Well, Hershey 10k has come and gone and there are a few things that I learned.
1. Sign up for a charity race. I did this race for Team in Training and raised a crap load of money along with my TNT teammates. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that you are running for a reason and what better reason than cancer research. This was absolutely life changing- I actually got to feel like there was a reason to be out running. Not just for some medal that my kid will eventually steal and most likely lose anyway.
2. High five little kids. Us "serious runners" rarely are able to take in the scenery and crowds at a race. We simply go and run as fast as we can until we are about ready to keel over and then finish. Sometimes it is just nice to take the pressure off and enjoy what is going on around you.
3. Don't be a dick and size people up. This is not the first time I have gotten sized up at a starting line. Yes, I typically look like a hot mess- I am short, I never have on a 'team gear', I am slightly green because I might barf at any second...you get the picture- but I am pretty fast for a mom of two who is a little over racing weight and who might look slightly homeless, but guess what? I will beat you or die trying. Don't look at me like I am out of place at the front of the pack. I belong there, jerk.
4. Finally, find tall people and befriend them weather they like it or not. They are not only good for opening above the sink cabinets and killing spiders on the ceiling- they also are very good at breaking the wind.
This was an awesome PR of 40:04 for 10k, but considering the fact that my only other 10k has been run in 90-plus degrees on a physics-defying hilly course, I think it is safe to say this race was a step in the right direction for summer racing. See you soon.....
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Running 2015
It is hard to believe that another 'race season' is quickly approaching. This year's outlook has the typical questionable outlook of the last few years, but I find that I have been able to take on a new outlook- it is that of compartmentalization. What's this you ask? Sounds smart doesn't it...that's what a degree from America's finest public institution of higher education will get ya' (shout out Millersville U). What I actually mean is that this is the first time, maybe ever, that I have been able to use running as an outlet for my stress and anxiety and not just for a way to get in shape.
The past few years have been absolutely nuts. Little kids, dogs, husband, school, graduating, grad school, now my big girl job hunt. It has been a never-ending cycle of ups and downs, but the thing that has always stayed consistent is my ability to shut off from the world while focusing on plain old running. What a God sent.
Another thing I have found with a renewed focus on running is the ability to absolutely crush runs over and over. After a terrible half marathon of unfocused cluster f-ness, I took some time to re-boot and re-evaluate. I think I had such a bad race is the simple fact that I over thought, which I do all the time in every aspect. Over the past few months I have found myself no longer staring at my GPS watch to track every pace and tenth of a mile, I have used a run to do just that. Run. And it sure as heck is paying off.
My first race back, the Run 4 Luck was a crap fest of a day. Rain, 30 degree temps, a baby that barely let me get 4 hours of continuous sleep the night before. Normally, I would have totally freaked, had a crappy race and allowed myself to dwell on it for months. Thankfully not this year. I was able to start out with a new friend and simply focus on 'being there' and the task at hand, not the other 10,000 things that were going on, and guess what? Taking the outside factors away and focusing on the task at hand actually paid off. Who would have thought? I ended up being the first female and finished in 24:50-ish. Not my best time, but faster than the year before when I barely pulled out a 25 and thought I was going to die doing it.
Maybe there's a new non-obsessive compulsive Brooke on the horizon, might be a long-shot, but let's hope so.
The past few years have been absolutely nuts. Little kids, dogs, husband, school, graduating, grad school, now my big girl job hunt. It has been a never-ending cycle of ups and downs, but the thing that has always stayed consistent is my ability to shut off from the world while focusing on plain old running. What a God sent.
Another thing I have found with a renewed focus on running is the ability to absolutely crush runs over and over. After a terrible half marathon of unfocused cluster f-ness, I took some time to re-boot and re-evaluate. I think I had such a bad race is the simple fact that I over thought, which I do all the time in every aspect. Over the past few months I have found myself no longer staring at my GPS watch to track every pace and tenth of a mile, I have used a run to do just that. Run. And it sure as heck is paying off.
My first race back, the Run 4 Luck was a crap fest of a day. Rain, 30 degree temps, a baby that barely let me get 4 hours of continuous sleep the night before. Normally, I would have totally freaked, had a crappy race and allowed myself to dwell on it for months. Thankfully not this year. I was able to start out with a new friend and simply focus on 'being there' and the task at hand, not the other 10,000 things that were going on, and guess what? Taking the outside factors away and focusing on the task at hand actually paid off. Who would have thought? I ended up being the first female and finished in 24:50-ish. Not my best time, but faster than the year before when I barely pulled out a 25 and thought I was going to die doing it.
Maybe there's a new non-obsessive compulsive Brooke on the horizon, might be a long-shot, but let's hope so.
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