Post-Half Marathon

So what happens after a half marathon?

Well, I plan on how to improve.

Not a whole lot has happened since the race. I’ve had my aerial class which was nice. I enjoy the oasis in the middle of the week and I will take time to practice even when I don’t have a class. In some things, you can find joy and serenity all wrapped in one. I find I can do that, especially when I add a flow or strength element to it.

The week after the race I took the week off from running. I think it’s usual to maybe have a few jogs but I was hurting and I thought to take it easy. Lots of walking and stretching. My autoimmune popped up a bit but the rest nipped it in the bud.

Truthfully, the night after I ran the race, I was already looking at training suggestions. I could barely walk but I was already looking to torture myself again. Maybe the next race will be flat.

So I did run Tuesday morning. It was a hill and sprint run. It was hard. I was dripping in sweat. Sometimes, I would catch myself staring at the clock and not at Daredevil even though we’ve gotten to the Punisher part in the series. (Now there is a movie to be made that would benefit from an R rating. And I want to see it)

And it was tough. I almost fell twice while wiping sweat off my face. My chest feels a little gunky still. There may have been some bargaining going on too. Just make it 30 seconds, and then you can stop. I felt out of practice and I probably was. I did feel strong. I was wearing a Door County HM shirt. I felt comfortable enough but I just didn’t feel great. I need greater aerobic ability. I feel like that was my undoing.

I ran again on Thursday and that felt even worse. But the goal was slow and easy with some sprints and hills for part of it. I dialed it down a bit. I might be suffering a bit from over training. Or undertraining. It’s hard to tell when you have an autoimmune. Too much training and you’re tired and worn out. Too little and you’re tired and worn out. By continuing to work on my aerobic base and maybe doing some more strength training, I should be able to greatly improve my performance. But I have to do it. And right now running feels a little discouraging.

Maybe I should take up swimming. And biking. Maybe I should be a triathlete. Yup, this former coach potato suggested the possibility of me taking up three sports. Because why not? I can do a half marathon. So why not do other seemingly impossibly things?

And that was about it. We are getting ready for the wedding in two weeks. A lot of time is spent on final preparations. We did go to the zoo so that even though I did not run, I definitely was moving this weekend.

I also got the potted garden finished. The plan is that me and the husband to be can eat everything planted. And so can the bearded dragon, except for the herbs. The bunnies can be voracious so I hope the height will be a small deterrent. It was fun. The dog sat in the shade for the most part. The bearded dragon took off. There was hunting and scratches but she was found. And was very ungrateful about being found. Despite that she got to taste her first hibiscus and it was a hit. Someone is getting a leash ordered for her today though.

I hope to get some aerobic activities in these next two weeks. I want to make a little extra breathing room in the wedding dress. And I want to make room for any stress or convenience eating that happens during preparations.

These next two weeks will be interesting and busy and I will do my best to report in before the wedding. I will also try to make a couple of honeymoon entries. The scenery will call for a mile or two jog while we are traveling thru sea stacks and redwoods. 

Wedding Hair Dye Complete

From a previous trip

A Prelude and My First Half Marathon

PRELUDE
I know, I know, it’s been a while.

But I’ve been busy. And relaxing, and running, and now writing.

This past weekend was race weekend but first aerial yoga.

Wednesdays' are nice as they are a nice relaxing interlude during the work week. It gives attendees a space to be themselves and to express things that they might not even know want expressing. We’ve had some aerial rolling at all the classes. I think it pairs well with the motives of yoga as a practice.

When I get to sub for a teacher, I learn just as much as they do. Each teacher has their own style and each class has its own vibe. I had my stepdaughter-in-law-to-be (SDINTB). The first class was empty so I stretched what needed to be stretched and worked on a couple of poses that I found interesting. SDINTB tried learning it as well. We worked on the pose and got nowhere. The class after had some regulars and a newbie. We all learned one of my favorite series, and we all worked on the pose I had been working on earlier. And a regular figured it out and we all gave it a try. I think learning like that, with a video, and dissecting it, helps us all. It might help us learn a new movement and pose. It might help in the future as we try to learn something else new. Transitions teach us to pay attention to and to breath in these moments.

Runner's World cookbook did not disappoint. I made a Peanut Thai Beef. It was simple and delicious. The fiance nearly licked his plate. I added some ginger and traded the water chestnuts for leeks. Whole wheat angel hair for soba noodles. 

