It's All About the Base!

Here I am with Ricky B., after we raced together as part of our Ainsley's Angels team at the St. Patrick’s 5K in Biloxi.

It’s all about the base!

The month of March has been very busy. I continue to work on building a base for the most important 20 weeks of training. I enjoy training, however, I become so focused on the long-range plan I sometimes forget to enjoy running.

This month I have made a list of races, running and triathlons, that I want to do before summer. I began to race again, but now with a different focus: I want to go out and have some fun.

I participated in the Arbor Day Race, and the St. Patrick Day race, as part of teams of runners who push special needs individuals. It has been so much fun to be part of “Ainsley’s Angels,” a group that was started to include individuals who aren’t able to run, but love to feel the wind in their faces, and participate. In the Arbor Day race our team pushed Shelby. She had her own music for her chair and we sang and had a great time.

The second race was the St. Patrick’s Day 5K in Biloxi. Our team pushed Rickey B, in a super size, pink chair. Once again we had music.

We sang and sometimes danced on the course. Both riders ended up with trophies to take home.

A few weeks ago a new race for New Orleans, the Best Damn Race, was advertised and a couple of friends and I signed up for it. The medals were awesome, which is why we signed up. We all placed in our age groups, and walked over to the French Quarter for brunch after. I will definitely go back for this race, maybe do the half marathon next year.

In the next month I am participating in a 40-mile ride, a sprint triathlon, and a couple of 5Ks, and a 10K. During Lent I organized a program for our Church on Health and Wellness. Each Wednesday evening we have a program, with topics on setting goals, whether for weight loss, or just getting healthy, nutrition, reading nutrition labels, stress management, health issues, and how exercise and spirituality go together. We are having group walks on Tuesday mornings, and Thursday evenings.

My training plan is ramping up, and I am doing more intervals, both on the bike and in my runs. Last week I was at a track to do some intervals, and my coach inadvertently put down the wrong time for my sprint. I was supposed to run 2 x 5 minute intervals at a 7:40 pace. I had done that pace for a minute or more on the treadmill, but there was no way I could do it for 5 minutes. Turns out he meant 9:40 for 10 minutes. My phone was buzzing on the track to tell me 9:40 pace. After trying to get to 7:40 it was a piece of cake going 9:40.

It is going to be a busy spring and summer.