11 Minute Miles

As I've mentioned before, I am not a fast runner.  My average pace sits consistently around a 12 minute mile.  It's a comfortable pace for me, especially on longer runs.  Today, I set out for a 4 mile run since it was such a nice day outside.  I was surprised when my Runmeter clocked my first split at 11:15.  The pace felt good and my breathing was comfortable so I decided to maintain the faster pace.

I continued on my run but started having a little difficulty breathing easily.  However, it wasn't because I was running too fast.  Instead, it was because my nose was stuffed up from the cool air.  I pushed through until almost 3.5 miles and decided to call it a night.  As I stopped my Runmeter, my average pace for the run was 10.57/mile.  While I wish that I could have completed the full 4 mile run, I am thrilled that I completed 3.4 miles at a pace of 11 minutes per mile.  I can't wait for tomorrow's run to see if I can repeat tonight's pace.

Heather

Fall Fun

Although my weekend started off a little bumpy with my group run on Saturday, I wasn't going to let it get me down.  The forecast showed nothing but gorgeous weather so I was determined to get in some cross-training while enjoying the beautiful Fall weekend.

On Saturday, I went hiking to log some cross-training miles.  My boyfriend, Scott, and I decided to hike at Prairie Oaks Metro Park.  This park features scenic trails and lakes that I think are absolutely breathtaking.  It also has pet-friendly trails and a dog swimming area so that I can bring Ellie.  We ended up exploring some new trails and hiked almost 4 miles before heading home for steaks on the grill.

Sunday brought another beautiful day.  We met up with Christina and Jesse for breakfast then headed out to Circle S Farms.  Although the corn maze was a little disappointing, since it wasn't really a maze, we still had a fantastic time.  We took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch and got to pick out the perfect pumpkin. 

In all, it turned out to be a great weekend filled with outdoor family fun.  I love Fall!

Heather

Group Run

I found a running group that meets for Saturday morning runs.  I was so excited to run with a group that had various pace groups to accommodate all runners.  I'm not a fast runner so I figured this would be a great way to meet people who run at the same pace as I do while keeping me motivated on my long runs.

Unfortunately, joining in the group run only discouraged me.  Despite the fact that there were easily forty runners, no one ran at the same pace as me.  I ended up joining two wonderful women who welcomed me to run with them at the end of the group.  However, they still run 10 minute miles.  I tried my hardest to keep up, but after only a mile, I was dying.  I think the combination of the cold weather (it was 35 degrees on Saturday morning) and the pace really killed me.

Although this group run really disappointed me, I will not give up on my quest to find a running group that fits my needs.  A running friend told me that running  groups are a lot like dating:  "You have to keep trying them out and dumping the losers until you find the right one".  While this running group isn't the right fit right now, we may have a future together down the road.   

Heather

Becoming a Runner

I have always been athletic.  However, my love for sports and the outdoors never translated into a love for running.  Although I have enjoyed quick jogs to clear my head or to enjoy a beautiful day, I never made it more than a few miles without completely running out of breath.  I was just happy to make it around the neighborhood and accepted this as the way it would always be.

Everything changed when I decided to train for a half marathon.  It all started three months ago when my mom had the crazy idea to run the Columbus Half Marathon.  Soon after she shared her goal, it snowballed into a family event.  My sister, Christina, her boyfriend, Jesse, and I all signed up to run with her.  I thought that it would be a great challenge to take on as a family but never thought that I could actually do it.  After training, I managed to finish my first half marathon with a time of 2:45.  I signed up to support my mom but in the end I found a love for running.

 

Me, Mom and Christina after our first Half Marathon

I decided to create this blog to serve as my running log.  I want to be able to record my progress, create a sense of accountability and hopefully inspire others as I continue on my journey as a runner.

Heather