The Forest Hills 5K And A Commitment

I'll address my ineptitude in blogging momentarily. For now, here's a re-cap of my latest 5K adventure.

The Forest Hills 5K was this past Saturday. It benefits the schools I grew up in and runs through the 'burbs instead of the dirty, nasty streets of downtown Cincinnati like so many other races do.

Finishing time: 41:12

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

(Click on the collages to see a larger view.)


A few shots before it started. It was before 8:30 and already steamy hot. It was one of the first hot runs of the year and definitely the first hot race. Hello sweaty head!


Some signs, some firefighters (big and small) and me at the halfway point. I stopped running shortly after this because the course went back uphill. Oh yeah, this course was surprisingly hilly. Yikes! And I've lost my ability to run 3 miles without stopping. I can force 2 miles uncomfortably, but 3 alludes me once again. Turns out I reached my distance peak right before the Emerald Miles back in March (read the post here). Go figure.




Finish line photos. Check out the top left corner shot...I totally look like a runner there! That stupid Bengals mascot was all up in my grill, yo. Had to get around him.


Me and my photographer, my mom. The pile o' donuts at the finish line (along with bagels, water and bananas), me offering the donut to my mom, and some browsing after the finish. Ah the joys of freebies after a race! =)


The race also featured a mascot race. A mascot for each of the 9 local schools (6 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high schools) and some other local organizations like businesses and college and professional sports mascots. My high school track coach (the bee below) won the race last year and took the prize again this year. Go coach!


Me with the mascots. A picture with the organizations from which I matriculated, plus two. Clockwise from top left: Mercer Golden Eagle, Cincinnati Bengal, Xavier Musketeer, Ayer/Summit Bee (can't remember, didn't go there; my high school track coach), Turpin Spartan, Kroger Bagster.

This is the professional picture, taken by Cincy Sports Photos.

After the race-day events, I got some time to rest, get un-sweaty, and get dolled up to go to a wonderful wedding. One of my best high school friends, Anne, put on a beautiful event. It was so great to see her wedding come to fruition after so much planning and it was REALLY great to see all my friends (and a handful of parents) in one place. Here's a collage:




So, about my blogging slackertude. I'm going to remedy this.

Here's what's happened. Running, as I've said before, has become a full-on part of my life--pretty much un-spectacular. I forget to blog about it because of that, but I don't want to stop. I still love keeping you all up to date, and I definitely need the accountability to keep me going. You all have been so helpful until this point and I need your help.

So this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to post. I'm going to post after every workout. It might be one sentence, two sentence, 8 paragraphs, 3 pages. Seriously. If I go out and run a ho-hum 2 miles or a crappy 1 mile, you're getting an update. It'll likely be from my phone and will likely be boring. But I'm going to do it.

Don't worry, I'm going to continue to do my classic over-long posts with pictures and such, but because they seem to be happening fewer and farther between, I need to do something else.

So there it is. My plan. Is that okay? I hope so, because I'm doing it anyway.

So, news:

• I got a new job! Big change. Big, BIG change. I'm scared and excited and scared. It starts on June 7.
  
• I start boot camp on June 6. I'm scared and excited and scared about this too. But I've been noticing my arms getting flabbier and fatter lately, so Imma need this.
• I'm doing the Redlegs Run for Home 5K again! This was my first 5K last year, so I'm excited to return to the scene of the crime to see how I fare. This day also marks the 1-year anniversary of my "road racing career." Woooo! (Last year's post.)
  
• My post-Pig toenails are still in less-than-stellar shape. I didn't lose them, but I still think that would have been easier. The big toe nails are still...um...oozing. Goodness. But I finished the antibiotic and I've been keeping them clean, so yeah...good stuff.

Alright, that's all I've got. I guess you'll be hearing from me tomorrow since I plan on running then. Wheee! What's up with you all? How's the running going?

The Redlegs Run for Home 5K

Ahhh, I know there are a small hand full of you who have been waiting for an update. So, here it is!

