State Fair

On sunday a friend and i went to the KY state fair to see the Train and Maroon 5 concert.  The concert wasn't until 8pm, but with our tickets we had free admission to the fair.  we walked around for a good 2 hours looking at all sorts of stuff. around 5 we were getting hungry so we started walking down past all the food vendors to see what goodies were available.  We happened across this....

 We settled on a bbq pork sandwich and fries for our dinner.  Our dessert however was a different story..... a deep fried snickers!!  we each had half and it was so good!! 

we watched a diving show where they were doing dives into a pool.  They had a long ladder type thing with a step at the very top.  we had to watch to see if anyone was going to go off that one.  sure enough they did.

at the very top, he actually did a handstand up there to start his dive

almost there, flipping the entire time

The concert was great too! Matt Nathanson opened, followed by Train then Maroon 5.

emily and i

i didnt get home til almost 3am. luckily today was my first day back on second shift, so i was able to sleep in. unfortunately i was woken up at 9;30 by a hungry pug dog and couldnt' go back to sleep.  :(  i did take a short nap after lunch, then got up and ran 2 miles on the treadmill before getting in the shower for work.  oh my how i hate to dry my hair when i'm still sweating!! i didn't leave myself enough time to cool down before i had to hop in the shower.   miserable doesnt even begin to describe it!!

A-mazing

Look up amazing in a thesaurus and you will find all the words that will describe this mornings run.

I was late getting to bed (1:30) after having hosted a hat party for a friend recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. So when the alarm went off this morning at 5:45 I did not want to go. Jeremy asked what I was going to do. He knows when I say I don't want to that usually means I'll do it later on the treadmill or bag the run completely. But not today! I told him I would go, but I just didn't feel like it.

I got ready and walked outside. To my shock it was still dark out! What?! Dark out at 6:20?? Awesome! The weather was great too! It was cool and 60 degrees. A good 15 degrees cooler than when I have started any other long run this summer.

I drove and met 2 friends. Jeremy and twila had started a little earlier bc they were doing 18 and 20 miles.

We started off and it just felt good! I had written down the running times I should be at for each of the 6 miles and put it in my spibelt. I stopped at 3 miles to get some water and gu. I checked the times and was 3 minutes under where I should have been at 3 miles. I figured if I kept this pace I could get a personal best for 5 miles.

My splits looked like this:
12:05
13:18
13:16
13:00
12:46
12:56


Negative splits for all but one for a 12:53 overall pace!! 1 minute faster than the pace (13:51) my new plan called for!!!!

Next week I have 10 miles scheduled for my long run and have a feeling it will be harder but I know I will be close!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Going strong and a new plan

This week i was determined to start running 4 days a week again.  I"m not going to lie it hasn't been easy, but as of tonight I have run three times already with the fourth coming on saturday. 

Monday - 2 miles @ 11:43 pace
Wednesday - 3 miles @ 11:53 pace
Thursday  - 2 miles @ 11:06 pace

I readjusted my half training plan, using SmartCoach from runnersworld.com.  The pace times that I originally had were actually too easy and I had been under them by quite a bit every time. With the new plan it will still be easy to get under pace on my weekday runs, but my long runs are going to be more of a challenge.  The part of the plan I dont like is how all the runs during the week are the same pace, short runs and long runs.  I can maintain quicker times on the short runs, it's that long run that does me in. 

During my long runs I dont look at or worry about my pace while i'm running. However, with the quicker pace and my goal of breaking 3 hours at the half, Saturday's 6 miles will be a test to see if i can stay at or under the pace i need to.

Weekend and Back Update

Last Monday I threw out my back at work.  I went to the chiropractor on Tuesday, where he said I shouldn't run until at least Saturday. On Thursday when I went back to him, he asked if i was going to run on Saturday. My response was "if you'll let me."  He said i could do 3-4 miles but if my back started hurting to stop.

My original plan was to do 2 miles saturday am, 2 saturday pm, and 2 sunday am to start preparing for the Bourbon Chase where I'll have to run 4 miles, 3 different times, 12 hours apart. I ran the 2 saturday morning at 10:56 pace, which i think is my best ever so far.

