Three Things & a giveaway winner!

1. Yesterday I gobbled up the leapyear savings. I registered for not one, but 2 half marathons! 

Aug 19, 2012

S & I had been debating this as a girls weekend away. Its 3 weeks before Pumpkinman 70.3, so it will be good to get a half marathon in. We saved $29, and spent only $61 on the race. Score!

October 13, 2012

Race price increased today, so I signed up yesterday for a sweet price of only $55 for the half marathon. If it weren't for Pumpkinman, I'd consider the full, but I know it will be too soon.

2. My green smoothie today was delicious, and I actually remembered to put greens inside! Grapefruit, oranges, kiwi, banana, spinach, a scoop of protein powder, and flax seeds. It made so much that I had enough for a morning snack and lunch. Its funny that I feel so satisfied and refreshed having this for lunch. I feel like maybe my old lunches were weighing me down. 

3. We got snow. Not a ton, but enough to make driving a pain. I hate waking up early, cleaning off a car, and shoveling, all before getting to the gym. So I decided to have Kevin do a hearing test with me last night to see if you could hear me on the bike trainer downstairs while in the upstairs bedrooms. Lucky for me, there was no noise, and I was able to pound out 70 minutes in the morning while reading a magazine.  I also counted points all day today. Yay!

The winner of the Immucell?

Lauren... at no blog I can find. I'm shooting you an email Lauren!

Who else is glad its Friday tomorrow?

Did you sign up for any races this week?

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Hartford Half Race Recap

I wasn't super pumped for this race, since it was really just a long run for my marathon training, but I was excited to see my brother finish his first Marathon!!

The day before the race, my brother headed to pick up everyones packets. My mom was awesome enough to cook us a fabulous dinner. Chicken parm, spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread. Delicious, I wish I had taken pictures. After dinner, I started worrying about the weather... it seemed like it was going to be windy, and I may have to wear long sleeves. booo!

Luckily when I woke up, it was warmer, so I decided to go with my lululemon tank & arm sleeves. My brother rode with his girlfriend, and went to pick up his coach. My mom picked up Kevin and I & we drove the quick trip to Hartford.

After a muddy trip to the porta-potties, we worked on meeting up with our whole crew.

My mom & Kevin ready for the 5K!

Me & Mom getting ready to race

We lost my brother after he went to bag check, so Shelley, Speedy Trooper, A and I headed over to the start. Soon, we lost trooper and A, and Shelley and I were on our own. The start was horribly disorganized. There were pace signs, but it was impossible to get near them. The crowding and start to this race is always awful.

Shelley and I started off at a good pace, we ended up finding my brother on the course. He ran with us until the marathon split. Shelley and I were flying. My knee was feeling great, the hills weren't too bad to start, and we had fun catching up. I even saw a woman from my gym & chatted with her for a minute.

mile 1: 10:35

mile 2: 10:25

mile 3: 10:15

mile 4: 10:33

Then it started. That damn right calf started acting up and the knee started aching. Thoughts were running through my head. I should have stretched more, foam rolled more, maybe ultrasound. Why did I go out so fast? Why did I think my calf was better after the Divas Half? I hope I can keep up with Shelley. But the hills got bigger, and I felt myself dropping back. I told Shelley I had to stop and stretch a little after the 10K. I told her to go on without me.

mile 6: 10:42

mile 7: 11:01

mile 8: 12:11

The scenery was beautiful. We ran through West Hartford neighborhoods and Elizabeth Park. There were lots of bands along the course, and course supports. So many people in their front lawns, and along the roads cheering. Seriously some of the greatest crowd support I've had in a race. I limped along, running when I could and stopping to walk or stretch when I needed to.

mile 9: 12:52

mile 10: 14:09

mile 11: 12:50

Right after the mile 11 water stop, a house was playing a little Britney Spears Toxic and pumped me right up!! For a minute I flew down a hill feeling no pain, but that was shortly loved. I figured I could hold it together for a little longer, and kept plugging along.

mile 12: 13:17

mile 13: 13:36

Right before mile 13, I saw my mom & Kevin waiting for me in our usual viewing spot. I was so glad to see them. I smiled & let them take a few pics. I told them I was hurting, and I'd see them at the finish. I blew a few kisses, then hit the road.

The finish line approached. People cheering everywhere. I was in incredible pain and wanted to give up. I knew I couldn't stop with all those people cheering. I gritted my teeth, and charged through. Normally, I empty the tank at the end of race, passing at least 1-2 people in my sprint to the finish. This time, I limped through the finish. So disappointing.

I headed straight to the Med Tent for some ice. I came out and saw Kevin & my mom. Kevin commented how I didn't seem tired or out of breath, and he was right. My endurance wasn't lacking, my lungs weren't tired, my knee just gave up. After icing I got my medal and headed to meet the fam.

We grabbed some yummy post race food, and headed to the beer tent to meet up with Speedy Trooper and A. Shelley wasn't feeling well, so she took off right after finishing.

