Meskawki Health Clinic Turkey Trot

Well, I have now run a turkey trot in three states: Arizona, my home; Washington, my in-laws, previous home; and now Iowa where my in-laws currently live. I wasn't planning to run a Turkey Trot, but well, I'm a runner and I did a Google search just to see if there was one, and there was! I asked my husband if he would do it, too, and being the runner that he now is, he agreed!

Weather: Iowa is well, cold. The day before the race, it was in the 30's, with gusty winds up to 49 miles per hour (or something like that. I did not run or walk outside. Rather, my kind mother-in-law bought me a guest pass to the Meskawki Recreation Center, where I ran a mile and walked 2.25. (It was a cross-training day on my plan, and having done some Nourish Move Love strength workouts before I left, I figured this was good enough.)

Thursday morning, the low was 21, and the high was 33. The winds were supposed to die down, and I prayed they would. I got up at 5 am thinking I would go run two miles before we left at 7:00 am, but with sunrise not until 7:13 am, and country roads, that did not really work out. So I did my physical therapy exercises and tootled around until 6:30 am when I woke up my husband. I drank coffee with RNWY and scarfed down a banana and decided I had time to run, and went for it. With a tank top, running shirt, thick fleece, headband and two pairs of gloves, I felt mostly warm, well, except for my hands. They were cold already. I wondered how that would go.

The Race: This was a somewhat unofficial turkey trot, starting from the rec center, going down to a stop sign, and running back. Entrance was two cans of food per person, and they gave out hooded sweatshirts and track pants while supplies lasted. Talk about swag! There was also a raffle, with tickets given for every can of food brought.

My husband and I chilled and ate our fruit leathers and walked towards the doors around 7:45 AM. (I also used the bathroom twice and took a few sips of water from the water fountain.) Around 8 AM, we walked out front and they gave us a brief course preview and then told us to go. One man (whom the rec center director had identified as "faster") took off from behind and quickly went to the front. A man and a woman (who had driven an hour to this race because they like it so much) were out in front of me. I figured I could not catch them, but then.

Mile 1: My plan was to run half-marathon pace, which once again was 7:40/mile. I wasn't sure how that would go with the cold and everything, but I figured I would try. I looked down at one point and was in 7:30/mile range. Sweet, I thought. Well, that did not last long. While I felt like I was cruising, I steadily watched my pace falling. I did pass the man and the lady in front of me. I heard them talking about her sticking with him, but then I watched him surge ahead of me. "Did you drop her?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said. "She wanted to run alone." Or something like that.

Mile 1 was 7:46/mile--not quite where I wanted it, but good enough.

Mile 2: I heard footsteps behind me for most of the last mile. Remembering the first place female trophy I had seen when we signed in, I told myself to keep going. At the same time, my legs were cold, and I could not go much faster. Eventually the footsteps came around me. It was a young boy, and he was racing! We turned around at the stop sign and then started back up the hill. I had noticed we had run down a hill and was not sure how that would be going back up. The answer was slower. I hit 7:54/mile here.

Mile 3: I was once again able to get sentences out, but I felt like I did not/could not go much faster. (Thankfully I did not feel like I had hit the wall, rather that I was cruising and could not feel my legs through the cold to go much faster.) While I could not remember exactly where we would turn, I knew that we would come out on the flat eventually, and we did. I was at 8:11/mile here.

Mile 3.1-3.33 I watched the guy in front of me turn. (The first guy was long gone!). Not sensing anyone else around me and not thinking I could pass anyone, I just held on. I tried to sprint to the end, and I guess I did, clocking a 7:31/mile for the last bit.

Results: I came in third overall (behind the first two men) and first for the women. I thought that would mean a trophy, but I was not sure. I hung out for a while and congratulated the men in front of me, and the kid who came in not much behind me. (That kid has a future!) I stood outside for a while, went inside to grab a water bottle, and then came in to cheer my husband to the finish line. The second two ladies came in and the press and rec center director took pictures. 

I went inside and got more water. Then they gave me a trophy, and told me to get a pie. Sweet! This is the first time I have won a pie. (I chose blueberry since I heard from my mother-in-law that someone else was bringing an apple pie.) We grabbed a few snacks and headed out.

