New Years Day 5K

As promised, albeit a month late, here's my race recap of the New Years Day 5K. This is the 4th time I've run it and this year it moved to a new location. I made sure I got there early enough to find the place, get a good parking spot, and get checked in. I ended up being there way too early and it was freezing! My dad was there as a volunteer photographer and we huddled in his car until we absolutely had to go out.

The race made some weird loop so you ended up running the same part twice. And of course there were some decent hills coming back. Doing them once was okay but twice was no fun! I jogged what I could and walked when I needed to. Overall I felt really good during this race, I just didn't like those darn hills!

I have a hard time not "racing", but being pregnant I know I need to just have fun and not push myself too much. So I had a goal but it was a very loose goal. I wanted to finish in under 45 minutes, which I knew was completely doable. I was very happy to see the clock as I finished- under 40! My official time was 39:24. It's not even my slowest 5K, which is awesome! I ran a 5K when I was about 2 months pregnant with Jack. It's the only time I ran and I actually downgraded my registration from the 5-miler. I finished that in 42:37. So to be over 5 months pregnant and finishing in under 40 minutes is so amazing! I'm really proud of myself for continuing to run, even if it's only twice a week.


Here I am waving at my dad:

I'm running a virtual 5K next week and per doctor's orders, I'll need to switch to walking in about 2 weeks. I'll update with how January went and how February is going. I'll try not to let a whole month go by in between updates!

Turkey Burnoff

Every year my local running club puts on a Turkey Burnoff race the Saturday after Thanksgiving. You have the option of running either 5 or 10 miles. Last year I did 10 and I really enjoyed it. This year, being 19 weeks pregnant, I knew I would not be able to do 10 but decided to go for the 5!

I've been running 30-35 minutes (2.5-3 miles) a couple of times a week and it's going well. I was thinking a 5K would be my limit but knew I'd be able to do 5 because I could walk if necessary. I did end up walking up the hills but ran the rest of the time, just more slowly.

About half way through, an obviously pregnant woman passed me and ended up finishing before me. I mention that she was obviously pregnant because I don't think that I am there yet. If you know me, then it's obvious! But if you don't know me you might just think it's how my body is shaped. Or maybe I had too much stuffing on Thanksgiving. ;)

After the run I asked her how far along she is and she was 29 weeks! She looked great and it's definitely motivating. I've decided to run the New Years Day 5K the running club puts on every year. I'll be 24 weeks pregnant by then!

My dad has been volunteering with the club, taking pictures at some of the races. He happened to be at the finish line of the Turkey Burnoff and it was great to see him!

Here are some of the shots he got of me:

And one from another photographer who was on the course:

My belly looks huge in these photos! I don't think it's really as big as it looks. And these are one of the only pairs of pants that are fitting me right now but I refuse to buy new ones that I'll only wear for a couple of months. I'll make it work! Thankfully I have some bigger shirts that fit well.

This is a new experience but I'm loving it. Being a woman who is growing a life, I already feel strong and amazing. Add running to the mix and it goes to a whole new level. I'm amazed at what my body is capable of doing!

I'm doing my best to make more time for exercise and to eat (mostly) healthy. I know it'll make a big difference come delivery time and for that alone I'm highly motivated to continue!

Mission 10 Miler

This past Sunday I ran my first race of the year! The last race I ran was a 10-Miler in November. 4 months later and I'm running another local 10-Miler. It's a great distance and it's becoming one of my favorites to run.

My running has been more consistent leading up to this race, but I didn't run for 3 weeks in March. Not good! The weather has been getting better so I went out for a short run last Thursday and an even shorter run Saturday morning. Getting outside (after only running indoors for the last 4 months) built up my confidence for the race.

I ran this race last year and the weather was just awful. Rain, hail, sleet, snow...every type of precipitation you can think of, we had it during those 2 hours! This year was 1000x better. A bit windy and chilly, but the sun was out, the sky was clear, and the ground was dry. I'll take it!

The course starts and ends just outside of a baseball stadium and it's an out and back course. The only problem is you're out in the middle of nowhere (or at least it feels like it!) and the road seems to go on for forever. Finally you turn the corner and see the tent marking the turnaround. It's a beautiful thing!

I started out with the 10:00 min/mile pacer and my first 2 miles were my fastest. It was too fast for me so I had to slow down a bit. I wanted to wait until I made it to the turnaround before kicking it up. The course consists of rolling hills, with 2 bigger hills as you near the finish, and I needed to save some energy for this last mile.

My splits were 10:37/mile for the first half and 10:38/mile for the second half. Finish time was 1:46:06, my second fastest 10 miler! And I beat last year's time by 4 1/2 minutes! But really, how could I not with the drastic differences in the weather? Still, I'll take it!

See that squint? Gotta love that sun!

