Cinco de Miles 5k recap

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I  didn’t want to waste any more time before I finally posted this recap! Back on May 5th, aka Cinco De Mayo, I ran the virtual “Cinco de Miles 5k” which benefited the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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Flat Annie!

I laid out my gear the night before, intending to run first thing in the morning…. Bahaha! Morning??!! Riiiiight. Let’s just say that didn’t happen. I instead went out at lunch time… on one of the first warm days of the year… I know, I know, not very smart. I followed my usual 5k route in town, and I followed the run four blocks/run one block/repeat pattern that worked well for me on my last timed 5k run. I started out with a little bit of shade that I could duck into, but that quickly dried up on me. My four block running stretches slowed from a 9 min/mile to about an 11 min/mile pace. I had my last 5k time in my head, and I was trying to add up the numbers to see if I could make it to that time…

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A New PR!!

I did somehow manage to scrape together a PR! I was able to get down to a 37:50 with an average pace of 12:13 min/mile. I’m still pretty new to running, and I am quite pleased with the progress I’ve made so far. Hopefully by this time next year, I will be much faster!

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Such a cute medal!

Lessons learned:

  1. The sun is not my ally for a timed event.
  2. Lunch time is a silly time to run–there is no shade!
  3. I need to figure a way to haul my behind out of bed to do some morning runs!

Anyone else out there a night owl that is trying to become an early bird?  What advice can you give??

I’m Back…

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As I typed the title for this post, I heard it in the creepy “they’re here” Poltergeist movie voice, ha! No idea why, but I guess that’s how my mind works…

Anyway, I am now back from vacation. Time has really flown by! Oddly enough, the week leading up to vacation was so hectic for me that it feels like it flew by and didn’t take place. I intended to pre-draft last week’s recap, but it didn’t happen. My apologies (and I submit for your viewing pleasure some of my wanna-be vacation photography attempts).

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I did manage to squeeze in two runs the week before I left, and one of them was a milestone for me: I ran two miles straight! No walking, no tying my shoe, no waiting on traffic, no stops at all!! Yay! It was easier than I thought it would be, and I think I could have done at least 1/2 mile more. I didn’t set out with the goal in mind. I thought, “Ok, I’ll do a mile.” Then I thought, ok another 1/4, then so on. The difference for me was pace. I have real issues with pacing. When I’m doing a 5k for time, I will run for four blocks at a 9-10 min pace and then I’ll walk a block at about a 17 min pace. This time, my goal was to hold at a 12-12:30 mile pace. It worked!!

While at the beach, I ran along the beach one morning. I went out at 7am and it was already hot yes, I’m whining. I was just so happy and proud to be actually running while on vacation, that I didn’t care about distance/pace. I just went to the end of the beach houses and back, about 2.5 miles. We did do a lot of walking and tours on our other days, so I felt pretty good. No sluggish vibes this way! And I actually only gained about a half pound! Woot!!

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Not a bad place for a run!

Now that I’m back, I want to re-focus. This trip has been the anchor to many of my goals so far, so this is a great chance to start fresh. We are going to a concert in early July, so I think that’ll be my next short term goal date. I’d like to be up to a full 3 miles straight by then :)

Recap: By Myself

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Cue the horrible singing: “All by myself… don’t wanna be… all by myself” (be thankful you cannot hear my singing voice)! Now why am I pouting? Because this is the first week after the SBBC challenge–and I’m not recapping so this can be posted on the challenge boards. So yes, I am all by myself on this week’s recap. I was also all by myself because DH injured his back mid-week and has been out of commission. I didn’t do as much strength training without my Yoda to coach me, and I didn’t do much else either. Boo! However, I have a couple bits of good news… but let’s wait until the end of the post for that :-P

Monday: I was feeling lazy, but once DH went downstairs to work shoulders and triceps, I grudgingly followed along. I had a pretty good workout, and I felt so good afterwards that I went for my planned run. I was determined to get my 13.1 cumulative miles in before the end of April (again much props to those that have done the training to get to a half distance in one sitting!!). I had divided the total mileage over my four planned runs, and this was my third run.

Tuesday: I completed my fourth run, and I met my mileage goal! This was my first time running back to back, so that felt a little strange. I didn’t have any shin issues, so I must have survived ok!

Wednesday -> Saturday: Rest. Not planned rest, but looking back, I see a few things came into play. First, DH injured his back, and I think I felt a little guilty for thinking about exercising when he could barely move. Second, I had a hair salon appointment on Thursday after work, so that sucked up my entire evening (giving myself a mental pass on that day). Third, and probably the one with the most impact, my sister got into some trouble at college, and I have spent so much effort worrying about her. I fell back into my old pattern of turning into a vegetable when I am stressed. I know I would have felt better had I done something, even a 20 minute walk. Moving forward, I hope that when I am stressed I will remember how much better I feel after working out.

