound while manning a post in a gun turret in Wardack Province, Afghanistan on March 19, 2009.

Up at 5:30 a.m. again!

Mike met the mayor of Tarpon Springs as we were getting registered. For my British friends/family - this is what a real American mayor dresses like...

For my American friends/family - this is how the mayors in England rock 'em...

There were about 500 runners and the sun came out as we lined up during the pre-race ceremony...

The route was a sunny 'out and back' on the water in New Port Richey. Loved these girls' T-Shirts...

Several neighbors came out of the houses and waved flags and cheered us along...

The last mile was tough so it was great to have Mike to cheer me in :)

Mike came second in his age category! What now Mike!

And I beat the dog :)



We loved our medals and T-Shirts...

That's three 5Ks in three weeks so I'm spent for a while. So glad I did this one though...

2011 Puzzle Run

The Puzzle Run for autism is one of our favorite races of the year! 2011 marked their third annual 5k/10k in Speer Park, Oakland near Orlando. Aside from the fact that this race benefits a really important cause - more than one in 100 American children are now impacted by this condition - the race boasts one of the area's most scenic and varied courses, is really well organized and one of the few 5ks that still provides dri-fit shirts with the registration packets:). For me, Labor Day signifies the beginning of my favorite events of the year and the Puzzle Run is a perfect way to get back into the race season groove!

We spend Labor Day in Orlando every year and we had to get up at 5:30 a.m. to make the race in time. This year we hadn't gotten in until past 1 a.m. the night before so it was even more of a struggle than usual. It was much cooler than recently though which was a huge relief!

After a bit of a congested start, the sun came up as we started to run and there was gorgeous scenery to enjoy at every turn...

During the race I was so thrilled to see Kitzzy, one of my favorite bloggers! She did the 10k and is currently preparing for her second marathon, the Space Coast Marathon. Check out her fabulous blog here!

I pushed hard and was really pleased to come in at 31:54, a tiny bit faster than last year and 7th out the 37 ladies in my age category!! Mike was a superstar and placed 20th overall!

I loved the race bling too and and now I feel like I've earned at least one or two of those poolside cocktails that I'm going to be forced to drink over the weekend...:)

Lowry Park Zoo Run Run

I did this race last year and remembered it being really tough. But...it's about time I get back into doing events again (I really need the accountability:)) so when I heard Emily was doing it again I decided to sign up!

I had to get up at 5:30 for pre-registration so it was pitch dark when I arrived...

The race route went through the zoo and alongside the Hillsborough river and surrounding area. The animals are still sleeping at that time for the most part so I only actually managed to see an eagle and eel that I remember! It was just over 85 degrees so there were a lot of walkers and the pace was slow which was exactly what I needed :).

I was really proud of myself that I managed to run the whole thing despite the temperatures. Running in the heat is still something I really struggle with but I am doing so much better at toughing it out now. We were so spent at the end that we couldn't even stand up for the post-race picture!

And the best part of all? Heading home to enjoy the weekend (go back to bed) with another event completed and it's not even 8:30!!!

Dogs are smart...

So I have managed to run 3 times a week for 3 consecutive weeks! The very last run however was in NC while on vacation and was awful for a number of reasons:

• I had been eating and drinking way too much over the previous couple of days.
• I went out midday thinking that the temperatures would be cooler than in FL. I later discovered the "feels like" temperature was over 100 degrees:(.
• I took a dog with me who gave up sooner than I did. Now I could have returned him to the house after the first mile loop of course but he gave me the "you're crazy if you carry on with this" look and I believed him. He's a very smart dog.

• NC is very hilly and I hate hills because I'm a wimp.

So after only one disastrous mile I gave up. Not just for that run but for the whole week! I just didn't want to run again. Ever! Anyway, now I'm back home and a week of excessing has taken it's toll. Physically I feel like crap and I want to get back right away to some healthy living. The running Gods must have heard me since on Tuesday I got an email from Active Trainer reminding me that my training for the Half in November begins this week. I'm still not feeling confident that I'll actually be able to do the race itself so I'm going to stay focused on just the training for now. Oh and that 'running three times a week for four weeks in a row' thing that I haven't done yet!!

