Friday, June 28, 2013

30th Post Giveaway! Closes 07.05.2013

Hmmm... today brings my 30th post to this blog.  Can you believe it?  Whoop!  I really can't believe it myself.  I thought I would run out of things to say once I recapped all my races, but I guess not!

I think I need to celebrate.  And why not celebrate with some free stuff?!  I mean, who doesn't like free stuff?

 

In conjunction with my sister's Etsy business, BellasBoutiqueMN, for the next week I am offering you a chance at winning a free prize!

What's the prize, you ask?

Well, remember this post a few weeks back?  If not, go read it because... you're about to have a chance at a super awesome wicking headband!

A few pictures of me, rockin' the bands...



Here's the scoop:

Two lucky people will get to choose any color headband shown here.  Winners will be randomly selected on 07/06/2013, and their names will be posted on my blog the following Monday.


How to enter:

Option 1 - Share my blog post via my daily Facebook link.  You must share it from my original post, or it does not count.  You will be able to see that link ONLY if we are friends on Facebook.

Option 2 - Subscribe to my blog.  If you are not friends with me on Facebook, you will still have a chance to win this way.  (Need help on this?  I've added a subscribe link on the upper right column of my blog for easier access, or you can go to www.blogger.com/home to set up an account and add me manually from there.)


If you do BOTH 1 & 2 above, you get two entries.  Go for the gold, come on!


How to redeem your prize:

This is the most important part.  If your name is posted as a "winner" (I mean, yes, we're all winners at heart... but that doesn't guarantee you a prize), you must contact me ASAP with your shipping address and color choice.  I will then arrange the headbands deliver to you directly.  Winners must contact me by 07/12/2013 or prize will be forfeited.



BTW... good news!  During my giveaway, BellasBoutiqueMN is also offering a BOGO sale.  So, if you see anything in the shop that looks exciting to you, go for it!  Just purchase the higher priced of the two items in your shopping cart and check out.  Then, in the notes section, include details on what you want your "free" item to be.  Easy-peasy, and no extra shipping fees.


That's it.  Good luck!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Rainbow Run 5K 2013 (Pride & Cereal?)



Rainbow Run 5K (3.15 miles)
29:35
Average Pace 9:32/mile


As a happy kick off to Pride Week, the Twin Cities had it's first slew of events this past weekend.  While most of them either didn't interest me, or I didn't have time for them (considering my busy weekend), I did manage to sneak one event in. 

If you read my post last Friday, you know that on Sunday, I ran the Rainbow Run 5K!



So... here goes the race recap / report!

Let's start with the day before, because this will become somewhat relevant to my performance in the race. 

I woke up bright and early Saturday (6am, blech) so that I could eat a light breakfast and have a settled stomach before teaching the 8:30am Instructor's Choice class at the gym.  If you know me at all, you know I am NOT a morning person.  In fact, if I ruled the world, I'd sleep 'till noon every day and all race directors would have gun times after 5pm by law

Obviously, I do not rule the world.  Pout!




Anyhow, I taught class, and participated in it pretty much full tilt.  Which was not really the greatest idea given my race the next day, but I was just having so much dang fun doing it.  Oh well, life goes on.

After class, I headed home to freshen up, pack up, and head to the Mall of America. 

I can hear all my friends screaming... WHY?!?!!??  It's true, most of us local Twin Cities folks avoid MOA like the plague.  But, back in April I had a little overnight birthday celebration there, and due to a less than stellar stay at the new Radisson Blu MOA, I was given a credit for a future one night free stay.  With the hotel being about 20 minutes away from the start line of the Rainbow Run (as opposed to 45-60 minutes from my house), I thought this would be as good a time as any to use up the voucher and save myself some pre-race drive time.

Since this is the third year of the Rainbow Run, and since my sister and I have done it every year, she drove down from "up norf" to meet me at the mall.  We dropped our bags in our room and hoofed the mall for over 5 hours straight (actually closer to 7 hours for me, since I got there early to do a few errands by myself first). 

