Running just as fast as I can...

First order of business: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

Second order of business: All female runners/triathletes, and males with female runner/triathlete friends and significant others MUST check out my friend Pattie's jewelry. I purchased some pieces from her recently and they are fabulous! She does custom requests too and is so easy and pleasant to work with.

Apparently, I'm kinda a fast runner: I ran the Run Wild 5k on Saturday, thanks to my fellow coach Dave, who wanted someone to push him during the race. Well, that was a joke because he took off and there was no catching him! But I did my best to run as fast as I could in the heat and humidity, hoping to run in under 25 minutes. I ran 24:41, which is a 7:58 pace. I was very pleased, and very exhausted. This was an official 5k race PR for me, though I did run the first leg of a duathlon about 10 seconds faster. It was also about 40 degrees colder during that race, but I digress...

So, Dave and I were hanging out after we finished, watching other runners and refueling (Michelob Ultra at 8:30 am on a steamy morning after a race is delicious!). Once I felt like I might be able to stomach some food, we walked over to the restaurant that was serving breakfast tacos. I happened to notice that race results were posted on the window, so I checked out my official time. I found my age group and by habit looked at the middle of the list first, since this is where I usually am. I did not see my name and my first thought was that my time was not recorded. Then I happened to look at the top of the list...there I was, the third-place finisher for my age group. Holy crap! I never thought I'd place in a running event, ever! I yelled to Dave "I finished 3rd!!" and he said I get an award for that. No way!! Hardware!! You know I love hardware, and when it is for placing, that's even sweeter. I was so freakin' excited! And thanks to Dave for being just as excited for me and for treating me to a celebratory breakfast. And thanks to my running friends who offered their congrats on Facebook. I really appreciated that!

In other running news: I've really become focused on sticking to my training schedule during the week. I have been getting in a few miles in the mornings and am already feeling stronger. Plus, I've lost the 5 pounds I somehow gained and was very pissed about, so I'm happy. I'm also going to incorporate a modified version of P90X into my workout routine, primarily to get the core, stretching, plyometrics (jumping), yoga, kenpo (kick-boxing-ish workout) and light weight training elements. No way am I doing the full program as I have no intention or desire to become "ripped," but I'll keep you posted on how this progresses. I think I'm going to enjoy the challenge of getting in two workouts a day a few times a week. After all, I do have high school reunion #2 coming up in October...