Shameless Horn Tooting

Don't you hate it when people just brag about how awesome they are? Especially when they show you evidence of their awesome-ness as if you really needed to see it?
Yeah, me too.

Hey, guys! Guess how awesome I am!

Last weekend Jim and I ran a Shamrock Half Marathon in Saratoga Springs. We were really excited for this race not because it was anything special or a big race. In fact, it was pretty small and in the middle of freakin' nowhere. But we haven't ran a race since December in Vegas so we were both a little anxious to get to a starting line--and even more important, a finish line.
The race started out at a steady incline and quickly transitioned into a decent climb only about 2 miles in.
It didn't stop there. If we weren't running up a significant hill on the side of a highway, we were running through rolling hills of neighborhoods and unfinished subdivisions.
The wind was pretty intense in some parts. We were lucky in the sense that we eventually got the wind behind us and I'm pretty sure that mile 11-12 was as fast as it was because we had a little assistance.
As we ran down our last hill at mile 12, I took a glance at my Garmin and started crunching some numbers. At the pace I was running, I was really really close to my time for the Provo Halloween Half Marathon-- which was almost entirely downhill! There was a guy up ahead of us that Jim and I wanted to pass and that made me kick up the pace just a little more. I can keep this pace! I can seriously keep this pace!
There's a couple up ahead of us. Maybe we can pass them. I'm not going to speed up. Maybe I will just lucky and pass them.
Yep, passed them. We picked it up in high gear the last .2 miles and as I crossed the finish line I checked my time. 2:32!! And what was my time at the Provo Halloween Half? 2:32!!
Damn straight. I just ran a mostly uphill course in the same amount of time it took me to run a downhill course last year. I felt amazing. I was on a runner's high all day.

Shamrock Half Marathon - Saratoga Springs, UT 

On a separate but equally awesome note - we finally organized our race bibs. We made racks a little while ago to hang our medals but our bibs were just kind of hanging on the end.
We found a post on Pinterest (yes, Pinterest. I'm obsessed. Don't judge. Most of you are, too) where someone displayed their bibs in a collage.
So we did it! And they turned out awesome!

The board on the far left and the medals on the white board are mine. It's a work in progress!
Jim had enough bibs to fill one and a half boards which is awesome. Looking at the blank spots on our boards made us more excited to get some races done this summer. Good thing we're coming up on racing season! Woo Hoo!

Only 6 weeks away from the marathon now. (eeeek!)
We have an 18-mile and a 20-mile run on the schedule in the next few weeks. I'll let you know how it goes

Or brag about it. Whatever.

Excess Amounts of Ketchup

Sorry!!! I know..It's been foooooorrreeeeevvvvv-er. We are in full-blown marathon training mode and it's time that I finally let you guys in our progress.

Because it's been so long, there's a ton of stuff that we've done that I can't remember.
In my last post I told you guys that we were getting ready to run the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in December.
Well, we did! There were pros and cons to that race which I'll tell you about but let me preface this list by saying that we will probably never run that race again. OK...

Pro 1:. I got to see Vegas for the first time. Seriously. I finally saw Sin City at 25 years old. I was excited to see all the lights and sounds that Vegas has to offer and it was everything I thought it would be.

At the starting line outside of Mandalay Bay

Pro 2: My sister and John came to Vegas to hang out / support us in the race. I was really happy that the first time I got to play in Vegas, I had my little sister and bro-in-law along with me. Plus it's convenient that John is Jim's best friend so double win for us.

Pro 3: We got a medal. And it glows in the dark.

Blue medal for the half marathon, pink for the full. Which some people complained about but we found later that we had a ton of respect for the people wearing the pink medals that weekend.

Con 1: There were WAY too many people at that race. They should have capped that race way before they actually did. When you have over 20 different corrals of people to start the race and it takes you 40 minutes just to get the start line once the race begins, that's just TOO many runners.

Con 2: It was ridiculously cold for Vegas! I know it was December but DAMN! I might have had a little bit of a skewed idea of what Vegas weather is like but even Jim said it was unusually cold. Add that to the fact that we had to stand around in a crowd for 40 minutes before we could even move and that made for a very uncomfortable start. 

