I really love food. Apparently, too much food can be a bad thing. I hear exercise can counteract that problem. I run so I can eat. Thus, I love to run.
And that is about how I feel about that.
It was a good horrible run.
Today has been a stressful one…on many fronts. I won’t go in to it, but I really needed to pound the pavement. A half mile in I didn’t think I would be able to keep running because I was starting to cry. Aargh, emotions…get down there. But, I pushed through and of course…as we know…the run did me wonders. I do feel a bit better now.
The run was a sweaty one. The fire station says it is 91 today. And it is pretty humid to boot. I did walk a couple times. It was necessary for a couple of reasons.
A quick run around town:
2.64 miles
24:26
9:15 pace
(175.86/500)
A quarter of the way in to my run I realized it is Monday. I tried to step it up a bit and work at a Miler Monday, but still only ended up with an 8:35 mile. It just wasn’t happening today.
A run and my iPhone shuffle playlist. I don’t really mess with my phone while I run. I just put it on shuffle and see what I get.
3 miles in 27:53
(173.22/500)
Now I am off to help Mark with a project….or at least keep the kids out of his hair. And then road trip to Lansing for my nephew’s birthday party. Chuck e Cheese :).
2.11 miles
18:20
8:41 pace
(170.22/500)
This was actually faster than I felt like I was going. My legs have been killing me and I am overall lethargic, so I just wanted to go out and get in a short/slow run.
My second meeting got over about 8:15 and I had stashed my running gear at the church, so it worked out perfectly for me to head out on my run right after.
And then I did some cleaning at the church for another hour or so after my run.
By the time I got home, I was starving. I had eaten dinner at 5, but it was a quick small plate of leftovers that I shoved in my face within two minutes before heading out the door for Charly’s softball game.
Nothing sounded good, until I remembered we had tuna in the cupboard. Tuna Fish sandwich and a Corona that I stole from my father in law. Hit the spot doesn’t even begin to describe it. Yes, it is a little late (10:30) to be eating, but it was so worth it.
In case you forgot what I looked like….;)
3.84 Mother’s Day Miles
33:58
8:51 pace
(168.11/500)
Good run. Good run. That is all :)
I am sure I will have a Mother’s Day recap/pictures later or tomorrow. Lots of good stuff, family time, and of course ice cream :)
Oh, and 2 hours til IM3….:):)
A run.
Sweat can stop dripping off my body any minute know. OK? Thanks.
I saw a break in the work, so I went for a quick run. I have been LOOONGING for a run ever since Sunday. I know that is strange, but that is how it goes.
And how did it feel? Marvelous, horrible, grand, painful.
The weather was gorgeous. 80 degrees.
My legs felt like lead. And a mile in, I realized the lead would turn to straight up pain. My calves and my thighs. More my calves. Pain, oh the pain. Not a bad pain…just a “good” muscle ache.
I went 2.29 miles in 19:04. 8:20 pace.
(164.27/500)
If my legs weren’t so tired from the weekend’s activities I could have held that pace for 4 more miles. I am pretty certain of that. Hopefully that is true and I can crush my 10k PR. At least that is the “plan”.
Oh, and I stopped for traffic at one point. Which in this town is usually not much. But, for some reason today there was a line of cars and I couldn’t get across the street right away. My legs were cramping up from the stop, so I ended up having to just start running and take another route, lol.
Seriously beautiful day out though. I am so glad I went out there, even if only for 2 miles. Running certainly puts me in my happy place :)
~
Oh, and I have been doing my planks like a good girl. How are you two ladies doing?
I am still a bit curious if that 5 minute plank is even obtainable for me. But, there is only one way to find out. One issue that I have with the longer planks is that I get bored. Seriously bored. So, today I played cards while I planked. I know it is weird, get over it. But, it worked. I was pre-occupied with the cards and the 1 minute went by in no time. I am sure I will definitely need that when it comes to the 3,4,5 minute planks!
Here are some from the Indy Mini. Not sure if there will be more later.
Apparently I am trying to eat my earbuds…..lol
Sunday’s Half Marathon photos are in. See, you can’t even tell I ran on no sleep. lol
Note: I really thought my arms were higher in the air at the end. And I am looking down. Clearly, I need some work on my finishing photo, lol.
