Latest running

Since I’m writing this, I survived my two huge (so far) races! I ran in my first ever 10 mile, Garden of the Gods and LOVED it! Then, the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown, the Summer Round-up Trail Run, my first ever 12k! Now for the Peak!! Just a mental note for me, the races, distances and times I’ve done:

2009 Women’s Dist. Fest/5k/28:33

2009 5k for the fallen/5k/27:03

2010 Rescue Run/10k/1:05:27

2010 PPVC MS 5k/5k/30:32

2010 Garden of the Gods/10m/1:43:18

2010 Summer Round-Up Trail Run/12k/1:21:19

2010 Women’s Dist. Fest/5k/26:25

Running low

on motivation. So low that I’ve decided to torture myself. Well, not really. But sort of.

Punishment consists of no:

-coffee

-alcohol

-soda

-sugar (honey and raw is ok)

-no more computer late at night, sleep is important!

-getting up earlier…tough one

-and, working out everyday. Preferably running but volleyball and hopefully weightlifting as well.

The first leg of the TCR is coming up. GOG 10 miler is this coming Sunday. Since I don’t train, I plan on running for FUN!

Triple the fun?

I decided to register for the Pikes Peak Triple Crown. Oofta. Non-stop training and Ascent support group…here I come!

Why do I run?

Let me count the ways…

#1-so I don’t get fat. That’s my #1 pet peeve. I hate feeling love handles, seeing cellulite and feeling my thighs rub together in shorts. Ok, I know, TMI but still…that’s why it’s my #1!

#2-So I don’t get passed anymore by people who are twice my age going twice as fast. Bummer.

#3- TONE-AGE! I love muscles! And man does it feel good to tone and see muscle definition!

#4- Friends, family and new friends. I like to run with my friends and feel the love that is running! Also it’s something my husband, son and I can enjoy together! Not to mention getting to meet NEW friends!

#5- It may just keep me sane!

#6-There are always new, fun and exciting challenges that await! Social runs, races, a new trail etc…

#7-It gives me an excuse to buy really cutesy outfits!

#8-Keeps me healthy.

#9-I have goals and can see improvement.

#10- It’s fun!

I need to remember these things the next time I feel like NOT running!

CRC Social run tonight. First time closing the store so the employees could run! It was fun!

Rescue Me…

I am doing a 10k! Well, actually I did a 10k, and look…I survived to tell the story!

“10k” always sounded scary to me, I guess it sounded more like “10 miles”, which is scarier. I’ve always been a 5k wanna-be just because of the pure fact that it was the shortest distance offered in many races! I figured hey, if I can run a 5k, there are a lot of races I can do! Well now it’s not so true. I’m finally beginning to realize that if I want to get anywhere in the running world, I either need to be super fast at a 5k or withstand long distances at a reasonable time. I can’t decide which idea I like better. Hold that thought…I just thought of running a marathon, I got sick to my stomach and may have thrown up in my mouth a little…ok I’ll stick to the “short” and fast races for now.

Back to the 10k, my husband and I ran the 32nd Annual Rescue Run 10k. They also had an option for a 5k but I decided that it was time to move on and try other things. After torturing my 2 year old son to try and run in the kids 50 meters, it was time to try and focus on my torturing run. I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea what the course was like (maybe it was better that way). I had no idea WHAT I WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO! Finally the time came to line up at the start, the final countdown began…”3 minutes until race start” was shouted over the loud speaker. I took a look around, and with the amount of people that were there, (778 finishers overall) I figured I’d be able to squeeze my way through them and hide out in a port-o-potty. Too bad the husband had me on visual lockdown! “30 seconds left until race start” CRAP! Where did the time go!?!? Ok, here we go, one more chance to jump up and down and get the jitters out….GO! We were off! There were so many people at the start and since I am so new to races, I just shadowed behind the hubby. Elbows were thrown, snow was flung, some noses were raised as people (old and young) passed me. The first couple of miles was all uphill, a steady incline on pavement. Blah…I wore my trail shoes. Again, I had no idea what the race course was like or else I would have known better! My trail shoes did come in handy once or twice downhill at least!

