I Don't Sweat, I Sparkle Glitter 5k

This was the perfect race to end my race season! Not only was it a themed race (the first I've ever done), but it was untimed and therefore totally pressure-free. Coming up at the tail-end of my streak, when my legs are starting to feel tired, meant the untimed aspect was especially appreciated. And considering it's been summer for about a month already here in Florida, I really loved that my slower pace today wasn't officially recorded.

Basically, this was a fun run with a medal at the end!

The shirt is adorable and perfect for the beach; I also loved that we were instructed to take any bib, since numbers only matter for photo purposes.

I met Kristin and Claire and we carpooled down to the Sugden Park, where we met up with Meg and Kristen as planned. It had been Meg's idea to run this race with the girls; we found out the night before that Trisha was running it too, so we had a mini Ragnar reunion!

Trisha, Kristin, Claire, Kristen, Meg, and me!

I also got to meet Amber from the Sub30 Club! I knew she'd be at this race and told her what I was wearing, but it turns out 80% of the runners had on my same outfit. She was able to spot me by my tattoo!

Amber lives not far from me, so I'm hoping to see her at more races!

The race started at 8am, when it was already toasty and sunny. Part of the route (a loop we ran twice) was shaded, but this was sure to be a hot race. Originally I thought there were waves for runners, walkers, and kids...but it turns out everyone started together. That meant my plan to run by myself and meet the others at the end was shot.

After the first half mile of following Claire as she dodged and wove around crowds and strollers, I decided to just let this one go and have fun. I ran the first loop with the others for the most part, but ended up ahead after the water stop at the halfway point.

Meg got this one of us before the first mile mark.

The crowds had opened a tiny bit at this point and I was able to get into a more comfortable pace. My legs were tired (I'm looking forward to ending my streak in the next couple days!), but I just kept trucking. I didn't listen to music, and the busy route kept me distracted. Despite my slower-than-usual time, I felt like this race flew by! I didn't mind the double-loop because I knew when I was nearing the end and could look ahead to it. (This bodes well for my full, which is also a double-loop course.)

I'll say this for the crowds: they made for easy negative splits.

This was the first race that I didn't try to power through the finish line; I actually slowed down on purpose to allow some kids the chance to overtake me and finish ahead.

After the race, Kristin, Claire, and I went for breakfast. (Meg had a makeup trial run for her wedding to get to!)

Skillets is amazing...I had a gluten free pecan waffle with strawberries, an egg, and bacon. Yum! (This pic is for you, Meg!)

I've never done a themed race before and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere. It raised money for a good cause and was definitely a different kind of run than I'm used to. I'm not sure I'll be shelling out major cash to participate in a color run or anything like that, but this Glitter 5k supports the Glitter Foundation (which raises money for art and art therapy for children) and was reasonably priced, so I definitely can see myself doing it again next year!

Have you ever done a themed race?

Have you ever done a fun-run with kids before? It gave me hope for the future to see so many kids taking after healthy/active adult role models; plus, kids run with such joy!

ABK

Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon

Our girls' weekend continued Sunday morning with warmer temperatures and an earlier wake-up. 

Despite getting to bed around 8:30 the night before, I slept fitfully Saturday night. The half Sunday began at 6am, so we were out of bed by 4:00. Surprisingly, my legs felt really good.

Flat-Ali, take two! The headband is a new one from the expo and I love it...it even has a hidden pocket.

I had set up my clothes the night before, as usual. Funnily enough, although Mari, Kristin, and I all agreed to wear our GGM tanks for the 15k, we hadn't planned any other matching outfits...and we still managed to match Sunday!

The moment we stepped outside, we knew we were in for a totally different day. The temperatures had increased from 43 to 58, and we were looking at finishing the race with temperatures in the 60s or higher. It was also much more humid than Saturday morning, and I noticed a difference in my breathing immediately.

Waiting for the start!

We didn't really have plans for this race...Or at least, I didn't. Mari was in the sub-2:00 corral and Kristin was hoping to PR; I just wanted to run the race and enjoy it.

Although I started out with Kristin, we lost each other before the first mile-marker. It was so crowded! I was bobbing and weaving all over the place to avoid walkers. I probably started out too far back (around the 11:27 pacer) and ended up paying for it, but I also didn't reach the start line until about eight minutes after the gun, so I didn't really mind starting toward the back.

I literally do not remember where this was or what mile we were at!

I settled into a comfortable pace and tried to pick someone in the crowd to latch onto, but I kept passing all my targets. My legs felt pretty good the entire time; I had a small pain in one foot from the slant of the road and had to keep changing sides to adjust for that.

Around mile 6 I could feel myself speeding up because it was the halfway point and I wanted to be done; the smart side of my brain told me to stay easy, but the impatient side seemed to be in charge.

Once more, I kept myself distracted by searching for Mari at the turnaround, and then searching for Kristin once I'd made the turn myself.

...And then I hit the wall.

