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are honeysuckles really that sweet? I don't think so!
April 1-27, 2011
My loyal followers (yes, only 6, but everyone started with 0, right?!) know that I have asthma. Yep, my whole life and it sucks. Before I moved to Arizona, I usually spent most of March and April in an oxygen tent. During my senior year in high school, I missed 3 straight weeks in April and almost did not graduate because my Calculus teacher thought I was skippin'. We no longer talk...
even at home, my mother wore her nurse's uniform
Fast forward to 2000 and my delusional idea to move to AZ for relief from breathing problems. Instead of using current medical information found on that new-fangled thing called the Internet, I relied on the encyclopedia and discovered that the desert southwest was perfect for allergy and asthma sufferers. So I sold my junk at a few garage sales, packed up the rest of the stuff in my tiny Acura and drove west.
The first 5 years were pretty good and I was rarely sick other than mornings after the pub crawls. Then I started teaching, got pink eye (excuse me, conjunctivitis) every February, and put my pharmacist back on speed dial in March and April. 2006, sick; 2007, sicker; 2008, very sick; 2009, medical leave.
Last spring was better! I had spent 10 months away from work, trained for hiking and running challenges, vacationed in Hawaii, took daily naps, you know, living the good life!! I also spent a good amount of time inside the gym, running on the treadmill, and skipped races from March-May.
I ran races in June-August, returned to full-time work in early August, saw my doctor on schedule and kept running steadily again in late September. Thought I would be fine this Spring.
I struggled this month. I smelled every honeysuckle and rhododendron bush I passed. Other people relish the smell of fresh cut grass, but my bronchial tubes contracted a little tighter. Jeff's biggest dilemma was whether to wear the support hose in black or white. I wondered if I should leave the extra GU to bring an epi pen instead. I really like exercising outside but I may have to take it inside next time. Unless McGeyer invents a lightweight, portable Nebulizer!
Jeff and I were out there 3-4 times a week + 2 hikes and logged about 60 miles in April. That's nothing to sneeze at.... ;)
I know it is technically LSR (long slow run) but I like the title acronym!
It is my day off for Good Friday and I woke up slightly later than normal to go for a training run. Yeah, I am that dedicated! Ironically Jeff wanted to meet at 6:30 A.M. and I asked him to meet at 6. Crazy, right?! Amazingly enough, it was strategic. I knew how long we would be on the road so I wanted the least amount of sun beating down on me as possible. Yes, in Phoenix, 30 minutes can make a difference!
I got to his house, late as usual, and after a silly debate about wearing a hat or sunglasses, we took off at 6:15. Jeff has an interesting, staggered marathon training plan so he wanted to run 8 miles this morning (normally Saturday). I said 6 miles was the max for me with my April asthma and plantar fasciitis issues. The pace for these runs is supposed to be 10:30-11:00 and I needed that pace. Sometimes I run faster than this pace but lately I have struggled with a faster pace even with short runs.
We headed north to the canal and encountered few people as we ran west on the canal. The traffic picked up around 32nd Street and I welcomed any chance to stop for a brief moment. We reached the 3-mile mark just west of 24th Street and we stopped for chit chat, a GU gel and water. At this point, I planned to walk another 0.25-0.5 mile, then walk back same section before running the 3 miles back to Jeff's house. Jeff thought we would not meet up again so we said, "Hasta luego." It felt weird to walk when my legs felt good but I knew I had to go back 3.5 miles. So I just enjoyed the calm of the morning while walking. Then I turned around and started slowly running again at mile 4. I figured out pace-wise that Jeff would catch up to me if I ran a little slower, I was approximately 4 minutes ahead of him when I started running again.
