At yesterday's primary election, I voted for the cupcake. Ok, not really. But I am endorsing Candidate Cupcake. He’s the mascot for the 3rd Annual Cakes for Cause Cupcake 5K. Cakes for Cause provides job training at Moxie Bakery & Café for teens in the welfare system to help them transition to adulthood. The first Cupcake 5K in 2010 was my very first 5K. I walked a lot of it but managed to run across the finish line in under 45 minutes. I was proud of that time. The upcoming race will be my second this year (I ran the Heartly House Break Away 5K, a race to end domestic violence, in March and earned a new PR, 36:26). I’m looking forward to it because so many of my friends are participating – we have a team of about 20 runners. And, did I mention, there’s a cupcake at the end? I’ll always run for a good cause…or a cupcake. Why do you run? … [Read more...]
Running for a Cause
I set a new PR (personal record) earlier this month. I broke the 40 minute barrier! I ran the Wiggin’ Winter Dash in 39.30. My brother-in-law asked me to join him in this race for juvenile diabetes research; he was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. We did not run together. He’s faster than me for one and I’m still trying to build my endurance back up after my pregnancy-induced running hiatus. I did a combination of running and walking and I fully expected to cross the finish line in my usual 45 minutes. But when I rounded the street corner to the final stretch, I could see that the time clock was still in the 30s. I couldn’t believe it! I sprinted for the finish line. It was exhilarating! Not just because of the new PR but because I felt like I did something good for myself (exercise) and for the kids we were racing for (raising money for research). This is one of the reasons I like running – I could care less about the medals. The three races I participated in this fall … [Read more...]
Lacing Up for the Red Cross
It’s been seven months since my last 5K and I walked that one. Its been longer since I actually ran. I’ve been a little busy. You know…having a baby. But now my little buddle of joy is almost three months old and its time to get back out on the road. And what better reason than to help raise money for the Red Cross. So, I assigned up for The Red Run on November 5 <--- that’s in less than three weeks people! I haven’t run in months (see above). I’ll probably end up walking more than running but who cares. I’m supporting a friend and a good cause and getting back in my running shoes. If you’re in Frederick, you should join me. I’ll be in the one in red (actually, all participants have been asked to wear red). Got any advice for my first post-baby 5K? Disclaimer: My race registration was waived in exchange for blogging about this event. These opinions are my own. I’m happy to help out the Red Cross and have donated my time and money in the past to their organization. Here's a … [Read more...]
Why I Love Runners
I reluctantly showed up at the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I hadn’t sleep well the night before and had told myself that if it was raining, I wasn’t running. It wasn’t raining. It was wet but not raining. So I laced up my shoes and headed to the race. I was surprised by the number of people participating. There were easily 1000 or more people running, probably the biggest group I’ve run with. Yet, in that crowd of 1000, I felt incredibly alone. I knew people running but didn’t see any of them there and none of my family had come to cheer me on. I struggled in the beginning, my emotions getting the better of me. But then I hit my stride and realized that I wasn’t alone. I was part of a community of runners who… …stand on the sidelines, when they cannot run, and cheer …stop to help when one of their own has fallen on wet pavement …coach their children and hold their hands across the finish line …and offer encouragement afterwards when the end result was not the desired … [Read more...]
Revised Resolutions
I’ve been a blog slacker this week. Well, at my own blog, at least. I’ve been busy with the Maryland Life blog. Check out my latest post here. Vacation is my excuse, even though it was a short one, and work, too. We just sent the magazine off to the printer yesterday. My blog slacking got me to thinking about my goals for this blog, which got me to thinking about my personal goals. I don’t usually make New Year’s Resolutions – I usually prefer to set yearly goals on my birthday – but this year I did. I made three New Year’s Resolutions and now I think it’s time to revisit them. Run a 5K I am not a runner. I’ve never been much of an athlete. But I signed up for Francie’s Family 5K in March anyway. I got three weeks into training and the blizzards hit. I ended up just walking that race. I tried again in April and, through a combination of running and walking, I completed the Cupcake 5K in just under 45 minutes. But I want to run a 5K in its entirety. I haven’t been running this summer … [Read more...]