Con 3: I bought new shoes and they hurt my feet. All I wanted at the end of that race was to be out of the cold and rain (oh yeah...it started raining the last mile) and off my swollen feet. And thank goodness we didn't end up trying to take the light rail back to the hotel because that would have required us to go into Mandalay Bay which apparently turned into a news-worthy nightmare. An insane amount of people rushed into the hotel to get out of the crazy cold rain and literally got stuck in the hallways. Too many people in one place at one time led to reports of runners vomiting, fainting and not receiving medical attention due to overcrowding. We avoided it but it was kind of crazy to be part of something that runners were talking about for weeks later. 

Con 4: The race was at night so we could experience the lights of Vegas but because of that we couldn't really "play" Friday night and all Saturday afternoon. Which doesn't seem so bad but in the end we decided that races done of out of town need to be planned better because waiting around to enjoy our vacation until the last day didn't really work out in the end. Now we now. 

OK....so now we are up to the point where we get into full marathon training mode. Jim made up a calendar with all the training runs he did to train for his marathons last year. We've been following a set schedule of long and short runs that vary locations which also mean a variation in elevation. 

Last week we ran 16 miles from Sugarhouse Park, through the avenues, up to the capital and back to the park. Which meant ridiculous amounts of hill climbing including..........Virginia Street. The worst uphill climb I've ever done. After that street we had only run 8 miles and I was exhausted. I told Jim I was feeling a little emotional and if I cried at the end of the run to not be surprised. By the time I got to the 13 mile mark, I took a peek at my Garmin and found that I had ran the 13 miles in the same amount of time that it took me to run my first half marathon which was completely flat. 

So basically, I was able to climb several hills and run the same distance in the same amount of time. 

I had a moment when I was actually pretty proud of myself. I've come a long way since July when I almost died in the Legacy Half Marathon. 

Now I just have to add on an additional 10 miles to the run I did last week to finally complete a full marathon. 

I'm getting more and more anxious / excited for California. We've bought our plane tickets, hotel and registration. 

No turning back now!! We're 9 weeks away from the hardest physical accomplishment I will have completed to date. 

More blog posts to come, I promise. This was way too much ketchup. 

But you guys ordered it! So eat up! :)

More Ketchup Please....

Hello friends!

Did you think I forgot about this little ol' blog? That I've walked (or run) away and left y'all behind?? Don't you worry. It's time for more "ketchup". I fully admit that I have no clue what week of training I'm in. My bad.
And to avoid this being a ridiculously long blog, I'm just going to stick to the main events in my little quest over the last 3 months.
Sound good?
OK...here we go.

A few months ago I came home from work to a surprise present from Jim. In order to better track my progress and feel more like an "official" awesome runner, Jim bought me a Garmin Forerunner 210. It's a great GPS running watch that keeps track of my heart rate, distance, pace and elevation all at one time. Its light, convenient and super accurate. After a run we can come home and upload my run info right onto the computer and watch my progress. I haven't done a single run since then without it. I HIGHLY recommend one of these. Totally worth it.
Thank you, Jim. I love you :)

Garmin Forerunner 210. For those who want to be more awesome....

So, it's no surprise to those of you that know Jim or have been following this blog that he started seriously running about a year before I did. He has a lot more experience with the ups and downs of being a distance runner and, of course, has completed more races than I have.

His collection of medals was starting to get more and more impressive and I was starting to get a small collection of my own. We wanted to find a place where we could proudly display our accomplishments because it just didn't feel right leaving them in the closet. We worked hard for those medals. And we are definitely the kind of people that want to show them off. 

So we did.

We built our own display board for our medals and running bibs and hung them in our dining room. 

My board is so sad compared to his!! I'm working on it, though. Next to my board there is a calendar that starts December 2011. This is our set training schedule for my first full marathon in April. More on that in a minute.



We recently took a trip back to San Francisco. Perhaps you might remember that during our last trip to San Fran, we ran in wigs along side some nakeds in the Bay to Breakers 12k. We weren't there for a race this time. Jim was a groomsman in the wedding of one of his good friends/fraternity brothers so we had the opportunity to party in one of our favorite places and Jim was able to catch up with friends he rarely gets an opportunity to see anymore.
And of course while we were there, we wanted to do a few runs. We were so lucky in the fact that our hotel was only two short blocks from the ocean and there was a trail along the beach to run. SCORE!!
We ran twice while we were there and took the trail along the beach and into Golden Gate Park.
Anytime you have an opportunity to run along the beach...TAKE IT! Maybe its just because I'm a land-locked runner but I was soooo excited to get the opportunity to look at the gorgeous waves and have the ocean breeze cool us off. I know that sounds cheesy but I don't care. It was awesome. It just made me more excited for my first full marathon. More on that in a minute. (I promise)

We didn't take a picture of the trail. So here is a picture of us later in Golden Gate Park.
(Go Bears!)

