Float Dodger 5k Race Recap

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So, let’s rewind to last Friday, where I said that I wasn’t going to try to PR my weekend 5k.

Was that a lie? Yes. But I didn’t call my own bluff until the second the gun went off.

I truly was planning on a fun, no pressure 5k. And that’s actually what I feel like I had…except that the results, and the effort, were higher than I expected. No harm, no foul…I think I should probably just forget ever saying that I am not going to compete in a race.

But let’s start from the beginning.

BF and I jogged the 1.5 miles to the race start…which ended up being a great idea in terms of preparation, however it was IMO a little too long for a 5k warm up. Oh well.

There were a few hundred people gathered around the start line, which was outside of our local running store—West Seattle Runner.

{Side note} Seattle runners, if you’ve never visited WS Runner, I highly recommend going. They really know their stuff, they sell great products, and they are super nice! They know my name and I love it…maybe because I spend ample amounts of money there, or maybe because I have a bumper sticker with their logo on it, but I choose to believe it’s because they love me and want to someday sponsor me. It’s fine guys…I’m cool with that.

I digress. So, yada yada yada…typical race start, everyone lines up in their corrals, and we gear up to go. I was a little afraid because there weren’t very many people between me and the start line, but I figured I would just run my own race and hope for the best.

Gun goes off, Lady Gaga starts singing to me about the edge of glory, and I feel great. It felt so so so good to be running a race, especially in my own neighborhood. It was very Mr. Rogers’ theme song-ish, and I loved it. I looked at my watch about 3 minutes in and saw a 6:15 looking back at me.

YIKES.

Holy shenanigans Robyn, hold your horses. Yea, I had committed the single worst rookie mistake ever. But, I did feel great, so I slowed a bit…but when I turned the 1 mile marker corner, I was sitting at a 6:23 mile. In my head I was all, “Okay, sweet. But slow the f down homegirl.” Which I did, and kept on cruising.

It wasn’t until I turned the mile 2 marker that I started to feel a bit wheezy. Luckily, 5ks have this wonderful thing about them…they don’t last very long. I knew I could huff it out another mile, no matter how biley my throat was feeling. TMI? No…this is a running blog peeps, get over it.

It was at this point also that I knew there weren’t too many females in front of me. I had picked off a few from the start, and because the final stretch was a straight shot…I could see pretty far in front of me. I started to get a bit of a kick thinking that I might be able to place. I knew it was a long shot, especially since that has never ever ever been a race goal for me, but I figured if there was ever a time to try…it was in the last mile of a 5k.

Then came the hill. Oh, the hill. I have one thing to say about that hill:

SCREW THAT HILL.

I am, by the way, repeating the sentiments of every. single. racer in this 5k, as this hill was placed at literally the worst possible spot of the course. The majority of the course was either flat or a slight downhill, ideal for any racer. However, come mile 2.3 there was a fairly steep and half-a-mile long hill that destroyed any remnants of energy you still had in your legs.

I hated that hill. I’m a baby. I wanted to cry.

BUT I didn’t cry. I kept on going, and about 300 meters from the 3 mile marker, I picked off the girl I was fairly sure had the 3rd place spot.

SHWEEEET, I thought. But I was gutting it out and not feeling super awesome.

Not the most attractive shot…weird, I know, because race photos and flattery go hand-in-hand. BUT look at that mid-foot strike!

So I kept pushing, really wanting to just be done. About 20 feet from the finish line, while garnering all my hope for a sub 21:57 time, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

Not one, but TWO females were sprinting each other to the finish line…and before I could gather my wits about me, they BOTH passed me, and finished within .02 seconds of one another, and about a second and a half ahead of me.

Noooo!!!

I got totally chicked, by TWO chicks.

However, when I looked at my watch, I was pumped. I had PR’ed by over 10 seconds, and I had a good feeling I was still in the top 5 females.

A few quick minutes later, BF ran in, and I got to cheer him in while simultaneously recruiting him to assist me in free sample collection.

Later, when the actual results were posted…I found out that I did finish number 5 for females, and first in my AG! I was/am definitely happy with the results, however it stings just a *little* bit that I had a 3rd place finish within my grip.

But it’s okay. It felt so good to go fast, and it felt great to exceed my own expectations. I love 5ks, and I feel like they don’t get enough credit. You don’t need to taper for them, they don’t take much recovery, and you don’t need to worry too much about pacing. Sure, if I hadn’t done that 6:23 mile initially, I may have finished stronger, but I don’t really regret much about the race. I think that might have been the fastest mile I’ve ever run, and I’m excited to see if I can push that number lower in some upcoming speed work.

And if you’re wondering how BF felt about the free coconut water at the finish, here’s about how it looked:

That’s actually an understatement. That first and only sip might have been spit into the sink.

But aside from some not-so-good coconut water, it was a great start to our Saturday. I ran a slow 3.5 miles afterward to round out to 8 for the day, and I rode the faster-than-normal running high for the remainder of the weekend.

