Celebration Runs

I certainly have cut back on my running since the marathon, but I have run in a couple of events. I entered the Fourth of July 5K put on by Minnesota State University Moorhead. The course ran along the road leading to Bluestem Center for the Arts which is just outside of Moorhead. It was a very hot and humid morning. With no trees along the course the sun beat down mercilessely. I'm really glad I chose to run the 5K instead of the 10K which was two loops of the 5K route. I really wanted to run this in less than thirty minutes, but I knew the heat could make this difficult.

After picking up my bib I ran into Jon and Erin who were both running the 10K. It was nice to see some familiar faces. Jon offered to help me keep running at a pace that would get me across the finish line in under a half hour. I really appreciated this. I knew I would need someone to push me along.

The race started and Jon and I kept a pace of roughly 9:15/mile. I would certainly reach my goal of I could keep this up. Unfortunately I had to slow down at the halfway point. I finished in 32:01. Although I've run faster than this in training, this was my fastest 5K so far. I'm happy with it.

Jon didn't quite make the 10K in under an hour like he had wanted, but he ran a really good race. A volunteer gave him some wrong directions along the course, and he ended up running a bit farther than he should have. Erin also received some confusing instructions, but toughed it out through the heat. It was not a good day to try for a fast time

I also ran in Jon and Erin's 1st Anniversary run. It was a blast! There were thirteen of us taking part in either a 10K or half-marathon from their house. It was a little muggy out, but with great company to keep the conversation going the miles really flew by. Most of us stopped after running 10K. Heather and Rachel continued running more and Jon switched to a bicycle and went with them. When they got back we all received our medals and enjoyed a potluck breakfast. The food was delicious. It was a really fun way to celebrate Jon and Erin's first anniversary. I am so glad I was invited and look forward to next year's celebration.

I've recently started to ramp up my weekly miles as part of a half-marathon training program. I have nine weeks to get ready for the FM Half-Marathon. I certainly do better when I have a schedule to follow and a goal to pursue. This last Saturday Jon, Erin, and I went to Buffalo River State Park and ran six miles on the trails. Running the trails is so much more enjoyable than running in town. We chased up a few deer and Jon had to do a quick sidestep to avoid stepping on a snake. On the way back home we ate some of Jon's Bacon Cookies. That's right I said "Bacon Cookies." He made white chocolate chip cookies and added just a little finely chopped maple cured bacon. They were AMAZING! I have got to try making these. It was a super start to the weekend.

Mmmmmm bacon cookies!!!!!

My heart rate on some runs seems to get really high. I was concerned that I could be in some danger if I continued to run with a rapid pulse. I have done some research and discovered that there really is no cause for concern. If I continue to push after reaching my maximum heart rate, my body will force me to slow down fairly quickly. If pushing through a really high heart rate was dangerous, we would have elite athletes dropping like flies. The good news is I no longer need to be concerned. The bad news is I no longer have this as an excuse to slow down. I have stopped paying very much attention to my heart rate during most runs.