An actual 5k!

TJ and I have targeted an actual 5k to run! We're actually going to do the run in memory of TJ's good friend James, who both had an incredible obsession with Yankee Candles, and died way, way too young of a heart condition. When I found a 5k at the Yankee Candle Flagship Store that benefited the American Heart Association and is going to be held exactly at the end of our training calendar, it seemed like fate.

So, James, get ready for August 14, because we'll be at the Disney World of Candles in Deerfield, MA, running in your honor!

Week 4, Rest Day

Today was not a schedule rest day, but there are thunderstorms about. I will run in the rain, but I will not run in thunderstorms. I just have to make sure that putting off this run (and future runs) is truly about the weather and not about my trepidation of having to run 5 minutes at a time. The first run of the week is always the scariest.

Speaking of running, TJ and I saw Get Smart today and it was hilarious. I say "speaking of running" because Max first meets 99 when she runs over him. They compare their mile split times, and hers are under 6 minutes. Oh, my. I will likely never have that pace - my legs are much shorter than Anne Hatthaway's :)

Anyway, weather-permitting I will resume my training on Tuesday and Wednesday, and try to fit in another run on Friday if I can - otherwise it will get pushed to next Sunday. One of these days I'd like to bring my camera with me and document my running path, too.

This is one of my options for my 5k:

I might pick this one just for the name :)

Week 3, Day 3

Today I found a great list of 100 Beginner Running Tips from the Complete Running Network. Overall I thought they were very helpful. Here are a few favorites:

4. Buy running clothes you look good in and that will motivate you to run.
12. Don’t neglect and irritate your family and friends by spending all your time running and talking about running.
13. Sign up for a race as soon as you feel up to it.
20. Don’t expect every run to be better than the last one; some of them will hurt.
25. Start a running blog and read other running blogs regularly.
26. Running is not an excuse to triple your intake of doughnuts, because runners gain weight too.
49. Don’t stretch before a run. Warm up by walking briskly or jogging slowly for several minutes.
58. A plastic garbage bag on race day is a very fashionable cheap disposable raincoat.
62. Give horses wide berths on trails and walk as you pass them unless you enjoy a hoof to the melon.
63. Always carry I.D. because you just never know.
77. There’s no shame in walking.
82. Vary your training routes. This will prevent boredom and prevent your body from getting acclimated.
99. To keep cool in hot weather soak a bandana in cold water, wring it out a bit, and tie it loosely around your neck.

I'd like to take tip #13 to heart and sign up for a 5k as added motivation to finish this plan. In theory, I will be ready on August 1. I'm looking at Ohiorunner.com's calendar to try to find a suitable race, and it turns out that there are a ton in my area. Choosing one and sticking to it should be exciting. Plus, most of them come with a free t-shirt, and many help raise money for a good cause.

Today's run was fine. I saw an otter, or perhaps a small beaver, swimming in the lake. It hid from me pretty quickly, though, so I didn't get a good look. I am trying to push myself by having my runs be on the upper boundary of my time limit later in a week - Zak and Sara was definitely a challenge, but I did it!

The walking songs are in navy, the running ones are in aqua.

• *Scenes from an Italian Restaurant / Greatest Hits Vol. 1 - Billy Joel (7:33)
  
• *Healthy Body / Operation Ivy: Energy - Operation Ivy (1:41)
  
• Oh Poor You / Really Really Happy - The Muffs (1:35)
  
• **Zak and Sara / Rockin' the Suburbs - Ben Folds (3:12)
  
• *The Celts / Paint the Sky with Stars - Enya (2:58)
  
• *Wedding Day / Birger Olsen - Birger Olsen (1:38)
  
• *Fugue for Tinhorns / Guys & Dolls Original Cast (1:28)
  
• Killer Queen / Greatest Hits - Queen (3:01)
  
• Early Morning Rain / Complete Greatest Hits - Gordon Lightfoot (3:07)
• *The Longest Time / Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - Billy Joel (3:36)
• Only the Good Die Young / Greatest Hits Vol. 1 - Billy Joel (3:53)
  
• *An Innocent Man / An Innocent Man - Billy Joel (5:18)