Regularity is key

I've been 'off plan' quite a bit lately but before I beat myself up about the lack of running miles I've been putting in I thought I'd look back over this year so far and remember that I still have a lot to be proud of. My 2011 goals were to:

1. Run over 350 miles
2. Do at least 6 fitness events
3. Complete a 15K or a Sprint Triathlon
4. Finish a 5K race in under 30 mins


1. I have ran over 240 miles so far this year! Although I'm really happy with that and very proud of myself, the vast majority of these were in Q1 and I have been struggling to put in miles over the last couple of months. When I look at last year I can see that exactly the same thing happened - I suffered injuries at exactly the same time and stopped 'feeling the running love' as soon as it got hot. I have felt really fed up with my lack of miles lately but when I compare my mileage with this time last year I am actually doing much better. I am also biking much more and swimming more too! I think the reason I'm finding running so hard right now if I'm brutally honest is because I'm just not doing it regularly enough. I need to be out there at least 3 times a week, every week. Consinstency and regularity have been lacking. No excuses - I need to 'just do it' (going shorter if neccessary) and commit to the notion that pace, distance and pleasure (or at least less pain!) will come.

2. I've done 7 organized events this year! That's fantastic but I am capable of so much more! My new goal is to do 12 events - one for each month. I can do it!

3. I have done a 15K and a Sprint Tri!!! Again - fantastic but I am capable of more!

4. I PR'ed in January and came in well under 29 mins! That said, right now I would be thrilled to run a 5K in under 31 mins:(. I mustn't beat myself up about pace right now and I need to focus on continually showing improvement. The heat is a challenge and I haven't been doing interval work so of course my times are slower. I'm going to worry about pace later. For now it's all about regularity.

I have achieved a lot this year - I've been able to run faster and so much further - now I'm just going to have to run more regularly :). I can do this too. I once saw a lady in a waiting room and we got to chatting about running. I asked her how often she ran. She said "not often enough to get any better at it!" It really stuck with me - and I know from experience that I have to run at least 3 times a week before I see much progress. So...my new goal is to run at least 2 miles, 3 times a week for four consecutive weeks. It sounds so easy, right? Makes me wonder why that's one goal I have not been able to achieve so far this year! Will I get more comfortable? Faster? Go further? Let's see...

4 Mile Lap4Life in NY!

My knee has been getting so much better lately so I decided to take the plunge and do the Lap4Life 4-miler while we were up in NY on vacation. It's been over 2 months since I've done a proper event so I was really nervous on the way over in the car...

The race was to benefit Desmoid Cancer, a rare type of cancer that tragically took the life Dr. Angelo Casabianca - a local physician and father of three young children. About 600 runners came to show their support and run around the beautiful Chadwick Lake in upstate NY.

We got to run with Scott and Karrie for the first time :)

The run around the lake was so pretty and Mike stayed with me in case my knee played up. I was really thrilled to not have any pain at all even with the NY hills! It definitely helped to be running in temperatures over 10 degrees lower than in Florida too:). I loved the motivational signs throughout the course and the volunteers did a great job of cheering everyone along...

Maddy and Jayden came to show their support and managed to spend over 20 dollars on raffle tickets while we were running. We didn't win anything...

When we crossed the line the guy with the microphone called us the 'most romantic couple of the day.' I love this picture of us!

After we were done we hung out for a while and enjoyed the post-race entertainment...

Me and my mentor, Scott:)

It felt so great to do an organized event again. And to share it with such special friends. Now I need to sign up for another one :)...

I'm all broken in now...

You know when you start biking a bit more seriously it's just a matter of time as to when you'll come off it. I've actually managed to fall three times now but this last one was a bit nasty and hurt more than you would think from the picture. I had been riding Mike's bike for a while and this happened when I got back on my road bike. I realize now that it's too small for me and the gears are in the wrong place. Think I'm going to stick with Mike's for a while and since it's a mountain bike I'll be able to compete in the 'fat tire' class at the next tri which will really help my placings anyhow. And I'm going to need to toughen up...