• I finished the run!
• It was really humid, but overcast, which was very helpful. But the wind wasn't steady. Ugh.
• The course felt so long. (Jeff agreed.)
• I was never really in pain and my breathing was comfortable, but my body got tired, which is a new sensation for me.
• I saw all the buddies I hoped to see and my bestie Jeff did a great job!
• I'm really exhausted and the creative juices must have sweated out of my face during the run.
• Finally, my finishing time was 44:46, which I'm happy with.

So, here are some pictures. I'll probably post more fun stuff later, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. Happy Saturday, y'all!

Me and Jeffy before the run.
Please forgive the zero makeup and running hairdo throughout the rest of the photos.

Jamie B. and me, pre-race.

Crowd shots, pre-race.

Over half way there!

NASTY post-race shot. Blech! Jamie looks good though!

Meat Murderer

Ladies and gentlemen, I have some news. Many of you already know this from Facebook, but you're going to hear about it again anyway.

Hello, my name is Beckey, and I ate hot dogs on Monday. And some meat-like substance in a cheeseball today. And I'll be eating at Five Guys Burgers & Fries on Tuesday.

That's right. After nearly 5 months, I have abandoned the vegetarian-ish lifestyle (pesco-vegetarian, if you want to get specific -- I ate fish and dairy products -- there's your word of the day).

Before I get into the whys of my decision, I'd like to share this comment string from Facebook because it still makes me laugh.

Me: I did it. I had hot dogs. Nearly 5 months down the drain.

E.O-S.: you broke your vegetarian diet on a hot dog?! mine was pepperoni pizza :) i couldn't resist it any longer.

L.E.: Hahahahaha mine was bacon!

Pork seems to be the common vegetarian diet murderer. Odd.

So yeah, I guess I can close that chapter in my life, at least for now. I hate that 5 months doesn't seem like a long time, but I can truly say that I gave it one heck of a go. I did a good job. I just ... got tired of it.

Vegetarian food suited me well for a while. I like vegetables. I only feel strongly about one or three meat dishes. And I was on a change kick.

Well, beans get old, I'm over change, and those one or three meat dishes were making appearances in my dreams (hot dogs, pepperoni, hamburgers, bacon). Plus I found that I was more prone to junk food cravings that I've ever been. Not cool.

I struggled with the decision for a few weeks and battled mostly with the not-so-pretty images of the meat industry. And the meat industry ickyness still weighs heavily on my conscious, but I don't feel there's much I can do about it. Even grain-fed, cage-free chicken has problems. I'm not getting into it right now, nor do I want to get into heated discussions about it, but know that I'm okay with my decision and I do feel that I gave it plenty of thought.

I've also decided to be picky about meat and not just eat it because it's in front of me. It should be something I really, really love. Something that's "worth it." For example, I don't see myself sitting down to a steak dinner anytime soon, or eating pork chops or pork roast -- all things I didn't like much to begin with. No, no. Instead, I'll save my meat dishes for quality items, like buffalo wings, bacon, burnt hot dogs, really good burgers, and Italian subs at Penn Station. High class, no?

So, that's that. I know a handfull of vegetarians that have been doing it successfully for a long time, and who never see themselves looking back. But I know more people who have given it a really, really good try and have given up at some point. Those people, as well as my happily-carnivore friends, are not by any means bad people because of their meat-eating habits. I never have and never will think of those meat-eaters badly for the diet decision they have made. Therefore, I refuse to think of myself as a bad person for murdering innocent animals for the sake of a bacon fix. Humph. (It's worth noting that my vegetarian friends don't think badly of carnivores either.)

So, moving on ...

I have a big day coming up this weekend! The Redlegs Run for Home 5K is SATURDAY! EEEEK! I'm more excited than scared, but I'm still a little scared. Mostly I just can't wait for it to be over. To prep for the run (and for reasons surrounding a family situation), I took this week off.

