JFK Miles for Minds 5K

I recently read that a goal doesn't become real until you write it down.  It becomes something tangible to strive for.  It's now time for me to start checking some stuff off the list.  Since I began running I kept saying I wanted to run in a race.  Last week I wrote it down and Sunday it became a reality.  I ran in the JFK Miles for Minds 5k in Edison, NJ. 

I wasn't really sure how to prepare for the race besides run a couple times the week before.  Then all of a sudden an e-mail popped into my inbox titled "Expert Advice for Race Day".  Well isn't that convenient.  The e-mail gave me many useful tips including:

• Eat a carb heavy meal stay very hydrated the day before
• Get there early (More important than you think)
• Be a tortoise, not a hare (Pace yourself)
• Run the tangents (shortest distance between two points)

All of these tips came in extremely handy and gave me a good set of tools to use for the race. When I got there registration was hectic.  I accidently pre-registered for the 1 mile fun run.  I didn't come all this way to run 1 mile.  Luckily the organizers let me switch my registration for the race. They handed me my first race bib (conveniently number 323, anyone that knows me will understand the significance, 23 is even tattooed on my foot). This was a good sign.  Amy, Mason and I lined up towards the back of the pack since she was going to be pushing Mason and we didn't want to get in anyone's way.  We were standing there talking and all of a sudden the gun went off.  Time to race!

My research taught me to break the race down into four sections: 

The Yellow Mile (Mile one time 10:16):  

Run this at the slowest pace, get a feel for it and wait for the pack to separate.  I felt really good at the start.  I took off from the line fast but quickly my practice came to mind and I slowed down my pace.  Of course the first half mile was straight uphill.  I was still among a lot of the crowd for the first mile.  I knew I needed to stay patient and stick to my plan to get through the race. 

The Orange Mile (Mile two time 9:41):  

Run at a little faster pace, starting to find my place among the pack.  The first mile felt like it took forever.  I wanted to speed up but I held off.  As soon as I started mile two I picked up the pace. This is where I encountered my first and much needed water station.  I grabbed a quick drink and continued on my way.  I passed Amy and Mason as I was running back and gave them a quick wave as I went by.  It felt good to see them and gave me a little extra motivation to continue on.  I started to separate from the first part of the pack and fell into my own pace.  Now I had a little more room and felt like I could breathe.  Half way done already!

The Red Mile (Mile three 8:36):  

Run at almost my fastest pace, starting to pass the runner's who started off too fast.  As I started mile three I began to cramp a little.  I came too far now to not finish what I started though.  I pushed myself through the pain and set my eyes on the finish line.  I was now running pretty fast and was passing many of the people that blew by me in the beginning.  Boy did that feel good, pacing myself was well worth it.  As I came around the last turn I could see the finish line!

The Fire 10th (Last .11):  

Full out sprint as fast as you can for the finish line.  I saw the clock as I came to the end of the race.  I started running as fast as I could and was running by a ton of people.  I even heard some people comment on how fast I was going.  I had my goal in sight and I wasn't going to let it slip away.  This was it!

When I began the race my goal was to finish in under 30 minutes.  I had run 5k before on my own and my previous best time was 32:30.  I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I looked at my time when I finished and saw a 29:20.  I did it!  I know 5k may be nothing for some, but this was the first thing I had put my mind to in a long time and to be able to follow through and complete my goal felt like the greatest feeling in the world. This gave me hope again that if I put my mind to something I can do it.  The moral of the story is "stop talking and do it".  I've learned that nothing is going to happen by talking and plan on taking a lot more action soon, all of which you will hear about.  

If anyone is interested, here is the link to all my stats from the race:

JFK Miles for Minds 5K

And I was Running

Just me and the open road:  Butler rd. Franklin Park, NJ

One of the best stress relievers I've found is running. Not that I can run the fastest or the furthest, but there is something about being out there on the open road and the camaraderie of seeing other runners and bikers. It's the only thing I've done where everyone you encounter is polite and gives a wave or a "good morning". It also gives me time to think and appreciate what I have.  It wasn't easy at first and it still isn't.  I've slowly been building up my stamina.  At first it would be a mile or two, and before I knew it I was up to 6 miles.  Some days I feel like I'm going to pass out after the first .5 mile and other days I run six and feel like I could go six more.  I guess that is where conditioning comes into play.  One of the most important things I've learned is to pace myself.  If I burst out of the gates there is no way I'm going the distance.  My next adventures will to start taking on some races.  I'll start off with 5k and hopefully one day I'll work my way up to...who knows...a marathon?  The possibilities are endless as long as I put my mind to it.

Here's a quick review of a couple of the tools I use along my journey:

Nike+ Iphone App:

My favorite part about running is seeing exactly what I accomplished.  The Nike+App does all of this for me.  This app is extremely accurate and keeps track of my pace, distance, speed and even the elevation I run at.  All I have to to is hit "start" and when I get home it is all synced to my page at Nikeplus.com.  I love the fact that it shares automatically with Facebook and Twitter.  While I'm running I get cheers if anyone comments or likes my status.  This gives me the extra little push I need.  There is also a lovely voice that tells me my stats every half mile, which is great if I'm running for time. The only downfall of this app is the amount of battery it drains from my phone.  I need at least 50% battery in order to make it through a 6 mile run while listening to music.  All in all this is the best app I've found so far for running.

Nike Vomero

I learned very quickly that the shoes I was running in were not for me.  At first I just thought it was me and I wasn't made for running.  Then after talking to a couple people I decided to go and get proper running shoes.  I visited Road Runner Sports and quickly found out this was exactly where I needed to be.  After talking with the salesman for a little bit they decided to run a couple tests on me to fit me for the right shoe.  I felt like a lab rat in the middle of the store but it was well worth it.  They scanned my feet to check my arches, had me run on a treadmill to determine how my feet impact the ground and finally fitted me for inserts.  I knew there was a catch and this is where they got me, but I'm glad they did.  The end result was a new pair of Nike Vomero shoes with custom inserts.  My feet no longer get sore when I run and I've been able to improve my running immensely.   

Life as I Know It

I've been going through a lot of changes recently in my life. Over the last year I've had the opportunity to experience the birth of my son and best bud Mason, moved to a new place and even lost 20 pounds. Most importantly I've taken the time to re-examine what is really important in life. All of this would not have been possible without a change in attitude and outlook.  Lately I've felt like I need a new hobby so I figured why not share everything that has contributed to making me the person I am today. I'll be covering a little bit of everything here so sit back and enjoy the ride.