Sunday: Ok, now for the start of good news bet you were wondering if I would ever get there! I got a new 5k PR when I ran the Cinco de Miles! I will post a full recap this week, but I am happy to report that I shaved over 40 seconds off my time. I think I could have been faster, but I was stupid and waited until noon to run. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, right?

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My other bit of good news is that I have succeeded in the “Mindy’s Fitness Journey” DietBet! I don’t know how much money yet, but I weighed in below my goal this morning. Even though I was stressed and lazy for most of last week, I kept my eating on track. I am down 25 lbs from when I started in January! With vacation coming up, I am going to pause on the DietBets for a while. I think I have one more in me, but I’ll try to wait until closer to June to do it. I not far from the point where I think DietBets will quit making sense for me: as I lift more, I expect to gain muscle weight even as I lose fat, so the 4% weight loss goal just wouldn’t accurately measure my goals. I’ll have to start posting more running goals and benchpress goals! As I mentioned, I think one more will make sense for me, so I’ll have to pick a good one!!

How was your week? How do you approach stress?

Happy 5k Recap

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I’m sorry it has taken me so long to post this recap–I actually ran this back on April 12th hangs head in shame for the delay!! The HAPPY 5k is a virtual race that benefitted the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and I signed up for this race at the same time my dad was undergoing testing to see if he had Leukemia. Fortunately, he did not, but it gave me a deeply personal connection to this race, and I was proud to run it! The “Have A Purpose” slogan was very appropriate!

I am trying to spread out my timed runs, so I waited until the last possible day to run this… and I ended up running it late on a Friday night so I would still get it in on time. When I do a night run, I stick to the main route through town. I feel more visible and if I am running by businesses, I have places to duck into if anything weirds me out. I definitely do not recommend Friday night runs (at least in my town) because there is usually some kind of high school event going on (in this case, a baseball game) and the crazy drivers are out! Luckily, I came out unscathed, but definitely mad at a couple of drivers!

The actual run was pretty smooth with no nagging pains or food issues. I was able to set MY NEW PR ! I am working my way towards a sub-35 minute 5k, and this race was a step in the right direction. I definitely pushed myself and was quite HAPPY with my 5k! And look, the medal is adorable too–Happy Annie!

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I got back to stretch, and as usual, our cat decided to lay viscous kitty bear-traps to lure me into a scratching whirlwind try to distract me. He does this after every run. Every. Single. Run. He is determined that one day post-run I will fall victim to his cuteness and allow him to scratch me.

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Overall, I was already Happy with the HAPPY 5k… and then I won a prize pack! Woot!! First up was a box of PopChips. I will admit I was skeptical–if it is healthier, then it will taste bad or cause bathroom issues, right?? Well I am happy to report that these chips proved both wrong. They are delicious!! The look and crunch remind me a little bit of “Tato Skins” chips, so I was already used to the popped texture. I opened a bag for DH and I… and he liked them too!!! Definite credit to PopChips, because he is picky, lol. I opened a bag thinking I would have a handful… and then I went back for more… and then some more!!!

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I also won a shirt from the race that had the logo–I love race shirts! They also sent some of the #RunChat temporary tattoos and stickers for me to use :)

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The last prize was a gift card from Marathon Sports, which is based in Boston. I ran this 5k only four days before the bombing took place. I definitely encourage you to click the link below and take a look at their site. When you visit, you will find ways to donate to One Fund Boston and to the American Red Cross.

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Overall, this was a very well put together virtual race–definite kudos to Amanda and Coach Laura. I will keep this one on my radar for next year!

Last #BestFoot Post

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For the past several weeks, I have been posting recaps of my weekly activities so I could stay on track for the Spring Bootie Buster Challenge through Run to the Finish. I am pleased that I have been consistent–the idea of  falling off for a week really bothered me! I do think I have more in me than what I have shown so far, and I hope to do one of their future challenges.

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Monday: The car was in the shop, so I was home for this lovely Monday (yay!!!). The difference in my activity really shows that I had extra time! I was out on the bike for nearly an hour, came back to stretch, and then went downstairs for squats/dead lifts!

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: I am determined to run 13.1 miles by the end of the month, so I would earn the “April Showers” medal. I divided up the amount equally for my planned run days, and this was the first entry. I was out for 39 minutes, and then came back in for some stretching. I felt pretty good during this one despite having legs still sore from Monday…. but that is probably because I was running at night and it was cold!

Thursday: Rest

Friday: This was my second entry for the 13.1 total distance (let me just say that those of you that can just go out and run a half are amazing!!). My time and stretching routine paralleled my Wednesday activity. I felt kind of blah for this one. If it is warm, I have a lot of trouble with enthusiasm!

