Independence 5K Virtual Race Report

Monday morning was my first official run back since the ortho told me to lay off the running to let the ankle heal. Since, it was Fourth of July and since Lesley had me down for 3 miles, I decided why not make it a 5K and join a virtual race at that. 

I meant to wake up at 5:00 so I could get this run in as early as I could fathom doing it, sadly, I ignored my alarm and slept until 6:00. Not too bad under normal circumstances but I had to be back home in time for Patrick, Bella and I to head to the Fourth Of July parade. I got myself dressed and headed down to the lake.

The view was gorgeous

I decided to stick to 4:1 intervals for this run because I was terrified that I would kill my ankle if I just went for it. I started out and was pleasantly surprised when the ankle didn't bother me at all, except there was something else that was bothersome... my knees. Oh well, I didn't let it stop me although it did slow me down.

One mile in and I was feeling good.

Remember how I wrote about needing to buy some shorts and getting over my issue with wearing them. Well, I bought some shorts and I even wore them for this run. I assumed because it was so early, it would be a good way to get over my issues because there wouldn't be so much traffic on the paths. What I forgot to take into account was the fact that everyone and their brother was on the paths going to claim their spots along the parade route and where I run on the paths was very close to the parade route. So most of Peachtree City saw me in shorts, and to make matters worse it seemed that almost every golf cart that passed me had someone I know riding in it. I guess that was one way to get over my phobia of wearing shorts in public.

Almost done... hot, sweaty and a general mess.
(Just ignore the hanging arm skin...yuck)

The miles passed fairly quickly in my mind, I was people watching and enjoying seeing all the decorated golf carts. Every time I felt like walking and it wasn't a walk break, I kept reminding myself that I had to hurry it up and get home to shower and head out with the family, and it was pretty good motivator. I do have to say that the heat and humidity was a HUGE pain, I was sure that I was on my way to melting into a puddle. Gotta love Georgia in July! I finished the run, and was slightly bummed with the time but that was quickly overshadowed by the fact that I was out running again. How can you not love that?! I was so happy to be running again, I'd missed it a lot and had a bad case of running envy.

Not my best, not even close but it was the first run back after all. 

Runaway Bride/Diva Dash 5K Race Report

This race report is only about 3 weeks late, but who's keeping tabs?! The day started well enough, I met my friend Brooke at the location and I knew she was getting dressed up for the race but imagine my surprise when I saw exactly how much she got into the costume thing. The race directors encouraged people to dress up and get into the spirit of it, but Brooke took it to the next level. She is SHAMAZING!!! (That means the sh*t and amazing)

B and her beloved Miss Brooke

Brooke and I before the race.

We picked up our numbers, took advantage of the pre race goodies they were giving out and we took some pictures in the photobooth that was set up there. We also met up with Brooke's friend Lisa, who also ran with me during the 5K at B's school. We all made our way to the start and got ready to run like we stole something.

Brooke and her friend Lisa

Lisa got into the spirit of the costume thing too! 

In theory, running like we stole something was a good idea. I didn't account for the incredible heat of that particular morning and the fact that my ankle would cause me trouble during the run. So, we set off and I was trotting along nicely but before I knew it the ankle started bothering me, and it did not let up during the run. I ended up walking... A LOT! I ended up walking with Lisa for a while, she too was having ankle issues and was walking. We chatted, and kept each other company for a while, which was nice because with the ankle and the awful heat I would have faded fast on my own. There came a point in the course where TONS of people were cheating and cutting a big part of the course. I WAS PISSED! The kicker is that it would have not been that difficult to have someone there making sure that people were staying on course. I broke away from Lisa, and ran for a while, I tried to stick to 4:1 intervals because the heat was unbearable. At one point the course was on a main road, which is normal, but the lack of traffic control is not. We were running and there were cars whizzing by and scaring the snot out of me. I had some major issues with the course, it was poorly laid out and dangerous in spots. I finished, but not in any time that I felt proud of.

After the race, we stuck around waited to see if Brooke had won an age group award as well as the costume contest awards. She took the costume award and they mentioned about using pictures of her for future races because she looked a lot like the girl in their logo. I guess it doesn't hurt that Brooke is creative, is a makeup artist and hair stylist extraordinaire. Also, there was supposed to be a kids race after the 5K was over, but they didn't do the kids race and Brooke's boys and Bella were heart broken. At least they were given all sorts of little toys and treats which obviously made everything better.

Showing off her prize for best costume.

Girls On The Run Atlanta Spring 5K

This was an incredible race because this was Bella's very first 5K. We went out there and had a good time, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a Saturday morning. K and her teenage daughter joined us for this race as well.

