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:

 

 



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!

Holster the Girls

Last night I geeked out.  I came home from the gym and realized my online shopping order from the previous week had arrived. 

I have officially made it in this word.  I'm excited to receive a package of undergarments that look like they were made for a grandma.

Yep, you guessed it.  Sorry dudes, you're not going to get into this one.

Today I'm talking... sports bras.

Love them or hate them, they are a necessary evil to avoid unnecessary ... we'll call them "distractions"... during a workout.  You gotta holster those girls.  And trust me, the day you forget to pack a sports bra in your gym bag is the day you DO NOT forget for a long time.  Ya' know what I'm sayin'?

So, let's get down to the brass tacks.  (Or bra tacks?  I dunno...)

What do I get excited about in a sports bra?

First off, I'm going to say this: every body is different.  What works for me may not be the best solution for you.  But, I have gone through my fair share of product testing, so hopefully this will help you narrow the field.

Let's start by talking about what I will NOT buy.

(1) WILL NOT BUY: Cotton. 

Seriously.  WTF!  In the day of tech fabrics and wicking technologies, why are sports bras soooo far behind?  It seems like every time I walk into a store that offers a decent selection of sports bras, before I can even start looking at size or price, I've already kicked out about 50% of the selection.

Cotton is a great material.  Don't get me wrong.  It defiantly has a place in this world... just not in your workout wear! 

Cotton fibers have a TON of space in them - they are like a sponge.   And a sponge's job is to absorb water... and keep it there.  So why would you want that sitting directly against your skin you during your sweat-like-a-pig fest? 

Unfortunately, I do have a few cotton losers in my collection.  I've even been duped into thinking if a bra has an inner layer of wicking material and an outer cotton layer, it might work.  Not.

Being that I dropped at least $20-30+ on these bras before I realized how much they sucked, I have a hard time throwing them out.  Yes, I'm stuck with them and they DO end up in my rotation (begrudgingly). 

So, this being said, I eliminate anything that looks like this:

(2) WILL NOT BUY: Fancy

Ok, I'm going to use a general term here and make this a bucket category so I can check off a bunch of options at once.  "Fancy" includes anything embellished, push-up padded, zippered, lacey, bejeweled or similar. 

When discussing these, I feel like it's necessary to take a time out for another SERIOUSLY WTF comment.  I want to know who is wearing these damn bras and why.  I don't care how good your guns look, YOU ARE NOT MADONNA, OK?!?!!

Also, I cannot IMAGINE the pain of doing a truly good, heart pumping cardio workout for 30-60+ minutes with a freaking zipper, metal stud or lace up bodice chafing me the entire time.  Or better yet, a push up bra boosting the girls up even closer to my face... yes, I'd LOVE a self inflicted black eye, please.  The makeup that I couldn't get off my face pre-workout, and is now sweat smeared all over the place, isn't quite enough of an eye enhancement for me as it is.

Not to mention, most of these bras offer little to no compression (I'll talk about this more in a minute).  Chafing + No Compression = I'd rather just wear a normal bra.

Manufacturers - stop.  Seriously.  STOP MAKING THESE!

So, this being said, I eliminate anything that looks like this:

(3) WILL NOT BUY: Built in bra tanks

This is category is a little touchy, I know.  Some people love these things.  A workout tank with a sports bra built in... all for $20-40?  SOLD!

But here's the problem - most of them offer no support, start to stretch once you sweat, and eventually...

EEP.  Not good.  Well, unless your one of the Kardashians, maybe?

Ok, ok.  True confessions.  I do sometimes wear tanks with built in bras for hot yoga or other low impact activities, or add a second simple compression bra underneath for the workouts that need that extra support.  But I don't rely on these for my ground zero coverage.

Technically, I guess this is a "proceed with caution" rather than a will not buy.  Sorry about that.

 ---

Ok, ok, ok... enough nos.  What DO I actually buy?

First, lets talk compression.  I touched on this briefly above.  The harder you're working out and bouncing around, the more compression you're going to want.  Are you doing yoga?  Are you running?  The level of intensity for your workout will dictate which bra I recommend.

For high impact (running, cardio, etc), my favorite bras, oddly enough, come from Kohls.  And this is what I was geeking about last night - a package arriving from Kohls.  I am seriously 90 years old.  Ugh. 

Anyway, I know I've said shop at JCP or other places for reasonable priced workout gear... but I just haven't had much luck in other stores when it comes to good compression bras.  Kohls offers the largest selection I've seen in a retail store, aside from a specialty running/sports shop.  Plus, if you factor in their endless sales, their "Kohls Cash" days, and any other random discounts they happen to offer... in the end you get a great bra for a reasonable price.

HOWEVER, Kohls stores are often hit or miss when it comes to having your size in stock when you want to buy it.  So, once I have a chance to try on bras in store, I've found I prefer to shop online for repeat buys.


My ultimate favorite bra from Kohls is the Champion 360 Max Support Bra.

