Placed Second + Can’t Eat Avocado + Recent Eats

 

Well, I should probably edit yesterday’s 5k race recap to include the race results now that I have them. I placed second for my age even after the whole dropping the phone fiasco at the start. My first race in the 40-44 age division!

This is now the second time I found out that I placed second in a race AFTER leaving the race (and third time ever placing second in a race too).

My official time is listed as 24:10.

Bleh.

Like okay. I know very well that’s a great time. I am however skewed when it comes to fully grasping this as the great time because I’m still annoyed that there’s no adjustment for chip time and that I dropped my phone at the start causing me to lose a ton of seconds.

I could have had first in my age if I didn’t drop my phone! First was 23:40!!

I’m so NOT a perfectionist. I’m really not the competitive type and certainly not a type A personality either. Heck, I would still gladly accept a note from my mother to excuse me from every daily life task (including a race), just like she used to do when I needed a note out of gym class because I didn’t want to run. Or a note to excuse me from playing at camp because it was hot outside or a note to say I wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t go to school even when I was totally fine and just didn’t feel like going.

BUT this race time bothers me for sure. Not only did I want under 23, I certainly wanted under 24 which technically I achieved but we can’t see that in the official time.

I run so few races that the ones I do run really do matter to me!

Ah well. Second place is still cool. I did the best I could, that I know. I always do the best I can on any given day, even on my lazy days or can’t give a lot of effort days. On those days, that IS the best I can do and I’m never upset with myself for it.

I should probably email to see if I can pick up the medal or whatever it is they gave as the award.

So Laura and I chat by text every day.

Did you know that? I don’t know if you knew that. She’s totally my go-to running source but we talk about everything else under the sun too.

Of course we needed to recap my race again yesterday morning. The below is a direct quote text from Laura from our discussion on how hard the 5K race distance is in comparison to the half. I thought it might interest you:

Those races above threshold are just brutal. Like, I will never think the 5K or 10K are easy. Both are above every threshold – lactate, ventilatory, etc. – so your breathing is labored from the start, you can’t clear lactate faster than it’s produced and that makes your brain send warning signals, and it’s just a burn. At least with the half, a good portion of the race feels comfortable!

I love when she talks all technical to me and I love how we can reference the half marathon as somehow feeling comfortable. Comfortable is such a relative term here although it’s much more comfortable than a 5K (until those last few miles of a half, those are real hard).

Anyway. Let’s talk food today too.

Is that okay? Rather than wait until tomorrow.

I can’t eat avocado right now. I’m not really sure why but suddenly, it’s making my stomach queasy. I was concerned about this until my friend Lisa told me that she can’t stomach avocado right now either. I wonder what is up with us?

My post race bagel and salad on Sunday did not involve avocado. I left it out of the usual order on purpose.

I did have avocado in my favorite Cheesecake Factory salad and I’m telling you, I felt it the other night.

Lisa and I are always on the same food wave length. We eat the same type of diet and are both in our not in the mood to cook mode. We are justifying this situation as acceptable since we are both experiencing the same feelings. Like maybe we just need a prolonged break from cooking the foods we have been cooking and eating for years or something.

She told me yesterday that pizza and salad is working most nights of the week for her and I was like, me too me too!

Maybe I will quickly make quinoa and lentils though. That’s easy enough and I can add it to salads. And maybe I need to grab a carton of the roasted pepper tomato soup that I love from Trader Joe’s. I can easily heat that up with a grilled cheese. Or maybe I will ask Lisa to make her lentil soup for me. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Race results plus recent eats on the blog today! #run #running #5K #pizza #cheescakefactory #avocado” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Anyone else unable to eat avocado right now? Are they just not good at the moment?

What have you been eating that’s easy for dinner?

 

 

Blue Ribbon Run For Prostate Cancer 5K Race Recap

 

The funny thing about recapping a 5K is that the race itself is so short that you start to wonder what there really is to say about it to fill up a post.

Not this time! I have a story.

Everything was going smooth. I got to Syosset-Woodbury Park a little less an hour before the Blue Ribbon Run For Prostate Cancer 5K race was scheduled to start.

Parked my car, used a park bathroom, and ran a warm up. Maybe a little over a mile? Not sure, I didn’t even check.

^ My son used to play on this playground when he was little! I loved taking him to this park.

It was low 30’s with sunshine. I was not cold after my warm up and certainly not cold because I had my mittens on. Oh yeah,  I found my missing Lululemon fluffover mitten! Remember yesterday when I said I couldn’t find it?! It had been missing since last winter BUT I just knew it had to be somewhere. I opened my drawer nice and slow and said, okay, you just have to be in here. And it was. These are the best running mittens ever, I don’t know why they stopped selling them. I’ve had them over four years now.

Anyway.

We lined up on schedule, I was sort of close to the front.