I had run on the 27^th. Moving over to a different treadmill, I worked on hills. My breath was still so short. The plan had been to move on to level 4 on the treadmill but it didn’t work. Running was hard. It felt good but no records were set and it was frustrating that the lungs felt so gunky. No cough or runny nose had contributed to this feeling. The next week I had planned to keep the legs fresh. I walked and sprinted here and there but nothing of any distance. It was not a particularly encouraging run to finish on.

So I love Door County. It’s the thumb of Wisconsin. There is a quaintness to it that they vigorously guard on their streets with art galleries, restaurants, candy, and gift stores. Some evenings you can even see a movie at a drive in. But mostly, mostly, it’s relaxing. You can go out on a boat fishing or waterskiing. Trails course thru the county. Trolleys do tours of cherry and apple orchards or wineries. Or you can just sit on a deck or beach and read a book absorbing the peace and stunning scenery surrounding you. Or you can run a half marathon.

RACE REPORT

And that’s what I did. My fiancé and I went up on Friday. I was lucky enough to get a room with a whirlpool and a gorgeous view of the water. Packet pick up was extremely easy and all the volunteers seemed to be enjoying themselves. A small expo was set up in the village hall. This race felt different and bigger than all the other’s I’ve done. I think number-wise it was. None of my other races had an expo with race pick up, just at a local store.

Before going to bed, I laid out my clothes, put my bib in my racing belt, and made sure that I had my Chomps tucked away. I put a little lavender oil on my wrists and tucked in for bed.

I woke up early. Probably due to both habit and excitement. I knew I could do the race. I knew I could do the distance. The roads we were running followed partially along the coast. The hotel had a trolley running to the runners’ concourse. I left my fiancé to get a little more sleep. The race itself was going to be at least three hours and there was no reason for him to get on a trolley that left at 8am for a race that started at 10am. On the ride, I met a nice lady who waited 7 years to come up from Cedar Rapids. It was a Mother’s Day gift. I didn’t realize how lucky I was until then in my ability to just come up to Door County, nearly on a whim.

At the concourse, I was left alone with many nice running clothes. It’s a good thing I had a very small budget to work with and I didn’t buy the 40 dollar shirt or the great 80 dollar jacket. Other people seemed equally tempted. I went down to Nicolet Bay and did some sun salutations on the beach. And then I people watched.

I love people watching. There were groups of women who were seated together talking strategy. Couples took cute selfies with matching running gear. Older people seemed to all know each other and seemed to have more energy than me. Bright shoes flashed in the grass. Some were in shorts and tanks. Others had sweatshirts and fleece lined pants. I can only imagine how much some people’s get up cost.

The start of the race was relatively uneventful. Runkeeper started and so did my Garmin. I never started my music. Redlight Kings waited in queue in case I needed it. And I started too fast. And I couldn’t slow down. My brain yelled at my legs to move slower. I tried running behind slower people but my feet wouldn’t listen. My first 4 miles were under 12 minutes. My plan had been to run around 12:30.

And the hills. These were not your normal hills. They were big hills. Runkeeper said that this run had the greatest elevation. Chomps were eaten. Water sipped. Even though I had done some hill work I don’t think I would have been ready even if I had run outside making it a point to hit all the hills in my area. Not even I were running trails. I started bargaining early. But I made it up the biggest hill taking us to the pirate waystation. I think they had made their own Gatorade. The volunteers had dressed up in costume and provided a little levity in this situation that had me feeling rather heavy.

From there it went downhill. Both the trail and my performance. My fast start caught up with me. I needed walking breaks. Chomps did nothing to boost my energy. I broke the rule of not trying anything new and drank the Gatorade. Thankfully, it all sat ok. Just make it to the tree, and then you can walk to the sign. See that bend, make it to the bend and then walk the next to the next aide station. Run up the hill and walk the flat. Even though, technically, we were going overall going down, there were still some hills. They seemed steep but, in truth, they were not that bad. I was just tired. I felt wiped and done and I needed to argue with myself to not wave down the medical teams. My feet were the only thing that wasn’t hurting. Thank you, Brooks.  I started chatting with people because I needed to distract myself. Beer and cake was mentioned. Runners like food and drink. Some might say that is why they run: to eat more.

Around the 10^th mile, I felt a cramp. It didn’t hurt, but it seemed to stop movement. In my ankle. I’ve never felt such a strange cramp. It felt as if someone had replaced my flesh and bone with a rock. Part of me started to worry about serious injury. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid anything more than shin splits. Walk breaks became essential.