Even though the sun was out and it was a beautiful day, I went back and forth trying to find the right temperature with my sleeves. Remember that ONE winter running outfit I have? Yeah, those sleeves. Up with the base layer, down with the top layer. Down with the base layer, up with the top layer. Brr….down with both layers. After I was done playing musical sleeves…I just left them alone and started to refocus on the last few up-hills until the turn around. After that, it was smooth sailing down hill. The hubby and I posed for the race photographer (nice pose darling) and then pushed to the finish. Or should I say PULLED. That’s right…the whole last 50 meters or so, my wonderful husband was pulling on my jacket so that he could finish in front of me! Sheesh! It’s not my fault that I have long legs and can sprint the finish…back off buck-o!

Running OCD, “I can transform ya”

Came home from work and had the house to myself. Normally, I would make a cup of tea and then take a nap. That was the old me! Today, I’m a runner!? I wanted to get out the door at a reasonable time so that I could be home in time to welcome my two favorite guys home! (husband and 2 year old). Getting out the door was one thing, on time was another. For some reason, I am a little OCD about my running habits. Most of them have to do with comfort and not superstitions. Today…it was a little of EVERYTHING! First of all, I couldn’t find my shoes. Then once I did, I couldn’t tie them just right. After struggling with the laces, I searched around for my ear covers, my gloves and water bottle. I was like a fart in a wind storm! After I was able to wrangle in all of my running gear, I had to get it all on. Now one would think that working at a running store provides ample opportunities to purchase great gear. In my case, not so much. For some strange reason, I only have one “cold weather” outfit. It’s not even comfortable below 30′ so I really should buy some new stuff. I run in the same black Moving Comfort tights, my fave Nike long sleeve  Colorado Running Company shirt and a new Saucony jacket. It’s not fun washing your running clothes every night! So, since I have the same outfit, I’ve gotten used to the way I wear it (or at least think that I have). “Duhn duhn duhn….” ***CUE THE RUNNING OCD**** my Nike collar has to be tucked under the Saucony jacket just right, the zipper of the Nike shirt has to be in just the right spot to accomplish this. Then, I make an effort NOT to feel the collar of my jacket on my neck or chin (it drives me CRAZY when I run). Also, the shirt sleeves have to be all aligned and if I feel a seam in the wrong place, watch out! Shirt and jacket, check! Next comes the warm gear for the face and head. If I decide to wear my buff around my face to shield the cold, that goes on first…but must take caution, not be too tight and STAY AWAY FROM MY NECK! Next comes the ear cover that has to be pushed below my chin until I do my hair. It’s a crappy little headband I got from Goodwill years ago…and needs to go! It’s crap! That is another item that must not touch my neck! (OCD!) Warm weather gear for the face and neck, check! Now for the ipod shuffle. This little beast looks innocent but is not as tame as it looks. Clipping it on is the first struggle…do I put it on my pants? On my shirt? In a pocket? Do I even HAVE a pocket? Will it stay on? Can I reach the controls easily? It goes on the pants today then the ear buds are very carefully and delicately weaved under my jacket, laced through the handy headphone “loop” on my Nike shirt and then hang there for a few minutes. Now comes the really hard part…the hair. If you knew my hair, you’d understand. It’s about as close as it can get to a lion’s mane crossed with an afro. If I were to wear it in a pony tail, I’d generate enough static electricity to run our small town. If I wear it in a loose bun, it bounces everywhere and (OCD!) drives me crazy! So, the only option is to wrap it up 3-4 times and then secure it tightly with a strong hair tie. Hair under control? CHECK!! From here on, it’s easy, slide on my ear cover, loop the headphones under the cover, place one in the right ear, making sure I can hear the music good and that it’s comfortable (OCD!), bump up the buff in front of my mouth, gloves, amphipod and I’m out the door? Yes, check, out the door.

Now…if only I hadn’t of forgotten that darn body glide…

On a side note, figured out today that my pace matches great with the song “I can transform ya” by Chris Brown. Had to get my left leg to be the main “beat” (OCD!) and I guess it’s an 84 bpm song? Maybe someone can tell me how slow that is?

2010

Starting off with the Rescue Run 10k (my first one). Should be fun!!!

Try below freezing!