My plan was to start Runkeeper on my phone right when the race began and then quickly put my phone in the zippered pocket in my jacket. No big deal, right? I’ve done this a million times.

Well, the race started, I already had the music on, hit Runkeeper, and the next thing I knew, MY PHONE FELL.

Yeah.

My phone fell right on the ground, in the middle of the pack at the start of the race!

OMG. I KNOW.

While I still don’t know how long this whole situation lasted, I stopped running and pulled off to the left, saw the phone, saw the people stepping on my phone, heard a person saying someone’s phone fell, and in that split second, I jumped in to grab it, realizing I could get stepped on by a stampede of runners.

A few runners did knock into me and I was like, listen I need to get my phone!

My guess is that I lost 20 seconds? Maybe more? Maybe less? I don’t know. I stuck my phone quickly in my pocket, zipped it up and started running again.

I didn’t even have time to figure out starting up the music again. At this point I didn’t even know if Runkeeper was still on or if my phone was broken!

I definitely made up some ground (I think?) as I was passing people and just running. I NEVER run without music and certainly not without music in a race so this was a first for me!

it was only going to be for 20 something minutes so I figured it wouldn’t be a deal breaker.

It was weird though. I heard my breathing! I never hear my breathing.

I can’t really say that running without my usual music affected my pace much. Maybe it would have helped me in the middle mile? I don’t even know. I was pretty much in line with my usual paces.

So my paces. I don’t understand the first mile. It clocked in at 7:18 according to Runkeeper. Does that mean I was technically under 7 minutes since I stopped running and the phone was on the ground for several seconds at first? We will never really know anything for sure.

I didn’t feel as though I went that fast during that first mile but I guess that I did. The mile 1 time clock said the same thing (it either said 7:14 or 7:18 – I can’t remember).

By mile 2, I knew I slowed down. There were definitely inclines during mile 2, and for sure in mile 3. I wouldn’t totally call them hills. They were just inclines, some a little steeper than others but nothing horrendous and I looked forward to the downhills.

And then, just like that, the race was over.

I still don’t have an official time or a place. I keep checking the website and they were supposed to text me but never did.

It’s not like the official time is accurate anyway given I stopped for those seconds in the beginning AND they don’t have a gun and chip time. I hate when races don’t offer both!

I really was hoping to be 7:30 and under but what can I do. Mile 3 was slower than I would have liked.

The 5K is HARD. It just is. If I want to hold a certain pace properly for a 5K, I am going to have to train for it.

I am still a distance runner at heart. My half marathon pace is SO MUCH more comfortable, as it should be. A 5K pace (and a 10K pace) is fast and racing it is a challenge for me!

Not that I’m looking to run another half marathon any time soon. Sometimes I wonder how I ever ran those to begin with! Funny how things change. 🙂

Click here if you are interested in reading the rest of my race recaps that are listed on the blog!

[bctt tweet=”My 5K race recap is on the blog today! #run #runner #running #5K #racerecap #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

What would you have done if you dropped your phone or something else at the start of a race? Can you imagine jumping in to grab it with all the runners coming at you?!

How do you feel about the 5K? 

Do you prefer warm weather or cold weather races?

 

Running A 5K Race Today! (plus weekly workout recap)

 

Yep! I decided to sign up to run a 5K race this morning! As you may have noticed, I’ve been working a bit on my speed over the last few months so I figured why not test it out in a 5K.

I never liked the 5K. I’m not even so sure that I like it now. The 5K hurts in a different way from other races. Like, it may only be 3.1 miles but when you are racing 3.1 miles, it can be really tough!

I last ran a 5K a little over a year ago. And before that? It had been a few years! I don’t think I’ve run more than three 5K races in my whole running life!

Anyway, it’s COLD here this morning. I think the temperatures are in the low 30’s but the sun will be shining and there’s no wind so I should be fine once I’m moving. Of course I will bundle up, and run a warm up.

The 5K race I chose is actually on the course of my best ever 10K race (47:59). They no longer offer the 10K race option. It was cold in 2014 when I ran the 10K as you can see from what I am wearing in the picture.

I wish I knew where that ear warmer went, and on a related subject, one that I can barely talk about, I can’t locate one of my favorite Lululemon fluff over mittens. It has to be somewhere. I seriously can’t talk about it.

I’m hoping to recap the race in the morning! Or maybe I will update Instagram today. You can check for something there. I’ve been so bad with Instagram lately. It’s tough when you manage other social media accounts, your personal accounts tend to not matter.

So while I didn’t sign up for the race until Friday, I had it in the back of my mind all week. For this reason, I sort of took it slightly easier than usual. I mean, I don’t normally run too much more than this anyway but I kept the miles easy (and didn’t run yesterday) aside from Wednesday’s workout. Laura told me to try 6 x 1/4 mile at 5K effort, just to keep my speed fresh without overdoing it. So that’s what I did!