Thanks to the hills and me pushing it (and after a 3 week running hiatus), my quads are still sore 3 days later. Am I crazy for loving it? I guess that's why I continue to run! :)

Here are a few things I love about this race and why I plan on doing it every year that I'm able to:

• It's local and takes less than 30 minutes for me to get there
• The race fee doesn't break the bank and even if it did, it goes to a good cause (see below)
• It's a 2pm start time on a Sunday. They want everyone to have the chance to go to church in the morning before the race. How great is that? And I love that I don't have to get up super early!
• It's called "A Race for Recovery" because they support a local Rescue Mission which provides long-term residential recovery programs to the chemically addicted, food to the hungry, and clothing and furniture to the needy. This year they raised $25,000! 
• You get a nice running shirt and medal
• They have same-day packet pickup so no having to go out of my way the day before. And did I mention the race is at 2pm? Packet pickup goes until 1:30. Again, no getting out of bed super early or going out of your way!
• A great selection of post-race food and drink
• Amazing volunteers who had smiles on their faces. One even thanked me for being out there running. 

To sum it up, this is the perfect race (at least to me) and I can't wait to do it again next year! If you live in the area, definitely check it out. Maybe I'll see you out there. :)

What do you look for when signing up for a race? What's important to you? 

Rosaryville Veteran's Day 50K

The time has to come to recap this amazing experience. It's hard to put into words, but I'm going to do my best.

The race was held on November 8, 2014 at Rosaryville State Park, which is more than an hour's drive from where I live. We only have 1 car and if Sidney and Jack had come with me, they would've been sitting around all day with not much to do. I really wanted to go on my own in the morning and have them come for my last lap and see me finish. But with only 1 car that wasn't an option. I was prepared to just go on my own, but my dad stepped in and he gave me a ride to the start. I assumed he'd stay for a bit but leave shortly after the start of the race. On the drive there he informed me he was planning on staying the whole day and driving me home! I have the best dad!

I took him up on that offer and told Sidney and Jack to stay at home. It was very windy and they would've just been waiting in the car so why make the hour drive just to sit in the car for 8 hours?

The course consisted of 3 loops around a 9.8 mile perimeter trail. There was an 8 hour time limit to finish. There were 2 aid stations- 1 at the halfway point on the trail and one at the end, before getting back on the trail for your next loop.

I started out feeling great. I wanted my first lap to consist of me getting used to the trail. I should remind you that I don't run on trails usually. I didn't have the proper shoes and I wasn't used to having to watch where I was running the whole time. There wasn't a clear path to run on. It was covered in branches, leaves, rocks, etc.

A  couple views of the trail

During the first lap I actually passed a few people and felt pretty good. I turned a corner and who did I see in the woods? My dad! He had found a shortcut to the trail from the parking lot and was taking pictures.

When I made it to the aid station half way through the first lap, I was so happy. The volunteers there mentioned that by the next time we came by, there would be soup and potatoes. Thinking about this helped get me through the second lap! :)

I did enjoy a couple twizzlers and pretzels the first go around.

I slowed down after this, realizing that I had started out too quickly. I was aiming to run each lap in about 2.5 hours. On the second lap, I started getting passed by runners who were on their 3rd lap. Everyone was very nice. It was a very narrow trail with only enough room for one person at a time. Whenever I heard someone coming behind me, I found a good place to step aside and let them pass. I heard things like, "Keep it up", "You're doing great" and other words of encouragement. Watching these faster, more experienced runners motivated me a lot.

I also saw my dad again on the second lap, but I wasn't smiling as much! After this I didn't see him again until the finish.

I slowed down after this and walked some on the 2nd lap. I fell at least twice, but nothing terrible. When I got to the aid station at the end of the 2nd lap, I asked them what would happen if I didn't finish in under 8 hours. They told me to just do what I could. The only problem would be that the aid station might be closed when I came back around and I should make sure I would have enough water. And of course, you don't want to be out on the trail in the dark.

I was pretty sure I wouldn't make the cut off, but no matter what I was going to finish. I was told that there were 2 women behind me. One came through saying that she had fallen and broken her finger. But it wasn't bad and she was going to keep going. Wow!

That last lap was the toughest thing I've ever faced. It's hard enough to run 31 miles. It's also mentally challenging to run 3 laps around the same 10 mile trail. By the 3rd lap I felt I knew the trail pretty well. I was very wrong!

Because so much of the time is spent looking down, I ended up seeing things I hadn't seen before. My phone died at the start of the 3rd lap, so I had no idea what time it was or what mile I was on. The trail seemed to go on forever. I think I started to hallucinate and at one point I actually started to cry a little because it seemed like I would never get to the aid station. Running long distances can really mess with your head! It didn't help that there wasn't anyone else out there. No one I could see, anyway.