Oh, and I found out yesterday that peacing out immediately after BF and I finished the race was not a good idea. I missed out on a ribbon and a prize for winning my AG. Sad face. Fail, RB.

Do you like 5ks? What do you think is the best race strategy for only 3.1 miles of racing? Do you like coconut water? We think it tastes like salt and toilet water.

Chicago Marathon Training Week #3

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Welcome to Monday, friends.

Lots of running related news to share with you, but let’s start with a recap of last week’s training.

M: Spin

T: 10 m run, 8:20 avg. pace

W: Body pump + stair-stepper

T: 7 m, 4 @ <7:30 pace +lifting

F: 80 min swim, 3500 meters

S: 8 m run (1.5 warm up, Float Dodger 5k, 3.5 m cool down)

S: 18 m run, 8:45 avg. pace

Total: 43 miles

This week felt great. I was feeling a little sluggish after last week, so I wanted to hit it pretty hard in terms of quality workouts this week. The swim on Friday was more of a “I’m awake and can’t fall back asleep so I might as well do something” kind of workout, but it was still refreshing and my muscles enjoyed it.

All my runs went well, particularly the tempo and my long run yesterday.

I was running on somewhat tired legs from the 5k I raced the day before, but aside from a little shin split, I felt pretty tip-top. BF joined me for 4 miles toward the end, which was a helpful distraction. And not once did I feel any pain in my knee from my IT band. I’m still wary of saying a big “Hallelujah!” but it does seem that my knee/leg is starting to get its shit together—finally. I finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes, which is right around where I want to be in terms of LR speed.

Some more to report from this weekend!

My sister came and hung out which always makes for a fun and entertaining time.

Excuse the red mood lighting…

We did little shopping, a little fro-yo eating, and a lot of giggling. I love when she comes to town.

BF and I also ran the inaugural Float Dodger 5k on Saturday, which was a great local race as well as my first race since the Tacoma Marathon. I’ll be doing a full race report tomorrow, but I will say that it went better than I had expected…

As for the whole “I felt great about this week” thing, I think a lot of it had to do with my IT band behaving well. It’s always encouraging when you’ve been dealing with the same nagging pain over a period of time to finally feel like you can see some light at the end of the tunnel of sadness. I also feel really good about how my recovery from each run is going. I haven’t had any calf fatigue, which is something that’s always plagued me, and my soreness from particular workouts seems to be going away quicker than normal.

I’m crediting this recovery speed to two things: my shoes and strength training. I think my changed foot-strike (using the Brooks Pure Connect) has a lot to do with my calves feeling less sore, as well as why my IT band has started loosening up. I also think the fact that I’ve finally started doing squats, lunges, etc. in my regular lifting routine is paying off in my running. Ground-breaking…I’m sure no one has ever made that statement. I’m learning…

That’s about all for today, but I will leave you with this precious gem for a Monday pick-me-up:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/the-cutest-things-that-ever-happened

Baby animals are the best. Enjoy.

Happy Monday!

Friday Favorites: Tempo Run Love and Bachelor Confessions

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Friday! Huzzah!

Although this was a short week for me (I didn’t work on Monday), this has seemed like a longgg 4 days. If you’re familiar with starting a new job, you know that the first couple of weeks involve a lot of familiarization and information overload—which is exactly what I’ve been going through. It’s a little overwhelming, but in the best kind of way. Learning new things is one of my favorite things in the world—and that is essentially what I’m doing every minute of my day right now.

And for those of you who’ve asked…I’ll spill some more details. I’m working as a proposal writer in the marketing department at a big investment firm downtown, which in a nutshell means that not only am I learning a new job…I’m learning a whole new language and industry. Honestly, I don’t know what I want to do with the rest of my life…so for now getting as much experience as possible, in as many fields as possible, is just my cup of tea.

Anyway, let’s talk about running, cool?

As you may have already figured out, I am currently training for the Chicago Marathon. It’s a little over 11 weeks away, and I’m taking a new approach to my training. I’ll go into this in more detail anther time, but my primary goal in this training cycle is to not take it all so seriously. I want this race to be about the cause I’m running for (GOTR!) and about enjoying one of the biggest marathons in the world, in one of the best cities in the world.

With that said, I am also keen on doing some new things this time around, including the types of running I normally avoided before, such as speed work and tempo runs. The whole speed work thing has yet to happen…next week is set for some track time…however I have been trying out the tempo thing, and I’m digging it.

This morning, I was able to finish a 7 mile run with 4 miles around 7:30. And it was tough, but it felt great. Funny thing…when you finish 4 back-to-back miles at a 7:30 pace, all of a sudden an 8:10 pace feels like no problem. Amazing! That must be the reason for doing tempo runs! Revolutionary!

