10Kan 5K and Children's run

Well here it goes..... This was the First Novellis 10Kan Race. It featured a 10K, 5K and children races.

On Friday, the boys and their friend Larry, got to run in the children races. Why they had it on a separate day, I don't know. But I took 1/2 a day from work, picked up the boys from Elisabeth's as soon as they got off the bus, and headed to Oswego so they could run. It was an enjoyable time. They had air hops for the kids, face painting, a skateboard demo, and other things to keep them going. This was sponsored by the Oswego YMCA also. We meet Andy's friend Larry and his parents Kevin and Kathy Hatter. They are the one's how told us about the race.

How they had the races set up was very different. There was a 5 Year Old and Under race, a 6-7 Year Old race, a 8-9 Year old race, and 10-11 Year old race. Brian was in the 5 and Under race. They only had to go 70 yards. Brian can do alot more than that, but he was up for the challenge. They had the run in the baseball field. Brian asked me to wait for him at the finish line. "I'm OK by myself" were the words out of his mouth. So I go to the opposite side of the field to wait for him. The official says go......about 30 little kids take off. It was so funny to see. Here is my son, it looks like he is running for his life. Damn......I left the camera in the car. Three girls then pass him. He starts to build up a little more speed, but just can't do it. He finished in 4Th place...the first boy. He was so proud when they gave him the brand new soda can top with a lanyard around it and a sticker that said 10Kan run. It was his first racing medal. Then he realized that everyone was getting one. But that is OK....."I was the first boy" he says to me. He's got the bug.

They then had the 6-7 Year old race on the road. They only had to go 1/4 of a mile. I did not know anybody in that race. So I really was not paying attention.

Next is Andy's and Larry's race. the 8-9 Year Old. They get to the start line. Larry is up in front. Andy positions himself in the back, like he knows what is going to happen. They say go and all the kids take off. Andy is pacing himself towards the back. They make the kids go up a hill and I see Andy start to walk. I tell Brian, "Come On we have to cheer Andy on!!" Our friend Kevin (Larry's Dad) starts running with Andy and keeps him going. Brian and I get there and try to cheer him on. Larry now goes pass Brian and I. Kevin looks at me. I say go with Larry I'll stay with Andy. Kevin goes with Larry and I have Brian run with them. I know that Brian runs with Andy, that will bring him down. At the turn around they give the kids a drink of water. Andy gets one and starts to walk, I get him motivated to start running again. We get a slow pace going, but it really does not stop. I now understand how Teresa felt last week. We get to the last turn and Andy tell me to go away.....He is the last person to run in and he does not want his mother with him. So I run in the grass to the finish line. Here he comes and everybody is cheering him on!! He starts to run faster.....at least he learned something from his mom!! He gets the same medal as Brian.....but he is a little down from finishing last.

Saturday morning is my race. After what had happened at the Bud Run, I can only go up from there. I'm getting an OK feeling. I left the boys at home with Ron. Ron was so sick!! He got the sinus and cold that Trac and Wendy had. He was up all night and I knew that it was not a good thing to have him there. At home would be alot better. I meet up with Kathy Hatter, and her running friends. You got to understand, all of these people ran the Rochester Marathon last weekend....a 10K is nothing to them.

So I start to get a little down, then I start to think. Nobody know me here I'm going to treat it like a normal run. I make my goals not to walk and to run up Washington Street Hill and the hill at SUNY Oswego. I think that is reasonable goals.

The race starts at 10am. I start to realized that most of the course is uphill. But that is ok. It is just a normal Saturday Run. Something about this race, there was volunteers all throughout the course. They all gave encouragement throughout the race. It reminded me of the Harborfest race. I don't remember not seeing a yellow volunteer shirt at least every .1 miles, sometime even less.