I finally made it to the aid station and the salted potatoes and chicken noodle soup tasted amazing! The volunteers were so great and I definitely want to pay it forward and volunteer for a race in this way.

The woman with the broken finger, Erica, caught up to me at the aid station and another woman, Angela, was also there. We were the last 3 runners. Erica took off and I was right behind her. I talked with her a bit and learned that she had run both the Marine Corps Marathon 2 weeks prior and the NYC marathon just 1 week prior and now she was running her first 50K. Amazing!

Somehow she found some extra steam in her and took off. I never saw her again. Angela was right behind me and we got to talking. It was great to have the distraction. Next thing we knew 2 guys came up behind us, asking if we had seen a woman in a skirt. Apparently these were the sweepers. Going around the entire length of the trail to pick up any trash they found and to recover all the ribbons which marked we were on the right path. And to pick up any runners who were still out there. Joy.

They said the main thing is that we finish before it gets dark. I already knew we wouldn't make the official 8 hour cutoff but I was determined to do the best I could. Having Angela there and the sweepers behind us really helped push us. I ran at a pace I didn't think possible that late into a 50K. They were really nice and assured us that if we wanted to finish, then we would finish.

Again, the trail seemed to go on forever but having other humans nearby helped tremendously. No more breakdowns!

Then out of nowhere, we turned and ran off the trail and onto the road! It was glorious! I was so happy to be off the trail! My feet were happy to be on the road and I felt like I could've run another 5 miles on the road if necessary. Thankfully it was less than 1 mile to the finish. Also amazing was the fact that there was still a table set up with snacks. I grabbed a handful of peanut m&m's and they were just what I needed for the final push!

Angela had gotten a little ahead of me and I picked up my pace to catch her. One of the sweepers was on his bicycle next to her, to bring us in. She heard me coming and asked if I wanted us to finish together. Of course I did!

We turned a corner and saw the field where the finish was. There wasn't an official finish line. Apparently there had been but it had been taken down. I didn't care. There was a woman and a girl standing in the field, each holding a medal. They were waiting for us. Angela and I finished together, hand in hand and arms in the air, in about 8.5 hours! It was so amazing. The photographer even rushed over to take our photo. My dad said he had put his equipment away and when he saw us coming, he ran back to his vehicle to get his camera. Seriously, the people who put this race together and came out to help were amazing. They even had a few plates left of rice and beans for us to choose from. It was cold but it tasted so good!!

I'm so grateful Angela and I met on the trail that day and we were able to finish our first 50K together! It's awesome how running brings people together!

A funny side story- My dad and I made the drive back to our town and went to Five Guys for dinner. I ordered the double and he got the little burger. I went to the bathroom and when I came out a gentleman commented that I was limping, which I was. Apparently he had seen the burgers and told my dad he needed to switch them. My dad should be eating the large one and me the small. No thanks! But my dad told them that I could eat the double because I had just run 31 miles. And then they saw me limping. That put him in his place. ;)

This was the most unbelievable experience and one I will never forget. The Annapolis Striders really put on a tremendous race. It's low-key but a lot of work goes into it and they treated us really well. Despite not making the official cut off time, I still finished!

It turns out that most of the runners I passed during the 1st lap dropped out. It was a difficult race and one I wasn't prepared for. But I persevered and finished! I'm so proud of myself for not giving up. I'm even thinking of doing another. Yikes! :)

And for the record, I wouldn't recommend doing a trail race without having prior trail experience. ;)

Ragnar DC Recap

I'm way behind on posting!! I'm going to start with a recap of Ragnar DC which took place September 12-13. I was on a team consisting of 9 women and 3 men making up "Team Peer Pressured".

Sidney dropped me off around 9pm Thursday night since we were meeting at 2am. I got about 3 hours of sleep before heading out to meet up with the rest of the team. We drove the 2-3 hours to the start of the race, where van 1 would check in and start their legs. Most teams don't do this, but I'm glad we were there together to send off our first runner at 6am.

We then left to go to our exchange point. The 6 runners in van 1 run their first leg, then they hand it off to us. Each runner runs a total of 3 legs, varying in distance from 3-13 miles. I was runner #8 which each of my legs being right around 7 miles long.

My first leg started mid-day Friday, around 12:30 or so. It's labeled as the second hardest leg of the entire course and titled, "What the Hill?" You basically spend the first 3-4 miles going straight up a hill and the remaining going down. I was also on the open road, sun shining, and no shade. The van did go ahead and stop to wait for me and cheer me on. That was great!

Leg 1:

Checking off my first box!