Monday – 5 Miles

Not much to say here, just an easy 5 while on the phone. It started to rain right as I finished!

Tuesday – 45 Min Pure Barre

Wednesday – 6 Miles

In preparation for Sunday’s 5K, I followed what Laura told me to do which was 6 x 1/4 mile at 5K pace. It looked like this:

1 mile warm up + 6 x 1/4 mile 5K pace with 1/4 mile easy in between + 2 miles easy.

Thursday – 5 Miles

Easy 5 while on the phone.

Friday – 30 Min Pure Barre/Walk

I chose a shorter Pure Barre On Demand  workout so that I could go outside for a walk before getting my day started. The shorter Pure Barre workouts are still intense though! They cut some minutes by skipping/shortening the stretching sections but don’t really skimp on the exercises. In fact, I usually end up sore from the 30 minute workouts. I don’t know if it’s because they are lighter on the stretching or if it’s because the exercises are more intense. Maybe both.

Saturday – Went for a Walk

I don’t focus on distance or even time when I go for a walk. Maybe I was outside for an hour.

Sunday – Race!

[bctt tweet=”Workouts from the week on the blog PLUS I’m running a 5K today! #run #running #purebarre #5K @pure_barre” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How do you feel about the 5K?

Is it super cold all of a sudden by you? Is it affecting your running?

 

 

Commack Coalition of Caring 5K Race Recap

 

I ran the Commack Coalition of Caring 5K race on Saturday. This was my first 5K race in over three years and only my third (or maybe fourth) 5K race ever!

The 5K race distance was NEVER my thing. Lately however, I’ve had a change of heart. The idea of running shorter distance races suddenly sounds like a fun idea.

I searched the local race calendars and found a 5K race right over here in Commack.

That race excitement, which has been missing in my life for quite some time, has suddenly returned.

Laura even told me that my change in running focus (shorter distances with more effort lately over longer distances at slower paces) would help me to do really well in this race!

My 5K race plan:

Although I didn’t train specifically for this race, I did have a few thoughts and goals in mind.

I wanted to enjoy the race while pushing my pace just enough to see what I could do. I’m feeling super confident right now in my speed and ability so I was extra excited to run.

I was completely against running this race like a real 5K because to me that meant running really fast the entire time. Super fast 5K running and racing makes me nauseous mentally and physically!

The 5K stigma of needing to run so fast was something I was looking to end for myself. I didn’t want to associate disgust and disinterest with the 5K race distance any longer.

My goal was to finish under 24 minutes. Ideally, 7:45 for the first mile would be good and then I could take it from there.

Race Morning:

I had my usual pre-run breakfast, not really focusing much on it since this wasn’t a long distance race.

The race started at 9:00 am. I arrived around 8:00 am to pick up my number and run a warm up. The race started and ended at Commack High School which is like 15 minutes or so from my house. I lived within the Commack school district before my divorce. Had I not moved from the Dix Hills side of Commack schools after my divorce, my son would now be going to Commack High School! 

The weather was nice with temperatures in the 40’s. After running a couple of miles around the neighborhood, I was warm enough to take off my sweatshirt to run the race comfortably in short sleeves.

The race had an informal race start right outside of Commack High School and was a pretty flat course.

Mile 1:

I definitely started out too fast (7:15) but didn’t feel as though I did. I couldn’t really judge how fast I was going! Towards the end of the mile, I heard and felt my breathing. The air was cold and it sort of hurt in my lungs.

Mile 2:

I eased up because I started too fast and I didn’t want to feel dead before the last mile. From what I recall, this portion of the race ran through the Candy Section of Commack with street names like Marshmallow Lane. I always wanted to live on Marshmallow Lane!

Somewhere during this mile I questioned my half marathon ability. I swear, I really think I have taken for granted what an achievement it is to run 13.1 miles and how I even managed my current half PR.

Mile 3:

This race did not have time clocks/mile markers to let me know where exactly I was in the race. While I had Runkeeper on, I don’t always trust that it is accurate during a race and wondered how far I was from the mile 3 marker. I got lost in my head with this thought pattern which I then broke out of once we were approaching the high school again because I knew the finish line was approaching!

I received a text with my results which included that I finished 2nd in my gender age group (30-39). For some reason, it didn’t click for me that I should probably stick around for the awards which means I didn’t receive my medal! Ugh. I wasn’t really thinking and needed to get home to take my son to hockey. Once I got home, I sent an email to find out how I can pick up my medal!

Overall Thoughts:

I started out way too fast but whatever! There’s really no reason to complain about this. I am not exactly used to running 5K races and overall I ran a strong race.

I’m super annoyed that this race didn’t provide an actual Chip time, only a Gun time. The gun time isn’t accurate since I didn’t start the race at the front line! Based on the gun time (24:06) which they count as my official time, my guess is that I definitely did finish in 23:XX so I reached my goal.