My husband will be the first to tell you, I am not a morning person! My body/mind takes quite awhile to process the daylight. There’s like some mega-thick filter in my head that takes the sun (or any light for that matter) to sift though before it registers (slowly) in my head…”Hey, it’s uh, morning…time…to…get..up”. Recently, I’ve been trying to really balance family life and work life with like, maybe a smidgen of “me” time. I figured out that if I want any sort of a workout without interfering with family or work, then I better get up before my family is up and about. Yeah right.

Well Facebook comes in handy for some things, finding out how many cows your friends have in Farmville, who’s dating (or not dating) who, and also for finding motivation! I posted that I was looking for a running buddy  for a 5:30am run through town. I figured no one would speak up (or that maybe it wouldn’t make the “live news feed” headlines…) but it did and two people responded. Two of the best runners in town! Yipes! One who has “mastered running” and the other who just keeps getting stronger and stronger at triathlons and the like!

And so the morning arrived. There was no light to sift through the anti-awake filter so no worries there. I stumbled to the bathroom where the night before, I had layed out my attire from head to toe to amphipod. What a good idea that was! Everything I needed right there at my finger tips and I’m sure my husband appreciated the silence in the bedroom as well! After getting all geared up and chowing down on a banana and Cutie (love those lil guys!), I was ready to head out the door. I was still a bit tired as I stumbled out the door but once the cold air hit my face like a winter super-soaker…I was AWAKE!!! I tell ya, have trouble waking up or feeling alert? Just step outside and try below freezing! It was so cold that the water in my amphipod was ice cold even when I got back to the house! Awesome!

We set out right at 5:30 from the local post office and made our way around the lake to the ADT trail. This takes us past the creek and over the big hill. The dreaded “big hill”. I used to avoid that hill at all costs! On my bike I would get off of the trail and power around the hill on the street and then quickly get back on the trail…hoping no one had seen my cop out. I was able to keep pace with them until then. I was a good 10-15 feet back by the time we got to the top. At least I made it! We continued the run all the way to the school I teach at then back to town. We finished in about 32 minutes and besides being super cold, it was a great 4.23m run! I’m now actually looking forward to more early morning running! Then maybe my husband can tell you I’m a morning person!! But until then…

“Hauul paah hon da rranoa, peeze!”

I’m a volleyball player first and foremost, then I’ll call myself a “runner”. So, it seems fitting that I would coach a club volleyball team. It also seems fitting that I would run in our club’s 5k run/walk for MS. I was more than happy to participate in the event, and I even raised a measly $40 to benefit MS. (The top $ raiser was somewhere around $400….AND won an IPOD!) Anyways, I was set out to beat my 5k “record” of 26 minutes but after seeing the conditions of the road, as well as hauling around a 2.25 pound DSLR camera…I decided that the new “record” wasn’t going to happen. I am also the unofficial-official photographer for the club, so, if I wanted to run AND maintain my position as the unofficial-official photographer, well, cowgirl up. I ended up around an even 1/2 hour. Slowest time ever. Oh well, this gives me an excuse to ask Santa for a lighter handheld camera! Maybe even one that fits in my Amphipod!

The run was great! I kept up with the pace leader for about half of the race, but once I started taking photos, I realized how precious those 3 seconds of stopping really were! The weather was outstanding, and made me realize how much I love REAL Colorado winters! (Snow melting with 50′ temps and no wind chill!) However, if I could fix one thing about the race, it would be the offers of “nutritional supplements” along the course. Granola bars + no water = big no no. It’s hard enough to run and carry a hydration system, but add in eating a granola bar and no water on the course? ”Hauul paah hon da rranoa, peeze!” Or in non-granola-filled-dry-mouth talk “I’ll pass on the granola, please!”

Clif Quench Sports Drink

Came across this drink in the organic/natural food section of our grocery store last night! Was very happy to read that it is made out of 88% organic ingredients and NO high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives! Jammed packed with 186mg of electrolytes and 11 grams of carbs to stay hydrated. No workout planned today so I decided to just drink it during the work day. Picked the “Lime-Ade” flavor which is pretty tasty and  actually tastes slightly like a margarita mixer! Now if I just had some salt…