We picked up our race numbers, and it was pretty neat because everyone had the same number on their bibs... #1. We walked around to visit the different booths and Bella posed for some pictures with the Menchies guy and the Caribou from Caribou Coffee.

We picked up some temporary tattoos and GOTR eye sticker things. We looked pretty fly with our tats and eye things.

So, I taped bits and pieces of the race and put them together in a video of her race. So here it is...



Some quick thoughts about the race itself. This particular GOTR event seemed to be a lot more organized than the one in the Fall, it just didn't feel quite as chaotic. The Georgia Tech Women's basketball, swimming and diving teams were out there cheering through out the race which was great because they were in places where Bella was really starting to fizzle out. Each time that we passed the people out there cheering she seemed to perk up.

As for the personal aspects of this race. It was great to see Bella really go out there and push. There were times where I really had to help her get it going. We walked more than I thought we would but she kept going which is all I really expected out of her. I had started out telling her that we could just go and walk the whole thing, I didn't expect her to want to run. Then, there were the hills. I knew it would be hilly but I guess I just didn't realize what those hills would look like. Bella did ok with some of the hills and then really struggled with some of the others. So running with Bella was actually really good for me, in the sense that it helped me because some of what I told B during the race is what I need to be telling myself during the races. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Anyways, towards the end Bella was near tears, she was tired and was ready for it to be over. After the finish, she shed a few tears but K and I talked to her, we got her some water, a banana and a lot of hugs. After it was over, she was pretty darn proud of herself.

When we got in the car, she asked if she could run with me again. How can I say no to that?! Then we showed her what 3.1 miles look like when we drove from the race to the Whole Foods in Buckhead. I think she didn't realize how far she had gone. She was impressed, and rightfully so. After I got her home, she was wiped out and was pretty calm the rest of the day.

Today before she went to bed, we had a little post race Q and A.

Knock Out Cancer 5K Race Report

On Saturday morning, I made the hour long trek from Peachtree City to Marietta (a suburb north of Atlanta) to participate in the Knock Out Cancer 5K. I met Karen and her husband there, we got our numbers and got ready to race. Sadly, I forgot my camera and didn't think to take pics with my cell, my head was somewhere else that morning... mainly, I was thinking about the freedom I had that day because Patrick was working and Patrick's aunt took Bella for the entire day. What's a girl to do with an entire Saturday to herself?! Anyways, we lined up, the race started and we were off like a herd of turtles. I didn't go into this race thinking that I would get a PR or that it would be some rockstar sort of race, because my running since the half has been a mess. I actually figured that I would end up running by myself, so I brought my ipod and had prepped myself for a good time. I only had one issue the whole race, it was my capris. I love these pants but the elastic at the bottom is stretched out now and they ride up, I could not fiddle with the pants the whole race so I just hiked them up and went with it. Karen and I started out together and somewhere less than a mile into it she took off, and it was all good because I was sticking to my plan, waiting for my gymboss to beep and listening to my tunes. I was trotting along albeit slowly but I was doing the damn thing. I noticed that every time I passed this one girl, she would speed up and got in front of me, I knew she had picked me as a target. Now, it was funny at first, then it just pissed me off. She and I went back and forth like this the whole way, until started getting close to mile 3. Right before we hit mile 3, I pushed because there was no way in hell that she was going to finish before me. She met my pace and was trying for a push, so there was only one thing to do then... I kicked it into high gear and left her ass in the dust. I guess it must have been pretty cool because I got all kinds of high fives and cheers after the fact. I think there might be some speed in these legs, now I have to work on tapping into that speed. So my time was 46:02, not even close to my best time but my next 5K on my own will be a PR. I say this because my next 5K is Girls On The Run with Bella so I highly doubt there will be a PR. 

Here are some pics from the even, but none are very flattering. I did notice that I might have to work on my form and my running face. I need to work on getting cute race pics. Isn't that everyone's priority?

Something was distracting me...probably something shiny or a unicorn.

I am pretty sure that I was telling myself that there were cupcakes at the finish.

For those of you wondering what I did with the rest of my free Saturday... you'll be totally shocked when you read this. I went to a Zumba fundraiser... I know that's so unlike me LOL. It was pretty cool and for a great cause. Then I went to enjoy a little Mexican food with my Zumba buds afterwards, not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

ShamRock N' Roll Race Report

Alright boys and girls, are you ready for a race report? Sunday morning I ran The Junior League Of Atlanta's ShamRock N' Roll 5k. First and foremost, let me tell you the awesome news... according to ye old Garmin, I PR'd, by a second but I PR'd nonetheless. Their results were not chip time, they went by clock time which sucks for me but I am claiming my PR. That is a rant in and of itself because they had the foam timing chips that are attached to your bib, and one would assume that they would be using chip time, but I digress. 

