running

Seahawks 12k Run Done

~ Kim Severn ~ 1 Comment

My goal is complete. I didn’t race as well as I wanted, so I’ll chalk this one up to a character builder. But I pushed through and finished.

Even though my training started out strong, I couldn’t seem to make time for it over the last few weeks. And then my kindergartener shared her cold with me.

I was still hacking today as I hit the race course but I cranked up my music and tried to settle in for some me time.

The hill repeats and speed work I did manage during my training definitely helped as the hills didn’t feel as hard as I expected. I had a good race until mile five when it fell apart. I’ll spare you the embarrassing details. But I want to thank the wonderful couple who live along the race course who helped me out.

I was once again reminded of my love/hate relationship with running. I think I’ll stick with 5ks for a while and try to do at least one five mile run a week so when it’s time to prep for next year’s race I’ll be in better shape.

There’s always next year.

P.S. A 12k is supposed to be 7.4 miles, and mine wasn’t the only run tracker to measure the course at 7.75. So I survived 12k + a bonus third of a mile. 🙂

 

Show Your Power

~ Kim Severn ~ 2 Comments

Our ten year old son, Theo, had his Tae Kwon Do belt test Saturday morning. I knew he was nervous. Even though his Tae Kwon Do Master doesn’t test the students until they’re ready, his nerves always threaten to get the better of him.

Saturday mornings are tough for Theo. He and the Husband stay up late on Friday nights to play Xbox. It’s their guy time. A reward for their hard work over the week. Normal Saturday mornings start slowly, Theo choosing to ease his way into the weekend over a couple of hours. On belt test days he has less than two hours between rolling out of bed and the start of the test.

Red Belt TestOn Saturday, before he stepped on the mats to warm up, I reminded him “Do your best, show us your power. You got this!”

He did it. He showed his power and he earned his red belt. When he shows his power he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to.

I look forward to the day when I no longer have to remind him. Because that’s the day I’ll know he’s learned the lesson and applies it to his daily life.

The Seahawks 12k is less than a month away and my training continues. It is difficult to fit it in between work, kids and continuing to work on Making of a Mom, my memoir. But this race is important to me and I’m looking forward to it.

Since I started training I’ve felt better, stronger and more capable.

On Saturday I figured out that the calibration on my treadmill was off and I’d been running faster and farther than I thought I was. That’s when I figured out my six mile run was actually a seven and a half mile run. The upside, I’m a lot more prepared for the race than I planned to be at this point.

I’ve pushed myself through some tough training runs. Knowing that if I pushed through and didn’t give up, I would be rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment. Every run I push through, I show my power. And I’m living out an important lesson I want my kids to learn.

My Love Hate Relationship with Running

~ Kim Severn ~ 3 Comments

A couple months ago I signed up for one of my favorite races, the Seattle Seahawk 12k. The first time I did this race four years ago I was training six days a week for my second half marathon. I considered it an important part of my preparations. I had a blast.

Last year I was once again signed up and missed the run because two weeks before the race I got sick and couldn’t recover in time to participate. I was bummed. In the weeks leading up to the race I’d once again been running six days a week and felt pretty strong.

The thing is I’m a terrible runner. I’m slow and look awkward when I run. At my fastest a little less than four years ago I ran at a ten minute mile pace, with the occasional 9:30 mile mixed in.

Oh and another thing, I hate running. It is mentally and often physically painful. I have never once felt the “runner’s high” so many of my runner friends talk about.

You might wonder why in the world I do it. I do it to prove to myself that I can. I can make time for myself. I can do something that makes me feel stronger. I can ignore the voice in my head telling me to stop.

I also do it to show my kids physical activity is important. I do it to show them how to set and work on achieving goals. I want my kids to see me sweat. I want them to see me push myself. I want them to know that when life gets tough it’s okay to give yourself a pep talk as you struggle through.

This week as I did speed work, hill repeats and ran my first four mile run in over a year I was once again reminded how much I hate running. I remembered how much hard work it takes and how much easier it is to sit on the couch and read a book.

But when I logged my workouts into dailymile and saw my lifetime stats I smiled (1,000 miles logged to date in 301 workouts). And when my son rode his bike as I ran my four miles yesterday I loved spending time with him. These are just two examples of why I love running.

 Just think, if I hadn’t had four miles to run yesterday, I probably wouldn’t have spent 45 minutes with my son. And that time is precious and just doesn’t happen often enough.

A New Goal – The Seahawks 12k Run

~ Kim Severn ~ 1 Comment

So go ahead, call me crazy. I know that’s what at least a few of my friends will be doing when I share my latest goal.

It really isn’t that outrageous of an endeavor, its more that I’m adding another item to my already long to do list. Last week, to celebrate the amazing Seahawks win I decided to register for the Seahawks 12k. I love this race!

I stopped running nine months ago and haven’t made time for it since. That all changed this morning. I hit the treadmill for a 30 minute run to start getting back in shape.

For me, the point of running isn’t to take first place. (Which is a good thing, cause it will never happen.) It’s about making time for myself, proving that I can do what I set my mind to and feeling my body getting stronger.

I also like the side benefit of showing my kids it’s important to exercise. So when I get frustrated with my family, all with noses next to a screen, I’m not a hypocrite when I insist they put down their device and move their bodies.