Okay, okay…I may be a tad exuberant over workouts that are totally standard in the running world, but remember…I’m in learning mode. Oh, and another great thing about this run? Not even a glimmer of knee pain. I was wearing my strap thing that’s been helping with my IT band issues, but afterward I didn’t even have a bit of stiffness.

In some other running news, BF and I are doing a 5k tomorrow!! I am psyched…I haven’t done a race since that fateful day in May, and it will be great to just pin a bib on and  be at a start line. I would like to say I have a goal in mind, because I do have dream time for a 5k, but for now I’m just gonna stick with finishing. I’ll try hard, but just like the theme for this marathon season…I don’t want to take it too seriously.

Now for the real reason for Friday posting, here are some current favorites of mine!

Ferries

This is my commute to work, it’s not too bad.

In the world of public transportation, there is nothing quite as fun as a ferry. Except I suppose the Hogwarts Express, but that’s for another conversation. Seattle has ferry rides aplenty, especially if you live over in West Seattle…wait, I live there! Needless to say, when I get to ride a boat from my home to downtown, it adds a whole new level of excitement to the trip.

And NOW that I’m commuting downtown, I can take the ferry everyday, twice a day, if I want. Splendid. Bring on the seal spotting!

Milk and Jorts

You fitness and health people out there will get a kick out of this blog by my friend Kyle. In pretty much the opposite direction of all healthy living blogs you’ve ever read, Kyle is on a 30 day mission to gain a ton of weight and muscle. His techniques? Well, a heavy lifting routine and—get this—drinking A GALLON OF MILK A DAY.

Boy be crazzzy, but he’s been successful so far and he’s getting near the end! Check it out for some humorous writing and milk-filled entertainment.

Pomegranate Passion Honey Stingers 

In the world of fueling gummies, these babies are reigning supreme for me. They’re easy on the stomach, they’re organic, and they’re delicious. Highly recommended if you’re in the market for a new mid-run fuel source.

The Bachelor(ette)

God damnit. I said it. I’m out of the closet, I’m making my addiction to this show known.

WHY YOU GUYS?! I quit watching this awful show years ago. Seriously, I was done—I wasn’t interested anymore in the petty, shallow, and fake nature of this kind of reality tv.

And for God knows what reason…during the last season, I decided to watch an episode On Demand when I was bored one day. And then another one. And then I started to like some people on it. And then I hated some people. Then all of a sudden I was taping the finale, ignoring all possible spoilers, and having long conversations with people about how all the drama unfolded.

Same thing this season, and the only thing I hate worse than the fact that I watch this show is the fact that I look forward to watching it.

But it is what it is, and we all have our guilty pleasures. And heck…watching the Bachelor(ette) makes things like Taylor Swift and Hunger Games seem uber grown-up and mature.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Okay, truth be told, I’m only a chapter into this book. But I’m already convinced that I’ll love every minute of reading it. The author talks about how his writing and running weave together and how writing about running is one of the ways he’s learned to love the sport even more. That ideology is pretty much the reason I started my blog to a T, and I am fairly convinced that quoting and gushing galore will soon ensue.

See you all on Monday…and by “see” I mean I’ll be writing a post and hopefully you will read it and even maybe comment and that is the internet version of “seeing” one another.

Have a great Friday everyone!

What are your favorite things right now?

Do you like tempo runs?

Do you watch The Bachelor? Are you ashamed like me, or do you wave your reality tv flag high?

Jef or Arie? 

Chicago Marathon Training Week #2

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“What’s up with that chick who thinks she has a running blog but hasn’t posted in almost a week?”

That’s totally what you’re thinking, I know.

Sorry for my absence as of late. Actually, I’m not really sorry because I’ve been doing some fun things that have kept me away from the computer for nearly 4 days. And I’ve loved it.

So… sorry, I’m not sorry.

To give you the quick-and-dirty update, I left with BF on a jet plane last Friday morning for a lovely little vacation to our hometown of Colorado Springs. But more on that in a bit…

For now, Chi-town training week #2!

M: Rest

T: 10 m/8:30 avg. pace + lifting

W: Body pump class + spin

T: 7 m “tempo” run, 3m at <7:50 + yoga

F: Rest (lazy)

S: 13 m/8:45 avg. pace

S: 7.5 m recovery run/9:00 avg. pace

This was a cutback week (which correlated beautifully with the altitude in CO inhibiting my ability to breathe), and I ended with a total of 34.5 miles for the week. Not much down from last week, but I like not adding heavily back to back to back. Which means 18 is coming up this weekend…..yea…..

Now, back to the reason why I’ve been MIA.

I was in Colorado for 4 beautiful days, doing lots of fun things but mainly enjoying being home with my family. BF and I went to a wedding and an OAR concert at Redrocks, and if you know where that is you know it’s a good time. Basically, it’s an enormous outdoor amphitheater made up of really cool red rock. Like, obviously.

