The Winter Runner

I don't do New Year's Resolution. It doesn't work for me and I don't operate that way. But one thing I'm sure about me is that - when I decide on something... I do it.

This year I want to run as many races as I can. Last year, I didn't start running until winter is over. Now that it is winter and winter this year feels like spring, I have more opportunity to run outdoors. The only problem is that - I work 12 hours a day. So the only time I can run is on weekends.

I have never thought that winter running is fun. The internet is a great resource to feed you with all the information you need to gear yourself up for winter running. So I take every opportunity and resource there is to train. After my first race for this year at Scarborough, I signed up for 3 more races. One for February and two for March. What am I thinking? Oh well, it is a good motivation for me to get my bum out and run.

So, armed with petroleum jelly slather sparingly on my face, a dab of Burt's Bees lip balm, a warm fleece head band or hat, a pair of comfy mittens, another pair of thick wool socks and an appropriate winter running outfit... I'm good to go until the next snow storm falls.

Pre-5K Blues

It's 3 days to my next 5k. It has been raining since Sunday afternoon and I have not ran since Friday. I planned to run on the trail where we camp but Hubby and I were busy gold panning down the river for 2 days. Hay.

We have been camping up the mountain all weekends this summer. And I had to admit I am enjoying it not because I love it but because it is the only time I bond with Hubby. He is always busy at work and the only time we have for ourselves is the weekend.

So when I am not helping him sorting rocks out in the sluice or preparing our meal or chasing butterflies... I am running on the trail. So on the weekends, my running track is anything that is accessible by foot...

 

and it is marked so I know how far I already ran.

And guess what... I sometimes get the opportunity to meet deer and moose on the track too. How cool is that? Too bad I don't bring my camera when I run so no pictures. Hayyy.

 And yes, I ran on my aqua shoes too. hahaha

Well, I have only 3 more days to train and worse come to worse. I will just walk all the way to the finish line. hehehe

Everybody's a Winner

It was huge. It was spectacular. It was epic. That is how I describe the 14th TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race held at Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

I car pooled with another volunteer I met during the Volunteer Appreciation Party last Tuesday. We left Standish early to avoid traffic. We reached Fort William around 6:30am and the parking lots were already piling up with cars. Well, we don't expect to see a lot of people there because the race will start 10 kilometers away from the Portland Head Light. This is where the Finish Line is. So the huge crown was somewhere in Cape Elizabeth near Crescent Beach State Park on Route 77 where the race starts.

I volunteered for the Water Finish. It may seem an easy job but boy, the task did give my "biceps" a hardcore work out. We laid out 6000+ water bottles. Transferring boxes after boxes of those water bottles from the delivery truck to the tables was like doing hundreds of repetitions of biceps curl with 30-pound dumbbells.

Volunteering has it's perks and benefits. We have free t-shirts. Yey.

 Excellent spot to greet and meet the runners.

 Easy access to the porta-potties. hahaha

 And yes, a great vista of the famous landmark - the Portland Head Light.

Needless to say, the event is a 'runner's dream race', if you live in Maine. It is an important race if runners from 49 states participated in.I believe it is a very significant event when there are 6000 plus runners who signed up.

 [Photo Credit: TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race]

And it is indeed a highly-recognized event  if there are 11 countries represented in the event.

At the end of the race, we did recognize and acknowledge the winners - the oldest at 86...

the "wheel-chair bound" athletes,

the Elite runners,
the resident runners,

the just-for-fun runners,

the families,

 the supporters,

 the spectators...

 and of course, the volunteers.

At the end of the race - everybody's tired...

and yes, - everybody's a winner too!

If you can't join them... volunteer!

Right after I crossed the finish line during my very first 5k, I vowed that I will join another race. Yeah, right!

So I went straight home and searched the internet for another race. And there it was... the most prestigious race in all of Maine - the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race. Seriously!

Okay, I may be too overwhelmed. Really! Crazy is more like it. But yeah. I signed up for it. It was a lottery so I was hopeful that I will win. Good thing I didn't! hahaha it was only after two days that I realized that running is not as easy as I imagined it to be. It takes a lot of practice, discipline and determination. And what I only got is just determination. hahaha

Anyway, I didn't get in so I was thinking there is another way to be a part of it. You see, this race is very significant and important to me because of several reasons.

1. It is prestigious. It will be covered by our local television network and it will mean I might be featured in TV. It doesn't matter if it said - One runner crawled all the way to the lighthouse.
2. The event is the biggest in all of Maine. Participants will sum up to about close to 7 thousand-ish. It means that spectators and supporters alike wouldn't even realize how slow I was because they would be too tired cheering and congratulating the first 6,999 finishers. LOL
3. The venue meant so much to me. The Portland Head Light is where I was married 4 years ago and I have never been there again since I said "I do". I want to visit it again in full sweat. LMAO

But, yes... none of those things I mentioned above will gonna happen because I didn't get it. So where did the "determination" part go? I volunteered!