As Kevin from the Office would say, "Man, my dogs were barking" by about 8pm:



So, we wrapped up a late-late-late dinner at Crave, and around 10pm off to bed we went.

****WARNING: Soap Box - I still don't recommend Raddison Blu.  Although it was an OK stay and the staff did their best, their hotel design is AWFUL!  The doors they put on each room weigh about 10,000 lbs and uncontrollably slam shut LOUDLY.  To make matters worse, the hallways offer very little in the area of sound absorption for even quiet convesation.  So you can just about imagine what it's like when people come "home" from 11PM to 2AM on a Saturday night.  End soap box.****

Sunday morning.  BEEP-DING-BUZZ-MOO (insert your alarm sound of choice here)... time to get up!  With a less than ideal night's rest, and stiff legs from the day before, my sister and I suit up for the race and off we go.



Fun fact - a male gorilla escaped his enclosure at the zoo in the late 80's/early 90's.  I was a kid at the time, and remembered the story being all over the news.  Too bad he didn't do it this year and join us on our 5K... *wink*.

With the race starting at 9am, we aimed to get there around 8:30.  I was a little nervous about finding the actual location of the start line, since there are multiple pavilions at Como Zoo and I didn't know East from West from Butt-crack.  And, nothing was signed accordingly, everything just said "shelter area".  :-(!!

After a few circles around the park, we saw an inflatable rainbow arch and assumed that was the start.  We parked along the side of the road and headed towards the pavilion.

As long as we're talking parking... yikes.  If this event grows at all next year, there are definitely going to be some problems.  Let's hope they thought about that one...

The pavilion area was very nice, with multiple shelter areas and flushing toilets. 



One of the shelters had packet pick up, so we headed that way.  Upon check in we were given the option of taking our shirt now or post race.  Since I've been at enough races where I've seen people with shirts reserved via pre-registration get screwed on size, I opted with "now".  Sis and I shuffled back to the car to drop off the goods, and pinned on our numbers while we waited.

If you're a swag-whore, the shirts themselves are very nice wicking material in a gender neutral cut.  The upside was they didn't do the ... less desirable... poly/cotton blend shirt from 2012.  However, unfortunately, the downside was the 2013 shirts are the exact same cut/color/logo as the 2011.  I suppose that's not a big deal for everyone who didn't run in 2011... but I sure would have liked something a little different (even just a shirt color change would have been fine... like grey or tan instead of white again).

We killed time after check-in by people watching, and I know they were watching us back as I got several complements on my skirt as did my sister for her pants.  Based on the crowd, I began to wonder if people really knew why the "Rainbow Run" was taking place.  I think about 25% of the group would have been surprised to know it was linked to Pride instead of something more cutesy like "rainbows and unicorns".  But, whatever ... I'm ok with that - as long as everyone is happy running, that's good enough for me.

By about 8:45, people were nervously milling around the inflatable rainbow arch start, and seemed unclear what to do.  I noticed this race had a lot of newbies who were deer-in-headlights anxious.  This became a problem since the organizers didn't say anything to the group about lining up according to pace, running single file, etc, etc, etc.  Because of this, I had my sister push up with me closer to the front than I would normally choose. 

Surprisingly, at the start, they didn't even do an introduction or anything... there was just an odd moment where an MC walked towards the start like we were going to get a speech, and before the speech could even start, a gun went off!  People looked at each other a little wide eyed like "really?", and then just shot out the gate.  I pretty much lost my sister immediately due to the confusion.

The first 5-10 minutes of the race were a little dicey, somewhat as to be expected.  There were people obviously part of running clubs (wearing matching clothing) running 3 wide, walkers starting out up front, and people zigzagging everywhere.  In combination with a narrow asphalt trail and a wet, slippery grass shoulder, it wasn't so great. 

I lost my cool when a pack of 5 people in coordinating team gear were blocking the trail for around a 5-10' section, making it impossible to pass.  Although I feel a little guilty for doing it, I cut across at a hairpin turn to get around these people.  Whatever, with all the swerving I had to do to get around others, I more than made up the distance.

