Freedom 5k Trail Race Report

The day started out like a lot of days around here lately overcast, cold and rainy.  The forecast called for more of the same.  So I piled on my rain gear and headed out the door.  I picked up my sis and off we went wondering if we were sane.  I had decided though since this was a run for veterans I could handle a little rain as they go through much worse than that to preserve all the freedoms that we enjoy.  THANKYOU to all the men and women of this country who have served to protect us!  I LOVE YOU ALL!

We got to the registration and number pickup area and I would swear the rain started falling harder from the sky, luckily they had a small covered area to pick up number, but they were not well organized.  I love the shirts we got though.  After we registered we had to find the parking area by the starting line, again not real organized and was a little confused as to where we had to go.  The website said the race started at 9:30 and the sign at the race said 10:15 and the organizers there said 10:00?!  We found the parking lot after a little driving around and sat in the car for 40 minutes watching the rain come down in torrents.

We got a paper to read to pass the time!

Finally ten minutes before start time we got out and ventured up to the start line, so not really a trail run as it was on a paved bike path, I didn't wear my racing flats since I thought it was a trail run. This threw me a little mentally, especially when I saw others in their flats.  The gun finally went off and the rain also let up a little, which was a bummer since I was in full rain gear.  I route was full of hills and by the 1 mile mark I was pooped! I finally felt back on track around two miles and managed to win first female by nearly 2 minutes.  My time was 23.13 which is slow for me, but considering the hill and full rain suit, and shoes, I was happy.  I knew I wouldn't PR at this one.

The shirt was really cool and one of our state senators was on hand to hand out awards as was the city mayor and county commissioner. So I had to have a photo op.  They all thought that was pretty fun, but hey I have a blog I need pictures for! 

I had no idea my hair band was falling out of my hair until I saw this picture.

My kids thought the medal was really cool, but my dog was not so impressed and tried to chew the ribbon up.

The back above and the front and medal below. Notice where the dog chewed on it. Maybe he was mad I ran without him!

Breakthrough Run

 Okay so the first part of this really isn't about running, but it is about my life.  We finally caught a break in the weather and despite it being really windy, we were able to work cows yesterday.  Later this weekend they are calling for heavy rains again which doesn't sound good for my trail run on Monday, but I am doing the run unless they cancel it.  It is only 3.1 miles. 

The weather was nice enough yesterday to allow my Dad to finish branding the calves.  I got a pretty good workout in doing squat after to squat to bend down and notch ears. I am sure the two little cowboys above are imagining when they will be big enough to be really helpful too! They are so funny to watch when they play like they are chasing cows.  Below is the cowkid daycare :)

My husband on one of the horses he broke.  Note how green everything is! I love this time of year for all the green.  It only really seems to stay green here for about three months out of the year then it dries up and everything turns brown and yellow again.  Green makes me so happy!

My lil cowboy helping  and my Dad.  Two of my favorite people :)

The rains washed out the lower part of our road so they sent in some genius's to "fix" it and now it is closed.  Apparently they completely ruined the road.  Nice.  Luckily I almost never drive the other way.

I also fit in a 13.1 mile run after working cows all morning.  I felt FABULOUS!  I hit a rough patch right around 6-7 miles, but then I remembered my GU chomps and after they kicked in I felt like the Energizer bunny.  I felt like I could have kept going and going.  I put in the extra .1 miles so I could unofficially run my first half marathon for the year.  I had to keep reminding myself to go easy since this is just a training run, but I felt so great I really wanted to kick it in.  Felt a lot like a breakthrough workout.  Half marathon in July here I come! :)

Saturday Quickie

1. Virtual 5k for Autism going on over at Alicia Runs .  Donate $5 to help raise money for Autism and get your time in to her by June 11th and you will have a great chance at winning some really great prizes. Times don't matter and you can even print off a bib if you really want to get in the spirit of things.

2. A super great t-shirt giveaway personally made by Kiley at Daily Vitamin F

You can pick the color of the shirt and the lettering!  Fun, right! Head over and check it out! Even if you don't win you can still buy the shirt if you really want it for a very cheap price!

3. I am still doing the 100 pushup challenge.  Yesterday I did 16,21,15,15,21  The last set was pretty painful, but I am determined to make it! I don't think it helps the the Bodyrock.tv workout I did yesterday a bunch of pushups in it also.  I am sore today!  Gearing up for a ten day sugar free challenge.  I can't believe how many foods I eat have sugar in them.  I am stocking up on fruit to help me get through the ten days.

Okay I am off to enjoy the day and hopefully get in a long run after we are done branding this morning. I think it is supposed to be okay out today with a chance of thunderstorms later.

What is everyone else up to this weekend! 

How is your weather looking?

Have you ever done a virtual race before?

