This week is kicking my butt!

First off, I finished my second week of training.  It went alright but I had to shift my workouts around a little because of the weather and tiredness. 

Monday: walked 2.2 miles on the treadmill

Tuesday: walked 2.2 miles on the treadmill

Wednesday: Ran 3.62 miles in 45 minutes with a run walk ratio of 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking

Thursday: walked 2.2 miles on the treadmill

Friday: Ran a 5K with one of my best friends Amy.  It poured but we did it in 36 minutes.  It was her first race.

Saturday:  Rest

Sunday: Ran 7 miles in 1 hour and 26 minutes with a run walk ratio of 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking.

The race that my friend Amy and ran on Friday was called Run for a Beer.  It was in Gardner MA and was hosted by Fitness Concepts.  The start and finish line in two different places.  I have never done a race like that before.  All of the races I have done in the past were either an out and back or a loop.  We left my car at the finish line and took hers to the start line. 

It was pouring cats and dogs on Friday here in the Massachusetts area but I was ready to get wet.  A little rain never hurt me before.  Check in was a little backed up.  I think that they were planning to do it outside but had to move it in due to the rain.  They did not have bibs for the runners which I found odd.  They gave us a small slip of paper with our names and home towns.  They told us to pin them to our shirts.  The course was hilly but most of it was a gradual incline.  There was what felt like a monster of a hill at mile 2.5. 

This was Amy's first race so I let her set the pace.  It was a nice run.  We were not aiming to impress anyone so we didn't kill ourselves trying to set a record.  There was a police officer following us in his car for the first mile.  He kept telling us to stay on the right side of the yellow line.  If we crossed it he could not protect us.  Amy and I found this being broad casted over the loud speaker quite funny. 

As we ran we saw a lot of people had lost their slips of paper with their names.  They were just not holding up to the amount of rain that was coming down.  I did not wear my Iphone because of the weather so there were no tunes during the run.  Amy had to put up with my constant jabbering instead.  Once we got to the finish line volunteers were giving people Popsicle sticks as you came through the chute.  They had the number in which you finished.  I have also never seen this type of timing before.  It doesn't seem terribly accurate. 

Amy and I went up to my car to change out of wet running shoes and tops.  I had flip flops and a waterproof jacket in the car.  We then got in line to turn in our sticks and get our free beer.  I wasn't as excited about the beer as I was about the commemorative glass that it came in.  I have sworn off alcohol while I am training for my half marathon.  I have been pretty good at following it too.  I have only had a couple of mouthfuls of beer in the past couple of weeks, not that I am a lush to start with. 

The organization of the beer line stunk and we were in line in the rain for about a half an hour.  There was very little in the way of food for the runners afterward but we did find some quartered bagels tucked in a corner by the table you turn your sticks in to. 

All and all it wasn't a horrible run but the organization was a little lacking.  I hope that the race that I have been involved in planning is not as unorganized.  Our race, the BridgeFest is this Saturday at 10am.  I am still looking for donations, if anyone would like to donate that would be appreciated. 

This is all I have in the way of photos from this race.  It was too wet for my camera.  Do you see me there in the left hand corner?