Bugs swarmed near the lakes. Sun baked the asphalt with little cloud cover. People were stripping. Shirts, hats and gloves littered the side of the road. Later, runners would drive through and pick up wanted items and anything left behind would be donated. I took off my long sleeve and tied it around my waist. Then, mile ten had me taking off my first short sleeve shirt and shoved it under my belt. Some took of their shirts and others tucked their shorts up under their waistbands.

The last mile seemed mostly downhill. I was running on fumes. I refused to give up. I was not going to stop when I was so close. Thank goodness, I am so stubborn. The course-makers were kind. Right before the last 1/8^th of a mile or so, there was a curve. You could hear the cowbells and the cheering and the radio announcer. Yet you couldn’t see the finish and they couldn’t see you walking. So I dug deep and ran. I have no idea where I found this energy. Some people started flagging even more. But when I hit the chute, adrenaline kicked in and I found even more energy and I sprinted the last 50 yards; long, distance guzzling strides. 13.1 miles down and I was officially a half marathoner.

My hands and feet were swollen. I’m not sure if it was blood or water or both, but I couldn't close my hands for a few hours after the race. My butt and hips already stiff. My knees ached. But I did it. I ran a beautiful course and a difficult one and now have joined a special group of people. And we still had a day left in Door County.

It included fantastic food, a celebratory drink or two, and a gorgeous sunset. But first, I heard the in-room whirlpool calling my name.

Leaving Door County is always sad for me.

But there is always next year…

Tuesday Report

Happy Tuesday

Friday and Saturday I covered for a couple of the teachers who were off in Chicago doing circus stuff.

Friday, we covered basics. The studio had teacher training. I focused on describing why I do what I do. The trainees had some experience with aerial yoga which made life easier. They did well. I think they’ll make good teachers. The second class was fun. Girl Scouts and their moms. This gave the trainees a chance to work with kids, which is a whole different world. The class did wonderful. They all had fun as we went thru a similar group of asanas as the previous class, but made it more fun. Yoga poses were completed with fun little stories. Kids bring a whole different energy to a yoga class. I also discovered Lularoe leggings. I went home with blue and silver tiger striped leggings and one with clouds and suns.

Saturday, the class was a little bit more challenging. We had a new student but she was game for whatever. So were the trainees. Two regulars showed up too. I asked the class what they wanted to do and we ended up with some strength work. I also included a vinyasa side locust series to show how to link static poses together. The studio owner requested I do a few poses so she didn’t have to demonstrate them later. We did those. We also worked on some trouble areas for new students. Everyone seemed onboard and excited with class. We opened the door and let some fresh air and the sounds of weekend life into the studio. It was a very refreshing class.

Sunday, I did not do a long run. I had intentions but then life got a little busy. The dog got to run. She went with us to a friend’s house and she got to run around the backyard with her little buddy. By the end of the visit, she was pooped and lay panting in the shade, while the little one continued to bounce on her.

Then, of course, there was Game of Thrones. A Buzzfeed quiz put me in House Stark. The dog and I watched the show. The dragon did not want to watch the show. My Sunday evenings will now consist of cider and a visit to Westeros. Frequently, the dog watches with me but the fiancé is not as enthralled as we are.

I ran this morning. I wore my Brooks and my new cloud leggings. I felt rather perky and awake. The run went great. Well, the first few minutes were rough as they usually are. But then Daredevil got really good and I didn’t notice how tired I was getting. One of the students from yoga is doing the 5k in Door County but she wanted to see what the half marathon course was like. On Saturday, she told me that it’s one big hill. My new strategy is work on hills and continuous running. Speed is nice but if the hill takes me out, nothing else matters.

It felt like I could have easily kept going. Mostly, I left the treadmill on 5.2mph with one break. This should give me a 2:50:00 time for my half. At level three, it seemed easy enough. Maybe the next run, I’ll try level four. Next week, I’ll need to take it a little easy to keep my legs fresh.

So that’s it. I wonder what the rest of this week will hold. 

Spring is on it's way

Hi, all.

It’s time I get going. I have to start running more for two reasons: the half marathon in May and my last fitting for my wedding dress is March 18^th and then I have to maintain my weight till my wedding day.

My weekend was the opposite of getting in shape. We had a tasting with the caterer and dinner with friends one day and brunch for a family member’s birthday. I stuffed my face. And it was delicious. I regret nothing. There was a blondie brownie sundae that had to be consumed.