We are supposed to get heavy rains starting tomorrow, bleh.

Jumping for Joy!

 What had me so excited yesterday?

I finally got in a nice run with no rain  the only problem was the MUD!  I picked the wrong road to run! I first mile wasn't bad but then it was sticky thick mud that wanted to suck off my shoes!  It was a little overcast, but the sun came out later and made for perfect running weather.

 

My sister and I took our older kids  in to see Kung Fu Panda in 3D and had a great time and yes I ate movie popcorn and LOVED it.  Short post today, but I am off to work!

I was very happy with my splits yesterday mile 3 was where I had to run through a lot of mud.  My shoes aren't very white anymore..HA!

Happy Friday everyone, there are some great giveaways going on, check out my sidebar.

Anyone have any great plans for the weekend?\

I have a 5k trail run Monday! So excited, I have never done a trail run, with competitors anyway :)

That pain in your side!

Yesterday I had a tough run so I am looking to redeem myself today :) I set out to run 6 x800 with a 1 mile warm up and cool down.   I wanted to do them in 3:20 range.  The first one I did was 3:30, the second 3:25 and then all the steam went out of me.  I started the third one, got halfway through it and just DIED.  My legs had no more get up and go, I was huffing and puffing.  UGH, so I cut the workout short and ended up jogging the rest at a 9 min/mile pace.  I don't think it helped that I did a bodyrock workout before the run that had a lot of jump lunges.  I also think I was a little dehydrated.  I realized as I was out slogging through my run I hadn't drank any water in the four up to my run, only a cup of coffee.  BAD CHRISTY!

 On a bright note, my run today has a big chance of being RAIN FREE! So excited for that.  I got a running skirt from runningskirts.com in the mail recently and even though I followed the sizing guide, my behind feels to big for the built in underwear.  (how embarrassing!)  I was so excited to get the skirt too!  I don't really want to go a size up because the skirt part might be too big then.  I really like how the skirt part fits, it is perfect. Just not the underwear.  Anyone else have this problem with that brand? I would post a picture of that but then you might never read my blog again! I was going to post a picture of the skirt instead, but my blog is not uploading pictures on ANY kind right now, which is very FRUSTRATING!

On an entirely different note, a friend of mine who is very new to running was complaining about sideaches and wanted to know how to get rid of them, so I told her my trick and we looked up a few more.

I rarely ever get a sideache anymore when running.  When I do I always forcefully exhale small puffs of air everytime my foot on the affected side hits the ground, and if that doesn't work I exhale when the opposite foot hits the ground. This has always worked for me.  I came across another "cure" the other day and thought I would share it with all you and see what works for other people!

 Nick Mitchell, founder of personal training company Ultimate Performance, recommends tackling it in two ways.
First, bend over for a few seconds, and touch your toes.
If that doesn't work, dig a couple of fingers into the affected flank.
(I have never tried either of these, have you?  Do they work?)

He goes on to say

We don't know exactly why these cures work, says Mitchell, but he reckons it's something to do with the way the blood flows away from your diaphragm (in the first example), or is simply prevented from entering the pained area (in the second).

To avoid a stitch altogether, Mitchell suggests staying away from wheat-based foods, such as bread and muesli in the lead-up to your run. "Don't have a bowl of muesli, milk and banana before going for a jog," he says. Instead, he advocates eating a few dried berries and nuts half an hour before you set off.
Stitches occasionally affect elite athletes, says Mitchell, but they will have developed mental processes to help them zone out the pain so they can carry on regardless.  You can see the whole article  here.

I eat wheat bread all the time before I run, so I flunk on that one :)

Some other "cures" I found on the internet are:

• Slow down or walk for a while
• Reaching overhead and leaning to the opposite side to stretch the stitch.
• Hold pressure on the affected area  for about ten seconds. 
• Slow your breathing down
• Breath through pursed lips

Ways to prevent it include

• Run more regularly
• Stay hydrated
• Warm up before the run
• Don't eat too much before the run
• Practice good posture

How do you get rid of a side ache when running?

Do you have any tips or tricks to avoid them?

Survey Says

I saw this survey floating around so I thought I would throw in my two cents on it also!  Getting ready to head out on a run, gonna be a wet one as it is RAINING still, again.  I have never seen so much water here in my entire life.  We are dry land people this is amazing and crazy so many roads are flooded, washed out, and or have water running over them. 

 What is your favorite type of cross training? 
Bodyrock.tv  I discovered this 6 months ago and haven't gone more than three days without doing a bodyrock workout since.  I love this site.  It is completely FREE!  You can do it at home and  you need only minimal equipment.  I sandbag, an exercise ball, a dip station (though the backs of two chairs will do also) and a pull up bar.  Oh and a jump rope and interval timer (I use a free one on the internet).  Zuzanna is adorable and fun to follow. The workouts are rarely longer than 20 minutes and when you are done you are wiped out and sweaty. My arms and abs are more toned than they have been in years.

What is your favorite song to run to? 
  Set Fire to the Rain by Adele, Firework by Katy Perry, and  Born this Way by Lady Gaga oh and one more What the Hell by Avril Lavigne.

  
What brand of shoes do you wear? Asics.  I wear the Kayanos.  I loved the 14s.  The 15s were not my favorite and right now I am running in the 16 and 17s.  I loved the Kinseis but they are soo pricey! I just can't afford them.

Do you wear a hat when you run?  Only when it is super sunny out.  I have a blue underarmour hat I love.

What temperature is your favorite for running?  I find 50-55 about perfect.  Warm enough to wear skirts and shorts and short sleeves but not so hot that I am hating it.  I  am a fan of fall and spring :)

Do you have any big races coming up?
June 18 Heart and Sole 10k (my first 10k)
July 16  Big Sky State Games Half 

What is your favorite distance? To race I love the 5k and the 5 mile.  I love the fast pace.  To just go out for a run I like 7-8 miles.

 Are you a morning, noon or evening runner? All of the above...  I am all over the place when it comes to getting a run in.  I love to run in the morning but some days it just does not work.  I love my bed more!

Do you run solo or with a buddy? Solo! I run with my dog Cola.  Occasionally I run with my husband.
  
What's your favorite post run snack?  Protein Smoothie with peanut butter...YUMMY
 

What's your FAVORITE race?  Montana Marathon (half) Loved the course



Are you a fan of GU?  I am a fan of GU, though I am now a bigger fan of GU chomps and Clif shot bloks. 

Do you wear a Garmin? If not, how do you track your runs?   I got the 305 two years ago and never looked back.  Not even sure how I lived without it.  It has completely transformed my running and made me a stronger more competitive runner.  THANK YOU Garmin!  

What is your least favorite race? Big Sky State Games half marathon..so frickin HOT  What do you drink to keep Hydrated?  Water and sometimes Powerade

Happy Tuesday recap of Monday

Monday I worked and wasn't planning on running, but it was so nice outside and it wasn't raining so we all headed outside for a family walk/jog/adventure.  The kids had a lot of fun looking for worms under rocks.  We had to stop and investigate quite a few ant hill and even did a little running.  We probably went about one and a half miles.  Mostly it was just fun! We did start to get rained on a little on the way home, so it was a good thing  we turned around when we did.

 

I started the 100 pushup challenge on Sunday.  Left my very pooped out, but surprisingly not sore.  Today I have to do First round 12,17,13,13,17.  I also did the 550 Rep Workout on Bodyrock.tv which left my legs very tired for the run.  So good thing it was nice and slow with the kids!

Hope everyone has a good Tuesday, I am off to work again.  Hoping to get in a couple of miles after work tonight, though the weather man is calling for thunderstorms.  I will catch up on everyone's blogs tomorrow.  I look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to.

Pushups today will be 14, 19, 14, 14, 19

How I Love Running in the Rain

(insert sarcasm) I love running in the rain, okay not really but I had to give myself a pep talk to get out there and get in a long run today.  Although by the time I got out and started running it was only sprinkling a little bit, but I came prepared!!  I brought extra mittens and socks and stashed them in my mailbox.  Luckily I didn't need them.  I ran twelve miles today and got pretty lucky, I only ran in downpour type rain for about half of a mile.  It then let up and pretty much quit raining.  I was in full rain gear though, which was a little warm, but I was cold without it.  I took off and put on my rain pants three times before I just decided to leave them off.

Here are how my mile splits looked.  A little slower than I would have liked it to be, but considering the wind and the rain I'll take it. Also I am so excited because I finally figured out how to take a screen shot so now my Garmin pictures can look like this :

Instead of this.  I was taking a picture of my computer screen.  I am such a computer dummy! 

It has been raining here like crazy.  Creeks that are normally dry are washing out roads, there are road closures all over the area.  My Grandma's road washed out, she has no way to drive out. A one ton culvert that was under her road is now 100 yards away in the hay fields.   I can't imagine how much worse it is along the Mississippi if we have it this bad here with our little creeks and rivers that are flooding.

My husband and I were busy yesterday driving around surveying the damage and checking out the flooding. 

 This little creek is Squaw Creek, it normally is nothing more than a little trickle of water.

We drove over this bridge and the water was right up to the bottom of it, my Dad drove to the bridge later in the day and watched it and large chunks of pavement go down the creek.  It hasn't flooded like this here since my Dad was in high school, so pretty impressive for all of us.

The picture below is of some mud slides on the road down to my parents house.  We had a soaker last week, now this one and the ground is setting up right for some sliding mud! Hopefully the road doesn't slide away.

And finally here is what the kids thought of being flood watcher!  Not impressed to say the least, though at least when they were sleeping they quit asking when we were going to go home!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I was just so happy to get outside and get my run in!

Soggy Spring Running and Good News

I got very unexpected news at work this week, after putting it off nearly as long as they thought possible they decided to give us a raise at work...YAY!  We had pretty much written it off for the year.  Every meeting we've had has been about financials, financials, financials, BLEH.  SO that was exciting! Then I got off work a litte early Friday, which is equal to the gift of free time before I get the kids after work. EXCEPT it's been all rainy out so I wasn't as excited to get out and run as I could have been.  I got my butt out there anyway, with a weekend forecast of nothing but rain I really had no choice when the clouds cleared off for a couple of hours. 

I was so glad I did.  Of course.  The air was cool and crisp, but not cold.  Perfect for running really.  The birds were singing, the frogs were croaking. The air smelled sweet and fresh.  So I did an easy four mile run and then did the latest Bodyrock.tv workout which left my left quads in a knotted cramp... OWW!

The ground off the roads of soaked!  And we are supposed to get between 1 and 3 more inches of rain this weekend!

The wild plums are in bloom.  I'm not sure anything smells as good, except maybe lilacs and chokecherries in bloom.  Wild plums make yummy jelly

What my little section of road looks like by my house.  Surprisingly it wasn't super squishy mud and was pretty easy to run on.

And as fun little bonus my sis one an iHome alarm clock thingy as a door prize at something she was at with her husband, but she doesn't have an iPod (I know REALLY? who doesn't have an iPod?) But yay for me! Thanks Sis! Sisters are the best!

How is the weather in your neck of the woods this weekend?

What is your favorite spring smell?

Motivating Factors and Mind Games

I was skimming through the May/June issue of Women's Running magazine and found a great article called "A Mental Workout"   So I though I would share some of my favorite points of the article with you guys for those of you who don't read the magazine.  I don't normally, but I happened to see it in a store somewhere and pick it up.
I think we all know how racing and running in general can be mental as well as physical. If you go in believing you can do something it will probably go better than if you doubt yourself and your abilities.

The article is by JoAnn Dahlkoetter, Ph.D. she has a website at performingedgecoach.com and drjoann.com. Here are my highlights.

She lists three techniques to try when you need a little motivation. The first is my favorite

1. Pretend the runner in front of you has a large magnet on them and you are being pulled effortlessly toward the magnet by the magnet's own force.  As soon as you are up to that runner reattach the magnet to another one. I figure this can also work by attaching the magnet to landmark's instead if there are no other runners around.  She states the reason this works is it helps distract your mind from your pain and you can have some fun with it.
2. Chunking technique, this involves breaking the race or run into smaller segments, which then become mentally more manageable.  For example you could break a 10 mile run into a 5 mile, a 5k, and a 2mile.  These smaller distances feel less intimidating and you know you can do them.
3. Pretend you have big springs on your feet.  If your feet feel like lead and they just can't get off the ground, just imagining they are bounding up with every step may help change the perception on how they are moving in your head and help you feel like you are running lighter

She also talks about the importance of letting go of old race mistakes.  Use positive picturing to mentally recreate a new ending to the mistake, like how you would have preferred the bad incident occurred.   Practicing visualization techniques can help improve your confidence and your energy. 

What kind of mental games do you play to help get you through a tough race or run?

I usually just pick out a runner I think I can catch and try to whittle away the distance with the mantra "a step at a time, and breath" I will mentally say one word with each step. Though I think I will try the magnet thing next time and see how it works.

Have you had a race moment where you realized you were more mentally fatigued than physically fatigued and talked yourself out of it?

My first half marathon didn't go like I wanted it to, so when I ran my second I was halfway through before I was able to really shake that off and realize I was going to do awesome. I kept passing people, they were getting tired and I was still firing up.  I just had to trust in my training and how great my body was feeling.  That half marathon hooked me for life.

Thursday's Three plus Two

1.  Did my initial test for the 100 push up challenge.  Score is 25. So it suggested I start in week three of the program.  I am going to start on Sunday.  It recommends resting a few days after the initial test before you dive in to it. So I will be keeping you updated on how I do.

2. Initial test for 25 pull ups challenge score is 5.  I will be starting this one at the JV level.  Surprised even myself here.  I used to be able to do ten, long ago, once upon a time before kids and marriage, when I was a gym rat. I haven't belonged to a gym in almost 6 years now.


3. Yesterday I did a 7.2 mile run and am finally starting to feel like I have got my legs back again.  YAY  Kind of makes me want to do a 5k in town this weekend, but I will hold off.  I have one on Memorial Day, so I can hold out for one more week.  This one will be a trail run.  I am excited for that as I haven't done any trail runs.  I am going to guess it won't be one to PR on.



4. Lost my dog yesterday, he got too busy chasing a rabbit to see where I was going.  I ran back to where I had last seen him and called and called for him.  I was a little worried since my Dad lost a dog to a mountain lion a couple years ago and I know we have them in the area.  Finally gave up finished my run and went back to my Aunt's house to get the kidlets.  Hooray there was my lil pooch Cola, playing with the kids.  So all was well that ends well.


5. I can't find my camera anywhere, which probably mean my Lil Bitty girl ran off with it and was taking pictures and can't remember where she left is.

Contemplating

Yesterday I ran a 6 mile with progressively faster miles.  Started out so slow with no fire in the legs,  ugh.  So I took some GU chews.  Tried them for the first time and YUM!  I had the blueberry pomegranate.  I think hey finally started to kick in by the third mile.  I started feeling better and enjoying the run, not just slogging through it. I learned about them from all you great bloggers, so THANKS!  Here I was still only using gels! Ended up with an average pace of 8:50 min/miles with the last mile at 7:48 pace. I also did the Hot Viral Sweat Workout.  I forgot how hard that one is, I was gasping for air by the time I was done.  Of course I did that before my run, which is maybe why my run started out not so very good.

I have seen several people post about the 100 pushup challenge, which of course makes me want to do it.  So thinking about doing the initial test later today to see how I score.  But then I look at their website and want to do the 25 pull up challenge also.  I think maybe it would be better to do one at a time...right?

I also have decided to do the Sugar Free Challenge the Run to the Finish posted about last week.  It starts in June and goes for 10 days.  I can do ten days. I know I eat way too much sugar, but I love the stuff.  I even cut the whip cream out of my coffee this morning as a sort of warmup.  I used milk instead.  It's not bad in fact I do like it and am not missing the sweetness of the whip cream.

I am also working to put together a team for a mud run!  Yep that's right Dirty Dash will be coming to a town near me!  I have four people in so far and three more interested.  I am going to run it for FUN, and not be all worried about how I place.  Which might be harder than it sounds, but I don't want to get hurt! I can't wait!

What new challenges are you taking on, or thinking about taking on?

Have you ever done a mud run, what are some great ideas for a team theme?

Lululemon Run:Speed Skirt

I have been wanting a Lululemon running skirt for some time now, but do not live near a Lululemon store.  Every time I went to the website the skirts were sold out.  A very frustrating experience. OR if I wanted I could buy one on ebay for twice the price.  Yeah, didn't really want to do that.  It already costs $54.  I decided to wait it out.  Finally, one day I logged into the website and lo and behold they had the skirt and in my size! I ordered the regular and spent a week wondering if I should have ordered the tall instead since I am 5'8".  The only color choice I had was black.  I was between a size 4 and a 6 so I ordered up and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't be too big and too short! 

The weather of course was crappy when I got it so I couldn't run in it for another two weeks after I got it.  Boo on that! Finally the weather was agreeable to a running skirt and off I went.  LOVE this skirt.  Best running skirt I have so far, but I do have one from runningskirts.com on the way so i can't wait to see how it compares.

Here is how the Lululemon website describes the skirt

• All the technical properties of a short, but we made a skirt instead!
• Lightweight & wicking swift fabric with 4-way stretch and recycled content
• Inherently wicking luxtreme^TM fabric liner with sticky elastic at hem, stops shorts from riding up
• Smooth, wide waistband
• Continuous drawcord won't come out in the wash
• Storage! Secure back zipper pocket & 2 gel pockets on the front
• Chafe-resistant - flat seams

Here is what I say

fabric so lightweight you hardly know you have it on.

Pockets!  Three of them and one with a zipper.

The shorts under the skirt DON"T ride up they stay in place, no having to pull them down all the time. They really stay in place! Took it on a ten mile run no chafing.

Super comfy and not too short.

Feels girly and femine with the pleated ruffle in the back.

 Here it is on the hanger. Boring right, let's see it on a real person.

 and here it is on ME! Love this skirt.  You can see the fun little pleated ruffle on the back.  I think it is a fun touch.  Sometimes I enjoy feeling like a girl when I am out being sweaty. I was jumping around so you can see the ruffle pleat in action.

Side view, nice flat front, no pleated ruffle in  front just the back.  I think if it had a ruffle in the front it might feel a little bit too much like a cheer leader skirt.  I would know, back in high school I was one of those too!

Forgive the photography it was all me and the self timer! And here is one more photo of the skirt on a race day.  Last year was the first time a wore a running skirt. I love how girly it feels.  Since then I have bought three more and have one on the way that I won in a giveaway.