A, Speedy Trooper & Me!

After a beer, I headed over to meet up with Kristen @ Bigger Girls Can Run Too after she SMASHED her goal time!

I headed back to the beer tent, then my mom, Kevin & I went to the marathon finish to watch out for my brother. His girlfriend had been following him around on her bicycle all day, but wasn't doing a great job keeping us informed of his miles. Finally she said he was at mile 25, so we thought he had a 1.2 mile window to wait, so we were goofing off, then almost missed him go by! We waved, but missed the photo op, so we caught him after he got his medal and water.

My brother wanted to pose badass for my blog

Me, brother & Mom all race finishers today!

After another beer at the beer garden ( and missing meeting Kari because of her crazy vertigo), we headed for home with a new piece of bling to add to the wall.

Official Time

2:36:22

11:56 avg page

261/330 Athenas & Clydesdales

493/554 Females 25-29

Update: The knee is feeling much better!

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Spread the running Love

Todays Quote:

‎‎"My goal has always been to introduce other people to running. They might accomplish something they never thought they could." 

Grete Waitz, Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder

A little over 2 years ago, I convinced my brother to try running.

I lured him and a few other friends in with a trip to Disney World and a shiny medal to hang on the wall. My brother was severly undertrained for the race, and I stuck by his side, helping him to push through and finish in the sleet, snow & rain that cold January morning in Florida.

Saturday, he ran his first marathon. I am insanely proud. I know when he first started running, he thought it was a crazy idea, but now he's basking in the post marathon glow & starting his Goofy training for January. Plus, he's lost another 20 pounds to push his total weight loss to 100+. amazing. Look for a guest post from him in the future.

Me, brother & mom, all post race!

Saturday, my mom walk/jogged her first 5K. My mom never thought she could do a 5K, but then she really wanted to come to Disney and join the fun. So she started training to walk/jog the Jeff Galloway training plan for the half. My mom, who has NEVER really exercised, now hits the gym 4-6 times a week for walking/jogging & strength training. She works out with a trainer once a week and loves it. She is looking fabulous, and I couldn't be more proud.

Who have you introduced to running?

My running buddy Shelley & I completed the Hartford Half on saturday. While things did not go as planned for me (the knee crapped out around the 10K), I finished and did not give up. Same thing goes for Kari @ Running Ricig.... we were supposed to meet up after, but she had a horrible vertigo attack hit mid race & did not give up. Please go send her some love HERE! I'm recovering well, I think I need to focus on more stretching & foam rolling.

Week 4 training recap

Monday- Speedwork. 5 x 1K @ 6.6mph w/ 400m RI. My knee was acting up a little, but I made it through strong.

Tuesday - Bootcamp. Outdoor for another cold morning doing sprints, slam balls, battle ropes & the TRX rip trainers.

Wednesday - Felling sore from tuesday's bootcamp, so I skip my tempo run.  I wonder if bootcamp is starting to affect my running training. No good when you're training for a marathon.

Thursday- Another skip. This time bootcamp. After feeling so sore from tuesday, I definitely don't want to get more sore for saturday's race.

Friday- Swim. An easy swim of 750m, mostly to test my H2O audio set. I haven't been swimming since my last triathlon Sept 11, so it was good to get in.

Saturday- Hartford Half Marathon. 2:36:22, not too disappointed for the trouble I faced during the race. I'm more mad at myself for not taking good enough care of the leg with stretching, rolling, and pretty much doing physical therapy on myself. recap to come later.

Sunday - Stretch & learn class @ Bia Fitness. Krystal got us a yummy breakfast (organic hard boiled eggs, whole foods biscotti, fruit, organic yogurt), and we stretched, had free chair massages, and talked about training. Why we train, how we should train, how to make fitness part of our everyday lives & improve our community with fitness. It got me excited and motivated to train again. I talked to her about switching from Bootcamp to TRX to improve my running.

Nutrition- Improving. Did not count my points again. Why am I struggling with this!? I need to reign it in! I definitely did better with making smart choices and decreasing the beer though.

How was your training week?

Don't forget my Sparkly Soul giveaway HERE!

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I'm back from a Diva Weekend!

I can't wait to recap the Diva Half for you... I had a blast!

HUGE medal & Double fisting the champagne!

And despite a twingy knee at mile 8, the race rocked, and so did my time. I ended up with my second best half marathon time at 2:24:20!

This morning, I did make it to bootcamp, but it was a half-assed effort. My knee was keeping me from jumping or lunging too far. I'm rocking my Zensah calf compression sleeves at work, and its feeling a lot better. Unfortunately, I seemed to have misplaced my 110% play harder knee sleeve, which would feel amazing right now with its slide in ice packs.

After last weeks crappy attempt at healthy eating, I am working hard to commit myself to staying on track. The fact that I finally got my weight watchers e-tools working again after a few weeks without should help. I am vowing to track all week, get my workouts in, and stay in control with this weight loss plan. Please hold me accountable!!