This was my first race without Karen, but I was going to run with another friend of mine, Brooke. Brooke is one of my dearest friends, I just love her. Also, I brought Patrick and Bella along for support and so Bella could enjoy the activities that they had for the kids. Let me just tell you, the kid cleaned up with regards to swag, when I saw them after the finish Patrick was acting as her swag mule. She thought she was super cool, and it made up for the fact that I didn't let her run this race with me. Anyways, back to the race details. The race was in town at Atlantic Station, so it was a 40-45 minute drive for us. I had made plans to leave around 7-7:15 to get there close to 8, giving us more than enough time to park, and for me to go through my pre race insanity rituals. We ended up leaving around 7:45, and made it to Atlantic Station right at 8:30. Once we found parking, my first prerogative was to get to the restroom as quickly as possible. Somehow, I was making my way to the restrooms when people were getting ready to warm up and line up. I ran into Brooke just outside the porta potties, this is becoming a theme with me, and I am not sure if I like it but I do find it comical. She went ahead to the start and I got in line for the potties, well, next thing I hear is the start and I still hadn't had a a chance to pee. I ran to the start and managed to get going. I didn't end up being able to run with Brooke because she had to drop out, one of her boys had to be taken to the ER, and her husband called her to meet them there. The little guy is fine now, but she definitely needed to be there with him. 

Off we went...

I started strong and with a plan, I was going to run 4/1 intervals and if it got to be too much I was going to drop it back to 3/2 intervals. I even wrote out S.T.T.P. (stick to the plan) on my hand in sharpie. I had my music going and I was lip syncing along, because I fully intended on enjoying myself as much as possible during this race. I looked like I had moved to Crazy Town, I was lip syncing, sort of dancing, and thanking the police officers and volunteers. We started on a downhill, so I knew that at some point we were going to have at least one hill, plus, this is Atlanta and hills are inevitable. I was chugging along, sticking to the plan and I think that the good attitude probably helped with the PR. More importantly, I knew that the faster I finished, the faster I could pee, and that was pretty darn important to me because the last thing I wanted was yellow socks. So, I have found my PR formula, having to pee and having the beginnings of strep throat. I was feeling a little off, but I thought it was just my allergies, then Monday morning after the race I woke up feeling like garbage. The good doctor was kind enough to tell me that I have strep throat... good times. 

We passed one of my favorite places... too bad it was closed
I would have pulled myself off the course to do a little shopping,
and possibly pee. 

Gorgeous morning!

I love Atlantic Station

Millennium Gate

Guess what?! I had a bad ass moment during the race. You know my whole blood = bad ass rule. Shortly after we started I felt something in my shoe, and I knew right away that my toe was bleeding. I looked down at my shoes a few times through out the race, I didn't want to stop unless I saw blood on the outside of the shoe. As long as it was contained, I assumed I was fine. I rocked it out, and pushed to the finish when I looked at the Garmin and saw the possibility of a PR. I was elated to cross that finish line knowing that I had PR'd even though it was only by one second. My first priority was finding a bathroom, then getting some water, a banana etc. Can we talk about the glorious feeling of going to the bathroom? Seriously... just glorious. Other mothers out there know what I am talking about. Too much bouncing = no fun with the bladder. As for the toe, when I checked it after the race, I couldn't find the cause of the cut, but there was a cut on one of my toes. It was so weird.

Didn't get any pictures of myself, or with the family because by the time I was done, they were ready to leave. They had done the rounds at the booths, like I said before Bella cleaned up with swag, had her face painted and bounced her little heart out in the bounce house. She and Patrick were ready for some breakfast. 

Fabulous Friday

Here is today's list of all things FABULOUS

• Going to do the Shamrock N' Roll this Sunday. Only doing the 5K, although I considered the 10K.
• Had an awesome Zumba class this morning and teaching again tomorrow morning. Love teaching Zumba!!
• I've been working on some choreography for my classes. I need to record them asap before I forget what I came up with.
• Fresh Market opened this week in Peachtree City. I might have to pick up more Zumba classes just so I can shop there every week.  
• I'm going to West Stride tomorrow after my class... my wallet might come home a little lighter.
• Hoping to get a small run in at some point tomorrow as well

Heart To Heart 5K Race Report

*Warning- Picture heavy post*

This was a super cool race because it supports Bella's school and it's the school's biggest fundraiser. To add to the wonderful day, my dear friend Lisa was racing with us for the first time. I don't get to see Lisa often, so I was beyond jazzed to be able to do this with her. Then to top it off, Bella was set to run the 1 Mile Fun Run with Karen's incredible daughter. This was Bella's first race, and I think she's hooked.