While the gym was discussed over the weekend, it did not happen. Monday, again, it was discussed but a case of the Mondays lead to no trip. It was such a lovely day, I still had to go for a run. The dog stayed home. I need to socialize her a little bit a more as she still has issues on the leash and since the day was so lovely, I knew there would be too many issues. She sulked when I left and ignored me when I came home for a while. It was 60 some degrees and it was too nice too not get outside.

It was capri and tank top weather. I may have been able to go with shorts even. I don’t know how long this weather will last but I’m enjoying it. X-Ambassadors kept me company and moving. My goal was to hit up some hills. My soon to be sister in law told me the half marathon I signed up for has hills. The last thing I want to do is not be prepared for the elevation changes. The good news is my area is full of all sorts of hills, big hills, little hills, slow rise, and steep. As I ran, looked around at intersections to look for hills. I zigzagged thru the city. It was a hard run. I ended up quite sweaty. Many other runners and walkers strolled the sidewalks.

As Runkeeper notices came, I felt like the mileage came slowly. I pushed my discomfort. Running isn’t always comfortable. Well, it is rarely comfortable.

 Running is changing your body every second you do it and change is not comfortable. You are pushing and arguing with your mind. Your mind will be telling you to stop, or make excuses to not even start. That is why I listen to music so I can distract myself. When I do long runs, I find myself detaching from my legs but the first part of the run, I try to talk myself out of it.

In the end, I felt good. I hadn’t run in a while and I hadn’t run outside and even longer. I wish the dog could have come with me but I’ve got some work to do with her. It wasn’t easy. There may have been some swearing in my mind. Yet, there came a point when I just felt joyful and successful. I don’t know if it’s a runner’s high or it’s just being excited at my accomplishments.

I have a race on Saturday with the step daughter to be. One of my regulars and few others might join us. It will be interesting to see what the results would be since I didn’t run much in February.

Till next time J

Floating Along With Life

Life has been rather interesting lately. Aerial yoga took a back seat to a visit with my rheumatologist. They only took two vials of blood this time. But I have to go back for one test still.

Thursday, on the way to the gym, fiancé and I took my car to a friend to get a sound looked at. It sounded like a loose belt. No big deal. Well, it wasn’t the belt. It was the transmission, and it was cracked. So gym time and yoga time turned into hunt for new car time. Even when we had a few spare hours, I just couldn’t bring myself to get to the gym. I was anxious. Some of my cars haven’t been the greatest. I might have, in fact, felt better if I went, but I didn’t.

Long story short, I found a car. And life got back to normal.

I went for a treadmill run on Sunday. It was about 55 min and 4.75 miles. I seemed rather slow but I added some hills. I also added 1-2 minutes of ten minute mile sprints. And I was stuck in my head. And it was rough. The hills were awful. The wi-fi wouldn’t stay connected, so I couldn’t distract myself with Jessica Jones. But around mile 4, things got a little better, and then worse. I have never wanted to puke after a run but I did after this run. I looked like a hot mess after the run. So here is a picture from before I started running. No one wants to see this "after" picture.

This would definitely qualify as a bad a run. Still, I got thru it. Because I could. Because I decided that a bad run was just a bad run and stopping wouldn’t make it better. It would just make it shorter and I would have given up on something that deep down, I knew I could do.

I don’t have a lot to report. That’s really it. So thank you for joining me. We did go to the pet store for crickets and I took a few pictures of the reptiles. I also took some pictures of the dog and dragon in house.

Just do it!

Just do it! It’s so cliché but so true.

Yesterday, I did some aerial yoga at home. I worked on conditioning/strength and my flexibility. Both have taken a backseat to my running. I would probably even go to more classes but my running has made me a bit tired overall. So my aerial yoga has hit a bit of a lull. I need to get on that and keep improving my yoga vocabulary. Doing aerial yoga at home is nice because I can invert fully and use gravity to help me stretch. I’m frequently stiff when getting out of bed between getting older and myalgia. Doing some gazelles and downward facing dogs really gets me stretched out and ready to face the day.

This morning, I went for a run at the gym. Snow and rain fell last night and a quick look at the roads this morning showed somewhat slippery conditions. So far, I’ve made it with no serious injury and I’d like to keep it that way.