After the race: I ate another fruit strip and drank a second 10 ounce water bottle in the car on the way back to the house. I needed to run five more miles to hit my total for the day. It took me a bit to get out of the house, but I got on the fitness trail and was enjoying my run. It was nice in the sun; cold when the wind blew.

Around 3.7 miles, I somehow slipped or tripped. I went down hard, but wearing two pairs of paints, two pairs of gloves, and a thick jacket, I thought I was okay. I picked myself up and kept running, When I got home, I noticed I had ripped the hand of one glove, and bled through my two layers of pants on one knee. I showered and found a lot of bruises, but overall was okay. That was a praise. Having read in my devotional that morning about God's goodness, I tried to name the good things from the day and not let my fall sour things. Thank the Lord, he helped me.

Concluding Thoughts: I guess we will call this day a cruise and a bruise. While I did not hit my prescribed 7:40 pace, I did get to run. I got a new sweatsuit, a trophy, and a pie. While my bruises hurt, they will heal. So for a Thanksgiving Day run and gun, I think I got a pretty good deal!

Foster 5K (Year 2)

It was year two for the Foster 5K! After all the other races I have done, I probably would not have signed up for this one, except that it supports a cause near and dear to my heart. I tried to recruit some others to join me, but only my husband (of course, the most important one!) did.

Buildup to this race was a bit rough. I caught some kind of bug and had a high fever the Sunday/Monday before. The week of the race, I did my long run Thursday, but got some terrible heal chafing and bleeding due to running in the rain. I still had six easy miles to run on Friday. I wanted to give the 5K on Saturday a go at racing, though.

I rearranged my run schedule and my workout of the day was 2 miles, 5 miles at half marathon pace, and a 1 mile cooldown. To make this work for the race, I ran a three mile warmup, the 5K, and then another two miles. It worked.

I ate my normal longer run breakfast prior to the race (caffeinated coffee with RNWY and a bagel). I also did my PT. Fifteen minutes prior to the race start, I took a caffeinated salted caramel GU. (I have mostly moved away from GU due to the price increase, but I had this gel leftover.) Weather was partly cloudy and the temperatures were in the mid fifties.

Goals:

For my training plan, I needed to hit a half marathon pace of 7:40/mile. Surely I could do that, so that became my A goal. B goals was to PR, which would happen if I hit my A goal. C goal was to PR my Pat's Run pace of 7:27/mile.

The Race:

Mile 1 felt hard. I don't really like the up and down around the lake, and I told myself to make it to the canal out-and-back. Several men passed me here. I was not feeling great and I only looked at my watch at the mile mark. My watch said 7:36/mile.

(Photo courtesy of Startline Racing)

Mile 2 was not bad, but when I looked down, I was over 7:40 a mile. I had felt thirsty, so slowed and grabbed a water cup at one aid station. I was the only woman out front (behind about six men), so I felt confident that I would place, even if not running a fast race. I was 7:41/mile for this mile.

Mile 3 I just settled in. I didn't look at my watch much. My legs weren't burning. I got out close to shouting a few sentences to cheer on other races, which told me I could have pushed harder, but I just didn't want to. (Was I dehydrated, underfueled, tired, or just not recovered from my 15 miles on Thursday? I don't know.) I was 7:41/mile here.

The course looked like it would be short, and it was, but I threw my hands up at the finish line anyway. At 3.05, I finished in 23:18 according to the clock. I breathed a little and then sprinted another 0.05 mile to get to 3:10, for my time of 23:48 (what I am counting for PR). 

Results:

When I finished the race, I was 7/7. After I grabbed some water, changed shoes, and went to find my husband (who ran his first full 5K since returning to running and placed 3rd in his age group!), my place had fallen to 8th and 2nd in my age group. I thought about contesting, but my husband reminded me that chip time matters, and that a woman behind me must have arrived late and run really fast. Maybe, but she did not make it to the award ceremony, so I will never know. I was not thrilled with my results, and I did not want to seem stuck up, so I just let it go.

(Photo courtesy of Startline Racing)

Final Thoughts:

Am I proud of this race? Yes, and no. I did it. I got it done. I was not at my finest. I did not feel great, but I am thankful I could do it. (I am most thankful that my husband got to run with me!) The more I run, the more less than great races I know I will have. That is part of the process, and part of what it means to stick with it. The 5K is not really my race anyway, at least right now.....

