Posts tagged Race
Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon Recap: Surviving One Of My Biggest Race Day Fears
16December 2, 2012
in Running
Another Half Marathon in the books. Nice! With temps starting around 55* and heading toward the mid 70s I settled on wearing my Nike capris, Columbia Insight Ice V Neck Top, finishing it off with my Columbia Solar Polar Long Sleeve Top (no link for that one…sorry!)
My fellow Cholla Chicks, who are all from Arizona, found it funny that I was staying “bundled” up for the run while they took to their tank tops. I know what works for me and am glad with my choice since the first half of the race was all shaded.
The Good:
Beautiful flat course near residential areas.
Traffic VERY well managed by law enforcement.
Local, smallish, affordable race.
Well organized.
Excellent medal.
The Bad:
Not enough porta-potties. Even though this was a small race, only having 2 at the start was not enough. Having 1 every 2-3 miles wasn’t either, since there were absolutely no other options along the route (No businesses to stop at). With so few options this lead to lines 3 deep at the ones that were offered. Ran out of water at the post-race refueling tent. I’m slow but I know there were many behind me that also missed out on this. I always carry my own water so this wasn’t an issue for me.
Lack of vegan options for post-race fuel. Although there were several options provided most were processed bars, had something in them I couldn’t eat, and the bread offered was questionable if it contained non-vegan ingredients. I would’ve been content with a handful of grapes or a banana.
The race shirt. Unlike most people I would prefer a plain ol’ cotton tee instead of a tech tee since often they are unisex, huge, and will never be worn.
The Ugly:
As I stated, I had no goals with this race other than to go out, have a decent run, and finish. Unfortunately for me, my body had other plans. What do you do when that happens? You roll with it.
This is when things get personal. Head’s up: TMI ahead! Men, you want to leave now.
Ever since my period arrived in 7th grade I’ve dealt with SEVERE cramping issues. The kind that cause vomiting, diarrhea, curling up in the fetal position, screaming in pain, and staying home from school. When I went on birth control it helped tremendously. I have since had a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis, Since having a tubal ligation and avoiding unnecessary chemicals in my body, I am no longer on birth control. This also means my cycle is all over the place. I never know when it will arrive or how severe it will be. In addition, I now deal with moderate cramps a week before the arrival and my severe cramps do not start until 3-4 days into my flow.
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you may have seen this a couple days ago…
One of my worst fears. How was I going to deal with this? Growing up I showed horses and prayed my cycle didn’t coincide with shows since I knew it’d sideline me. I stayed open minded, hoped the cramps would come and go by race day. That didn’t happen.
I spent the night before the race tossing and turning in bed. Not from nerves, but cramps. I woke up Sunday morning, did my normal routine, and once again hoped the cramps would subside. As race start time drew closer I could only feel the cramps come on stronger and stronger. Although I couldn’t control the pain any better I knew the only way I could get through it would be to keep my mind in check.
Believe it or not the first half of the race went surprisingly well. I was able to keep up with a much faster pace group than expected, but the cramps kept kicking. In turn, I could feel my GI tract giving me a run for my money. Enter the lack of porta-potties. Yargh! I thought, “If I can stop, do my business, I think I can keep on track.” But it wasn’t an option. At mile 5 I finally stopped and waited to use a porta-potty.
At mile 6 my IT band/right hip/piriformis started screaming at me in my “bad” leg. I kept keeping on. Mile 8 called for some walking. Unsure if I was about to drop a load in my pants or upchuck my breakfast I decided it’d be best to not push my luck. Not to mention, my hip appreciated the small bit of rest.
From then on it was walk/run/walk/run until the finish. There was no method to my madness. My goal at that point was to finish without shitting my pants. Seriously. Been there, done that (during a training run…don’t think I ever told ya’ll about that…that’s a story for another day). I don’t want it to happen again.
And I finished.
One of my worst race day fears realized…and I survived.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Buzz: Fun Times At @ColorMeRad5K Phoenix
6
This past weekend was my second official race since arriving in Arizona. Color Me Rad Phoenix! A LONG time ago I won an entry to one of their races from Ashley. Unfortunately there weren’t very many race locations on their tour that were convenient for me. As popularity has increased they have quickly added dates/locations. Not to mention, I have since moved and thankfully Color Me Rad honored my free registration. Hot dang!