Halloween Half Marathon - Provo, UT

I was so excited for this race!! I hadn't done a race since July and was starting to get a little anxious. Jim ran this last year and had a lot of fun so I was happy that we got to run it together this year. 

And since its a Halloween Half Marathon, we just HAD to wear wicked cool costumes. 

Hence the Ninja Turtles. 

Pre Race 

The great thing about this race is not only the costumes but also the downhill. We started up Provo Canyon at the Alpine Loop which is about 2 miles past Sundance Resort and we ran down. And when I say down...I mean it. Downhill is fun because you feel really speedy but after a while it really starts to impact your body. My quads, butt and feet were KILLING me by the end of this race. 

But during the 13.1 miles, we were able to really enjoy the gorgeous scenery. The leaves are all changing color and falling to the ground. We ran through a park along a small river with trees that formed a canopy above us. We saw pirates, clowns, cheerleaders, vampires, football players, BYU fans (boo!), robots, a sumo wrestler and one group who dressed up as the cast of Despicable Me. 

This was nothing like the last half marathon I did. It was nice and cool outside. There were tons of people and the race started at 9am on a Saturday. Not 9pm on a Friday. 

I didn't feel nearly as tired and there were no episodes of hyperventilation. It wasn't until about the last 2 miles that I was really getting anxious for the finish line and that was mostly just because my feet hurt so bad. I've put a few too many miles on my running shoes and I could certainly feel it at that point. But when we crossed that finish line and I heard the announcer call out our names and the little kid dressed as Dracula handed me my medal, I was happy. And not JUST because the race was over. But because I actually enjoyed myself. I actually had fun.That's very important, people. Don't do something you don't enjoy doing. You're just going to be miserable.

Oh and in case you were wondering about my time.....2:32:09!! Almost a full 30 minutes faster than my last race. Hell yeah!! (Jim was 2:32:12....hahaha!) 

Post Race with our medals. I'm tired but very happy. This is a real smile.

But alas, the next morning when I woke up, I felt like I had been hit by a semi. Every muscle in my body hurt. It took a lot of effort to get out of bed and walk around. Jim lovingly called me Gimpy and it was totally true. The worst of all the muscle groups at that time was my ass. No joke, you guys...I covered my butt cheeks in Icy-Hot.

Then we went to my sister's house for brunch and football. While in the kitchen my brother-in-law, John, says "What is that smell?" And I had to bow my head and admit "It's my ass. My ass smells like an old man."

There was so much menthol floating around that house that our breakfast burritos might as well have been topped with Icy-Hot instead of sour cream since that was all we could really taste anyway. I actually made Jim massage my butt cheeks. In front of my mother. I didn't even care. They hurt. 

And all I could say in response to my offensive smell and lying on the couch getting a good ol' fashioned ass massage? "I'm an athlete!"

So now, we get ready for the big stuff. We are keeping ourselves in shape and ready for the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas on December 4th. We are still debating on our costumes for that one so keep your eyes on Facebook for pictures the day of the race. 

Before that we have the Cottonwood Heights Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. This was the fist race Jim and I did as a couple when we first started dating last year. My sister, Carly, called it our "5k-versary". Ahhh...how sweet. 

Then, when we get home from Vegas we start our serious and structured full marathon training for the Big Sur Internationl Marathon in Monterey, CA on April 29, 2012. We get to return to the ocean and run a full 26.2 miles along the coast line. We are running this marathon with our friends Ellie and Jason. This will be the first full marathon for all of us but Jim. I can't wait to see how gorgeous this course is. I'm excited to run at sea level again. And I'm excited that apparently we get beer at the end of this race. SCORE AGAIN! 

Should you want to see pictures of what we will be running, here is the link to their website. 

http://www.bsim.org/site3.aspx

OK....I think we are all caught up. I'm sure there is stuff I missed but I will include it in a future blog. 

