A thirty-something running mama in Portland, OR, who finds sanity in lacing up her Nikes, enjoys the challenge that running and racing brings, but doesn't run very fast. I try to improve my speed with each race, and I share my efforts here.
Living and running in the moment
I'm not one who makes resolutions for the year, but when it comes to my running, I do set goals for myself. Last year, I started this blog as a way to keep myself accountable for my running, to keep on running, whether it's specifically for training or just for keeping fit and healthy, and my hope was that I'd be a stronger, faster runner in the end.
Goal accomplished. I ran in my third Hood to Coast and finished two half marathons, two 10ks, and a 12k. I PR'ed in both the half and the 10k (technically the 12k, too, as I'd never raced that distance before!), but more importantly, I ran with friends and had a blast in all the races. Aside from a few minor setbacks, I ran consistently throughout the year, and my long runs were at faster paces for longer distances than I'd ever done in my life. I think it's safe to say that, in terms of my running, I'm in the best physical fitness of my life.
For 2012, I hope to capitalize on my 2011 achievements. I have some lofty goals for the year, but the biggest one will probably have to be broken down into milestones: I hope to race a 10k under 50 mins. This will be huge for me! Every year I set one and only one goal - to run faster - but I've never put a number behind it. If/when I get to that 8-minute mark, I will be screaming (silently, if you know me) for joy! To get there will be a tough road, but I believe it's within reach. I'll need to throw longer tempo runs into my schedule, and I'd like to refocus on strenghtening my core. I've also decided to cut half marathons out of the mix this year and primarily enter 10k events, along with, perhaps, the occasional 15k "fun run."
Realistically, I won't get there in the next race. It may take me the whole year to get there, but if I can shave off even 5-10 seconds per mile each race, I'm in good shape. My next planned race is Bridge to Brews. Last year I PR'ed at 52:59, an average pace of 8:32. I thought I was going to burn up at the end, but in retrospect, I wasn't anywhere close to the pain cave. I ran strong the whole way while pushing myself to a pace that was nearly 30 seconds faster than my expectations! So I know it's possible, and this year, I'm hoping to have a repeat performance and maybe even shave a minute off overall.
Thankfully, I've got an amazing partner, who is continually running stronger and pushing me without even realizing it, backed by a fantastic running group, many of whom are some of my closest and dearest friends. And when I'm not running, I've got a drill-sergeant of a husband who is incredibly supportive of any crazy endeavor that I choose to chase down, even if it means I'm passed out from a hard run for the better part of a Saturday.
A thirty-something running mama in Portland, OR, who finds sanity in lacing up her Nikes, enjoys the challenge that running and racing brings, but doesn't run very fast. I try to improve my speed with each race, and I share my efforts here.
A thirty-something running mama in Portland, OR, who finds sanity in lacing up her Nikes, enjoys the challenge that running and racing brings, but doesn't run very fast. I try to improve my speed with each race, and I share my efforts here.
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