On the Other Side of the Finish Line

I did it! Despite the frigid 41 degree temperature and the patchy light freezing drizzle, I ran my first 5K. As we lined up at the starting line I realized I hadn't felt that pre-race nervous feeling since high school. The race ended up being shorter than I thought it would be and yet longer at the same time. I don't think I've ever ran such a distance in my life at that speed so you can imagine the sense of accomplishment that I felt as I crossed the finish line. "I actually ran that far?" I thought. I almost couldn't believe it.

Though the time isn't so important, I will admit it anyway. I ran my first 5K in 33:40. (I have to brag that Eric pulled in at 23:30.) When I first attempted this feat a few weeks ago, I clocked in at about 45 minutes. So I was pleasantly surprised when I rounded the final corner and saw the time clock with only a 33 minute number. It was at that point that my inner sprinter kicked in and I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that I smoked a few runners in the last 1oo meters. (Sorry pink velour track suit lady - I couldn't help it!)

So thank you for all the cheers and support. And I must ask - now that I've managed to make it across the finish line, how about you?

Happy Friday!

I came across this clip today (thanks to Rachel Maddow's Tweet on Twitter) and since it brightened my day I thought I'd post it here. I dare you not to have a smile on your face by the end. Enjoy and happy Friday!

Jogging for Justice

I’ve gone and done something totally out of character for me. After some encouragement from my husband and friends, I registered for my first 5K race (The Race for Justice).

Anyone who knows me knows that anything more than 100 meters of continuous running is something I would classify as ‘long distance’. (I believe my best race is actually the 40 meter dash.) So admittedly, a race that is 5 kilometers (or 3.1 miles) is a bit of a stretch for someone like me. But I liked the idea of it…

Last summer I was determined to find the closeted long-distance runner that I knew was hiding somewhere deep, deep, deep down in my soul. I spent several months gradually increasing my stamina until running one mile no longer seemed impossible. In the end, I was able to go almost 2.5 miles (stopping halfway through to catch my breath!). So although I’ve been hard at work at the gym since January, it’s been awhile since I really consistently ran a ‘long distance’ without stopping and I’m a little anxious to see how it’ll go. But of this I am sure: I will make it across that finish line.

A Vibrant Vacation

When you fly from a frigid, miserable, arctic climate to a lovely, warm, tropical climate it seems to make everything just that much sweeter. So it was not uncommon to hear me 'Oooo' and 'Ahhhh' over everything thing green or living while we vacationed in Mexico. Especially over the Iguanas, and oh my, were there so many Iguanas.

To breathe fresh, warm, ocean air and be surrounded by all the colors of the rainbow is good for the soul. The colors on this trip were so vibrant and inspiring that I couldn't help but try and photograph them all. The blues of the ocean, the pink and yellow of the flowers, the green of the palms, the orange of the fading sunlight, the white of the sand. I drank them all in and stored them up, because you never really know when spring is going to show its face in Minnesota.

Cenote Swimming

While it's still fresh in my mind, I've decided to jot down some of the memories from our trip to the Yucatan penninsula. Plus, though down a few pounds, I'm feeling quite a bit better and more able to come up with a cohesive thought. First I'd like to share a little something I've learned through the whole ordeal:

Pepto Bismol can be used as a preventative measure when traveling - just take a dose 4 times a day and your likelihood of coming home healthy are much, much higher. You're welcome.

So one of the coolest things about the Cancun area are the thousands of cenotes scattered about. A cenote is basically a sinkhole, usually with crystal clear water and some other amazing feature. While in Mexico, we visited two: El Gran Cenote near Tulum and the Ik Kil Cenote by Chichen Itza. At the first cenote, we got to sport our snorkel gear and marvel at all the amazing fish and coral and plants and caves up close. At the second, our timing was perfect. Eric and I had the whole cenote to ourselves for a whole 15 minutes (which is a lot at such a popular destination). Cenotes are one of the most amazing natural wonders I've ever seen. Though it can't quite capture the wonder of the 'happy accident', I've posted some pictures below.

The Grand Cenote:



The cenote at Ik Kil: