Bartow Turkey Chase!

Today I ran my second 5k ever. It was a great run!! Registration was from 630- race time. Chris didn't want to get there "to" early so we left around 6:15. I got up at 5. I ate some oatmeal, took care of the dogs and just did whatever around the house. We left at 6:15 and got to Bartow around 7ish. I was nervous, again. Not to sure why I get so nervous, I know no one really cares how i'm running or is watching me, besides Chris. It was a small race. Maybe 100 people.

My only complaint was the course was marked off in 1/2 mile increments... which is fine, but I couldn't keep track, i couldn't remember if it was the 3rd 1/2 or 4th 1/2.. it would have been better if it said 1/2, then 1 mile, 1.5, 2 miles, but no it was just 1/2 mile. Oh well.

I actually got to see Chris during this race, the last race I didn't get to see him at all. He got a few pics of me.

and my finish! I was super excited he got a picture of me with the time clock! Awesome!

1st in my age group!!! Holla!!! This was so exciting! Chris & I were standing there watching the awards and they get to my age group 20-24 (i'm 3wks from being 25)... so i was at the tippy top of my age group... They said "and in 1st place in the 20-24 with a time of 26:30  (i looked at Chris and i said "Holy Shit, thats me").... Jena H..."   WOW! I was shocked..

So I PR'd today! I was really really really excitded about it! I can't wait to run my next race. I'm going to register for a Santa run that is also in Bartow. Woohoo!!

My longest run yet...

On Saturday, Chris and I went to a new trail that I found online. It's the Auburndale Teco Trail, off of Berkley road. It was a pretty nice trail. There was quite a lot of shade for the first 1.5 miles, then after that the shade tapers off and it was just hot. They have trail markers etched into the trail- which sucks if you aren't looking for them. I didn't notice them until I got to 1 mile, then i saw the 1.5 mile .... good to know, I hate carrying that bulky Garmin. Can't wait to hopefully get a Garmin Forerunner 305 for my b-day. 

I ran a total of 3.6 miles on Saturday, which is my longest run yet. Not really impressive when I think of all the other girls I know that are running in the double digit runs... but i'll get there. I didn't run today (Monday), going to run tomorrow. This getting dark by 6 thing really threw me for a loop. I have to figure out where I am going to run, i need a place with street lights- uhm yah, no where in D-port has street lights! I have thought about wearing my fishing headlight, but that thing drives me bonkers when I fish, I can't imagine running w/ it on my head. Hm.

I am going to register for my second 5k tomorrow! The Bartow Turkey Chase. I'm excited. I decided that I can only do one 5k a month for budgeting reasons. This one is only $18, the first one I did I think was $25.  Crap! I just looked at the 5k I was going to do in DEC and that joker is $35..hmm I think i'll find another one. It was the NTC (national training center) 5k... I think i'll find a holiday one or something. Maybe even register for my first 10k... 6.2 miles. I think I should be ready for that by the end of December!

Good night- I have to get back to my homework now. Boo

My first 5k!

Today was my first 5k. Community in Pink 5k, put on by Health Central. The race was at Winter Garden Village. If I had a scanner I'd scan the map and but it on here, but I don't.

I got up at 4:40am. Shaved my legs.. LOL, i know important! I ate some toast with peanut butter. I got Chris up..with argument, of course. We left the house at 5:40.  Check-in was at 6:30. I wasn't sure how crazy it would be so I wanted to get there early enough where we wouldn't have to wait to check in...and i was just nervous. so i wanted to get there and just see everything so i could calm down.

We got there at 6:25, checked in and then walked over to the mcdonalds.. no way i'm usin a porto-potti when there is a perfectly good mcdonalds just down the parking lot!

The race started in the "middle" of the parking lot I guess. Where that pavilion thing is... I can't tell you the whole course.... We ran through WGV and into a neighborhood and back through WGV.

I felt good during the whole race. At the very beginning of the race my right calf started feeling tight; i though "Oh this is going to be a long run if this doesn't loosen up"...thankfully it went away and i ran fine. I kept up a steady pace. Not quick, just steady. It actually went by really quickly. I was jammin' out to my i-pod, focusing on my pace, and breathing (cuz that tends to be important!)... I couldn't believe how quickly we got back to WGV.

There weren't not very many spectators. There were some though, and it was really cool to hear/see them cheering for us. We ran through a neighborhood and there were some folks out in their yards clapping and what not. pretty cool!

I crossed the finish line in 31:07...according to my timer on my watch. There was no "official" time or anything like that. The race was kind of crazily put together. Everyone had a hard time hearing when the announcer guy said "GO!" , it was kinda crazy! 

Chris wasn't there to see me cross the finish line... He went to the mcdonalds and he thought he would have plenty of time to get back before i was finished. WRONG. I told him I wanted to finish in 35min or less,he didn't think i would finish in 31:07... So after i crossed I was kinda sad bc I didn't see Chris and it was like another 5 minutes before I found him. Oh well, there will be other races! I still had a really great time.

