Training is back

So I am finally back to official training. I gots to be I have the 1/2 in Sept. September 16 to be exact and for those of you who are good at math, that is 27 days away. A little less than a month. GAAAA!  

Just found out who's playing the after....interesting.....

Today I logged the farthest I have all summer, 6 miles.  They actually felt pretty good. I started off going on a 4 mile run, but felt pretty good so added 2 more miles.  At about 2 miles it started to pour, so I ducked into a little area by the Capitol, where the fountain is....when it started to slow I headed back out. It was funny because there were a bunch of us sheltered in there.  The rain actually felt pretty good. There were still a bunch of hardcore runners in the rain. Love it! Plus the rain wasn't cold it was a warm rain. Unfortunately the rather nice day, turned rain, turned humid. 

Came home and stretched while sipping on chocolate milk, a after run/workout favorite.

It's funny too because I just quit the gym today, money back in my account.  Not that I don't love my gym, it's just I haven't gone in forever. I'd rather run outside and do my workout videos inside than travel to the gym. If my gym were cheaper I might stay, but since I went all of like 5 times this summer....meh, no loss on me.  I can still go to classes if I want to and just pay. It ends up still being cheaper if I go to 4 classes a month. 

Now that summer is sadly coming to a close I can run more frequently outside. I gotta say that running in the winter is my fav. I'm a cold lover and I have way more cold weather running clothes.

In another attempt to motivate myself. I have signed up for the MCM 10k which was our first "long" virgin run last year. So to keep traditions up. Plus, I got one of my besties to run and hopefully some of my other girlies will run too.  If you are reading this Jenna and Teresa, here's the website to sign up:-)  Actually anyone in the area reading this sign up!

Now I just have to coax the hubs to get back to running with me.  

What races do you have planned for the fall?

What's your after workout treat?

Back in the Saddle

 

Well, I just signed up for my third 1/2 marathon and my second Rock N' Roll.  It's in Philly(home sweet home) on Sept 16.  Hopefully it won't be this awful heatwave, or the "dog days" of summer. I don't know if I'll survive.

I've started training again. I really haven't run since June 2, well nothing long. I've had a few short runs, but I've been sick for over a week which put a whole damper in the exercise thing.  Prior to that I hurt my knee at step class. Grrrr...so frustrating.  My goal this summer was to hit the gym a lot, but it's hard to do with all this obstacles to overcome. Then the gym lost AC due to our wicked storm we had this past weekend.  I'm so thankful we didn't lose power like so many who did.  Our wires are all underground and because we live on Capitol Hill we rarely lose power.  I couldn't imagine not having AC this last few days of pure evil humidity.  

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 I know how you feel bud!

Today I returned to the gym to begin training.  I've got a lot of work to do in a short time. I have a little over 2 months to get ready and who knows what will happen between now and then.  I've started out slow, can't start pounding away at the ol' body even though I desperately want to.  I would rather run outside, but these temperatures are certainly not optimal conditions in my mind.  

I did some weights at the gym, triceps, biceps, back....then I ran on the treadmill - I ran an easy 2 miles then hopped on the elliptical and did another 30 minutes.  My knee hurts a little I really hope this isn't going to be a continual nuisance. Time to ice.... Tomorrow I'll probably repeat and then up the miles on Sunday.

Afterwards I ran a bunch of errands, Target, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Home Depot.  You'll see what I'm up to, when I'm finished:-)  Don't let the suspense kill you! 

For dinner, because I got home so late I had steamed broccoli with cheddar cheese (steamed in my wonderful tupperware).  I also had these weird little chicken croquettes they remind me of the ones I used to get in Spain, or at a Tapas restaurant.  Someone brought them over for international night and ended up leaving them, WIN for me!  They are yummy and three fill me up plenty though I'm sure I could scarf down more.

Zooma Women's Half Marathon

Hobby of the Day: Running

Race: Zooma Women's Half Marathon in Annapolis, MD

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Goal: Sub 2:19 (which was my last time, for my first ever 1/2)

Problem: Haven't trained as much as I should have...whomp whomp, might come back and bite me

Hoping: That my husband would be at the 10/11 mile marker to finish the race with me, if allowed....

Official Time 2:34 


Feelings: Sad and Disappointed, but pleased that I finished

Smiling before the Race

I am overly disappointed with my time.  I added 15 minutes to my time, instead of subtracting. No PR there.  I would have been happy if I had even taken off a minute.  Like I said, I did not train as regularly as I had before.  Gary wasn't running this race with me so I didn't have a training partner.  It really helped last time when we both trained together.  

Last time we drove the route we were running, but not this time so I didn't really know what to expect.  And.....Holy Hills Batman! I mean I thought that DC had some, and there was one long one, but Annapolis was like hill and then hill and then more hills. Ugh and of course they are right in the middle.  I know what I HAVE to work on now, hills.  


