My "baby's" first 5K

Today was SO incredibly special for me. My 10 year old son ran his first 5K. We ran side by side for 3.1 miles. He was so excited to get to run with me. Months ago he had told me that he wanted to run with me. And when his school's annual 5K date was announced, I thought it was the perfect opportunity.

His PE teacher even organized a running club that met once a week for 8 weeks in order to prepare for the race. So I signed him up for the club and the race...and this morning we laced up our shoes and ran together! He had really listened to his teacher's during club and to the advise I had given him and as we started out he keep a good pace without trying to sprint right away. As a classmate of his sprinted past us at about .6 of a mile in, he yelled to her, "You have to save your energy for the end of the race." Another runner-mom looked over at me and knowingly smiled. My heart was just bursting! The first mile went by quickly and my little man did remarkably well. Just after that he wanted a "break". So I talked him into another half mile where we took a walk break at the water station. As we neared the final mile, I had to do a lot of talking to keep him in the running zone and not the walking zone. But as long as I was willing to run...so was he. :) The last tenth of a mile we ran strong...talking about how his little brother was going to be so excited to see us cross the finish line!! His pace got stronger and quicket and he literally had a spring in his step! Near the finish line...I pulled up just a bit and let him finish ahead of me. :) He was so very proud to have completed the race. And I don't think I could have been any more proud of him!!!

Later that night we went to dinner out to celebrate the accomplishment of the day. And after ordering I presented him with a medal I had ordered online. The race didn't provide medals at the finish (as most 5Ks don't) but I wanted him to have a momento of the race and his accomplishment. He showed it to anyone and everyone who would listen and look. There are many days that I am proud as a runner but today I got to be a proud runner and an even prouder mom. I am so grateful to have shared this experience and this love of mine with my son. I look forward to more running with him in the years to come and hope that this is the beginning of a lifelong passion and healthy habit for him!

XOXO - Jenn

Squeeze Play

I am really trying to be committed to my training plan. Really I am. But my schedule right now is SO busy with all things non-running related...and let's face it....I live in one of the craziest traffic locations on the planet! So I spend a LOT of time in my car driving to and from....well....everywhere! So....in an effort to try to be more committed to my running....I am trying to squeeze in a run every chance I can get. For example. This week my son had his first orchestra concert. It was on a night when I would normally run at the gym (on a treadmill-ack) after I picked up my boys. But that was out of the question. So...I took my running shoes to work....and got in a 3 mile run after I finished up working but before I had to pick up my younger son to go attend the concert. That only worked out because I got to go pick him up later since the older one was already at school for the concert and I didn't have to pick him up too. But boy was it brutal. My office is in a neighborhood that is full of crazy hills! But I did it...and that is the point. Then again today I had a slim margin of time between work and picking up my boys....and I squeezed in another 2.5 miles. And I would have squeezed in more but a nasty thunderstorm rolled in and I had to retreat to be safe. So that's where I am now....getting the miles in where I can. Soon it will be summer and a more leasurely pace will be upon me. Boy I can't wait!

XOXO - Jenn

Magical Garmin Watch

Ok so for my birthday I got a WONDERFUL gift. A Garmin Forerunner watch. Now for you non-runner folks out there...this watch uses satellites to track

the distance I have run and keep the time I have been running and let's me know the pace I am currently running at as well. Additionally it has a heart rate monitor that I can put on and keep track of my heart rate during my run as well. Truth be told, I was looking to buy a simple GPS watch for myself...but this is SOOOO much nicer!!! And apparently it is also magic :)

Magic? Yep! Today was the first day I could use my new training tool (not a toy - ok so it is definitely cool enough to be a toy). I got home from work and changed into my running gear as quickly as possible. The weather was just slightly cool and overcast. A very nice evening to get a run in. As I headed into the run, I felt good. My last couple of runs both outside and on the treadmill have felt pretty good actually so this wasn't too big a surprise. After almost a mile I looked down at my new cool watch....and could not believe that it said the time it said! How could that be? How was I going to have run a mile in less than 9 minutes? Even better...as I finished the run (some 3.5 miles later), it was just over 31 minutes since I started!! My pace was 8:54 min/mi!!!! I have NEVER run that fast!!! Love love love my magical Garmin watch and can't wait to get in another outdoor run to use it again :)

XOXO - Jenn

Life is NOT a Dress Rehearsal

This weekend I celebrated my 36th birthday. That's right, I am NOT afraid to admit that I am now closer to 40 than to 30. I am also not afraid to admit that I have learned a LOT about myself, life, happiness, and love in the last few years. Probably all of those pieces of information might have served me well during my first 30ish years of life. But I am so happy with where I am in my life and who I am, that I would not give up any of the experiences I have had....they helped make me who I am :) As a part of my birthday, I got a LOT of email from various organizations I belong to wishing me happy birthday. Most of these are nice gestures but have little or no substance (except for that great Red Box coupon) with one very big exception.

