I ran a 5k and didn't die!

Stop, Vomit, Pass out, Die.. 

Every single thought went through my head at mile 2.2

I HATE the 5k

This past Tuesday I decided to run the Wesley Chapel Fast 5k.  It was a small, cheap, and local.   This event happens every other Tuesdays in Wesley Chapel right across from the new Outlets.  I still have yet to go to the outlets.  The start is right across the street and is a 1(ish) mile loop that you do almost 3x.  I actually really likes the course because you are never alone.  It started promptly at 7:45 pm.

I had a 25 minute tempo run that morning but I decided to be lazy and sleep in so I know I had to go.  I left my house a little after 6:15 and made my way up North a little.  I got there around 7, used the Chik-fil-A restroom and went for my 1 mile warm up.  The warm up was surprisingly ‘fast” for me these days.  I did it around 11:40 ish.

I walked over to the site of the start and the race directer approached me and we chatted for a few minutes.  Gave him my payment then met up with Lindsay who I was talking to about going.  We met through Team in Training and is running and is training for her first full.  I am not so secretly hoping she runs 26.2 miles with me at Disney!

 I was very happy to see her there since it was such a small race.  There were no bibs, everyone just new each others names.

In my head I knew I wanted to negative spilt, I had my mile goals in my head.  I wanted to hit 11:00, 10:30 10:00.

I didn't take any pictures so I figured I would add these random Pictures

As soon as the horn went off, so were we.  All 10 or so of us :)

Those times went right out the door.  Lindsay and I ran the first 2 miles together, or I should say she ran them with me.  We were able to hold on to a conversation so I didn’t think I was going too fast.  I looked down at my watch after the first .25 and saw 9:30 and knew I had to go slower so I attempted to slow down.  I was finally able to get my first mile to a 10:12.  Mile 2 was about a 10:20 and then shit hit the fan.

I told Lindsay she didn’t have to wait for me, a little after mile 2 I put my water bottle down, I dropped it, went back to pick it up.  I was a mess.  I was dying!  I didn’t think I could keep running.  I was trying to keep the pace as close to 11 as possible, I didn’t want to positive split but I did.  I slowed it down telling myself since I technically did a way too fast tempo I can do the rest as a cool down.  I wanted to walk so bad, I seriously thought I was going to vomit everywhere.  I finally made it to the finish line and thought I was going to pass out.  

I finished in 33:!3- I tell myself a 10:30 pace should not be hard and then I remember I live in Florida in the middle of summer.  The weather was nice, it was cool in the low 80s.

I am most proud that I didn’t I've up, I didn't walk.  My last 5k- over a year ago I walked 2x- I am also pretty sure I finished that race 3 minutes or so faster.

At the finish there was nice ice cold water and cold wash clothes.  It was wonderful!

Hi human- please open the window so I can stare at nothing.

If the race started earlier I would 100% do this race again.  I go back to work next week and a 7:45 start is just too late for me when school starts.  If you are in the area, I would run this.  Everyone is so friendly.  There is a cash prize for the first 2 males and females.  I places top 5 in the women- There were 5 women.. HAHA!! and I was the last one to finish.  I knew going in I would be the last to finish and I still went- Getting my brain game in order!!

What is your favorite race distance?   The Half marathon

What is your most hated race distance? The 5k

So what's next?

So what’s next?

DOPEY 2017!

Since my last marathon in December of 2014, I really haven’t done much in terms of races.  I got burnt out. I was doing race after race because I was in shape. I was using the races as long runs, and apparently trying to run all the miles!  Gasparilla, as fun as it was, was probably the tipping point of races; 2 days- almost 30 miles.  I was tired and I took about a year off of running, completely. I was loving Orange Theory Fitness and on my wedding day I felt happy and confident.  

Post OTF Bod :) 

I ran two half marathons last season and didn’t hit my goals.  I trained well, I just don’t think my body is where it used to be.  My expectations were high, the conditions weren't perfect, eh, life happens. Last year as my first time not training for a marathon since my first one in 2011.

Post Goofy Stuggle in 2014- Ready for it again

I am finally ready to train for a marathon again! This marathon is a little different than my last one.  Not only is it a marathon over a weekend, I am also taking on the 5k, 10k, half marathon, and then the marathon.

I keep getting the question, “Why would you do that to yourself?”

I am doing it to help raise funds for the leukemia and Lymphoma society.  (<--- Click to DONATE)  One day I will be luckily enough not to have to run to raise money, but to run because there is a cure for ALL cancer.

Post Goofy Stuggle

I am also doing it for me.  I needed a “fun” race to get into without a time goal.  I have to love running without a time goal because if I do not hit that time goal, I beat myself up too much and that is not what running should be about. The niche of team in training is like no other.  I cannot wait to get back out there with my team!

One of my proudest accomplishments- Goofy!

I have been working with Abby trying to get my speed back and base building!  I am excited for the official start of training later this month!

What has been the most fun race you have run?