I got there earlier and I was able to park closer. As I was walking in, I wondered if it was ironic that I wanted a close parking spot to the gym entrance. Shouldn’t we all be parking as far away as possible in non-inclement or freezing weather? Mostly, everyone there was fit. There were “normal” people there but a lot of the people seemed very serious about their workout. There was a large turnout for the step class. It was encouraging to see all these people working hard to be fit or get fitter so early in the morning. It pushed me to sweat.

The run itself was hard. Not because of anything in particular but I couldn’t find a good, relaxed pace. I felt like I was breathing thru a scarf. Legs never hit a rhythm. Part of me wanted to quit, and do something else. Anything else. But I kept reminding myself to suck it up and enjoy my Netflix.

I still ran well. It was my second fastest pace. Maybe that’s why it was so rough. The only other time I ran that fast was during the Frosty 5k. I upped my speed running and ran a whole quarter mile at 7:00. My current plan is to slowly start increasing the length of my “sprints.” I’m also considering changing treadmills for my weekday gym visits, ones that have programs that have hills. This should help me with my road running.

I’m hoping some of this new treadmill running will translate into road running. The two are different and the same. I guess we’ll have to see.

In the meantime, I am waiting patiently for my dinner with friends tonight. Good food and good company. 

Birthday Week!!!

Welcome back. I’m looking forward to this week. Lots of social events. I’ll have to be sure to get my runs in the morning. Can’t be sure that I’ll be getting to the gym in the afternoons.

Friday, fiancé and I hung out. We both haven’t been feeling well. There have been some lingering colds and we managed to catch it. Plus, a mild flare for me. Achy joints, itchy and burning skin, plus a few other fun things. So I built up my Netflix cue. Also, we discovered that Karn does NOT like kiwi even though it’s supposed to be a popular dragon food. It reminded me of this video:

Saturday I to 11.3 miles in. I did it at the gym. I was lazy and I didn’t want to get dressed for an outside run. Plus, I feel more motivated to shower after. Sometimes, from outside runs, I just come back and crash for a nap. Again, I watched Jessica Jones. Last time I was there, I noticed that I could plug my phone in and watch Jessica on a bigger screen. I decided against after seeing some of the sex scenes. Small screen seemed like a better idea.

It took a while to fall into stride. A guy ran next to me for an hour and congratulated me on my persistence and distance. I played with the incline and the speed. My breath came easy but I could feel my body sucking up all the oxygen as quick as it could. My Brooks kept my feet comfy. I bought a revive Vitamin water when I get to the gym. I thought it a good idea after the 2 glasses of wine on Friday night. And strawberry GU Chomps. It’s my second favorite with watermelon being my favorite. A fellow runner complimented me on my distance and consistency as he headed off to a spin class. I enjoyed watching people get on the treadmill and then glance at me as they left.

My pace was 11:48. It was the best pace so far for that mileage. I don’t know if treadmill running is easier or not. I suppose it is in that you can set it and forget it but at the same time, very few people run at the same pace for an extended amount of time when running outside. It would vary on many factors, like terrain, weather, etc. I think for me, holding a pace is harder for me. And I’m lucky that I can lose myself in music or a TV show and forget that I’m running and getting nowhere. I was content being where I was and doing what I was doing. A long run really lets you get into your mind and explore feelings. There is no hiding from yourself when it’s just you and yourself for 2 hours.

This week should be fun. Stepdaughter-to-be’s birthday is today and we will being going out. Tomorrow, we will be going out for my birthday (on Weds). Wednesday, I have off but that was more incidental (Dr. appointment). I’m considering taking the dog to one of the good dog parks. 

Thursday, I will be getting some blue hair. And wedding stuff hopefully on Saturday.

I’ll be sure to be getting my runs in so I can clear my mind and enjoy all the fun things happening.

Falling Back into a Habit

I’m glowing

Yoga last night was so chill and fun. Girls Hanging Out. Maybe that’s what my class should actually be called. Indie music, getting things off our chest and sharing the joy. All while doing low aerial yoga. We focused some on the middle of the back and neck. Class flew by. I felt so peaceful afterward. I can’t be more grateful to have this outlet and such great people to help in their yoga practice.

And I ran this morning. Part of me was trying to make excuses. It had been a while and I was out of the habit. Once you are out of the habit of running at 4am, it’s really hard to convince yourself that it’s a good idea again. I took out my new Brooks for a test drive. I should have worn another layer on my legs. I’m still a little chilled on my thighs.

