Saturday and Sherry

I was SO excited when it started snowing Friday night. If you don't believe me, ask my dad. He was making fun of me because I decided to act like a kid and ran outside to get the mail in jeans and a sweatshirt "so I could play in the snow". Yea. I don't think I was this excited about snow when I WAS a kid. Anyway ... It really isn't Winterfest without snow (and some of the activities/ contests are a little more challenging without the white stuff), so I was happy. Plus, I wanted to run in the snow, dangit!

My knee felt fine (thank goodness that seems to be over ... for now), but my stomach wasn't happy as I was getting ready to head into town for the 5k. I wasn't nervous, really, and I ate the normal stuff, so I wasn't sure what to attribute it to. And I knew it was going to be cold, but I wasn't prepared for HOW cold when I ran between my car and Cyclewerks to sign in for the race. Yikes. I knew I was a little under-dressed for the weather, but I also knew my upper body would still over-heat and my legs would still go numb no matter HOW much clothing I wore. Plus, if I threw on another layer, it would cover up Sherry's bib. I spent some time Thursday night gluing the bib to a bright sheet of paper and then "laminating" it with packaging tape so it would stand up to the weather and stand OUT against my gray vest. There were a couple other women there who were wearing their bibs too and we took a minute before the race to talk and think about Sherry, her family, friends, and how this all affected our world. After the race, a couple other runners who had seen our bibs came up and were asking me about it. One of the guys told me he wished he had heard about it sooner so he could have worn one too. He mentioned his recover run for today with friends so I suggested he check out SUAR's blog and print off a bib and wear it then, if he wanted.

My age group award.
Like I need ANOTHER coffee
mug. lol.

I tried for almost 20 minutes earlier this week to figure out what route they would have us run. BOY was I wrong. We started in the park, ran west past Cyclewerks, flipped around and got on the W-C trail (basically doubling back what we had JUST run), went up to Cemetery Rd, did a loop in a neighborhood, and came back down W-C, finishing right in the park right next to Generals Ice Cream. [If I can get my Garmin to upload later, maybe I'll post a map of the route. I had it running so I could watch my pace, but I forgot to hit "stop" at the end so the numbers are a little funky.] I wouldn't have had any problems with the course, and probably could have PRed except for one thing .... ICE! The whole trail except for the 1/4 mile "in town" was solid ice so we had to run IN THE SNOW on the uneven ground on the side of the trail. AND, the road wasn't plowed, so it was a mix of ice, slush, and packed snow. Sheesh. It's amazing nobody slipped and got hurt. I guess that's why they make us sign those silly waivers. Had I known about the trail conditions, I would have worn my Adidas trail shoes instead of my Sauconys! Ugh. I was a whole mix of emotions when I got to the last stretch of the race and I could SEE the numbers ticking on the clock. I started sprinting when I saw my PR time (31:16) go by, but I still ended up with an unofficial time of 32:14. 2nd in my age group. The official results will be up online in a couple days and I can scrutinize my stats then. Not bad considering the conditions. I should have gone back today to get a picture to show you just how bad the trail really was, but I'm quite comfortable in my nice warm house, thank you. And the parents are out of town until tonight so I've been on a cleaning frenzy since I woke up.

I had contemplated going out for another 3-miler after the race since my training plan called for 6 miles yesterday, but when I got home and finally thawed out, I decided it would be better to just jump on the treadmill. I didn't want to go back out in sweaty clothes when it was that cold and I JUST did laundry so I didn't want to get another set of warm clothes dirty. I figured I wouldn't do the whole 3 miles and I'd run at a pace even slower than my already-slow training pace, but I just wanted to burn some more calories and enjoy the quiet of the house. Since I was already getting hungry again (anyone else eat right after a run and then get seriously hungry AGAIN 2-3 hours later?), I decided I was just going to do a half hour. Coincidently, that's how much of "The Ugly Truth" was left on Lifetime (I adore Gerard Butler). lol.

I actually spent a lot of time thinking about Sherry while on the treadmill. I never knew her, just through SUAR, but she seemed like an amazing woman. I don't know how to say anything that hasn't been said over and over again since this happened. All I can do is offer my thoughts and prayers. Remember Sherry for the wonderful woman she was - wife, mother, teacher, runner - and not for the tragic and horrific way her life ended. I truly believe that is the BEST way to honor her. May she be at peace and her body be returned to her loved ones soon.

What I looked at while on the treadmill.

Since I didn't get one from Winterfest.
That paper border is actually BRIGHT yellow, so it REALLY stood out.

When I got off the treadmill, I went into Maumee and indulged myself:

Taco Bell. Dinner of champions. Oh, how I love Baja Blast Mountain Dew.

Ok, make that indulgence 2 or 3-fold ...

Dessert. Vanilla fudge and my FAVORITE wine.

 Oh, and I made an addition to my gnome collection while I was at the store tonight [reference my Christmas post if you don't understand the joke]:

I'm going to leave him in the corner by the front door for when the parents get home and see how long it takes them to notice him and for dad to realize this is the one he DIDN'T buy lil bro and I for Christmas. :)

So, a very thoughtful Saturday. Not bad. Not especially good. Thoughtful. And thankful.

- - -
I'm appreciative of my health and safety and the health and safety of my loves ones, wherever they may be.

PS - I'm still in awe of how many people are finding my post of fab ab february from a google search. Really, people, that calendar is EVERYWHERE. Also, I want to meet whoever it was that found me by googling "Holy sore muscles batman" ... especially since I've only said that (on this blog. I say it in my head all the time) a couple times. LMAO!