Did I mention I love this skirt?

What I don't love is how hard it is to order one of them.  If I love the one I get from  runningskirts.com as much as this one I may just stick with them in the future since they are so much easier to order from.

Anyone else been this frustrated trying to order from Lululemon?

What is your favorite brand of running skirt?

Race Photos

I was so excited to find out these pictures existed!  Thanks to Ryan Grubb of our local running club the Yellowstone Rimrunners for these.  That lady in the red shirt and black hat is ...drum roll please... Joan Benoit Samualson, Olympic Gold Medalist in the marathon at the 1984 games in Los Angeles!  Six people behind her in the white shirt...ME!  I DID get my picture with her, and I was so bummed cause I thought I missed out.






 I was feeling so great right here, this was right about the 2 mile mark.  This is the ugliest part of the run with the fewest people in the crowd, so its good we get it over with right away.  The last half is through some residential areas and there are more people to cheer us on.  Even a yard sale or two if you feel like it.

No run for me today, taking a rest day and going to do a Bodyrock.tv workout. Hope everyone had a great Monday! 

Race Recap Ryan's Run 5k

Woke up to a cold overcast windy day.  Boo.  I was really hoping for high forties low fifties and  sunshine so i could wear a tank and a running skirt.  I still wore a skirt, but did opt for a jacket over my short sleeve shirt as it was 41 degrees and windy.

The starting line was NOT well organized and when they said GO it was a little bit of chaos.  Finally, wove through a bunch of people to easy open running and t felt tired at the half mile mark,  ugh.  The whole first mile was into the wind and we went into a tunnel, where my garmin lost reception, the wind was really killer in the tunnel.  We turned out of the wind at the mile mark so that we could run uphill for half a mile.  and my right shoe UNTIED itself, the darn thing was DOUBLE knotted.  I was not about to stop to tie it, so I ran with it untied the rest of the way. I hate that, but I didn't want to ruin my rhythm. With the way I was feeling I was afraid I'd never get going again.

The rest got easier, got to go downhill some and run with the wind for a while.  I finally felt like I was falling into a good pace at the start of the third mile, it ended up being the fastest mile at 6:41 min/mile pace.The whole last half mile there was some guy right behind that sounded like he stomping and breathing really hard.  I was not about to let him pass me. He didn't!   I couldn't believe how off I felt today.  It was a little discouraging.  I am wondering how much of it was mental, but usually I feel so on fire through the whole first mile.  That was not there today.

Still ended up first in my age group and second female overall, so I was happy with that! The first place female was only 8 seconds in front of me, and in her 50's.  It was a little inspirational to be beat by someone in her fifties.  It makes me feel good that when I am her age maybe I can still be this fast too.

I remembered my camera but forgot my memory card so sigh no pictures.  I was so bummed.  Really wanted to get a picture with my cross country buddy from high school.  Time was 21:01. So not a bad time not sure that it was a full 5k, it might have been about .05 ish short  hard to tell since it lost reception in the tunnel.

So for a 5k this is a personal best time, it wasn't really 3.1, but 3.05ish.  (I was in a tunnel for about 15-20 seconds) so not sure on exact distance.

Does that still count towards a personal best?  

I'm going to take it because as far as me and my garmin can tell none of the 5ks that I have done have been exactly  3.1 miles.

What do you  guys think, do you count it even if it is short or long on distance? 

I think I will as long as it is within a tenth of a mile. SOOOO  NEW personal best for me today and I was feeling like crap.

Does it make anyone else crazy when races aren't the EXACT distance they are supposed to be? 

 Yes this drives me nuts, maybe I'm a little Type A over this, which usually I am not very type A!

The Blogger blues

So bummed about the Blogger issue.  Ugh.  I lost a post and a bunch of really sweet comments on my last post.  Boo.  Let's hope that doesn't happen again. So I DID IT!  I signed up for my first 10k.  It is June 18th and I am as excited about it as I am nervous.  But as someone so kindly pointed out to me, I will have a personal best no matter what since I have never done one before.  YAY!

I got up early today to run an easy 5 mile.  I love running first thing in the morning. It seems so peacefull with the sun just coming up, knowing it's a new day and I have it all in front of me to enjoy. I kept the pace just under 9 minute miles. I have a 5k tomorrow so I didn't want to over do it too much.  Tomorrow for the first time since I get to run with a friend from high school that I used to run cross country with.  She now lives about 4 hours away and I don't see her very often except on Facebook.  Back in the day our cross country coach called us Mario and Luigi.  I was Luigi.  :) We both ran cross country and also did long and triple jump in track.  We did all of our runs together.  I really miss having someone to run with like that.