They listed my average pace as 7:45. I will accept that!

The ages were grouped by 30-39 rather than 35-39. I never saw that before but it was pretty cool since I was the oldest in the top few! Just wait until I hit the 40+ age group next year. 🙂

My legs felt great the entire time. I never really felt terribly tired or 5K nauseous, just out of breath.

The weather was cooler than it has been in a while. It was nice to run a race during the fall season with actual fall temperatures. Crisp air beats hot, humid air any day! Although, my lungs definitely felt the after effects of breathing in the cold air for the first time this season.

I would totally run another local 5K race. It used to be that I didn’t want to give up my long run for a 5k but I am not like that anymore. I think on occasion it’s nice to run a local race even if the distance is less than what you would normally run.

I also don’t feel the need to run long every single week anymore. Long runs are certainly a part of my routine but it’s okay if it doesn’t happen, especially if the reason is for a race.

I only have one other 5K race recapped here on the blog! Here’s the link if you are interested in reading it!

[bctt tweet=”Commack 5K Race Recap on the blog today! #running #race #racerecap #run #5K #fitfluential #Commack ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How do you feel about 5K races?

When was the last time you ran a 5K race? Do you plan to run one soon?

Which age group do you fall in right now? Have you ever seen races where they group the whole age decade?

 

 

 

Week In Workouts Plus 5K!

 

You may have seen on Instagram that I ran a local 5K race yesterday morning! I will have a full recap on the blog tomorrow but in the meantime, let’s look at the rest of the week in workouts. I would have actually liked to run more than I did but some weeks are just off weeks. Between feeling rushed one day, not being in the mood another, and a dead legged morning, it just happens. I’m hoping this week is better!

Monday – 6 Miles/Pure Barre

With the sun rising so late, I combined two 5 minute Pure Barre workouts before heading out the door. This run turned into an easy 6 miles because I ended up on chatting on the phone almost the entire time.

Tuesday – Gym Day/30 Min Pure Barre

Bleh. The weather was icky outside, the gym was overly warm as if someone left the heat on, and my mood was one of disinterest.

I started on the treadmill, made it a mile before switching to the elliptical. After 30 minutes total of cardio, I went home for a 30 minute Pure Barre On Demand workout.

Wednesday – 7 Miles

Not much to say here other than it was a decent run, mostly easy, with some bursts of speed randomly thrown in.

Thursday – 3 Miles/15 Min Pure Barre

I don’t know what the problem was today but my legs were feeling more dead than I have felt in a really long time! There was no sense in pushing it so I managed my way through 3 miles right under 30 minutes and then went home for Pure Barre.

Friday – 3.55 Miles

I was in a bit of a rush this morning which I hate but it happens! Ugh. Hopefully next week I don’t have mornings where I am this rushed because it’s not a great way to start the day.

Saturday – 5K!!

After running a few miles as a warm up, this was my third ever 5K, first ever local Long Island 5K and I placed second in my age for gender.

The cool part is that the age group was 30-39 and I was the oldest in the top four finishers. I would have been first for age had it been the usual 35-39! I should run more local races. HA.

I will have a full recap up tomorrow.

Sunday – New Pure Barre workout

As I mentioned in my  Pure Barre On Demand review, every Friday I receive an email letting me know about a new workout available. I’m excited to try this new 45 minute Pure Barre workout!

[bctt tweet=”Workouts From The Week Plus 5K! #running #workouts #purebarre #5K #run @pure_barre” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How was your week in workouts?

Is today a run day or rest day?

First Race Advice + Workout Recap

 

 

My best friend Heather is running her first ever 5K race today! She has taken up an interest in running as of late so this is very exciting. Heather is a regular at Orange Theory but decided recently that she would like to be able to run a few miles without stopping to walk.

For today’s 5K race, she asked me a few first race advice questions. I figured that maybe they were worth sharing with you today in case you wondered the same things.

Do you wear sunglasses while you run or during a race? No, I do not. I usually run early enough that the sun isn’t in my eyes. If it’s summer and really bright outside, I do wear a sun visor.

Where do you put your phone? I hold my phone most of the time (my ear buds are connected so I am listening to music while I run) but if it’s a cooler weather race, I typically have a zippered pocket somewhere that can hold my phone for me.

Where do you put your keys/license etc.? The pants/skirts I wear for races must have a zippered pocket! I usually wear my Lululemon capris or skirts for races which have the zippered pocket in the back waist band.

Do I eat before a race? I told Heather that she should eat however she eats prior to Orange Theory. Since she hasn’t exactly trained specifically for this 5K race, now was not the time to try a new eating approach!

