This week in running: week 2

I had another craptastic week of running. Darn you, Summer (or the Summer-like Fall weather)! Go away.

Monday

Since I missed my running group on Sunday, I made up my long run miles on Monday. I started off saying I’d run 8 miles. It went down to 6 before I started. I ended up with 5 miles. I’m just not great at running by myself. In fact, I’m pretty darn terrible at it. I just never got into a groove on this run. I’d go fast, then slow, then really slow (as in walk). I basically repeated this the entire time. Bah.

5 miles
1:03:02

Tuesday
After waiting out the rain, our group finally headed out, and I managed to get in a decent 2 miles. Definitely not as far as I hoped, but I was happy to get in any miles. I was afraid I’d end up with zero and have to run by myself again … yikes. These 2 miles after the rain were actually pretty sweet. It felt a little cooler after the rain, and my pace was closer to what it used to be … before the surface of the sun temperatures hit. It actually gave me some hope for a decent 5K on Thursday.

2 miles
22:00

Job hazard: red pen on the hands

Thursday

I ran my first race since May on Thursday. It was such a fun race (recap to come this week), and I had a fabulous time (as in my time there, not my time for the 5K). It wasn’t the 5K time I wanted, but I really didn’t expect to see anything great with this race. I’ve struggled all summer and with this race being in the summer, I knew realistically that an under-30-minute 5K was probably not happening. I momentarily forgot this during the first half of the race, and I was completely miserable. 

3.1 miles
33:21


I thought the rain might make my run awesome like it was on Tuesday.
I thought wrong.

Do you run by yourself or with a group? Have to have it one way or the other or can you do both? Is summer running miserable for everyone?

A week of fabulousness

The past week was full of complete awesomeness.

It started off with the Bruno Mars concert. He was A-MAZ-ING. (Yes, it deserves all caps, and yes, it deserves hyphenation.) I can’t remember having as much fun at a concert before. We drank, danced, sang and screamed through the entire show. He is so worth seeing in concert, and I’ll go again the next time he’s back in town (I may have looked at his remaining tour dates and thought about the feasibility of following him the rest of the way, ahem.) 

We were excited (OK, I was super-duper excited)
about Bruno (and sangria). 

My favorite fedora-wearing guy: Bruno. (Both photos are courtesy
of Caroline because I was too excited and all of my photos
are blurry.)

After this glorious event, I hopped on a plane to Kansas (with my voice returning somewhat) and attended another glorious event, a Kansas State football game. Well, it really wasn't that glorious because they lost and it was over 100 degrees that day, but it was still good to have my favorite purple school playing football again and hanging with some of my favorite purple peeps.

Spending the long, holiday weekend in Kansas allowed for time with friends and family, sand volleyball … and no running. Oops. I wish I was a morning person who could knock it out before everyone woke up, but I’m just not. I keep trying to be, and I keep failing.

But, in other running news, I did sign up for a 5K this month. It is appropriately titled the "HOT Run.” At this point, every 5K I run I have the goal to do it in under 30 minutes (fastest official time: 30:09). I really don’t have a lot of running confidence at all right now (especially with the ridiculous heat and humidity), but I’ll give it a shot.

I almost cried when I read this news: the 2014 St. Pete Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon is cancelled. This is one of my favorite events. I was registered for the third year in a row, and it makes me incredibly sad that this fun race is not coming to our area. So I have some work to do to rearrange my race schedule and find another half marathon that is just as fun.

How was your Labor Day weekend? What is your favorite concert? Ever have a race you were excited about cancelled? 

10 Things Thursday

1. I still adore the treadmill. I ran a fabulous 5K on it last night and watched the Rays vs. Red Sox game (Yay, Rays!).

2. Because of my new-found love of the treadmill (and the gym in general), I really want to join one. But, I wonder if it’s worth it. I run with my running group the majority of the time, so I probably wouldn’t use the glorious treadmills that often. I do like having other cardio options and not feeling like heat stroke is eminent, though.

3. I haven’t worn anything besides gym clothes in four days. I also haven’t worn any makeup or done anything to my hair besides piling it up on top of my head. This is what happens when you work remotely by yourself and only go to the gym, take your dog for a walk or go to Target (sorry, people of Target). You’ll be happy to know that I do make the effort to brush my teeth and put on deodorant.

My office look for the last four days.

4. There are many things I miss about working in an office (people, supplies, phone headset), but one of the things I miss the most is a decent chair and desk. This recliner and end table setup I have going on is not doing my back, neck or shoulders any favors. Ouch.

