Frederick Running Festival

Great to see so many smiling faces running in the 5k and Half Marathon this weekend. I had a great time doing back to back races 12 hours apart 5K at 6pm on Saturday and Half Marathon on Sunday at 7am. Well sorta a great time. The 5K was fun, but hot and humid for May in Maryland. I don't think I ever recovered from the humidity. I got home, grabbed a bite and drank water and gatorade and went to bed early. I ate a banana and tortilla at 3am and felt ok.

Then all HELL broke out. I did not expect any records or anything, but I thought I could easily run a 220 or 230 time because I had done that so many times in practice. I did not expect anything more than that and would be happy with the calorie burn and medals.

Well at mile 6, everything "fell apart." My tummy was NOT happy. I had to make my pit stop at the potty and then at mile 8 and mile 10 ....11. At mile 12, I thought all I can do is finish....I don't care if I have to skip to the finish, but I will get there. I FINISHED in 2hour54 min after walking the last 4 miles with stomach cramps, nausea, headache...etc.

My next half is not until Baltimore Half in Oct. I have plenty of time to revamp my entire eating strategy. I really don't care too much about time or PR, but I do care about not feeling well, happy and excited about my accomplishment.

For today, I am humble and grateful to have finished.

Comments

You Define Success*****

Today I must admit was an extra-ordinary day. I had the opportunity to do something I had never done before. I completed 2 endurance events back to back. I participated in the Maryland Sprint duathlon on Saturday and Olympic Distance on Sunday. This consisted of 39 miles of cycling uphill and 10 miles of running in back to back within 24 hours. For a few, this seemed like a walk in a park. See these events bring out the most talent athletes around. They look fast and have fancy bikes. I signed up for this race because a buddy asked me to do so. There I was. No fancy shoes. A bike that is 11 years old. No fancy outfit. NOTHING. I just said to myself, " Oh well, you defined what you want to get out of this." Oh course, I was totally intimidated by all the racers. I had not planned on doing this event. The course is very tough. I have not trained for much in the past few months, but exercise regularly for sanity. All I could do is ...

Healthy Tips for the Night RN

Imagine yourself walking into a hospital cafeteria between 6am-7pm. Fresh fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and proteins are available to patients, families, visitors and staff. Flashing signs decorate the café with slogans to remind customers to choose healthy options. By 6pm or 7pm, the café is closed. The lights are dim and all is quiet. The hospital personnel dwindles to essential staff only. Then here comes the night shift. All the doctors, nurses and personnel, who keep the inter-workings of the hospital functioning, begin their “day.” For night shift employees, their “day” begins at night. As a night nurse, you arrive at 7pm prepared to care for patients and handle any emergencies that may arise until shift change at 7am. Traditionally, the beginning of the shift is the busiest with night medication passes; preparing patients for surgery for the next day; conversing with family members prior to the end of v...

Rock n Roll:DC- Tired, Train, Trust-March 2016

After the long months of cold and over 30 inches of snow, I arrived at the Rock n Roll:DC half marathon. It was a blast. I had been tired from working consecutive night shifts and this event was on a Saturday unlike other half marathons I have run in the past, except Baltimore. I spent 2.5 hrs in traffic to pick up my packet on a Friday night . Between the traffic, security and all the training to get to this event, I was simply exhausted. Saturday was a brisk Spring day. I decided that I had done all I can to get me to the event healthy so I matters we'll have fun. I did. I listened to the sites and sounds of the bands and cheers of the spectators. Around mile 5-7, I turned up the music in my iPod. I knew what lay ahead. A huge hill by the National Zoo was gonna trying to beat me down. I felt like an old car with a manual stick shift gear system and powered it down. I made it up the hill and conserved energy for the second...

The Journey

Search This Blog