The hardest part of this race, besides the full-on heat of the morning, was a kind of virtual marathon-wall I hit around mile 10. Usually in a half, my wall is at mile 9 and I hit a peak again at 11, and I can plan accordingly. But during this half, my legs already had 9.3 miles on them! Around mile 11, I felt like I was at the tail-end of a marathon. Mentally, it was hard to push myself and keep from walking. All around me, those who had run the challenges all weekend were walking; I had to ignore them and stop myself from giving in.

Then, my Nike+ started cutting out like it had during Space Coast and A1A! (Side-note: I immediately tweeted Nike Support after this race and they told me to uninstall and reinstall, so we'll see if this issue is fixed next time.) My stomach felt gross and I wanted to puke but I just trudged along and kept going. I had nothing in me to sprint the end, and I was so relieved to be finished!

I totally enjoyed this race; it was beautiful and fun, but it was mentally very challenging after the 15k. (I was having flashbacks to the last time I did back-to-back races!) Once again I ran into people in the finishing chute because they stopped too short over the line.

Success! Kristin PR'd by 7 minutes and Mari came in sub-2!

The medal really did make it all worth it.

Despite tired legs, I ran perfectly even splits and managed a great final time, only three minutes slower than last weekend's half!

We had breakfast at some random cafe, showered up, and headed home! We did make one necessary pit-stop in Sarasota for gluten free cupcakes.

I ate the coconut cupcake and took a white-chocolate one to go!

After 22.4 miles in a single weekend, I think we definitely earned that treat.

I've now run eight half marathons, and I'm beginning to see that my average times are closer to the 2:20s than 2:40s, where they used to hover. It's nice to see progress and to see that I'm getting better at racing longer distances! Who knows what I could have done on this course with fresh legs?

Overall, this was a fantastic weekend and I'm so glad that Kristin - who has coveted that skull medal for ages - convinced us to sign up with her!

ABK

Gasparilla Distance Classic 15k

Our girls' weekend in Tampa began Friday night with a very long drive. We left with plenty of time to arrive at the expo at 7, an hour before it closed. But due to some ridiculous traffic, we literally parked and sprinted to the expo and arrived as the doors were closing!

We slipped through the last open door and ignored the guard who called after us, "It's over, ladies!" We were able to grab our bibs and shirts as the announcement was made that the expo was closed, just in the nick of time!

A sigh of relief! We got our bibs and shirts just in time!

We took some extra time to find our names on the giant banner.

We had a nice big dinner at Outback - I haven't eaten there in forever! - and fell asleep way too late for our 5am wakeup the next morning.

Sweet potato, steak, and shrimp...Now that's a good pre-race dinner!

Back at the hotel, we got our stuff ready for the morning and took a look at the race shirts. They were really cute this year!

Flat-Ali is ready for the 15k!

The half shirt is long-sleeved and the 5k is short; it's a nice little combo there!

With all that taken care of, there was nothing left to do but get some shut-eye.

Saturday's 5am wakeup came way too quickly, and it was cold! We got to the Convention Center around 6am for our 6:45 start time.

Pre-race picture!

Don't laugh...this was cold for us!

We crowded into the corrals and started on our way. Mari took off, her usual speedy self, and Kristin and I stuck together at a nice conservative pace. The course was beautiful and flat, and the sunrise was gorgeous over the water.

The race was very well-organized and we had a blast. We were wearing our GGM shirts and had a few conversations with fellow runners about Ragnar. Kristin and I kept an eye open for Mari at the turnaround, which was a nice distraction, and even though we'd planned to run an easy race all throughout, we couldn't help but sprint into the finish together.

This was probably one of the most crowded races I've ever been to. Although I loved having a crowd around the entire time, one of the problems of big races like this is that many of the runners don't follow proper race etiquette. Walkers didn't move to the side or signal; many stopped directly past the finish line and I literally collided with people as I crossed. But overall, the entire race was fantastic!

I don't really know how many were in my division or gender etc...I wasn't really worried about rankings for this race.

I don't have a lot to say about race strategy or anything today because our goal was just to not push too hard, bearing in mind that we had a half to run the next day.

We had breakfast at Daily Eats, then went back to the hotel for showers and naps before heading back to the expo. It's funny how a 15k didn't even feel that far and I had no problem walking around afterward.

You've gotta love a menu with "gluten free" clearly labeled!

I had a goat cheese and spinach omelet with avocado and bacon added, plus cheesy grits!

While Mari and Kristin got massages, I wandered the expo and did a little shopping. Matt's brother and his boyfriend Robby are in Florida for a really short time so they were able to stop by and say hello quickly before we girls took the trolley to Channelside for dinner.

A quick "hello" with the boys.

Our lovely view of Tampa.

Dinner was more sushi than I could comfortably fit in my stomach.

Given how hectic Friday was, it was really nice to have the evening to relax and plan for Sunday's race...but that's another post to come! (I'll be out of town for work stuff so the half post will have to wait a couple days!)