The Night Run 5K

How it started:

Versus how it's going: 

One of the first/last things my (now) husband and I did as friends was the 2018 Butterfly Run. The race was at best, awkward. He said he just wanted to be friends, and I was trying to honor that, but he kept showing up at all the things I wanted to do. I wanted to run this race, but then he said he wanted to try a 5K, so he signed up. I wasn't against him coming, but I was trying to create distance between us, because I liked him as more than a friend, but was trying to honor his wishes. Add to this race the awkwardness of my Oklahoma best friend being in town and wanting to meet this guy who wasn't my boyfriend.

The 2018 race started out hot. He kept up with me for about a mile, and then I sped up to drop him. I could tell he was struggling, and well, I wanted to run my race. Even though I took off, he still managed to place in his age group. I guess it was a small race.

A lot of my photos from that race had my husband in them, but I didn't post them. We had a long chat about that. I told him that I didn't want people making assumptions (which they were already doing), and I was not going to feed the fire. I told him that I valued his friendship, and was trying to honor that privately rather than publicly.

That race and conversation led to a weekend hike and a conversation about where we wanted our relationship to go. As of November 10, 2018, we were dating. Christmas Eve 2018, I told him I loved him. We got engaged March 10, 2019 and married June 10. The rest is history.

--

I always try to do something a little extra special for our dating anniversary. My husband took up running during 75 Soft, and though he was not quite up to 5K in distance, I thought he was close. We both like sunsets, so when I found a sunset run the weekend of our date-i-versary, I asked my husband if he was interested. Given that it was the same weekend as the Scottsdale Canal Convergence, I thought we could run, grab dinner, and then go to the outdoor art show.

Since the race was small, bib pickup was the day of the race. That wasn't great, as we had to walk from the parking garage to the park, and then back to put away our shirts. While it was not a long walk, I wondered how it would affect me, as I had done a 12 mile training run with speed work in the morning. I seemed okay.

I used the outhouse at about 5 PM. At about 5:15 pm, we both ate a fruit strip. I was not planning to race, but I also wanted to fuel well since I had already run so much. The raspberry lemonade was tart, but I got it down.

We had decided ahead of time to go out at an 11:00/mile pace. While there were not a lot of people, we had to dodge a few, and then settled in. We only had to cross one main road, and they had that blocked off, so it was an easy course along the canal path overall. My husband's PR distance was 1.5 miles from an event we did in September. My goal was to help him PR that. We did, getting to 2.1 miles before he cramped. (This has been an ongoing issue that we have not quite figured out.) We walked, breathed, and stretched for 0.1 mile and then kept at it. I was cheering him on, and he said he wanted to quit about 3 miles, but on sheer determination, he finished, in 35:02.1. He was pretty proud that his bib number was 54, and he finished in 54th place. (Somehow my time was 35:01.2, even though I am pretty sure we came over the line together.) We knew we hadn't placed, so we grabbed some water, took a tunnel medal picture and headed for dinner.

As usual after a race, we did burgers. Shake Shack this time! We carried the meal over to Canal Convergence and I inhaled it. My husband was surprised when I finished before him, as that is not usually the case. I guess I was hungry?

We walked around and saw a few exhibits, and then lined up to watch the showtime fire show, which is the highlight of the night. We squeezed in a photo booth visit and then headed home.

Overall, it was a great experience. Running is for health, but also for community. It is to do hard things, but also to have fun. It is to chase PRs, but also to chase love, of each other, and of the sport. The night run was an example of this, and I hope for the chance to run more with my husband soon!

Girls on the Run 5K

I ran a 5K...and I am proud to say it was my slowest one yet! I really enjoy running, but as I get older, I want to find ways to give back to the sport that has given to me. Enter the Girls on the Run Sparkle Run. Girls on the Run is a nationwide organization that uses running to build emotional, mental, physical and social health for girls. When a coworker told me about the opportunity to be a "Sparkle runner" running buddy and pace a girl through the race, I was sold.

Packet pickup was really easy. Look at these great tanks we got! The organization provided multiple days for packet pickup and I was in and out in minutes. Way to go!

