11th Race: Run Amuck August 14, 2010

Location: Quantico
Registration: $30
Cause: U.S. Marine Corp.
http://www.marinemarathon.com/MCM_Event_Series/Run_Amuck.htm

Time: 48 minutes

This was a great, 3.5 mile race full of all kinds of Marine-esque obstacles such as flutter kicks, a wall climb, tires, jumping jacks, mud pits and army crawls all while Marines yelled at you in stereotypical fashion.  I have to admit this was a really hard race, it definitely proved to me how out of shape I was.  Thank goodness for Dean and Randy who stuck with me, I can't say as much for my sister, who when I had to walk just rolled her eyes and kept on going.  She definitely got the competitive gene in the family.  But I think I got the fun gene, bring on more adventure races:)

"Retreat, hell we just got here!" ~ Captain Lloyd Williams, USMC at the Battle of Belleau Wood WWI

10th Race: Freedom 5k July 3, 2010

Location: Culpeper
Registration: $25
http://www.culpeper4thofjuly.com/5krace.htm
Cause: Culpeper Festival
Time: 34 minutes

Running is such a good metaphor for life. Some days are wonderful, you feel great, like you are on top of the world.  And other days are just plain rough, it seems like the whole world is against you.  Well my first July 4th race was one of those "bad days".  I was recovering from a kidney infection so I wasn't feeling the greatest and between the 95 degree heat and serious Culpeper hills (who knew), I felt terrible.  But just like in life, excuses will get you nowhere and if you can just finish, push through and overcome the rough times, the good days will be that much sweeter.  Happy Birthday America!


Ginny, Me, Randy, Mr. Hig, Judy, Dean, Jonathan, Carly

There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.  ~William J. Clinton

9th Race: Pacemakers 5k June 6, 2010

Location: Airlie
Registration: $25
Cause: Fauquier Free Clinic
Time: 33 minutes

This is the first race I ran with my sister, Ginny.  It is true that running can bring everyone together!  There was also a kids fun run at this race and it was a delight to see my niece and nephew out there.  They had a blast and Jenna, my niece, actually came in second place with a stellar performance.  She will be out running me in no time. 

 "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." -Anthony Brandt

8th Race: Race to Victory 5k May 22, 2010

Location: Bristow, VA
Registration: $25
Cause: Victory Lakes Elementary School
Time: 32 minutes

I met Carly and our friend Randy Lee at this race.  You started at the elementary school, ran around the lake and back.  This was actually the first race where I ran the whole time and didn't have to walk.  Sadly my time was no faster but it was still an accomplishment.  My favorite memory of this race was all the little kids that ran.  It is was nice to see so many kids and their parents out being active together.  To get on my soapbox for a minute, far too many of our youth spend their days sitting in front of the t.v. playing video games and eating crud instead of going outside, playing sports, just running and being kids.  Parents, I know life is busy but encourage your children to be active, it will save their lives and make them better, happier adults. 

A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.  ~Winnie the Pooh

7th Race: Filthy 5k May 14, 2010

Location: Belle Isle, Richmond
Registration: $35
Cause: James River Fund
http://www.dominionriverrock.com/
Time: Something over an hour

My good friend Carly, from high school, and I signed up for this race.  The "Filthy 5K", we couldn't resist.  This was a Friday afternoon race as part of Richmond's Dominion River Rock festivities.  You started out on Brown's Island, ran over Lee's Bridge, over the James River, through Belle Isle and back.  There were a series of obstacles, trails, and mud pits you had to cross along the way.  This was a very popular race and it reminded me a little like a roller coaster ride.  You ended up waiting in line a lot as people made it through the various obstacles, which gave you some time to breathe and think about what was looming ahead.  Overall though this was a great race.  Carly and I had a blast and my mom had a lot fun watching and laughing at us.

"There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud." -Carl Sandburg

6th Race: Culpeper 5k May 8, 2010

Location: Old House Vineyards
Registration: $25
Cause: Culpeper Parks and Recreation
Time: 34 minutes

Is it sad that my favorite part of this race was the wine tasting afterwards, haha.  This was a hot but pretty race through Old House Vineyards.  I attempted to stay with Carly for this race but only made it a mile before I had to walk.  A low-key, simple race with about 150 people and like I said good wine at the end:)

Days of wine and roses laugh and run away, Like a child at play.