Mine was definitely Goofy in 2013 (or whenever that was)

What did you do for the Holiday Weekend?
We went up to Jacksonville for the day then stayed local on Monday.  We have a scaredy cat!

United NYC Half Marathon training recap and goal

Hey there!

It certainly has been some time since I updated this little thing on my training but I head to New York in just a day and figured I should turn on this rusty old computer.  When I first started training for the UnitedNYC Half I thought I was update the blog regularly with how my training is going, but honestly, I blame my computer.  My computer is old and slow and a pain to work with.  I need a new one.  I also need a new car, work clothes, a cell phone, to pay off my mortgage, pay off my students loans; so a computer is not high on the priority list.  But running the NYC Half Marathon is :)

Here is how training went. 
For not running consistently for about 8 months before I started training, I think I did a damn good job.  I did miss about 5 workouts here or there which I am not proud of but life gets in the way and that’s the truth.  Some days I had to bring my cats to the vet or I worked late, some days I went home and laid in bed. One time I was at work ready to get changed for work, I took my work pants off to put my running shorts off then put my work pants back on because I was tired and didn’t want to go.  Yup, pathetic but the truth.

Yay, I almost hit a 100 mile month...ALMOST

Most of my runs were pretty decent there were a few I was disappointed with.  I enjoyed the long runs, except for 1.  I am calling that a win!  My tempo miles were not as fast as I would have liked them to be but my body just isn’t there yet.  I did a few strength training day, again, not as many as I would have likes but certainly more than I have done in the past.  I also managed to gain 5-6 pounds because potato chips and watching TV because more important that walking and grading.  My highest weekly mileage was 30 and lowest was 13.5 (FAIL!!)  I managed to be put on steroids twice this training cycle and the first time my paces were so fast I thought I had a PR in me, little did I realize it was just the steroids.

My TNT girls

Who I ran with. 

The first half of the training plan I ran alone for my long runs, they were short enough I didn’t have to put water out and my scheduled allowed me to even get some runs done on a Thursday or a Friday.  Most Sunday recovery runs Behn joined in with me so it was nice to have some time to spend with him.  For the second part I joined Team in Training and was able to run with my girls!  It was a nice change of pace.  

Behn I headed out for 2 miles.  It was in the 50s and this is how different we dress.

What I listened to:

I don’t normally run with music or anything but if it was a long or recovery run I would sometimes pop on serial season two.  If I wanted to get out of my head I would jab out to Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift. 

My tempo runs I didn’t listen to anything except for my heavy uncontrolled breathing (sorry Coach).  

I ran one race while training for the NYC Half.  I ran the Orlando Best Damn Race 10k and really enjoyed it.  This was a peak week for me and my legs were toast.  I managed to go 1:03:29 and was very happy with that.  I secretly wanted to PR or go a little faster but I am OK with that!  My current PR is 1:02: with some change, I forgot already!

So thats how my training went :)

I have a few goals I am going to share.  These are very loose goals because this is my first half marathon in well over a year.  I have no idea where my half fitness is, in terms of racing.  Obviously I would Love a shiny new PR but thats not what I am aiming for.  Besides having fun and running through my favorite place in the World, Times Square, I want to see where my half fitness is.

Finished BDR 10K

Ideally, Here is what I would like to see and here are by A, B, C Goals:

A Goal: 2:15

B Goal 2:18 (This would be a coarse PR, I think)

C Goal - Keeping an 11:00 pace or better and not die :)

How do you determine your goals for race day?

Anyone know of any way to make my Macbook Pro faster?

NYC Half Marathon training week 2

Slow down! Slow down! TIME

I swear, I can’t catch my breath!  It’s already the last week of the semester and the stress of students testing is ridiculous.   I want them to do amazing (Why don't some students care if they do well?)- I need AP students :)

Just wanted to show my pinterest fail 

We are already in the second week of the new year and I just completed my second week of half marathon training.  Wasn't yesterday just Thanksgiving?

This week of NYC Half Marathon training went surprisingly well.

Many days this week the weather was nice.  I was also put on steroids last week and I was told I may have kick ass workouts while I was on them, yea, I believe that to be true!  

I didn’t know how this week would go with being back to work and staying up way to long creating review games, etc. for my students.  By Wednesday, I was in bed with the lights out at 7:45.  Unfortunately I was not sleep till 9 but hey, I will take it!

To keep it short, here is how this week went

Monday: 4 miles, two at tempo.  9:42, 9:29- I am hoping this isn’t JUST because of the roids

Wednesday: 3 mile recovery

Thursday:  7 mile long run @ 11:20 pace - I am so tired I was so surprised by this.  (Shark week also came the next day, TMI- which could be why this was a faster paced run for me)

Saturday: 3 mile recovery with Behn

Sunday: 2.7  I was surprised I made it that far.  It was miserable!  This Florida humidity is truly killing me slowly!

Thats how my week went, how was your week?

This week my students test and we start getting ready for 150 new students in my classes! WooHoo!

This week I also hope to start making plans to go to NY to run this race.  Anyone else plan on being there?

Oh, and happy half birthday to me!