Racer's etiquette:  PLEASE, if you run a 5K that is called a RACE and is chip timed, don't expect to run along side your friends.  By doing so, you screw anyone who is trying to get their personal best.  If you want to be social, go for a group run on your own.  Don't waste someone else's money by cheating them out of a race they paid for.

After I got past the congestion, I started to enjoy the race course.  The trails around Como Park are very nice, although a bit on the hilly side. 



They also have a lot of shady, wooded areas.  I'm sure this would have been great on a sunny day, but with all the rain and storms we've had lately, we were just lucky to even have the race take place.  Unfortunately, the trees became more of a hindrance on this day, as there were several down along the course due to the rough storms the night/nights before.

The humidity from all the storms during the week previous really started to take it's toll on me just before the half way point.  Since I ran a 5K PR in training the week previous (27:02), I was REALLY hoping to get an official time under 28-29 on this course.  But with everything I did Saturday and the heat / hills through out mile 1, I knew I wasn't going to reach my goal.  I had already sweat through my t-shirt, which usually doesn't happen until I start mile 3. 

Learning a trick from TRexRunner, I decided to come up with some goals during mile 2 to motivate myself.  Mentally, I stewed over my top three:

(1) Finish with a 28
(2) Beat my last race PR of 29:15
(3) Finish under 30

It was around this time that I also noticed the course was somewhat of an out and back.  That was a surprise because they didn't post a course that I could find online, and I had figured that with all the trail space in Como, we'd end up running a loop instead.  On the plus side, it wasn't 100% out and back, since we twisted around on some odd side trails along the way.  And that was good, because there was never a point on course where the trail became too congested with runners going both directions.  Kudos to the person who planned the course!

The last mile had a few wicked hills in it, and I had to scream at myself mentally to force myself to keep running up them.  I REALLY wanted a 28 time, although I pretty much knew I wasn't going to get it at that point.  I pushed as hard as I could up the last hill and then flattened out for the home stretch.

As I came around the corner to the start/finish rainbow arch, I literally saw my 28 slip away.  The clock had just hit 29, boo.  But, to lift my spirits, Lucky from Lucky Charms Cereal was giving out high fives just a few yards before the finish mat.  I slapped on my happy face, and truly enjoyed my high five.  The clock read 29 something, but wasn't sure if I hit goal #2 or #3 with my actual chip time.

There was a photographer at the finish, but I'm not sure who it was, so... if I get access to finisher photos later, I'll be sure to post them!

Once I grabbed my water bottle (no post race bananas??!! WTF!!) and had a little time to wind down, I started to slowly walk backwards on the shoulder of the course.  I debated running back to find my sister and then running to the finish with her... but I didn't want to be demotivating to the people who were struggling to finish.  Instead, I clapped for runners as they came, and offered them positive thoughts.

Soon enough, my sister started around the final bend.  I started yelling at her to "not look like she was dying" because there were "photographers at the finish line".  I (think) she appreciated the joke.  I jogged along with her once she reached me, encouraging her to sprint to the finish. 

Afterward, as we roamed the post race festivities, we found this:



Can you imagine eating Lucky Charms covered cupcakes after balls-out running?  I just about puked at the smell.  But I had to take a picture, of course. 

Instead, I grabbed one of these to take home, just for the novelty:



In the same tent as the cereal and cupcakes, they were giving away another t-shirt.  Since I have too many race t's as it is, I didn't want to throw one that I didn't really earn into the mix.  But, my sister grabbed one, so I did get to see it.  It said "Glad to be _______" on the front and "Luckyto.be" on the back (with a little rainbow).  There were also markers at the table so you could fill in the blank with your own personal statement.  Kinda cute.