The dog was very excited to be out and running. She bounded from snowbanks to roads, looking back at me with a big smile on her face. I was criticized earlier this week about subjecting my dog to the stresses of running. This person obviously never owned a border collie mix. There was no subjecting here, she was loving every second of this..

My finish at the 5k convinced me to push a little harder. If I could run that fast for a 5k, what was another mile? I turned it up a notch. I ran to the beats of LMAFO and other fun party music. I needed music with energy to carry me thru. There was no Gu involved; this was a fasted run. Runkeeper kept telling me my pace was in the 13:00 range. I pushed a little harder. Then, 8:00. I had no idea how fast I was going. Taking out the first mile with all the potty breaks for the dog, my pace was 11:30. My shoes felt great. At first, they felt strange but by the end of the run, I could appreciate the extra cushion.

The streets were empty. The air felt nearly warm after the below zero temps. The wind was minimal. It was definitely cold. I put my hands in my shirt’s mittens. I felt the air cut thru my fleece running leggings. There was a sense of peace even though the music was energetic. The breath came a little harder but I didn’t fight it. My legs were tired after we turned around and my brain asked for Gu and then whined that I didn’t have any. But my mind, my mind was ecstatic. I had been missing my outdoor runs. The treadmill is a great tool but it cannot replace an early morning run. It can’t replace the camaraderie of the early birds.

A cop passed me on the road. I was wondering if I was going to get a ticket for not being on the sidewalk. But we are a bit of a running community and I think there is an understanding so long as we don’t impede traffic, and I usually only run on the road when I’m on a side street. I pictured him pulling over and calling to me as I approached. In my head, I wondered if it would be bad form to pause my Garmin and Runkeeper. He passed and I was left with alone with my dog.

It’s funny. I had no idea I was missing the morning runs as much as I was until I did it. When I went out, I felt at home and at peace in a way I don’t anywhere else, not even in the hammock during yoga. I hope that the weather cooperates and stays above zero and I can keep doing my outside runs.

Short Post for a Short Run

Confession: My running has totally slacked these past few weeks.

It’s been so ice and bitterly cold and trying to nail down a gym has led to a serious deficit of miles. And I haven’t replaced it with anything. I’ve just been lounging..

Tuesday night, I did a little more cooking. I made rigatoni with broccoli and turkey sausage. I’m finding the ratios to be a little off with the Runner’s World Cookbook. I had too much broth with the potato leek soup and too many noodles with the sausage. The flavor was wonderful and it looked nice too. Visuals are important when eating as well. It was rather simple. Noodles, broccoli, red pepper, chicken sausage which I replaced with turkey sausage and feta. I seasoned it with an Italian herb mix I had on hand. It call for basil which I did not have but I imagine would have added another dimension to the flavor. It was very good. Lots of flavor and easy to make. The fiancé enjoyed it as well and said it should be added to our menu. So far the cooking has been a good experience and relatively successful.

Last night, we tried a different gym just to check out a midrange place. It wasn’t our favorite. We got the tour. It felt cold despite the warm color tones on the walls. They kept pushing the deals on us and tried to apply mild pressure on the importance of signing up before we left to waive their large “registration” fee. The equipment was fine. Crowded and base level but fine. I didn’t like that the tread on two treadmills I tried was lose. I played around with the different programs and settings. Watched about some of a Jessica Jones. Discovered I am not level 7 anything. I was worried about slipping off the end with some of the hills. I did just under 2 miles before we left. It as fast but there wasn’t much to compare it to as I don’t usually go that short. Even as we left, they were pressuring to sign up today or we wouldn’t be able to avoid the huge fees.

Tonight is yoga, tomorrow is hopefully some gym time. I hope to get a run in in the morning too as it’s going to be above zero and the dog is getting restless. 

My First 5k- The Frosty 5k

Happy Monday! You survived the weekend and if you are by me, you survived this brutal cold.

Friday, I had planned on going to aerial yoga and stretch out before the race on Saturday. I went with my fiancé to pick up my stepdaughter to be (SDTB). She was joining me on this cold, winter 5k. Before we left, I picked up my packet from Fleet Feet in Brookfield. It wasn’t busy and I was in and out in a few minutes. When we picked up SDTB, she was excited to run. I was a little nervous as she was young and likes to run the shorter distances. How far would she leave me behind?