I am contemplating doing a ten day sugar free challenge that I found on another blog,  but I can't find the link because I also lost that in the great Blogger vacation, so if anyone knows where it is could they please tell me!  Ever since I rad about the challenge I have been watching my sugar intake and am a little blown away at how much I eat.  MMM jelly beans, chocolate, cake,,  can I say goodbye for ten whole days.  Sure I can! It's only ten days right!  Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!

Have you ever gone on a sugar free challenge?

No I love sugar, that being said maybe I love it a little too much! Chewy fruity candy is my favorite, followed by chocolate and nearly any kind of cake.  I heart cake.

  How hard was it?

Did you feel better afterwards?

and lastly here is a picture of my wild little outside cat Splash 2 and her litter of babies out in the hay.  She wasn't very impressed with me invading her nest, or that the kids kept reaching in to pull out kittens.  She moved them the next day. I would call her my barn cat, but we don't have a barn yet!

To 10k or Not to 10K? That is the question.

I have a confession to make.  My name is Christy.  I am a runner and I have never done a 10 k race. There I said it! I have done lots of 5k, 5 miles, and two half marathons, but when the choice presented itself, I have always chosen the 5k over the 10k.  Why?  Speed!  I was a sprinter in high school and liked the shorter sprints then too.

  I told myself last year that when I could get my 5k time under 7 minute miles I would go for the 10 k.  I have a deadline fast approaching for a race sign up and I have to choose 5 or 10k.  I have run two 5ks this year under my goal time. Even the 5 mile I ran last weekend was chip timed at 7 minute per mile pace, though my Garmin had my pace at 6:55 minute miles (what? I did that!?) and the course at 5.08 miles.  So I think I am ready....right? Is this the fear of the unknown rearing its ugly head? An extra 1.2 miles, not quite 5 laps around the track.  Even though I haven't trained on a track on years I still think of distance in terms of how many laps around the track, anyone else do this?

I'm signed up for a 10k in August so I know I won't be a 10k virgin for much longer.  They changed the 5k route for this race and it looks crazy with lots of turns so I think I will take the plunge and go for the big 10.  Last year I did this 5k for the first time and loved the route it was very fast and I had a personal best time.  Since they changed the route I am not as excited about it.  But then again the 5k is a Road Runners Club of America Regional Championship Race and the 10k is not.  So I wonder if that means it would be easier to win the 10k in my age group! All the fast runners will be doing the 5k!

I have until the 15th to get in my race registration to get the early discount rate.   Hmm decision, decisions, decisions.  and the answer to the question is...

to 10k!  I just decided that it would be fun to run two this year so that when I do the other one in August I will have a time to try and beat and get a new personal best.  Wow, just making that decision made me get butterflies in my tummy and my palms sweaty!  I think it will be good to get outside my comfort zone and branch out!  The thing I have to remember is: I run because I love to. 

Anyone else going to try a new race distance this year?

What race distance has seemed the most intimidating to you?

Wednesday, and catching up

I mostly try to eat pretty healthy, but this is one thing I haven't budged on for a couple of years now.  MMM One or two cups first thing in the morning and I am good to go. The whipped cream gives it just the right amount of sweetness.

 I made Cola stay home from running with me for a couple of days, since he got kicked by a horse and had a limp.  He seems all healed up and Sunday did a 10 mile run with me and today a 7 mile run.  I was doing half mile intervals up and down this stretch of road.  He seems to think I am indecisive about where I am going when I keep turning around and running back the way we just came every half mile.

 Some days I love speedwork and other days not at all.  Today was a not at all, I was going to do 8 intervals but I gave in and only did 6.  I did have a nice long cool down though :)  The picture below shows the one stretch of pavement I do have to run on.  I have about 1 1/2 miles of it.  I do most of my intervals here because it is pretty flat.

 It rained here the last two days, so there is water everywhere.  The roads weren't as muddy as I thought they were going to be though, thankfully!  And finally a sort of blurry race pic from the race Saturday.  The gal behind me is smiling...WHAT?  I am barely holding my cookies and really trying to give it the onion and she looks like she is having fun!  Sadly, even though I beat her to the finish line, due to chip timing she really beat me by 3 seconds.  I guess I should have been smiling more! I worked Monday and Tuesday this week so I am off for the next two.  I didn't run since it was a downpour outside but Tuesday I did do the Hot Body Workout.  Trying to decide which one I will do today.  Maybe I will go back to one of my favorites!

 

My splits for the intervals.  You can see at 14 where I was supposed to speed up again...I didn't.  I started my cool down instead. I was feeling pretty spent and I kept getting a side ache.  I figured 6 was pretty good anyway and left it at that! and I know it says 6.72 for total distance, but before I programmed in my interval program I had already run .29 miles :)

 

What about you?  What are your feelings on speedwork..love it or hate it?

What is your favorite  type of speed work?