After finishing a leg, you have about 12 hours before running again. This means a lot of downtime but it goes very fast. I think I maybe slept a total of 2 hours the entire time. When we were able to stop I foam rolled, stretched, and walked around. I was afraid I'd be very sore because I had been having issues leading up to Ragnar, but thankfully I was in pretty good shape and felt great!

Leg 2 started around 1am. I started out in a semi well-lit neighborhood but after a few turns, I was on a narrow road without any light. I had a headlamp but it was very dark. I actually rolled my ankle early on but no damage was done and I was able to keep going. Thankfully I was on a road and not a trail.

Leg 2:

Leg 3 took place on the Capital Crescent trail and C&O Canal towpath. I was really looking forward to running here and figured this would be my easiest of the 3 runs. I started Saturday late morning sometime. I honestly don't remember now but it was around noon!

Leg 3:

As soon as I got onto the Capital Crescent Trail it started raining. I had forgotten my hat but it wasn't too bad. It did pour for a bit but the trail is nice and flat and it was mostly enjoyable. Then I turned to go on the C&O Canal towpath. Another race was taking place and that was fun to see. It was when I got off the path that the run turned ugly. There was a steep hill to get off the path and onto the road but I didn't let it get to me. Then there was a straight hill going up and you had to walk it. No one was even attempting to run up this thing. Then we got into a neighborhood but it was a bit hilly. I hadn't expected that on this leg.

On each leg when you have only 1 mile left there's a sign telling you, "1 Mile to go". That sign is the most wonderful sight. There are markers letting you know which way to turn or to keep going straight, but there aren't any mile markers. Only that sign when you've hit the last mile. All I wanted was to finally see that sign!

In the last mile of my last leg!

It was a great feeling to finish, but our team wasn't done yet! Once the last runner started her last leg, we hightailed it to the finish. There we met the rest of the team from van 1 and when our runner came by, we ran together across the finish. It was a great experience!

Sidney and Jack came to the finish to pick me up. They got there only about 30 minutes after we finished. I missed them so much and was so happy to see them!! We drove the hour home, ate ice cream in bed while watching a movie, and slept in the next day. It was glorious!!

In 2 1/2 days I didn't shower, only got 5 hours of sleep, went in more port-a-potties than I care to recount, changed clothes in the back of a van, ran about 21 miles, and did all of this with basically complete strangers.

I could go on and on with more details such as what we ate, the other vans we came across, injuries other runners on the team got, how we ended up at the wrong exchange and got lost trying to find the correct one, etc, etc. I would like to make a post about packing for a Ragnar and what worked for me and what I would do differently. Other than that, I don't want to bore you with every last detail. If there's something you'd like to know, please ask! I will say this- I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Alexandria Running Festival Half Marathon

I have a lot of updates for you guys! But first, I wanted to share the results of my 7th half marathon. This past Sunday I ran a half marathon as part of the Alexandria Running Festival. It was a beautiful day and a great course. I was nervous going into the race because I didn't feel like I was prepared. The longest distance I had gone was 10 miles and I hadn't been getting in regular long runs.

By this time last year I had already logged 363 miles. Before Sunday I hadn't even hit 200 for the year. I've been working out regularly though, doing a program called Focus T25. I'm currently in week 6 and it has been phenomenal. I've lost 6 pounds and have a lot more energy. But I still felt like I hadn't logged enough miles to be ready for a 13 mile race.

My previous best half was 2:25 and I really wanted a sub-2:20. But I tried not to think about goals and just focused on going out, enjoying the race, and finishing in one piece. When I got to mile 10 and looked at the time, I was shocked! I had kept a nice, steady pace and felt strong. The next mile was a bit rough and I really started to feel it. The soreness and fatigue were setting in. The possibility of hitting my goal drove me forward and kept me going.

As I neared the finish line, knowing I had at least gotten a PR, and saw my 4 year old son standing in the road holding his hand out for a high-five, I about lost it. I was very overwhelmed and full of emotion! And I was physically beat.

Despite running less, I'm getting faster and stronger! How? By pushing play every day on my DVD player! It sounds crazy and I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't experiencing it myself. But by doing a fast, fun, and intense 25 minute workout every day, I've gotten faster, stronger, and I'm in the best shape of my life!

And now you're looking at a sub-2:20 half marathon finisher! Oh yeah! Official time= 2:18:33

I'm so thankful I was introduced to Beachbody and T25. It has seriously changed my life in ways I never would have imagined and now I'm excited to give back and help others on their own health and fitness journeys. If you're interested in learning more about Beachbody programs and our monthly challenge groups, please let me know. I'd love to help you reach your goals!

Baltimore Running Festival

After lunch last Friday Sidney, Jack, and I headed to Baltimore for the running festival. It's only about an hour drive but I knew it would be easier if we stayed in the city and I thought we could turn it into a family adventure! It didn't go as planned but we still had fun!