5. Dogs sleep A LOT. I become aware of this when I’m at home all day. Lazy girl does nothing all day. I can barely get her to open her eyes. I will not feel bad when I have to leave for work again (well, feel bad about leaving Chloe …).

You're interrupting my 18-hour nap.

6. My boyfriend stocked up on all my favorites while I’m here visiting.

What more does a girl need?

7.  Are you looking for the best damn race? Well, I suggest you check out the Best Damn Race. It's Feb. 1, 2014, in Safety Harbor, Florida. I ran this race earlier this year, and I had so much damn fun. If you want to join in on the fun (and you should), you can use the code BDRBLOG to save $5 when registering (it's good for July and August).

8. I have some Amazon gift cards saved up, and I realized the best way to spend these is on running shoes! Duh, right? So, I started looking at the Brooks Adrenaline GTS (my love), and I found these beauties ... just not in my size. Now I'm stalking Amazon waiting for my big-foot size to be in stock.

Source

9.  I continually confirm this, but I keep doing it: I hate long car rides. Any drive that takes more than two hours needs to be flown in a jet. So, I'm really looking forward to the 8-hour drive back to Florida. GAH.

10. I adore Twitter and Instagram. If you want to follow me there, I'm behold_turtle.

Do you belong to a gym? What's your favorite piece of equipment? What two favorite items would you want someone to have around if you were visiting? Do you like road trips?

Season 2: recap

No half marathons on the schedule until October. It makes me kind of sad until I attempt to run in temperatures that rival the surface of the sun.

Since I’m not able to run nearly as far now (thanks, Florida heat), I’m just going to reminisce about this season of half marathons.

This was my second training cycle for half marathons. I was completely new to running the first season (2011-2012) and was happy just to finish. My first season only consisted of two races:

• Women’s Half Marathon: 2:48:26
• Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Petersburg Half Marathon: 2:33:39

I was completely disappointed in my first attempt, and I’m pretty surprised I kept running after it. It was pretty miserable (mainly because of the heat that isn’t supposed to be around in November), but I felt like I redeemed myself at the Rock ‘n’ Roll race. That was the race I knew I had in me. That’s the way it was supposed to happen. 

So, looking to this season, I knew I couldn’t have a 15-minute personal record (PR) each time, but I wondered if I could hit 2:25. I never publicly proclaimed this goal, but I thought I could do it.

• Halloween Halfathon:2:42:48
• Women’s Half Marathon: 2:45:33
• Holiday Halfathon: 2:41:10

(At this point, I really wondered if 2:33 was a fluke. I wondered if I’d ever see the 2:30s again.)

• Clearwater Halfathon: 2:38:29

(I started feeling more confident after this difficult course, and I felt like a PR was in my future.)

• Carnival Classic Half Marathon: 2:30:54

(I decided to do this race while on a high from the previous race. As in, sitting down right after the race and registering on my phone. Hello, PR!)

• Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon: 2:33:54
• Florida Beach Halfathon: 2:31:44
• Iron Girl Half Marathon: 2:48:35

So, 2:25 didn’t happen. Even 2:2X didn’t happen. While I’m a little disappointed, I still see lots of things to be happy about:

• I ran eight half marathons!
• I’m confident in my running abilities. I don’t worry about finishing anymore. I know I can.
• I even got pretty confident about being able to finish in the 2:30s by the end of the season (aside from the hot, nasty Iron Girl incident).
• I came up with some pretty rockin’ costumes for races.
  
  

• I fell even more in love with the half marathon distance. It’s my favorite, always and forever.
• Oh, and even though these aren’t half marathons, I did run and PR these distances during this training cycle: 5K (by 3:11) and 10K (by 1:21)).

So, now what?

Well, I have a break until August when half marathon training begins again. But, it’s not a break from running – just a break from running the longer distances. I’m sticking with my training group (last year I took a break from it, and while I continued running on my own, I just don’t push myself enough; I felt like I had to start over again when I picked back up in August). And, I’m adding in some new things to shake things up: boot camp (eek!) and yoga (eek!). 

Do you set race goals? Do you publicly proclaim your goals? How did you do this season? What do you do in the off season to prepare for races? Have you done a boot camp? Yoga?

Brat Trot 5K, Topeka, Kansas, May 25, 2013: race recap

I signed up for this race on a whim (and with the hopes of a sweet T-shirt). 

I was headed to visit family in Kansas over Memorial Day weekend, and I thought I'd throw a race in there, too. 