I had hoped to run this with some friends or D but no one’s schedules coincided with the date. Half marathon season is just revving up here in Arizona (Woot!), which means everyone was either training for a race or already running one this weekend. No biggie! Running alone has never been an issue for me. I knew I’d grab my GoPro and be ready for any action and fun that came my way.
Color Me Rad HIGHLY recommends early packet pick up the day before and I strongly back their feelings. I obeyed their rules and got my packet on Friday. It was a speedy process that included a kick butt gender specific t-shirt, temporary tattoos, stickers, and your choice of color sunglasses. Nice swag!
Parking on race day was easy but I must admit those packet pick-up/registration lines were horrendous. Yikes. See! Follow their rules and no worries.
The MC, Alex, did an excellent job getting the crowd amped up. Swag including t-shirts, tank tops, hats, and extra colored powder bags were being tossed left and right for being the loudest or performing the most push ups. Photographers were also on hand to catch before and after shots of runners.
Knowing I had more miles to log after the run I headed to the start in hopes of getting in one of the first waves. It was a sea of white that would soon be colorfied.
Within a quarter mile of the start we hit our first “Bomb Squad” and we were clean no more. Something that threw me off were the liquid color stations. Instead of having the colored cornstarch powder, some stations had pressurized color liquid that was sprayed as you ran passed. I had no issue with it, but didn’t expect it. As we ran through the course we continued to pass through Bomb Squad locations until the big finale of color at the finish line.
Want to see some of my GoPro footage?
This was a run that people of all ages and athletic ability could partake in…and that they did. I’d say 75% of the people that participated probably are not regular runners nor have they ever done a “race” before. High five to them! It’s all about getting out there, being active, and having fun. Right?!
Although I ran this race alone it was a fantastic experience and I’m glad I registered. Definitely nice to mix it in as I train for my next half marathon.
Oh yes! Speaking of “rad”, I wanted to share something else rad with you. I was stoked to see that Road Runner Sports is hosting yet another huge sale event this week….VIP Black Tie Friday Event.
Date: November 9th from 5-8PM!
The details: VIPS will receive 30% off select watches/monitors along with 40% off winter gear & apparel on the event night. Attending also gives you the chance to enter a $1,000 shopping spree & treat yourself to refreshments, games, gift wrapping & a VIP-ONLY Black Tie Raffle!
In the Phoenix area? Click here to RSVP. Not in Phoenix? Visit Road Runner Sports to find your closest location.
I can’t believe it’s already November and yet I’m still running races in 80* weather. Definitely a perk of living in Arizona. November means Christmas is right around the corner thought, right? Have you started your shopping yet? I haven’t….
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Buzz: My Crazy Idea – Venturing Into Trail Running
28September 23, 2012
Some of you may have seen my post on Twitter and Facebook stating that I’m thinking about trying something crazy. Well, I’ve followed through on my “something crazy.”
A couple weeks ago I posted a list of several races I’m interested in running. One of those included running one of races in the XTerra Trail Run Arizona Series. Quite honestly when I included it in my post I thought it was a long shot and said, “Maybe next year….”
As you know, one of the points of us moving to Arizona was to live lives full of fun and adventure. For several years I’ve wanted to try out trail running. Although I’ve run a trail race but it was in the flat lands of Ohio. Coming out to Arizona is totally different territory.
Thanks to the kind folks at Mizuno I was hooked up with some new Wave Ascend trail shoes about a month ago.
Unfortunately I’ve been unable to put them to use. That all changed this weekend….
After the chatter on the Cholla Chicks, a local running group, message board I had an itch I just had to scratch and signed up for my first ever 8K trail training run. Mind you, the longest distance I’ve ever run in Arizona is 5K.
As I drove to Estrella Mountain, yes mountain, at 5am Sunday morning I was giddy with excitement. Could I do this? Was I going to die? Not to mention I was excited to officially hook up with some of the Cholla Chicks. No matter what was going to happen I knew I would at least have the gorgeous moment of seeing the sun rise over the hills.
