10 Half Marathons, 5 Races

Happy Friday!  I had an unexpected day to catch up on life, and figured the best way to celebrate was with a blog post.  (PS--I can't believe I missed the last official Friday Five!  You can tell it's been way too long since I've last posted!) Things have been a bit crazy around here, but a few weeks ago I ran half marathon number 10!  Since it's too late to do its own recap, I thought it would be fun to do a trip down memory lane!

1. Shamrock Half Marathon: My happiest half marathon memories are at this race.  My first half, my next big PR, and finally breaking two hours all happened on this course.  Plus, the usual beach and best friend time that has become tradition doesn't hurt either!

2. Rock 'n' Roll DC: Guys, I wanted to love this race, but all I really remember from it was being super stressed out because even though I left crazy early, the metro failed me and got me there at the last minute.  Needless to say, I haven't been back for this one.  Maybe one day...

3. Crawlin' Crab Half: You guys know I love this one.  The course is probably my favorite and the craft beer fest at the end is the perfect way to celebrate a race.  This race has always been one that I have run just for the love of running and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I find it appropriate that it was number ten!

4. Nike Women's Half DC: I got really sick leading up to this race and went in entirely under trained, but ended up having a blast!  I loved getting to run through DC and the race was so well organized.  Having multiple metro stops at the start was very helpful and eliminated the stress I had at Rock 'n' Roll.  The Tiffany's necklace was a nice perk, too.

5. Norfolk Harbor Half (formerly known as Harbor Lights!): My birthday race.  The best celebration a girl could ask for, complete with pie.  It rained the whole time, but I loved every minute of it!

(Can you tell which ones are my favorite races? Maybe one day I'll branch out....but if it ain't broke, don't fix it, ya know?)

What are some of your favorite half marathons? Any that you want to check off your bucket list? My bucket list half marathon is the Runner's World Half!

Have a great weekend!

I Didn't Race

The Rock n' Roll and I are not meant to be.  Even though I started feeling significantly better the week leading up to the race, I knew it was better not to try to push through it.  I would have had to do a run/walk version of it and would have taken at least 3 hours to finish the race and it just wasn't worth it to me.  Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a run/walk, but I know what I'm capable of when I'm feeling well and I just would have been frustrated the whole time had I gone.  I also want to continue taking it easy while I start building back up for the Nike Women's Half.  Even if I have to crawl to the finish I will get my Tiffany's necklace!

Despite not running in the race, I still went to the expo to pick up my race packet.  Probably the most expensive running shirt I've ever gotten.  My little brother and his girlfriend came to visit and made me feel not as sad as we wandered around looking at all the expo had to offer and navigated through the crowds of people excited to race.  It was hard not to feel bummed because the expo was huge and exciting.  I did at least get to snag a few free samples of Lara bars and there was a booth for the race my brother's girlfriend is running in a few weeks and it was fun to see her talk to the people and get really excited for it.

Race Goodies

This may seem like a sad story, but really the day was not a complete sob fest.  On the way to the expo we stopped at Spike Mendelsohn's restaurant We, the Pizza and got pizza slices the size of our heads.  Who can think about not running when you are enjoying that kind of cheesy goodness?

So now here we are.  I'm going to try to do a few three mile runs (with nice and easy walk breaks to appease my mother and to stay on the safe side) and then slowly, slowly build up.  There are 6 weeks until the Nike Women's Half, so there's not a lot of time to get back into shape.  Instead I'm going to focus on enjoying being out there again and running for the love of running.  It's most likely not going to be a PR, but honestly, it's felt so good to just run again (no matter how slowly) that at this point, I don't even care.  2013 is only a quarter over (what?!?!!) so there is plenty of time for my goal race.  Sometimes you have to slow down and be smart so that you can get better faster.  Please send patience vibes my way!!

Congratulations to all of you who rocked the Rock n' Roll DC!!!!!  You guys are AMAZING!!

Random Updates

First of all, I wore SHORTS and a T-SHIRT on my run on Saturday.  It was awesome.  I had anticipated just doing a quick run, but felt so good I ended up doing 5 miles in my neighborhood.  When it feels right ya gotta keep going, you know?  I was excited to use my Garmin again since I've been stuck with the 'mill lately.  When do the days start getting longer again?

I wore this same outfit on my run.  I wish my bro was visiting.

Second piece of news is that I registered for the Zooma 10k.  I connected with Lisa from Lisa Runs for Cupcakes through the Sweat Pink Ambassadors and she offered me a discount code (she's an ambassador for the race!) so I felt like the timing was just right.  