I wanted to truly sparkle for this run, so I gave myself a pink sparkly manicure and pedicure. I also bought some face and body glitter to share. (Amy Haas of Race Across the States sold me on this stuff.)

The race start was slow because man, there were a lot of girls (and buddies)! I think every girl that ran had a buddy, and this race was for girls in Maricopa and Pinal counties, two of the biggest counties in Arizona. The announcers did a good job of starting us in waves. My girl wanted to walk and run, so that is what we did. It was a bit hot out and the first water table was not until about one mile in. That was a bit far for her. The cheer squads were great, though. So many people were out with posters and costumes.

I encouraged my girl to run over the finish line, and that we did! We finished in just under 45:00 according to my watch. People passed out water and Gatorade just past the finish line-needed due to the hot weather.

All in all, this was a great experience, and one I definitely recommend. Next time, I will just come a little more prepared for lots of people and hot temperatures. I could also up my sparkle game. I mean, people had not just face glitter, but hair glitter, and tutus!

Anatomy of a 5K PR (and a Thankful Thanksgiving Week Race)

No turkey trot for me this year. Instead, it was a Sunday 5K to support foster and adoptive families, a cause near and dear to my heart. Here's what my morning looked like:

5:05 AM Wake up.
5:15 AM Get up and get out of bed.
5:20 AM Mosey to the kitchen and put away dishes.
5:30-5:50 AM Ice my sore foot.
5:50-6:20 AM Complete miscellaneous tasks and read my Bible.
6:20-6:25 AM Plank for two minutes (part of Darebee's multiplank challenge).
6:25-6:40 AM Practice yoga to calm my nerves and stretch out my foot. (This "10 Minute Yoga for Feet" from Yoga with Joelle was a good fit.) 
6:40-6:50 AM Complete more miscellaneous tasks. (I don't remember what I did.)
6:50-7:00 AM Go up and down the stairs five times.
7:00-7:15 AM Eat a banana and sip on water with Mortal. Gather belongings.
7:15-7:40 AM Travel to the race.
7:40-8:00 AM Run two warm up miles at 9:37/mile
8:00-8:20 AM Take a bathroom break. Walk to the start line. Take team photos.
8:20 AM Consume 1 caffeinated vanilla GU. Sip more water with Mortal.
8:23-8:28 AM Make a run for the bathroom, literally.
8:30-8:54 AM Run the 5K

[Unstated components of my training: A half-marathon in February, an 8:01/mile 4.2 mile run in April, and trying to keep a base of 30 miles through the ridiculously hot summer, plus 17 weeks of training for another race in December]

The weather was gorgeous, in the high 40's to low 50's, with sunshine! The course was a little bit hard to start, with some steep ups and downs around the lake. Then it was flat up and down the canal path. The turn-arounds were well marked this time, which really helped. (I did get a little freaked out when I lost sight of the men in front of me, though.) All in all, I would rate this race setup as A plus!

Some fast kids led for the first half mile or so. I looked down at my watch and consistently saw right under 8:00/mile, which is where I wanted to be, so I just tried to run my own race. I was breathing pretty hard, but the pace felt like I could sustain it, so that is what I attempted to do. I did not want to go too hard, either, as I have had some foot pain (extensor tendonitis?) and have my A race in a few more weeks from now. It was fun to hear the people at the aid stations say, "First women" as I passed. That is the first (and probably last) time I will hear that.

I found a small, small hill right past three miles. Getting up that felt hard. I tried to book it for the finish, and I think I did alright. My finish time was 24:10. If I had known I could get that close to 24:00, I might have tried to increase pace, but after all the foot pain I have had in the past week, I did not know if I could even run. My hope was to PR at faster than my Pat's Run pace, which would be 8:00/mile. The race clocked me at 7:46/mile, which is so exciting! All in all, I am so thrilled!

I am so thankful for my husband's constant support through this running journey, the coworkers who joined me to run, the people who cheered me on, a God who graciously let my body do this work, the Sole Sports staff who helped me find and buy my new Asics Magic Speed racers, and so much more. God is gracious. God is good. May this race support those doing the work of parenting kids from hard places, because man, they are the ones running not a sprint, but a marathon.

