This was the 5th Annual Running With The Cow’s Half Marathon and 5K! This was my first time running in it, but certainly not my last. This race was at a Catholic Parish in a rural part of town. The 5K was down a two lane road with open green fields on both sides of the road (I assume the half marathon was the same.) I tried to take in the view while I was running. The location was perfect! The sun was shining and there was a nice breeze. This race was so well organized, so much fun, lot’s of great volunteer’s, lot’s of great runners and walker’s, and FOOD! Oh my goodness, the FOOD! It was ONE – BIG – Church Pot Luck Dinner!
Sweets, Lasagne, Pizza, Burrito’s, Chicken Sandwiches, Sub Sandwiches, An entire table of Cinnamon Roll’s, fruit, granola bars, BBQ, McDonald’s, The Corner Bakery, and on and on and on……
I took just a few bites of a few things yesterday. I should have made a doggie bag!!
Thanks, Rebecca! You just keep making me run!
I really liked participating in a race that had both a half marathon AND a 5K! The 5K runners were given these adorable little cow bells at the end of the race….
…..so Rebecca and I hung out at the finish line and rung our bells as the half marathon runners crossed the finish line!
I was so impressed with so many of the participants in BOTH events. I really am happy to be doing these 5K’s now. I see so many people that motivate me! Sometimes it’s the older people that motivate me, because I know I need to keep doing this to maintain my health as I get older, and that’s the whole plan anyhow. Sometimes I see someone that I think is my “body twin” and I am motivated by watching them and keeping up with them.
Close to the end of the race, I had been keeping an eye on a lady that was walking/running at about my same pace. I started running, and she started running. I looked at her and I said….”Let’s keep running and finish this together!” And she said….”Lets!” So we did. When I got home, I looked up my results online, and she was listed right by me. She was 61 years old! Love it!
Lots of different people motivate me for lots of different reasons. And seriously, who doesn’t want to cross a finish line with a ton of people cheering you on???? And they even said my name as I crossed the finish line!!
My time was not as good as the Trolley Run, the last one that I did, but not too shabby for walking a bit. The hills weren’t big, but they were a tad long. I totally forgot to take/use my inhaler, and that helps me with my breathing a LOT! Oops.
I seem to be a 12 Minute Mile girl, and I’m good with that for now. It’s a comfortable pace.
Allie and Sara
Allie
Okay, now I have to tell you about Allie and Sara.
Where do I begin with this story?
We have a family friend, her name is Allie. Allie is 25. She is actually one of our daughter’s (Anne) best friends and has been since grade school. Allie was actually in the delivery room with me and Anne, when Kate was giving birth to baby Charlotte in February! Well, she was until the mean nurse said there were too many in the room, and Allie offered to wait outside the room. Anyhow, Allie has been around the family for a long time and her and Anne are super close, and we all love her.
On March 25, Allie was in an awful car wreck and was thrown from the car. She is incredibly lucky to be alive, but she did have severe injuries that left her permanently paralyzed from the waist down. She has no brain damage and she does have full use of her arms and hands. She is currently in a rehab facility in Nebraska and it looks like she will be there until at least July. As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult thing for Allie to accept, but she is doing a great job of staying positive, keeping us all up to date on her progress via Facebook and a Caring Bridge Page, and maintaining her sense of humor.
I feel like every time I see someone in a wheelchair, I want to observe them, and tell Allie how I saw this person in a wheel chair at the grocery store…alone! I saw a person in a wheel chair doing this or that. I want her to know she still has her whole life ahead of her and that it will be an awesome life! Allie is one of those people that just makes you smile, and she’s kinda goofy and crazy, and I want her to know that the same Allie can still be the same Allie!
Sara
Okay, Sara. While running in the race on Saturday morning, I am passed by this cute little blonde in a wheel chair working those arms like crazy! I knew as soon as I was done, I HAD to find her! I need to tell Allie that she can do a 5K! I need to know who this is so I can tell Allie about her!
After much searching and almost giving up, I found her!!
I approached her, not really knowing what I was going to say.