Anyway, I feel like I've been forced into cross training lately.  I know that it's good for me and what not, but when I have it in my head that I'm going to run I want to run.  I'm not always the most patient person when it comes to getting what I want.  Even though the 10 minutes I spent on the elliptical felt like they lasted forever, I think it ended up being a pretty great warm up because I ran my 4 miles in 35:22.  You know how sometimes it takes a little bit to get into your run because your body is getting warmed up?  Well when you elliptical before you run you get all that junky feeling out so that you can rock your run.  I suppose it's a win.  

The rest of January is going to be pretty jammed packed so it will be interesting trying to adjust my schedule (and also working around the new users of the gym--yay resolutions!) around Maddux's new class that's starting up and wedding festivities!  Rock n' Roll DC is coming up fast, so I need to work smart.  

Although he looks like a perfect gentleman, he is headed to Basic Manners soon.

Happy Monday!

Beware of the Frankenstorm

Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I love decorating my apartment and seeing all the "haunted" houses in the neighborhood.  The fact that pumpkin beer comes around this time of year doesn't hurt either!  This weekend I went to the Flying Dog Brewery with my nice friend for their annual Halloween Bash.  It was so much fun dressing up and getting to try some of their seasonal brews.  Plus any opportunity to  let loose a little on the dance floor is a good time in my opinion.

Things have been a little weird now that I'm not training for anything.  October has been a really low mileage month, but it's been nice being able to do other workouts and not feel like I should be running. Today Mad Dog and I have been stuck indoors thanks to the Frankenstorm, so I just did my arm workout and a few ab exercises.  Most of the day has been spent catching up on Parks and Rec and eating.  Gotta clean out the fridge in case we lose power ;-)

This is how we've spent most of our time today.

I've also spent a little too much time on Twitter while avoiding the storm and have been setting my sights on a few different upcoming races.  I'm already signed up for Rock n' Roll DC 2013, and my tentative plan is to start training for the race right around Thanksgiving.  The Nike Women's Half Marathon is coming to DC in April, and I'm going to try to get a spot in the race.  It's a raffle system, so there's no guarantee, but how cool would it be to get a Tiffany's necklace when you cross the finish line?  As much as I've loved races geared towards everyone, I've been looking a lot at races designed for women these days.  I think it's awesome that so many races are catering to women and motivating us to get fit.  Running is a great community builder, and it's awesome how people of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life can participate and have a great time.

Registration for the ZOOMA Annapolis race just opened, and as soon as my next credit card statement rolls around you better believe I'm registering for it.  ZOOMA picks out destinations that are perfect for girls' weekends, and I've already recruited a few friends to run with me.  My only concern is that it's a June race, and we all know how well my body handles the warmer races ;-)

So until Thanksgiving, I'll be keeping on with this whole "workout with no real plan" thing and enjoying time with this guy:

I hope everyone stays safe during the storm!  (and that your house has plenty of Halloween candy to tide you over!)

Post Race Life

Now that there's no race to train for, I'm kind of at a loss of what to do.  Part of me is excited because I've had a couple of workouts I've wanted to try out, but kept pushing off to the side.  My thing is that if I want to get better at running, I need to be running.  Cross training is awesome, but running is where it's at for this girl ;-)

This week has been pretty laid back as far as workouts go.  Maddux and I have had some nice walks (he is LOVING this cooler weather) and on Wednesday I did a brief leg circuit, which was basically 1 minute leg lifts on each side, 1 minute bridges with this purple ball that made it SO much harder, and 1 minute of squats.  I repeated each exercise three times and my thighs definitely felt it!  

Today somebody has been very cranky.  I'll give you a hint:

Poor zebra.  He's in line for surgery the next time we visit my mom.

I don't know what's going on with this boy.  Maybe he just wanted to get a little crazy for the weekend.  My wild Friday night has consisted of quality treadmill time.  I ran ~3.35 miles in 30 minutes.  Not too shabby for the first run post race.  Although I'm not officially training for anything, I do have a 5k coming up in November and I'm hoping to snag a respectable time.  It's a few days before my birthday and I invited a few girlfriends to run with me!  Hopefully a few of them will be able to come out :-)  Overall, I just want to enjoy running until I have to start busting my butt for the Rock n' Roll in March, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than running a great local race with some good friends.  

I'm planning on running some tomorrow.  I have a number in my head, but going with the whole enjoying your run thing, I'm going to attempt to not focus too much on it.  I got the link to my race pictures today and it reminded me of why I run.  You know how I said I was smiling like a fool in my Crawlin' Crab Half Recap?  Those pictures are proof that I wasn't lying!  I don't think I've ever looked so happy in a race picture.  I remember my first half marathon photos kind of scared me because I looked like I was in such intense pain.  Yay running!

On a completely random note, but I mean I couldn't really leave it out, GO NATS!  

I WISH this was taken at a play off game.  

I'm hoping we can pull off another win tonight!  If the Pirates can't be on the road to the World Series, I'll definitely take the Nationals!  

