The Good Runs the Bad Away

Saturday was just what I needed.

The 5k was hard. It was hot. But I finished. Not only did I finish, but I had a PR on a pretty hilly course. 25:59. I was trying not to get my hopes up this week as far as improving my time from last year, but deep down I really wanted to. On Wednesday night we ran the course and I knew it was going to be difficult on Saturday. I felt like I had run pretty hard and didn't even finish a full 3.1 miles and my time was slower than last year. So my hopes of improving from last year seemed pretty far off.

However, I am slowly learning that I run better in the morning than after a day of work. I also tend to doubt myself. What a great way to kick off my training schedule for the St. Jude Half in Memphis on December 4!

ENFL! (East Nasty For Life!)

What a Difference a Year Makes

So a little over a year ago I wrote about my nerves the night before the Tomato Fest 5k here.

I wrote about the race itself here. And I already know that if I thought it was hot last year, it might possibly be Hell on earth tomorrow.

And my official results were posted here.

And what a difference a year makes. I no longer have pre-race nerves, at least not for 5k's anymore. And I actually sort of enjoy running now. However, they changed the course to include MORE hills this year. And no description can accurately describe the heat and humidity that has plagued Middle Tennessee this entire summer. Tomorrow morning will be no different. And why I am quietly competitive with myself, beating my time from last year is going to prove pretty difficult with the heat, the course change, and my current athletic state.

But this year is different. I've got my Garmin. I've got my playlist. I've got my East Nasty shirt. And I have a super supportive group of friends who I can wait to cheer on while we collectively run our race "together ."

Let's Play Catch Up

So life happens. And It's been a pretty boring one at that for the past couple weeks. It has pretty much consisted of me whining about my weight, eating and exercising well for a few days and then completely blowing it with the likes of things named "Brewer's Fest" or "Broadway Brewhouse" and my favorite "Fro-yo for dinner!" (I love desserts folks and in my eyes dessert is a balanced meal.) And maybe running a little bit.

Just like every other Facebook status of those who live in the South, it's hot hear folks. Really hot. I haven't experienced humidity like this, in I don't know, EVER. It's really hot. But lucky for me, air conditioning was invented. And lucky for me it works really well at my office. So well, that I wear a sweater every day and I keep a fleece in there when it gets really cold. I will be happy when fall gets here. My only request, it better not rain the entire month of September, my favorite month of the year.

Oh, so sometime in the past few weeks I have decided to run the St. Jude's Half Marathon in Memphis in December. This gives me plenty of time to train. I have created a pretty ambitious training schedule, yet it still has flexibility because here is what the next couple of months hold for me:

Seattle: August 20-29

Orange Beach, AL: Spetember 4-7

Chicago: September 16-19

YEASAYER: October 1

Work conference October 3-5

The National: October 3

Menomena: October 9

Local Natives: October 14

GAYNGS: October 16

The Avett Brother: October 29 AND 30

Mumford and Sons: November 1

MGMT: November 4

Mid-November: possible trip to NYC

And that isn't even everything. Why are all these trips and shows important? Because they are generally the events that trigger things such as excessive beer drinking, unwise food choices, and skipped gym sessions. This should get really interesting. But, I am up for the challenge.

And if you didn't see Arcade Fire this summer. I feel sorry for you. It was one of the best shows I've seen in a while. Their show on Monday at the Ryman was pretty incredible. I'll leave the review to Mr. Jones who will write something 100x better than I could.

Run Like the Wind

I didn't exactly run like the wind tonight, but I did run tonight. That is the important thing. I haven't really run much in almost 2 weeks. Well, no great distances. And tonight I did just over 3 miles. I almost put that I "only ran 3 miles." But I mean really 3 miles?!? Last summer at this time I might have run 3 miles once and I am pretty sure I thought I was going to die when I was finished. But tonight, I ran 3 miles and carried on a conversation the entire time. It might not have been my fastest time, (hello it felt like it was 100+ degrees with the heat index today) but I did it.

Speaking of time. The Tomato Arts 5k is a less than 2 weeks away. Some of you might remember that this was my first 5k ever. I looked up my time from last year because I have forgotten what I ran. I know it was under 30 minutes, but that was all I could remember. 28:22.7 was my time. That comes out to about a 9:12/mile. Part of me is all like "HELL YEAH" I can improve my time time from last year. The other part of me is all like "HELL NO" I can't improve my time from last year. And then the excuses start coming. It's going to be hot. I am out of shape. The course is hilly. I've let myself go. But you know what? I am going to be all "HELL YEAH" I can improve my time right until the race. And then I am going to give it my all.

And you know what the best part about the race, no matter what my time? There will be an amazing group of East Nasties supporting one another before, during, and after the race.