Run the Distance 5K

I jumped into a 5K this past weekend! I would not have known about the race except for a little card my doctor's office sent me about a run to benefit Parkinson's research. I get treated for my focal dystonia at Barrow Neurological Institute, the same location as the Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Center. While I thankfully do not have Parkinson's at this time, there is some overlap between my condition and Parkinson's, and the medication I take to alleviate some of my worst symptoms is actually a medicine for Parkinson's, so needless to say, the Parkinson's cause is near and dear to my heart, and I wanted to run for it.

But, what to do about half-marathon training? I had 10 miles on deck the date of the 5K. Well, time to get creative! I realized that the 5K was about 7 miles from my house, so if Husband dropped me off and I fueled right, I could run home. So with that, I trialed a one day carb load [Thanks Meghann Featherstun (n.d.) for the how-to and calculator] and went to town, literally.

Race day conditions: Upper 40's and windy

Course: Flat, around a lake, and a little short (3.05 miles according to my Apple watch)

Goals: 

A: 2 hour half-marathon pace of 9:09/minute

B: 27:00 (8:41/minute)

C: PR (8:11/mile or under)

(Yes, these are in reverse order of difficulty, because my main goal was to not exhaust myself so I could complete the miles on my training plan.)

Before the race:

Week nine of the First Half Marathon Training plan from Run to the Finish (2023)

Day 5 of Metcon from Nourish Move Love (2024) (a mistake!)

A one-day carb load with about 450 grams of carbohydrates

Race morning:

I got up at my normal hour of 5 am, did a little bit of moving around the house, and then completed Day 19 of Flow from Yoga with Adriene (2024). I drank 8 ounces of water and ate a peanut butter and honey energy ball. Then out the door!

It was a short walk from parking to the start line. We arrived about 50 minutes early. I felt warm enough, and then cold. About 7:20 am, I ate my banana. Then at 7:30 am, I jogged for five minutes. I took off my windbreaker and lined up for the race at 7:45 am, and off to the races at 8 am!

Mile 1:

I started off near the front (it was a small race), and we started off fast. I felt good, but when I looked down at my watch and it said 7:43/mile, I backed off my pace. I knew that was too fast! At about half a mile in, I got to chatting with some girls as I passed them, and realizing that I could pass the talk test, realized I could probably push a bit harder. I finished with an average pace of 8:24/mile.

Mile 2:

This mile seemed to pass by quickly. Not too much to say here, other than that I saw my time dipping and told myself I could work a little harder. I worked to pass a few people. This was my slowest mile at 8:33/mile.

Mile 3:

At about 2.5, I told myself to push. Then at 2.8, I told myself to really push. Thinking, "Push off the ground" seemed to help increase my pace. I also told myself to smile, because I like running! (In my vanity, I also did not want to look like a grouch puss when the fact that I like running is true.) I finished at 8:12/mile.

Finish:

I kicked it up to 6:57/mile to finish. My watch said 3.05 miles with a time of 25:34. The official results said 5K (3.1 miles) with a time of 25:28 and a pace of 8:11/mile. Whatever, I'll take it!

After the Race:

This was a small race, and I expected that I could place, but honestly, I was not sure I wanted to place, because I just wanted to run home! When I checked the results list, though, I saw that I had placed, first in my age group! So of course I wanted to stay to get the added bling for my medal. I chatted with some really nice master's runners, and they even stayed to see me go on the podium and take my picture. Runners really are the best people!

I departed after the medal ceremony and ran 7.42 miles home. I felt good, except for some mild hamstring soreness (which had been with me since that Nourish Move Love workout-which is why I said it was a bad idea). Thankfully 20 oz of water, some fuel, a podcast, some determination, and all that glycogen in my muscles got me home. I honestly felt okay, except for my hamstrings which were oh, so tight. I stretched and foam rolled immediately, but had to keep doing so throughout the weekend.

