I am still waiting to hear from the cycling store about the bicycle that I ordered. Of the two options in my previous post, I ordered the orange Electra Townie 7D, I am SO excited!! They told me it would take a week and I ordered it last Wednesday - so they better call soon!

I am getting increasingly nervous about my 4 mile Women's Race this Saturday. My running has suffered due to our busy summer schedule and the recent heat/humidity we've been having. I know I can do the 4 miles, but what I am nervous about is the fact that - once again - I will be coming in last. It isn't that I am embarassed about my slow speed, it is just hard to know that everyone is waiting on you. Luckily, what makes me feel better is that the women runners in this town (and most of the males as well) are UBER supportive!

My husband is a member of the local running club and is even a member of their board. So he knows just about everyone that runs locally and through him I've met a lot of runners myself. I feel so priviledged to know these women - who are older, faster, smarter, nicer runners than me! They're my heros and mentors and they serve to encourage me through every single step of my running. So it is difficult when I know that I am going to be SO slow, I don't want to disappoint them. Yes, yes - I know - they're probably just happy to see me out there running, no matter the speed. I know that. It is just hard to believe - which is why these women are SO amazing to me.

What?!? Fans??

Woah. I've been absent for a while, I know. But somehow I stumbled back onto my blog today, I'm not sure why. Lo and behold, I see that I've racked up a few comments from people during my absence! Woah. It looks like I have some fans, haha. Who knew?! Well, after seeing that discovery, I've been inspired to write again and dare I say it...maybe even RUN again! Oh the shock!

So thank you to megan hall, wendy, pamela ann and runmomma - thank you for kicking me in the ass today!! :-)

Oookay, down to business. I have 2 races coming up and I have not run (not even one mile) in weeks! EEEK!!! I am signed up to do a 4 mile women's race on July 19th, so that's in um, 10 days. Then I am also registered to do a 10 mile race the following weekend on July 26th. What the hell was I thinking when I mailed in those registration forms?! Oh, I know...I was thinking that I better sign up for races this summer so that I wouldn't lose my motivation to run! HA! So much for that plan. Well, now it is dangerously close to these dates and I really need to get my neglected butt out the door.

After dark (and after the humidity subsides) tonight I am going to do a 2 mile run. No excuses. I know that I am going to come in last in both of these races and I'd atleast like to do it with some dignity, haha.

In other news, I am on a new kick lately: buying a bicycle. I haven't had a working bike for about 6 years and I really miss the freedom of hopping on one to just go short distances. Also, I feel a little (okay, A LOT) guilty about driving my fat ass to work everyday for 2.5 miles and then paying $10 for parking. I know, I know. If you want to blame someone for gas prices or global warming or whatever - I'll take it. Totally deserve it.

So anyway, these are the bikes I've been looking at:

Trek Pure Lowstep

Electra Women's Townie 7D

Aren't they so adorable!? I am headed over to the bike shop tonight to give them a spin. I figure that the extra exercise of riding to work 3 days a week couldn't hurt my sorry state. I am very excited!! Hey who knows - maybe next I'll try swimming and before you know it, I will be doing an Ironman!!! AHHHH HAHAHAHAAA.

Dead Last

I just read an older post on one of the Athena-themed blogs that I stumbled upon recently. RunAthena wrote about her feelings on a 15k that she had just finished. It was a local race and she was at the back of the pack the entire time. While running she thought back to her very first 5k when she ran with an injured knee and was greeted just short of the finish line by her sons who yelled "All right Mom! You're not last!" There were just a few elderly walkers behind her, but it was true - she was not the last one to cross the line. So while finishing the 15k and knowing she was the last person she thought back to that comment from her sons. She was literally the last person, but really she did have people behind her and always will. The runner that she once was will always be behind her. I truly could not have expressed these feelings better myself and it seems as though she lifted this scene right from my very own life.

In early May I ran the longest race that I had attemped up until that point. The local running club's spring classic 15k was going to be the practice race for my upcoming first half marathon. I had an excellent experience running the race, but I finished DEAD LAST. This happens pretty much any time I run a local race that isn't a 5k with walkers. I have literally been pushed through the course by the sweep car in my first 8k race (though I did get a PR!). Most other runners, spectators and volunteers have gone home and little or no food/drink is left at the finish line when I'm done. While at the time it does feel incredibly demoralizing, I can now certainly see that those experiences aren't all I've cracked them up to be. Because no matter when I finish, my former, non-running-self will always be the one coming in last.

The first

I ran my very first half marathon last month and let me tell ya, it was cool. So cool that I have already signed up for my second half marathon.

Here is a recap of my experiences:
Although I felt like I was ready to complete the 13.1 miles about a week or so before the race, I began getting very nervous. My biggest fear with running/racing has always resulted from the fact that I am so slow. I picked Green Bay for my inaugural race because it seemed very first-timer friendly and the results from 2007 showed many people finishing in well over 3 hours. However, I was still very afraid of being dead last and having the waterstops or finish line pack up before I was finished. It is this fear that literally keeps me running, I feel as though I am being chased by the possibility of not actually being able to finish the race. Therefore, I was nearly immobilized by this fear up until the gun went off! The bus ride from the hotel to the starting area was nearly vomit inducing. I couldn't even talk to the family members also running the race with me. It was bad. I actually am not sure I ever relaxed that day.

My favorite part of the entire experience was lining up at the start line. Well, I say line...but we all know that I was nowhere near the actual line until about 5 minutes after the gun went off. I was firmly stationed at the back of the pack until that point. The feeling around me was electric as Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get It Started" played loudly over the speakers. It made me want to dance and sing outloud, but I restrained myself so that I didn't lose any of the important energy that I would need later at mile 11. Sometime after crossing the start line, some woman came up behind me and asked me "Where is the rest of your team??" I had forgotten that I was wearing a shirt made just for the day with pictures of myself and my fellow family runners that said Team Schmitt. I explained to her that we all run different paces, so we aren't literally running this race together. She asked me what my goal finish time is and when I told her three hours she quickly got lost in the crowd again. I should have remembered her bib number to see where she finished. She obviously had some problem with slow runners like me. Haha!

I am torn about how I feel toward finishing the race. I am proud of what I did, but I have a hard time feeling like it is anything extraordinary. It is a big deal to do the 1/2 marathon, but what if you took longer than most walkers to finish it?