I get to Washington Street Hill, mile one is in the middle of that hill. It is a very moderate incline. I get into a grove and I start to see people walking on the hill. I just keep saying to myself you can do it....just keep your feet moving to the beat. And that is what I do...I get to the one mile mark and the first water stop. I take a drink but don't slow down. I don't want to lose the grove that I have. We are now on the Campus of SUNY Oswego and we turn into the east side of campus. I made it. I made it up the hill and did not stop. One of three goals down. We are now going down a incline over to the President's house. This is the lowest spot on campus near the lake. I think this is the only flat stop.

I get to the turnaround spot for the 5K and the 10K people keep on going. I make the turn around and see the very steep hill on the campus. This is the steepest hill that they have. I remind myself of my goal. Now everybody is walking up this hill. The girls that passed me are even walking. I'm not. I keep on going and I make it up the hill. I did not stop!! Yeah to myself, I made it up.

Now we have to head back down Washington Street out of the campus and back to Briebeck Park. I head towards the steam station the same way that we came out to campus and the fastest 10K runner sprints by me. DAMN. He is fast. Just keep your pace Sue, I tell myself. I think that was some of my problem is that the 5K runners were passing me on the Bud Run. I knew that they would be done even before I got to Mile 2. Mind Games I like to play.

After I settled down, I got into the groove and went up the last incline. I was more speedwalking then running up that incline. But I did not really lose my speed, just the pounding of my feet. I get to the last turn and I start to run instead of a speedwalk. I'm almost done. I see the park and know that the finish line is near.

I get into the park and now speed up. It really was not that fast because at the same time I was doing that the first 10K female blows right by me. I don't let that get me down. I cross the finish line. I finish at 36:52.75. This makes a 11:53 m/m. I feel great about this...after the Bud Run I really did not run during the week. I just did not have any oomph because of how I finished. I did 2 1/2 of my goals. I can't count me not stopping as a whole goal because I did speedwalk up the last incline near the steam station. I am very happy with me time.

After I finished the Race, one of the EMT's from Novellis came up to me, handed me a bottle of water and looked right in my eyes and asked me if I'm OK. I told me yes and he said "Are you sure?" I must look like I'm ready to die when I finish every race.

I waited at the finish line for Kathy to finish the 10K. She does the race in about 50 minutes. Great after doing a Marathon a week before!!

They had great goody bags that I was able to pickup on Friday night. The kids got good goody bags too. Much better than some of the races that I have done. They had a Wellness Tent after the race that had wonderful booths. I got my bone density tested and got more goodies to take home. They had beer, but where they had the beer set up was out in the open. Right in the sun. So I did not partake in that.

After the wellness tent, I tell Kathy and Kevin (who showed up later with Larry) that I have to go. I still have grocery shopping to do before I go home. Kathy says that if I win a prize that she will get it for me. I laugh and say I won't get a prize.

When I get home from shopping, Andy says that someone just called and left a message on the machine for you. It was Kathy. I place in my age group and she will give me the medal on Sunday when the kids were in religion. I see her today and I won 1st place in the women's 35 -39 age bracket. All I could do was laugh. I get on the timing company's web site to check out the ages of everybody who ran/walked. Yes, I was the first in that age group. There is nobody before me and only one walker after me. But as Andy says, "Mom be proud. It is your first medal?" Thank God for the young.

The next race is in my Hometown of Burnt Hills, NY. This is were I got my PR for a 5K of 33:33. I want to do better. Now I got an incentive to run. This course is alot flatter compared to the last one that I ran, so I can only go up from here!! Brian is going to do the fun run. I think that I got the boy hooked. Andy on the other hand is still a little down, but I think once he sees his brother race and he is not doing it? One can only hope so.

Apple Run here comes the Thorp's!!!

I just wanted to thank....

Everybody who helped me through my long silence. I was having a really hard time with life, but like always, running, friends and Teresa helped me through it!!

Now I have a new problem. BRIAN. Brian is my younger child who likes getting his own way. He has mastered the art of getting his own way. We he has learned quickly that he can't always get his way.