By 5:45a the parking lot was buzzing with about 20 runners and I found Sue, Michelle, Jennifer, and Abby of the Cholla Chicks. After my quick disclaimer of, “I’ve never done this. Feel free to leave me in the dust.” We were on our way. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could keep pace with them. Whew! The easy conversation took over and before we knew it we were at the 4 mile mark, the deciding point of going the short or long distance of the trail. Sue used her magical powers to convince us to go long. Just like that, my 8K trail run turned into 20K. I was game!
Just like the first half of the run, the conversation took over. It allowed me to get to know the girls and kept the time moving. After a few stumbles, a couple stops for photos, Jennifer and Michelle taking falls, and walk breaks, the parking lot came into view. We had made it. Did I just run/hike 12 miles?! That’s the longest I’ve run in a LONG time…not to mention, it was in mountainous/dessert terrain. Hot dang.
Was it a challenge? Yes. Am I sore? Yes. Did I succeed? Yes. Did I love it. YES! This trail running stuff rocks.
But my crazy idea doesn’t end there. Today’s run was a training run for the first XTerra Race in their series….the one on my running wishlist. Guess it’s not such a long shot anymore, eh? With that being said, I’ve decided to sign up for my first official big girl trail race. In 2 weeks I’ll once again be out running Estrella Mountain. Given that I’ll be running alone I’ve chosen to go with the 8K distance and am saving the 20K for another time.
I’ve been keeping this a bit of a secret since luck hasn’t been on my side when it’s comes to signing up and actually running races lately, but I’m pretty darn stoked about this. Fingers crossed I stay healthy between now and then.
A huge thank to the rockin’ Cholla Chicks! Thanks for encouraging me to push my limits and do what I came out to Arizona to do…be adventurous. I look forward to many more runs and races with you!!
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Buzz: Living Life At Buzzbomb Speed
14September 16, 2012
Something you need to know about me is that my life moves at warp speed. With the moniker “Buzzbomb” I’m sure you could’ve guessed that. Never a dull moment, that’s for sure! I actually love that my life moves so fast but I do need to remind myself often to stop and smell the roses. I’m taking a moment to do so by sharing with you all the exciting things going on right now.
For those that actually read my blog from the webpage and not a reader you may have notice a sparkly new badge on my sidebar. I’m proud to say that last week I was accepted into the Arizona Bloggers Network. This is a network of female bloggers, over the age of 21, who share their interests, life, and passions through a blog. Yep, I fit into all of those categories! What better way to find more blogs, meet new people, and learn all about the happenings around Arizona? Pretty stoked about this.
Remember when I told you about What Inspires Me To Sweat and asked you to share my post in hopes of earning free registration to Inspiration & Perspiration in Las Vegas? Well, I was one of the lucky ones chosen to attend for free! Thanks for your help!! This is quite exciting as this conference sounds AMAZING. Not to mention, I’ve never been to Vegas before. You know what would make it even better? If you registered and came too! It’s sure to be a great time.
I think I have narrowed down my list of what races I want to do this winter. I’m not ready to announce my tentative plans just yet, but trust me when I say I’ve got my thinking cap on. In the meantime, thanks to Ashley and Color Me Rad, I’m going to have a little fun in November. What’s that you say? You say you want to join me in some fun? That’d be awesome since I have no one to run this race with yet and I think it’d be much more fun to run with someone or even better, a group. Sign up and let’s have some fun!
My last bit of excitement that’s going on is that planning for an Omnfriend Omniten reunion is currently underway. If all goes as planned I will be heading up to Salt Lake City come January to not only meet my challenge that I’ve so far unsuccessfully conquered, but also hang with some of the raddest people I know.
Even living life at Buzzbomb speed I’m absolutely grateful for all that’s going on. What exciting is going on in your life right now?
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
I Want To @RunDisney
32September 11, 2012
I have been to Disney World several times throughout my life. Each time was more magical than the last…even though I was getting older. Unfortunately I have yet to make it to Disneyland. Now that we’re only 5.5 hours from Anaheim I think it’s a requirement that we hit up Disneyland soon.
I had no idea the castle was this small until I saw this photo from Heather
What better way than to run a race?
I’m not one to make New Year’s Resolutions. Quite honestly I don’t make too many goals per se either, as you can see things sometimes fall through. Not to mention, my intent is to focus on the journey and not the destination in whatever I’m doing. With all that being said, there’s something I’ve been wanting for a few years.