Yes, I am part of the race... not a runner but a volunteer. This is my first time to volunteer so I am excited and nervous at the same time. And yesterday... I attended our Volunteer Appreciation Day and met some of the volunteers. Yes, I partied last night. There were lots of food, drink and music. It was an awesome event.

The race will be on Saturday, the 6th of August and I will be right there in the finish line handing cold water bottles to finishers. And yes... I will be there at the Portland Head Light - in full sweat.

 

 [That's the Portland Head Light from the distant. That's where the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race will end. This was taken where we were having the Volunteer Party.]

Pre-5k Itch

Ok, I am scheduled to run again tomorrow and I don't know if I will survive it. LOL. The other day, instead of running I decided to go for ice cream with my step-son. I had strawberry cheesecake. Yum. Then we headed down the beach on our way home and cool off a bit.

Well, we are battling "heat wave" here so I'm hoping that it will not be too hot and humid tomorrow. Yesterday, I went for my regular 3-mile run and boy, I thought I would die right there on the road. It was so hot and the breeze was like the air coming out from the dryer's vent.

I should have went down the river instead. But I know it will not cool me off either. The entire planet felt like a huge outdoor sauna. It was indeed not the smartest decision I made yesterday. So now I just stayed home the whole day drinking gallons of ice-cold water and planning to carbo-load a little later. Thinking of Chinese again. hayyyy

Tomorrow will be my 3rd 5k race and just like the first two, I have no expectations. I just want to run and have fun. I will not look for anybody unassuming to run with to spare myself from the humiliation. I still not over the last experience I had with that awesome old lady during my 2nd 5k in Gray last May. This time, I will be running with Heather, my step-daughter. I am just so glad that finally I will run with somebody I know and will not feel so alone.

And tomorrow... after the race - Heather and I are planning to go shopping for - yes, SHOES!

What a record!

I just came back from my regular or rather, irregular run since I wasn't able to really run the way I actually planned. I ran or shall I say jogged [that's more it seemed it was really to those who might have been spying on me] 6 times around the oval track encircling the Bonny Eagle High School Football field plus 2 rounds for the warm-up and cool-down.

Yes, I went around the track 6 times without stopping! Whew, it's a record. I usually jog and walk alternately around it because I was tired after one whole lap around it. So that is indeed a record.

One week passed after I did my 2nd 5K. I am now ready to start training again for the next race scheduled on the 23rd of July. I just wish that the weather will cooperate.

Sneakers-Free Feet

I have not worn my running shoes for awhile now. So I decided to give myself a pedicure.

I still have not tried running again, just yet. Though my knees are healing pretty good, I am still a bit reluctant to mess my knee up again.

Well, I blame no one but myself for the pain that I have to endure now. I did not use my common sense. I should have done my homework first before I run. It was right after I did my first 5K that I learned that I should have taken the C25K course to prepare myself for the big event.

Well, I have something to blame for my stup*dity - excitement, that is. I was too excited to run so I just used what was available to me... the treadmill. Apparently, it is a No-No for runners, so I was told. According to the gym trainer the moving belt can have a bad impact on the joint when the foot lands on it. In my case, I think I twisted my knee one time. Then the constant pounding made it worse.

Oh well, that's one lesson learned. I just enjoy my French Tipped toes for a while then.

Warm Up

Okay, this is it. This is the BIG DAY! It's about 7:30 am right now and as of this writing, the volunteers are probably busy in their different tasks assignment. The event will start at 9AM.

I already had light breakfast and just waiting if I need another trip to the bathroom before I drive to the venue. I need to get a good parking spot so I will not get stuck in the traffic after the run. But then, probably not since I would probably be the last one to cross the finish line and that means, most of the finishers have left already before I get there. So the traffic will already be light. hahaha.

I am nervous, I am scared and I am excited. This is my very first RUN and everything depends on it - my enthusiasm, my goal, my passion.

Wish me luck.

Rest Day

Tomorrow is the big day. I am already nervous and scared.

I chatted with my brother last night who runs marathons back home. I asked him if I should work-out today in preparation for the big day. He said that I should just relax today, take a break and load on carbo so I will have the energy that I need for the big day.

And so I did. I just called my friend Medy and asked if she was busy or something. Today, I just hanged out with her, brought the house down with our out-of-tune videoke singing, prepared and ate home-cooked meals without counting calories and went shopping.

Yes, today I went out shopping. Hey... my brother told me to relax, didn't he? And shopping relaxes me. wink*

Now... I am ready to - run!