Bella was pumped and ready to go! 

Crossing the finish line

She was so proud of herself

Posing with her finisher ribbon

Bella "trained" for this race running laps around the kitchen and at the childcare at the gym. On race day, Bella confided in me that she hoped her training paid off, it was the cutest thing ever. After the race, she was beyond proud of herself. Then later, she told me that she had to train harder for the next race. Have I mentioned that I love that kid?

Looking so sexy before the race LOL

My dear friend Lisa and I (our first time racing together)

We were ready to go

I had hoped that this race would be a PR for me, but then again, I hope that every race is a PR. We walked to the start, had our traditional inappropriate banter, and then we were off. There were four of us running together, so we set ourselves up two by two so we didn't hog the whole path. As soon as we started moving, I had to pee, let me tell you that I had even hit the bathroom before we started because of this... what a mess. By the time I hit mile 1, the trouble really started setting in. I was so stuffed up and couldn't blow it out (thank heavens for my trusty hanky that Karen bought me). I slowed the pace and tried to get myself together. Karen and Lisa were having a great race and they went ahead, which is cool because I can finish the race on my own. Goes back to what Shannon had said to me about running for no one but myself. Somewhere between miles 2 and 3, I got dizzy, really dizzy, and it scared me a little because at this point I was on my own. I diverted from the 5/1 plan so that I could try to get a handle on myself. Then, I had some negative thoughts creep up, not good. So, I am having a little mental battle with myself, and I was feeling like crud, not a good combination. Closer to the end of the race, the principal of the school caught up to me, we walked and chatted for a while, it was very pleasant. Then, we came up on the finish, so I ran, and I saw Bella standing near the finish cheering me on so I grabbed her hand and she ran with me across the finish. I finished in 45:11, not a PR but it doesn't matter. The overall morning was fun even if I didn't feel my best. 

Ran across the finish with Bella who
was waiting near the finish line.

Looking like total rockstars!! Might have missed our
true calling...

After the finish. Our hair looked frightful, it seemed
to have a life of it's own.

Then came the best part of the morning... we went to IHOP. Guess what I got for breakfast... PANCAKES! YUM! Plus, the balloon lady was there so we got a few balloons. Check out the awesomeness.

Lisa got this awesome turtle bracelet

Bella borrowed Emma's tiara and got some
cool butterfly wings.

I borrowed the tiara so I could practice for Disney.

FYI- I went to the doctor and it turns out I have sinusitis and an ear infection. Thank goodness he was on board for treating it aggressively (not my normally what I would do), but I have to be better for Disney. 

ATC Peachtree City 5K Race Report

Alright, I originally posted a little vlog entry but it was all out of whack once I posted it. This morning's race really wasn't anything crazy. I wasn't looking for a PR or anything, Karen and I just treated it like a training run   on a modified version of our route. There wasn't anything spectacular about this morning, we just had a great time, which was perfect. I wish there was more to report, but there really wasn't much to today's race other than the fact that we just had a fantastic time running. What a wonderful way to start the day.

Here's the Garmin info from today's race.

Frostbite 5K Race Report

Diana, Karen and I after the race. I looked rough after the finish.

Can I just start out by saying that this has been the best day ever?! I have to tell you that I took 4 minutes off my best 5K time clocked in at the Girls On The Run 5K in November. Just keep in mind that my fast is most people's slow. I finished today in 41:26 minutes according to the trusty Garmin, oh I love me some Garmin.

So, let's back it up to the beginning. Karen picked me up and we talked strategy and talked about making this race our best. We went through our usual pre race routine and met up with a friend of mine from the gym, Diana. This was her first race ever, and we invited her to stick with us and run 5:1 intervals. I was feeling so good about this race, and knew that I was going to PR. We started and started pretty strong, dodged little kids, and walkers for the first half mile or so. We were sticking to the plan and ready to rock it out. We hit the mile 1 marker in 13:(something) minutes, as soon as I saw the time I knew it was going to go well. This course is notoriously hilly, and I was prepared or so I thought. My thighs (my IT bands I think) tightened up going up the hill, and I had to walk before the walk interval. Karen and Diana were still going strong so I told them to go on without me, plus, I just wanted to prove to myself that I was mentally tough enough to do it on my own. Let me just tell you that I only finished 3 minutes behind them, not too bad in my eyes. Anyways, I was on my own, and I kept repeating something that Shannon had said to me about running. I repeated my mantra, talked to myself, pushed myself and I even think I said some of these things out loud so anyone within ear shot probably heard my ramblings. I would look at the Garmin and see the time and I knew that I had to push, I had to PR. When I saw that I was not too far from the finish, and I looked down to see my time I knew I had to push through and resist the urge to walk. Granted, I did end up walking just a little but it was less than 30 seconds because I had to beat that time, and I knew that I could get it done. I saw the finish and made the final push with Karen standing at the finish line cheering me on. Could not have asked for a better way to finish.

