One Good, One Bad

Here's the race reports that I had ready before Boston happened:


The first run was the 10 mi run at Clear  Springs Recreation Area in Mississippi.

 Lets just say this run was less than stellar.  I felt great, had plenty of energy could have had a great time, BUT when I'd get to my comfortable pace my stomach would say enough and I'd have to "pull over."  I was adding more nutrients to the soil then I'm sure it needed.  Not fun! What makes me so dang mad is I felt great, at least if you feel bad and you are sick you understand why.  I think it was the ham we had the night before and that it was a sugar cured ham.  Cane sugar and I are not friends!  A little bit goes a long way with me.  It was absolutely gorgeous out there.  Hill after hill, actual rocks, and soft pine to run on.  Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful run!  The weather held, it was hot and humid though (72 and 90% humidity).  I felt so good after the 10 mi we even took our bikes out after.  I did not fall off the bike so I met my goal, LOL!!!  My time was terrible for this race due to my "issues" and the pine cones suffered dearly (how come when you need something, there is nothing but the worst possible thing, not even a few pine needles around?), but it was what I needed.  I needed to get out to get away from Baton Rouge, to remember what the woods were like.  To remember what hills are and to just enjoy life no matter how bad my stomach was behaving.  This run was suppose to be a training run for the Pensacola 1/2 marathon and it scared me.  If this is what I'll run like there, oh, man...  I'm in for a long day.

Dad and I in front of Flounders.  

On to Pensacola!  The Pensacola 1/2 is the first 1/2 marathon I ever did.  It was amazing, I went in wanting to go under 2:30, but finished in 2:52 that first year.  The second year I went with my amazing husband and friend and I was sidelined due to a head-on collision just weeks before.  Last year was a 2:42, not my best, but I had been training in wonderful weather (50 degrees 40% humidity).  Mother Nature was not cooperating on race day last year!  It was 75 at race start with 80% humidity.  I was hurting so dang bad, particularly when the wind was not blowing on us.  This year 55 at race start, 50% humidity.  Perfect!!!  It was amazing!  I went out wanting to run for fun, who cares what the pace is, I'm back, this is my first road 1/2 since the stress fracture no need to push it.  Apparently that is the attitude I needed.  I danced with the aid station people, stopped and let the little kids hose me off and just lolly-gagged around.  Mile 6.2 my Nike App came over with the split and I was in shock, no really repeat that...  You mean I'm on PR pace?  That was the last I thought about time.  I just enjoyed myself and cheered those I was passing on.  Mile 11-12 was rough it was getting a little warm, the wind was blocked by the houses, and my stomach also started arguing.  I slowed down to let the stomach settle and pulled out for the last 2/3 mi of the race.  Finish time:  2:28:13!!!!  PR BABY!!!  My previous official PR was 2:38:29, unofficial PR was 2:31:21.  I was so dang happy!!!!  I looked around for my husband and my dad, nowhere to be seen.  Apparently they had went to Fort Pickens and had not made it back yet.  They had misjudged that last 10k and thought I would be slower (ha!).  Still it was nice having dad there!  After a quick stretch I had my Pensacola Ice Bath (jumped in the Bay which was freezing!) and we enjoyed the rest of our day.  I can't believe I PR'd!  My training has been less than stellar and my long runs have not been that great.  Apparently slacking sometimes pays off, not that I can say I'm a slacker, between all of my runs and my job and everything else, I don't have the time to slack!

At dinner with dad and my husband.

As for TTC, we took last month off.  I have the whole "my child will not have a holiday birthday" rule.  Also, we were suppose to stay abstinent for the entire month for the Creighton Method learning period.  I'm suppose to understand my mucus cycle before we taint it with the male component.  Now that my new cycle is starting we are set to go, LOL!  I will say it was nice not worrying about so much last month.  I still temped, and used the OvaCue along with the Creighton Method, but there was no pressure to get my husband in bed.  I knew I wasn't pregnant so no worrying about any of the spotting, just him and I being ourselves.  It was nice to remember what it was like to feel carefree.  I need to do it more often, that is for sure.  I'm going to try, right now I just need to make it through my stupid cramps.  I got terrible cramps as a teen, but then they slowly stopped until last month when they came back with a vengeance!!!  For now I'm going to curl up in a ball and lay here.  Saturday morning I am running a 5k come hell or high water!  It is for a coworker who lost her young son to a heart defect last summer.  He was playing football one minute and dead the next.  Such a terrible thing.  I can handle a few cramps, it pales in comparison to the pain she feels.