More than a 1/3 of the way to $1600

Today marked my 2nd long run with the TNT group and my third run in total.

I love my Sunday running girls, but I'm also enjoying meeting new runners and walkers! TNT won't replace, not even close, my Sunday Girls, but it's good to have a purpose bigger than my own goals.

A little bit of catch up: My first workout with the group was at the track. I've avoided the track since last summer, often blaming Sydney :-) as she dislikes the track. She is a dog, after all. But she isn't running right now I no longer have excuses for avoiding the track. The first TNT training was a 1-mile test to determine our pace groups. Since I missed that first effort that's what I got to do on the track that first Tuesday evening. Coach Thom asked that I keep track of my own time since I wasn't doing the same workout as everyone else and I was happy to do so. Two things stand out to me about that evening: 1. Coach Thom paced me with his watch and also paced all the other runners and 2. I ran an 8:33 mile. Pretty cool on both accounts.

So my second workout with the group was a long run on the first really hot Saturday of the summer season, Memorial Day Weekend. It wasn't a brilliant run, but I finished 8 miles. And got back to Monument Valley Park to discover that not only does TNT put out water and GU ON THE TRAIL, but they have ice water, Propel, Gatorade, bagels....you name it at the end of the run. I wasn't in need of food, but the ice water HIT THE SPOT.

So today's run took us through the Garden of the Gods. It's a favorite of mine and I've been running there at least once a week since April. This was my third run in the Garden this week! :-) Today was on the roads and we were a very small group. I ran with the same new running partner, Mindy. And our pace this week, in the Garden, was quite similar to our pace last week on the flat Monument Valley Trail. I do much better on hills than I do on the flats. My muscles are just not fast twitch.

As far as fundraising goes, I feel pretty good that I'm more than a 1/3rd of the way towards my requirement of $1600. Many of us benefited from Title 9 generosity by getting new bras and by getting their donation of $700 towards our team. It'll be split by those of us that bought new bras - pretty cool!