I learned a few things in this race, I will not go to Zumba in the even before my race ever again. Did I forget to mention that I went to class last night, and I taught Friday morning? I over did it and learned a valuable lesson about REST, and how important it is. I also learned that I am capable of getting it done on my own, I am tough enough. The difference between this race and the Peachtree Classic where I ran on my own was that I had Shannon's little saying in my head, and I was mentally prepared to wave Karen and Diana on. To be honest, I used them being ahead of me to pull me through and work harder. Lastly, I learned that staying for the awards is well worth it, more on that in just a second.

Alright, so we decided to stay for the awards and door prizes, to be honest, mainly because they were giving away Road ID gift certificates and we wanted to win them. Diana, Karen and I were there ready to claim our prizes, because we were sure we were going to win. Diana was pulling for the TCBY gift certificate, we were pulling for the Road ID gift certificates. So, they are announcing the age group awards, and Diana's little boy won an award. We waited, cheered on the winners and then they announced Karen's age group and guess what?! Karen got 3rd place in her age group! She was shocked, I was so proud and happy for her. Then, she won a door prize, an umbrella, which was highly amusing. I was still hoping for the gift certificate but I did end up winning something too. I won a super cute hat from a local boutique.

I am going to proclaim this the BEST DAY EVER of 2011!!!! (so far)

This race was my first for the Run For The Bling Of It Challenge.

Bedford Dasher 5K Race Report

K and I before the race. We really were not looking our best.

Yesterday, K and I ran the Bedford Dasher 5K. This race was for a wonderful cause, The Bedford School, a school for children with learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD. I went into this one just to have fun, I wasn't worried about time, or anything like that. We got to the school, got registered, socialized and got ready to run. We hadn't run together in a while, so it was awesome to be able to catch up and chat. As always our talks are always interesting and sometimes a tad inappropriate but that's just how we roll. The course meandered through some neighborhoods around the school and we encountered some hills which brought up the discussion of trying to get some hill work in on some of our training runs. The hills we encounter now are wimpy little hills, nothing that will really challenge us, so we are going to try and get out there and challenge ourselves. Back to the race, they had a lot of people out there directing the participants and some were blasting some Christmas music from their cars which was fun and festive. As for the pace, it wasn't great, our last 5K was slightly faster. I really need to work on my endurance and speed, I have a lot of work ahead of me.

All in all, GOOD TIMES!

GOTR Atlanta 5K Race Report

BP means... well the P stands for please, you can guess what the B means. We so had that!

Let me just start by telling you guys that I did better than last time, especially because I didn't cry... SCORE!!! The morning started with K and Amy meeting me at my place and heading out from there. Once we got there, we parked and made our way over the the expo and number pick up. I know this is going to sound awful but it was not what I expected at all. I guess I thought there would be more to it. Anyways, at the bright point was the bakery giving away delicious bread that they drizzled with honey. Ultimately, I was there for the race not the festivities. We did manage to make a sign with our motto, and we had to get a pic of us holding it because we so had that.

So, the start of this race was cramped, and I mean CRAMPED. The first part of the race was crowded and tight, and due to the nature of the race there were also a lot of those little people. The thing with having a lot of kids in a race is the fact that you have a lot of bobbing and weaving to do because kids randomly stop, turn around and run against the flow to meet up with their friends, it definitely made it interesting. The other issues were the people who sort of meandered and would not let you pass, if I had to slow down or walk I moved over to the side so I wasn't blocking the road, I don't get why other people didn't do the same. K, Amy and I had some interesting conversations. let me just tell you that K has some of the best stories ever. Her work stories are particularly wonderful because she gets to work with some pretty interesting people and in some pretty interesting places. The stories really helped pass the time because for some reason this race just felt like the first two miles took FOREVER to get through. Then between mile 2 and 3 I started having some breathing trouble, it wasn't that bad but it FREAKED me out. Again, goes to show you how much of a mental game running can be. Needless to say, I will not forget my inhaler in the car again. I had to walk a little more than I would have liked but I managed. Mentally speaking, I had a few mental roadblocks but not like I did last time, not even close. I think that the mental roadblocks will become easier to deal with as I get more miles under my belt. It probably helped that there weren't any sprinting grannies this time. There were some logistical issues in the race as well. The water stop was a gigantic mess, there were line ups to get water so we just skipped it all together because it really was just too much. The finish was split into a female chute and a male chute which wasn't a problem, the problem was that the whole thing was incredibly cramped and felt a little claustrophobic. It just felt sort of disorganized. That being said, I will probably do another one of this organization's race again because I believe in their programs and they really need the money that they raise through their events.

