Life at these (not-so-fast) speeds

Back way too long ago, when I was a soph or jr. in college (around '01, folks- we're seriously going back far), I decided to go out and try to break 20 minutes in a 5k.  I had just started getting back into running on my own, after taking a few months of due to injury. After running XC my freshman year at Covenant,  I came back thinking I'd run for Marshall starting sophomore year. But after putting in way too many miles and overtraining that summer, I got injured and have basically battled injuries on and off ever since then.  So I can't remember if this was right after coming back from my IT band injury or right after the summer I had a stress fracture in my shin, but I got back into my routine of running for several weeks and decided to try a sub-20-minute 5k... and I ran a 20:02.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was heartbreaking.  After that race, I got so discouraged (and I'm such a headcase about running anyway) that I didn't run a 5k race for a few years after that.  I ran other distances, but stayed away from competing in a 5k.  Stupid- I know.  But I figured that by not putting myself out there and trying, then I was saving myself disappointment because then I couldn't fail again. 

With that being said, I'm now far from being able to run a sub-20 minute 5k haha :)  But I do have a new goal.  Back in May a friend at work asked me to run a 5k for a charity she's involved with, so I agreed, even though I knew it wouldn't be pretty.  I ran it in about 22:35 and wasn't too upset about that time since I hadn't been ready whatsoever for actually "racing".  So the following weekend my favorite charity, Little Victories, put on their 5k, and I decided I wanted to break 22 minutes.  I ran a 21:57- just barely made it!!  The official clock said I ran a 21:27, and I wish I could say that was my true time! But something must have gotten screwed up with their timer because my personal watch did not agree, and I heard some other runners say the same.  I realize these aren't at all record breaking times, but I was pleased- since I seriously never do speed workouts.  Wait- maybe twice a year I do.  But basically never.
 
So now I'm setting a goal to run in the low 21's.  I'm definitely gonna have to get in better speed shape, but it's a time I think I'd be happy with at this point in my life.  I wish I was still on a team where I didn't have a choice but to do the workouts that the coach made me do.  But I'm apparently gonna have to find my own motivation and push myself :)  I've been going to a spinning class at the Y the last several weeks- and man, that kicks my butt.  It's a totally different workout than just going out and enjoying a run.  I leave those classes a little woozy and sick, and my legs feel like jell-o.  So I'm hoping maybe that will translate over and help improve my speed in running some too. 

My 1 other goal is to either run a better marathon time, or run a good half marathon.  Nick had planned on doing NYC this year and I thought about trying it again by entering to run for a charity.  But with his knee surgery taking longer than expected to heal :(, he's decided to wait til 2011.  So I was thinking about doing San Antonio on November 14- but now we're thinking about heading to the Auburn/Georgia game that weekend (yay!!!)  So if that ends up the plan, then I'm gonna run the Marshall University half marathon right here in Huntington November 7 and try for a 1:45 time.  They also have a full marathon that day- but since there are less than 500 people who do the full and maybe 50 people cheering along the way, then I feel like it's basically the same as if I'd go out and run 26.2 miles by myself one random day.  I'd rather wait and do a big race with lots of people cheering you on for a full marathon.  Anyway, so I may just wait til next November and do NYC again with Nick.  It throws things off a little since we've been tossing around the idea of trying to get pregnant next spring/summer (I can't even talk about this)- but we may just need to bump it back a few more months :)  I just need to improve on my sad time that I ran in my first full marathon.  I'm just still bummed out that I had trained so hard and had trained to run a 3:45-3:50 and should have been able to do it, and then things just got a little screwed up with my leg 2 weeks before.  And I think since I had wanted to run a marathon since I was 18, I had it in my head that it was going to be impossible.  But now that I see I can do it, I feel like I'll be able to shave off a big chunk of time.  I will admit that the thought of all those long runs by myself again depresses me a bit lol :)  I LOVE to run, but after about the 2 hour mark, it's not very fun anymore and my body starts to hate me.  I'd love it if there was a group here to train with, but that sadly is not the case.  So I guess I'm just gonna have to get stronger mentally and get out there on my own!!  Just wanted to write down the reasons for some of my recently added goals on my 101 list.