Race day, fiancé came down with a bug and stayed home. Girl’s Day! We got there early. It was my bad. I usually drive down to this area during rush hour and didn’t consider how fast we would get there. When we got to registration, the process was smooth and the volunteers were very friendly. I even got mistaken for a runner that another woman knew. Let me repeat that. I GOT MISTAKEN FOR A RUNNER. WOHOO!

There were roughly 190 runners and walkers. We all walked from the warm registration area to the starting line. The paths were a little icy. SDTB and I lined up close to the middle. We wanted to make a good start, not too fast and not too slow. The crowd of runners started to crawl, jog, and run forward. It felt like I was part of a river. I wanted to start kinda slow because I had started too fast at the Turkey Trot. SDTB took off. I saw her blond ponytail fly away.

Almost immediately, I started to past people. There were a few clogs on the paths with ice and only small parts of the path cleared. I was glad I wore my Xodus and Stance socks. My feet stayed dry and warm. I gave myself different pacers along the way. I kept going as pacers slowed down and some began to slow down, as others who started perhaps too fast began to walk. My feet were steady on the path. I caught up to my SDTB about a third into the race. We ran together for a while and then she was my shadow 20 feet back or so for the better part of the race.

I could hear my Runkeeper whispering out my pace. It started with an 11 min pace, and then a 10:30, then 9, and then back to 10 min pace. I thought it was lying again. I mean, I don’t go that fast. Do I?

The course was a loop and we had to come back thru the finish line. First time thru, the race coordinator encouraged the runners as they came thru. He called out their numbers and called out, “Water on the left.” As I came in, he added, “Jack Daniels on the right.” High fived as I went past, and asked “Where’s my Jack?” No Jack L

I started to feel my breath become a little labored during the last quarter mile. My left shin was unhappy with me. But I was almost there and added a little speed. I was hoping to beat a 40 min mark, wishing to beat 35min. I didn’t see my time but stopped my Runkeeper right away. It said 33:55. It had to be wrong, right? My Garmin didn’t save. It had run, but flipped out and didn’t save so I had nothing to confirm Runkeeper. While I was thinking this, I was trying to get my phone ready to take a photo of SDTB as she crossed the line but she was right on my tail. She ended with a 34:13. The race posted the results via email a few hours later. I was ten out of twenty one in my age group. My official gun time was 33:43:123. Runkeeper said my pace was 10:26 and it was my fastest time!

The race was great. I truly enjoyed it and look forward to my next 5k whenever that might be. I was concerned about the distance and not knowing how fast I should run. It all came together.

Sunday, I woke up and decided I draw the line at running outside when the temperature is below zero. Between that and the oh so prevalent ice, running another 10 miles was out. Our guest pass had run at out the one gym and the fiancé wanted to check out another place before we sign up. Hopefully, I’ll get some miles in tonight if we go look at the other gym.

In the afternoon, I had a chance to get new shoes. Some girls get excited about a new pair of heels, but I was giddy over my new pair of Brooks. I love Saucony. The girl who fitted me at Performance Running Outfitters loved Saucony too, but I mentioned I wanted something a little cushier since I was doing so much running and so much of it was on the road. We tried the Saucony Guide and Triumph. I tried a Nike and an Asics but the Brooks fit so amazing. When I took a test jog with the Triumph on one foot and Brooks on the other, the Brooks took the impact and I felt it so little, like I was on a cloud. The Triumphs were nice but not the same, and my heel was loose even with the special lacing. The Guides felt stark in comparison. The girl helping me said my stride look better and more sure with the Brooks.

It is time to retire my first pair of running shoes. It’s sad but they served me well. Maybe I should get them bronzed. Now it is Brooks Glycerin 13 to take me on the next part of my running adventure. My Xodus will still be a running shoe for tough terrain or sloppy weather, i.e. when I need sure and dry feet.

In the evening, I tried a new recipe from the Runner’s World cookbook. At my previous job, I had a favorite soup, potato leek. I was excited to try this recipe. It had just a few ingredients. I followed the recipe. It was simply potatoes, leeks, carrots and broth. Salt and pepper to taste. It tasted ok. It did not bring to mind in the least bit the soup from work. I would almost call it a stew instead of a soup. I added a little bacon and melted mozzarella over the top. I think it could have used less broth and more potatoes and a little bit more flavor. Still, it is good and low calorie. The potatoes make it very filling. No picture, I forgot. Here is Karn instead

This week I hope to step up my mileage. Not sure when and how considering the freezing temperatures, but I hope to get closer to what I was doing a couple of weeks ago. And do it faster