“Excuse me, but can I please ask you a question? I have a friend who was recently in a car accident, and she is paralyzed from the waist down. I’m wanting to help her know that her life will still be full and happy, and when I saw you in the race, I immediately wanted to tell her about you. Can I please take a picture with you so I can send it to her? She is currently in a rehab facility, and this is all new, and I want her to have hope and see what she can do.”
Not only did she pose for a picture with me, but she gave me her name, her cell phone number and her email address. She said that she would be more than happy to answer any questions that Allie had.
This is Sara. She is 30 years old and has been in a wheel chair for 20 years. She plays wheel chair basket ball and this was her first 5K! When I asked her what she thought of it, she said it was awesome and that it was great to be surrounded by so many positive people!
I sent Anne a text with the picture I took and I told her about meeting Sara. I said I didn’t know if Allie was ready for that right now, but maybe soon she would be. Anne replied back that she WAS ready for that kind of a story and she forwarded my text and picture to her! Apparently Allie was super excited that I was thinking about her and that I had my picture taken with Sara! I was a little skeptical, but now I’m really glad that I did that 🙂
Okay, after the race I mowed.
Then, after fighting with my old weed eater, and tired of tripping over the extension cord for 15 years, I went shopping for a new Weed Eater/Trimmer. Would you believe that after having a nice chat with the salesman, and giving him a high five on a good sales job, he asked me if he could take a picture of me with my new trimmer and the extra three spools of string I bought for it??? This is not a joke people! I’m like…uh, seriously? He’s like uh, yeah. My boss likes us to send him a picture of our customer after we make a sale??? What the…..??????
So you know I posed. Then I said….Okay, now I get to take a picture of YOU! This story HAS to go on my blog dude!
Yep! That’s the guy that sold me my weed whacker!! That’s Justin.
Then I bought and planted just a few flowers. Then I assembled and used my new Trimmer! Then…..I fell into my hammock and stayed there for over an hour! It was heaven. Remember yesterday when I said I was stopping to smell the roses? Did it again.
After relaxing a bit, I fired up the grill (I turned the gas on) and grilled up some chicken breast. While I was doing this, for just a split second, there was a rainbow! You see it?? It was an awesome day.
Pre 5K Breakfast
Un-Pictured Oatmeal
5 PPV
I guess I was so excited to run that I forgot to take a picture of my oatmeal that I ate at about 6:00 am! I went to find an old picture of oatmeal on my blog, and realized I don’t usually eat my oatmeal without all sorts of stuff on top of it like I did yesterday. So I’ll just tell you about it.
1/2 C. Dry Oats
1 Packet Truvia
2 T. PB2 Chocolate
3/4 Boiling Water
Mix the first three ingredients. Add the boiling water, stir. Let sit for about three minutes. The PB2 powder makes this super thick and yummy. Usually I make this with 1/2 a mashed banana mixed in there too, then I top it with the other half of banana all sliced up, but I had no banana’s!
Post 5K Breakfast
Un-Pictured bites of things…..I’ve never seen so much food at a race!
6 PPV
Lunch
Hy-Vee Salad Bar
Lot’s of veggies and a couple of Tablespoons of Taco Meat
4 PPV
Snack
Beer
5 PPV
Dinner
Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast, Baked Sweet Potato
Dole Asian Chopped Salad
13 PPV
Weight Watcher’s Points Plus
I can eat 26 PPV a day.
I can earn Activity Points by doing exercise, and eat them if I choose.
I have an allowance of 49 extra points that I can dip into throughout the week if I choose.
I should drink a minimum of 6 (8 oz) glasses of water each day.
My Weight Watcher Week Begins on Friday’s
Pre-5K Breakfast = Oatmeal (5)
Post-5K Breakfast = Bites (6)
Lunch = Salad (4)
Snack = Beer (5)
Dinner = Chicken, Sweet Potato, Salad (13)
Total = 33
Exercise = Ran a 5K.. 🙂
How many glasses of water I drank = 15+
Activity Points Earned for the Day = 7
Activity Points Earned This Week = 9
Remaining points from my 49 Points Allowance = 25
Alcohol Consumption = Beer
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s!!
Gotta Run!
“love the life you live, live the life you love”