Here are some select photos from said Colorado vacation:

We are at a wedding! We are adults!  We are pros at self photos!

My puppy…and yes, she is in fact a “pure” lab.

OAR concert!

 

I always get nervous to run in Colorado. When you go from sea level to running at over 6,000 feet, scary things can happen to your lungs, heart rate, and muscles. Luckily, I was able to pump out a long run without too many issues, and I got reacquainted with the feeling of dripping with sweat after running. Both runs in CO were done in 80 degree morning heat, which added some pizzazz to the already compromising altitude conditions.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger I suppose. And plus, Chicago has been known to be hot in the past few years on marathon day…better to get used to it now.

In other news, I started a new job today! Which is definitely exciting, and I’ll give some details soon, however for now I just need to get used to a new daily schedule…including a significantly earlier running time. Which will get rough at some point, but with this as my wake up call, I think I’ll survive:

Hello Seattle, let’s be friends.

I hope your week is going great, and because I would love to hear from some of you out there…

Have you ever run at altitude? Are you training for anything right now? Running in the heat…love it or hate it? 

 

Running to Feel Clean

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This morning I had a tempo run on schedule.

I woke up and knew within about .2 seconds that 8:00 miles were not on the agenda.

I did a body pump class yesterday, which was great, but it included several leg lifty things, meaning many squats and lunges. Needless to say, I had some unhappy hamstrings upon waking up.

However, I dragged myself out to do what I could, resolving that just getting the miles in was more important than the timing. And it was good that I started off with that mindset…because those first two miles were butt ugly. I felt awkward, slow, and just groggy.

Very standard for the beginning of a morning run with sore legs—I am sure you can relate.

But then, at my self designed halfway point, I decided to get over myself and kick it up. Miles 4, 5, and 6 clocked in around 7:50, which was very encouraging. Although it wasn’t the amount of distance I was supposed to cover at tempo pace, I was glad to get in some quick miles.

Ended with 7.1 miles in 55 minutes even. I’ll take it.

The truth is that when it comes to speed, my body is definitely stronger than my head most of the time. Normally, when I start picking up my pace, it’s unintentional—and I feel great. Then I look at my watch, get scared that I won’t be able to hold it, and slow down. It’s like my body wants to go fast, but then my brain gets scared and hits the brakes. I tried to push through this a bit today, and although I’m definitely feeling some tired legs, it did feel good to not let the watch scare me.

In running, I always love knowing that slowing down is an option. It makes me feel better about the times I want to go faster, and it’s comforting to know that no matter what speed—running is still running.

Afterward, per standard post run procedure, I felt great. Sweaty, tired, and satisfied.

I realized this morning that one of the primary things I feel when I finish running is…clean.

Strange, of course, because I’m normally everything but clean. In fact, I’m rather gross a lot of the time.

However, there are few times when I feel fresher than immediately following a run. It’s like through the sweating and panting, the grime of the day before just washes out, and I’m left with a fresh start.

So despite the stank and salty face and all that, I would say that just after a run is the cleaniest I feel. Of course, the greatest sense of cleanliness is the mental detoxification that happens along the way. As the saying goes…I never leave a run in the same place as I started. And 100% of the time, I always feel better afterwards. Cleaner, fresher, and lighter.

I think this is why that post-run shower always feels oh so good. You’ve already rid your body and mind of the waste it was holding onto, and the actual soap-and-shower process wipes clean all the residue of that grime.

What am I trying to say in this post? Why knows. I hardly ever know, actually.

I suppose it’s just to remember that running is refreshing, and it does an incredible job of extracting the dirt we carry around that perhaps we weren’t even aware of.

 

Chicago Marathon Training Week #1

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Hello! Welcome to Monday. I hope your weekend was stupendous and filled with rest, relaxation, and ice cream.

Here’s how my first “official” week of training for Chicago looked:

M: Rest

T: 10 m run/8:30 avg. page + yoga

W: 10k fun run!

T: Spin + 20 min stair stepper

F: Maximum sculpt class + 80 min swim

S: 16.2 m run/8:45 avg. page

S: Spin + 4.4 m run

Totally weekly running mileage: 36.8 m

I wasn’t going to run yesterday. I had planned on a recovery run from Saturday’s LR, but since my knee hurt a bit from the day before, I decided to opt for spin. However, around 5:30 (and after a lot of beach relaxation) I felt a weird urge to go run in the evening heat. I went with the urge, headed out watch-less for a quick little out-and-back, and wound up feeling better than I’ve felt since I started running again!

It also felt fast, which immediately made me regret not wearing a timing device. But have no fear, because I’m OCD and was determined to figure out just how fast I was going, I tallied up the songs I had listened to on the run and added up their times.

Creativity points?

Anyways, I figured out that I was averaging 7:30 miles, which is much lower than I’ve been clocking recently. It was a little surprising, because like I said—I felt so good on this run and my legs felt happy and pain-free. Looks like I might need to let the chains let loose a little bit more.