I am really proud of myself for 2 reasons. #1, because I actually finished in less time then I aimed for.

The second reason is more of a self thing... I am proud of myself for actually going out and doing the race, by myself. I had no one to run with me and I didn't let that stop me. Alot of times if I don't know anyone thats going to be someplace, or if there are large crowds I'd rather just not go. I do not like large crowds of people.  I am just proud of myself for finding the race, "training" for the race, registering for the race, and running it by myself. That is a pretty big thing for me.

I told Chris, "I think this is something i'm definently going to get into, I love it" It's just fun! It's great to be apart of something like that.  I've already been on Runnersworld.com looking for more races coming up! I can't wait to run again!

I am running.

I have started running, seriously. I have been jogging/walking/bike riding since June. But just recently I decided that I wanted to get serious about running. I don't just want to run a mile and be satisfied. I want to do some races. There are a few 5k's (3miles) coming up soon that I want to do.

1. Health Central is doing a 5k along with Winter Garden Village on OCt 24th... thinking about doing this one, not sure if i'll be ready in 2 wks.

2. Bartow Turkey Chase 5k on November 21st

3. Florida 5k Run- NTC Race On 12/19.

Yay! I'm excited! Today Stacey and I jogged 3 miles. i jogged the majority of the 3 miles. Had to do a few walking parts, but i was pretty proud of myself.

Trash the Dress!

I did two different trash the dress shoots! Both were alot of fun! The first one I did with my wedding photographer Gloria Tomblin. The second one I did was with the photography guild that Gloria is apart of. I did the second one with two other girls, Ashley & Mindy.

The first shoot with Gloria was done @ Sand Key Park in Clearwater, and Ft. Desoto south of St. Pete. Oh, we also did a few at an abandoned car wash in Clearwater down the road from our hotel. The weather was horrible. The wind was blowing 20-30mph and the waves were ferocious!!! We didn't stay at Sand Key long because it was SO rough and windy! We went down to FT. Desoto where it was still windy, but not as bad! Here are some pics from the 1st shoot!

We attracted alot of attention- a photographer, a girl in a wedding dress, and her mom.

Our second shoot was at Ponce Inlet Park near Daytona Beach! There were about 20 photographer and 3 brides, and 2 girls in prom dresses.

Excuse me: Can someone turn the rain off?

I can't handle any more rain, and neither can my poor puppy Diva. We are sick of it! We are sick of walking out side in the rain. We are sick of our hair getting wet!!!

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Today when I got home there was no standing water. Then it poured while I was cooking dinner and now we have standing water- ugh. bring on the mosquito infestation!

That water is belly deep on my puppy. She doesn't like to play in it--trust me, I know. I tried to drag her in it last week when it was also there.

I hate rain- I mean I strongly dislike it right now. I understand that we needed the rain, but this just plain ridiculous!

The power goes out every time it rains- not good when I'm trying to cook dinner. We got a half inch of rain in less then 2 hours today.

It is supposed to rain for atleast the next 3 days according to the weather channel so i guess we'll just have to deal w/ it. =(

For the love of fishing!

Chris & I got up at 430am to go fishing over in Hernando County on an inshore charter!!! (Chris looks so enthused to be taking pictures @ 5am doesn't he?---he loves me!)... So we went over to Hernando and went fishing with Capt. Joel (fishdaddycharters.com)! We went to the flats and I caught 2 catfish. No Reds! I REALLY wanted to catch a Red, but of course I know that just bc I want to doesn't mean i'm going to! If that were the case i'd have caught alot more fish in my life then I have! So after fishing the flats for a while we went out deeper to fish for sharks and whatever else would bite.

I don't know how far out we were, probably 7 miles and it was only 8 feet deep. You couldn't see land, but you could see the bottom. We caught a bunch of sharks, which you know I don't mind since I love love sharks!! They are such a fun fight! and they are cute! Did you know if you lay a shark on its back it will go to sleep? I had heard this but I wasn't sure if it was for sharks or gators?...it works for sharks, not sure if it works for gators.... We also caught some seabass, lady fish, and some trout. Chris caught a big 23.5 inch trout! we kept it, and we caught one other keeper trout. We brought them home and we had them for dinner tonight! They were delish!

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>>>Me "petting" the shark. The feel like sand paper on their head and back, and their belly is really smooth!

Chris & his trout \/

After we got done fishing in Hernando beach we came home, got a shower and watched TV...I started reading the fishing reports for Sebastian Inlet and they were bringing some big fish up outta there....Chris jumped up and got dressed and we went fishing- Again.....

We fished the west coast & east coast all in one day! 400 miles!!

We got skunked in Sebastian but we still had a good time. We got down there about 1130,fished for an hour and then slept in the truck from about 1230am-430am... Then we tried to go fish the beach but it was pretty rough. We watched the sun come up and then went to fish the point some before we came home!

(East Coast, Sebastian Inlet 6am)

The Inlet from the bridge that runs from the north side to the south side- that is the south side beach.

Me fishing the point at Sebastian Inlet!