 Johnny Mercer (1909-1976) Days of Wine and Roses

5th race: Alexandria Running Festival 5k May 2, 2010

Location: Alexandria
Registration: $25
Cause: Marathon Charity Cooperation
Time: 32 minutes

On a high from the amazing Monument 10k, Team Rainbow Sherbet was ready to take on the world.  The original four members voted on official pig names (Sara: Piglet, Erin: Hamm, Abby: Petunia, Linda: Wilbur) and started scheduling our race calendar.  Being that Erin and Abby aka Hamm and Petunia both lived in Alexandria this race seemed only appropriate.  Unfortunately, being that Linda was still living in South Carolina and traveling a lot for field hockey, she was not able to make this race.  But no worries she was with us in spirit.

And in true TRS fashion we recruited another pig and my oldest, dearest friend Beth, to join our team:) 

At the start line for this race, we met a lady who informed us that she was trying to run forty races before she turned forty (sound familiar) and actually would finish this race only to hop on the metro and go to another race in D.C.  Erin ended up running with her and hearing her very cool and inspirational story to which I won't even attempt to butcher, but as you may have guessed this is the race where I started my goal.  A nice up and back course down Eisenhower Avenue with only one decent hill at the beginning and end.  Beth was kind enough to run with me as a struggled through this one.  

On a better note, Erin won her age group at this race, kicking total ass and well the after party was a blast!

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

4th Race: Ukrops Monument Ave.10k March 27, 2010

Location: Richmond, VA
Registration: $30
Cause: Massey Cancer Center
Time: 64 minutes

This race will go down in my history as the absolute best race ever and the beginning of Team Rainbow Sherbet.  Now that I was getting into this whole running thing, I was getting really excited about my second Ukrops Monument 10k and really wanted to share my enthusiasm.  I recruited my best friend Linda, from college, to run with me.  And through the geniuses of Facebook she was able to recruit Abby and Erin, more awesome friends from college.  As we shared emails about the 10k, we decided that we needed to dress up for this race, you know make a real statement.  We decided on crazy, bright colors and as Linda so perfectly put it, "we need to look like Rainbow Sherbet", alas Team Rainbow Sherbet was formed!

Linda was living in South Carolina at the time and decided what better way to add to our race attire than Piggly Wiggly shirts.  I mean who isn't Big on the Pig?  So she got us all awesome shirts, first part complete!  But we needed more.  So the night before the race we took a trip to Walmart, what better place to find obnoxious, mis-matching, cheap attire.  And as you can see, the trip was a success:)

That evening, full on excitement and friendship, we all cuddled into our beds or air mattresses and dreamt of race day.  Luckily we awoke with as much enthusiasm as the night before.  And with the help of some 5-hour energy's, Team Rainbow Sherbet would be unstoppable.

The race was a huge success, with only a few moments of "I'm gonna die" and lots of people cheering "Go Piggly Wiggly":)  I finished last of the four of us but luckily Erin, who had been done for about 25 minutes, found me at the finish line and we had some fun while we "searched" for the rest of our team.

We found Linda and Abby and they joined us in the after party photo sessions...

And we couldn't leave without showing Lynchburg College some love (Go Hornets, Be Proud)...

And in True Team Rainbow Sherbet fashion we made the most of our time together, having an amazing lunch at a local Richmond establishment "Three Monkey's, followed by an afternoon soaking up sun and sipping beergaritas, a very interesting road trip to Mary Washington to pick up the littlest Johnson sister, and  concluding the day with a delightful grilled meal, a pretty sweet cake and a whole hell of a lot of laughs (as you can see Gus even got in on the fun).

I absolutely love these girls! And if I wasn't already starting to enjoy running, I was officially hooked.  And trust me when I say this is the first but not the last you will see of Team Rainbow Sherbet.