And not to be left out, before we left to head home, we took a group photo:




On the ride back to the hotel, we debated the merits of the new race location.  Did I enjoy this location versus the downtown route from 2011/2012?  I'm not 100% sure.  Como was pretty, but there was something neat about running on the parade route in previous years.  The spectators were excited for the parade to start and transferred that positive energy to the racers for one, and I feel like there was more "stuff" to be had at the finish line when we ran downtown (IE healthy post race snacks, better organization, etc).  I think in the end, Como is more conducive to hosting simply due to the on course shade and potential for better organization in the future.  My sister had a good point, too - if they ran the race course in reverse at Como, it might actually be better, as we would get to run DOWN the big hill at the beginning instead of up it at the end.  I guess we'll see what they do for 2014.

And that's the VERY LONG story (sorry!!) of how race bib # 29 joined my collection. It reads "2013 Rainbow Run, #48".  I'm not entirely pleased with my performance, but considering my level of activity the day before and the conditions at the race, I am OK with it.  On this hilly route I was only about 20 seconds off of my current 5K PR, which was on a flat fast course, so at least I can be proud of that.
 
 Here's to another race soon!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Let's Stop, I'm Getting Sweaty

I'm a little burned out from my busy weekend of teaching (aerobics on Saturday), spending 7 hours walking the Mall of America, and running a race on Sunday.

So, here's a few funny images for you.  I'll be back on Wednesday with my race recap.



 


 
(FYI - its BEEF CAKE, not beer cake) 

Friday, June 21, 2013

About to be Proud

I hope none of you are prudes, because I'm about to talk about Gay Pride.



As you already know, I'm all about the race costume.  Add to that mix: this weekend is the Twin Cities Pride Parade. 

Seriously.  SERIOUSLY!

Is it any surprise that I LOVE hanging out in an atmosphere that looks like this?




 
 


GAH!  That rainbow dog is just spectacular.  Every time I see that picture I fall in love with it all over again.

OK, OK, back to the topic.  June 21st - 23rd is Pride weekend in the Twin Cities.  While I've always felt very fondly towards the gay community, in the last two years I've become even more invested via the gay marriage debate. 

I never thought I'd be as much as an advocate for Gay rights as I've become.  Not to say that I'm terribly active on the "scene", but I've been known to throw down - in the last year especially.  I am definitely NOT afraid to tell people to stuff it when they start on their homophobic tirades.  And I really cannot comprehend what the issue is with it...



I think part of the reason why I'm so sensitive to the situation is, growing up as a kid, I was bullied. A lot.  (Turns out, chubby/tall kids don't exactly fit in with the "cool kids".  Imagine that.)  Fortunately, the bullying more or less stopped when I got into high school - I lost some of my baby fat, and most of the other kids caught up to me in size. 

Regardless, it was painful enough for me; I can't imagine living your entire life having people picking on you because of who you are.  Needless to say, I absolutely cannot stand people that pick on someone else just because they're different. 



Anyhow!  This went from a fun blog to depressing you.  Let's talk about the fun part! 

Two years ago (in 2011), Twin Cities Pride introduced the Rainbow Run.  It was perfect timing - I had just committed myself to running the year before and was looking for fun new races to try out.  Plus, I had always wanted to experience the Minneapolis Pride Parade.  So, if you're already downtown for a running race, what better excuse can you have to stay and enjoy the fun of the parade?

I managed to talk my sister and cousin into joining me in my shenanigans.  We had a great time!





The race course that year started by crossing the Stone Arch Bridge and then running downtown along the parade route.  It started an hour before the parade and with the sun reflecting on the pavement the entire way, I was SUPER HOT! 

While I did NOT get arrested by the cop behind me, I DID end up running a 33:15 time.



Since we had such fun in 2011, I was able to get everyone to go again in 2012.  The race route was more or less the same... but slightly shorter... somehow coming in at only a 4K this time.  I don't know what changed, honestly.  But I wasn't about to complain, since it was even hotter the second year.

The race directors must have known I was coming, because they added a costume contest in 2012.  WHOOP!  With the gay marriage debate in full swing, costumes aimed towards that theme were encouraged.  My sister and cousin went with a rainbow theme, but I went all out as a spectacular bride in a rainbow spandex running dress and full on rainbow veil.  (Tip: nylon netting is surprisingly NOT breathable and really traps in heat.  Also, veils stick to a sweaty back when you run... try to avoid them at all costs).