We checked into our hotel and immediately headed to the expo. It was just like any other expo and we didn't linger too long. All 3 of us got really nice tech shirts. Even Jack which really impressed me and I can't wait for him to wear it!

At the Baltimore Convention Center

We left the expo and went straight to the inner harbor. I had hoped to take Jack to one of the museums but we got there a bit later than I had expected. We walked around the shops and then decided to go to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.  Did I mention it was pouring? Not ideal for walking around the harbor but we made the best of it!

Dinner was great although a little pricey. There was a Noodles n' Company and looking back we should have just gone there. I've made up my mind that if we ever travel for another race and go out to dinner, it will be someplace quick and relatively inexpensive! Good thing I really enjoyed what I got (Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, cole slaw, beans, and corn bread):

Luckily it had stopped raining by the time we were done and we walked back to the hotel. We went to bed at a reasonable time and I set my alarm for 6am.

I wasn't nervous at all for this race despite not feeling adequately trained. I was more nervous for the timing of it all. The races were scheduled so that we were all able to run at different times. Sidney ran the 5K at 8:20 while I stayed with Jack, then Jack ran the kids run at 9:20, then we all walked to my half marathon start at 9:45. It was weird to start so late!

We enjoyed the hotel's breakfast then made our way to the start of the 5K. The marathon start was at 8 and at the same place as the 5K. When we got there and were waiting around with the crowd, I felt the energy and said to Sidney, "This is why I race. I love it!" The energy and anticipation is awesome. I wish I could bottle it up!

Sidney got in line and Jack and I walked a bit down so we could hopefully see Sidney as he got started. It was so different to be on that side of the start line. But I loved it and was so excited to be able to watch Sidney run for once! We're either running together or he's watching me. This was also the first race he's done where he wasn't pushing Jack. So it was extra special!

We made our way to the finish line and were able to see daddy as he finished! For some reason I can't find his results when I search. I need to contact them about that. But Sidney said he received an e-mail that he finished in 28:33. If that's right, then he finished 5 seconds faster than my fastest 5K! Unbelievable! He also got his first medal for all his hard work. He's been teasing me about this for a long time since Jack and I have both gotten medals and I'm glad he finally has one of his own!

We immediately got Jack to his starting line to wait for the kids run to begin. It actually seemed like a longer distance than most of the other kids runs we've done but Jack did great! He started out very fast and a little more than halfway into it, started to slow down. In order to keep him motivated I pointed to the clocks and told him that that was the finish line and he just had to make it a little more. He kept going and never stopped! He earned a well deserved medal as well but we weren't able to enjoy any of the other perks of the kids zone. They had an inflatable slide and basketball hoops and Jack really wanted to go over to them. Unfortunately we had to hurry to get to the start of my half and couldn't stay.

Every race had the same finish but the half marathon had a completely different start and we had to book it to get there in time. Once we got there I said my goodbyes and ended up starting around 10am. They went back to the hotel to hang out and then waited in the lobby for me. They latest we could check out was 1pm so they weren't able to see me at the finish. I ended up getting back to the hotel at 1:45.

This race was tough. I had no idea it was going to be as hilly as it was and it took a lot out of me. I sprained my ankle about a month ago and missed a bit of training because of it. The week before the race I set out to do a 10 mile run and stopped after 8 because my feet hurt so much.

We did have some great weather though! We were expecting rain but it stayed dry until after I finished. It was overcast and cool. I wore a pull-over and stopped at mile 4 to take it off. It was ideal conditions! It always takes me a couple miles to warm up and I was feeling stronger between miles 4-6. At mile 7 they were giving out UTZ potato chips and I grabbed a bag and walked while eating them. I never walk! I don't even stop to drink or have a GU. But I walked and I was okay with it. Once I finished with the chips I started running again. My legs were sore and my feet were killing me! When I got to mile 8, which is all I had been able to do the week before, I kept pushing even though the last thing I wanted to do was run another 5 miles and I wasn't entirely sure I would be able to. I did stop again to fill my water bottle at one of the water stops and then kept going.

Just when I thought we were done with hills we came upon a bridge. I actually started talking to myself. I got a little cuckoo! It was all mental at that point and if I had been relying on my physical abilities alone, I would have definitely stopped. Somehow I'm able to push through the pain, the mental blocks, and just keep going. I almost cried when I crossed the finish line! And I did what I always do, despite the fatigue, because I just don't know any other way- I sprinted the last 2/10 or so.

I did not go into this race hoping for a PR. I was just hoping to finish right around 2:45 and just finishing at all is a great accomplishment. I ended up with a time of 2:39:50. I can live with that! :)

This was by far the toughest race I've ever done. Not only was it a challenging course, but I was sore and fatigued and coming off of a recent injury. I'm so proud of myself for what I accomplished! The best part is I earned myself 2 medals. I ran the Frederick half back in May and that combined with the Baltimore half earned me the Maryland Double medal!