She also asked me for a last-minute first race strategy on how to approach the mileage. I’m no running coach but here’s what I told her:

Go slow. Do not start out fast! Do not get caught up in the crowd of runners and what they are doing. You want to go easy enough that you can maintain the pace rather than think who you are, speed up and then burn out. Your goal is to not walk! It’s all mental. You do not need to walk, all you need to do is slow your running pace to where it feels comfortable enough to keep going. Do not attempt to speed up until close to the finish mark. If anything, pick some landmarks for intervals of speeding up for a short distance and then going slow again just to pass the time and distract your brain.

I will let you know how she does today!

Monday – 7 Miles

I ran for an hour and the time flew by. One mile warm up then I randomly picked up my pace with a mile cool down at the end.

Tuesday – 3 Miles

I needed to leave fairly early for the city so squeezing in 3 miles right under 25 minutes was perfect. According to Runkeeper, it was my fastest 5k distance since I started using this app.

Wednesday – 5 Miles/Pure Barre

It had to be 100% humidity out there today! Somehow I still ran fairly strong with an average pace of 8:50. I don’t know how that happened given the heavy air.

I came home for a quick combination of two 5 minute workouts from Pure Barre On Demand. I tried a new 5 minute arms workout – woah – it was so hard and it didn’t even use free weights! It was all body weight exercises. Then I added a 5 minute seat workout which is one of my favorites.

Thursday – 30 Min Running/30 Min Pure Barre

Ugh, still humid out there!

Friday – 6 Miles

It was the first cool morning in the 50’s so I was excited to get outside. I ended up talking on the phone for a few miles which I think you can figure out just looking at the splits.

Saturday – 10 Miles

I wanted to run 10 miles today. Laura had mentioned a workout that involved 2 mile repeats so I decided to throw those in to this run.

The plan was to run 2 X 2 miles at half marathon effort with 3 minutes recover in between after my warm up.

^I couldn’t fit all 10 miles in the screenshot.

Even though I could tell I was fatigued when I started this run, I still did okay! Next time though, I would run a longer warm up and save the workout portion for the last half of the run if adding this workout to a long run. I prefer the easy miles at the start of the run rather than at the end.

Sunday – Pure Barre

I finally reviewed Pure Barre On Demand this week! Click here if you missed the post.

[bctt tweet=”First race advice plus workouts from the week! #running #5K #run #purebarre @pure_barre #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

When did you run your first race? Do you remember it vividly? 

Anyone else love Orange Theory like Heather? I really need to try a class!

 

Thinking Out Loud 12.3.15

 

The week following a holiday like Thanksgiving is always difficult in terms of getting back into the groove. I don’t have an issue with my workouts because those are built into day and a welcomed part of my routine but the school day routine? The work day routine? Yeah, slowly killing me this week.

I am behind on blog reading. My bloglovin feed is overloaded which makes me twitch a bit because I like to get through all of the new posts for each day in a timely fashion but it just can’t happen right now. Not to mention, half of the blogs I try to open freeze and reload and then freeze again which only sends me into a further not-in-the-mood-for-this-week-maybe-it’s-PMS rage of wanting to throw my computer out the window.

I came across this photo of me running the Commitment Day 5k in the city on New Years Day back in 2013 and for the life of me, I do not recall the running shoes on my feet.

I know it’s blurry but maybe those are Asics? Gel Nimbus somethings?

And also, in reference to my winter weather workout favorites post from Tuesday, I am still wearing those lululemon crops from the above race every week but not that Gap Athletic pullover. The pullover shrunk and got weird so this is further validation that the money I spend at lululemon (I had bought those crops on sale!) is worth every penny.

So I wanted to say Hey! Look at my new coffee flavor!

But out of nowhere, I have zero tolerance for caffeine. I can maybe handle one caffeinated cup of coffee in the morning this week and anything more makes me feel icky, dizzy and wrong so I am basically down to just drinking decaf.

While on the topic of beverages, I behave like a total child when I encounter one of these modern day soda fountains.

My excitement over the many flavors of water is justified though. I never liked soda and never had options in restaurants as a kid, not even bottled water was available most of the time back then. So now, when I can not only get water but have a choice of water flavors, so much fun! I like the lemon and the strawberry and I like to mix them together to make like a strawberry lemonade 🙂

Time for me to head out for my run, be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today!

[bctt tweet=”Thinking Out Loud #coffee #water #lululemon #fitfluential #thinkingoutloud @runwithspoons”]

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Are you having a tough time this week after being off for the holiday last week?

How many cups of coffee do you normally drink each day?

What’s for lunch today? You know I need lunch inspiration!

A Fun 5k Workout

 

3 miles used to be my standard run. Over time, as I built up my ability and endurance, my daily running mileage increased to the point where I completely eliminated the 3 mile run as part of my routine.

But see, running long distances day after day not only can burn you out and contribute to overtraining but trying to squeeze in all of those miles in the midst of a busy schedule can be real time consuming.

Since implementing some structure to my workout routine a few months back, I have built shorter distance runs back into my week as part of my running balancing act. The shorter distances are good for my recovery from the longer/harder runs and perfect for those days where I just don’t have enough time to run very long.