In every one's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.  It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.  We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.  ~Albert Schweitzer



3rd Race: Richmond SPCA Dog Jog and 5k March 20, 2010

Location: Richmond, VA
Registration: $25
Cause: Richmond SPCA
http://www.richmondspca.org/race
Time: 31 minutes

This was another race I did as part of my training for the Ukrops Monument 10k and also the first race I did by myself.  That is one of the coolest things about these races, you can show up completely by yourself and in no time you are among a thousand of your closet friends.  I loved this race.  Everyone brought their pups with them and it was so cute to see these little guys trotting along with their owners (or in many cases dragging their owners and sniffing the butts of their competitors).  Haha you have to love dogs they make the world seem like such a simpler place.

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. 

~Author Unknown

2nd Race: Kettle Run Cougar 5k March 6, 2010

Location: Old Town Warrenton

Registration: $25

Cause: Kettle Run Cross Country Team
Time: 33 minutes

 A lot happened and changed in the 12 months from my last race but somewhere in all of it I re-discovered running.   I knew I needed to immerse myself in something and well running was a better choice than alcohol, so I joined a training team in December of 2009 and started to actually train for my second Ukrops Monument Ave. 10k.  And ironically, through the pain and struggles, I started to enjoy running.  I looked forward to coming home after a long day and going for a jog.  I liked loading my i-pod with new, upbeat songs and discovering new hidden streets in Richmond.  I liked getting up on Saturday mornings and freezing my butt off with a hundred other people just trying to be a little healthier.  And I absolutely loved the feeling after a run when my adrenaline was still pumped up and all the problems, changes and questions didn't seem that important anymore.   

So as part of my training for the 10k, my second race was the Cougar 5k put on by an old high school friend to raise money for the Kettle Run Cross Country team and run though the streets of Old Town Warrenton.

Old friends from high school, teachers, and neighbors were all at this race and it was so neat to see us all together for the same reason.  Warrenton is a small but very hilly town and towards the end of this race you had to go up what is referred to as Academy Hill.  As you will find out later, I run in Warrenton a lot now and I still haven't dared to run Academy Hill, it is that intimidating.  So needless to say, this was a hard race, but I truly loved this race. I loved seeing old faces and running with old friends in a town that holds a very special place in my heart. 

Dan, Beth, Me, Carly, Jonathan, Joey

"The road to success runs uphill." -Willie Davis

1st Race: Ukrops Monument 10k March 28, 2009

 Location: Richmond
Registration: $30
Cause: Massey Cancer Center
Time: 74 minutes

I have had to do a lot of running in my days, from those suicides at volleyball practice in 7th grade to the miles upon miles we ran gearing up for field hockey season in college. But through all that I had never competed in a "race" much less attempted 6.2 miles at one time.  As stated in my disclaimor, running wasn't my first choice of fun activities.  And writing this now I can't actually remember how I ended up signing up for the Ukrops Monument 10k.  This was well before I started my goal and well before I enjoyed running.  Living in Richmond at the time I think it just seemed like the thing to do.  So Ted (boyfriend at the time and gentlemen in the neon yellow jumpsuit) and I signed up for our first 10k.  And with very, very little training I went out there and somehow finished.  I remember enjoying my first race with good friends, a wonderful family and an amazing atmosphere.  But it also took me a large meal, a long nap and almost 12 months of recovery before I laced up my running shoes again. 

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning". -Ivy Baker

Disclaimer

I am writing this disclaimer to anyone who might happen to read or stumble upon my "running" blog...I know absolutely nothing about running!  Actually it is only in recent months that I have even started to enjoy running.  For most of my past 29 years I have despised running.  Between having two P.E. teachers as parents, playing sports my whole life, and dating a very serious runner through college the whole concept of running was just a bother to me.  It was something I had to do as punishment, something you had to overcome to get to a bigger more exciting goal, or even worse something I just never understood.  So as I enter into this new found hobby of running, please bear with me and trust me when I say that I have no nutrition insights, no secrets to make you faster, no knowledge on proper running techniques, the best shoes to buy or what will make your stride longer.  All I can offer you is my journey, my memories and all the lessons I learn with each new mile.

"Never discount anything! Something you hate doing today may bring you great joy tomorrow."