I raced with Joan Benoit Samuelson and WON!

It's true! Well okay she won the race, but I won my age group.  For about 10 whole yards I was ahead of an Olympic gold medalist.  Then she was right beside me and gone.  She's fast!  I guess that is why she is an Olympic gold medalist and I am not.

Race Recap

Woke up to an overcast morning with a 50/50 chance of rain.  forecast said it was supposed to be 48 degrees by the start of the race = PERFECT race temperature if you ask me.  My calf muscles were feeling a little tight so I decided to wear some compression socks. I also went with my new Lululemon running skirt.

I am so pumped up for this race!

Pre-race photo with my sis Jami

By the time my sis and I got to the race and found parking it was 15 minutes before gun time.  I really needed to use the port a potty, but the lines were long so I decided to give up and just race with a full bladder.  :( Mostly I knew it was nerves, but a little bit I really had to go! I weaved my way to the front of the line, which isn't something I have done before for the Women's Run, but I knew I was going to be at least a top twenty finisher so I felt daring.

The gun went off and there were a hundred little beeps that followed as everyone turned on their Garmins and we were off.  The first mile felt really great and I felt full of energy still as I hit the 1 mile marker.  I was pulling a pretty good pace and knew I couldn't maintain 6:46 minute miles for four more miles so I slowed down just a little.  I wanted to try to stay around a 6:55 pace.  The second mile went pretty fast, there was only 7 or 8 runners in front of me so I focused on the closest one and kept rolling along.  Close to the three mile mark I started to struggle a little as I realized I was about at the 5k mark and was running about 5k pace.  Could I keep it up?  The fourth mile was the slowest at 7:04 and then I started to get a second wind and was able to pick up the pace again.  Shortly after I was passed not once, but twice .  Aaack was this how the last mile was going to be?  Was I dying, had I gone out too fast and was now paying the price? As a struggled towards the finish line I pulled out the last bits of energy and pushed with everything I had.  It was good enough to pass two people and up 8th overall!

Tiki and I, she is a freaking awesome runner!

I didn't find out the official results until later and found out if I would have hung around or awards I would have had my picture taken with Joan.  Argh, darn my luck anyhow.  When I did find out my results I had a had time not crying a little.  I was a little emotional.  I didn't think I was going to win my age grou[ I was just hoping to place!  I have never even placed in my age group at it.  My official time was 35:01. So a new personal best by 4 seconds! YAY! Next race is a 5k in eight days,  can't wait!

My sis and I after the race!

My friend Sarah, so proud she ran the whole thing!

 So excited to read up on everyone else's race reports for the weekend!

WOW I'm a double winner!

WOOT WOOT  YIPPEE! WOOHOOHOO!  Now that I am done tooting my horn let me tell you what has me doing the hap hap happy dance! I'm a winner! A big winner!  Read on and find out!

1.  I won a giveaway at  http://runningdivamom.blogspot.com/. I won an Air Sport Watch on Monday.  She has an adorable blog, check it out if you don't already follow it

 

2. Today I won the 50k Giveaway at 50 Half Marathons in 50states   which is coincidentally another blog I would recommend! She is getting ready to run her first 50K! I win a running skirt from runningskirts.com, a headband from RazzyRoo, a roll of KT Tape,  and a Road ID wrist band!  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now! :)

3.  and finally I picked up my race packet for the 5 mile run I am doing Saturday and when I saw the t-shirt I thought I was going to hate it.  It is BRIGHT yellow.  I never wear bright yellow.  I do now! I thought the color would fight with my hair, but I rather think they are best friends.  How come I never knew this?  So MAYBE even a triple winner. 

 What do you think? Is this shirt loving my hair like I think it is?

No running for me today!  I put in 23 miles already this week (which is a lot for me right now) so I am taking two rest days before Saturdays run.  I will instead be doing Bodyrock.tv's Right There Workout  I will be sure to post pictures of my new gear once I get it.  Stay tuned!

Unexpected Gift!

Today I ran 5.35 miles at an easy 9:12 pace and spent most of the run wishing it wasn't so windy so I could enjoy it more. Even worse,  my stomach decided I should have fed it more this morning so I spent most of the run wishing I had something to eat. It wasn't a long run so I didn't bring along any form of nourishment :(   It's my last run before the 5 mile race Saturday.  My calf muscles are sore and have some lactic acid in them from doing hundreds of high knees during my workout Monday...oops. Hopefully that will be all worked out by Saturday.

My Grandma watched my little darlings while I ran and even fed us lunch. (YAY!)  The kids weren't ready to go home yet so they got to stay and play while I went home and cleaned like a mad woman

and relaxed with my book.   AHHH.  I love it when I get these little unexpected gifts of free time!

 

Anything unexpected happen to you today?