After arriving in Kansas City on Friday evening (and eating the most delicious barbecue in the world), I didn't make it to my dad's house and in bed until around midnight. The race was Saturday morning, but it wasn't until 9:30 a.m. I thought this was a great thing for a morning hater like me. I still got a decent night's sleep. (But, I broke many of my destination race rules.)

We arrived at the race around 9 a.m. and set up camp.

My smart spectators with chairs, drinks and snacks

 

It was a small, neighborhood race with 158 people running the 5K. They also had a fun run. It started and ended at a church. 
 

Funny. I stand out in purple, while those in
neon yellow blend in.

Side note: I need to wear something different to a race. I look the
same at every race (unless in costume).

The course wound through the neighborhood surrounding the church, and I was completely lost. I never had any idea what direction I was running or where I was in relation to the start/finish line. All of the houses (and barking dogs in front yards) looked the same. 

This was a hard 5K for me ... almost the entire way. Right from the start, I felt that it was pretty difficult. Mainly because of the thing I thought was a wonderful thing at first ... the late start time. Although the temperature wasn't too terribly hot, the sun was blazing and made it feel toasty. My vampire self doesn't do the sun. 

This was the first 5K I've ever walked in. Even my very first race, I ran the entire way. Even with things got difficult in other races, I kept running. In this race, I walked through the water stop (at mile 1.5) for an extended period and then did one additional walk break after that. 

I started to get irritated and feel a little down on myself. How could I run 13.1 miles a little more than one month ago and now I can't even run 3.1 miles?

But, I pulled it together toward the end and even had a nice sprint to the finish. 

My official time: 32:54, which is my second-fastest 5K. Maybe it was difficult because I was pushing myself? Let's say that.

The post-race food? Brats, of course.

I also took advantage of a post-race massage (I never do this at big races because of the long waits, but I was able to walk right up here). 

This was a really fun, small, local race. Everyone was so friendly, and I'm looking forward to doing this race again next year. 

Oh, and the sweet shirt I was hoping for? I got it.

Do you like small, local races? Have you ever walked in a 5K? Are you a morning person? Have you ever ran a race with a 9:30 a.m. start?

Partners for Life Police Appreciation Run 5K, St. Petersburg, Florida, May 5, 2013: race recap

This is the 5K of a 10K-5K challenge. Read about the 10K here.

Because I had this fabulous idea to sign up for a 10K-5K challenge, I had about 20 minutes after the 10K before the start of the 5K, which started at 8:30 a.m. ... or so I thought.

In-between races photo

In reality, it was 8:52 a.m. before the start of the 5K. So my timed water drinking, GU taking and stretching and warming up again wasn't really timed well. I wasn't expecting much out of this race anyway (since I just ran a 10K and was uncomfortable every step), but a 22-minute late start didn't help matters any.

I wasn't planning on meeting my under 30-minute 5K goal this race, but I wanted to be respectable ... whatever that means. For me, I decided it meant under 11-minute miles.

I started out a little stiff, but warmed up pretty quickly (quicker than my usual 1+-mile warm up).  That doesn't mean I was comfortable or feeling good. I was hoping I could make it through this thing. I wasn't feeling it, and I was missing my running buddy to push me along.
'
Mile 1: 10:29

I don't remember much of this race, really. I just remember: (1) running on the pesky pier ... again; (2) being uncomfortable the entire race; and (3) trying to force a smile when I ran by my coach, Carolyn, who was snapping pictures (all were terrible; totally my fault — not hers).

You pesky, windy pier

Mile 2: 10:40
Mile 3: 10: 38

I tried to push it at the finish, but I didn't have much left in me.

I looked tired in this photo. I am. (My boyfriend and dog surprised
me along the 5K finish.)

I crossed the finish line at 32:59, which is my second-best 5K time ever. Hmm, I guess I did OK for feeling uncomfortable and totally not in this race.

After the race, I grabbed some bubbles (Diet Coke). I love carbonation after a race. Every race should have bubbles of some kind (yes, beer is acceptable).

Lori and I decided to capture our last race on the pier in photo (it is being torn down, so this is the last official race for us on this thing). Lori asked the girl taking the photo to be sure to get the pier in the background. She did. It's just behind Lori's head ... 

So, the big question: would I do a 10K-5K challenge again? I am proud that I did it this time, but I don't think I'd do it again. It added a whole other level of stress to a race day. I worried about the 5K all the way through the 10K. Was I using everything I had in the 10K? How was I going to run a 5K after this disaster? Then, running the 5K, I felt like it was a "just survive this thing" mode instead of a "let's give this all I got" attitude.