I was right! Jeff caught up to me at mile 4.5. He obviously had been running longer and needed to walk and catch his breath briefly around mile 5. I did not mind because I am a terrific running partner! Jeff, however, caught his breath and then his ego took over!! We crossed back over 32nd Street and the pace picked up, getting closer and closer to 10:00. Granted, we were running downhill but definitely off the 10:30 mark! Jeff asked if I wanted to run faster during the last mile and I said, "GAMF!" He went ahead and I wanted to stay steady and avoid lung ejection syndrome. I finished 7 miles in 1:23:34, 2 minutes after Jeff and his 8 miles. I felt good about this run. The last time I ran that distance or more was 2/12, the day p.f. came to visit and overstayed its welcome! I still need R.I.C.E. but feel really good about my summer running. :D
Asthma, you are on notice: be gone by 5/1 or else!
6th race in 2011: 4/16/2011, 4.2 miles, Tempe, AZ.[half way to my 2011 goal if anyone is paying attention!]
Man, that shower was awesome! :D Ok, let's backup 5 hours....
A beautiful day for a race and remembering a hero! My first time running Pat's Run!! Geyer picked up at 5:30 A.M., we drove to the rail station, hopped on the light rail after a brief wait, and mocked runners and families alike along the way. Shortly after arriving at the start area, a woman tried to subtly flirt / stalk talk with Jeff. She was trying to find the race bib pickup area and I guess she thought we would know since we were wearing one. Great job coming prepared...that will win races! I am sure she beat both of us but I doubt it!!
Jeff and I started in corral 5 so we took off about 7 minutes after the official 7:00 A.M. start. We stayed together for maybe the first minute, then he weaseled through a rare opening in the densely packed course and I lost sight of him after another 5 minutes of running. My plan was to run slower but steady, being careful with my foot and lungs. Jeff told me about the first hill at Curry so I was prepared though my quads ached more in that section than I expected. He forgot about the hill on Rural at mile 3 and that almost did me in! I told myself to keep running though my lungs were tight. The climb into the stadium was initially daunting but I knew that I was close and inspired by the moment. I finished the 4.2 mile course in 41:08, 52 seconds faster than my goal...YAY! Then I found Jeff who had finished 3 minutes earlier, setting a new PR for this race. We found bananas, oranges, Powerade, water and chillaxed in the stadium, watched other people finish their race. People kept running in and running in and running in...the sea of people did not stop! Inspiration all around.
So, yeah the shower felt great when I got home. A great day for a morning race! Pretty soon we will get to the races that start at 6:30 A.M. Yikes it is getting hot!
Now I am due for a nap. Do you think I could get a job as an air traffic controller too? Jeez! :D
A few more training runs since the ARR South Mountain Classic, trying to be careful with this plantar-faking L foot and get rid of my smoker's congestion at the same time. In April, I ran on 4/1, 4/2, 4/4, 4/6, skipped a week, ran this morning, and have 1 more run on Friday morning Thursday evening. Other than running 5 miles on 4/2 (earlier post), the other runs have been 3.1-3.3 miles between 10.37-13.33 average pace. The pain comes and goes but it is there every day. I feel like I cannot ice my foot enough during the day and sometimes I only ice it at night. Last Sunday, I worked almost all day doing the latte grind + a special event so my foot was screaming that night. Dr. H. told me to come back before the end of the week to get another steroid shot since he knew I was determined to run the next race. I went back to see Dr. H. this afternoon, flirted a bit, got the shot, and now the foot is numb until midnight. I also bought the suggested arch support inserts but forgot to put them in my shoes for the run this morning. I am curious to see if they make a difference. Check out the picture below. I am still learning the language but they look comfortable!
Only a few days left until I race in Pat's Run for the 1st time. I am excited and amazingly enough, not nervous like I usually am before a race. The race is 4.2 miles and I expect to run the entire time. I have had some bronchial congestion and tightness. Thankfully my legs have felt great so I am running on that positive note! I am carpooling with Geyer to the light rail (only $3.50 all day), riding the rail into Tempe, and walking a short distance to the start line.
Jeff is gunning to beat his time last year (38:33, 9.12 average pace, crazy fast!) and I wish him the best...gotta set goals and go for it. I, however, gloated lovingly told told Jeff that I am happy to set an automatic PR since I have never raced this distance. I would like to run a 10:00 pace but am little unsure with current bronchial challenges, the foot and the 30,000 amateurs people I am sharing the course with this Saturday morning. I just hope I can do better than the last 5K in 50:10! All in all, I expect a fun, local event for a good cause & may see a few friends too!