 



I had Gatorade on my refuel belt, but it ended up being too sweet for me and left me just wanting water. Funny thing is that I usually run with Gatorade.  I didn't have any sports beans or gels on me. I thought I would try swedish fish this time. I only was able to get down one, that was an epic fail, the vanilla GU that they handed out worked MUCH better! 




My friend Jenna and I had signed up to do this race and we had matching outfits, even though we both did poorly, at least we looked cute, HA. I would have rather looked gross and run better though.  We started off together, but we each gave the word that if one of us was faster to just go.  I just kept plodding along at my turtle like pace.  It was nice because our husbands weren't watching, so they ended up being at 5 places that we ran by.  Good sports waiting that long in the sun.  Truthfully we couldn't have had better weather.  
In the end I didn't ask Gary to run with me.  Having him cheer me on and support me was Wonderful!!

We ran over several bridges, past the Naval Academy, and then through a park, which was nice and shady, then looped back.  They had plenty of water stations and plenty of port-a-potties. Most of them never even had lines at them.  This race was no where near as big as some of the races I've run.  This one was mostly female. The last like .1 was over grass.  I was not a fan of that.  They really could have made it go over sidewalks/road, but instead I plodded over grass and then up a little hill to the end. I swear that all races end on an uphill, why is that?!

Still smiling after=survived.  

I thought we were going to be getting a medal, but we got a necklace instead. At first I was a little disappointed because I like having that medal, but then I realize, I don't wear it and we don't have room to display them, so the necklace was nice and different touch.  

Snow-balls, great idea! 

Girl Power!

 Barefoot Wine- cheers

So, even though I didn't get my PR, I am proud that I finished to the best of my ability.  My next half probably won't be until Sept. It seems that big races tapper off during the hot summer months and I'm not complaining. I'll look up some shorter ones maybe I can find something good and not too expensive. 
* If you know of anything, let me know!*

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!!!

I DID IT!

I completed my first 13.1 and now I an proudly adorn my car with the cute pink 13.1 sticker I purchase at the Expo.  

I went to bed last night, had laid out my outfit and gotten all the things ready for the race, bag packed refuel belt and GUs/ jelly belly beans....I set my alarm for 5:30 and went to bed around 10, after I had called my mom. There's nothing like hearing her voice or words of encouragement and knowing how she's behind me 110%.  I love that lady- mi mama! I had told her if I was struggling real bad for the last 2-3 miles I might call her and she would just have to talk to me. Talk to me about dad or read me stories lol. It would be a very one sided conversation full of her speech and my heaving breathing.

Woke up, got dressed and had breakfast, glass of water, hard boiled egg and a banana.  I ate a pack of raspberry power bar gummies before the race.  I peed like 3 times before we left.  We walked over, there were so many street closures... plus it was a nice little warm up.  There were people running all over the place to warm up. I dunno, I don't really feel like running more before running A LOT....call me crazy. 

Jenna and I- our pre-race pic. I look tired!

There were TONs of people all over, thankfully they had many port-o potties. I didn't use, but we did find our friends in line.  I was supposed to start in Coral 23 and Gary in 19. My goal was sub 2:30.....or rather my hope. We ended up moving up corals since it was taking along time for the corals to move through.  The first coral went at 8:00 and we didn't start until like 8:30. Marathoners were in the front of course, unless they thought it would take them a longer time to finish. Gary and I started together briefly and then a quick kiss goodbye and I released him to do his thing....I watched him weave in and out of people and then he was gone. 
 No- we did not start in coral 3

H St- the home stretch mile 11

There were tons of supporters along the route it was really nice. Even though they weren't specifically for me, they weren't not for me either if that makes any sense.  The first four miles were on pace for me: a little over a ten minute mile. Then as usual around mile 4 my feet fell asleep. Then came the loooong hill. Slow and Steady, one foot in front of another. I just keep looking at the pavement in front of me, or the person in front of me. I passed many a walker but I just told myself I would not walk it.  About the 10k came the gross super steep part of the hill. DISLIKE, but I made it. I just kept plodding along.  I felt pretty good, my left ankle did start to get sore around mile 7. Miles 11 an 12 were in North East and I felt at home running down H St. 13th St. was another slow incline hill. My legs were getting super tired. I thought maybe I should walk for a second, but my legs didn't like that either.  Nothing was making them happy at that point. The last .1 of the half was another incline- GROSS..... but I long leg sprinted to the finish and came in sub 2:30 at 2:19:58. I had really wanted to come in below 2:20 by the end.

My legs don't feel too bad, but ask me again in the morning and we'll see.  My right foot around the arch was super sore after the race, but it's getting better. I grabbed all the free stuff that I could. Free is free after all. 

After meal: Italian, veal parm and Gary got baked ziti with Italian Sausage. There was too much sauce for me

 And....Dessert, YUM! Fro- yo, PB for G on the left and Choc/Van for me with lots of sprinkles- the container was real low so I didn't get my usual mass amount

Love you Daddy!