Peabody 5K Fun Run

Samantha and I ran the Peabody 5K Fun Run again this year. 

We ended up running alongside mega-runner Drea McLarty and her daughter, Isla. It's a good thing she was going at an 8-year-old's pace so that I could keep up. ;)

These two ran into the finish line together and tied for first place in their age category (although I guess the computer has to assign one ahead of the other) ;)

          31  967 Isla McLarty          8F  Santa Barbara    CA   28:53  9:18   1/22  Grls__5-8    8   10  64.28 
          32  450 Samantha Fallon       8F  Santa Barbara    CA   28:53  9:18   2/22  Grls__5-8    9   11  64.28 

Last year in first grade, Samantha ran a 32:08 so I guess you would call her 28:53 her PR (Personal Record) for a 5K. 

After-race lunch at the beach.

Thatcher joined us for lunch with Todd. He didn't want to race which is silly because he just came in first place out of all 105 kindergartners in the jog-a-thon and ran a 5K in 30 minutes. Maybe that jog-a-thon win will have boosted his confidence for next year's Fun Run. ;)

TEAM GSF Practice Run - Chardonnay 5K

I thought I hung up my running shoes for good after the Team GSF Santa Barbara Relay last year.  I could barely run the 4 miles (while everyone around me was passing me and running 5 x's longer than me), my knees hurt, I was out of shape and I just figured I am not a runner.

Well fast forward to last week and things have changed although I still wouldn't classify myself as a runner but I am doing much better thanks to a fabulous trainer that I have been working with since the beginning of the year.  I've been running again, sometimes up trails, sometimes up and down hills and running four miles for me now is my warm-up.  Did I really just type that?!  

The Chardonnay 5K and 10-Miler was last weekend and I joined my friends for a Team GSF practice run.  I opted for the 5K even though I felt pretty confident I could have done the 10 miles (slowly) but here is where the "I am not a runner" comes in, I had a social event that same evening which consisted of high heels and being able to walk in heels was more important to me.  See, real runners would have ran the 10 miles and real runners can still walk after a long run, I can't! hee hee ;)  

I loved getting to run along side the Strong family, especially Gwendolyn! 

And just like that, the 5K was over. 

Ronda Fallon 35F 

Santa Barbara 25:09 8:06 2/31 

 Women 35 To 39

And can you believe it, I got 2nd place in my age group?!  I was just as shocked as everyone else! My time really wasn't worthy of placing, I just lucked out that all the serious (and fast) runners stayed home. I definitely improved from my last 5K shaving off about 6 minutes!

And 2nd place meant I got a medal!

Proud moment ;)

Proud family ;)

It is exciting to be apart of this team!

And here is where I am going to publicly commit to the half marathon in November (slowly though) ;)

She is Beautiful Pinkest 5K

Last Sunday I ran in my first race, the She.Is.Beautiful Pinkest 5K, in preparation for the Team GSF race in November.

 

 

 

The dress code was PINK!

 

I'm so glad I had my friend Meredith with me.  Neither of us are really runners nor have we ever ran a race.  We had no idea how to pin our numbers on correctly or how to tie the little computer chip thing that calculates your time to your shoes.  Thankfully the group of women (no boys allowed in this race!) were really nice and encouraging throughout the whole day and helped us navigate through all the details.

 

 Action shot!

 

Thank goodness we had Andra and Elena running with us as well.  They set the pace for us and kept us going.  You can view a professional picture they took of us running here.

 

My only goal for the race was to keep running.  I didn't want to walk at all during the 3.1 miles.  After having had knee surgery on both knees a few years ago, in order to keep myself from getting reinjured, I really have to concentrate on my stride and how I land on my feet.  If I hit the ground in the slightest way where my knee is not tracking properly, it irritates my knees and I have to slow down or walk. 

I was pleasantly surprised when I accomplished my goal of running the entire race and REALLY surprised when we all finished together at a time of 31:06 which is a 10 minute mile (I am like a turtle running so this was fast for me!).  After we crossed the finish line I knew that I would be fine for the relay in November and I actually think I would be fine running a 10K next time.  It also helped that we ran along one of the most beautiful parts of Santa Barbara, starting at East Beach and then down to the Four Seasons Biltmore overlooking Butterfly Beach.  And holy cow, there are some athletes in this town, we watched women race past us in the 10K who were at the finish line resting by the time we made it in.  Some of them ran less than a 6 minute mile - WOW!

Our Team GSF practice race picture

 

And this is the reason I am running in November, so that one day Gwendolyn can too!  To learn more about my upcoming race and to support the cause, click HERE.