Bike PR for me!!!!!

I've been working really hard with my biking lately so I was thrilled to hit my goal tonight of 15 miles within an hour! I did it on Mike's mountain bike and actually beat the goal by nearly 4 minutes although I was a major sweat monster when I got back home :)

I also managed to run a full 2 miles without any major knee problems this week too (which was a major relief) so I'm going to try adding distance now so that I can get back to running more regularly again. For now though I have to say the bike is challenging for me and more importantly fun!

How to be a nosy neighbor...

The whole biking thing is really coming around now which is a good job since I have a mystery knee injury:(. It happened on a Sunday morning long run about three weeks ago and has been very painful after a mile or so ever since and feels just like it's 'giving out' whenever I run. I've tried the usual stuff (rest, icing, elevation etc.) and a couple of bandage-type contraptions, but it's not getting any better so I think it's time to see the doctor. I'm trying to find a sports doc so that I won't get the predictable 'stop running' advice:). Anyway, I'm also trying really hard to stay positive. I've been able to run over 200 miles this year including completing a triathlon and a 15K. And it's Summer so I have plenty of time until the season kicks back in. It's going to be fine :).

I'm also staying focused on what I can do for now. I found this really cool article on coolrunning.com (here) which recommends: antigravity running, steep uphill walking, pool running, elliptical training and cycling. Since I don't have access to an antigravity machine (Cool Running writing team - you may have wanted to just leave that part in for the version of the article that went to NASA - just saying) that gives me 4 great options! I have found a great swim coach and partner (thank you Kathleen!) and I'm getting out on the bike on a more regular basis now.

It has made all the difference in the world to play my ipod while I ride (in just one ear - I know I need to be able to hear traffic mum) and I'm gradually getting faster. I have a favorite 12 mile route that's really pretty and I always seem to see something interesting while I'm out. Just today I saw my favorite sandhill cranes hanging out...

And you can be a really nosy neighbor too - look what happened to their car - blimey!

Running is so goal-oriented and I'm always thinking about how far and how fast. I'm going to set a biking goal to keep it interesting for me. My first goal is to complete 15 miles in under an hour. I know that's still very slow but it will be a big accomplishment for me. Wish me luck!

Mike's third triathlon!

We set off at about 5:15a.m. yesterday to get to Crystal River for the first in their annual series of triathlons this year. Mike did one at Crystal River last year and really enjoyed it. Each year they host three triathons - all on Holiday weekends - Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. The distances are: 0.25m swim, 15m bike and 3m run. The swim is in the Gulf of Mexico and they have a 350 athlete maximum which keeps the numbers fairly manageable.

Since the bike distance is longer than for a lot of tris, there are some really serious bikers at this event. Mike is still riding a mountain bike until he decides whether or not he wants to upgrade - it's a significant investment but does give you a massive edge for events like this. There were some very expensive bikes there...

Here's Mike in the transision area with his mountain bike trying not to feel intimidated...:)

Maddy was very proud of her Daddy...

Looking good Mikey boy!

The swim looks very intimidating from the beach. They have to swim all the way around those orange and yellow buoys in the distance...

Mike managed to lose his wedding ring during the swim :(. This is the third ring that he's lost in the Gulf of Mexico now. At what point do you think - you know what, I'm going to take my ring off today since I'm going to the beach, Mike?:) Anyway, at least he had a smile for us when he came out of the water...

After a tricky transition he took off on his bike...

It's a really great venue and well-organized for both athletes and spectators. While Mike was out on the bike, Maddy and I spent some time on the beach hanging out and and waiting on the road to cheer him in...

We were happy to see that he was still smiling as he went out for the run (by now it was over 80 degrees and we were uncomfortable just sitting still and watching)...

And he's back and all done!

Congratulations Mike - we are so proud of you!!!