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-567570/champion-360-max-support-sports-bra-1612.jsp

You should be able to buy this one for around $30-35 on sale.

The reason I love this one so much is because the entire inside front panel is seamless, which means no chafing (for me) on my long runs.  This says a lot, because my bras all work for cross training classes, but as soon as I hit about mile 4-6 on a 8+ run, I get some serious chafing issues with all my other bras.  For some reason, the way a bra sits on my chest bones just above the bust line ALWAYS creates a chafe mark (or two).  But this bra doesn't.   Hallelujah!  I now own 4 of these, and intend to keep buying them for as long as I can.

This bra does come in a few bland colors, but I personally prefer white - bleach that sweat stink out, baby!  But no fabric softener, and be sure to line dry.  That will keep your bra smelling fresh and keep the compression/wicking fabrics strong.

The only down side about this one is the shoulder straps are not adjustable and it's a racer back.  So, if either of those points are a deal breaker, you might prefer the next bra I'm about to talk about.


My second favorite bra (which I have to admit I'm technically still testing) from Kohls is the Champion Double Dry High Impact Sports Bra

You should be able to buy this one for around $35-40 on sale.

The reason why I recommend this one in addition to option one above is... the straps are adjustable and padded at the shoulder.  Plus, this is not a slide over your head option like number one above.  This bra has a fully open back with hook and eye closures.  So, no bra boogie to get this thing on/off.

The only reason I'm hesitant about this one right now is, I think it might chafe me on long runs.  I'm not sure yet, since I think a wash or two might soften up the fabric and solve this issue.  Aside from running, it's great for cardio and other stuff, so if you're not a runner you've got nothing to worry about in my eyes.


For lower impact (biking, yoga, or double duty under a built in bra tank), my favorite bras come from Target.  Usually these are the bras I want to peek out from under a tank, and since Target offers a good range of fun colors in their basic sports bras for around $12.99, I like them.  I don't know that they are any better/worse than someone else's basic compression bra... it's just that I haven't had a reason to go elsewhere.  Plus, Target is close to home.  So, good enough!

WARNING: this is NOT for running or jumping!  So don't blame me if you try to do something beyond a leisurely stroll in the park, ok?  Also, don't bleach your colored bras!

I prefer this style, since the straps are wider and offer better support.

http://www.target.com/p/c9-by-champion-women-s-seamless-racer-bra-assorted-colors/-/A-12101112#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=sports+bra

This style isn't too bad if you want adjustable straps.

http://www.target.com/p/c9-by-champion-womens-seamless-cami-bra-assorted-colors/-/A-12101063#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=sports+bra

And that about does it!

Oh, one last thing before I go... none of the above touches on underwire.  Yes, I used to require it in my bras back when I was worried about keeping a nice shape... but that flew out the window as soon as I started doing real workouts.  So, nothing in the above includes underwire.  You may proceed in this area at your own discretion, but for me it's restricting and pointless for working out.


If you want a little extra sports bra entertainment, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag4C0MFRnmE

And since I threw a Kardashian dig in above, why not watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzTYzgby-tg


OK, I'll stop now.  Ta-ta!  (LOL!)

McRib? More Like McPuke!

I heard a coworker say the other day that due to the popularity of the McRib, Burger King is developing it's own rib style sandwich.

Of the many things wrong with the above sentence, the part that bothers me the most is:

"Rib Style"

Style?  WTF.

Then, to make matters worse, the ad came on TV last night.  So, this is reality, I guess.  BK is selling a "rib" sandwich.  And even more disgusting... my husband is excited for it.  BLECH!

Ok, I could start an entire rant here about healthy eating, fruits and veggies, lowering your daily meat intake, etc.  I won't go there.

And also, I'm realistic about eating.  I know we all eat a few things that aren't so good for us, myself included.  So if you like to make an occasional stop for fast food, I'm not going to look down my nose at you.

But to me, the McRib or any other "rib style" sandwich is entirely too gross.  People need to stop eating this thing.  Seriously!

Just take a look at the general ingredients.

If you want to skip to the best part, just read the footnote at the bottom.  That's right.  Singapore has put a 15 year imprisonment punishment on the use of a food additive that is perfectly legal in the good old US of A.  Yum, sounds delicious! 

In general, anything you eat that is this highly processed is just plain gross.  Not only are you getting tons of unneeded sugar and salt, this is basically the "dust pan" from all other production lines.  You're getting scraps, people.  Odds and ends of "meat" that can't be used anywhere else.

