May, Mileage, Milwaukee, and the BMS 5K

May was a crazy good run month for me. In addition to a fancy PR, the fifth month of 2014 included a lot of positive stuff. I'll let the stats speak for themselves.

Miles Run: 100.10

Runs: 13

Hours Run: 16.18

Average Run Distance: 7.70 mi.

Average Run Pace: 9:42.05

Average Run Duration: 1:14:41.8

Average Temperature: 60.3°F

Longest Run: 13.21 mi., May 3

Shortest Run: 3.06, May 23

Favorite Run: May 17, 12.4 mi.

Total Lifetime Mileage: 3,322.45

There were two major factors that influenced my increase in mileage. First, my unusual ankle/heel/foot pain did nothing but get better and better, and its healing allowed me to spend more time on it. The second factor can be summarized in three words:

The.

Volunteerin'

Milwaukee.
Trail.

With the help of the Hoosier Rails to Trails Council, Bedford is turning an old railroad into an amazing, beautiful, crushed gravel trail for hikers, bikers, and runners. You can click here to learn a little more about it. The scenery is beautiful, I am safe from traffic, and the soft surface is exactly what my Crohn's-weakened bones and joints need. The "favorite run" of May 17 cited above included several miles with Wendy on the trail. Because I'll be spending hours and hours and hours (and hours), running on the Milwaukee Trail, I've joined the volunteer crew. This trail is a true gem in Bedford. Expect to hear a lot more about it from me.

BMS 5K

Race "Leader"

May is a difficult month for me because I have to tell my 100-or-so students good-bye. However, May also hosts the event that is one of the highlights of the school year: the BMS 5K. All students and teachers (who aren't serving as course monitors), run/walk the 5K. Local businesses donate free T-shirts to the students, and downtown Bedford is a sea of red and white Cutters enjoying fitness. There isn't a better day for a teacher to see her students reaching long-set goals. It's a magical day.

In addition to watching my students reach goals, I run the race myself, always with the goal of beating BMS's principal, Mr. Schlegel. In 2013, I bested him by a mere 17 seconds. Based on all the trash talking I had done during the two months before the 2014 running, I had some checks to cash.

5 For Flying

The BMS 5K also hosts a team division, scored like cross country. (The placements of the four fastest members of a five-person team are added together. Lowest score wins.) There are two "teacher teams," and students are encouraged to form teams with the goal of beating the teachers and earning a pizza party. Additionally, there is fierce competition between the two teacher teams. I captained Team 5 For Flying, and Mr. Schlegel was at the helm of Team Sweathogs. My team had never beaten Mr. Schlegel's team.

GO!

5K is my least favorite distance, because if one does it right, one is mostly in pain for a good chunk of time. My race plan was atypical. Instead of trying to post negative splits, I ran hard at the beginning. The goal was to make Mr. Schlegel follow me, which he did. The desired effect was that he would be too tired to keep up with me in the final (hilly) mile, which he was. I crossed the finish line first, in 24:33, but he did a lot better than he thought he would.

Beat the boss.

The same can be said for many students. It was borderline emotional (OK, not so borderline), to watch all those students do better than they ever thought they could. One student in particular wowed all in attendance with his domination of the eighth grade field. I can't count the number of students who came across the line with arms raised in triumph. I wish I could share those pictures, but it would be inappropriate for me to do so without parent permission.

Also, 5 For Flying dominated the Sweathogs in the team competition. Victory is suh-weet.

Summer
So, now what? June has already started well. Wendy, Wes, Anna, and I enjoyed a birthday run on the trail on June 1. Wendy and I started our Boot Camp with Drill Sergeant Sam yesterday. We enjoyed another Milwaukee Trail run this morning, on National Running Day. Tomorrow, Wendy, Amelia, and I are running Indy's Monumental Mile with high hopes of posting sub-7 times. (Wendy could do sub-6, but she's pacing me.) I also expect lots of Red Eye and Monumental training runs on that wonderful Milwaukee Trail. Hope you enjoy your summer, too!

Birthday Run