COR Strong Mama: 15 K

~~I'm not a runner~~. eh, scratch that, I used to not be a runner. I have poor breathing skills, I cramp easily, I get bored, etc. but this past Fall my workout regime was hitting a plateau. I have been addicted to physique57 for years. in fact they are the only reason I was able to fit into my wedding dress (and I looked damn good in it, might I add). however, we moved to atlanta over a year ago and unfortunately they don't have a studio here. I've been religiously doing their DVDs, but we all know how exercise DVDs can be.....boring! I needed something to mix into my routine. running. I'm gonna try running again. everyone is doing it, right?

so, I started running. I trained for a 10K to run on thanksgiving day in Indiana, the "turkey trot". the race started at 8:00 am and it was cold. I mean like 20 degrees cold. I contemplated skipping it, but knew I would be disappointed in myself. I did it. and did it in 54 minutes, might I add. apparently I run faster when it's cold?!? I enjoyed it. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I wanted more!

my 3rd attempt at IVF was taking place at the end of december (and we all know how that turned out) so my running had to be put on hold. I happened to be visiting family in florida the day I received the bad news, so I went for a run. I needed to clear my mind, let my feet and legs carry me away. the only noise I wanted to hear was my music and the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. it was a glorious day, sunny and in the mid 70s and I ran and ran and ran. it felt awesome.

more running! I need more running! I signed up for a 15K in atlanta at the end of january. myself and 4 other mom friends decided to run it together. we used each other as motivation. the race was called the "hot chocolate" run. seemed fitting for the end of january. you ran the race and at the end you could eat and drink all the chocolate you could ever want. honestly, the last thing I want to do when I'm done running 9+ miles is eat chocolate, but....
we left our town at 5:30 am. it was recommended to be at the race 2 hours before start time. what? it was cold. and dark. so cold. we did everything we could to stay warm before the race started. one of the moms brought a blanket. genius! we passed it to each other every 10 minutes or so just to keep warm. finally the race started. i think it took a good 2 miles just for my feet to warm up. if it wasn't for my handy nike running app, I would have had no idea how fast I was running. "you have completed 1 mile. your average pace is 8:57 per mile." I love when she gives me an update. surprisingly my pace was just where I wanted it to be. the race was tough and hilly and even boring in a few spots, but I kept running. I never stopped nor did I walk. I even passed up the chocolate station at mile 5. (right? what run has a chocolate station?) eventually my GPS told me I was at mile 9, only .3 miles to go! I turned the corner and it was all down hill from there, literally and figuratively. it felt awesome. I crossed over the finish line and heard my average pace was 8:40 per mile. my best time ever! talk about feeling proud?!? I still smile just thinking about it.

More! I need more! (did I mention I have a slightly addictive personality?) and I got it. 3 more weeks until I run the Augusta half marathon. wish me luck!