Happy weekend!

Crawlin' Crab Half Marathon Race Recap

One of the cool things about my past two races is that they both were the first ones ever!  It's like being part of history when you're at the inaugural races ;-)

Saturday morning Maddux, my nice friend, and I headed down to Hampton, VA, for the Crawlin' Crab Half Marathon weekend.  I was beyond excited for this race because it's by J&A Racing, which has put on probably my favorites races I've ever done (Wicked 10k, Virginia is for Lovers, and the Shamrock Half Marathon--my first and best half!).  All the races have been extremely well organized and lots of fun.  I was also excited because we were right around my old college city so I got to see some of my old haunts.

Our first stop was to Plaza, my all time favorite Mexican restaurant.  I was so happy to see two of my favorite servers there and it was great to catch up with them for a few minutes.  (They still know me after a few years of being away...can you tell I went there maybe too much?  One of the servers even knows my mom and offered to be my at school mom when she found out my parents were moving to Pennsylvania!).  

So many memories...good times with good friends :-)

Since we had Maddux, we got our food to go and had a nice picnic out on the Noland Trail, which is where I put in the majority of my college miles, and is one of my favorite places in the world.  Maddux was so happy exploring new territory.

Once we got to Hampton, we checked into our hotel and went straight over to the expo.  It was small, so I didn't spend much time there, but the volunteers were all extremely friendly.  The best part?  I got to see my best friend!  She decided to run her very first half marathon!  Yay Ashley!

This is us looking pretty along with my amazing college roommate.  We didn't take a sweaty picture because it was raining and we are responsible adults who take care of our phones now :-)

I woke up on race day with all kinds of nerves.  I foam rolled, ate a Power Bar, and drank some G2 and water and finally headed out the door to meet up with Ashley and her friend before the race.  The sky was gray, but the temperatures were nice and cool which was encouraging.  After chatting for a little while, we headed to our corrals and awaited the start.  The race announcer was dressed as a crab which made me smile.  As we started off, my legs felt surprisingly fresh and I was feeling pretty optimistic about the race, even though I tried to convince myself not to set my expectations too high and to just enjoy the race.  When the first mile marker came into view I looked down and saw that I was at 9:15.  My first thought was "OH MY GOSH I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN!!!!!!!!!"  A 9:15 pace is fine for a few miles, but I knew that definitely wasn't happening for an entire race.

The first 5 miles flew by.  I smiled knowing that at mile 4 I felt like I hadn't been running more than a few minutes.  The course was mostly flat.  A lot of the miles weren't too exciting and just along streets where you would pass a McDonald's or something, but some of the miles were along the James River and absolutely gorgeous.  I laughed because I had assigned a mile to a bunch of my friends and family so that I would be held accountable (who wants a crappy mile?) and my brother left a message on my Facebook saying he would be honored if I walked his mile, mile 8.  His mile ended up being my favorite!  It was all along the river, there was a guitarist playing, and super friendly spectators sipping their morning coffee and cheering us along from their front yards.  I'm not sure why, but they didn't want to trade their coffee for a run.  Yes, I really asked.  I did get a couple of high fives though.  Seriously, what's better than a sweaty high five from a stranger?  Another cool part was running through Downtown Hampton past the Air and Space Museum.  Too bad it wasn't open yet or I may have stopped in.  

There were tons of water stops, a few radio stations out on the course, A CANDY STOP!!, and a band to keep us motivated.  I was smiling like a fool for the majority of the race.  Then mile ten hit.  Mile ten kind of sucked.  It was into the wind and I felt like I was on it forever and it was COLD.  Luckily, as soon as we turned a corner, we were back to a slight breeze at your back.  Things were going well again, but as soon as I hit the mile 12 mark the skies opened up and it started pouring rain.  My shoes got so heavy and my socks felt so gross!  At that point I just kind of laughed and was thankful I only had a mile left in that nonsense to go.  I tried to pick it up a little and started picking out targets I wanted to pass (got 'em all).  I would like to say my final kick was strong, but I honestly don't remember.  I was a little emotional because I was so happy to be done in a time that I felt good about so I was half laughing and half on the verge of crying (who am I?!).  I can't wait to see that finishers pic....

My final time was 2:08:42, only 2 minutes (and some seconds, who knows) slower than my PR and 10 minutes faster than that blasted RnR race.  I think I'm still riding the runner's high this morning :-)  Now I'm thinking that 2:05 time is within reach again and am ready to find my next race so I can kick some butt!

The rain finally slowed down and I easily found my nice friend and Maddux after the race to get a sweaty hug and my crab chowder bread bowl.  Then we headed to the finish line to watch Ashley finish her race.  If only I had a cowbell.   