Let's Play Catch Up

Started Monday morning, with a 4 mile walk with K. We threw in a few little spurts of running in there, but I mostly walked. You know, I don't even feel bad about it, I think if I had actually tried to run, I wouldn't have made it. It was just nice to get outside and I had a nice chat with K. We made plans for our long run on Friday morning and we have big plans for 7 miles. Our motto is "We Got This" and we definitely "got this", we are going with a plan and we are sticking with it to make it to 7.

Monday evening, I went and shook it in Zumba. My friend Christina is now coming to Zumba on Monday nights and I love that we can share that because I do so love my Zumba, if you hadn't already guessed. She cracked me up with a comment about how she didn't know how anyone could get up there and teach that because I remember thinking the same thing when I first started. How things change...

Tuesday morning, I went to Centergy with Shannon, and it felt good to get to "contortion class". I still have trouble with some of the things we do in the class, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to do some of the things with more ease then ever before. Before I know it, I will be a centergy pro... ok, maybe not a pro but it will be nice when I don't have to modify as much as I do now. So, looking forward to that day.... After contortion, we went to Starbuck's because there is nothing better than post contortion oatmeal and coffee.

Wednesday, I got a call from my friend asking if I wanted to go to the gym with her. Of course, I agreed and told her that I had to get in some strength training. I let her know that she could train with me, since Amy's little one is sick and she couldn't meet me. So, I got to play trainer to my friend and I got quite a kick out of it. I took her through a pretty easy workout, where we focused on upper body stuff and core work. She complained the whole time calling everything we did stupid, it was pretty darn amusing, and it just made me bug her and push her harder. She even went on facebook to complain about it, which made it all the more amusing. I had to tell her remind her that if it were easy we'd all be toned and buff and instead of working out it would be called walk in the park. Anyways, I was able to get in a short run on the treadmill while my friend who'd I'd worked out with was complaining to a mutual friend of ours about how "mean" I was to her. She'll get over it! Back to the run, I ran slow and easy 30/30 intervals, I am trying to do the Galloway Run/Walk thing. I had a slow pace of 17:08/mile, I have no doubt that I will be able to improve on that greatly between now and February. I went back to the gym for a second round to get in some Zumba, just for sh*ts and giggles. Then, because I am glutton for punishment and maybe a little dumb, I went back for a third round and hit up Centergy.

Thursday was just chocked full of good gym times. I went to pilates and did some things that I know will  be feeling for a day or two. I finally got to train with Amy in the morning and we had a good little therapy session and a heck of a workout. Afterwards, I was able to get to the second part of Groove to get a little cardio in. But wait, there was more! I had to get back to the gym in the evening to go to Zumba because I needed some more cardio. Plus, I get to hang out with Sarah for a little while after class, so it's a win all around. Phew, I'm tired just typing all this out.

I got an email from the photographers that were at the race on Saturday with the link to pictures taken of me. I learned a valuable lesson by looking at those pics. I need to practice looking cooler when the cameras are around during a race. I was making a silly face in one, that one had been on purpose, but the rest, ugh... I need to work on the bad ass poses. I did fork over the cash and paid for the rights to one picture, because I needed to have a souvenir from the race. Also, I signed up for another race on November 14th. It's the New Balance Girls On The Run Atlanta 5k, I can't wait! Amy said she was going to run this one with me.

Here's the picture from the race. This was the least awful of the pics.

Peachtree City Classic Women's 5K Race Report

Sarah and I pre race, trying to not get hurt taking a picture. 

K and I pre race.

The whole crew after the race.
L-R: Me, K, Elizabeth, Shannon, Emily, Sarah and Allie.
Elizabeth, Emily and Allie are Shannon's incredible daughters.

Friday night, K and I picked up our race packets and race shirts on Friday night. They had an "expo" but I use the term loosely because there wasn't much there, but I held out hope that there would be more at the expo in the morning. Sarah and Shannon were kind enough to take Bella out to dinner while K and I hit up Groove class, it made Bella's day. Anyways, after I picked Bella up, I headed back to Casa De Awesome to get my stuff ready for Saturday morning. I didn't get much sleep, I was revved up and kind of nervous about Saturday.