Sorry for the long post again. 

My bad! 

Legacy Midnight Half Marathon : A story of survival

So as you might have seen / heard on Facebook, I completed my first half marathon this last weekend.
And forgive me for saying / typing this but Holy Sh** Balls, Batman. That was rough!!
Let me tell you the story of how I barely survived 13.1 miles.

And how I'm crazy enough to do it again....

The half marathon was scheduled for 10pm on Friday night. Which meant that we (meaning Coach Jim and I, of course) had to work all day and then go run for a few hours. And of course, because I needed time to de-stress and relax for a few minutes, I missed the Trax train home and had to wait a half hour for the next one. Which made me late to get home which left no time to get rid of all the clutter in my brain.
I was off to a fantastic start.
So after a quick little hissy fit about being too tired to do this crap and dragging myself to the car, I shrugged off the negative attitude since that just won't help anyone and we headed up to Farmington.
We had to catch the bus to the starting line at 8pm and I'm really not sure why they left that early because the race didn't start for 2 hours so once we got there we had to just stand around and wait. And of course, since we forgot to put on bug spray, there were mosquitoes everywhere. (Wow...we're good at this.)
We sat around and contemplated our bitchin' outfits for a while. That passed the time.

Notice all the glow sticks behind me. We weren't messin' around...

The whole time we were hanging out before the race started, I was mostly thinking about what to do to make the best running-friendly glowstick outfit. Not so much about the fact that this wasn't just another 5k. I have to run 4 back to back 5ks.

But we looked good! See! 

I like that Jim looks like a super hero with the Spartan logo and a utility belt :)

We didn't get a picture of the starting line but it was a lit up archway in the middle of the dark trail. It looked pretty cool. And it wasn't until we were herd like cattle to the front of the line that I realized, "holy crap. I have to do this now. It's time to run....for a really long time. What have I done??"

I tend to do better in races and I think it's the energy from all the other racers that help me stay pumped.So I tend to take off a little too fast from the starting line which wears me out after a few miles. For those moments when I start to slow down or get a little frustrated, I have an awesome coach to help me stay motivated. 

That said, the first 5 miles went by pretty smooth. I would say they went by fast but that would be a total lie. If it wasn't so dark outside, I probably could have seen that stupid snail cruisin' past me. Damn, he sucks. 

At the 5 mile mark, Jim's mom, aunt and nephew were there to cheer us on. I couldn't believe they were up that late. I mean, it was past my bedtime on the bus ride to the starting line! So they snapped a few pictures while I was still feeling good. I just wish it stayed that way!! 

(staged) Action shot! I'm surprised she even got this picture. I mean, we're so fast....

Miles 5 - 7 were pretty uneventful except that I had to pee really bad. Running when you have to pee sucks! I felt like I was carrying an extra 50 lbs around in my bladder. And it got worse as the miles went on and on and on and on. 

But somewhere out in the dark, dark distance we could hear a tiny little voice yelling "Gatorade, water and Gu!" I hear you little kid! And I know there's a porta potty up there with you! I can make it....just a little bit farther until the sweet, sweet porta potty. 

Ew...this blog totally veered left. Sorry..back on track. 

I think I started to notice how tired I was about 8 miles in. By that time, I had matched my farthest distance. Every mile past that was marking another small victory. But it was painful. 

We got to ten miles and the guy at the water station reminds us of how many miles we have left. "Just a 5k left now," he says. 

I can do that! I've done a few 5ks! This is nothing....

WORST 5K EVER!!! 

My feet were screaming at me. My legs are like jello and I feel like no matter how hard I try, I can't catch my breath. Which actually led to a scary little episode where I actually hyperventilated. No joke. 

I really don't want to admit that because its not like I was competing in the Iron Man! I've only run 11 miles! 

But that was still farther than I had run so I was tired and not paying attention to my breathing. It only happened for about 20 seconds or so but it was enough to scare the crap out of me and Jim. Once my lungs decided to stop freaking out, we were on our way again with only 1.5 miles to go. 

The last mile was the longest mile I have ever run....ever. This was the point where I started to feel a little emotional. I seriously had a moment where I thought the finish line was fictional. All I wanted in my life in those last few minutes was a view of the finish line so I knew it actually existed. 