 

 

As you may already know, Monte Durham from "Say Yes to the Dress" chose me as the best dressed bride.  That entitled me to a prize as well as VIP shuttle service to the front of the parade with Monte and the other winner ("groom").  Post running the course, we were whisked to the VIP tent.  I spent the next 20 minutes dancing the electric slide in the streets of downtown Minneapolis with various other revelers.  It was a little surreal.  (The groom and I were also supposed to help kick off the parade, but for some reason that changed just minutes before - drat!)



Since I don't know the exact distance of the course or my specific time, I won't bother discussing my performance here.  Besides, I was a little distracted being such VIP status. 

(Funny side note - my husband always thought I was more than a little crazy with my race day costumes until I came home from Pride 2012 with a certificate worth $500 - a 2 night stay at the Grand Hotel with chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of Champagne.  Now he just asks if the race I'm running offers a prize, then tries to gauge if my costume is good enough to win.  LOL!)

Fast forward to now - 2013.  As if you even had to ask... Yes, I'm registered!  And so is my sister (who's running this year - whoop!) 

The course is changed to a hopefully much cooler location for 2013 (Como Park in St. Paul).  And as far as I know, there's no costume contest... but I still have something festive planned.

I'll give you a post race recap next week.  Wish me luck!



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Tunes, Man!

 
 
Being that I run 2-3 times per week (sometimes for up to 2 hours at a time), teach or attend aerobic classes 2-3 times per week, ride my bike for 4-6 hours a week, and hate all the radio stations in the metro area lately thus relying even more heavily on my iTunes collection... I've become some what maniacal about my music in the last few months - especially my running playlists. 

I love music in general, and when you add to that the fact that I need variety so I'm not listening to the same damn thing every time I workout, well... that leads to quite a music collection.  Good thing I'm set up with my iPhone.  It has 32G of storage space, and I've almost filled it full of tunes!

My general collection ranges from Etta James to Metallica to Busta Rhymes, and pretty much everything in between.  But let's face it, "Unchained Melody" isn't exactly gonna get your heart pumping pre-workout or give you the boost you need at mile 11.

So, what's a runner to do?

Lately, I've become quite dependent on the iTunes Genius function.  In fact, I believe that's how I found a couple of my recent favorites - Steve Aoki's album "Wonderland" and a handful of songs by Nero.



For running in particular, normally I have 2 playlists that I rotate heavily between.  One is set up for long distance running and has around 3 hours of music on it, which I titled "Running" (creative, I know).  The other list is perfectly timed out for 5K racing.  Let's look at that one first!

Run 5K Playlist
1 - 3's & 7's, Queens of the Stone Age
2 - Countdown, Beyoncé
3 - Harder Better Faster Stronger, Daft Punk
4 - Sexy and I Know It, LMFAO
5 - Around the World (Radio Edit), Daft Punk
6 - Sandstorm, Darude
7 - Run the World (Girls), Beyoncé
8 - Suck My ...! (X Rated Club Edit), Dickheadz
9 - F**k the Pain Away, Peaches
10 - Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line), N.E.R.D.

Now, if you're good at estimating song times, you'll notice something special in the above.  *wink*

Ok, ok.  I'll spell it out for you.  Around the 25/26 minute mark, the song #8 is set up to play.  Basically, right when I should be giving my all to the 5K and pulling into the finish.  I know, right?!  And just as a little extra insurance, I put #9 on the list for when I'm having a bad race day.  Typically, I never hear song #10, unless I forget to turn off my music post run.  (BTW, I never said I was a FAST runner, for me a 27-28 min 5K is pretty OK).

Here's my other list.  There are a few repeats from above in it, but oh well!