Ok, my foot is nothing like this, thank goodness it is only plantar fasciitis! ;)
So I went back to the doctor after 3 weeks of R.I.C.E., barely running, watching the entire season of Mad Men on Netflix, and tending to my garden (my peppers are growing and yours will get eaten by N so suck it Geyer!). Of course, per doctor instructions, I could have done cross training at the gym but I nixed that plan and decided to gain a few pounds. That will make the depressing news of no running easier to take, right?!
I arrive at the office, check in, pay the co-pay charge AGAIN and sit down to read the latest issue of Edible Phoenix while I wait for the doctor in an exam room. Ok, this is where they (conspiratorial physician vampires) suck you in. I waited almost no time for the 1st visit with the doc and waited 30 minutes for this follow-up visit. After 15 minutes, I told the receptionist that I had another appointment. She said, "The doctor is about 15 minutes behind schedule." Well, I am glad that someone can tell time. I thought I was too early! 'WTF is he getting here?' is all I want to know? Turns out someone has trouble telling time as Dr. H. saunters in after 30 minutes just as I am re-scheduling my next appointment.
Dr. H: How are you? How is the foot?
Me: Everything is great. My foot feels better than ever! Just thought I would read and relax in a cold, sterile room for the evening and say 'Hi'.
Dr. H: Appreciate the lies. Let's check out the foot.
Me: I walked the ARR race instead of winning it, my kids laughed unmercifully and my RP got twice as many miles as me that week. It still hurts alot and I am tired of the couch potato routine. Have you developed that magic pill yet?
Dr. H: Well, is the pain decreasing like running down 32nd Street after a hill run or is it up and down like the rolling hills of the South Mountain course?
Me: Listen, foot fetish man, pain is pain is pain and I have pain every day. Can you just give me that shot again so I can beat Jake Plummer during Pat's Run this Saturday? I think I have a shot at it...get it?...hahahaha!
Dr. H: Your foot feels fine but you can drop in (we know what that means without a scheduled appointment) on Friday.
Me: Great! See you Friday. Gotta go...off to get a bikini wax...now that is pain I will pay for any time!!
Stay tuned...shot is coming, I promise! 
:D
Keeping me waiting for 30 minutes = cleaning up this nasty nail for FREE, right?! ;)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
I ran with Jeff and Norman (crazy funny chocolate Lab) this morning...again! ;)
I hiked on Wednesday afternoon and ran on Friday morning so I was nervous about my foot. We often run long on Saturday but I had to walk during ARR South Mountain Classic 5K last Saturday. In addition, I typically have serious allergy/asthma problems in March and April. Our goal for this "long" run was 100 5 miles. We started at 7:45 A.M. (late for us), already H-O-T! We walked for about 0.5 mile and also walked about 0.25 mile at the 2.5 mile turnaround. Lots of cyclists, runners and walkers on the canal...not used to sharing space, but we survived. Jeff ran faster during the last mile and I remained slow and steady...again. I finished 5.05 miles in 58 minutes for a slow 11:34 average pace. I finished the last section at 9:28, had negative splits other than the brief walk at halfway mark and felt good about my legs and the mileage. But I knew my L foot would need ice throughout the day...again...boring! :s
5th race in 2011: 3/26/2011, AZ Road Racers South Mountain Classic 5K, Phoenix, AZ.
Well, I had planned to run the 20K; I even signed up before Geyer! Shortly after I signed up, I arranged for Saturday bus transportation for the LCK Cross Country team and asked another teacher to chaperone the students running the 5K while I was running the 20K race. The kids filled out their paperwork and they were officially registered for the FREE race. But the bum foot changed everything for me! See previous post when Dr. H. trampled all over my dream to finish in 1:30!!
