Best Dam Run Recap, First Published Review for OregonLive.com, and a New Running Journal

I started a new running journal today!  See below.  So excited for the fresh start.  Just another way that life is continuing to unfold.  And it was nice to get creative! 

Energy seems to be flowing, doors opening, and life unfolding so wonderfully lately.  I have always been a big believer in putting your dreams out there for the world to see, believing that they are possible and doing what you are most passionate about.  Living with intention, purpose and passion!  If we do the believing and check our doubts and insecurities at the door, things will happen.  Things will come to us.  


When I started Runninghood last October, I had no idea that in only a year, my life would be so much fuller.  I knew that I wanted to write, connect with the running/motherhood community and plug into new opportunities where I could use my passion for teaching and inspiring others.  Within only a matter of weeks, I started to see things happen.  I made sincere friendships, received e-mails telling me that my words touched them in a positive way, and began to make connections in the local running community.  


The best thing that has come from this blog are the wonderful friendships I have made.  So many of you have come into my life and made it better.  I am blessed.  You know who you are.  This weekend I had the privilege of racing with two of my favorite blogger girlfriends, Raina, from Small Town Runner and Nicole, from I Dream of Running.  If you don't read their blog, you might want to check them out.  They are both super talented runners.  Raina always has something to teach me whether she realizes it or not.  Her running experience, race recaps and personal life stories leave me richer in knowledge and things to think about.  Nicole, so full of passion and big dreams!  She wears her heart on her sleeve, says what she believes without reservation, and makes you want to just get out there and DREAM Big!  


This weekend Raina drove up from Elkton, Oregon to spend the night with me and race The ORRC Best Dam 10k Run in Estacada, Oregon.  She had just raced another 10k last week where she won first place in her age group and this was another chance for her to break that 40 minute 10k, which is fully capable of!  We met up with Nicole and made it a girlfriends' getaway to beautiful Estacada!  We spent our time together talking, laughing, sharing marathon training plans, and of course, Running.  Thank you girls!  It was such a special memory for me.  Congrats to Raina for 2nd woman overall with a time of 40:14!  And to Nicole for her 2nd place age group win and a time of 42:54.  This was after only doing base runs for the past 8 weeks after her stress fracture injury!

Raina made me peach cobbler after the race!  What a gem!  It was/is SO good!

I'll include my stats but I hope you also check out the review I wrote for the local Run Oregon blog.  I was really excited to have this opportunity to write this review (thanks Nicole!) and I hope to do more in the future.  I know it is small to some but it is the first published review I've done for an online news source.  It is one more step in the right direction for me.  See, things are unfolding nicely.   


My race goals:  To have FUN! To run this race as a good tempo workout.  Since I have not been training seriously for a 10k and I've only had 2 weeks of solid half marathon training, I wasn't sure what I was capable of.  


Garmin Stats/Same time as official time.
6.26 miles
43:02
6:53 average


6:51
6:51
6:50
6:49
7:11
6:52
6:19 pace for last .26


Celebrations:
*  Consistency!  Very even splits
*  Felt strong the entire race
*  I know I can keep this pace for longer distances
*  The writing opportunity that came from it...love how life is unfolding
*  Time with girlfriends


In my recap on the Oregonlive.com site, you'll be able to read about my crazy start to this race.  Seriously almost missed the start...but who was running out of the port-o-potty and up the hill towards the start just as the announcer was counting down?  That would be me.  I had to be going at a good 5:30 pace.  Talk about being winded.  


The review I wrote was fun to write but what made it so worth it for me was when I got the following e-mail from one of the race directors after he read my recap:


"Amanda,
After a very exhausting weekend where all you hear are the could haves and should haves, it seemed to make it all worth it to read your blog this afternoon.  I hope to see you next year.  THANK YOU!!"  


and then I received the following e-mail from the race director:


"Hi Amanda.  I just read your blog article on OregonLive.  Thank you so much for the kind things you had to say about our race.  You were even very nice to us when pointing out our deficiencies!  I'm glad that you had such a good time.  With the weather so nice and that naturally beautiful course, it is hard to do many things wrong.  After having late race starts for the last two years, I was determined to get this race started on time.  I hope to see you again next year.  I also hope that you have a more restful start next year!"  

Running JOURNAL
I couldn't pass up the Composition Notebook sale at Target today.  I figure that a new notebook was a great excuse to start a new running journal for this new season of training.  A fresh start.  Starting a new running journal is also one way to get my creative energy flowing.  And this always helps me in other areas of my life.  

All I needed to get started

The back of my running journal

The cover.  I covered it in clear tape to keep it strong and make it last.

Speaking of Creativity...

Tomorrow is the last day to send me something for my art (term used lightly since art is all relative) contest.  Remember it can be a drawing, cartoon, photograph, poem...whatever.  Just keep it simple.  I will include your pictures and blog link on my blog sometime this week and then people can vote for the one that "speaks" to them the most (makes them laugh, strikes their eye, reminds them of something important, etc). 

Here are two three most recent ones that were sent to me:

Sent to me today from Alicia.  She wrote: "Here's my creation from Beth's blog. It is in regards to when she ran Boston and read her daughter's homework after the race.  As a mother who drags her kids to races and the gym all the time, I sure hope they feel the same way her daughter felt about her. Seeing her run the race and thinking "go, mom, go!" That post brought tears to my eyes!

This was from Kathy at Just Keep Running.  She wrote: "Better late than never--you said simple and I think this qualifies! :) Fun to just sit down and doodle!"

This creation is from Julie at Tri-ing to be Athletic.  This was inspired by her first impression of SUAR when she saw Beth in a swimsuit with her underwear hanging out.  Sexy!!  

Happy Monday!  I hope to find time tonight to respond to all of your comments on my last post about my Running Story.  Thank you for your words! Sorry I've been so bad at responding lately.  Life has been busy.  


Amanda