My problem though, and this may sound funny, sometimes the shorter distance runs seem more daunting than the longer runs.

Makes no sense, right? I know! But it’s true. When you are used to running let’s say 6 or 8 miles, the 3 mile runs should fly by in a flash but they don’t. Instead, they often bore me and seem longer than when I run double the distance.

In order to make the 3 mile distance more appealing and mentally stimulating as well as slightly challenging, I came up with this workout which I really enjoy.

I like giving my miles some purpose and breaking things up like this keeps things interesting.

Even though I had time yesterday morning to run more than 3 miles, I didn’t really feel like it. I wasn’t sore but felt a little fatigue left over from Saturday’s long run so I went with this workout to give me a few miles of purpose without overdoing it.

What I love about this workout is that it works for any pace. Some days you may start out slower, some days your fast pace isn’t your speediest, but either way, it’s going to challenge you more than just mindlessly running.

Important note: This 5k workout is not a training workout for a 5k race. At least I wouldn’t think so. It will certainly help you to run the distance but I don’t think it will help you to build your racing strategy.

Informative 5k posts worth checking out:

Fast Finish Focused 5k Workout

5k & 10k Specific Training

How To Determine Your 5k Pace Without Racing A 5K

How To Improve Your Marathon PR By Training For A 5k

[bctt tweet=”A fun 5k running workout plus valuable 5k links #running #workouts #5k #fitfluential @runningoutowine @thisrunnersrecipes #runnersconnect”]

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Favorite race distance?

Do you have a routine distance you like to run when you aren’t training for a race?

Favorite time of day to run?

 

Runner’s World Hat Trick Recap

 

The winner of the #NYTough P & G Product Giveaway is Amy Laforte!

Congrats Amy and thank you to everyone for entering!

Recap time!

As tired as I was Saturday night after running the 5k and 10k, I made it a point to take out my computer and start jotting down some thoughts from the day, knowing that if I didn’t, I would totally forget some of the key moments I wanted to remember and share with you.

It’s hard enough sometimes to remember all of your thoughts and experiences that occur during one race; try remembering the details from three races that all happen within 24 hours.

Before I discuss the races in brief detail….

The access to REAL BATHROOMS at the start of all three races was just an amazing feature.

I did not use one Porta Potty the entire weekend!  

Not only did we have plenty of access to real bathrooms with little to no lines, we had the opportunity to wait indoors before the races began which helped keep us warm and comfortable.

In the Arts Quest building, there was even the opportunity to buy food like bagels, muffins, coffee and other stuff.

I know I saw Porta Potties scattered throughout the half marathon route but thankfully I did not need one. There were also plenty of water stops with Powerade too (which I didn’t take), some gels available on the half marathon course as well as Twizzlers at some point.

Okay, on to the races….

The 5K:

Was I nervous? Yes and no.

I had to remind myself over and over and over again that this was the first of three races and although I usually start off as if I was shot out from some cannon, I could not do that if I wanted to successfully make it through the weekend.

In my head I kept repeating pressure off but we all know that a start line will still produce that race day feeling.

I am pretty sure I put myself in the 8 minute mile section of the corral rather than in the 7’s.

We can ask Sarah if she remembers which pace area we were in because she was right in front of me!

I had a slight side stitch during the first mile which worked itself out by mile two.

Even with the side stitch, I felt as though I had more to give, that I should be pushing and speeding the heck up but I kept forcing myself to hold back in order to conserve.

And this race was over before I knew it.

I know there was a hill somewhere but I honestly don’t remember much.

I didn’t shut MapMyRun immediately and it was off slightly from the official timing but you get the idea.

Finish time: 24:24

Not bad, right? I think this was only slightly over a minute from my last 5k finish time.

I definitely picked up the pace when I saw the finish line on the horizon because as much as you tell yourself this isn’t your typical race because you have a 10k to run in an hour and a half marathon the next day, it is impossible to see a finish line and not run as though you are in a race.

A race atmosphere will always bring out the race runner in you, regardless of how much you try to run easy.

The In-Between Wait:

This got a little tricky.

Just hanging around the Steel Stacks waiting for the 10K. There was an indoor area with nice, clean bathrooms too!

I had a little over an hour to spare before the 10k started and my fear in advance was getting cold while I waited.

I always get cold after running so I planned my outfit early that morning for both races accordingly:

*Nike running skirt

*Lululemon Race Your Pace Half Zip with just a sports bra underneath

*Pro Compression Socks – new pair from the expo

If you run and do not own Pro Compression socks, please do yourself a favor and order a pair. No need to thank me.

I chose the Race Your Pace Half Zip specifically for these races because I knew it would keep me warm yet not let me overheat and the cuff-over feature for the hands would be perfect while waiting around.

Not to mention, it also has a perfectly sized zippered pocket to hold a packet of peanut butter.