Concluding Thoughts:

I am learning more and more to trust the training process. I really did not want to do that carb load, and I believed I needed to try it. I kept telling myself not to quit, to get through it, and then if it did not work or I did not like it, I could quit the next time. I felt some anxiety race day morning (a newer thing for me), but just told myself this race was for a cause, and it was okay not to PR. I had peace while running, for which I thank the Lord and my husband. Running home afterward brought me such pride! While I did not want to refuel again when I got home, I told myself not to be stupid and to do it. (My husband thought I was telling him not to be stupid for a second, because I said it out loud. Oops! No, those were words for me!). I am oh so thankful to God for this experience and pray for wisdom and good health to continue training and running for as long as the good Lord allows.

References:

Brooks, A. (2023, March 9). Half marathon training schedule: Transition from the 10K to half. Run to the Finish. https://www.runtothefinish.com/half-marathon-training-schedule/

Featherstun, M. (n.d.). Carb loading: What, why, and how-to. Featherstone Nutrition. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/carb-loading/

Nourish Move Love. (2024, January 5). New year challenge day 5: 30-minute full body Metcon (Kettlebell swings). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp14nPaJfkU

Yoga with Adriene. (2024, January 20). Flow - Day 19 - Ride. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Od_S1P0c40

 

2022 Mesa Turkey Trot

I have run, but not trained since my last 10K. I did not plan to do hard workouts or any races until after the new year. When we decided to stay home for Thanksgiving and our city advertised the oldest turkey trot in Arizona, well, I had to sign up! I haven't raced a 5K in years, so I decided to just go and give it what I got. It turned out better than I expected.

Race day conditions: 50's and windy

Course: Flat, around a park, and a little short 

Goals: 

A: 8:30/minute

B: 27:00 (8:41/minute)

C: 30 minutes or under

Before the race:

I only did three speed workouts before this event: (0.25 mile slow, 0.25 mile fast) x 2 for a mile November 15; sprint intervals November 19; and regular intervals November 21. Other than that, I have been running very low mileage and doing Nourish, Move, Love strength workouts. I told myself I would be slow, but then also told myself that mindset matters as much as anything else, and I wanted to give it my best shot!

I spent most of the day before the race cooking. This was not the best idea, but what I needed to do to prep for hosting the next day. This race started at 8:30 am, which is later than I usually run. I debated trying to eat a full breakfast, but decided that I should heed advice to "not do anything different on race day" and stick with my banana and 8 oz of water. I did this about an hour and a half before the run. It was cold and windy after we picked up my packet, but I tried to stay warm. I did a five minute jog about half an hour before start time, and the wind was intimidating! I just went with it and made my last minute bathroom stop before moving to the start line. Since the start line was open, I was able to wear my hoodie until the last minute. That helped a lot! (Thanks to my husband for being the gear holder!)

(Photo courtesy of Start Line Racing)

Mile 1:

We started slow. It was a walk just to get over the start line, and then people were slow. The first jag was a down and back, and I jogged outside the cones to try to get around people. That meant facing the people coming back. Not the best idea! My phone read fast (under 8 minutes a mile) and then slow (8:30 plus). I was breathing pretty hard, so just kept at it. I remembered Run for PR's (2022) advice to not go out too fast, and I tried to stick with it. It was a bit of a struggle to get to half way through the race. I forgot about my splits. I was breathing hard, saw my pace at 8:36/mile or so and wanted to go faster. I told myself to wait until mile two.

(Photo courtesy of Start Line Racing)

Mile 2:

I told myself to keep working. This was a short race, and I could do it! I started trying to pick people off while waiting for 2.6, at which point I told myself to give it all I had. My chest was burning some here.

I saw what I thought was the finish line as I came around a corner. I started to gun it, thinking I could make it. Then I heard the volunteers saying, "Turn left." I remembered that the finish was different than the start. As I turned the corner, I also say that I needed to make a turn to make it back to the finish. I honestly was not sure I could make it. I started feeling nauseous. I told myself to keep going.

Mile 3 and finish: 

The course came up a bit short, at 3:03. I debated trying to run the 3.1, but there wasn't really room. I also felt pretty awful. I wondered if I would do the "real runner" thing and throw up, but I didn't. I looked down and saw 8:16 a mile as my Runkeeper pace. I felt pretty happy with that and planned to find my husband and go home.