The Hartford Half is in less than 2 weeks, and I want to be feeling good for that race. I have a good race crew of friends for Hartford (close to home, and a fun time). My mom, Kevin & my brother's girlfriend are doing the 5K, myself, Shelley, and my friends A & speedy trooper are doing the half, and my brother is doing the full! Couple that with a couple bloggers I know... Kari @ Running Ricig is doing the full, and Kristin @ Bigger Girls Can Run Too is running the Half. It should be a fun day, as long as the weather holds up. Anyone else coming to Hartford?

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To race or not to race?

Today I am so incredibly sore from bootcamp yesterday, that I cannot squat to pee. Thank goodness my trainer is off to California for advanced TRX training and will be missing the next 3 sessions. Bad news is, I know my strength training will suffer during that time. No worries, she'll be back right as I begin Marathon Training!!

Now before that marathon training begins, I still have a couple weeks. This weekend leads me to debatable races. I already signed up for the Women's Triathlon in Farmington, CT on sunday over a month ago. 

Problem? 

I have only been swimming once since my last race. It was a 1/2 mile, but it was a pool. I was not feeling good after my open water swim at the last race, and that was only 300 yards. I have not been cycling, and now the rain is keeping me from it. I could have pulled the bike in on the trainer tonight, but instead I laid on the couch. I could tomorrow night, while Kevin's at class. The running I am not concerned with, it's what I've been doing the most of, even though its my weakest sport, its my most comfortable. I have no friends to do this race with, but Kevin would tag along to cheer me on. Do I skip or plow through even though I will have a panic attack in the water probably not be pleased with my performance?

Saturday is a local 5K to support TBI research. The weather is supposed to be perfect running weather, the cost is only $20, the roads are relatively flat, and its 5 min from home in lovely Longmeadow, MA. Hmmm maybe I should go after that under 30 5K I've been dying for?

Should I do the triathlon or aim for the 5K PR?

Or both?!

I faced the music of the scale at my meeting tuesday. 3 pounds in mojitos, desserts, and cheese plates. Totally worth it. Yesterday & today I have counted points, and stayed fairly healthy, working at getting back on track with my nutrition. I know that weight loss would really help me while training for Disney!

What's your advice for me as I get ready to start marathon training?

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Let the Race Planning Begin

I have not been great the rest of this week.

Wednesday night I skipped my group ride, I was wicked tired! This morning I could barely drag my but out of bed at 6:30am, never mind the initial 4:45am setting I had it on for my morning run. I dragged through the day, hoping I would have enough energy for a run after work, but no way. I am beat. This bootcamp thing sure wears me out. Wears me out so much that I can't seem to get my key workout #2 in at all. No good!

I am working hard at picking my fall Half Marathon lineup. In fact, I signed up for my first of the 4 last night...

The Diva Half Marathon on Long Island on Oct 2!

Shelley and I are going to have a girls race weekend together.

My other definite is the Hartford Half Marathon on Oct 15 (only 30 min from home!)

Other possibilities?

Seacoast Half in NH Nov 13

Cape Cod Half Oct 29

Monson, MA Half Marathon Nov 13 (literally 15 min from my house, but hard & hilly)

Manchester, NH Half Nov 6

RaceVermont.com Half in Shelburne, VT Nov 6 (Near Kevin's hometown)

I need to pick 2 more from last list. As of right now, I am leaning toward Monson & Shelburne. 

Any input?

I've also been thinking that 9 half in 365 days in 9 states = 4 moon status. After these 4, I'd be at 7... do I dare?

My other dilemma is next weekend's triathlon.

I have not been open water swimming since the triathlon on June 26. 

Actually, I have not been swimming at all. 

The swim is .5 miles

I have never swam .5 miles

I want to make use of my USAT license

I would also like to save money for all the race fees listed above

I can race either for $85 at the Danskin in Webster, MA or for $95 at the Amica 19.7 in New London, CT

Next weekend is my last long run with Shelley before taper for Providence RnR

I have 2 more triathlon opportunities for the season on Sept 10 & 26

What would you do?

In marathon news, I found the FIRST Marathon training program online HERE, and am excited about training for Disney. The 16 week program, has us starting September 26! It looks like all the fall Half Marathons fall nicely in the plan and would actually add on some extra miles to the training. I really feel like after our 16 miler last weekend, I can accomplish anything. NEVER in a MILLION years when I started running did I think I could run that far. With the longest training run on our schedule at 20 miles, I feel like it is totally doable. I cannot WAIT to run Disney!

My weekend will be quiet, and I'm hoping to be able to rest and get some of that energy back to really focus on my runs in the final weeks leading to Providence. Tonight Kevin and I are having a low key night, and then he will be away on mancation until tuesday. I have to work tomorrow, but I plan on spending the rest of my weekend biking, running, shopping and relaxing by the pool.

Enjoy your weekend!

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