Finally...in the distance...in that smelly parking lot in Farmington, the finish line stood gloriously ahead of us. I'm pretty sure I blacked out the last few feet. I heard Jim tell me to smile as we crossed the line. I don't remember what I said in response but it probably wasn't even in words. I think it was more of a grunt. I didn't smile. But I made it. 

A few feet from the finish line. I'm dying right now!

The cut off time for the half marathon was 3 hours. My time.....2:57:51.

Ha! I did it!! I successfully completed a half marathon! Woo hoo!

I have never been so physically exhausted in my life. 

Forced smile...barely conscious

Even though it was rough, I'm really glad I did it. It's such an amazing feeling of accomplishment when you're finally done and can actually comprehend what the hell is going on around you.

So, on that note, I have 3 more half marathons to do before this year is over. 

1. Fire Station Half Marathon in Sandy, UT

2. Halloween Half Marathon in Provo, UT

3. Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas, NV

And then.....the first FULL marathon. 

We're all registered for the Big Sur International Marathon along the California coast line in April.

I've got a lot of work to do, y'all. And don't worry, I'll keep you posted on the ups and downs. 

I have a feeling there will be a lot of them. 

Ketchup

I know its been a little while since I've blogged and now I need ketchup. (hehe see what I did there. Clever, huh?). So sit back and relax because this is gonna be a loooooooong blog.


Week 7

ummmm....I can't even remember what I did this week. So let's just pretend that I did a ton of running and it went totally smooth with no hissy fits, pouting, bargaining, falling or cussing.



Week 8: Smile Center Memorial Day 10k  - Orem, UT 


This was my first 10k. Now you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, you did a 12k last month. How hard could   a 10k be for you?" Well my friends, let me tell you something that I've learned throughout this little quest of mine. Altitude totally counts! Seriously.
There was no Devil Hill during this 10k but we were back in Utah altitude.It was raining (of course) and a little cold and at one point we were running on the side of the road with lots of nasty exhaust. Once we got through that, we took a trek through Orem suburbia which was actually quite pleasant. Until we passed a sign around 3 miles which lovingly said:  "If you would have run the 5k, you'd be done by now."
Thanks, Sign. You're a jerk.

Around 3.5 miles, I really started to struggle. I wanted to walk soooo bad. My calves were tight and I was hoping that my panting wasn't too obvious to Coach Jim because I didn't want him to know that I was having a rough time. I mean, we're only half way through. So I decided to just suck it up and keep going although my pace seriously slowed.
All of a sudden, the Running Gods looked upon my poor desperate ass and said, "Maybe we should help a sister out." Thank you! I needed that.
Mile 4-5 was freaking awesome! I picked up pace and felt amazing! I felt like I was just out for a stroll. Unfortunately it only lasted that one mile because 5-6 was rough. Not as rough as someone else who ran it before me, however, because they actually puked all over the sidewalk.
And they had oatmeal for breakfast. Did you get that visual? Good. And you're welcome.
Check out my stats. And a picture. Because that's what we do.

Week 9: Pride Day 5k - Memory Grove Park - Salt Lake City, UT 


Talk about a fun race! It was the next closest thing to the Bay to Breakers. Except there were no Nakeds.
I loved the overall attitude of this race. Everyone was there to have a great time and share an overall message of love and diversity. Plus it was a SUPER gorgeous day outside which made for a very nice run through Memory Grove by the capital building.
But alas....I can't have too nice of a run. That just wouldn't be right. So of course there was a massive hill. Again....ugh.
I've decided that when you walk up a hill but make the arm motion like you're running, it totally counts. So if anyone ever tells you that you're not actually running, tell them they're stupid and keep on truckin' up that mountain!
I ran this race separate from Jim because I could tell that he was really jonesing to run really fast. Plus, he just got a wicked tattoo to honor his awesome marathon achievements so I think that might have added to his desire to kick some 5k ass. Check it out

Jim's bitchin tattoo 

This 5k was really cool and I feel like I had a good run. My official time was 33:10 so my average pace was about 10:40/mile.

Before race 

After. PS...no one wanted a hug :(

Week 10

So, no running this week. Just imagine week 7 but with the hissy fits and cussing. That's all I'm going to say about that.