When Ashley finished it was raining pretty hard again, and my tank top was just not cutting it in the 50 degree weather, so we said our goodbyes and after a hot shower, we packed the car and headed home.  A big thank you goes out to my nice friend for standing in the rain to support me and for hanging with the pup so that he could be a part of my race weekend!

Today I am very sore.  Maddux and I have been cuddling on the couch and the only productive thing I have done is type up this post and make delicious pumpkin pancakes.  Fall really feels like it's here now!

So gourmet.  I should switch to food blogging.  Or maybe I should just leave it to Pursuit of Sweetness.

Thanks again to J&A racing for putting on another fabulous race and for giving me a lot of crab jokes to read along the course to share with my nice friend on our drive home.  I'm sure his laughs were real and not just pity laughs.  Now he thinks I'm hilarious and probably is more inclined to keep me around for a while ;-)

Lindsey Sucks at Posting

As was seen from past blog activity, I suck at posting consistently.  I am glad I don't have any readers relying on me for inspiration, because I have had to adopt a new running blog to read when I need a kick out the door because not one, but TWO of my favorites have been slacking on the blog front, too.

Anyway, some updates from life:

Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in March: Goal met?  Oh no, no, no.  In fact it was significantly (as in way, way, way, way) over where I wanted to be.  You know what though?  I had a lot of fun.  Running through the city was amazing and I got to see lots of sights that normally I miss because I am driving and cursing traffic.  After thinking a lot (way too much) about this race, I realized that I couldn't  have expected this run to go well.  I didn't put forth the work that I needed to, and as you can see from the majority of the posts I actually got around to writing, I ate like crap.  I let myself off way too easily. You live you learn I suppose.

New Year's Resolutions: So far, only one is officially met.  This little guy made it to dog school!  I am proud to say that he graduated and is ready for the next step up.  He is doing so much better on walks.

Despite what you may think, no, you have not seen a cuter dog than this.

I am also signed up for my second half marathon of the year!  It will be an October race and I am BEYOND excited!  It's also put on by one of my favorite racing companies, J&A Racing!  I have been following a training plan for a few weeks now that has been going really well.  I am slowly building mileage in, and I am even going to attempt to add speed work.  That will be an interesting part of the plan.  Basically, the plan goes twice a week running 45 minutes, then once a week a long run or speed work.  The 45 minute runs are considered "maintenance runs" and have a few minutes to a mile of "race pace"but I'm still trying to figure out exactly what that should be.  I've realized I'm not a very confident runner.  I need to work on that.  For example, yesterday was BEAUTIFUL out.  But, thanks to my friend's wedding, I was feeling reaalllly stiff and tired from a night of dancing and drinking.  I decided to stick to the 'mill because obviously it was going to be a hard run and I just knew I was going to have to stop for water every two seconds.  Yeah, it turned out to be a pretty great run.  Nothing spectacular, but I ended up running my 6 miles in 56:05.  I had set the treadmill timer for 62 min.  See where I'm going with the confidence thing?  On the flip side, I know I push myself harder on the treadmill.  I think part of it is secretly knowing I can stop and get water whenever I want.  I have also determined that because the bride of the wedding is a triathlete it must mean you can party all night with her and you are destined to have a good run.  She is amazing by the way.

On another running note, I am doing the Runner's World Summer Running Streak.  I was a little apprehensive because I have never run every day before.  I asked friends and my ultimate running advice go to (my dad!) how this was going to work out.  I was reassured several times that yes, I can do it.  No, running a mile isn't going to wear my body down.  I'm twenty something days in now, and have found that my legs have been a lot fresher because of it.  I would definitely do this again, although there has been a lot of laundry.  I'm an avid sweater and the majority of my clothes I have not been able to re-wear.  Speaking of sweating, I am excited because my favorite blogger, Ali,  is selling I <3 Sweat shirts to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.  I had been thinking of getting one for a while, but I finally made the plunge today.  I mean, who doesn't love a good sweat.  When I finish the streak, I am thinking of getting myself a "yay, I did it!" prize.  I know it's just a mile a day, but running 38 days in a row is a pretty big deal.  Not gonna lie, I have definitely written every single workout, but RW streak wise and training plan in my planner.  It feels good to check them off and has kept me on track.  I am thinking of buying the Nike running watch with the GPS in it.  I am obsessed with my Nike+ sportsband, but now that my runs are going to be getting a lot longer I think it would be nice to have a more accurate read.  I'm pretty sure it can still upload to my Nike running account, so I can still have all my information up there to see.  I love being able to look at my mileage, pace, and overall comments.  The new and improved website is pretty cool, too, now that I'm getting used to it.

Ok, this is getting to be a really long post.  I guess it was only right, seeing that I have months to make up.  Have a happy Monday! :-)