A few months back I started using SparkPeople to help me track my mileage and fitness in general in hopes of dropping some pounds and getting in better shape. The email they sent to me for my birthday was inspiring and possibly habit changing. The message they sent was a reminder of the old saying that "life is not a dress rehearsal". But it begged the question, they why do we treat it like it is? Why do we put business ahead of balance or working ahead of wellness? This message asked me to think about my life in this exact moment and shuffling my priorities this year to put health and happiness ahead of other goals that might not be as important. That really spoke to me. Late March and April were NOT good training months for me. My mileage suffered. I have been down on myself for that suffrage and losing sight of the bigger goal of the half marathon on June 2nd. The only things about running that have been positive lately are the outdoor runs I am able to do now that it is warmer and the fact that my pace time continues to get smaller even in spite of the lack of total miles. I needed a reminder like this message to give me a little push. So that message, and the gift of my new Garmin Forerunner watch (a special shout out to my amazing friend to thank you for the incredible birthday present!!!), have flipped my motivation switch. Last night I got in a great 7 mile run at a pace I am proud of (9:53) and felt fantastic! I am looking forward to the next 5 weeks of training and I head into my next half marathon. Looking to reduce my PR in the half by another 5-10 min and I now feel an increase in motivation to do it. So bring on tomorrow and my next training run! My dress rehearsal is officially over, its time for the real deal. Get busy living! :)

XOXO - Jenn

The Bridge

Ah the Seven Mile Bridge. I signed up for it....really I wanted to run it. To be able to have that experience....I truly wanted it. What I did not sign up for was the extra 1/2 mile that the leg actually was. Now you might be thinking....Jenn you just ran 9 miles (2 miles before the bridge plus the bridge) why does it make a difference? Well you answered your own question ;) The third leg of a race and for the last half mile I just kept thinking something was dreadfully wrong....where was the promised end of the bridge?

As you can tell by my intro...it was not my finest hour. The beginning of the leg felt really good. I ran confidently toward the bridge and even paused on the running trail that led under the bridge to take a sunrise picture (which turned out even better than I planned). But by 1 mile onto the bridge (with 6 miles left in the leg) my stomach pulled a nasty trick on me. I was in more pain than I have ever been in during a run. And with no van support, I just had to keep on running and convince myself that as soon as this was over I just had to kick back until we got to Key West. I was disappointed in the longer time it was taking me to complete the bridge than I had wanted to but I did try to distract myself with the amazing experience I was having. Every once in a while I would look over the edge and take in the wonder of the ocean and the gulf on either side of me (Gulf was on the right and Atlantic on the left). All in all....a slow 9.64 miles but an experience unlike any other I have ever had. Now on to the van to wait for the final four of van 1 then on to Key West!

XOXO, Jenn

Van 1 Finally Done Leg 2

I am completely honest in my blog. And I am going to keep it that way now. The last half hour of our van's "ownership" of leg 2 was truly scary. I had nodded off in the middle seat of the van while our #4 runner Robin slept in the far back. Jay, Lisa, and Mike were all awake and watching and waiting for Julia to run by us so we could give her water at about the 5 mile mark of her 8 mile leg. Shortly after I awoke from my snooze....the team was in a state of realization that something was wrong. We never saw Julia come by the van. We were parked in a fast food lot, right on the road, and had seen dozens of other runners come by. But no Julia. We called ahead to Van 2 to see if by some crazy circumstance, Julia had been much faster than we thought and she was finished the leg. She hadn't. So we drove back to the previous exchange....scouring the trail on the side of the road for her. No sign. We then turned around and went all the way to the finish and looped back again. There were parts of the runner's trail we couldn't see traveling Southbound so we had to go back North. Finally....just more than a mile out....there she was! Trucking along. How we missed her and she missed us we will never know. I am just OH SO GRATEFUL she is back with the team now! After a quick exchange on a high school track to Jon in Van 2...our van is settling in for the night. Those clearance rack sleeping bags we bought on Thursday night sure are the most comfy spot in the world right now :) Van 2 is now in control of our fate for the next 6 hours or so.....time for whatever sleep I can get. See you in the AM...probably after I conquer the 7 mile bridge....Jay has a very quick 3 miles so my time will be very short before I get after that bridge. Eep!!! How will I sleep now?? :)

XOXO - Jenn

Van 1 Nearly Done

I started writing this while sitting at a middle school somewhere in the upper keys. Robin, our #4 runner, was on the course. Her leg was 11.8 miles.  Right now Lisa has about 2 miles left. That leaves us with only Julia and 7.8 miles before we sleep.

I am happy to report that while I really didn't get to see any alligators as I headed into the Everglades...I did get to have amazing scenary. The picture I am attaching is one I stopped and took of moonrise in the Everglades.

