The One That Counts

As I mentioned earlier this week, the JA and I were both running the NFL’s Back to Football 5K last night. The weather broke Tuesday night, leaving yesterday cool and crisp in the morning while warming up during the day. By the time the 5K started at 7p, the weather was PERFECT.

The pre-race activities were fantastic, in my opinion. A DJ was spinning tunes, autographs were being given, Under Armour was giving away things, and M&T Bank Stadium gave runners plenty of room to stretch.

At about 6:30p, we were asked to start gathering in our corrals. The JA & I parted ways, but kept in touch via text. This lag time to start, as well as the fact that I felt squished into my corral, we’re the only ‘downfalls’ of the race. Not to bad!

Matt Stover, legendary Ravens kicker, started the race with a kickoff. The first wave started, the second went, and then it was my turn!

The route was great. Not too hilly, not too flat. I was feeling good & knew I could conquer this. My other two 5Ks this year didn’t go as well as I had hoped, and I didn’t want to be over confident. (At the BWC 5K I got spooked & the Miles that Matter 5K was better, but still got the best of me.)

I’m happy to report that I ran the whole thing! I knew I could, having run 3+ miles prior, but I have focused on building my mental toughness. The race went really well & I don’t need to dig too deep, but I felt really accomplished crossing that line.

My chip time was 28:40, and this is what I’m using as my time to beat moving forward. I consider it my first official 5K time, being that I completed it the way I wanted. (Not to mention, it’s not a bad time at all!) My Timex was a bit off (in both time & distance), but I hear that’s normal & I’m still working out the kinks.

The race finished at the 50-yard line. It was such an invigorating experience to run through the tunnel onto the field. I took a glance into the stands and it was awe-inspiring. I can even imagine it on game day when the stadium is filled with enthusiastic fans!

Once we crossed the finish line, runners were asked to move back to allow others the ability to funnel through, but I knew I wanted to see the JA cross the finish. He came in a few minutes later, with a chip time of 31:40. I am so proud of him for setting this goal & achieving it.

The post-race amenities were fine – plenty of water, opportunity for pictures on the field, a free beer (for those of age), and a medal – not too shabby! Food was available for purchase.

All in all, the Back to Football 5K is a race that I’d definitely do again. Great views, fun course, the race support crew was so enthusiastic & it now holds a special place in my heart.

Pros and Cons

Pro: Today is a dress down day at work.
Con: We have work on a day where most of Baltimore is celebrating our newly crowned Superbowl Champs.

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Pro: I’m back to blogging.
Con: I’ve had so much on my mind that this morning my fingers practically exploded from typing eight (yes, eight) started but unfinished posts. Eek. Side note: this also resulted in what may possibly be the quickest shower to out the door time EVER.

Pro: It’s the JA’s birthday.
Con: See answer for #1 but add on to it that HE told ME we had to come in today. I can’t go to a parade without him on his birthday. Boo.

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Overwhelmed.

“I know you can feel overwhelmed and you can feel underwhelmed, but can you ever just feel whelmed?” – 10 Things I Hate About You. (Fact: I own this movie on both DVD and VHS. Love it!)

Organizing a wedding is much more difficult than I ever thought possible. While I still have many months, my Type-A personality is in full force, trying to get things done while keeping everyone included happy. I know it’s our day, and the only thing that really matters is that we actually get married. However, I want this event to be a pleasant experience for everyone involved – even if that means putting more stress on myself.

Last night, the JA’s grandfather celebrated his 81st birthday surrounded by his family. While it was nice to see everyone, I left feeling more behind in planning and more confused than ever. While it’s nice to have everyone’s opinion, it’s a lot to take!

Additionally, some of you may have heard the false rumors surrounding Joe Paterno’s health. Coming from a family of Penn Staters, this news is tough to swallow. JoePa is a link that both my parents and I share when it comes to the school. While you may not agree with what he did or did not do regarding the Sandusky scandal, you cannot deny all that good he did (and has continued to do) for the school and community he called home. Please keep his family in your thoughts as they go through this difficult time. (UPDATE: Paterno passed away this morning at the age of 85.)

Last but not least, the Baltimore Ravens have made it to the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots. It’s a huge deal here in Baltimore and I just hope we can pull out a W and advance to the Super Bowl!

image courtesy of MGH, Inc. Facebook page (click image for source)

Geez Louise

Well, Penn State pulled out a W over Temple 14-10. In the words of Pouchoey, “Can PSU please finally realize that Bolden is not Daryll Clark?” I am highly disappointed in my Nittany Lions and am pessimistic about how we’ll perform in conference play. They trailed the Owls pretty much all game until they realized that, oh, they were playing an actual game and scored in the last seven minutes.

That's right, Joe. You should be ashamed. That game was NOT how we play.

Our high school varsity team also suffered a close loss (by missing the tying field goal), so I’m hoping the Ravens can show up to play like they did last week and end the football weekend on a happy note!

That was pretty much my Saturday. School, couch, football. Oh, and the reunion. Eesh – the reunion. Uneventful, but it’s always amusing to be a bystander to so much drunken testosterone in one room. It. was. ridiculous. Add to this that these are guys my age (I have my ten-year high school reunion later this fall) and it just gets interesting.

After the reunion, the JA and I layed low – watching a movie and passing out. Good thing, because I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this gorgeous fall day! The sun in shining, the air is crisp and it’s Ravens day! We started the morning at one of our favorite haunts, Einstein Bros. Bagels. I have a game day tradition of a Santa Fe breakfast sandwich and a vanilla hazelnut coffee, so today’s order was just that. You can’t mess with tradition! It totally hit the spot and now we’re just going to relax until it’s gametime.

Enjoy your Sunday!