So instead, on this beautiful, perfectly cool Saturday morning, five (5) students and I met early at the school and took off in the bus at 6:45 A.M. We arrived with plenty of time before the start. I ran the Lincoln YMCA Half Marathon last October so I was familiar with the layout and the parking was plentiful. I had talked with Jeff around 6:30 so I hoped to see him before the 20K started at 7:30. James parked the bus, we walked to the registration area to pick up our race bibs and Melissa (teacher), James (bus driver) and I attached race bibs to front of shirts and looped timing chips through shoelaces. I kept looking for Jeff -- no luck yet and it was almost 7:30. The kids needed a potty break and then we ran into each other. He looked excited, full of Bieber-fever and I was teary-eyed inside. :( Anyway, the 20K started and Jeff took off. James took a few pictures and then shot a quick, candid, hilarious video of the team before 5K started.
We took off along this open course with a gradual incline until the turnaround. As usual, the students sprinted out of the gate and I was advised to walk. It was strange to walk at the back of the pack. Luckily my foot did well and I had my music player to keep me moving! I was able to walk at a decent clip and passed a few people...that felt good. As I headed up the last hill before the turnaround, Christopher passed me coming down the hill and he looked great, a nice pace. Melissa passed me shortly after, followed by Frank and Carlos. Carlos had shoelace troubles, otherwise he would have been closer to Chris. Now I was just waiting to meet the last 2 students, the extremely social girls on the team! I saw them at the top of the hill, they were winded and rejoiced at walking with me for the second half. At one point, they told me, "You walk too fast!" Hilarious!! We got to the last stretch, with maybe 0.1 mile to the finish line, and I was itching to run. Our teammates were waiting on the sidelines and I encouraged the girls to run it in. I finished in 50 minutes, 19 out of 20 in my age group, definitely my worst race though injured, but 1 second faster than the 12yo on our team! Then we enjoyed the FREE snacks (including oreos and soda at a race...WTF?) and also watched other people finish their race. I ran into Derek, a really fast runner/hiker, after he finished the 20K in 1:37...ridiculous!
We ate while we waited for race results to be posted. Christopher finished in 29:27, Melissa 34:23, Frank 39:10, Carlos 39:40, and the girls with me. Christopher finished 7 minutes faster than the February race...such a gifted runner and only in 6th grade! Despite the injury, a fun day. :D
Monday, March 21, 2011
How do you like that title? Just wanted to get the conversation started...right?!
I finally got the referral to see the foot specialist. Gotta dislike HMOs and jumping through a wasteland of hoops! During the afternoon of my professional development meeting at school, sans students, I snuck out for an appointment. Luckily the doc office was close, so I dashed over to Phoenix Foot & Ankle Associates at 17th Street and Thomas. I completed the new patient paperwork, paid the co-pay charge, and waited a reasonably short time for a doctor visit. Dr. Timothy Harlan, DPM/MS/FACFAS, strolled in after my brief intake with a male PA. Harlan checked out my feet (we know he has a foot fetish!), noticed the swelling, and based on my description of the last 5 weeks, dubbed it...plantar fasciitis. Ya think?! I doubted my running partner, my PCP, online literature. But as soon as Dr. H. said the words, I am hooked! Super nice guy, witty (almost as witty as JG). They took an x-ray of my L foot, thankfully no stress fracture. He recommended that I purchase arch support inserts for my running shoes. Then we got to the bad news.
Dr. H: STOP RUNNING!
Me: But I have a major race in 5 days!! (insert pleading sounds)
Dr. H: You can stop running until your foot heals or risk more damage.
Me: Well, can I at least run the 5K?
Dr. H: Man, I love runners, now we get to the compromise. (I am NOT laughing!)
Me: But I am taking runners from my Cross Country team. What if I just walk the course? (new tactic)
Dr. H: If you stay off your feet for the rest of week, you probably can walk the race. Be prepared to stop.
Me: (internal thoughts) Whew, crisis averted, money well spent. And yeah right, like I would stop and turn around once I started a race!