This was one of those runs where I decided to listen to my body (not a training plan, not my Garmin) and just GO. And the results were great! It truly is best sometimes to just run by feel. I knew I would have been fine without going yesterday, but something was telling me to head on out. I loved this run, and I loved feeling some speed under me after so much time without.

The rest of the weekend can pretty much be summed up in one word: SUN!

So much sun. So many sunshine filled activities—including the aforementioned one above:

The rain does go away sometimes!

I made friends with a jelly fish yesterday, although I don’t think he was as into following me as I was into following him.

Also, does your face look like this after long runs?

Salty face by way of emo MySpace picture

I was told during my time in the medical tent at the Tacoma Marathon that I’m a “salty sweater” and I was a little surprised because I thought everyone got this salty during long runs. Do you? Just me?

How was your weekend?? What kinds of things did you do in the heat? Did you have to adjust your plans according to the hot weather? Are you a salty sweater?

July 4th, Friday Favorites, and Really Attractive Photos

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Favorites? You betcha.

But also, some 4th of July fun!

The day started off in (my version of) the best way possible at the First Annual 4th of July Mimosa 10k Fun Run! Also known as the longest hash tag of all time, or one of the best last minute ideas ever.

Thanks to the stellar organizational skillz of Nicole and the enthusiasm of lady runners/bloggers, the logistics came together in a flash and the results were excellent.

After doing a perfectly precise 10k, everyone enjoyed the sun, food, and mimosas. The best kind of 4th of July morning.

Runners are neat. Runners who eat and bring delicious food to social gatherings are even neater.

Literally everything was delicious, and I realized that learning to legit cook would probably make me more friends. See the cut up watermelon in the middle? That was the extend of my contributions.

Runners!

I think the best idea would be to make this a weekly thing. Sound good girls?

Afterward, BF and I were intent on doing some sort of outdoor activity. In Seattle, you enter into a panic mode when it’s sunny, and all previously made plans are altered to include being outside.

Contrary to what you might be thinking, I am not wearing a huge yellow diaper.

Kayaking it was! We decided to actually take advantage of the geographic location we live in for once and rent a boat to take out on the sound.

I am dating a 24 year old, not a toddler, as this picture might imply.

BF please don’t hate me for posting this picture

It was a little scary, but super fun, although I am disappointed a dolphin or killer whale didn’t majestically leap over our boat. Next time.

A little running, a little boating, a lot of watermelon eating, a little baseball catch, and I had myself one fun tribute to the US of A.

The one glitch in the day was forgetting that when you are out in the sun for 8 hours wearing a tank top, there is a very popular lotion recommended to prevent the sun from eating your flesh. Yea, oversight.

Yes, I have a degree.

What kind of rookie am I??? I admit, I am not a chronic sunscreen latherer, but I certainly know better than this bs. On the shoulders no less—seriously the most painful spot to have a sunburn.

Considering the fact that my mom has had skin cancer more than once due to her teenage baby oil tanning habits and has furthermore ingrained the sunscreen mantra into my brain, I really need to get my act together.

Mom, I hope it’s cool I’m telling the Internet about our family medical history. 


TGFAloe, and for the love of your skin, don’t be as dumb as me.

Now, let’s do something I haven’t done in forever and talk about some favorite things.

My Juicer

I’m just gonna go ahead and overshare by telling you (again) about how my digestive system is a bitch and hates me sometimes. I try to treat her right, but sometimes it doesn’t really matter what I do and my stomach is a wreck. Due to this chronic issue, getting enough F and V is really important for me and can make a world of difference.

This little device which was GIVEN to me by a dear friend has made my stomach and my wallet very happy. I love getting juices, but they are oh-so-expensive at all the legit juicing/smoothie places. This baby allows for some speedy F and V consumption that my stomach really agrees with. The only downside is how long it takes to clean…but otherwise I’m a big fan.

BF is still warming to them. Liquid vegetables are scary for him.

Cam Wow

I know, I know. The whole “Photo Booth,” distorting photos thing is so freshman year of college, but I still can’t get enough of this app! I can actually make myself laugh out loud, yes literally L-O-L, when I do this.

(Note: The purpose of these pictures is mainly to send them to family members or friends. I’m not actually that weird that I sit alone taking weird pictures of myself. Oh, I am? Shit.)

Anyways, enjoy my demonstration of shamelessness, and maybe you will be inspired to download this app.

While at intermission at the sophisticated Seattle Symphony.

While waiting in the car when picking up a friend.

While responding to your sister when she asks how your day is going.

What I’m really trying to say is…I’m really, really pretty.

That last one is probably the worst picture of me ever taken. Which, trust me, is saying something.


Franz Cinnamon Swirl Bread

For lack of any eloquence, this bread is the bees knees. What does that even mean? Are bees knees special? I don’t really think they even have “knees” so to say.