Week 11


No race this week, just training runs. So we actually went back to the same location at the capital building but instead of running 3 miles, we did 7. I had to run that stupid hill again but I'm told that hills are actually really good for you when training. So up we go. Again....ugh.
Those of you that live in Utah know that the area around the capital is anything but flat.So its no surprise that if you travel along that area in the early morning hours during the summer, you are sure to find lots of runners and bikers out there getting in their cardio burn. It was kind of nice to pass by people and say hello and get a smile and nod from the other runners who are sharing my pain. Even that lady with fantastic legs who isn't even breaking a sweat. She's suffering. I just know it. She just has to be! Either way, it feels like a little community and I'm kind of glad I get to experience that every once in a while.
This was also my first run that I've ever used an energy aid other than Gatorade during a run. If any of you out there are running long distances and not using something like GU or Shot Blocks, STOP DOING THAT! Seriously, you're body is stressed the hell out when you put it through that many miles and it needs fuel. I felt awesome during my run but I know I couldn't have done it without a little pick me up. I definitely recommend trying these little miracles on your next run. You won't regret it.

The next few weeks will be serious training because I'm running my first Half Marathon (ahhhhh!!) on July 15th. Wow....that's only a few weeks away.
I'm a little bit sick to my stomach just thinking about it.


Whew..holy long blog, Batman!!
Sorry 'bout that. I promise to keep in touch more, OK? Don't leave angry mob posts on my Facebook page anymore. Mom, I'm looking at you. You totally started it.
:)

Week 6: Bay to Breakers - San Francisco, CA

Top 10 things I learned (or didn't learn) during my experience at the 100th annual Bay To Breakers 12k in San Francisco, CA 


10. Find a happy place before your run. Center your chi...or whatever

Lake Tahoe! 

                                     



9. Wear comfortable clothing that you can run in. Nudity is not recommended only because of chafing
     issues*

Jealous?

     
                                     

                                           












   *(side note...my shorts led to major thigh chafing that HURT and looks like road rash. Lesson learned.)





8.  Do not wear masks or anything that will impair your vision.

Pac Man ghosts!

7.  Do not run with sticks...you learned this in kindergarten. 

6.  Keep your eyes forward at all times. Keep your focus on the road ahead of you. 

5. Acknowledge supporting spectators but only take what they are offering you if it's water....not booze.

These Smurfs are freakin wasted.

4. On the same note, ignore spectators that may be "heckling" you. 

I'm still not sure why these people were there and why they're so angry. Maybe it was all the Nakeds.

3. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. And make sure you get a picture of your 

     boyfriend's bitchin' reflection. 

2.  Always keep a positive attitude. 

And number 1......hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 

Quite possibly one of the worst pictures ever taken. But I show you because I love you. This beer was so delicious.

Needless to say, Bay To Breakers was awesome despite the chafing and a massive hill created by the Devil himself. That thing sucked!! But we had a blast and the route was gorgeous (except the Devil hill). We even saw a guy do a beer bong out of a 3rd story window! I mean, that's just impressive, I don't care who you are.

This was the farthest distance to date (7.46 miles) that I have run consecutively and despite a few points where I saw my life flash before my eyes (the worst being around mile 6), I think I did OK. It made it all worth it to enjoy the party that is San Francisco. Who wouldn't love a city that gets plastered to run a 12k and thinks clothing is optional?!

I say I'm going to move there. Coach Jim might have a different opinion....

    

Week 5: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k

Week 5 sucked.

Well...let me start over. Week 5 started out great! Throughout my training runs during the week I managed to keep a steady pace and shave almost 2 minutes off my regular time. And these were done with little to no complaining which was a HUGE accomplishment for me. I'm sure Coach Jim really appreciated the few days that I didn't bitch and moan about one thing or another.
(You're welcome, honey.)

And then....

Saturday came.

Saturday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k. I have done this 5k several times but I've never actually run it for several reasons.

1. I was chunky.
2. I was lazy.
3. I was (probably) hung over
4. I was a chunky hung over lazy person who just wanted to go to back to bed.

But alas, in my quest to become a super awesome runner, I have to actually run this 5k. Go fig.

