Batesville Day 10K

My lungs, I discovered Saturday, are not yet up to pre-pneumonia health. I tried to run the Batesville Day 10K, which is basically a three-mile run up a mountain and then back down again. Mile one was at my pre-pneumonia pace, but after that I had to walk up nearly every hill. My finishing time was about five minutes slower than last year ; my time was 63 minutes. I was extremely disappointed, although my head knows I should just be thankful I completed the race at all. The doctor said this was the traditional pneumonia that used to put people in the hospital for four to six weeks, and that it will take a while to recover completely. I still placed, coming in third in my age group. Last year I was second.

Good friend Sharon Balint took the second place ribbon, after cycling a century the week before and occuring a nasty saddle sore. So I was very proud of her.

Butch ran Batesville faster than he did last year. And he, too, placed in his age group and brought home a second place ribbon. And that feat was something we were both ecstatic about.

A.P., CP

A.P. McCracken is officially now a CP, certified paralegal. Just yesterday (5/11) I received notice that I passed NALA's qualifying exams. I nearly cried; I was so relieved. I really didn't think I could bear to re-take even one section of the exams. 

Bringing Home the Gold. . .and the Silver. . .

The Senior Games officially began with the lighting of the torch near the end of a banquet held at Deep Run Recreation Center (the rear of the building is in the photo below).

I brought home four gold medals (for the 200, 800 and 1500 meter in track and field; and a 5K road race) and Butch brought home three silvers. I actually won the 800 meter women's race. I felt like I was watching someone else's life, and kept thinking the other two women would surely pass me at some point. But they didn't. That's the first race I won.

Butch won silver medals for placing second in his age group in the men's division of the 800 and 1500 meter track events, and Sunday's 5K road race. 

Wet Shoes

Four pairs of wet running shoes are lined up in a row on a rug in my living room. It's been raining for days obviously and the shoes just aren't drying after escapades through water and mud puddles. Today, since the wind wasn't blowing for a change, we opted for a road run instead of the usual run through the trail in the park. I felt a few sprinkles, but by and large stayed dry -- except for my feet in their still-wet shoes.  

We slogged over squashed earthroom, slugs and even a frog; there were too many to be able to avoid them all. The downpour last night must have brought the critters in a crazy blitz to their demise. 

Though t-storms are predicted during the weekend, at this precise moment the sun is actually shining so I will soon head over to the church to play in the flower garden a spell.  

Apple Blossom 10K

The first couple miles of the Apple Blossom 10K on Saturday, May 2, was pure chaos. More than a thousand people were crammed onto a divided road. When the signal went off, runners scrambled for place and pace -- and some didn't worry about stepping on others' toes.  After a couple miles, however, the crowd thinned out, as did the rain that had been steadily falling.  I never did find the magic bubble where I could run my own race; always there was a small group around me and I had to be wary of cutting others off.  

Last year I ran this race in 54:09 and came in second in my age group. This year I did it in 59:57 (chip time) and came in 13th out of 27 in my age group. I was sorely disappointed, yet knew I should be grateful to be able to finish without walking any of it as this is the longest and hardest run yet since the pneumonia hit. The doctor told me earlier in the week that the pneumonia was an infection in my lung, and that it will take time for it to heal. I had the traditional pneumonia that, before antibiotics, used to put people in the hospital for three to four weeks at a time; and it hasn't even been a month since I landed in the hospital.  I do find that I still feel very tired and low on air (which is not quite the same as being short of breath; this is more the sensation of being unable to take a full, deep breath).  So I think the doc is probably right and I need to be more patient with myself.

The weather remains cool and rainy, hampering my efforts at speed work. Next weekend is the Senior Games and I hope, in spite of the lack of speed work, to see some more improvement in my running ability.