Shawn Nassaney - Recap

The opportunity to run with friends and meet virtual friends in real life is hard to pass up.  Even at the cost (time, training miles, and $$) of this race the Shawn Nassaney Memorial Run/Walk I couldn't pass up the opportunity.  Nicole encouraged me to sign up with her C25K group, it would be ok, we are all runners and it was the perfect opportunity to meet Connie in person too.  Connie, who lives in Providence, and Nicole hosted a pre-race breakfast at Connie and her husbands home, gave us time to chat chat and get to know a few other runners in person versus virtually.  Funny how people meet with seemingly not much in common, well running, via the wonders of  FB Connie and I have found we also have similar appreciation for Mr. Jack Daniels, needlework, as well as sarcasm!  Brilliant!!!  It was so nice to sneak some peeks at Connie's cross stitch samplers, I'm getting a little inspired to pull out some UFOs (UnFinished Objects) out of the craft closet....

It was a nice race, a bit of a confusing course with the two laps and the go left or right and the directional-ly challenged were very challenged.  I wasn't wearing my hardware so had a hard time telling my left hand from my right.  Fortunately I remembered I wear my Garmin on my left wrist so there was only a MOMENTARY panic about going left after lap 1 and right after lap 2. Unfortunately one of our group got completely turned around about which lap was what and shorted herself 1 mile and what we are all sure would have smashed her 5K PR.



This is actually a trail PR (31:16)  for me, and I am impressed with my speedy progression from mile 1 - 2  - 3 - 0.1.  Is it bad to feel proud of oneself? No, no Beth, it isn't.

I also had the thrill of meeting someone from the blogosphere in person!  Nice to meet Seth of Roots and Rocks and chat a bit about running and dogs.  He is a reluctant dog person.  I think we could get Jax and Oliver together and that could be interesting.  Jax is a handful, however the most friendly and active of our boxer crew.  Gizzy is edging up on his 13 year and a curmudgeon, preferring to spend his time hiking with me or whining at me about when is dinner.  Gus, well 18 months in "puppy prison" (the kennel) made him even more neurotic than he was when he went into "puppy prison" @ 15 months old, when his owners could not manage him any further and surrendered him to Northeastern Boxer Rescue.  Jax is the least damaged (his owner ran over him with his truck and decided it would be better to put him down rather than have the operation and rehab him - his left back leg was crushed, and you'd never ever know only when you see the gnarly scars) of the three we have and always looking for someone to play with. He could teach Oliver LOTS of bad habits, though...  Dave assures me he has been teaching his buddy Bob's labradoodle Baron plenty of bad habits.  LOL

Hi!  I'm Jax, let's play!

Enough on the dogs...  So... I figured it would be fine I could get my long run in on Sunday, my usual long run day and the usual Saturday afternoon bike ride with Dave.

Well, Julia, a woman I know through the Lung Cancer Alliance, her mom was diagnosed with Lung Cancer the same year (2007) my mother was, unfortunately she lost her mother a very short time after diagnosis. Julia threw everything she had into starting the Lung Cancer Alliance's Team Lung Love, which is how I've gotten to know Julia.  She set up a team for the Four Seasons Run of Hope 5K benefiting the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.  I know, I know, I vowed to not drive for longer than I was going to be running... well, this is Julia, and it is Lung Cancer, and it is an excellent networking opportunity and I've so wanted to run in Boston.  I signed up.  3 hours driving, a couple hours socializing, 30 minutes running kinda put the kibosh on the Sunday long run.

I went out for 15 this afternoon, I managed 11, I'm OK with that. I ran the Oak Street hill to Tower to make up for the lost miles.




I'll take a long bike ride once I get home on Sunday.  At least my lungs will get some exercise?  I swear the biking is helping my running or maybe it is all in my mind...  in any event, I am enjoying the biking IMMENSELY, the exercise, the new challenges, and yeah, new clothes.  My mom found it very funny this added benefit of a new sport, shopping.  Dave beat me to the punch with jerseys! Tuesday there were three  on the dining room table to greet me when I got home from work. What a guy!!

Yippieee! Heavy jersey for when it gets chillier, short sleeved with arm warmers, and long sleeved

So I'm all over the place, sorry about that...  I got in my trail 5K, 11 miles on the roads, and will be running a second 5K tomorrow in Boston with my sites on a nice 20 - 30 mile ride in the afternoon!  I'm going to need to go back to work to rest from my weekend!!!

Sincerely,
Beth, just a bit scattered....