The other free parts of the 'prescription' are continued R.I.C.E. Then Dr. H. gave me a steroid shot in the bottom of my foot to bring down the inflammation and told me that the area would feel numb for 6 hours. I think I need a codeine scrip to make the woozy feeling complete! I asked if I needed to schedule a follow-up visit in a month or so just to check in since I surely would be cured. At one point during the interview, he said that he would not be in business without runners and I confirmed the addiction...hahahaha! :s See ya in 3 weeks, doc!
I DO NOT LIKE INJURIES!!
Friday, March 18, 2011
I went out this morning with Jeff, my running partner. I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis for nearly 5 weeks and Jeff had bronchitis the week before...we need serious healing. We usually run long on Saturday and we both had signed up for the ARR South Mountain Classic 20K on 3/26. I had an appointment with a foot specialist on 3/21 and remained hopeful for miracle respite. We started off walking and also walked a bit at the 2.5 mile turnaround. Jeff wanted to run faster some time around mile 3.5 and I knew I needed to remain slow and steady. He turned it on for a strong finish! I finished 5.07 miles in 53 minutes for 10:37 average pace. I finished the last mile at 9:28, had negative splits other than the brief walk at halfway mark and felt good about the mileage. But I knew my L foot would need ice and pills throughout the day. I had hoped to insert a table from my new Garmin but I am inept, need additional tutorial from Geyer! I figured it out!! (4/13/2011 update)
The weather in Phoenix in March is perfect for morning runs and my body felt good other than the foot. More on the doctor visits to come...
February 20-March 16, 2011
Soon after starting my running adventure with Geyer (& I mean 3 minutes into that November 4th run!), Jeff starts pushing me to buy a Garmin. He says, "All the cool kids are using them" and "You know you want one." I started to wonder what kind of pusher leader he was at work!
Words like cadence, laps, splits, virtual partner, GPS were tossed around like common vernacular and I knew I had found another person like me...OC data driven! I appreciated the information regarding pace during the run and mileage information after the run but I liked the feel of running 'naked', just chatting occasionally with Geyer. And when I went on solo runs, I made note of the start and end times to track pace, and then only carried a music player to keep focused and stay motivated. It was kind of cool because I started to feel the pace more, checking in with Jeff when I thought the pace was too fast or slow for me.
Jeff mentioned the Garmin every week but I delayed the purchase as I had other financial goals until Spring. I even speculate that Geyer bailed on the RNR AZ so I would borrow his Garmin. Think about it: he didn't pay the race entry fee! Late February arrived and I felt good about buying the Garmin as I received my tax refund earlier than expected. I ordered the Forerunner 305 and expandable strap from Amazon (pretty sure that Jeff gets kickbacks!) and the packages were mailed to my pob at the beginning of March. Unfortunately, for a week, I forgot to go during regular pickup times and finally got everything on 3/10. Eureka!
I opened the packages with anticipation, then read parts of the manual and charged the unit. Ironically I was taking an injury timeout so the Garmin was unneeded for the first week.
I used it on 3/16 for a short run with Geyer and Norman (the pupster) and I could see the fun with all that data! I am simply a 'Start' and 'Stop' kind of gal but I probably will try a few other features soon. Jeff, thanks for the mini-lesson.
Happy running, everyone! :D 
It packs a power punch!
Tuesday, March 15-Friday, March 18, 2011
I like to hike though it ranks 3rd behind running and tennis as my favorite outdoor physical activities. When I was training for the Phoenix Summit Challenge in 2009, I hiked almost every day when I was in town; I was away for 6 weeks between July-November. After PSC, I stopped hiking to train for the RNR AZ in January 2010 and GAR-Honolulu in February 2010. I returned to Phoenix in mid-February and started hiking again, 3-4 times a week. I kept running as well as I was training for a half marathon in June and hoped that the climbing would help with the hills during the race. Amazingly, hiking helped my running and running helped my hiking!