I had a bottle of water and a few jelly beans right after finishing the 5k and then a little while later I had a banana with some peanut butter.

I am so smart, right?

I mean, I knew a banana would not be enough to get through the 10K which started at 9:30 am.

I had eaten breakfast at 5:00 am and I get super hungry every few hours, especially when running is involved.

I needed something besides carbs to satisfy me so a drop of peanut butter on each bite of banana was perfect.

During the downtime, I began getting sleepy and then nervous that I wouldn’t be able to run the race.

No, I don’t mean that. I was getting nervous that I would feel tired or burned out once I started running again.

I think when we finally lined up for the 10K start I put myself back by the 9:00 minute mile sign.

I kept forcing myself to take that first mile really easy and slow, telling myself to run like it’s my usual morning run through my neighborhood.

I kept saying, just la-de-da yourself like you usually do and ignore everyone else around you.

Forget that it’s a race. Remember that you just ran a 5k and remember that you have a half marathon to run in less than 24 hours.

It worked!

The miles were flying by. I was enjoying myself. It was nice to be running rather than pushing/working. Does that make sense?

I tried to ignore the time clocks because seeing my pace for the first mile of over 9:00 min/mile was weird for a race but I forced my brain to reroute the thought process and let it go.

Once again, slightly off but you get the idea.

The hills weren’t bad. They were gradual and nothing crazy.

Before I knew it, we were at the six-mile mark and yes, it’s that last .2 that gets you.

I was pushing at this point because hello, how do you not when you see the big FINISH?.

Finish time: 53:44

At the conclusion of the 10k, I took my medal for the 5k too.

The Half Marathon:

Of course I remember the most details from this race since it was the last in the series as well as the longest distance.

It was windy and colder (like in the 40’s I think at the start?)  so I threw together a slightly unplanned race outfit.

I knew I would wear the Run Inspire Crop II’s with Pro Compression calf sleeves underneath.

The fact that I keep sharing these early morning-my-hair-is-too-long-no-make-up-puffy-eyes-from-a-pillow-I -was-clearly-allergic-to-all -night is something I really need to think about or, hmm, not think about and just keep typing.

On top I made a last-minute decision to wear a short sleeve Run Swiftly with a completely random (and yellow) Gap half zip pullover thing which I bought on clearance at the end of last winter.

I can’t even tell you which style this Gap top is but I will say that it worked well for me. Comfortable, breathable, I wasn’t hot or cold and the thumb holes always make me happy.

The gray thing you see over the Gap pullover was my “throw away” thermal hoodie which I took off a couple of minutes prior to the start of the race.

The zipper broke on this hoodie like two years ago. I always save things like this on purpose to use for cold race day mornings since I won’t care about leaving it behind.

I  woke up with a crampy feeling in my right big toe.

I never had such a feeling before and I kept trying to stretch it out as well as hoping (praying) that it went away as I walked around prior to the start.

I kept having a pep talk with myself to remind my brain that PR times were not an option.

That under 1:45 was not happening today.

I had to keep telling myself that I just ran two races and this half was to be run as any other routine long run.

Pressure off.

I told myself to ignore the pacers with their signs if they bob up and down past me. Even if it is the 1:50, 1:55 and the 2:00.

It is mentally confusing to run a race and ignore the times you typically strive for (and strive against).

I did have a loose goal in my head of still finishing at two hours or under but didn’t hold myself to anything other than running where I felt comfortable and okay.

The energy by the way at the start of each race was terrific.

The music was blasting and totally had everyone dancing.

Anyway, I think I started myself in the 8 minute/mile or maybe the 8:30 minute/mile section and felt great..until my toe was cramping a little bit more around mile two.

It was pretty uncomfortable but I wasn’t stopping. I figured it would loosen up and I really didn’t give it much of a choice.

I was to complete this hat trick even if it meant I had to slow down or walk.

Luckily my toe responded, loosened up and felt normal by mile three.

As for the rest of me, I felt terrific!  I was shocked by the pace I was holding and completely forgot I ran the two races the day before.

I even handled the hills pretty well.

They were gradually inclining on me but I didn’t mind because I knew I would appreciate the downhill that much more.

I knew the 1:50 pace man was behind me somewhere with his sign. At one point he scooched ahead of me during an uphill but I made my way past him during the downhill.

I was so happy during this race. The miles were flying by. I was running faster than I could have hoped for, honestly felt pretty awesome and was just proud to be able to run among the rest of the Runner’s World runners.

I think I fueled really well for these races (more on that tomorrow) and truly appreciated all of the miles I log each week, day in and day out.

It’s all of those random miles, the good ones along with the bad ones that prepare us for these races.

I could not have done this race without doing my routine long runs each weekend.

It’s all of those runs, as fast or as slow as I run them each time, that made my legs capable of handling all of this, including the hills.