Saturday: Rest. Delightfully lazy day, followed by a disappointing UFC card in the evening.

Sunday: My allergies are really making themselves known this spring. We are talking red/itchy eyes, sneezing, the works. I felt kind of miserable most of the day, but DH and I rallied in the evening hours and went for a bike ride. I was thrilled that he showed me some the start of some promising trails that lead back to a nearby lake. They look like 4-wheeler trails, but if a quad can make it, so can I on a bike, right???

This week I need to finish up the 13.1 total miles, so you will see me either run on both Monday/Tuesday or go for a long Tuesday run. The rest of the week is not framed in my mind, but I do want to hit a full body circuit at some point.

I signed up for the “ToneItUp” challenge from Self magazine–for whatever reason, theses challenges seem to work for me. Reporting my workouts makes me not want to look like a quitter I guess, lol! Do you know of any other challenges going on? Do they work for you or does something else push you?

Have a happy week!

 

Need to be Tougher

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I’ll get straight to the point–my ass needs to be tougher. Literally!

We went out on the bikes for two days in a row, and I’m feeling it now in my quads, my hamstrings… and my bum! Even though I’m a girly girl and use the butterfly gel seat (fabulous if you are in the market for a new seat) AND I use padded shorts, I am positive that my “sit bones” are bruised. OWW!!! The picture below shows the stock seat–I cannot imagine trying to ride on that!

My Bike, when she first arrived

I am thrilled to be back out on the bikes again! DH is familiar with town and knows the places to go for some brief single track. We were on a grassy stretch yesterday, and I have to say that I loved the sound of the tires on the dirt/grass. We have been mostly riding on the road, and my ears perked up when the familiar sound was there. Unfortunately when we moved, we lost quick access to a fantastic park that had 30+ miles of bike trails. Boo!

How she looks in her natural habitat

I was raised in the country, so whenever I would ride as a kid, it was on a dirt road. I have never, ever been on a road bike. However since we are in town now, the idea of a road bike is growing on me… or I can just lock the rear shock on my current bike so I get more speed, hehe.

What do you ride on? How do you like road bikes vs. mountain bikes?

Rewind, Breathe

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More than anything, I feel that last week cemented my status as a “runner.” I had been hesitant to give myself that title because, lets be honest, I’m more of a run/walk kind of gal (although I am getting much better). When word reached me about the bombing at Boston, I felt like I had the breath knocked out of me. Some of the bloggers I follow and chat with were in the area, and I anxiously watched my feeds to see if they were ok. Thankfully, they were alright!! I immediately wanted to get in miles to honor those that had dedicated themselves to qualifying and racing. I wanted to sign up for races to show that we are not afraid. I also saw this reaction from the running community. While outsiders think of it as an individual sport, I saw everyone coming together as a group for support and resilience. I am proud to call myself a runner and be part of this amazing group.

I didn’t intend to start my weekly recap with a reaction to Boston, but it just poured out. It was odd listing all of my workouts below because I feel like last week went by in a blink. I do feel like writing it all out has been very helpful and allowed me to process it all.

Monday: Strength training. After hearing about what happened at the Marathon, I felt so numb. Not knowing what else to do, I went downstairs and lifted shoulders and triceps in an effort to burn off some of my worry.

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Tuesday: Running. I went to work and wore blue/yellow in support of my fellow runners and race lovers. That night, a storm was brewing, but I was determined to get some miles in to honor those injured and lost at Boston. I went out, with lightening flashing overhead. I made it back to the house right as the rain started–my distance was exactly 2.62 miles.

Wednesday: Rest. I wanted to be as fresh as possible for the concert the following night, and I tried to go to bed early… notice I said tried, lol.

Thursday: Walk. Jason Aldean and Jake Owen in concert!! Good show and a nice venue. Between parking, going to dinner and finding our seats, I’d say we walked for about an hour–probably more, but since I didn’t pay exact attention, I’ll guess low, hehe.

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Friday: Rest. I did take the dog to the vet for her heart-worm test and rabies shot, so I still felt somewhat productive, lol.

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Saturday: Strength training. Lifted back and biceps.

Sunday: Biking and strength training. The weather was perfect so DH and I went for a bike ride. After dinner, we also lifted shoulders and triceps. Apparently somewhere in the week, I rested and missed chest day….

A week ago, I had no idea what to post. I was so shocked that something happened at Boston! As I write today, I am amazed at the resolve and dedication I saw pour out of the running community last week. I believe this tragedy will draw us closer and show us how strong we really are. I know this post has been a little disjointed, but I must admit my thoughts have been disjointed too!!