The terrain was rough....very rocky gravel....but I so enjoyed the experience of no traffic except for the Ragnar vans.  I also enjoyed the company of a man named Tom who ran alongside me for 2 miles.  I had already passed 2 boys on the course so I was eager not to let him pass me. After a few paces he asked where I was from....leading to pleasant conversation for the last 2 miles and my mind off the logistics of the run itself. Hope I see him again on the bridge in the am.  I finished that 4.89 mile run in 54:10. That's slightly faster than my first leg...and I am hoping to improve on it in the last leg.  More in the AM.

XOXO - Jenn

Van 1 Back in Action

After some well earned food and a brief snooze on the concrete at the Homestead Motor Speedway...Van 1 has taken over again. Jay is running strong....inching me closer to my date with the gators :). I am feeling pretty rested and ready to go...and hoping to make up some time this leg.  More later about the other team we are racing against :). For now....hope you enjoy the picture of my Leg 2 t shirt :)

XOXO - Jenn

Van 1 2/3 Done Leg 1

Our fifth runner Lisa took to the course about 10 min ago. That makes us 2/3 done our first leg. We had to be up super early (left the hotel at 430 am) to get our safety lecture and start our lead runner at 6.

This year I am runner 2 so there was not much time to watch and wait because as soon as thevrace started I was on deck. Before I knew it...Jay was slapping the exchange bracelet on me and I was off for a 4.4 mile tour if some sketchy parts of Miami. I really enjoyed the comradery I got to have with several of the runners along the way.  Its one of the best things about this race....people from all over the country who share a love of running and adventure!

The run was interesting....a section of town that was not the safest...some stomach issues that slowed me down....and a pedestrian bridge that required me to climb up 2 flights of stairs!! :). I finished up in 49:20 minutes. Slower than I would have liked by about 4 minutes. I plan to make that up in the everglades tonight :).

More updates soon!

XOXO - Jenn

The Time Has Come

It is now 430 AM and my team (van 1 any way) is on our way to the start line for our security briefing.  Our first runner, Jay will kick us iff at 6 AM.  Along the way I will be updating this blog, my twitter feed, and facebook status. My team will also be updating our twitter and flickr accounts. I hope you will enjoy our updates and progress in the race. I look forward to catching up with all of you when we return :)

Jenn's Updates:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/jspon0707
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jsponheimer

Team Updates:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/MDAthleticAssoc
Twitter - http://twitter.com/TheMDAA
Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/TheMDAA

XOXO - Jenn

100 Mile Finish and 10 Year Old Pride

Yesterday was fantastic!!! I ran a 5K in 32:34....not a personal record (PR) but a time I am happy with. The weather was beautiful and for the last day in December....it was actually kind of warm. I was lucky enough to have my parents come down for the race. They drove out with my boys and I and then took part in the family festivities that the race organizers had set up while I ran. There is nothing quite like having my two little boys standing on the sidelines scouring the crowd of runners for their mom. I ran by them at the start and they were both so excited when I took them by surprise and shouted out to them. That definitely gave me a little extra shot of energy as I took off for the race :)

There wasn't much very memorable about the race itself. The course was relatively flat with just a few gentle hills. There was a good size pool of runners but not so many that I felt crowded. I even took this race as the opportunity to try out the new water belt I got for Christmas. I didn't need it for a 5K but I will certainly need it for the 7 mile bridge next week so I thought I would give it a try and get used to the way it feels and the extra weight. It was absolutely perfect. Not too much weight even with 4 full bottles....didn't get in the way of my arm swing.....and didn't move around while I ran. Should be all set for the bridge :)

Towards the end of the race, there was a point where they were directing the 10K runners off to one side and the 5K runners to the other. It was so strange to not be running the longer distance. I have always run the longer distance. This day....I just went for the shorter....got my 100 miles and greeted my excited children at the finish line. I was so pleased to have my boys standing before the finish. They both spotted me early enough to put out their hands for me to "high five". I was really moving toward the end. Sprinting to get across the finish quickly. I had a moment where I worried I would high five one and not the other. But I got them both :) After crossing the finish, I quickly moved to the side and into the crowd looking for their little faces. They ran up to me and both threw their arms around me to hug me! My 10 year old looked up at me and said he was so proud of me! That's when the tears came. I had thought that I would cross the finish line and tear up at the idea that I had actually run 100 miles this year. But that passed without much emotion. Maybe its because I was trying to get that PR and lost sight of the 100 miles temporarily. Or maybe its because I was focused on seeing my boys at the finish. Who knows? But I do know how amazing it felt to have my son understand what I had done that day....that year....and be proud of me. New goals for the new year to come in another post later this week. For today....just basking in what I did this year.

XOXO - Jenn