I sent the Maryland medal to my running buddy Mickey and I'm so glad I was able to earn it for her!

I have a mud run on November 2nd- my first obstacle race! After that I'll just be trying to survive the winter and looking forward to spring. I'm definitely doing the Frederick half again next May and I'm looking forward to planning out my 2014 race schedule, which will be a lot lighter than this year has been. My wallet just can't handle another packed racing year! I'll definitely be focusing more on the free races my running club offers throughout the year!

Memorial 4-Miler and Super Long Run!

I'm way behind...again! I'm going to make this super quick. May 25th I went out for a run and was feeling good so I decided to go longer than I ever had before. The longest distance I've done on my own is 12 miles and then of course I've run a few half marathons (13.1 miles for anyone who doesn't know!). I ended up doing 14!

I felt good for the first 10 miles and was really feeling some aches during the last 2. But I did it and it felt awesome!!

I ran my 8th race of the year on Memorial Day- a 4 miler. I've run this race before, back in 2006. My time back then was 40:04. This time around I just wanted to finish in under 42 minutes and ended up finishing in 39:43! I continue to surprise myself as I blast through my goals. I really think I need to start giving myself more credit and expecting more because I know I can do more.

Near the start:

Smiling despite the uphill finish!

This 4 miler was my 45th race overall and I'm so excited to hit 50 this year!

Frederick Running Festival

Once again I'm late with my race recap. I guess I should stop promising more regular updates. Oh well!

The Frederick Running Festival took place May 4-5. They have a kids run Saturday followed by a 5K, then a half marathon Sunday morning. Anyone doing both the 5K and half can sign up for the "Nut Job Challenge" and get a unique medal for being such a rockstar.

The challenge interested me but I didn't want to pay $100+ when I was already running a half the week before. I guess it was meant to be because I ended up winning a contest that gave me free entry into any race that weekend! Without hesitation I signed up for the Nut Job Challenge.

Everything took place at the Frederick Fairgrounds which is only about a half hour away. We went to the expo on Saturday (where I signed Jack up for his kids run) and then we just stayed for the races. It was very convenient!

Jack did great and got a very nice medal!

After Jack's run (which you can read about in more detail on my other blog) I had to line up for the 5K. Knowing I was coming back to run a half the very next morning, I didn't want to push myself too much. That's hard for me because I get into race mode and I really want to get a good time. I told myself I'd be happy if I finished under 32 minutes.

The course was an out and back with great scenery of some farms in Frederick. It was really nice to run in a new place, hills and all! I felt good but I didn't feel like I was pushing myself, which is how I wanted it. I finished strong and surprised myself with a time of 30:08! I couldn't believe I was that close to finishing in under 30 without even trying!

We went out to dinner and I tried to rest for the half marathon. We left early the next morning and it was great being able to drive straight to the race rather than taking the metro. When we got there I had time to use a port-a-potty and then it was already time to line up at the start. It was chilly so I had on a sweater which I practically threw at Sidney before getting lost in the crowd.

The start was brutal. I ended up staying with the 2:40 (or maybe it was 2:45?) pace group for almost 3 miles. My muscles felt heavy and I started out very conservatively. I didn't have any real time goals for this race except to come in around 2:45. I had just gotten a PR 1 week before and I just wanted to have fun and make it to the finish in one piece.

The sun came out but we were running in shady areas. Then when we were out in the open the clouds came in and it was overcast. I didn't really warm-up until I hit the last 2 miles. I was surprised how cold it was!

We ran through a lot of really nice neighborhoods and around mile 5 there was a house under construction with a port-a-potty in the lawn. I knew someone was in there but there wasn't a line. Just as I was making my way up to it the guy came out and I took advantage of this rare opportunity. No line or wait! I felt much better and as I got into the second half of the race my legs were feeling good. The 2:45 pacers were well behind me and I knew I'd finish with a decent time.

As the miles ticked off I felt better and better. I kicked it up a notch when I felt able to, making sure I was at a pace I could keep for the rest of the race. Somewhere in the last 2 or 3 miles I came upon the 2:30 pacers. And passed them. I was inspired but didn't want to be too hopeful. I had no idea how much time was between their start and mine, but I knew it couldn't have been too much.

I really kicked it up for the last mile and finished with a time of 2:25:48!! That's 5 minutes faster than Nike just 1 week before and I made my ultimate goal of finishing under 2:30!! Such an incredible feeling!!

Showing off my 2 medals:

I couldn't do any of this without the support of my family:

I had so much fun doing this challenge and I'm already looking forward to doing it next year! I proved I can successfully do back-to-back half marathons and do 2 races in 1 weekend. I'm definitely going to make this my main spring half marathon. It's local, family-friendly, has awesome race swag, and it's fun!