Fast forward to early August when I returned to work full time. Hiking hit the brakes as I had to start work at 7:00 A.M., I dislike hiking in the dark (mornings) and hiking in Phoenix in the afternoon during August and September is pure stupidity IMO. I hiked 2 times in August, 2 times during Fall Break in October, a few times during Winter Break in late December, MLK holiday in January, Presidents' Day holiday in February, and 3 times during Spring Break in mid-March. Anyone notice a pattern yet?!
During Spring Break 2011, I hiked at one of my favorite local mountains, Piestewa Peak FKA Squaw Peak in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. I like this spot because it is only 10 minutes from home, still relatively easy to park, the other morning hikers are incredibly caring and friendly, and the trek is often a quick up&down. I met Lisa and Sean (super fast!) on Tuesday morning and hiked solo on Wednesday and Friday morning. I was able to catch up with Barbara, Brad, Dan, David, Dennis, Derrick, Henry, Janet, John, John G., Kelly, Lisa, Mark, Murphy and Nick and Pam.
An extra hike with my mom, Bonnie, in late January...a nice surprise!
Monday, March 14, 2011
I LOVE Spring Break! A week away from work and it feels like I might catch up on a few outstanding projects.... Yeah right! Really just a chance to be lazy!!
I have wanted to plan a garden for years but never wanted to put in the work to get it done. I decided to stay in Phoenix for S. B. so it was time to 'Just Do It'! The weather is perfect in March and no one was visiting this year so I definitely had the time. Some time back in January, I asked Jeff a few questions about his garden from last year. He was very excited to talk about it and was planning to plant again the week of Spring Break. We even arranged to share the cost of the rototiller rental since he did not need it for the full time and we could take care of my plot as well.
I bought 3 bags of organic potting soil at Whole Foods over the weekend. But I had work to do! I was only using a portion of my backyard for my small garden plot, a little cut-out between the back of the garage and the south block wall. I have desert landscaping so the backyard was all rocks! I started around 10:00 A.M. with tunes and water. I made sure to start in the shaded section and shoveled rocks to another corner of the south wall for 2.5 hours. Man, my arms and back hurt at 1:00 when Geyer called to start the rototilling! There were still errant rocks in the corners and I knew I would try to hurt him if he told me those had to be moved too! We picked up the rototiller at his co-worker's house (did I mention that we got it for FREE?), stopped by Big Lots for more potting soil and headed to the Geyers. Jeff dragged all the bags to his backyard and we spread 4 bags over his plot. He started the rototiller and I picked up old plastic twist ties while I watched how he moved across the rows. We were at his house less than 45 minutes, I believe. We put the rototiller back in his truck and drove to my house. Then it was my turn to move some dirt! I was a little nervous after hauling rocks for hours. We spread the potting soil over the tiny plot and I got to diggin'. It was harder than I imagined and part of the problem was that we kept finding rocks and concrete pieces from the original build 8 years ago. I went over a few times and I think Geyer took pity on me and worked a few rows. Then Jeff had a great idea to use my compost pile and mix it into the freshly turned soil! Boy, did everything smell earthy after that!!
Jeff cleaned the rototiller, back into the truck it went and we returned the rototiller to his co-worker. Then we drove to Baker's Nursery. Just as I was determined to plant an organic garden, Jeff was determined to support a local nursery! I was hopeful that they would carry organic plants and seeds and they did! We looked around, Jeff went on and on and on about tomato plants, and I got to shopping. For starter plants, I bought 4 kinds of peppers (banana, green 'better belle', purple beauty, Thai hot), 3 zucchini squash, 2 tomato, and 1 each of basil, cucumber and parsley. For seeds, I bought carrot, celery, cilantro, green onions, lettuce (mixed greens), sugar snap peas and tomato. Jeff suggested that I let the plants settle in my house overnight, rake the fresh dirt (had to buy a rake at Home Depot!) to even it out and water it that night.
I hiked the next morning so I planted late morning. I read the seed packages, realized that I needed to soak the sugar snap peas overnight so those would have to be planted later, and placed seeds in the south end of the plot as they needed less sun and the starter plants could handle full sun in the north end. Check out the picture of the garden below (minus the sugar snap peas)!
