It’s the best job in the world, and so much fun, but at times it can become overly consuming. I’ve spent the past week working out a particularly thorny scene, and frankly, I’ve amazed myself with how preoccupied it’s made me. I lay in bed writing on my iPhone. I get up in the morning and spend ALL DAY writing and editing the scene. When I’m away from home, I take notes on my iPhone and email them to myself.

I am still running, and that’s actually been going really well. I’m pushing harder than ever in my “running” career. My mileage is lower than it was a year ago (an average of 3 to 3.5 miles per day), but my pace is more consistent and slightly faster.

I’ve also been pleased with how much this scene has distracted me while running. It’s fantastic when I’m running, and suddenly I realize that I’ve run a certain distance but don’t remember running it. It gives me a boost and helps me continue the run.

And that’s been my life. It’s quiet, but I love it. I write and I run. It’s pure joy.

I was very impressed overall. I know that hosting a 5k costs money – a few thousand at least – and considering that they did not charge the runners, they did a great job. They had plenty of (donated, I’m sure) water, juice, and granola bars. There was plenty of parking. The race was hosted at a community college, so there were also plenty of INDOOR restrooms. (There were also many many boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts. Temptation!)

The course was not bad. It was a particular road that doesn’t have many intersections and thus didn’t require many police officers to monitor. There was a pretty significant hill at one point on the course, which definitely slowed me down a bit.

Also, it was an out-and-back course on a windy day. The “out” portion was not bad, but the “back” portion was into the wind. Yikes!

I was super pleased with my kick at the end of the race. I can’t explain what goes on in my head during a good kick – it’s almost like my mind transcends running. The only thought in my mind is “GO!” I was able to get a good little bit out of my legs, and I’m sure that knocked a few seconds off my time.

When I crossed the finish line, I’m almost positive that the announcer calling out runners’ names called me “Emily”. Between that and my untimed adventure at last week’s race, I wonder if the universe is trying to send me a message.

It was self-timed, so no chip timing. According to my GPS/clock, my time was 41:11. Great time and a great way to spend a Saturday!

I held out before writing my race recap of the Independence Park Trot because I still have not been able to get my official time. I haven’t gotten much help from KC Running Company, the official race timer. Boo.

This race, held on May 4, was fantastic. It’s a free race promoted by my local health department. Very family friendly, and you will see people of all shapes and sizes completing the race. It’s a lot of fun.

 Before the race

This was also my “last hurrah” for the 25-29 age group. My 30th birthday was on May 5, meaning this was on the last possible day of my 29th year.

Waiting for the air horn to start the race!

It was very abnormally cold for a May 4 race. Temps were in the upper 30s and lower 40s (Fahrenheit); wind chills were below freezing. Most runners wore long pants and long sleeves. I’m a rebel and wore long sleeves, shorts, and gloves.

See me there, in the center-left?

The race was in a great location, a park that is nearly flat and with nice wide streets and paths. Due to its location, it also required closing minimal streets. After the race, my mom and I decided to visit a nearby store to pick up a few things my mom needed. Of course, at the register, there was another customer complaining about “those runners” and just how inconvenienced she was by them. I was still wearing my race big, and when she saw me standing near her, she became quite pale.

Nearing the finish line!

If I ever get my official race time, I will update this. Based on my own measurements, my time should be around 38 minutes and possibly a PR, but I don’t know the exact time. Here’s hoping!

After the race. Mom wanted to take a picture; I just didn’t want to move!

I have another 5k this weekend. I’m feeling quite optimistic for a sub-40:00 time, particularly since I ran 40:07 in the one 5k I ran a month ago, and this 5k will have fewer hills. Flat, fast, and fun!

I run, nearly every day. It is ordinary and extraordinary all at once. This year, I have been running stronger than ever. It continually amazes me to discover how much farther I can push my body.

This year, interestingly enough, my running and my motivation for running has changed significantly. I haven’t done many races this year, only one 5k, and no longer races (10ks or half marathons). This is the first year since I’ve started running that I have scaled back my races so drastically. I’ve only focused on testing myself, and it’s been good.

I suspect that I will continue on this path of self-testing for a few more months. If I build up this strong base, I think I will return to (frequent) racing stronger than ever. It is strange, but somehow I think NOT racing has been better for my races than any race ever was!

So much on my mind tonight. Perhaps tomorrow I will write more.

They weren’t “bad”, exactly, but they weren’t very good either. My legs were just not in the mood for it.

So I’m taking tomorrow as a recovery day. Works out well, because the weather forecast is predicting rain and storms all day!

I didn’t sleep well last night. I don’t know why but it seems that I can never sleep well before a race. Even the races I don’t care too much about!

Nonetheless, I dragged myself out of bed this morning, ate breakfast, and reported to the race. Since the race was at my mom’s school, she had picked up my race packet yesterday, so we had plenty of time beforehand. I helped her change a bulletin board in her classroom, which was a great distraction.

We forgot to bring a proper camera, so my mom took a pre-race photo with my iPhone. She accidentally changed it to movie, but here it is:

IMG_0421

I used the Nike+ GPS on my iPhone, and I was already thankful for it when we lined up before the race. Rather than standing around and getting nervous, I tweeted and texted and looked up the news. Really helped the time fly!

During the race, I was also thankful for the Nike+. It was a huge help to get the “progress reports” every mile, as well as being able to look at my phone and know how far I’d gone and how far I had left to go. That made it much easier to keep going.

I completed the race in 40:17 according to Nike+, and 40:07 chip time. This is absolutely outstanding for me! My current PR for 5k is 38:59, from last year’s Independence Park Trot, on a course that was flat and in perfect running weather. Today’s course had moderate hills and a stiff wind. Considering the challenging weather, the hills, and all the many health challenges I’ve faced in getting here – it’s safe to say I’m delighted.

Race plug: This was a wonderfully family-friendly race, with children and adults of all ages running. There were plenty of families cheering for us. I will definitely plan on running this race again next year!

Last week, three days in a row, I ran 2.5 miles. I was not really sore, even after those challenging runs.

Two days ago (Tuesday) and today, I walked Sadie the super-puppy for 3.5 miles. Though the distance was longer, and though I definitely tried to maintain a brisk pace, I was definitely not pushing myself as hard as I did last week. Yet after each of these walks, I was/am exhausted and a little bit stiff! So I guess that means I’m not as fit as I would like to be!

I have a 5k on Saturday, and I’m feeling reasonably confident about my readiness for it. I am not planning to go for a PR – this will just be a fun run – but this feels like good timing and a good way to challenge myself.