Loop the Lakes 5k

Pre-race:
It's a perfect 52° and sunny this morning. My feet are taped, my Aleve taken, and race packets picked up. This race is 2 loops around a lake, and its beautiful! I'm glad I got here at 7:30; by 8:15 it's a madhouse--- someone parked on the grass right in front of the pickup area! I'm sure the park officials will just looove that!

Another perk of getting here so early is the people watching. I've seen everything you can imagine. No one who looks professional, "I'll be done in 15 minutes" yet... Mostly the average moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, with a few kids too. Most of them are in long pants and long sleeves. I learned my lesson last year-- shorts! Dress as if it's 20° warmer. At the O'Hare 5k we were icicles while waiting in pants and gloves, and I was overheating by mile 2.

Post race:
Wow!!
First, one of those "few kids" was the top female. A 11 year old! Second female? Her 8 year old sister!!!!! I'll keep my eyes on the future Olympics. ;)

Second, I am VERY pleased with my 34:30. (Albeit 10 minutes slower than the 8 year old.) I haven't run since February. My feet HURT. I'm thrilled!

Honestly. Mile 1 was great. I felt great. Tape and Aleve holding up. :) By 1.5 my right [bad] foot was talking to me. A bit after mile 2 the lefty started talking. I had to walk more than I'd like between mile 2-3, but once I saw that finish line I was a full sprinter! :D

34:30 isn't my best, but its not my worst either. It was 11:12 min/mile pace, which if you've read past posts, it's faster than my 11:30 "go fast to go slow" training pace.

Next race is in two weeks, and I really, really, really, hope to be closer to 32-33 minutes. At the end of the upcoming race there's beer waiting for me. ;D

Less than 60 hours....

Until 2013 5k attempt #2! The weather is SO much better! We're expecting upper 40's/low 50's at race time. Perfect! OTOH, my body is so much worse. :( Plantar fasciitis in both feet now, and I haven't really ran since February when the pain started. I'm doing everything I can think of to make Saturday's race tolerable. As it is, my awesome brother-in-law is going to be zooming past me!

I will get through this. I have to get through this. I also count my blessings that this is it. I know a blogger who has 8 weeks until her first Ironman, and she's ripped up her hip and looking at surgery. I'll survive!

In the words of my fellow triathlete, "Suck it up, buttercup!" Yes ma'am.

At Least It's Not Broken....

The pain in my right foot.... Plantar fasciitis. Super fun. With a race in 10 days, I'm popping Aleve, stretching, massaging, and taping my foot. I'm also going to pick up an OTC arch support either Thursday or Friday. I'll be happy with a sub-40 5k at this point. I haven't really run since this pain started in late February!

I'll still be running faster than the people on the spectators. :)

Swim Goal...

MET! I swam a mile today. 1,600 meters. It took an hour, but I took a break after every 40-80 meters. ;) It's more than double the Sprint Triathlon swim distances.

However, my right foot pain continues to hinder my running. I took a month off, and within 5 minutes of running my arch hurt again. I'm 95% sure it's my arch and pronating ankle. I have to just "suck it up buttercup" and go see a doctor for custom orthotics.

It's disappointing because my next 5k is in two and a half weeks, which is not enough time to get back to running shape. Worst case scenario, I walk 3 miles. :(

Our New IDs

The little guy started school a few weeks ago, and with a severe speech delay, I was freaking out. What if he got lost? Wrong bus? Wrong class? He can't talk: he can't say his name, my name, or phone number.

I started looking for some ID bracelet or tag I could put on him with our numbers in case something ever happened. I found some kids ID dog tags from My Precious Kids for $10, and ordered them for all three of my kids. The little guy's tag is on his school coat right now, and when we went to Pump It Up I hooked it on his belt loop. :)

While searching for kids' IDs, I came across many options for adults. One that kept popping up was the Road ID bracelets. What I liked the most was all the options. I can get multiple bracelets in fun colors, and just switch the ID plate to whichever bracelet I wanted to wear that day. :) At the moment I only have bright yellow, which matches my running shoes and bike accessories.