Especially that hill somewhere around mile six. Yeah. That hill tried to get me. I thought it was over but it was one of those that just kept going.

But I did it. I made it.

I didn’t really want water but I grabbed sips every so often after mile five. I popped my jelly beans starting around mile six. Sometimes spitting them out, sometimes holding them until they dissolved and sometimes chewing them real fast.

I couldn’t even believe it when I made it to mile ten. It seemed to have gone so fast….but then somewhere around there it started getting to me.

Somewhere around there the 1:50 pace man bobbed next to me with his sign and said, “great job, stay strong”.

My response, “Um,  I don’t know about that. My goal has been to stay ahead of you!”

I let that go though.

Finish time: 1:50:17

It would have been nice to unexpectedly finish this race under 1:50 but I earned this 1:50:17 and words really cannot express how proud I am of it.

In fact, this 1:50:17 which was run on tired legs was even faster than my first half marathon, exactly two years ago to the day, at Hershey Park, where I finished in 1:53 and I believe 37 seconds on a course almost as hilly.

Have I had moments since finishing on Sunday where I tried to find the points in the race where I could have/should have gone a little faster in order to have come in under 1:50?

Of course I did, it’s the runner in me.

And one final though for today….

Thank you to my favorite Adidas Energy Boosts sneakers. You may have been the most boring-looking pair of running shoes seen throughout all three race courses, but you are indeed the best and I could not have done it without you.

With honorable mention to my just-about-burned-out pink pair of Boosts which played the role of understudy for the weekend.

See you tomorrow for What I Ate Wednesday over the weekend!

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What’s the next race on your calendar?

What do you eat/carry with you during your long runs/races?

Tell me something random, this post took forever to write and I am out of thoughts!

 

Not Ready To Put The Race Medals Away

 

I am up earlier than I would like to be but I have a feeling it’s because my body is convinced it is time to get ready for another race.

Running three races in two days and riding buses in the predawn hours which take you from your car to the starting lines will do that to you.

Is it just me or do the famous Steel Stacks remind you of something out of the movie, Willy Wonk And The Chocolate Factory?

Wow. So this weekend was pretty amazing.

It sounds so corny but I am truly proud of myself. Like really.

I was never much of a competitor. I am still not. I have always gone through life doing my own thing but there is just something so amazing about signing up for a race and in this case, three races in one weekend, and actually showing up, running, trying your best and crossing that finish line.

And you know what I mean when I say I want to continue wearing these race medals around my neck today.

I am not ready to let go of the energy of the Runner’s World Half & Festival.

Yes, that would be Bart Yasso.

And you know what else, wearing these race medals around town today can double as a doctor’s note so that people understand why it is I am walking funny.

Yeah. I am sore. But I will take being sore AFTER completing the Hat Trick rather than during it.

I have so much to tell you but I need a little more time to get my act together.

I literally crossed the half marathon finish line yesterday, grabbed water and a banana, found the shuttle to my car, got myself back to the hotel to quickly shower, eat and hit the road to get home.

I couldn’t even cook dinner last night.

You had to know this would be my meal of choice.

You would think that all this running would leave me wanting my desserts.

Not really. I didn’t care if we had dessert last night or not. My appetite is funny like that after races. I am super hungry but the cravings for fudge cakes and desserts really isn’t there.

Of course I ate it though. You can’t put it in front of me and expect me to pass it up.

Okay, so anyway, my plan is to recap the races tomorrow followed up on Wednesday with what I ate to keep myself running.

The one thing I want to leave you with this morning is the first thing I wrote down while sitting in on the Women’s Running seminar on Saturday.

It’s the truth. The running community is just so nice.

It’s like we know each other so well without knowing each other at all. We understand each other. We relate to the training, fueling and cravings, the aches and pains, the race day anxieties and logistics and that feeling of crossing the finish line.

Everyone just starts talking as though we are friends and this will forever fascinate me as you know from reading my post last week about New Yorkers because it is completely different from what I am used to.

And I just love it.

I met these lovely ladies in the hotel while I was drinking my coffee getting ready for the first race on Saturday morning.

We hadn’t a clue where we were going in terms of parking our cars so we headed out together in the dark, following each other in order to get to the right place.

We found our way to the parking areas (confusing as it was) and then found our way to the bathrooms and start lines.

Both race days.

My point here is that we just started talking and helping each other out as if we had been friends forever….

….Because we saw immediately that we were runners and all runners are friends.

I WILL NOT be running today. My father told me yesterday that I really shouldn’t and even without him offering that piece of advice, I already knew it wasn’t even a consideration.

Maybe a walk to loosen up the legs but that’s about it.

I will talk to you tomorrow all about the races, I promise!

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Don’t forget to enter the #NYTough P&G Product Giveaway!

What do you normally crave after a race?

Do you make friends at races too?

Tell me two things you did over the weekend…