I am so curious what the Purple Beauty Bell Pepper will look and taste like? Yummy for sure!
Next task...
sun shade!! :)
Training Run (SSD): Saturday, 3/5/2011
After the painful run during WITW 5K on 2/19, I rested for 4 days and ran 3 miles with Jeff on 2/24. My foot protested as well so I decided to rest it again. I really thought 9 days would be enough rest time!
In addition, I went to see my PCP earlier in the week. She confirmed that it was plantar fasciitis, told me to keep up the icing each day, gave me exercises to try as well as increased dosage of anti-inflammatory pills. I could get a referral after trying this "prescription" for a week. Since I had been struggling for almost a month, I was pretty sure I would be seeing a specialist within a few weeks.
Geyer had been struggling with bronchial issues so we were both out of commission. :(
This Saturday, I slept in so I ran solo after waking up and going through my morning routine. Unfortunately I goofed around a little too much and the sun kept rising. Finally I drove to the gym to run in the neighborhood. I started around 10:00 A.M. and it was pretty warm for early March. I hoped I had enough fuel for 3-4 miles. My left foot started to hurt about 1 mile into the run so I ran and walked the rest of the route.
I had a 20K race scheduled in 3 weeks and I started to get nervous. I knew my legs and lungs could handle the mileage but pain during a short, slow run does not miraculously disappear during a 12-mile run and walking it was unappealing. I WANT TO RUN! Arrrgggghhhh!! :s
4th race in 2011: 2/19/2011, Walk in the Wild 5K at Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ.
I found another race for the LCK Cross Country team. Though the ARR race was free, the transportation cost tapped out our measly budget. This time the kids had to pay for the race. The entry fee was only $10 for children and it included admission to the zoo after the race so a sweet deal! I arranged for parents to drop off the kids at the Zoo and asked another teacher to help chaperone the group. I signed up for this race even though my foot problem from the previous Saturday was worsening instead of improving. I ran/walked about 7.5 miles during the week but my foot hurt pretty good when running. :(
It was another chilly, dark morning to start a race, with the added threat of rain. Seven (7) students and I met in front of the rabbit's statue by the School Entrance, with plenty of time before the start. I had picked up the T-shirts and race bibs a couple of days before. That made it easier -- no waiting in line! So Elisa (parent), Melissa (teacher) and I attached race bibs to front of shirts. This race was untimed so no messing with timing chips. Elisa took a few pictures of the team and then we made our way to the start line. There were lots of parents and children at this race and we missed our chance to get closer to the front of the line.
We took off and the course was narrow at the beginning. The course included rolling hills around the zoo but the inclines were manageable in most spots. As usual the students stopped to walk often. I started out with the slower kids then ran ahead and caught up with Christopher and Denilson, the faster ones. When those 2 stopped to walk, I went back to run/walk with the second group and repeated this pattern several times. We had to run the first leg 2 times so that was a little boring for me. We loved running through the zoo, past the monkeys, lions, tiger, camels, giraffes and more! During the last leg, as we were coming around a turn, with maybe 0.25 miles to the finish line, I could hear and see the Finish Line Party so I encouraged Christopher and Denilson to run it in. We did but Denilson ran out of steam so Christopher and I crossed the finish line together, 7 minutes faster than his first race! Denilson crossed the line about a minute later. Then I ran back up the hill to meet the second group and run in with them. This second group is very social and was more interested in talking and walking than running. We indulged in the yummy fruit and snacks and also watched other people finish the race.
Only bad part: my foot hurt during the entire race so I knew I was going to have to take a break for at least a few days. :s Luckily no race planned for 5 weeks; I was hoping for a quick recovery....
We enjoyed the zoo for another hour and a half. Joshua took a camel ride for $5. Another fun day for all! Next race...ARR South Mountain Classic 5K in late March! :)
are honeysuckles really that sweet? I don't think so!
even at home, my mother wore her nurse's uniform