Here are the two biggest things that gross me most about the McRib:

(Quotes taken from http://consciouslifenews.com/mcdonalds-mcrib-sandwich-franken-creation-gmos-toxic-ingredients-banned-ingredients/1147048/)

‘Restructured Meat’ from Pig Heart, Tongue, Stomach
McDonald’s McRib is famous in some circles for utilizing what’s known as ‘restructured meat’ technology. Since McDonald’s knows you’d never eat a pig heart, tongue, or stomach on your plate, they decided instead to grind up these ingredients and put them into the form of a typical rib. That way, consumers won’t know what they’re putting into their mouths. As the Chicago Mag reported, the innovator of this technology back in 1995 said it best:  “Most people would be extremely unhappy if they were served heart or tongue on a plate… but flaked into a restructured product it loses its identity.  Such products as tripe, heart, and scalded stomachs…”  So in other words, it’s not actually a rib. Instead, it’s a combination of unwanted animal scraps processed down in major facilities and ‘restructured’ into the form of a rib. Then, 70 additives, chemicals, fillers, and GMO ingredients later, you have a ‘meat’ product that tastes like ribs.

A flour-bleaching agent used in yoga mats
Out of the 70 ingredients that make up the ‘pork’ sandwich, a little-known flour-bleaching agent known as azodicarbonamide lies among them. At first glance, this strange ingredient sounds concerning enough to look into. After a little research, you will find that even mainstream media outlets have generated content revealing how azodicarbonamide is actually used in the production of foamed plastics. Foamed plastics like yoga mats and more.



I don't know about you, but I've never had a "rib style sandwich", and I sure don't intend to any time soon.

Enjoy your sandwich!

Siren Shamwalk/Run 5K 2013 (Sand & Sparkles)

Siren Shamwalk/run 5K (3.15 miles)

30:35

Average Pace 9:42/mile

 

 

In attempt to get the most out of a sparkle-tastic costume Mick made me (  https://www.etsy.com/shop/micksmakings?ref=seller_info), and hearing the word "costume contest", a week before race day I decided to throw caution to the wind and knowingly register for what was likely to be my coldest race ever. 

Siren Shamwalk/run, here I come!

The outfit I planned to wear included a dress purchased for the 2013 Get Lucky, and the pants I wore at the 2012 Get Lucky:

 

Wow, bling - bling - bling!

What I really should be saying, though, is dang - dang - dang!  Because the night before the race, it is raining and sleeting from 6pm on.  I seriously begin to wonder if I'll sit the race out... the last thing I need is an injury the weekend before my sister comes down to run her first race ever with me.

Race day comes, and I'm still on the fence.  The roads look a mess, and it's much colder than I even anticipated.  I end up swapping out my glitter pants for winter weight running tights, and bundle up with a long sleeve tech shirt, running hat, and gloves.

Eager to at least give the costume contest a shot, I decide to at play the game and do check in.  It was worth it, since the shirt was pretty cool (thank you volunteers, for working check-in AND modeling):

As everyone continues to check in, I sit in the car with my husband and debate the race.  He informs me that it's above freezing and has been all night, which leads me to think the ice I'm anticipating probably doesn't exist.  Plus, it looks like the city did an honest job of sanding the race route.  (A hidden bonus in small town running - everyone gets excited about the event and they actually try to make the course nice for the runners.  Way to go Siren, WI public works!).

Ok, ok.  Game time decision.  I'll do it, and walk the ice if I have to.

So begins your typical small town 5K.  The group is pretty small and most the people know each other.  The group organizing the race does a short spiel, and the gun goes off.  Here we go!

SPLASH!  Hmmm... interesting.  I've never realized how quickly ICE COLD WATER soaks through running shoes.  Note to self, avoid any other puddles at all costs.

And yes, I realize those hot pink shoes don't exactly coordinate with my outfit.  Good running shoes are expensive, and I'm not about to have multiple pairs to ensure everything matches, so shut it.

The course is your typical small town / country road run.  Nothing too exciting to talk about.  As you can see in the photo above, the roads are extremely sandy, but not too icy.  The sand, however, is difficult to run on.  I feel like I'm running an 8:00 pace because I'm working so hard to gain forward momentum.  Which is a good thing, because I imagine myself on pace for a 25:00 finish.  (LOL, yeah right... but I was training to a 28:00, so I did have my hopes).

Around mile 2 or 2.5, I start to feel the burn.  This is the first race where I'm really pushing myself to come in under 30:00, so I'm not used to keeping this pace quite yet.  Add in the sand, and I'm getting tired.  I beat myself up a bit, saying that I WANT a sub 30.  I push through and keep running.

I round the final bend and see the finish line on the horizon.  WHOOP!  Almost there.

And, I make it!

But, wait, what the heck!  I turn around to see where my hubby is at the finish line, and this guy is literally on my tail.  Check out that outfit.  OOF!

Well, good for him.  Jeans, hiking boots, full on winter jacket and ski cap?  Crazy man!  I'm amazed he kept pace with me in that outfit!

And before I wrap this post up, I just want to say something.  I don't EVER want to hear about how you can't do a 5K.  Ever!  If this woman can put her heart into it despite her physical limitations (she had a visible walking impairment), you can too.




Sadly, I did not get my sub 30 minute time, nor did I win the costume contest.  But I suppose I couldn't really compete with this little guy:

And that's the story of how race bib # 22 joined my collection. It reads "Gill, #324".

 Here's to another race soon!