I got our hometown race flyer in the mail today. I missed this last year and was a bit sad. A lot of people I know run it, so it is fun. I ran it two years ago and did the 5k. I think I will try the 10k this year. I would love to PR and I feel like it is slightly possible.
I just checked and I would need to beat 54:29. Which would be an 8:45 pace. I need to step it up a notch because 8:45 just seems so fast for me right now. And I ran that last 10k PR last November. It wasn’t that long ago. It is crazy how my runs ebb and flow. Eh. We will see.
And they give you free pancakes. Not bad :)
Oh, and it started the year I was born!
If anyone is in the neighborhood and wants to run with me, let me know. We’ll have a BBQ at my house afterward ;)
I am trying to find a part of my body that isn’t sore.
Ears. Yeah I think my ears are cool.
All the DOMS!!!
Half Marathon Duo Recap
I already posted all my other pictures, so I guess I will just put the selfies here. And I will “try” and not make this too long.
First off, this weekend was excellent. It is really hard to put in to words just how awesome Tumblr meet ups are. I haven’t met a Tumblrer that I didn’t like love. You all are just such an amazing group of people. When we get together, it is like we have known each other for years, even though we have just met. Everyone is always so nice and welcoming. It feels like a bunch of introverts get together and pretend they are extroverts. It is good :) It is easy to connect with people when you know you already have two things in common - running and blogging.
Ok, the Indy Mini.
I came down Friday and met up with a bunch of Tumblrers at the expo. Some I had met before and some that I hadn’t.
Of course, when I left the expo and walked the 5-6 blocks to my car….it was pouring down rain. I got soaked to say the least. Umbrella…psht…who needs those?
And then of course we all went to jbizzle329’s parent’s pizza place. It was nice to hang out on the back deck and relax with everyone.
After a while, we all headed back to our respective sleeping places. My hotel bed was ridiculously comfortable. I was asleep pretty much 30 seconds after I laid down. I got about 5 hours of sleep. Not bad.
The race was set to start at 7:30 the next morning. We all got downtown early enough to not be rushed and to hang out for a bit. Pump was nice enough to escort everyone to the “private bathroom”. No porta potties for us ;)
We eventually mosied in to our corrals. I love when you take a selfie and there is random people in the back making a face ;)
I won’t go in to too much detail about the run itself. It was crowded the whole run. That is my only complaint. It was like playing a really long game of frogger. But, it was manageable. And the race itself was very well organized.
I ran it in a total of 2:04:42. I didn’t PR, but with how under trained I was…well, that wasn’t a surprise. That first mile though…not sure if that is right or not. I did start off fast, but not sure it was that fast. My Runkeeper isn’t always that accurate, especially with the crowds, so the splits are just a general idea.
The course was nice and flat. And it was cool to run through the Speedway. And the weather was perfect for running. The day really did turn out nice.
I did end up with some nice blisters on my feet. And my legs were killing me after the run. But, that is all to be expected.
The rest of Saturday. Well, if you saw all the rest of my posts…then you know pretty much how that went. Crazy Tumblr people;)
And somehow I ended up staying up ALL night. It was 3am and I realized I needed to get on the road to even get to my next Half in time. I didn’t realize how far out JBizz’s parents lived. It added a good hour to my commute.
So, I got on the road. And of course, started to fall asleep. I pulled over and took a quick fifteen minute nap. And then I got gas and a coffee for the road. That seemed to do the trick and I was able to book it to Kalamazoo. I didn’t even stop at home at all.
And I got there *just* in time. I pretty much parked, grabbed my gear, and headed to the start. Oh, and then I forgot my chip for my shoe and had to go back to my car. Aye. So, I ended up running about a mile and a half just to go back and forth. I got to the corral with about five minutes to spare.
Oh, and to save time, I changed in to my running clothes while I was in the car. And braided my hair. And brushed my teeth. It is amazing the multi-tasking that one can do while driving ;)
Ready to go:) (although I ended up changing my tank top, to a long sleeve, and then to a short sleeve. indecisive much?)