Saturday afternoon I took my niece to a birthday party.  This was my first time taking her to a party and while she had a great time and i was able to take a few pictures while there, i completely walked out and forgot my purse!  luckily i did have my phone in my pocket but my car keys, wallet, checkbook, etc. was in my purse. My sister in law had dropped Anika and I off at the party bc I dont have a carseat in my car, and picked us up so i didnt notice that i didnt have my keys/purse.  When I got home and realized I couldnt' unlock the door, Jeremy drove me back out to where the party was, but everyone was gone and it was all locked up! I called the number on the door and left a message on the answering machine.  The lady that runs the gym called me back late Saturday night saying she had received my message and that someone would be at the gym on Sunday from 2-7 so i could pick up my purse then.  I was so happy and relieved!  I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to get it back until monday afternoon when they opened for classes.

After the party my brother in law and his family came to our house and we cooked out. By the time they left i didn't feel like running or doing anything so we laid on the couch and watched a movie instead. so, my plan of running, 2,2, and 2 didn't happen :(

I have one more chiropractor appt today and a ww meeting directly after that.  This week I am going to start back to running 4 days a week and doing shred again.  5 months til Hawaii and I have 25 pounds minimum I would like to lose between now and then.  It's doable but it still wont be easy. 

officially registered

I officially registered Jeremy for his first FULL marathon and me for my second HALF!!  The price goes up September 1, so I needed to do it now before I forgot!  The countdown is on.....3 months to go!!

On the injured list

At work we have been shifting and moving journals for a few days and were almost done. I bent over to pick up a stack that was on the floor. As I was coming up I heard a loud pop (or at least it was loud to me!). My lower back popped and went out. I let go of the journals and tried to stand up straight. It hurt really bad!!

Since it was jeremys birthday I made an appointment to go to the chiropractor today. We got back in town about 8pm and I joked that maybe he would make a house call.

I woke up this morning and it felt better but was still sore and hurting! I went to the chiropractor and he said it was definitely inflamed and tight. He also said no running til at least Saturday but he would let me know for sure on Thursday when I go back if it would be longer.

I hate that I had just had a good run and was ready to start running 4 days a week again.

Hopefully I can run on Saturday although it won't be the 10 miler that I had planned. But I started training early incase something like this happened so it wouldn't set me back to far. I still can get in two 10's and two 12's without the 10 this weekend before the half.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

17 seconds...... Railroad Days 5K Report

Thank everyone for their thoughtful comments on my last post.  It really helped to calm my nerves. I woke up Saturday morning and was just going to run.  If I got a PR great, if not oh well.  I was just wanting to finish and have a good time like everyone suggested! 

I ate a gu on the way to the race for breakfast.  I took my golite water bottle with me to carry on the race.  Even though it's only 3 miles, the 1-2 water stops that they have are never enough. My mouth gets so dry!! 

I lined up with a woman that usually runs between a 33-35 min 5k.  I knew I would need to stay near her if I wanted a pr.  We started off together and stayed together for the first .75 of a mile, then she started pulling away.  Not by a lot, I could always see her but she gradually kept getting farther and farther in front of me.  I did stop and walk twice, once on the long hill right before i got to the top. I wanted to walk for a minute so i could make a push on the downhill.  Then I walked again at the2.7 mile mark, it goes behind a school then comes out and you finish on a loop of the track.  I knew it was going to be close and was really dragging so i walked the short side of the school 1) so no one could see me walk and 2) so i could make that final surge.  On the downhill though, 5 people that I knew passed me.

As I came around the long side of the school to go onto the track, there was Twila asking if I was going to get it.  I told her it would be close.  I was close to getting a pr but it would be close. then as i got on the track jeremy was there to run the lap with me.  I asked how he and Twila had finished. both had gotten PR's!!  Jeremy had gone a 23:01.  His goal was 22:59.... so close!!  Twila had gone 22:57, both had 30 second PR's.

I made the final push and kept looking at my watch and at the finish line.  I crossed the finish line and the official clock said 35:30!!!!  A 17 second PR!!!!  Woohoo!!!! So excited! My watch said 35:25, bc I started my watch when i crossed the start line, not when the gun went off to start the race.  My first mile was 10:54, my fastest ever during a 5k, mile 2 was 12 something (uphill and i walked a little), mile 3 was 11 something. i was happy about this bc i was able to go faster than mile 2 and i've never been able to do this in a race. i guess my negative splits on the treadmill did help! :)  The last .1 of the 5k my time was 9:19!!  i was really trying to get to the finish line for that PR.

Jeremy got second in his age group

Thanks again for your support and encouraging words.  Now that that's over with, I am going to go back to running 4 days a week and doing shred with weights a couple times a week. I had slacked off the past couple weeks and it has showed on the scales.

Oh and before i forget - Today is my handsome hubby's 34th birthday!!!  Happy Birthday JEREMY!!

Nerves of Jello....