(Photo courtesy of Start Line Racing)

After the Race:

This was a pretty big race, and I did not expect to place. I saw the podium set up, though, and I have never gotten to stand on a podium, so I checked my results. (Props to Start Line racing for the ability to check results online instantaneously!) It looked like I got second place in my age group! I was psyched and asked my husband to stay for the awards ceremony, despite the fact that it would delay our breakfast and Thanksgiving prep. I stretched some and we waited. After I got my medal, we departed.

My arms hurt some after the race, specifically my biceps. I guess I was using them hard to propel myself forward? My chest also felt tight for a while. I really crashed after eating breakfast, but you know what? It was worth it!

Concluding Thoughts:

I have learned a lot about running over the past year or so. Polarized training works! Strength helps. It really is possible (and now necessary, for me) to eat before I run and still perform. I think I am really a lower mileage runner. Overall, I am just so thankful, an appropriate sentiment for a turkey trot with a tagline, "Today I run with gratitude for..."

References:

Run 4 PRs Coaching [@Run4PRs]. (2022, November 23). Anyone racing a turkey trot tomorrow? Share our tips with your family & friends! [Instagram photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/run4prs/?hl=en

Running Your Own Race

COVID has brought a lot of changes to life. I registered for two races last year and both went virtual. I had two races in mind so far for this year, and both got postponed. I felt disappointed, and I was still motivated to train and race. So guess what? I made my own races.

The first race was supposed to be a spring, "Running with the Beards" I did with my husband. We made our training plans and a week or so afterward, it got postponed until the fall. We decided to train and run on the day anyway. I wanted it to feel like a real race, so I ordered things to make up my own swag bag. We took pictures and we went out for breakfast after we ran. All components of a good race day, if you ask me.

The second race was a 10K that also got postponed. A friend and I talked about running a race together, but that got put off due to scheduling issues. I did not want to lose the stamina I had built in base building and training I had put in, so I set out to do it anyway. I picked a time and a place and a pace and set out for it. I did not do as well as I did in my first 10K, but hey, I did it, and I did it alone.

There is a time and a place for racing. Man, I sure do miss it! I think there is a place for running your own race, too. Pick the components of racing that matter to you (time, place, pace, photos, and after party activities for me), and make them happen. (If you don't want to plan, consider enrolling in a virtual activity through a company like I Run for Movement.) You could also do a racing challenge with a long distance friend, like I did for the Avo-Cardio 10K last weekend.

David and Megan Roche write in The Happy Runner about racing as celebration. Celebration is possible without actual races. You just have to do it, make your own race and then run it.

Midnight Madness

Two 5K’s back-to-back? Running at 10:30 pm and 12:10 am? No sweat. It’ll be fun! That’s what I thought when we signed up. The races were fun, or at least novel (not to be confused with a novelty race), but they weren’t easy, or pain free. Number one, I haven’t pushed my runs in awhile. Number two, I’m not a night person. Number three, we moved to a warmer location, so my body isn’t used to running in the cold. Results? A hard run and maybe a new PR, but I was sore!

I haven’t run as much since my half-marathon. (Granted, I needed some time off.) Then we hiked the Grand Canyon and my foot hurt. And then we moved and traveled, leaving my body very worn out. I only walked for the first few weeks after we moved, and then I started running again. I went on some longer runs, even up to 5.5 miles, the pre-10K training distance, and I thought I’d be fine, but I haven’t been running fast or hard. I intended to keep up with our friend running 8:15 miles at a higher elevation. Right out the gate, I knew I couldn’t keep up. And I was pushing it to come in at 25:35. That was 8:13 a mile, but it didn’t feel good, and I didn’t super enjoy it. I’m just competitive with myself and wanted to run fast.

I don’t run at night. I’m normally in bed asleep by 10:30 pm, so running that late wasn’t great. I’ve normally eaten a big snack by then, but since I was running, I’d just had dinner and a lonely muffin. So I wasn’t well fueled. I felt nauseous after that first race and didn’t do more than sip some water and toast with apple cider before the second race.

I don’t run much in the cold anymore, or at least when I’m rapidly taking in cold air. My chest hurt during this one. I also got several stitches. I tried breathing out, but as noted above, felt nauseous. It might be because I’d eaten too close to the start of the race. But I was hungry....

