RACE Day - 29 minutes, 33 seconds

RACE Day!

Oh what a day! We woke up this morning under a heavy marine layer and it was a bit on the chilly side. The race didn’t officially start until 9am, but we (Steve, Sherri and Tess) wanted to get there early enough to find a parking place. 7:30am might have been a bit overzealous, at least by a half an hour.

After we parked, we headed over to the registration tables where we picked up our racing numbers. We must say, we weren’t expecting the little “goodie” bags provided by Whidbey Island Bank. That was a nice touch. We also got a cool looking “Race the Reserve” T-Shirt. Sherri was thinking it might be red, but noooo, they were lime green with a cool logo design!

After wandering around for an hour, we finally stretched and waited for the “go”! So, off we went. Tess took the lead, Sherri was in the middle, and Steve (bless his soul) pulled up the rear – doctor’s orders. This was Steve’s first ever 5k “walk” and Sherri’s first official 5k “run”.

After the run the organization that sponsored “Race the Reserve” provided water, bagels, fruit and peanut butter to help replenish the body.

On the back of our racing number there was a disposable bar code that registered our start and finish times. This is a really great tool as it tells you where you placed in the race and of course, your run time. As you might guess by the title of this post, Sherri is beside herself - she broke her goal of 30 minutes. Not only that, she placed 24th out of 114 5K runners, she was the 8th woman to come in overall, and took 2nd in her age bracket. Just an amazing day!!!

Tess, by the way, placed 26th with a time of 29:54. We are so proud of her. As a matter of fact, Sherri and Tess pretty much ran together up to the end. Sherri believes Tess was the catapult that caused her to keep the pace she did! Thanks Tess!!

Steve placed 73rd, which is not too terribly bad since he walked the course. He almost power walks faster than Sherri can run. He came in at 43:04 which is a 13:54/M. Sherri was so excited to see him round the corner. In Sherri's eyes, Steve did great because he LISTENED to his doctor and his body. Way to go!!

This truly was a great day. A day full of many accomplishments!

Now, what is next? :)

3.1 miles - 32 minutes 27 seconds

Training Day 12

It wasn't too long ago when Steve and Sherri started training for the "Race the Reserve" 5K run. We have shared with you our progress ever step of the way. Some of you may be thinking, "Hallelujah, we don't have to see another post about this run"; while others may appreciated or relate to the dedication it takes to accomplishing a goal, struggles and all.

Steve and Sherri set out to do this event together, along with two other friends. Unfortunately, our friend Carolyn, will have to sit this race out due to a severely sprained ankle,(which landed her in a fashionable boot we might add), for a few weeks. Also, Steve will not be able to run the race (doctors order), but is allowed to walk it; as long as he has some kind of support on his calf . That leaves our friend Tess, and Sherri to run the race together.

Since starting this journey Sherri's goal has been to run the course in less than 30 minutes (more like 29:59), but it appears that probably won't happen. At this point in her training, Sherri can't seem to break the 30 minute mark. Today she ran 3.1 miles in 32 minutes, 27 seconds, shaving off a mere 8 seconds from her last run.

The biggest thing to take away from this experience is not how fast the course can be run, but rather our overall fitness. It is so important to be active, whether it is walking, running or playing your favorite sport. Just do something!!

Saturday will be here before we know it, and the race we've been training for will be over. We will post one more blog relating to this topic after the run. Hopefully, we will be able to post a pic or two as well.

Until Saturday...

PB2 - The Best Alternative to the Other PBs

Looking for a way to enjoy peanut butter without all that fat? Believe it or not such a food item exists! Bet you are thinking there is no way this peanut butter could taste as good as Jiffy or Skippy. The answer to that is oh yes it can! But here is the thing... if you are expecting to find loads of sugar in PB2, like you would in other peanut butters, then you might not like it. We gradually went from Jif to Adam's All Natural PB to PB2. It is really yummy and the best part is... [drum roll please]... for 2 Tbsp of PB, it only has 1.5g of fat, 5g of Carbs, 5g of Protein and 45 calories. Not to shabby my friends, not to shabby! Thanks Tess for telling us about this great alternative!

3.1 miles - 32 minutes 35 seconds

Training Day 11

Today could not have been more beautiful. It was around 7pm this evening and the temperature was hovering around the mid 70's. The sun was shining and the slight breeze off the water was warm. Ah.... just the way Sherri likes it!

With the weather being perfect, Sherri decided to head out for a run. This would be her first attempt at 3.0 miles. The run took her a little longer than she wanted it to; she clocked in at 32 minutes and 35 seconds.

The one thing Sherri is beginning to realize is that she has to, has to, has to, learn how to properly fuel her body throughout the day, and before her run! When she doesn't give her body the needed calories (energy), she fails to perform at her best. The body must have enough internal resources to pull from so it can exert the energy required to complete the activity set before it. She knows what she needs to do, but she just doesn't always DO IT!! [Stupid is as Stupid does]

Sherri is looking at two more training days before race week - which is just a week away. Yikes!

Update on Steve: His leg is still bothering him and it appears he can tweak it pretty easily. So with that said, he will not be attempting to run until race day and even then, we will have to see.

A Sharing Moment:
What do you all eat to fuel your body before a run?

One Year Ago This Month

One year ago this month Sherri began her fitness journey. She has completed Slim 'n 6, P90 and P90X. Overall, she has lost 5lbs and 8" all around, and feels GREAT!

Here are some personal goals she has set for the next 365 days: 1) Complete the Race the Reserve 5K on August 11th; 2) Begin INSANITY on August 13th; 3) Continue to expand and make better food choices; 4) Drop a few more inches; 5) Get blood drawn to see if her counts have improved; 6) Continue to drink Shakeology daily; 7) Run at least 3 miles 2x a week; 8) Run another 5K and 9) Learn to love the body God has given her.

Steve did not actually start his fitness journey in August due to a strained hamstring; however, he was able to get on the row machine and work out that way. In November, after his hammy healed, he was able to really focus on his fitness journey. So far, it has been an amazing ride and the best part is we get to do it together!