Have you run a 10K-5K challenge? Would you? Do you like bubbles after a race?

Honda Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg 5K, March 22, 2013: race recap

I may have a mentioned a time or 50 that I don't like 5Ks. So since I feel this way, I ran another one. I'm either a sucker for punishment or hope that one of these will change my mind.

Perhaps the latter happened. Shocking, I know.

This one did have a better chance since my dad was running it, too as his first-ever 5K (or race of any kind).

This race was on a Friday night at 6:15 p.m. I like the idea of a night race, but my first experience with an evening race wasn't great. 

This one wasn't shaping up to be either. My dad and I spent all day at a spring training game (in Dunedin, spring home of the Toronto Blue Jays). What? You say a baseball game is only about three hours? Yeah, they are. But, we get there when the gates open (10:30 a.m. in this case), watch batting practice (and try to get balls hit or thrown in the stands), watch the game, stay after the game to watch the players leave (and try to get autographs). That ends up being an all-day affair. In the sun. 

We did bring a cooler of water in the car, so we could hydrate on our drive home. It's hard to hydrate properly when you're at a place that charges $3.50 for a bottle of water.

By the time we got home, changed, watched the end of a disastrous Kansas State NCAA tournament game and left, we had 45 minutes before the race started (and about a 15-minute drive ... normally). Of course, we ran into traffic. We made it with about 20 minutes to spare and needed to pick up a timing chip and go to a port-a-potty.

The timing chip was a breeze. The port-a-potty, not so much.

Yes, there are four port-a-potties. That's it. For a race of 500+ people. Not cool.

We waited in line for 15 minutes, and basically walked out of the port-a-potty and started running. 
 

Port-a-potty line photo

My dad's plan: running and walking intervals.

My plan: see what I could do. I hadn't run a 5K since September, and I thought I was faster, but I wasn't sure.

I was worried I started off too fast. But, I kept it up for the first mile.

They turn downtown St. Petersburg into an Indy car track for a few days, and the 5K course is actually partially on the Honda Grand Prix track. 

I'm not into racing, but this was pretty cool. The cars had just stopped running for the day, so we saw cars, drivers and pit crews along the course. 

About halfway throughout the course, there was a water stop. At this point, I was still at the pace that I initially thought was too fast. Even though I was working hard, I felt like it was manageable for the rest of the race.

The course is an out-and back, and as I came up to the finish, I tried to push it to the end. I was flirting with a time I didn't even think was possible at this point in my running career.

I love this photo because I look like I'm really running (and I'm
wearing bunny ears).

As I crossed the finish line, stopped my watch and looked at it, I was amazed.

 An under-30-minute 5K is a long-term running goal of mine. I had no idea I could be this close to it already.

Of course, I then wondered why I couldn't have been 11 seconds faster to meet that. And when I saw my official chip time of 30:09, I wondered why I couldn't have been 10 seconds faster.

But, it was still a 3:11 personal record. Not too shabby.

It was fun cheering my dad to the finish, and he met his goal of under 45 minutes.

As soon as he was done, he asked: "Why did I pay $25 to run 3.1 miles?" Shortly after, though, he said he'd do it again. He liked the camaraderie and how the course made the time fly by.

After the race, we grabbed pasta and meatballs and Sea Dog Brewery beer (yum) and met up with my running buddy, Lori and her husband, Chris, who came out to the race.

It was a really fun night (and yes, I'm saying this when a 5K was involved). And, you can bet I'll be running more 5Ks to get that under 30-minute time.

Another one of those pesky 5Ks ...

I’m running a 5K today. Yeah, the race distance I despise. But, it will be fun because my dad is doing it, too. It’s his first! For that reason, I’m excited. 

I'm hoping to run it faster than my last 5K in September (and hopefully not feel like puking like I did then). My dad's plan is to run one mile and walk two miles in interval fashion (he just recently started the Couch-to-5K program).

I'm a little nervous about it because I haven't gotten enough sleep all week or ran (well, aside from the half marathon on Sunday) due to work, Dad arriving and general craziness. Also, we'll be at a spring training game from 10:30 a.m. until almost 4 p.m. in the skin-sizzling sun ... with the 5K starting at 6:15 p.m. Eek! 

Thankfully, we were in the shade this game.