Nike Women's Half Marathon

I've got some catching up to do and I need to start with Nike while it's still semi-fresh in my mind. The race was on Sunday April 28th with packet pick-up at their expo in DC on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I took Thursday off work so I could get it then.

The expo was at a beautiful place right on the water. I had never been there before and it was nice to see a new part of the city. It wasn't a typical expo like I'm used to with a bunch of different vendor booths, samples, and opportunities to purchase things. Luna bar, which was a huge sponsor, had an area set up with samples of their bars and Nuun was there offering samples of many of their flavors. For the record- I don't care for Nuun! The majority of the expo was all about shoes which, surprisingly, didn't interest me. They did have a bra fitting area which I did and I left with the name and size sports bra I liked the best. Paul Mitchell and Bare Minerals had set-ups and were giving hair and make-up tutorials. They really did a good job gearing it towards women and tried to make it a fun girls weekend!

I ended up making an unexpected trip up to NY for my uncle's memorial service which was held on Saturday morning. After getting home on Thursday I headed out for a 6 mile run then home to eat dinner, pack, and go to bed. We were on the road by 9am Friday morning. Saturday morning we went to the service and after enjoying some time with my extended family, we got back on the road. It was around 2:30 and we got home after 9. I wasn't nervous to run the race itself, but I was nervous about waking up early and getting there in time and then being too tired to run well. I'm really glad we were able to go and be with family though, even for such a short amount of time. And if I had had to, I would've missed the race. I'm grateful it worked out that I could attend both.

The race started at 7am and I was out the door super early. This was the first race I've run in DC where I didn't have anyone waiting for me afterwards. After spending 2 days in the car and because the race started so early, I left my family at home. I didn't want to check a bag so I could only bring what I was willing to carry. I didn't want to freeze while waiting for the race to start, so I went with a short sleeve Under Armour shirt with a fitted long sleeve on top and of course, my Nike capris. I also wore my water belt without the bottles. This was so I had some place to put my key, cash, cards, fuel (including post-race protein bar), etc. I still carried my hand-held bottle with Gatorade and my phone.

After getting there and using the port-a-potty, I entered my corral and was happy I didn't have to wait too long. It was chilly and I was glad I had worn the long sleeves. Despite starting in waves, it was very congested and we couldn't do much more than a walk-jog starting out. I was able to weave through some of the crowd to get into a comfortable jog. It stayed pretty congested throughout the entire race though.

Despite the crowds it was a very enjoyable race! It was pretty flat and there were a good amount of spectators cheering us on. They had Clif Shot Bloks and mini Luna bars at a couple of the water stops which I loved. It was absolutely beautiful and the only part I could've done without was when we went through a long, creepy, smelly tunnel. In the last 2 miles we came up on the Capitol Building and we ended up running right up to it. I hadn't expected to get that close. Despite being a local and having been to DC many times, I was amazed at the course. It seriously couldn't have been better. And for anyone traveling from out-of-town, they really got a good view of the city. If you want to come to DC for a race, this is the one to go for!

As I got into the home stretch, I did what I do best- sprinted! I heard my name and saw one of my running friends cheering me on. So nice to hear "Go Rene!" during those final steps. I crossed the finish line at 2:30:56, taking almost 7 minutes off of my Rock n' Roll time! I was surprised but very happy with the new PR!

Then it was time for the real fun to begin (aka the main reason to run Nike):

It was so cool to see all the men dressed in tuxedos holding trays of Tiffany boxes.

After receiving your goodies, there was a finish line boutique where you could purchase limited edition Nike items. There was a long line but I waited in it and ended up buying a cotton shirt and a very nice hooded sweatshirt. There were quite a few complaints on their Facebook page about various things, the wait for the boutique being one of them. I chose to wait and it didn't bother me. It helped that I was there by myself and didn't have anyone waiting for me. If Sidney and Jack had been there I wouldn't have waited for it.

Posing on the red carpet in my "Finisher" shirt (this was after waiting in line for the boutique so the runners were done and the crowds had cleared):

This was by far the best race I've run in DC. The course was beautiful, the spectators and on-course entertainment was great, and there was a nice variety of post-race goodies (bananas, Thomas bagels, Dole fruit cups, Luna Protein Bars, and even a Tiffany bag to put it all in). And then, of course, there's the Tiffany necklace and Nike finisher shirt. The only thing that would've made this race better is if I had had a girlfriend to share the experience with. Anyone want to sign up for the lottery next year? ;)

I'm not sure I will sign up again because the entry fee is a bit high. But if that weren't an issue I'd do it a dozen more times.