Running Playlist
Headlines, Drake
Move Shake Drop, Dynamix Music
Sexy and I Know It, LMFAO
Drop It Low, Kat DeLuna
Harder Better Faster Stronger, Daft Punk
Prutataaa (Original Mix), Afro Jack
Bounce (Radio Edit), Calvin Harris
Technologic, Daft Punk
Sandstorm, Darude
Gettin' Over You, Fergie & LMFAO
Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit, DJ Hush
Around the World (Radio Edit), Daft Punk
Calabria 2007 (Club Mix), Enur
Suck My ...! (X Rated Club Edit), Dickheadz
Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line), N.E.R.D.
F**k the Pain Away, Peaches
Busy Child, The Crystal Method
Pon de Floor, Major Laser
Wonderman, Tiny Tempah
Let It Loose, Wale
Too Close, Alex Care
Feel It Boy, Beenie Man
Helicopter, Block Party
Want U Back, Cher Lloyd
Maths, Deadmau5
If I Was You (OMG)(Club Remix), Far East Movement
Too Many Dicks, Flight of the Conchords
The Sentinel, Hilltop Hoods
Universal Heartbeat, Juliana Hatfield
Bad Girls, M.I.A.
Promises, Nero
Beez in the Trap, Nicki Minaj
Gangnam Style, Psy
3's & 7's, Queens of the Stone Age
Raining Men, Rihanna & Nicki Minaj
Unstoppable, Santigold
You'll Find a Way, Santigold
Get Busy, Sean Paul
Temperature, Sean Paul
Last Nite, The Strokes
Bout Ta Bubble, Tech N9ne
When I Get You Alone, Thicke
Birthday Cake, Rihanna
Groove is in the Heart, Deee-lite
My Prerogative, Britney Spears
Lemme Get That, Rihanna



And that's it, folks!

What do you listen to when you run?  Leave a comment below and let me know!

Monday, June 17, 2013

I Don't Let Myself *Not* Workout

I get questions all the time about my active lifestyle, and they run the entire gamut:

How do you find the time?
How do you have the energy?
Where do you get the drive?
Etc, etc, etc...

My answer somewhat varies based on the day, but generally can be summed up as:



Since the question usually evolves into a conversation, I have also heard the gamut of responses as to why people DON'T workout:

I just feel so tired at the end of the day.
I just don't have the time. 
My knee/hip/ankles/whatever is bad.
Etc, etc, etc...

And you know what?  I get it.  There are DEFINATELY days where I feel like I've got nothing left in me for a trip to the gym or a run around the neighborhood because it seems like my body just won't take it. 

But then I just say to myself:




And as for having time or dealing with injury: 






So to anyone out there who is struggling to find the energy, time or drive to do it, don't give yourself the option!  Just go.  Do it! 

If you find something you love to do, the rest will work itself out. 

Get moving!  After all...

Friday, June 14, 2013

Healthy Eating Inspiration

I get it!  It's summer.  We all want to grill brats, drink beer, eat a bottomless bag of potato chips and fill our pie holes with ... well, pie! 

While I don't think you have to totally eliminate enjoying the foods of summer, do it within reason and make healthy choices when you can as well.  Here's some motivation to eat healthy this summer, too.  Enjoy!

---

Breakfast:




Lunch:

 
 
 
Snacks:
 
 
 
 
Dinner (with a little extra to prove healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive):
 



Late night snacking:
 


 

 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Product Review: Lucy Run Tank

Awhile back, I decided to finally utilize my group fitness instructor status to get me some sweet, sweet discounts.  Basically, as an instructor, I can get various discounts on fitness products.  Every store varies, and some places offer nada.  But Lucy has a decent discount.  So, while out shopping with my sister, I stopped into a Lucy store and signed up to be a Lucy Pro. 


The sign up process was pretty quick, and since I already own a handful of Lucy products (pre-Pro status), it didn't take me long to settle on what I wanted.  I selected the Pack and Dash Tank.