On Friday afternoon, I got a call from Brian's teacher. Now remember, he is in Kindergarten. He cut something wrong and started to make a fuss to the teacher that he wanted a new piece of paper. Unfortunately, the teacher did not have another piece of paper so he could cut again. She was giving him suggestions on how they could fix the other one.

Brian would not listen. He blew his top and got very mad and upset. The teacher had a hard time trying to control him. Then he KICKED her. Yes, you read right, KICKED her. I am so embarrassed. How could one of my children kick anyone unless it is on a soccer field!!! I told her that I am soooo sorry and that we would try to take care of it. Other than going to the race, Brian spent much of his time this weekend in his room, without TV, and picking up old toys to get rid of. I hope that it is out of his system. Otherwise, it is a week in his room when we are home.

Last at the Bud Run....

Well here it goes this is what I wrote in my running journal:

Bud Run for Charity 10K
September 15, 2007
9:15am
Rain/Sunny/Cold

Last night I had a relaxing pasta dinner at Tracy's with Bridget, Bill, Wendy, Mitch, Shannon, Kris, and Tracy's husband Andrew. This was to prepare for my first 10K. This really helped because I did not think about the stress of the race. I did not wake up during the night thinking about the race....this is the first time.

Today, I woke up around 6:30am and started getting dressed and ready for the race. I had to pickup Teresa at 8:00am. It was raining and it did not look like it was going to let up. Ron and the Kids came with me and we left our house around 7:45 to pickup Teresa and head to the race.

We got to the brewery. I went to pickup my race packet and Teresa went to sign up. It is still raining. I'm hoping that it will stop. We see Shannon, Kris, Bridget, and Bill. We are waiting around in the tent for a while, we then see Bridget's friend Karen, and Wendy. We all start getting ready for the race. I tell everybody that I want to finish in 1 hour 30 minutes. I'm thinking that it is a joke.

Around 9:10 we head to the start line. Ron and the Kids head down with us to see the start of the race.. We walk to the starting line in front of the brewery. The cannon at the start line goes off and we take off. We start off slow because I want to make sure that I finish the race. Teresa is letting me set the pace. We are not getting passed by the 10K runners, but we are not passing anybody else either.

We are doing what I think is fine. Teresa tells me that we are doing a 11 minute mile. We get to the 5K turn and keep on going on the 10K route. Teresa want me to keep hydrated and makes me take a drink at the water stop. We head up the route.

The fast runners are now make there way down the up and down of the 10k. They have done about 3.5 miles, I have done only about 1.5 miles. OH Well. We see Bill, Karen, Bridget and Wendy pass us. We give everybody encouragement. We try to keep the pace that we were before, but we are heading up hills. I really wasn't expecting any hills.

We get up the first hill and we can see the turnaround. We just ran up the hill, down the hill, make the turnaround, running up the hill to mile 3. This almost wiped me out. Teresa had to talk me up the hill.

We are now heading back to the 5K route. Three gentlemen pas us. They are keeping a great pace. For some reason the State Trooper on the bike keeps near Teresa and I. I half joke that he thinks that I'm going to keel over. Now I can't keep any kind of pace since the hill and the wind that is blowing hard is killing me. We get to the last water stop, I take a drink and this just blows my mind. I want to stop. I'm almost crying. Teresa is yelling to me to keep going. "Just keep your feet moving. You want to say that you finished the race and did not stop." At this point, there is only one other person that is behind us. Teresa keeps on tell me that look we are almost there - I keep on telling her no that is McLane Northeast Not the brewery!!

We get around mile 5 and the person who was last passes me. OK, now I really want to stop, but I don't. Teresa is still yelling/cheering me on. It seems like everything is uphill into the plant. I just want to stop, but Teresa keeps me going. I don't know how she keeps me going, but I do.

We get to straight away right before the last turn and there is Jen waiting for us. She starts running with us and keeps me motivated. She and Teresa joke about singing Bobby Vinton to me. Now the State Trooper on the bike is talking to us. All I want to do is finish.