Wearing the shirt I bought along with my new necklace (and a "Mind over Muscle" tattoo on my arm courtesy of Luna Bar)

And before anyone asks, I am planning to take close-up pictures of the necklace. Just haven't gotten around to doing it yet!

Stay tuned for a recap of this past weekend's Nut Job Challenge (5K Saturday night and a half on Sunday). :-)

Clarksburg 5K Race Recap

Before I go into any details about my (what now seems inconsequential) 5K, I want to take a moment to recognize the city of Boston and everyone affected by the bombings that occurred at the marathon on Monday. It was a senseless act that left many people broken and grieving. Word quickly spread about a campaign to wear race shirts on Tuesday and to "Run for Boston". I did just that, sporting my shirt from the Zooma Half Marathon at the track that night. After we finished our workout I ran one final lap on my own for Boston. I am so proud to be a part of this awesome community of runners. It may be an individual sport, but we are all in it together supporting one another. #RunnersUnite

On a lighter note, I ran a 5K this past Saturday that my whole family participated in. I ran this last year and finished with a better than expected time of 31:41. At that time I was training for my first half marathon for that June and my training had just begun in March. This year, having already run a half marathon in March and being stronger, fitter, and 10 pounds lighter, I was going for a PR. I really wanted a sub-30 5K.

I didn't sleep well the night before and had some cramping in my right quad. Not good. But I kept positive, telling myself that I could do this.

First up was the kids run. It was a good distraction! All week Jack was really excited at the thought of "racing" and getting a medal. When the time came to line up and he was all of a sudden surrounded by people, he wasn't too sure anymore. I really wanted him to run without my help. In past kids runs I've held his hand and trotted along with him. He's actually a fast runner and I was hoping he would do this one on his own. He really wanted to hold my hand and I just kept reassuring him that I would be right next to him the entire time. Daddy was waiting at the finish and that helped.

Waiting to start:

Lined up:

Running!

All done and sporting his medal!

He ended up doing very well. He ran the 100 yards without any help and he even smiled while doing it! I think he was very proud of himself as was I!

Next came the 5K. Sidney actually ran pushing Jack in the Bob. Last summer he ran 2 5K's (also pushing the stroller) but he hasn't run any distance since. Rather than just standing around waiting for me, he decided to run it. And he got a t-shirt and water bottle out of it. :)

I knew I'd be starting out semi-fast and he needed to stay in the back with the stroller. So I kissed them goodbye and made my way closer to the starting line. When the race started it took some time to get through the crowd and the first mile was my slowest.

I kept a good pace, definitely faster than I would ever attempt on a longer run. It wasn't easy but I kept telling myself it's only 3 miles. I've done mile repeats at the track. I can do this. I thought those 3 miles were going to creep along very slowly but before I knew it I hit mile 2. And then there was mile 3 just ahead.

There were 2 big hills and I was worried because almost the last quarter mile is almost all up hill. I couldn't sprint like I normally would at a finish until the last 10 seconds when the road leveled out. Going up that last hill I though, "Did I push myself enough in the first 2 miles? Did I give it all I had?" Despite wanting to finish in under 30 minutes, I told myself I'd be happy if I finished in under 31 with a time of 30-something. Actually I'd be happy just beating last year's time. I didn't want to be disappointed if I ended up not achieving my ultimate goal. But I really wanted that sub-30 and I knew I could do it.

When I got close enough to see the finish and the clock, it read 28 something. I couldn't believe I was so close! I sprinted across the finish and it read 29-something. I stopped my phone, which I hadn't checked at all, and it read 29:11. I had started recording the run before I actually crossed the starting line because I didn't want to be fumbling with my phone on the course. And then of course it took me a few seconds to dig it out and stop it. All I knew was that I had done it! I was so overwhelmed that I almost started crying right there! I had pushed myself harder than I ever had before and it paid off!

And you know what my official race time is? 28:38!! Under 29!! Woohoo!

I hung around the finish area waiting for Sidney and Jack. I had no idea when to expect them. After a couple minutes I saw the yellow stroller and cheered them on.

 I love Jack's little face poking out!

Sidney finished in 35:18 which is so awesome! He ran the whole way and didn't stop once. He immediately sat down, looking worn out and in need of fluids, but he says he actually wants to run more!

I love the Clarksburg 5K. It's very family-friendly with a very reasonable entry fee, awesome swag, and a great post-race party complete with raffles, moon bounces, vendor booths, etc. Jack left with a free soccer shirt just for being so cute and kicking a soccer ball like a pro, and I ended up winning a huge beach bag filled with tons of awesome stuff for summer. Sunscreen, bug spray, towel, and toys galore. I'm already looking forward to running next year!

The next family friendly 5K that we'll be doing isn't until the end of August, but hopefully we'll be able to find one along the way. I love having the whole family involved!