But something working for me: even though this race is in the vicinity of the Pier, and I think you'll be able to see it almost the entire course, it doesn't involve running on the thing. Yay! No pesky Pier! 

It's nice to look at ...

 

I’m debating about wearing bunny ears for the race. I have a hard time resisting a costume, and with Easter looming, I thought it would be fun (and easy since I already have the ears). I also like the humor factor: a person who proclaims to be a turtle wearing rabbit ears.

(On a side note, wearing things on my head does not bother me during a race. I usually forget they are even there. I always think I am going to want to toss the thing off within the first mile, but I never do.)

If these didn't bother me, I don't think anything will.

Maybe Dad's first race, no Pier and bunny ears will make my dislike of the 5K disappear ...

Should I wear bunny ears? Do you like 5Ks? Do you run 5K races regularly? What is your favorite distance? Do your parents run? Have you ever run a race with them?

A running quiz

I’m kind of late to the party (per usual), but I did this running quiz that I saw on Jogging on Coffee ... three months ago, ahem.

Fuel: Shot Bloks, GU, Energy Chews, Candy or Other?  

When I first started running, I didn’t even know you needed to “eat” while running long distances. Once I learned this, I bought a variety of things to try, and I didn’t like most of them. I tolerated GU Energy Gel, but it was still gross to me. Then, I discovered GU Chomps, which I thought were the best thing ever (because they are almost exactly like gummy candy). I used them until this training session when a running group coach gave us a bunch of GU gel. I started using it again and realized that even though the texture was still nasty, I liked it better than chewing something while running. So for now, GU gel ... but only fruity flavors (the idea of espresso gel makes me gag … not that the fruity flavors don't sometimes).
 
Race Length: 5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon, Marathon, Ultra or Other?

Half marathons and I are in love. Good thing, since I have seven on the calendar for 2013 (yikes). It’s a manageable distance, but I still find it very challenging. I have tons of room for improvement … and I’m extremely scared of the marathon distance. I’d like to someday get an under-30-minute 5K, but I just really don’t like that distance. It takes me at least one mile to warm up, so this doesn’t bode well for a 3.1-mile race. I’ve done two 10Ks: one I didn’t like and one I loved, so I’m still not entirely decided on that distance.

Workout Bottoms: Skirts, Running Shorts, Capris, Pants or Other?

I always run in black capris. Always. Why? My legs are blindingly white. Even the small amount of skin that shows could frighten small children. 

Black capris, pale legs? Yep, me.

Sports Drink: Gatorade, Powerade, Cytomax, you stick to water when you run or Other?

Nuun is my favorite sports drink by far. I highly dislike Gatorade but have been known to drink it during a race with a water chaser. But, blech. 

Running Temperatures: HEAT or COLD?  

Cold, please! Living in Florida, “cold” is anything below 80 degrees, which doesn’t happen very often (it was 85 degrees today, and it’s January for goodness sake). Hot weather is miserable here. The sun sizzles my skin and the humidity causes an excessive amount of sweating. 

Me excessively sweaty: not pretty

Running Shoe Brands: Saucony, Mizuno, Nike, Brooks, Asics or Other?

I love Brooks! I was fitted for the Brooks Adrenaline when I first started running, and I’ve never ran in anything else since. I tried on others and ran on the “track” in the store, but the Brooks stood out as the most comfortable and most supportive by far. 

My love

Pre-race meal: Oatmeal, Bagel, Banana, Eggs, Cereal or Other?  

I either have toast (usually sandwich thin) with peanut butter and a banana or oatmeal, but usually the toast, peanut butter and banana because it tastes better.

Rest Days: 1x per week, 2x per week, never ever ever or other?

I only run three days per week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday), so I have four rest days from running. I keep thinking I’ll add another run day, but I haven’t. Since I haven’t been injured and this allows me to run half marathons, I haven’t changed it.

Music: Have to have it or go without it?  

I go without it. I almost always run with my running group and chatting with the girls is one of the reasons I love running so much.

#1 reason for running: stress-relief, endorphins, you love to race, so you can eat all the cupcakes you want, weight-loss, love running for social reasons or other?

My number one reason for running is endorphins. I feel awesome after I run. Even if it was a “bad” run, I still feel fabulous. Closely tied for second: running is challenging, it allows me to be competitive (with myself), and it provides social benefits.

Are you a blogger that’s completed the quiz? If so, let me know so I can check out your answers. Otherwise, let me know your answers below. I particularly interested in your rest days ... how many days do you run per week? How did you determine that number?