I did run on Sunday, though. It was so incredibly hot at 10 a.m. that the run was a bit of a loss. The best part is that I finally got to run with my bestie, Jeff. He was kind enough to stick with me for the first lap and a little more before taking off to get a good 10-minute run in. This is the first time I've run with someone who's ahead of me in the game since my freshman year of college. He was kind enough to let me lead and set the pace; I felt supported by having him just hover next to me the whole time. I'm not sure if I did better, worse, or the same with the company. I did enjoy it, though, so thanks for joining me Jeff!

Oh, and I successfully ran for a good 3:45 before stopping, which is a new record for me. Yay! After that, it was all bad. Hot, hot, hot!

Okay, one excessively long post down, and it's time to hit the road. Please check back this weekend for an update on my first 5K!

Update, Running Buddy #2, Redlegs, and Bathing Suits

I know, I know! It's been forever since my last post. Let's just say there are reasons and they are good ones. I won't even classify them as "excuses." Don't dwell on the past; look forward.

Well, I do want to look back for a moment more and point out that, while I didn't post about it, I did run this week. Twice. Tuesday's run was rough. It was warm out, but not too warm. It was humid, but not too humid. I had planned on making that run a difficult one, perhaps do 3 miles instead of just the normal 2. That didn't happen. My legs just weren't having it. They were sore or something, I don't know. So, I finished 2 miles in about 30 minutes. Below par, but still okay. Just a bogey.

I also ran yesterday with Running Buddy #2. It was her first time trying C25k and she just had a baby 8 weeks ago. She tackled Week 1 with great determination, pressed through those running intervals, and did great. I'm pretty sure she needs applause.

Go ahead, clap.

During our 5 minute cool down, Running Buddy #2 and I discussed why the program is a good one. It's running and running is scary, especially for extremely out-of-shape and even obese [spit, hiss, hack, booo!] people like me. C25K works because it's doable. The first workouts are so difficult to get past, but it's completely possible to finish them! You'll be tired, sweaty, and panting by the end, but you will have made it to the end, by golly. And for people who are used to not making it to the end, that's a big deal.

Speaking of being used to not finishing -- er, well, of being last to finish (this is a stretch segue, I know) ...

Running Buddy #2 and I also went to school together. We're talking all the way through. I'm thinking kindergarten or first grade or something. In fact, yesterday we shared our first reunion since graduating high school, which happened exactly 10 years ago. Creeeeepy! We grew up with the same gym teachers and, while she tried to steal my title of "always last to finish in gym class" yesterday, I put her in her place and she resigned to, "Okay, second to last." Anyway, I brought up to her that I think our childhood physical education might have been a lot more effective if it involved some kind of fun interval running like C25K instead of the wonderful, "Okay kids, go run around the gym while I sit on the bleachers and pick my nose." I'm pretty sure even tubby little me would have been able to keep up with the other kids and wouldn't have suffered from another self-esteem crash-and-burn. Yes, that might hold other children back a bit, but it's a progressive program and they wouldn't have to stop running, right? Right.

I welcome feedback on this topic. How did you feel in gym class growing up? Were you front, back or middle of the pack? How did it impact you?

I have another bit of information to share with you. I'm pretty sure Hell just froze over, because I just paid to run my first 5K.

I paid ... to run.

What? How? I never thought this would happen, EVER! AND, when I registered today, they had a tshirt that will probably fit me. This is a bigger deal than the 5k! Ha!

I'll be running/walking in the Redlegs Run for Home 5K next Saturday with my best bud, Jeff. He doesn't know it yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to force him to run with me instead of trotting ahead like the fabulously fit stage performer he is. Jerk. =)

So, this coming Saturday morning, please send happy breathing and muscle thoughts my way. As long as it's not thunderstorming and raining buckets, I'll be happy.

One more final piece of news for you. I put on a bathing suit today for the first time since last summer. (Sorry for the mental image.) But, I can now officially see a difference in my body shape. It's subtle, and most people probably wouldn't notice, but I do. I think fat rolls 3a and 3b have significantly decreased, or have become one with 2a and 2b. Maybe they got married. I hope they don't have any kids ...

Happy long weekend folks! Thank a soldier or veteran.