En *courage* ment

It means so much. To have someone Encourage me. I had been unsuccessful in thinking of a good way to start my "E" week until I ran my second 5K race Sunday morning in nearby Central Park. I'm going to need 10 months of en-COURAGE-ment to meet my new goal. Disney Half Marathon, January 10, 2009, 6:00 a.m.

(What I'm really going to need is a kick in the ass to get out of bed at "0-dark:thirty" so that I can be on the race course! I am a NIGHT runner. Oh, wait. I will be running in the dark; I just won't go to bed on Friday night!)

Sunday, I ran the 5K for a great cause, "C.O.P.S." I pick my races carefully, and this one was appropriate since it benefited an organization that honors the fatal sacrifices made by cops and their families. Of course, I didn't get any encouragement from guys on the Plantation PD team; they were too much into competing with each other to even notice I was on the course. Sheesh.

But, rounding the last bend on the lake in Central Park, just before entering the track for a final lap, I was greeted by one lone woman, about my age, who was standing there clapping loudly and shouting out my race number, yelling, "Way to go 84. Looking good! Keep going." Her encouragement meant so much to me. I was still feeling pretty strong at that point and knew I would finish the race. Yet having someone acknowledge my efforts motivated me to run even harder. I finished the race at a pace that was 30 seconds faster per minute than my first 5K just three weeks ago; I did not get injured; and I ran the entire race. I'm proud. (Even came in ahead of some of the PD guys!)

There have been a lot of people in my life who have encouraged and motivated me. This month, especially, En *courage* ment seems to be a theme. A salute herewith to:

• Dr. Frank and his veterinary staff at 9 Lives Cat Hospital for saving and taking such good care of Pooper cat.
• All my on-line Weight Watchers forum friends on the "Been There, Done That" Maintenance Board. A wonderful sisterhood of women struggling with life, families, jobs, and (oh, yes!) weight issues.
• Donna and Nancy: two of the most inspirational, motivational, and genuinely KIND women I know; they are much more than my "bosses" - they are friends.
• Mom and Dad: who have encouraged me in EVERYTHING I do.
  
• Diane: My Amrit yoga teacher, who gently reminds me every week to "be in the moment" and just accept myself for who I am, with no criticism, no judgment (and who allows me to stand on my head in class whenever students are doing other things.)
• Gianni. Always Gianni. He constantly tells me that I am, "THE BEST PIP". But I can never hear it enough. I know that he'll be standing somewhere among the masses at the Finish Line in Epcot next January when I come across the line at Disney - especially since he'll be the one kicking my butt out of bed to be there. That is enough en-COURAGE-ment for me.
  

Pretty Important Personal Things

I cannot believe it's been a week since I've posted anything. And what a week it has been! New computers, more training runs, trip planning, a dead fish and serious vet visits for Pooper cat (telling time later; still too tough to deal with), and more.

Started out last week with helping dad pick out and buy a new PC. (Isn't it always more fun to spend someone else's money?) His new HP system is really slick (especially the monitor), even if the O/S is Windows Vista. I swear I'm gonna upgrade and buy a new laptop someday soon (this one is 5 year ancient!). When I do, I'm seriously considering a MAC! Of course, with dad's new system, I had to try and learn all the nuances of Vista so I could configure it to be "user friendly." That took 4 hours on Saturday, another 2 hours of training today, and we're still not done! But it's a lot of fun, and I really enjoy the quality time with dad.

In between computer stuff, I have been maintaining my training runs. I have another 5K race in 11 days! For anyone reading this who is even remotely interested, my running stats on the left sidebar tell only part of the story (albeit they do show consistency and increased mileage). I'm now trying to run 5 days/week, 15-20 miles total. I still want to run Disney Half Marathon in January 2009.

But today I saw a sign in Starbucks (while buying my triple grande coffee latte) about an ultra marathon, a 100 mile race from Key Largo to Key West, including running the Seven Mile Brige. Now doesn't this look like a lot of fun? Talk about a beautiful course. Why not? Who says I have to run the whole thing? The Inaugural Race is May 18, this year. Well, that's not gonna happen. Who knows about next year? A girl has to have goals, right?

Busy planning two business trips to Tallahassee and Las Vegas (with an Albuquerque side trip to visit Linda). I really want to see the homage to the Beatles, as performed by Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage, but I have to convince Gianni the $150 tickets are worth it (guess I'll be playing those "Slots for Dummies" machines again) and that he can see the show and still have enough sleep time before his meetings.

Coolest thing, though, is my new personalized license plate for the Audi. It came today. Guess you would have to know Gianni and I to understand our nicknames for each other. But this one says it all about me: a diver, a queen angelfish, a dive flag, REEF endorsement, and my nickname.

Self-Competition; Silent Victories

OK. I've been silent too long about it. I kind of wanted to secretly enjoy my "WIN" in the 5K race I ran on Sunday Super Bowl morning. (What a game! Eli Manning was phenomenal; Tom Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks - ever. And the 1972 Miami Dolphins still rock perfect!)

I have now met my first mini-goals, set last October:
1. I am not injured (race nor training).

2. I finished my first 5K race (in 5 years!)

3. I RAN the entire race: for me, no walking allowed.

4. I finished under an 11:00 pace. OK. The "official results" show me at 11:06. But, sheesh .... it took Gianni and I an entire minute to wind our way through the starting line crowd of walkers! So, that's a 33:25 race. A pace of 10:47, by my records.

5. I managed to sprint across the Finish Line - and TWO SECONDS faster than Gianni. I can't believe it. I am SO proud of my husband. But sometimes I really hate men. He's in great shape. Runs (if he thinks about it or feels like it) maybe twice a week -- and then, just around the block (1.4 miles), including a warm-up walk of about 1/4 mile. ..... So, Gianni does NO training for the race. He has not run a 5K distance in 5 years. And he ran BETTER than I did! It's not fair. He even stopped and walked a little in the second half. But he was STILL ahead of me. Until the Finish Line. Tee Hee.

6. Wow. I actually "placed" 7th in my sex/age group. Of course, there were only 25 old ladies like me IN my age group. But anyway. And I don't think the winner's pace is unrealistic for me to meet -- a 9:13 pace is doable. With more training. Speed work. And no injuries.

Next race: Sunday, 2/24. The COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors) Race, right here in lovely Plantation. Running through Central Park and finishing on the track. With a lot of good looking cops and good runners. (Yeah. Like I needed more competition right now.)