Rebellin

Ten years ago I…

1. Was 23
2. Was living in Berkeley, Michigan (Detroit suburb) and dating casually
3. Was working for General Motors
4. Was attending grad school at Wayne State University
5. Had a cat named Gato

5 things on today’s to-do list . . .

1. Strength training workout
2. Get Little Miss’s “Well Child” form signed by her doctor
3. Harrass my IT Help Desk about fixing my computer (the dinosaur is killing me)
4. Determine if I’m doing a date night babysitting swap with my sister in law
5. Make dinner (chicken breast wrapped around asparagus and cheese

5 snacks I enjoy . . .

1. Almonds
2. Apples
3. Protein bar/protein shake
4. Yogurt
5. String cheese
6. CHOCOLATE

5 things I would do if I were a millionnaire . . .

1. Quit my job so that I could spend more time with Little Miss
2. Start my own business of a pool in South Reno
3. Volunteer
4. Buy my parents and in-laws houses nearby
5. Buy a sports car (still miss my Trans Am)
6. Travel the world with my family

5 places I have lived . . .

1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Las Cruces, NM
3. Fremont, CA
4. Southeast MI (Southgate and Berkeley)
5. Reno, NV

5 jobs I have had . . .

1. Swim instructor/Swim Coach
2. Lifeguard/Lifeguard supervisor
3. District Sales Manager
4. Internet Marketing Manager/Director
5. Program Manager

Inspired by Krisalis.

OK, I finally have time to write about my first 10K.  I know for many people, a 10K is child’s play (like my brother, sister in law and hubby).  For me, though, it was a big accomplishment.  I started running for fitness at about 19, where I would repeatedly run 2 miles at a time (not including my record setting 2 week track career in high school, ended early by shin splints). 

I have done many 5K runs, which always seemed like a REALLY long run for me, and I remember going out before the race to run 3 miles, to make sure I could actually complete the race.  Last Fall, I began trail running, which reinvigorated my running, and I found I was able to start increasing my mileage, gradually.  I set my New Year’s Resolution this year (yes, I had just ONE) to run a 10K by the end of the year.  In the winter, I was plagued by colds or aching joints, etc., but this Fall, I’ve been able to break through those issues to do my first 10K.  It was a big mental barrier for me, as I never believed I was built for running, or that I could run much farther than 3 miles, much less double that.

The race was early Sunday morning.  I had been having asthma issues when I ran the prior week, so I doped myself up with Singulair and multiple hits to my inhaler.  JB went with me, and we met up with a friend of mine who was visiting from Colorado.  I kept telling my friend that I run slow, and to not feel like she needed to stay with me, but we both got into chatting, and she stayed with me for 3 miles.  During those 3 miles, I was definitely pushing at a faster pace than I would have without her, and she was running much slower than her normal pace.  Anyway, at 3 miles, she decided to break away, and I turned up the iPod and got into my normal running pace.

The race was sponsored by my company, with 50 of my co-workers volunteering, so every mile or so, there would be a rest station with a bunch of my co-workers cheering, which I think made me push harder, as you don’t want to look like you’re hurting in front of your co-workers! 

The race was at Damonte High School, which backs up to the Virginia Mountains, where wild horses frequently graze.  They made an announcement prior to the start that there could be wild horses on the course, and to watch out for horse dung.  And what do you know — I saw many piles of horse poop, but the majority were on the sidewalk…  I thought it funny that the horses have been using the sidewalks.

The race was rather uneventful.  I ran with inhaler in hand, but luckily didn’t have to hit on it.  As I came to the finish, I saw a 10 year old boy running beside me for the last 50 yards.  I looked over and said, “race ya”, and we sprinted into the finish.  Now I’m not much of a sprinter, so he was pulling ahead, but slowed down right before the finish line, where I then sprinted past and said, “shouldn’t have stopped”!  I’m sure he told his parents about the old lady that beat him.  I’m hoping the race photographer caught that, as I think it’d be a really funny picture.

So, I’m proud of breaking down my mental and physical barriers, but know that I’m still on the beginner end of the spectrum of running.  My average pace was 10:45 per mile, and the woman that won my age group, well she was doing 5:45 per mile.  But hey, it felt good, and I have two more 10Ks planned before the end of the year, with the goal to break an hour, shaving at least 6 minutes off my time.

I’ve been toying with the idea of a half marathon in my future.  I’ll keep you posted with that!

My shiny new computer that I got last month died.  Now I’m back on the machine I call “The Beast”, and I’ve been watching it clock all day long.

But the good news is that I finished the 10K!  More on that later…  Must try to get work done on this dinosaur of a computer…

My, how the time flies.  We spent Friday through Sunday in Palo Alto, CA visiting JB’s parents.  It was a nice, relaxing weekend with perfect weather and fun outings.  I have pictures to post later from our visit to the Palo Alto Zoo and a local pumpkin patch. 

I’m ramping up for my first 10K run on Sunday.  Unfortunately, the combination of allergies and running has been triggering my asthma lately, so I may have to run with my inhaler in hand!  It’s frustrating to have my heart rate pretty low, but not to be able to catch my breath!

This afternoon, I’m headed to Squaw Valley to do the ropes course with co-workers.  Should be a blast!

More later!

Happy Anniversary, JB.  We were married four years ago today, and it is amazing how much we have accomplished in that time.  I look forward to celebrating many more years with you!

*smooch*

(I wanted to post a wedding pic, but those are on my other computer…)