I want to RunDisney. This has been a pretty silent dream of mine since I’ve started running. Over the past year I’ve watched and read the blogs of Running With Sass, According To Kelly, and Running Toward The Prize along with many others’ and have been craving a Disney medal and experience.
Megan’s nice new bling
As you know, I’m not all about the bling, but come on, look at that gorgeous medal. Disney is known for some kick butt medals and I know I would not be disappointed. Plus, running around the different Disney parks/property? Heck yeah. How could that not be magical? Because ALL Disney experiences are magical….that is a fact.
Unfortunately for me the Tinkerbell Half at Disneyland is already sold out and logistically/financially heading to Florida isn’t in the cards. I’m still trying to figure out my winter race schedule which is hard enough. But you can bet that I’m going to try my hardest to make it to a Disney race during 2013, even if I have to wait a year until the 2013 Disneyland Half. Because if there’s anything I’ve learned from Disney it’s that dreams do come true…you just have to go after them.
This is just one of my many races I dream about. What do you dream about?
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
To Race Or Not To Race
24August 28, 2012
in Running
As the fall season quickly approaches so does the decision of what races to run. Racing in the winter? Yep, I now have that option out here in Arizona. It’s crazy to think that I’ll be able to run outside without the worry of having to battle snow and/or sleet. The big question is…what races should I run? The bigger question is…should I even run races?
As you know, in my 5 years of running I don’t have a huge race resume and I definitely don’t think races make an athlete. Do I like running races? Sure do. Who doesn’t like the bling?
But quite frankly, since arriving in Arizona, my runs suck. I’m still battling 3 mile runs at a slower pace than I’m used to. I knew it’d take some adjusting, but I had no idea it would take as long as it has. Would I even be able to train for a half marathon let alone actually run one? The only thing I have going for me is my persistence and everyone saying, “The best weather is yet to come and you’ll love running.”
After having such big race plans for this past spring/summer and not having them pan out due to injury and our move, I must admit I’m a bit gun shy of putting down any money with the unknown future. Unfortunately money is not really on my side right now so this concern is pretty big for me.
With all that being said, here are the races that I’ve been eyeing…..
Xterra Trail Run Arizona Series
Lady’s Speed Stick Women’s Half Marathon – November 4th
Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon – December 2nd
Rock N’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon – December 2nd
Hot Chocolate 15/5K – December 9th
Tucson Half Marathon – December 9th
Rock N’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon – January 20th
Sedona Half Marathon – February 2nd
Arizona Half Marathon – February 17th 
Phoenix Half Marathon – March 2nd 
Of course I would only choose one or two…if that. What are your thoughts? Ever raced any of these races? Would love to hear your feedback!
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Buzz: Races Don’t Make An Athlete
29
Something that crossed my mind this weekend is the fact that if you look at my “race resume” I really don’t have all that many official races in my 5 years of running. Why? There are multiple reasons.
Racing is expensive. With 5Ks that run $25 along with half marathons and triathlons that range between $50-100 (if not more), those race registrations can add up fast.
Oftentimes my schedule isn’t conducive to racing. Several years ago I stepped away from a stressful job and into a less stressful but lower paying job. In order to make up my income deficit I picked up several side jobs. These side jobs didn’t interfere with workouts but often did interfere with race dates/times. This year I had hoped to have a “big” race year but was ultimately sidelined by injury and then with our huge uprooting to Arizona I gave up my Half Rev3 (for now).
If money and time weren’t an issue I’d love to race more often, and hope to do so in the future. Races are fun, they give you something to focus on and drive you to train. Not to mention the exhilarating feeling you have as you cross the finish line is unexplainable. With that being said, races aren’t the most important thing for me and chances are my Race Bucket List doesn’t include many of the races found on others’ bucket lists. (What?! No Boston?!)
What’s most important for me is that I get out and swim, bike, and/or run as often as I can. Just like any athlete, bad days come along with the good, but I try to embrace every experience as it presents itself because I am truly blessed to be able to have the ability to do such sports.
I have no doubt in my mind that I’ve grown into who I am today because of those blood, sweat, tears, and triumphs on those training workouts. All done without a cheering squad, finish line, or a post race medal.