I digress. Run to the store and buy yourself a loaf, toast it up, coat in butter or whatever “version of butter” you use, and consume.

This is actually my first, baby-step attempt at pre-long run fueling. I’ve decided to be normal and smart and try eating something before my long runs. My handful of cereal isn’t going to cut it anymore, and so I’m going to grow up and wake up a little earlier beforehand to get down something real. A delicious slice of this is sure to help in the process.

High Guy Meme

I admittedly have been a meme follower/fan for a while, and I can pretty safely say that “High Guy” takes the cake (and the cookies, brownies, french fries, etc.) for being the funniest.

Seriously, again with the L-O-L. Check out some of the best ones here for a fun Friday chuckle.

Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo/Conditioner

I want to coat my entire life in this stuff and roll around in all its good smelling wonderment.

Does that make sense?

This stuff smells so good, and although I fell off the Organix wagon for a while, a few BOGO deals later and I’m back on track.

Oh, and I think this stuff is good for your hair? I’m really more concerned with the smell and the pretty pink bottle.

Wham bam Friday Favorites in the bag.

Have a wonderful, sunshine-filled, sunscreen-coated, sweaty weekend!

What are your favorite things right now? 

What’s your favorite meme?

What are your plans for this weekend?

BF B-Day and Weekend Snapshots

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I am pressed for time today, but I do have some photos from the weekend to share as well as a birthday wish to give…

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY MR. BF!!!

We’ll be celebrating tonight with some festivities, presents, and other birthday-related shenanigans. I am definitely the bigger fan of birthdays and holidays and general over-the-top merriment in the relationship, so I think I am typically more excited about his birthday than he is. But, hopefully my 24-hour bombardment of birthday wishes, emoticon-filled texts, and delicious treats helps get him in the spirit. In case he reads this post—I’ll leave my specific plans secret— but details will follow soon.

I know, you were horrified about missing out.

Now, just four days late, here are some snapshots from last weekend. It was an eventful one indeed.

RB and RR 4EVER

Remember when I talked about that bacon cheeseburger from the second happiest place on earth on bad mood Friday? Here it is, in all its glory, and it was perfect. I think I have a real deal huge burger about three times a year (red meat and my digestive system tend to hate each other), which means that when I go for it—it’s all the more spectacular.

Huge Blue Moons don’t hurt either.

No, those are not jeggings, just clown feet combined with BP jeans.

Another once-in-a-blue-moon event that happened this past weekend (DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE??) included a trip to the bowling alley. We were planning on going to the synonymy, but we had time to kill before dinner and the show. So obviously going bowling was the best option. We each won one game, and check out the results of the second game:

So the obvious next step is joining a league with sweet jerseys with inside-joke nicknames on them. Mine will be “Bird.” Original, I know.

Then after some delectable sushi (which I am SUPER into right now, so if you want to go—please invite me), it was off to our adult date at the Seattle Symphony.

And by “adult” I really don’t mean adult at all.

YOU GUYS. Let me tell you about this special show. This was a “Disney” themed performance, meaning there was not only a stellar selection of the best scores and songs from Disney movies, there was a screen projecting said movies behind the orchestra.

AND THERE WERE SINGERS.

I was dying, if you couldn’t guess, and every time I think I’ve grown out of my 6-year-old Disney princess phase and have become a functioning adult, something like this comes along, and I’m back to infantile giddiness and giggles.

Lucky for me, I have a boyfriend who a)goes to this kind of stuff with me b) still dates me despite my behavior and c) may just love it himself. I know BF wasn’t quite as rainbows and glitter about this as I was, but let’s just say I saw that foot tapping and a smile on that handsome face more than once during the show.

I know you love it when I sing Mary Poppins and Little Mermaid songs in your ear, baby…you’re welcome.

Which brings me to Sunday morning, in which this occured.

I had two goals for this run, the first “long run” since I regained run-ability.

1)Go slow

2) Finish

I was very content with this level of expectation for myself, and while my pacing was not exactly what I would have liked, I did accomplish both goals. I am really trying to get it into my head that long runs are supposed to be slow, and relatively speaking—this pace was right around the slow mark I need to hit. However, it terrifies me to run long runs so much slower than I’m supposed to run the actual marathon at the end of it all, so it needs some getting used to. A happy medium perhaps, at some point.

Anyway, I would show you my splits—but that would require me figuring out how to upload my Garmin data. You see, I’m just now realizing how often I need to charge this thing and how not to reset it during a run. Baby steps…the whole “uploading data” thing will come in time.

I can tell you that it didn’t feel awesome. It wasn’t awful, and I was happy to have retained some of my endurance over my running hiatus, but it definitely didn’t feel how 14 miles felt a few months ago.

But, like, DUR. Just goes to show ya…running takes patience. Of which I have none. But I’m trying.