I finished 4/8 in my age group for the first run. For the second run, we stuck together with friends for a run/walk. I finished 14/14 for that race (and behind my husband and our friends). It hurt to run starting out, so the walking was probably good for me. The group gathered up a sprint at the end; but I didn’t have what they had in me. (Maybe I should do some speed work? But I don’t like it.)

We finished two 5Ks in two days, though. We got some cool medals. We spent time with friends. My husband and I got close to crossing a finish line together. (As noted above, he beat me in the sprint.) All in all, it was a cool experience.

Would I run this race again? Maybe. If it was with my husband and the right people. But running the race for running’s sake? No, that’s kind of madness. Midnight madness!

Novelty Races: The Color Run

I ran The Color Run this past weekend. I might not have chosen it, but I did it. The Color Run is technically a 5K, "the happiest 5K," if you believe the advertisements. But it's a little different. Let me explain.

The Color Run is more of an event than a race. There are no timers. Groups start in waves that the emcees randomly select. The swag is stuff like tie-die headbands and gold sun tattoos (and you pay for all of it). More people walk than run. (And some people apparently even lie down and do "snow angels" in the color powder, as I saw Saturday.)

So how does it work?

1) You register.
2) You pick up your packet (the day before, or there is a $5 extra fee).
3) You dress in white. 
4) You go to the race.
5) You stand in the chutes until they release you.
6) You run (or walk, or crawl, or push your stroller or wheelchair--I did like that this was an open event for everyone).

There are no mile markers, just color arches. As you run through each arch, volunteers throw powder at you. You hope they get you, but sometimes they don't. (We missed the pink and yellow almost entirely). The course winds back and forth a bit for this to happen. Then you get to the finish line, get a medal, and get more color. There's an after party. There are "adult beverages" for those of age. There are pictures.

The run was okay. The pictures were fun. I was a little disappointed with some of the adult innuendos, and even the alcohol, to be honest. This was a family friendly event. Couldn't we leave those things out for once?

The race was fairly well set up. There was adequate water at the "after party." There were blowers on the way out to get the color dust off. There were fun giveaways. The race just wasn't what I was used to.

Would I do the race again? Maybe. If it was a group, "just for fun, run" kinda thing. But I think overall, I like actual races. I'm more into course novelty than novelty, novelty. 

Patriot Run 3.0

I've been trying to train for a longer race. If I get there, I'll let you know. But on the training schedule, I was supposed to run a 5K. This one fell at just about the right time. I've run the Patriot Run before, but each time I run it, it feels special.

Since I am trying to train for a longer race and also live close to the race location, I walked to the start line this time. That made a for a good warm-up and greeting to the day. (Bonus: I did not have to fight potential crowds to find a parking spot.)

I sipped some water, since I've been trying to proactively hydrate, and took some photos with Mom and Dad. (My husband was at a church conference.)

The 10K started at 7 am, and 15 minutes later, we were off running the 5K. People started fast. I was running with my phone and tried to pace myself and tell myself I could catch them later. The first mile or so felt hard, though, and I wondered how I would ever finish in the time I wanted, let alone catch the people in front of me. And let's be honest, I was feeling competitive because this race is small, and I thought I had a chance of placing. Slowly, but surely, I found a stride, and my splits got faster.

I didn't catch all of the people. (The top guy finished in 21:00 flat. Craziness!) I did manage to catch the other ladies, though, and finished with a time of 26:07. That isn't my fastest, but it's my fastest at this elevation, and I was very thankful!

I ended up placing ninth overall and first for my age division. And they actually pronounced my last name correctly when I went on stage, which is a first for me. (It's also the first time I've run under my married name.) Happy girl!

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In foodie news, my parents and I tried out a new bakery for breakfast. Mom and I split the early bird breakfast of a basted egg, sausage, and sourdough toast.

That left me ravenous, so I went for splitting a honey pecan roll with Mom for breakfast: round two.

Ooey, gooey, delicious! (And way better than Dad's cinnamon roll. Sorry, Dad!)

I had a bottle of water with electrolytes when I got home, and a health(ier) salad for lunch, but then pizza for dinner, and a big nighttime snack.

I might should have eaten a greater quality of food after running so hard, as my stomach feels a bit off today, but live and learn. At least I had a good quantity of food for refueling.

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On to the week, and, Lord willing, more training, but praise the Lord for a fun weekend!