OK, so this run. The Borgess Kalamazoo run. Well, I knew it was going to be difficult going in to it. I mean….duh. I made some incredibly bad decisions leading up to the race. But, that is ok, I wouldn’t change a thing.
I did have some beers Saturday night. I didn’t get ANY sleep. I drove 4-1/2 hours to the race that morning. I did try and get water down, but I was still dehydrated in the morning. And I as far as fuel…well, I did eat some food. Actually, the food wasn’t too much of an issue. I probably could have eaten more though.
But, even with all that, I managed a 2:15:11. I started off slow and my only goal was to not walk. And I didn’t. I don’t have splits because my Runkeeper completely messed up and thought I ran 20 miles :)
And the hills. Oh goodness, those weren’t fun. I had forgotten just how steep!! They definitely take it out of you.
I must say that I really do like this race. I like the way it is organized. And they give out good snacks. Gummi Bears and even popsicles at the top of the biggest hill. Both of those really hit the spot. I didn’t bother with any gus or anything.
The course is nice. The spectators were great. Lots of clever signs…which of course I can’t remember at all.
And I got to meet Patti!! She did great on her Half as well, despite her back spasms.
After I was done and had a banana and an orange (love the fruit after a race), Patti and I cheered my brother in from his Marathon. I don’t know what his official time ended up to be. I know he was under Four. But, he started having some bad leg cramps and hip problems around mile 20 or so. He could barely run/walk down the chute. I felt bad for him, but so proud too that he finished so well even with the issues!
Everyone pretty much went off on their own and I was um….tired. I got back to the Jeep and put the seat back and yeah…not even sure it took 30 seconds to fall asleep. I set my alarm for a half and hour, but I ended up waking up about 2 minutes before it went off. The sun was baking me through the moon roof and boy did my feet stink!
Now, I am feeling….well, my body doesn’t know what to think. I don’t feel well, that is for sure. But, not too incredibly bad either. I think I will sleep good tonight. I will probably go to sleep as soon as the kids do :)
(161.98/500)
Another 3 miles as it was getting dark.
Almost the exact same run as last night. Even my music. For some reason my phone started with the exact same song as last night and played the exact same songs after that as well. Not sure why. I am sure it is because of something I did, lol.
3 miles
25:43 (5 seconds faster than last night!)
8:34 pace
(135.78/500) <- I gotta round that number up soon, it is driving me nuts.
I felt really good on this run. Strong and not too winded. I tried to just focus on my form and my breathing.
I am sure that is exactly what I will be doing during the halfs (halves?) this weekend. Concentrate on my head up, arms low, arms moving, legs strong, knees up (a little, I tend to not bend them at all), abs in, back straight, strong core, breath in through my nose, out through my mouth. If I just keep thinking of all that, along with my running music, I can get through the 2 hours (<-note my confidence) no problem.
No run tomorrow, of course.
Running in shorts weather!! At 9 o’clock at night to boot.
Fluorescent shorts. Purple bandana. Fat Tire “recovery” beer. Does it get any better?? I think not.
3 miles
25:48
8:35 pace (if only I could hold that pace for 13 miles!)
(132.78/500)
After the track meet, the girls and I watched the Varsity softball game for an inning. The ball field is just a skip and a jump from the track field. Charly got to see what she is getting herself in to, if she continues with softball. Wow…varsity softball…intimidating! Just amazing athletes, that is all I have to say. Amazing. Charly asked a lot of questions. I hope she does continue with softball. I never played growing up, but I would love it if she did.
Once we got home and got the kids in bed, I was antsy as hell. There was no way I wasn’t going to go out for a run. Watching high school track is a great motivator! Just a quick one before the sun set. It was a lovely evening, perfect music, and a great strong run. Just what I needed.
Till I Collapse
“Cause sometimes you just feel tired,
Feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
And just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up
And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.”
I know it is a bit old school and Eminem can be an acquired taste. But, still…this is one of the best intros to song while you are running! Especially when I heard it about the 23 mile of my marathon last year. And I know he isn’t referring to running in the song, but man…it just hits the nail on the head anyway!