*WARNING- I know some of what I was thinking and what I describe is crazy, just go with it... come with me to CRAZY TOWN. Also, there is a little TMI, just thought you should be warned.*
Saturday morning I woke up early and got myself ready for the race. Who would have thought that I would ever get up early to go to a race, let alone in the cold, how things change. K picked me up and we made our way over to the race. They had a slightly bigger expo thing set up, which was alright but I couldn't focus on any of it because I was busy thinking about the race and wondering if I would be any faster than last race. We met up with Sarah, Shannon and Shannon's daughters, it was cool to have everyone to chat with and hang out with. We eventually made our way up to the starting line and I started to size up the competition. Yup, I was looking around to see who might be slower than me and who I could take down, I know it's not logical but it's what I did. Let's face it, I was not going to be fast, at least not yet, but I knew I didn't want to be last across that finish line. Then they called us to line up, and before we knew it, we were off. Ok, everyone else was flying, I was shuffling along... no, let's call it "enjoying the scenery".  Kids were passing me, then some old ladies passed me, I think some snails passed me too but I can't tell for sure because those damn snails were fast, but I was "enjoying the scenery". All kidding aside, I was on my own and I got into a bad head space with a few minutes, I was a freakin' mess. I had started out with a plan of doing my little run/walk intervals, and that went out the window when I got pissy. As I was trotting along, I spotted this poor soul who was really just busting her butt and really focusing and she became my target. I wasn't going to let her finish before me! I would pass her, she would pass me, and so it went for half of the race that is until she shot off and left me behind. Didn't she know that she was supposed to stay back and finish after me?! Didn't she get the memo? I was pissed but instead of following, I kept my miserable pace and sulked.  It wasn't long until I found a new target, an elderly lady who was deceptively slow. Guess what Granny did within a minute of becoming my target?! Yup, she flew off too... WTF! Finally, I found my last target, a lady whom had been in my general area the whole race. I decided that she wasn't going to finish before me darn it. Did I mention that I had a little cry during the race? Yeah, I cried because I felt like such a loser because I didn't push hard enough and I was pretty much having a beat up on Lucy and pity party. The thoughts going through my head were crazy, and I think that having Aunt Flo in town didn't help my mental situation at all. I was driving the bus to Crazy Town! Anyways, I am glad that I managed to pull myself together because I'm sure I looked like a hot sweaty and teary mess. I messed with my playlist and finally found some songs on that got me fired up. One of the songs that I was listening to is called Floor On Fire, and I was scooting along whispering "the floor, the floor is on fire"... yup, must have looked and sounded like a complete nut job but at that point I didn't care anymore. Then I could see the three mile mark, and I also saw Sarah and K coming back for me. I am so glad that they came back for me and crossed the finish line with me that in itself almost made me cry because it was such a sweet gesture. I was mad at myself after the race, I was mad because I didn't push hard enough, and I was mad that I let my targets beat me, I was just mad. I pitched a fit like a 5 year old, it wasn't pretty.

Afterwards, we started walking back to the expo area and low and behold there was post race cake. Yup, CAKE! As you may have already seen in my previous entry, I enjoyed the heck out of that cake. At that point, I decided that I was going to celebrate my 6 pound weight loss and my not being last, and there's nothing better for that than cake. That's right, I lost 6 pounds last week and I hope that's enough to keep me in the top three for "Lost It" and help set me up for the win. Yes, I know celebrating and drowning my sorrows in cake isn't the answer, but I didn't even care. Anyways, lots of lessons learned on Saturday morning.

Let's review...

1. I have awesome friends who came back for me!  
2. People who are your targets to beat need to be told to slow down because apparently the race officials aren't great at handing out the memos.
3. Stick to the plan, don't let anything divert me from the plan.
4. I need to come up with ways to overcome the mental funk I get into.
5. I drove the bus to Crazy Town, need to try and refrain from doing that again.
6. I need to run with kleenex or a hanky, not only did I cry but my nose was runny before that even started.
7. Crying during a race is dumb and does not make one look bad ass at all. Who cries during a 5K, it wasn't like I was running the NYC Marathon. 
8. I need a better and more organized playlist. 
9. I'm already looking for another race, so I must be insane. 
10. I took time off my last 5k, and I hope that it will only keep improving from here on out.
11. Post race cake is delicious, screw ILIATC for one day.
12. Cake can make just about anything better, the only better solution is a cupcake. I'm just sayin'....

I'll leave you with the song that I was singing to myself towards the end.

