Two Laps

As I have been incorporating more running into my workouts lately, I have been playing around with runmyroute.com  In an effort to expand our workouts beyond the AO, I plugged in a “what if scenario” and looked at running to EB Aycock from Rose High Rush!  I saw it would be a stretch, but a workout was born! Called up Belly Dancer and told him to put Mayhem on the calendar and July 5th was it.  After sending out some challenges I was hoping we would have a good running crowd this morning. I have to admit, I woke up absolutely stoked about getting started. Pulled up and saw Tonka getting in an EC run back to the school. Specifically proud of String Bean and Harry Potter for being present the day after the #StarsAndStripesCHallenge (running at least 1 mile every day between Memorial Day and July 4th).

Warm Up

No new FNG’s so told everyone to stretch OYO while I gave instructions quickly

The Thang

“We are only going to run TWO LAPS today……..the first one at EB Aycock track, and the last one back at the Rose High track”.  Tonka’s eyebrows raised up as he seemed to contemplate the challenge ahead. We would run down Arlington (which was actually uphill for our BRR PAX) and turn left at Wall Street. Cross over Charles Blvd to Elm Street; turn right on Oakview, left on Sherwood, and right on Aycock. This would put the PAX at the closest entrance to the track. Run a lap.  Then make your way back to Rose High……..hopefully in time to get in another lap and complete the challenge.

It has to be mentioned that as we were leaving, a truck came in on two wheels , parked, and ran double time to catch up with us. He was STROKIN for sure!

In the end, we all pushed ourselves and finished at 6:15 (maybe 6:16). T-Claps to Abu and String Bean for completing both laps along with the mileage in between. Per String Bean’s watch, he showed 5.4 miles !  Most of the other PAX finished together, while Belly Dancer and myself were the six…….turned around at Sherwood Drive (2.1 miles) and headed back. So we ran 4.2 miles in about 40 minutes. No doubt this was one of my best runs as of late.

YHC told everyone that there are no trophies for second place; however, my M (I enjoy saying that….Thank you SugarBaker) was kind enough to slice up some watermelon for us, so everyone got watermelon just for finishing!

Count O Rama and Name O Rama

Prayer Request

Grammar’s daughter Emmerson and her upcoming surgery, as well as the gofundme page and fundraiser F3ENC is doing for them (#BurpeesForEmmerson) We are at $1730 or $4000 goal

Harry Potter and his upcoming move Friday

Unspoken prayer requests

Announcements

Sasquatch – sign up.  Sign up to RUN or RUCK……sign up to HELP in some other way. July 28th is close to 3 weeks away!

New AO on Tuesdays at The Commons…….aimed at stronger runners that want HILLS

CoopMile tomorrow (Friday) at Coop Stronghold

Moleskin

They usually say “If you can’t do it, don’t Q it”.  I wasn’t sure I could make it to the lap portion of today’s run…….but I wanted to do my best.  I also knew it would be a strong push for some of our stronger runners. Tuesday at RunStrong I ran 3.5 miles or so while some PAX got in over 4 (circling back for the six……me).  Today I ran 4.2 miles. So I responded to the push/challenge. This is what F3 is all about. Pushing each other to do things that we normally wouldn’t do, or couldn’t do on our own.

I signed up today for Sasquatch.  Last year was the first time I ran it……and I finished it. I remember being scared that I would not even be able to finish it…..or make it to the next AO within the 12 minute/mile time limit. But I did…..and would have finished/placed a little higher had I not cramped up the last 2.2 miles.

So here I am this year…..and honestly I have not posted as regularly this year as I did last year. I have had some good excuses though and had some things hold me back.  The easy thing to do would be to say “Hey….I’m not in the shape I want to be in going into the Sasquatch….so maybe I should just volunteer to help out in another way and I will be ready and do it next year.  But that wouldn’t be Completely Stupid and Utterly Pointless, right?  In the Sasquatch, ONE person is going to win the whole thing.  The rest of us will finish in some order. What was more valiant last year?  Watching someone finish 40th place or watching the last PAX member finish…..completely cramping up……but refusing to give up?  I remember fighting through a left leg cramp and a right quad cramp. I remember Bono helping me out. I remember FIA and F3 Members lined up cheering myself and others on as we finished.  The key word being FINISHED.

If you haven’t signed up this year……sign up. If you don’t think you can do it, you are probably right.  If you think you can, you are probably right too!  Looking at the list right now, there’s a good chance I will be one of the last one’s finished (only 53 signed up so far).  I hope that by reading this, I can help influence others who are on the fence…..or doubting themselves……to sign up. To say “Hey, if Mayhem is running, I am running too”.

Mayhem