4.4 miles and I'm still alive... barely

When we moved to East Nashville, Cheyenne started running with a running group called the East Nasty Running Club.  This is a group of people that get together and run different routes every Wednesday.  You don't have to be a member or pay dues, you just show up and run.  Pretty cool. Though I have started "running" (I put that in parenthesis because I'm not sure I'm really running.  Maybe exaggerated walking?), I have never considered running with this group because these are 6,7, and 8 minute milers.  No thank you.

One day Cheyenne told me about another group that runs with the East Nasty group called the Lasty Nasty. This group starts their run 15-20 min before the main group and these are typically the beginner (read: slower) runners. And since their group name makes me laugh, I decided to give it a chance.

I debated about doing this week's run because it was going to be 4.4 miles and the farthest I have ever gone is 3.  But I sucked it up, gathered my small bit of courage (new groups and people make me uncomfortable) and went. I arrive at 5:40 ish and wait to begin. I thought there would be some big announcement and we would all start together.  I noticed one group of people just start running. No announcements, no grand gestures, they just started running.  Was I supposed to follow them? Shortly after that another group just started, again no words, just started running. I looked around and realized it was just me and the Kenyans regular East Nasties (the 7 min milers...) and it freaked me out because I do not want to run with them! They will kill my self esteem and I will get left behind and then later murdered in the park! So, like a stalker, I just started running and caught up to the group that had just left.

I must say that running in a group is definitely easier.  I was in a group of about 7-8 people and at the 11 minute mark my Map My Run app told me we'd reached the first mile.  WHAAAATTT? Amazing for this 12:30-13 minute miler!  I started chatting with this older man and that helped pass the time as well.  He agreed with me that running is terrible and he also hates every minute of it.  We are totally BFF now.  My running soulmate.

I ran the first 2 miles without stopping, but soon the East Nashville hills came along and I just had to stop and walk.  I felt bad about that, but then I remembered that I'm out there, and I'm doing it, and to "shut up brain! I'm moving and I'm not on the couch eating M&M's like I'd really rather be doing, so shut up!" 

After a brief walking session I started running again and let me just tell you now, trying to run again after a walk break might be harder than just running the whole time.  I was pretty sure my running BFF had strapped weights to my feet while I wasn't looking.  Is he trying to sabotage me?!?! Why does it feel like my feet are 10lbs heavier?  Holy crap, that was hard.  But again, I just kept going.  I'd like to say I only took one walk break and finished strong, but I didn't.  I finished my 4.4 miles with intervals of running and walking.  Toward the end my foot started hurting, so I walked a bit more toward the end, but I did run the last part of the run and to the finish.  You have to finish strong, always.  

I finished my 4.4 miles in 54 minutes, with an average of a 12:19 minute mile.  That's pretty good considering my 5k was like a 12:35 mile.

I'm a firm believer in "pictures, or it didn't happen"  So here's my proof. :)

Cheyenne ran with the Kenyans East Nasty group and finished in 34 minutes...


While pushing the kids in a double-stroller....



Seriously, there is nothing this man cannot do.  However, it still did not impress Miss Adelyn.

Let me tell you how AWESOME she was when we woke her up to put her in the car...(sarcasm)

It is now the next day and my foot is aching and my knees and legs are sore.  Cheyenne says that's normal, but I think he might be lying.  Or just telling me it's normal so I will shut up and stop complaining. 

Now, if I could just stop shoving crap into my face maybe I could actually lose some weight.  But the lure of M&M's is still strong my friends.... I'm working on it though.

On a COMPLETELY random note, when I went to pick the kids up from daycare yesterday, I pulled in behind a lady parked like this:

I mean, why?  Why do you even do that? I was not parked there first, so she had plenty of room to just pull in and park straight. Did she just pull up and go "eh, good enough."? I am baffled by people that do things like this. I don't know why the way people park gets me so fired up, but it just does. It's just common decency to not park your car in the middle of the road.  Seriously.  

Sorry, random, but I had to get that off my chest.  I'm a venter.

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