 


At the time that I purchased, the above blue color was in season.  Checking online now, it looks like they've since updated the color selections and put this particular one on clearance:

New colors: http://www.lucy.com/Pack-and-Dash-Ultimate-Tank/111298,default,pd.html&dwvar_111298_color=LUCY%20WHITE

Clearance: http://www.lucy.com/Pack-And-Dash-Tank/110918_SALE,default,pd.html&dwvar_110918_SALE_color=BLUEFISH%20HEATHER

No matter, I still like the color I got, regardless of it's reject clearance status :-).

I have to say, when I debated buying this, I was almost a NO GO.  For my body shape, having a cinch feature at the hip is usually a big no-no.  Also, the fabric seemed a little on the heavy side, which isn't exactly ideal when you're out for a run and sweating like a pig. 

But the cute ruching on the back, the multiple pockets, and the novelty of having bib holes on the front of the shirt (to pin your race number to), made this tank attractive enough to make me give it a shot.

I've worn this tank for a handful of runs now, and I have to admit, it's pretty nice!

First of all, my fears about the cinch feature at the hip was a non issue.  When you let out the elastic 100%, the shirt hangs free and ends up looking like a typical A-line cut top.  No worries there.

As for the fabric weight, it hasn't seemed to make me hot.  Of course, I haven't run in 100 degree weather or anything, but so far so good!

And as for the pockets - they are really great!  Of course the pockets on both hips are nice, and I used the one with a top flap to hold my energy gels.  Nothing too exciting there.  But more interesting is the center pocket.  As you can see in the above, the center pocket has a cinch strap to keep the top closed so things stay in place while you run.  For me, that pocket works great as an iPhone holder.  I just started my tunes, threw my phone in there, and snugged the top closed.  As a bonus, my headphone wires are just about the right length to make it to my head without any additional wire flopping around.  Score!  At 8-10 miles, the phone held fine, and I didn't even have any chafing issues with the extra phone weight.  (Interestingly enough, I saw another woman running with this top on, and she used the center pocket to hold her water bottle.  Not sure that I would do that myself, but it didn't seem to bother her any... but I digress.)

I do still have my doubts about how "good" the pockets are.  I mean, for something that could easily slip out mid run without my notice (IE car keys), I still like the additional insurance of a zippered pocket.  Not that I have to worry, since all my run capris have that already.  But just sayin'...

As for the bib holes on the front of the shirt, I've yet to give those a test.  As you've seen in my race recaps, I just can't win on race day lately.  Ice, more ice, snow and wind seem to be the theme.  Hopefully I'll get to test that feature out soon.

Overall, I say this tank is a yes!  If you want something that's cute, functional and keeps your hands empty while you run, this is the one for you!

Go buy it already! 

And if your a t-shirt type, they've got you covered too:
http://www.lucy.com/Pack-And-Dash-Short-Sleeve/110921_SALE,default,pd.html&dwvar_110921_SALE_color=LUCY%20WHITE



Monday, June 10, 2013

Run100, and A Little Kiddo Runs

I feel so strange.
 
It's been over three whole weeks since I've had a race on my schedule.  And technically, since the Chaska 5K was rained out on May 18th, it's been over four weeks since I've done a race. 
 
I don't know how to explain it.  It's almost like feeling naked.
 
To fill the time, I worked on a special project instead.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, my gym had a little thing going on last month called Run100. 

Yes, it is exactly what you think it is - running 100 miles. 

But, don't worry!  Anyone up for the challenge was allowed the whole month of May to reach the goal.  No problem, right?  Just run about 3 miles a day and you'll be there.  Easy-peasy!

Although I was unsure if I'd be able to reach the goal (given the knee pain I was having during my half marathon training in March & April), I was having a hard time not registering for the program at the end of April.  Mostly because I really enjoyed the challenge of the Lazyman Ironman that they offered in February - having that extra push to keep me active during the peak of MN snow season really helped keep me motivated.

Oh, let's not lie.  I just wanted the t-shirt (warning, this is me pre-bangs):


And, surprise, this time I get a t-shirt, too:




Oooh-la-la.  Look at that fancy prize!  I even heard at registration that it was going to be technical fabric.  WHOO!