I am by no means the fastest athlete you’ll find nor do I race every weekend but I don’t think anyone can doubt my determination and drive or what my sports of choice have done for my life. Races don’t make an athlete. You become one on your own.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Buzz: Happy Skin, GoPro Mission, & A Shiny PR
9
Recently I received word that Skin Sake was looking for Ambassadors. You may be asking, “What is Skin Sake?” Well, Skin Sake makes several skin care products that help treat and prevent skin rashes, etc. Quite obviously, the one of importance for me is their Athletic Ointment.
Why would I need Athletic Ointment? Well, I have big ol’ thighs. Seriously. I do. Those thighs rub, chafe, and get gnarly in the process of my long workouts. Athletic ointment doesn’t necessarily have to be used on thighs, but anywhere else that you may have issues. Possible problem point? Lube up! Workouts without some sort of glide would be absolutely miserable for me.
What had me intrigued about Skin Sake is their product is all natural and VEGAN. That means no animal products in the product and no animal testing. Yes!
So I went ahead a submitted this video to become a Skin Sake Ambassador…
And guess what? I received word last week that I was named one of their ambassadors. Woohoo! So even though I have a gouged up leg with stitches right now, I’ll be having Happy Skin throughout my training while I prepare for my Half Rev3!
On Friday I received even more fun…..
Yes, I received a camera compliments of GoPro. As I’ve stated previously, I’ll be heading to Sedona in a couple weeks. During this trip the Columbia OmniTen will have a mission to complete….
I can’t wait to put this bad boy to use!
Lastly, after I had my accident last week I remembered I had registered for a 5K this past Saturday. I debated whether to run and literally waited until the last minute to decide whether I was going to run or not. Ultimately I decided to run my race. I wasn’t able to run the Glass City Half Marathon and rock out my Team RWB gear, so with it being Memorial Day weekend I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to make my Team RWB debut. 
And boy, did I debut! I immediately found myself going out faster than I usually do, but I felt good. More importantly, I was able to keep the pace. I was totally surprised with myself, but just went with it. In the end I finished with a new PR….nearly 1 minute off of my best 5K…ever. What?! Totally crazy and I don’t know how I did it. I guess it’s safe to say that I didn’t let my sutured up leg hold me back! I’m not one to worry about time or PRs, but I will admit that I’m one happy girl.
And what may be even better than a PR? Having a guy come up to me after the race and say, “I just want to let you know it was so hard to follow you today…” in reference to having to run behind a girl in a tutu. Yeah dude, you got chicked 
So fun!
Hope everyone else had a fantastic weekend!
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Roadtrippin’ With Chevy To Dirty Girl Indy
29May 16, 2012
As you know I’ve been getting back to basics with my running lately and one part of the plan was to register for a fun race. When I registered it seemed like the race was a long way away. I couldn’t believe that once I got settled back into my routine after Italy it was just in time to hit the road to head to Indianapolis for the Dirty Girl Mud Run. After all of my traveling recently you would think the last thing I’d want to do is hop in a car for a road trip, but I LOVE a good road trip. What made it even better? The fine folks at Chevrolet were awesome enough to provide me, along with another FitFluential Ambassador, Julie, a sweet ride for our trip. Pretty cool, huh?
Once again, this is a long post and the best way I’ve found to tell a story is through photos. Be sure to watch my video above to see actual footage of us rockin’ the Dirty Girl Mud Run Indianapolis.
Late last week Julie received the delivery of a kick butt Chevrolet Equinox and on Friday she made her way to pick me up. Upon her arrival we opened our Welcome Package from Chevrolet. It contained a letter to us, $50 gas card, shirts, pens, shoelaces, and a reusable bag. 
Once we got over the excitement of our goodies I took over driving duties. Not only do I love road trips, but I love to drive too.
Previous to this road trip Julie and I had never met in real life. I knew that she was a trail runner and she knew I was a triathlete. But no worries, we had 5 hours to kill in the car heading to Indianapolis so we had plenty of time to get to know each other. Suffice to say, once the formalities were over any and all topics were on the table for discussion. You name it, we talked about it, and the belly laughs began. We began to wonder if Chevrolet was secretly recording us. If not, they should’ve been! Our actions and conversations would have been put to good use in their advertisements. Oh yes, we sung to the XM radio, danced in the car, and even got semi-trucks to honk their horns at us. The fact is, girls in a Chevrolet are cooler than hamsters in a box.