So there you have it. Remember how I said I was “pressed for time,” initiating that this would be a brief post?

Yea, fail.

Apparently I just like to hear {watch} myself talk.


Have a lovely day, and prepare for some 4th of July wonderment, blogger-love, and Favorites coming up tomorrow!

In the meantime…how was your 4th of July? How is your “Every Single Person is Hungover Today” Day going? Did you take work off? Was asking your boss for the day off awkward? Did you eat as much watermelon and me? NO YOU DIDN’T.

Chicago Marathon via Girls on the Run

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Good morning!

Remember funk town Friday? Yea, it’s gone now. Actually, it started to dissipate pretty soon after posting—partly because writing is theraputic, and partly because I started listening to the ’90s pop station on Pandora. TLC, LFO, BSB…you guys make me happy.

Today is a new day, and it’s an exciting one.

Remember last week, and I think some weeks beforehand, when I said I had a sweet announcement to make? Right—well, even though the title of this post kind of gives it all away, let’s back track a bit to provide some appropriate lead up.

I am pretty chronically in a state of planning my next endeavor. In the past year or so it’s mostly been marathons, but there have also been moments of considering other extreme athletic endeavors, planning a race to start myself, or checking flight prices to exotic locations all over the world. Most of the time, these things don’t actually emancipate—sometimes because of practicality, but mostly because something else comes along that seems even more exciting. You might call it ADD, but it’s really just a case of getting really fixated on certain ideas, and then trying to make those ideas even more exciting.

However, every so often, one of them sticks—and once they stick, I am completely incapable of letting myself off of the proverbial hook. I become mentally and physically committed to the sticking ideas, and I refuse to let any logistical issues get in my way. Last year, this was training for my first marathon. Next year, I know it will be a (half) Ironman. And this year?

Well, after much deliberation and “patience,” the perfect opportunity came to me—and I grabbed the bull by the balls.

The bull, in this case, is the prestigious Chicago Marathon…which I will officially be running on October 7!!

I was really wanting to run the Chicago Marathon about two months ago, however when I checked the website they were already sold out. I was bummed, but I knew I’d find something else—so I sort of forgot about it.

And I did find a few more race ideas, however none of them were really calling to me. I began wondering it I even wanted to do a fall marathon or if I just wanted to play around for a while.

Well, that was right when the universe was all, “Yea right lady…try and ignore this opportunity,” and low and behold—an email from Girls on the Run shows up in my inbox.

The email said that it had bonus entries for the Chicago Marathon, in which runners would raise a certain number of dollars for GOTR and then run the race as a GOTR Solemate.

Um.

YES!

This was exactly what I’d been looking for. Not only is it the race I was after, but it would offer something entirely new and exciting in terms of training. This would allow me to run and train for something much bigger than myself, which is just what I’ve been looking for. In the midst of looking for an epic fall race, I was also on a mission to stop taking my running so seriously. Running is supposed to be fun, and despite how much I love competing, I also need to stop being so concerned with performance and times and all that jargon as much as I have been. Those things are important, but they aren’t everything, and I’m confident that this opportunity to run for Girls on the Run will be just to ticket to work outside of my own selfish training endeavors. Because the ultimate purpose of this endeavor is to raise money, and advocate for, Girls on the Run.

So, where does that leave me? Well, logistically speaking….a lot of fundraising to do and a training program to start. Both of which I am officially starting today! Hooray starting to train again! I have a number of changes I’ll be making to this training regimen, which I’ll talk about soon, but overall I’m really excited to be a Solemate and spread all the good word about Girls on the Run to everyone I know. (And when I say everyone, I’m serious…get ready, every family member, friend, family friend, blogger, twitter follower, coworker, etc.)

And thus commences my first request for donations! The minimum fundraising amount is $750, but I’m going to go for $1,000. And perhaps more if possible! If you are interested in joining my training/fundraising endeavors, you can donate here!

Girls on the Run is an amazing organization, and one that tugs on my former tomboy heartstrings. Their mission is essentially to inspire and encourage young girls through running—and their program hopes to create confidence in a healthy and active lifestyle. These are lessons that are so pivotal for girls to learn at a young age, particularly in our society which is so focused on unrealistic image expectations(read: lies) for women. Running has done so much for women, both young and old, in terms of instilling a sense of self-motivation and self-love, and I think it’s so inspiring that Girls on the Run is bringing this mission to the next generation of women.

So today marks my first day of training for the Chicago Marathon! And it’s a rest day….awesome.

More details on my training program and approach to come, but for now I’m just excited to start fundraising and prepare to run in one of the greatest marathons in the world!

Dear Internet, I suck today.

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Optimistic title, no?

Confession: This is not the first draft of this post.

Weird, I know, because normally I operate on the “word vomit with some typos” single draft method when writing my blog posts. But not today. I was trying desperately to feign some version of my normal Friday cheerfulness and obnoxious rambling about how everything is perfect and running is super and puppies are cute and sequins should be everywhere.

