18. Actually R*N a hash

First let me start with that I am not officially crossing this one off yet. I gave it a shot and just wanna talk about it.

If you aren't familiar with hashing(and no, it's not drugs or potatoes), allow me to explain a little. Basically its a drinking group with a running problem. Though, in my case, I do more walking than running. And really, it's more drinking than anything else.

The easiest way to describe it to someone who has never heard of it, is a scavenger hunt for beer. We follow marks of flour/chalk through various parts of town to find stops of beer that may be hidden. We sing a lot of goofy(read:offensive) songs and have a perverse sense of humor and all round good time.

We have been apart of this group for about 4 years now and I never run. Which is why I've added this item to the list. So for the Cinco de Mayo trail (It's on the 5th this year!) I gave it a go. And I ran about 1/3 of the trail. It mostly just shocked folks. I might have been able to run more, had we not run that morning and then I proceed to take my 4 beagles(yes, I am crazy) on a mile-ish walk around my neighborhood. So by 5pm, the start of the hash, my legs didn't want to cooperate with me so well.

We are hashing in Cincy this weekend and there are rumors of a shorter trail. I think I will give it shot again, though the hills down there can be brutal

I think this is one of the smaller hills in Cincy.

1. Train and run a 5k

So we meet again.

I haven't given up on this crap just yet. The blog or the list. But life gets in the way and the computer is ALLTHEWAYINTHEOTHERROOM. So sometimes, I get lazy and don't feel like writing. Don't take it personally.

I am on Week 6 Day 2. Again. Big accomplishment; did 20 minutes(almost) of straight running. And felt awesome about it. After this, I thought for sure that the next run, which was run 5, walk 3 run 8 walk 3 run 5 would have been a cake walk but it was rough. And then time slipped away. And then we went camping in West Virginia. And then some more excuses, yada yada yada. I hit maybe a run a week since that 20 minute straight run. And none of them were good. So I decided to restart Week 6 again this week.

I'd like to say that this fresh start  helped but running in 80* temps is making me struggle with the last leg of the run. I have tried to wait til like 8-8:30 when the sun goes down some but the air is still pretty heavy. I think on Friday, I am gonna give running in the AM a shot, hopefully that will help.

Tonight's run. Siggghhh. So, let's start with my irrational fear of the woods. Especially when I am alone. Last night, the husband and I ran in the woods by our house and it was wonderful. He is faster than me but knowing he was there puts my anxiety at bay.

Well, tonight I ran alone. And thought it was a good idea to take the same route we took last night. And as I enter the beautiful wooded area, I immediately start feeling like I am in a horror movie. I am literally looking behind me every few seconds worried I am being stalked by a serial killer. Of course, my pace has increased and by the time I get out of the woods I am struggling to catch my breath. This increase in adrenaline and speed basically had me crapped out for the rest of the run. Of the final 10 minutes, I only ran about 7.5.

I can honestly say that this program has given me a new found confidence in running that I have never had. I don't care how I look when I run anymore. My shin pain has decreased and my breathing has improved dramatically. Our 5k is only a few weeks away and I already feel like this is in my grasp more than ever before.

I'm pretty sure I still look silly when I run, I just don't care anymore:D