We made a few stops along the way.
This rooster was calling our name and we just had to stop to take a photo.
Then we had to have a little fun on a slide and swings just to stretch out our legs.
You know we had to buy some temporary tattoos from a gas station too. Just perfect for race day.
And of course had to get some grub. Decently healthy road trip food if I do say so myself.
Before we knew it we had made it to Indianapolis to meet up with my sister and shared our fun Chevrolet goodies with her. 
After hanging out for a bit, catching up, we decided to head out to dinner at Bazbeaux’s Pizza.
While eating we saw this guy rollerblade dancing down the Monan Trail. What?! How cool is he??
After eating we worked off some of our pizza by walking around the Carmel Arts & Design District and took some fun pictures with the life-sized sculptures and artwork.
Once we finished there we hit the road again, heading down to the heart of Indianapolis. We had no plans in mind other than buzzing the ave in the Equinox. No surprise, but we found ourselves once again belting out songs. Especially when this came on….
We drove by the Lucas Oil Stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play and had to stop and get this photo.
Before we knew it we were exhausted and it was time to hit the hay.
Race Day!!
Prior to race day we received an email from Dirty Girl with recommendations. One recommendation was to come 90 minutes before your wave start time. They weren’t joking. Once we arrived we found a line of cars waiting to park and long lines at the check in. Thankfully both lines moved fast and smooth. Unfortunately due to the amount of people at check in it was hard to find our other fellow FitFluential Ambassadors also running that day. Even so, we were able to meet up with Emily and Renisha, along with Renisha’s friend, Shanna.
Emily, Me, And Julie
Renisha, Me, And Julie
While waiting for the start we checked everything out and took a ton o’ photos.
Before we knew it, it was time to start running.
The focus of this run is to have fun, hence why I signed up and invited my sister. There are no clocks so you don’t have to race to the finish. From the get go I knew we’d take a slower pace and enjoy each other’s company. And we did just that. We ran, walked, laughed, ran, walked, laughed all of the way from obstacle to obstacle.
Obstacles ranged from:
a hay bale climb
multiple muddy water pits
stepping over and under string that can trip you up
mud crawl
tire high step
wall climb 
cargo net climb
trudging through thigh high muddy water & using a rope to pull yourself up & out of the trench
Considering myself a veteran runner and having done a mud run prior, I will admit I did not find the obstacles very challenging. To some, this may have been one of the biggest challenges they’ve completed in a long time. Either way, the obstacles and distances were attainable, especially with teamwork and encouragement. It was excellent to see so many people of different walks of life out there having a great time.
The run was an absolute blast and we enjoyed getting muddy.
Yes, we could’ve gotten muddier, but I must admit I’m glad we didn’t since the line for the hoses was long and from what we heard there was very little water pressure.
Thankfully we found a drain that was providing surprisingly clean water that fulfilled our needs.
Soon enough we were all cleaned up and checked out the after party.
Another FitFluential Ambassador, Stefanie, noticed me a stopped by to introduce herself. I’m telling you, there were a ton o’ people there and it was hard to find people, especially people you’ve never met in real life!
Me and Stefanie
Dirty Girl randomly picked winners to win their choice of plant. Upon check-in I was told I won and chose a hanging flower basket. I was a bit excited.
I gave my sister a huge hug, told her I was proud of her for joining me on her first ever 5K, and then our road trip home began….
Of course the drive home is never as exciting as the drive there, but we weren’t at a loss for discussion.
We had a few last hurrahs with the Chevrolet Equinox.
And then Julie and I started planning for our next race together. Hmmmm. Where shall we go next? Julie dropped me off and I hopped out of the Chevrolet Equinox into my own Chevrolet Aveo. Hey, what can I say? I’ve told you before that I love Chevy.
This experience was exactly what I needed. It was all about getting back to basics along with the fun and enjoyment of running. I was able to meet new people, make new friends, spend time with my sister while witnessing her run her first 5k, and had many many many belly laughs throughout the weekend. Yes, that is a win in my book.