Oh, and for those of us in the know, we call this shirt "cash".  (Previous years were named things like golden boy and tango because of their colors, so I guess it makes sense that green = dollar dollar bills ya'll).

Anyhow, back to the program.  Each week we were urged to check in with our mileage counts.  And for extra motivation, a few contests were being offered: first to 50 miles and 17th to 70 miles.

Yeah, I was DEFINATELY not first to 50.  I think someone hit that at day 7... I can't remember.  I do distinctly remember thinking, though... WTF!  ALREADY?  LOL!

I was actually quite excited for 17th to 70, though.  That was something I thought I had a chance at.  I even had my mileage planned out for week three to ensure that I'd hit 70 by Wednesday, which I had estimated in my head would surely make me a winner.

Then came the email that week on Tuesday afternoon.  DOH!  Somebody beat me to it.  DANG!  At least it took the pressure off me, and I could dial back my mileage a bit and even it out for the rest of the week.

Which brings me to the wrap up...  I'm happy to report, I officially earned my t-shirt at 6:28pm on 5/29, and for the most part without knee pain! 

Here's my score card:
 
       run100
May 2013 Daily Miles Cumulative Total   Daily Benchmarks
Wed 1 4.00 4.00   3.23 3.23
Thu 2   4.00   3.23 6.46
Fri 3   4.00   3.23 9.69
Sat 4   4.00   3.23 12.92
Sun 5 13.10 17.10   3.23 16.15
Mon 6   17.10   3.23 19.38
Tue 7   17.10   3.23 22.61
Wed 8 5.00 22.10   3.23 25.84
Thu 9   22.10   3.23 29.07
Fri 10   22.10   3.23 32.30
Sat 11 9.00 31.10   3.23 35.53
Sun 12   31.10   3.23 38.76
Mon 13 6.00 37.10   3.23 41.99
Tue 14   37.10   3.23 45.22
Wed 15 6.00 43.10   3.23 48.45
Thu 16   43.10   3.23 51.68
Fri 17   43.10   3.23 54.91
Sat 18   43.10   3.23 58.14
Sun 19 9.00 52.10   3.23 61.37
Mon 20 8.00 60.10   3.23 64.60
Tue 21   60.10   3.23 67.83
Wed 22 8.00 68.10   3.23 71.06
Thu 23 2.00 70.10   3.23 74.29
Fri 24   70.10   3.23 77.52
Sat 25 10.00 80.10   3.23 80.75
Sun 26   80.10   3.23 83.98
Mon 27 8.00 88.10   3.23 87.21
Tue 28 4.00 92.10   3.23 90.44
Wed 29 8.01 100.11   3.23 93.67
Thu 30   100.11   3.23 96.90
Fri 31   100.11   3.10 100.00
    Total 100.11     100.00
 
Cool how the card gives you estimated mileage totals each day, assuming you do an even split all week long, huh?  (See the far right two columns).

It's fun to look at how I did overall, too.  Who'd have thought I'd get in the habit of running 6-8 miles at a time, 2-3 times per week?  I definitely didn't anticipate that. 

What a great challenge!  I can't wait to do it again next year.  Thanks to the gym for organizing a great program!
 
 And since that wasn't as exciting as a race report, here's a suitable replacement:
 
 

2013 RnR Logo


The same weekend I got my first ever rain out of a race, I cheered on my family remotely as several of them ran in the HCC Friday night.  Being that I was ramping up for the Run Chaska events the next morning, I was unable to attend in person.  But happily, I received some of the best text message photos ever!! 

Here's why...

My nephew was signed up for the 1K kids run! 

I think he was just a little excited... and of course, he learned well from his Auntie and chose to go running in costume:






And they're off:



Rounding the bend:



And strong to the finish!



Those little legs ran the whole way!  I think that deserves an award, don't you?




Oh, and a t-shirt, of course!




And not that I want to brag, but I heard he even beat several of the older kids to the finish line.  Way to go, little buddy!