Running is super, puppies are cute, and sequins should in fact cover more things than it already does.

But, I couldn’t even fake it today. I’m in a funk, and I didnt’ want to admit it.

After some flailing attempts to write out my feelings about “FRIDAY AND WEEKENDS ARE AWESOME!” and all that, I realized it was bullshit, because I actually don’t feel too pumped about much today, and it was all a lie to write a post acting like I was.

One big “select all” and “delete.” That’s what happened not too long ago, which leaves me here—admitting to both you, and myself, that I’ve been pissy today and didn’t want to admit it.

Why? No reason…which is always worse. When I’m in bad mood, 99% of the time I am either hungry or tired.

I’m like an infant, if you didn’t know that.

However, neither of those are the case. I’m caffeinated, I’m exercised, and generally things are pretty dang good. No reason bad moods suck, especially when I start getting down on myself for being pissy when things could (always) be much worse.

I’ll get over it, and I am sure you don’t want to hear me investigate the cause of my bitchiness any more. And I don’t either, which is why I’m here. Writing is theraputic, but only if you tell the truth. You see, earlier when I was trying to write about my favorite things, it felt tedious and annoying and I couldn’t muster any energy whatsoever to make my fingers type. That’s because my usual zest wasn’t there, and now that I’m actually writing about the way I’m really feeling—well, the word vomit is coming no problem.

Funny how that works, huh? Thinking back to all that writer’s block I experienced in college when writing about something I hated—it was always so difficult to force a paper out.

{But don’t worry expensive liberal arts institutions, that probably never, ever happens to anyone else.}

The truth is, good writing necessitates honesty. When I say “good” I’m not boasting about my blogging abilities—because goodness knows there is no Shakespeare over here. “Good” is more of a subjective term, and I always think that my “good” writing is the kind that has my real, honest-to-goodness voice behind it. That can only be done with brutal and sometimes harsh honesty—even when it means admitting to yourself that writing about random Favorite Things sounds like the worst thing in the world.

Why have I taken this long to tell you about why I suck today and didn’t write a post that probably no one cares much about? I don’t really know. But getting down the way I’m really feeling is always helpful, and I knew that instead of ignoring my blog and letting another day go by without posting—I might as well get some words out there.

One of the biggest reasons I started my blog was to have an outlet. Sure, I wanted to keep myself accountable in terms of training, and I wanted to connect with the online running community. But perhaps more than anything, I wanted and needed a place where I could let out some of the thoughts that go on in my head.

Since I was young, writing things down has always been a big help. I’m lucky I figured this out so young, but it’s something that has definitely taken practice and discipline. To this very day, I have to be very intentional when writing down the things I’m thinking—good or bad. It’s really easy to hide behind things that will distract us from our bad moods. My resort comes in the form of Gossip Girl episodes and bottomless bowls of trail mix, which is about 50% chocolate chips.

In my last post, I advocated for this type of relaxation. But, there’s a difference between relaxation and distraction, and that’s unfortunately what our unwinding habits can turn into. Which, once again, leads me back to why I’m here.

I want to be merry and peppy and favorite-y today, but I’m not.

And it’s okay, because I’d rather be honest than put on an act.

I’ll get over my funk, and I’m glad that I was able to realize that the trials and tribulations of Blair and Serena and all those other beautiful people wasn’t actually relaxing as it was distracting me from the fact that I’m funked out.

*If you’re wondering what the majority of yesterday afternoon and this morning looked like, I think you can guess*

That all might not make sense, and I’m sorry if you’ve wasted your time waiting for some a-ha! lesson. I suppose the “lesson” is that sometimes it’s better to admit your problems than to pretend they aren’t there.

And believe me, I know a bad mood hardly qualifies as a problem. But, it’s a small scale example of something I think a lot of us do frequently. Finding an outlet for whatever it is that’s getting us down is the most important route to take, in my opinion, and for me—that’s here…and running.

Oh, this is a running blog? Have I been whining about nothing for this whole post while you wanted to talk about running?

Yea, I wished the same…and I’m sure soon enough I’ll be back in action, complete with sequins and exclamation points. And I need to get my act together, particularly because on Monday I have some pretty sweet news to share, and I won’t have a choice but to be pumped about it.

So, weekend, I’m going to squeeze every “stop being a bitch” activity out of you as I can…and if all else fails, I’ll rely on the Red Robin meal tonight that I’ve been crafting in my head since 9 am. Coping mechanisms people…I have many.

If you’re still there and feel like helping me find some joy in the world…what are YOU doing this weekend? Are you excited and glittery today, or are you hanging out in Oscar the grouch land with me? What are your bad mood coping mechanisms? What’s your outlet? Should I get the bacon cheeseburger tonight or the bacon cheeseburger? Oh, a spiked Freckled Lemonade you say? Done.