We make the last turn and I here everybody cheering me on. There is Trac, Kris, Shannon, Bridge and Wendy. They were all there to see me finish. There is also Ron, Andy, and Brian cheering me on.

We finish 1:16:21. Scored 167 of 168. They scored Teresa last. Everybody comes to see us. I'm done, just spent. We head up to the beer tent. I'm not doing so well, trying to take in any kind of beverage that I can. In the tent, it was just getting to loud, Teresa has to get home to Troy to go to work, and Ron wants to leave. So, after my 5th freeze pop, one frozen drink, and 2 waters, we left. I just slink right into the car.

This was the hardest race that I have ever done. Mentally, I was not ready for the extra miles and the hills. I'm rethinking my goals. I'm going to do 5ks and 4 mile races for another year, while training for another 10K. I will try the Bud Run 10 next again next year, but will not try another 10K until then.

So that is that. I finished Dead Last. You know how there is a pace car that is in front and in the back of every race. Well at this race, I had a police escort. Brian that I did something wrong during the race and was in trouble because the police was behind me. Spoken like a future delinquent. Next week 10Kan 5K race.

Revaluating my life.....

Since the last race post....many things have happened/happening in my life. I have turned 38 and life seems to be upside down.

I have only ran twice since the race...2 miles on the Thursday after the race and I did 4 miles last Monday. I have tried to make time to run, but everything seems to have gotten in the way.

On my birthday, I took 1/2 day off from work to be with my family. I had lunch with my sister, she went to work. Then we sat in the camp and I listened to my mother on how bad Brian was the week that she had them. I cancelled Andy's Doctor's appointment to sit in my mother's camp. I asked if anyone wanted to go swimming and nobody did. Happy "F"ing Birthday.

All I seem to do is fight with Ron about the kids...the last time was me and my parents taking the kids to the Fair last Sunday. He did not want me to go....and we said some very choice words to each other. Good thing that the Kids were outside for that.

Then while at the Fair, my parents, the kids and I were going to a Nick (kids TV cable network) show that Andy wanted to see. My mother had the nerve to tell me I was stupid and I did not know were I was going. I told/yelled to her to leave me alone. I then tried to proceed to show her where I was going and she YELLED, so that everybody was looking at us, at me telling me to get away from her and not to treat her that way. I was just so mad. I took the kids to the show and I have not talked to/seen her since.

Teresa had to work the Fair for her Job so she help me, but at one point, the Kids and I did the Fair alone when she had to go to work. I spent all of my birthday money and the money I had for the week on them. Then, Ron had the nerve to get mad at me on Thursday when I did not have any money left to get the boy hair cuts and he had to give me $20.00.

To top it all off work sucks. I know that I don't want to be there anymore. But I also can just up and quit my job because I pay the mortgage, the health insurance, and the babysitter. Speaking of the babysitter, who I do care about, I still had to pay even though my kids were not there because my mom just had to take them to her house. Then when I call to see how the boys are, I get a report on how "bad" Brian is and an hour long distertation on how to correct it.

I just can't take it anymore. I have been running around trying to please everyone and all I do is get yelled at. Everybody knows that all I do is try to please everybody, but when I try I get "spit" in the face!! I can't take it anymore!!!

I know I just need to sort out my life....I just need to run more often. Find some "me" time...but that is getting just to hard!!!

Even this weekend, I'm trying to save "face" with Ron. We are going "camping" with the race team. Ron knows that I don't want to go, but I am. Ron only wants to go so "hang" out with everybody with the car and just drink till they pass out. Just what I want my Boys to see. They have an outhouse (fun, fun), and no running water. Even before that I have to take the boys to the races...Brian is already protesting this. Ron gets to work on the race car, while I sit in the stands with the Boys. So, I get to referee the boys while they fidget and pester each other......Just fun for me.

When is someone going to do something for me!!!