Summer Runnin’

Say it Rah-shay By Rachee Jun 25, 2020 1 Comment

In which I share some running goals in a listicle! (Yes…I am trying to make LISTICLE a thing again. Ahem.)

My runniversary was June 2nd. When I started up with Black Girls Run! Philadelphia, I kept quiet about running. My MO in life is to start a thing, tell errbody and they mama about that thing, leap into said thing with my whole being, fail at thing, and then feel bad about myself. This go round I decided that I was going to be about it instead of talking about it and a year later, I am still at it.

Looking at my progress – going from walking an 18 minute mile to being able to run about an 11 minute mile – is intoxicating. I can breathe better, I sleep better, I look better (yeah…I *do* think this song is about me). My kidney disease is in remission (woot, woot!) and I ~~like~~ LOVE that I am sticking with a thing.

Now that Summer is here in its full glory and some Covid restrictions are beginning to lift, I have a few running goals that I want to reach. I’ve been doing some virtual challenges with the local Philly Runner store through their Facebook group and my BGR group has been doing some small, unofficial runs to keep us together.

My Summer Runnin’ goals (in no particular order)

Run with my friend Amy. She agreed to do that marathon (that I did *not* train for) with me and I feel that we should do some running together. Note: This is totally in me…Amy is awesome and would NEVER make me feel like I need to do more or “pay her back.” I, however, am a nutter.
Work at an under 35 minute 5k goal. My consistent running pace is anywhere between a 10:58 mile to a 12 and some change minute mile. Not bad but I LOVE the idea of finishing a 5K, three miles, with a faster pace. This is totes a vanity thing for me.
Increase my monthly mileage. I’ve been doing the Nike+ challenges and have smashed the weekly 15 k (about 9 miles) and beat the monthly 50K (about 31 miles) and 100 K (about 62 miles) several times. I’d like to push myself to go further. June’s goal is 70 miles and, barring no disasters, I think I am well on my way to reaching it!
Close the rings on my watch every day for a month. Another Rachee vanity thing but hear me out…it’s a virtual badge that makes me feel good to see.
That’s it. As Coach Bennett says, I am celebrating!
Wear a tutu or some other crazy thing to a run. I was all prepared to wear a tutu to the Love Run but THAT was rescheduled for October. The way things are going, that race may be cancelled (bah!) so I may need to organize a crazy outfit for one of my regular runs. This means that if you see me looking crazy on a run, mind your business and cheer me on.
Run the Ben Franklin Bridge. BGR did this last year and it was so fun. With everything going on (Covid, civil unrest, *vaguely gestures at the world at large*) I don’t anticipate a huge crowd. It’s cool; I just want to get back out there and run. Last year when I did the run, there was a nice breeze from the river, everyone was in good spirits and it was very empowering.
Really practice “My race, my pace.”It’s a work in progress running “my race.” It doesn’t matter if I am alone or running with a group, I find myself thinking that I should be somethinging and then I lose focus. When I ran last week with the Black Men Run, one of the runners suggested that I start slow and not try to play catch-up and that’s been what I’ve been working on this week. When I feel myself pushing, breathing too hard, feeling like my chest in going to explode, I pull back and force a slower pace.
Work on strength training. Yeah…I sorta follow a page on YouTube which has great strength training workouts but watching and doing are two different things. So I want to commit to working with my weights for the next two months…just a day or two a week. We’ll see how it goes so that when the gym re-opens, weight training won’t feel foreign.
Get a stretch routine. It probably would not surprise you all to learn that I don’t stretch as long as I should after my run. (Shocker, right). The result is some tenderness in my heel (I’ve plantar fasciitis and its a bitch) and some stiffness. I found a routine on YouTube but I know that on the days when time is short, I probably will not look at the videos. If you’ve a suggestion, holler.
Run with family. My runs tend to be solo (early mornings and all) or with my run group. The people in my house (The Bee and The Librarian) seem to have no interest in running right now but I could walk with The Librarian or encourage The Bee to join the group (she’s a Black girl). My niece has been making some “I’d like to get fit noises” and who am I NOT to help her out?