Tomorrow i will run in my first 5k of the year. I am EXTREMELY nervous about this race.  I have preregistered and the hot weather has finally broken so it's actually going to be cool (65) in the morning rather than hot and humid (80). So i have no excuse not to run it.  i have been running, so it's not the "i dont know if i can do this" nerves.  it's more like the "i really want a pr, but what if i dont?" nerves.

On Tuesday me, Jeremy, and 4 others that are also running the race did a practice run.   I remember that this course was fast.  For some reason I also took it to mean that it was flat!!  Um, no it is not.  mile 1-2 is a steady incline.  :(   the good part is you do come down the hill for the last half of the race.  On Tuesday i ran the course 5 minutes slower than my time on the course last year.  it was hot and humid and i had to walk quite a bit on tuesday.  this was also disheartening bc last year this was my first 5k race ever where i ran the whole race and didnt stop to walk at all.  do the times i walked tuesday equate to 5 + minutes that I can take off tomorrow??  it will be cooler so that will help, but  i just dont know..... i wish i could look ahead to 9am tomorrow and know how i did so i could stop worrying! 

The trun run, a long run, and a spectator

This was a very running filled weekend.

Friday night a friend and I did the Trun Run in downtown Danville.  This is a new race to the area this year and a very different kind of race.  All summer there have been movies shown on Friday nights on a big inflatable screen. 

This past Friday they were showing the movie "Tron" and had a "Trun" run to go with it.  It was a 2.2 mile run through downtown with some obstacles thrown in.  We were supposed to be as lit up and were told to work on our throwing skills..... hmmm what did that mean??

a pic of the other runners

winners of the costume contest

lesley and i ready to go!

lit up and ready to throw my discs

my discs

The race started a little after 9pm.  Unfortunately it was still ridiculously hot and humid out.  We were told that on the course there would be two places where we would throw the discs at a target. If we hit it, then 30 seconds per disc would be shaved off our running time!   I missed both targets.  Although on the second one I hit the poor girl that was holding the target.... i think that should count for some time coming off!  I finished in 30:15. My first mile was 11 something, but mile 2 was horrible. I had to walk a lot.  mainly because one of the other obstacles we had to do was run up a 5 ramps of a parking garage.  just to give you a little idea of how steep the ramps are i took a picture!

imagine this 5 times... :(

cool reflective shirt from race

Overall, it was a fun race, but there could have been some improvements made to make it better. Water on the course for one.  Even though it was only 2 miles it was way to hot for them not to have water on the course.

Saturday morning I got up to do my long run.  Originally I was supposed to do 8 miles but had decided since I had done 2 the night before late, that I was only going to do 6.  I woke up and was a little stiff.  I have been wanting to go back to my run/walk method and thought why not today? I wasn't going for speed, just to finish.  So I ran 8 minutes, then walked 2 minutes for the 6 miles.  My times for miles 1-4 and 6 were good.  Not sure what happened on mile 5 but it was about a minute or more off the others.  My overall pace for all 6 miles was only a couple seconds off my pace the last time I ran 6 miles and 8 miles a few weeks ago.  I thought this was great considering i did the run/walk method on this one!

Saturday night Jeremy and I went to Lexington to watch my niece run in a kids race and then watch her while her parents did the 5k. 

at the starting line

running so fast

 She was so excited to run!  She had told us to yell "Go Anika Go", so of course we did!  She was so cute!

getting a lift from Uncle Jeremy

playing in the fountain while waiting on mommy and daddy to finish

 

Negative Nelly

I have a 5k next sat, the 13th.  the course is fast and most everyone gets a pr there.  the next two weeks i'm going to focus my shorter runs on trying to do negative splits. i always go out fast, then can't get faster at the end, each mile gets consecutively slower. I have tried to hold back on the first mile, so i have some gas at the end but that has never worked out either.  I just ended up going even slower the second and third miles!!

so last night i did 2 miles on the treadmill.  i have been running around an 11 min pace on the treadmill consistently and wanted to try to start there and then get faster, rather than last week when i started fast then had to get slower.  I ran the first mile in 11:30 and was feeling pretty good. I was tempted several times to turn the speed up but didn't until i had done 1 mile. When it hit I turned it up so that I was now doing a 10:30 pace.  I had to slow it down towards the end of the second mile to a little under 11:00.

I finished the two miles with a pace of 11:04. the first mile was almost one minute slower than the second mile!  I did it! I was able to negative split!  I'm going to continue to work on this and add some distance to the 2 miles over the next two weeks to get my body used to going faster as I go, rather than getting slower.