Yesterday Mental Roadblock... Today Is A New Day

Yesterday was a complete mental roadblock day. I had a short run with K this morning and I was in a funk, BLECH! We finished 2.7 miles but I was a mess... it's just one of those days. I joined K at the gym for a quick strength training session, nothing to write home about but we got it done. The rest of the day was a total and complete write off, I was useless. I wanted to go to the pool and get in a water workout but I just couldn't get my head into even leaving the house yesterday evening. All day was one gigantic roadblock day. On a good note, I signed up for the Peachtree Classic 5K this Saturday, so that should be fun because I have a lot of friends running this one. Plus, Bella had a friend over and those two little girls were exhausting but they had so much fun, which made it so worth it.

Today, was so much better then yesterday. K and I ran again this morning and got in a 5.4 miles. We were both pretty jazzed because we were faster than we have been in a long time. I mean we aren't breaking any speed records but it's a big deal for us. If we can go a little faster than we did today we can finish the 5K much quicker then we did last race, and I really just don't want to be the last across the finish line. That isn't much to ask right?! Anyways, I went to workout with Amy afterwards and she was just so inspiring and all around awesome. I am really lucky to have found a trainer and a friend who I mesh with so well and who gets my crazy. We did come up with a game plan for my training as soon as "Lost It At The Club" is over, we are going to make running and running related workouts my one and only priority and focus because there is no reason I should be this slow and why I can't finish the half. Right now with the weight loss aspect to things I am not able to focus like I should be on just the running. Alright, this is where I have to bid you all a good day because there is a certain dance fitness class calling my name. Can you guess which one? I'll give you a clue, it starts with a Z and ends with a umba. Peace out peeps! ¡WEPA!

Like A Virgin...

... running a 5K for the very first time....

Took this picture a little while ago, after I realized that I didn't take any pictures pre or post race. 

I can now say that I am no longer a race virgin. This morning I ran my very first 5K, and I am still alive so that's always a good thing. The day began early this morning because I was so worried that I would oversleep that I woke up disgustingly early. I got ready and thankfully already had everything I needed packed so I didn't have to worry about that. I also drank a Slam to get some energy, I did get a jolt but I should have saved it and drank it right before the race started. My friend came by to pick me up and we headed down to Newnan for the race. We had a great time just gossiping and sharing stories, it really did help put me in a good mind set for the race. We got there, got our numbers, and got ready to go. We tried to line up in the middle of the pack, and took it from there. 

We got off to a really good start, but I started to fade quickly. I was just a tad overly eager at the start, had I just paced myself a little better it would have been a LOT better. We were rockin' it out when the course turned we saw that we weren't the last ones. Something must have happened at some point because next thing we knew there was a cop car trailing us.... we were the last two. After a while the cop car stopped following us, which was good because it was really wigging me out. Anyways, we pushed on, and finished the 5K in 52:15 minutes which means our pace was 16:51 minutes per mile. Which in my mind is not too shabby. We are going to try and run another 5K towards the end of the month or beginning of October, and we are aiming for a finish in 45 minutes. We've got this covered!

And because now the song is stuck in my head, I give you none other than Madonna from a 1984 performance.

Went To The Ortho

I had my appointment with the orthopaedist today and it was some good and some possible concerning news. First, the good news, she gave me a cortisone shot in the knee that has only been bothering me slightly. The left knee is going to be rocking out! She also gave me her blessing to run my first race ever, a 5K this Saturday. So, early Saturday morning I will be getting ready to run the Sunrise on the Square Road Race.... I am so excited and just a little nervous but more about that after the knee update. The slightly concerning news is that I am going to have to get an MRI on the right knee because of the amount of trouble it's been giving me. It's good because it'll give us some answers, but it sucks because I have a feeling that this is going to be ridiculously expensive. Please keep a good thought for me, that this is something that can be easily treated and not cost me a small fortune.

So, back to the running thing... you know the whole reason for starting the blog. Like I mentioned earlier, I am super excited but slightly nervous about the race on Saturday. I know that I have not prepared enough for it but I will be pleased as punch just to finish the damn thing. I promise to update it on Saturday with a report of the race and such. Please send good running vibes my way.

Due to the fact that I had to go to the doctor's this morning, I had to reschedule my session with Amy this morning. In lieu of today's session, we will be having a bootcamp style session tomorrow morning after I go to Group Centergy. I will have to get Zen before I get my butt kicked. It's good though, because with the way I have been eating lately, I need a good butt kickin'.

In honor of the multiple margaritas I had after yesterday's Groove class with a couple of friends I will leave you today with this little gem.