One of the reasons it was so hard to run this 5k was the amount of people there. I think at one point I heard an announcer say there were an estimated 20,000 in attendance. That's an extraordinary large amount of people. And that's awesome! This is a great event and its for a great cause. But seriously...how in the hell do you run a race with 19,999 other people?? Solution: get in the front of the starting line and just haul ass in front of everyone!
Ummmm....no, that still didn't work.
Everyone took off of that starting line like tons of pink bats outta hell and I was still just trying to find my footing in all the madness. I couldn't really focus much on my running in the beginning because I was mostly just making the motion to make it look like I was running but really I was just trying not to get trampled. Then it was a matter of maneuvering around strollers, kids, dogs and old people.
Oh! And at one point, the road had a bump that I swear came out of nowhere and I almost face planted. Funny for others to watch, I'm sure. But not so much for me.
Anyway...once I was able to get through the crowd and into a somewhat decent area to run in, I could finally focus on what I was doing. But that still didn't help. My heart rate was out of control and I felt like my legs weighed about 20 lbs each. I had to walk several times and just could not keep a consistent pace. I was frustrated with myself and wanted to just run faster. I felt like I was back at square one and got a little discouraged to think about how far I still have to go. Needless to say...the entire race was like that.

Coach Jim says sometimes you just have a bad run. I can definitely say that's true.
Considering how many people were there and how many times I had to walk, my time wasn't too bad. It was only 2 minutes longer than the previous 5k. So in normal, sensible-person reality, that's great! I should be happy! But I'm a little bit crazy and I can definitely admit that I'm too hard on myself most times.
Overall, I should be proud of the work I did.

But I certainly made up for my lack of complaining during the week with lots of whining in those few minutes of the race.

I also had a few people comment on our cute shirts so I wanted to give a shout out to Mandi!
These shirts were for her team The Elemonators. She posts a blog about her battle with breast cancer and she's a very strong chica for everything she has to go through. We were definitely proud to rock those shirts.
Check it out

http://www.darngoodlemonade.com/

We are on our way to San Francisco this week so I will be sure to update you on that race when we get back

Week 4: Salt Lake Running Co. 5k

I fully admit that week 4 was a slacker week for me. Because he can't speak and therefore can't stick up for himself, I'm going to blame a dog for my laziness.
I was dog sitting a super adorable basset hound named Bailey. Since I was staying at his house and had to be home right after work to feed him and supply with him with more prescription medications than an 80 year-old man, I didn't have time to stop by my gym and get on the elliptical. Damn you, Bailey! How dare you distract me with all your floppy cuteness!

Needless to say, I got very few runs in but I did manage to complete a 5k on Saturday that was hosted by the Salt Lake Running Company.
My ultimate goal was to complete a 5k in less than 40 minutes since the last one I did (South Jordan Valentine's Day 5k) was 42 minutes. I felt good because not only did I beat my time by achieving a 36 minute race, we also ran in the cold! Utah weather acts a little like a paranoid schizophrenic so at the slightest sign of reasonable Spring temperatures, Mother Nature threw out a batch of snow that reached 10 inches in some places in the valley. The freeway was covered in slush and we saw 3 accidents on our way to the race.
Now image this...its a FREE 5k so it's not like we would be out any money. We already have our shirts so we could totally lie and say that we did it and have proof to back it up. We can run 3.1 miles anywhere, at any time. What's our motivation for going to this thing at 6:30am? in the snow? More free stuff, of course! Salt Lake Running Co. was also holding a raffle with tons of free crap. I mean, I might not ever use that multicolored head band or autographed picture of some runner I've never heard of. But its FREE! I have to have it.
And after all of that, we didn't even win anything. I think it was rigged.

                                             Evidence: we were totally there...honest. The shirt doesn't lie.

I did get a present last week, anyway.
A few weeks ago, Jim and I were watching TV and a commercial for gel insoles for high heels came on. Instead of saying to him that I wanted some new high heels, I turned to him and told him I wanted a pair of hot pink running shoes. Holy crap....my life has changed A LOT in the last few months.
Jim was so happy about what I said, he went online and bought me said shoes as a surprise.

              
                                                                         Hot, right?

                          Coach Jim is lucky he's faster than me. And what the hell are my hands doing??


What's even better than having hot pink running shoes?
Having a coach / boyfriend that has bright orange ones.

                                                                 Ah, aren't we precious?


Next week I have another 5k. The week after that will be a run in sunny San Francisco. You don't want to miss that one because that run might have naked people. Stay tuned...