ABK

A Fresh Start

Time off has officially ended...not just winter break, but running-wise as well. I wanted to get this year started on the right foot, so January 1 I met up with Kristin and we had a nice four-mile run in the evening. It was my second 4-miler that week.

A very blurry (and green?) photo...first run of the year and we both just happened to wear our GGM tanks!

After time off, it used to be that I'd start all over. I'd run no more than two miles and take ages to build back up. But it seems in the last year or so, four miles has become my comfortable minimum. I'll run fewer if necessary, but I like to push for four.

Maybe how quickly I lose fitness is partially in my head.

Anyway, I started the first full week of the year by running another four, this time with Matt. I compared my last three runs and was pleasantly surprised by the results.

Last run of 2014.

First run of 2015 (with Kristin).

My most recent run.

Running with someone versus running alone may be partially to credit for this increase in speed, but when I ran with Matt he was comfortable going slow and I purposely ramped up the pace in each mile I just wanted to test my legs. (And he stopped at 3 miles; I ran the last one by myself and it was my fastest. It was nice to run sub-10 again!)

So...let's ignore my REALLY TERRIBLE POSTURE and focus instead of my super glowy shoes!

My new headband matches these shorts perfectly!

The good news is that my lungs felt great. The bad news is that my knees and hips are a little mad at me and I should remember not to overdo it too soon. (I may have been a bit overzealous about my IT band exercises this week.)

I also started the year with a batch of new headbands, which is super motivating!

I think I own too much neon pink and yellow...if that's possible.

Matchy-matchy!

I definitely feel a renewed sense of purpose and a sense of longing. I miss being fast. (Relative term, I know.) I'm excited to see progress and to stick with it.

I was hoping to know by the end of this week if I'll be comfortable running a full in February, but as of right now I still haven't decided.

Besides seeing some progress so soon, and getting running goodies in the mail, here's another mood-booster I got this week:

I've officially been a runner for five years! And to think, I used to swear I'd never run! That's all the proof I need that any goal is attainable as long as we're willing to put in the work.

How has your first week of January been?
What are your favorite colors to run in?
How long have you been running?

ABK

Weekend Update

 Ohh, how I miss the golden days of Weekend Update on SNL!

This cold I've been battling has had the weirdest progression. One day I feel fine, the next day my throat hurts, then my throat feels fine but my sinuses are a wreck, then my sinuses feel fine but my lungs are all tight...

I had a really fabulous run last Thursday with Kristin that reminded me that even though I'm really resting more than tapering now, I'm still capable of running. This was a good mental boost, because I cannot run with a cold in my chest. My asthma is too difficult to control. I'm gasping for breath just sitting around.

So mentally, yes, I'm a little freaked for the marathon. But I know my body can do this as long as I'm not sick by next weekend. Colds are only supposed to last 14 days, right?

Anyway, I took a nap Friday and then slept til noon Saturday...so at least I have the resting part of taper/sickness recovery covered. We saw Matt's dad Saturday and finally made a big house purchase we've been talking over...rugs!

Matt really likes shaggy rugs, so we got one for the bedroom. It's finally starting to feel comfy in there!

We went for a big, patterned rug in the living room.

We've been wanting rugs for awhile and I feel like these are kind of important purchases because they're brand new and decorative...I think we're finally figuring out what style we like for the house.

It was a good thing I got all that sleep Friday/Saturday because I woke up super early Sunday to go cheer for Kristin and Mari at a half marathon. I was originally thinking of running while I waited at the finish line for them, but my lungs weren't working well enough.

At the park pre-race!

And they're off!

I had spent Saturday night making a sign. The pink side said "KRISTIN & MARI EAT 13.1 FOR BREAKFAST!!!" and on the back I wrote "BEAST MODE: ON! YOU'VE GOT THIS!" I spun the sign so the majority of runners saw the general message but flipped it when Kristin and Mari passed.

Matt watched a terrible movie while I got my craft on.

I took up my post around mile 6. A few runners wanted pictures with the sign. It was awesome to hang out and offer support; I was sad I wasn't running, but happy to still be involved. After a few weeks of cool weather, today was surprisingly hot really early on; by the end of the race it was in the 80s and I heard there wasn't much water on the course. So in short, this was a hard race, but Mari and Kristin finished strong!

I'm so proud of both of them, and I'm reminded that spectating can be just as rewarding as running. I definitely teared up a few times as I watched runners dig deep and finish what must have been a truly brutal half.

True story...but we still went and had brunch afterward!

Now I'm looking at two more days of a work before break, and just six days until the marathon. I feel...resigned? Like, yes, I will do this and I know I'll finish it. But oooh boy do I wish my health and my confidence were where I want them to be right now!

Any words of comfort for my likelihood of kicking this cold in time for the race?

Any positive words of advice? (This is a strictly #nonegativethoughts zone right now because I need to pump myself up!)

ABK