If you can believe it, there are more pictures that those I have in this blog. If you know me, you know I love to take photos, so this is no surprise. If you want to check them out go here.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
*FitFluential LLC compensated me for this campaign. Chevrolet provided a vehicle for me to drive to and from the Dirty Girl race for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Knee Pain? Already??
5
Last night I was made aware of the Virtual 5K Twitter Road Race. I figured, what the heck, and signed up. I knew bad weather was on the way but knew I wouldn’t let it hold me back.
Unfortunately I woke up this morning and had my first DNS (did not start). Yep, I’ve never had a DNS before. Yargh. How crappy that my first be a virtual race. Then again, it was free, so at least I wasn’t out money. And I guess it’s easier to miss a virtual race than an actual race. Either way though, it was a DNS.
So “Why a DNS?” you may ask. Believe it or not the weather wasn’t too bad. Over the past few weeks my right leg has been bothering me. If you remember from a previous post, this is my “bad” leg. I have the unfortunate post-injury symptom of “feeling the weather”, but it’s usually tolerable. Back in 2008, when I was training for my first half marathon, ramping up the mileage, I had some intense discomfort.
For some reason, my recent discomfort is becoming worse and worse to the same intensity I had in 2008. However, other than weather there shouldn’t really be a reason for this discomfort. I am not logging lots o’ miles. I’m not just running , as I’ve added cross-training. And lastly, if anything, I’m taking way more rest days than I should. Although I know this is an excuse, I haven’t been pushing myself to sticking to a hardcore training schedule because number 1) my work schedule and more importantly, number 2) come the end of this month there’s no looking back on training until I complete the Half Rev mid September.
When I woke up this morning in even more discomfort I had to tell myself, it’s time to take an actual day off. Yes, even though I’ve been taking more “rest” days than I should, my rest days are never truly rest days. Mostly I take rest days when I am working more than one job (often 3) on that day. And I still crank out burpees, planks, and/or more . So today I did no workouts. No running, swimming, cycling, burpees, planks, pushups….nothing. I’m going a bit nuts. Thanks to D, it’s been tolerable. Remember, I’m a buzzbomb. It’s VERY hard for me to sit still.
I must admit, this is kind of embarassing. Here I am, averaging running 3 miles on my runs, having discomfort. Uhhhh. There are others out there pounding out miles upon miles. And here I am, feeling like I’m making excuses.
Alas, something that I need to remind myself…I’m not them. (My ongoing theme on this blog, I swear). I’m Heidi, a former non-athlete. I know anyone can be an athlete, and darn near anyone can be a runner. But, some of us are better at this form of exercise. Let’s be honest, some are almost born to run. They have a better physique and style to their running. I really don’t fit into this category. This is something I’ve accepted, but it doesn’t mean I can’t/won’t run. It’s just more difficult for some of us. It’s not an excuse. It’s a fact.
Another thing I need to remember is that I need total rest days, even if I feel like I’m taking “rest” days from my main training. If I’ve learned anything since starting to run in 2007, it’s listening to my body. When something hurts, you must listen. I’m not talking about little aches and pains that come along with training. I’m talking about the pains that could hinder you long term in your training plan.
I’m heading into my training January 30th. Where does this leave me? I’m going to follow the same regimen I used in 2008:
Glucosamine – Previously I used Cosamin. Since then I’m vegan and this has required some research. I believe I’ve found what I’m going with. I have chosen Deva’s Glucosamine, MSM, and CSM. If anyone has any recommended vegan brands that they’ve chosen give me a shout out.
Pro-tec Patellar Tendon Strap – On casual runs I don’t find this necessary, but have found it to help significantly when I add to mileage. Since it’s already started I think I’m going to strap that baby on here on out.
Massage – Thankfully my MIL is a massotherapist and is more than happy and willing to work on me. She’s a lifesaver every time I have a flareup. Although my knee is the focal point of discomfort, I also experience discomfort through my entire right leg. I’ve already scheduled a massage with her tomorrow.
I may have had my first DNS today, but I’m glad I took an actual rest day. I’m hoping to get everything in line and ready as I head into my official training. It’s best to try to take care of it now instead of later. I’ll keep you posted.
Be Grateful and Keep Smiling =)
