Thanksgiving Day Apple Cup 5k

Finding an in-person Turkey Trot was tricky this year, but not impossible. In the end, I had two choices: a brand new route or another 5k around Green Lake. While running in a new place was tempting, I liked the idea of being able to compare like-to-like to see if I'd progressed since the 5k I ran last month. (That route was a little short, so I was hoping for a faster pace but not necessarily a faster time.)

Matt decided to run it too, seeing as we're that annoying family that runs on Thanksgiving, after all.

We got to the park around 8:45am and picked up our bibs. The weather was cold and windy, but luckily the rain was holding off. We met up with Sarah and did a little warmup jog, but I was beginning to regret not wearing ear warmers and a heavier top.

When it was finally time to line up at the start, Matt went ahead of us in the corral. My goal was to keep a pace between 8:30 and 8:50 but I forgot to actually set the workout on my watch, so I had to just go by feel. And really, I was feeling pretty damn doubtful, despite having a good six weeks of work under my belt. 

The first half mile or so felt much harder than it should have. My quads felt cold and heavy even after our warmup. Then I noticed we were keeping an 8-minute pace. Oops.

My bad.

We reined it in a bit and I finally started to feel warm. I never felt good and the pace never felt easy, but that's 5ks for you.

What's there to say about a 5k? You dig in and commit to the pain, but luckily it's over in less than 30 minutes. I've run Green Lake so many times, I barely had to concentrate; I just focused on picking up my feet. The few little "hills" on the route, which usually don't even register, felt like mountains.

I started to really flag about halfway into mile two, and pulled the pace back again. The inner loop around Green Lake isn't quite three miles, so to add mileage they led us out and around the perimeter around mile 2.8, and when I say I wanted to take a walk in that last third of a mile, I really mean it. The only thing that kept me moving was wanting to keep up with Sarah, who was just ahead of me.

Considering how much I slowed down in mile 2, I was pretty pleased with how steady mile 3 turned out to be.

As we turned down the path back toward the finish line, I somehow found some energy to give myself an extra kick. (Seeing someone over my shoulder will do that for me! I refuse to be passed in the finishing chute!)

Not today, Blondie!

While my gun time puts my pace at 8:54, my chip time and Garmin very satisfyingly show 8:50, and that's what I'm going with! I barely met my goal, and given how uncertain I was the entire time, I feel pretty proud!

I came in 7th in my age group (the woman I held off in the finishing chute crossed the starting line 1 second ahead of me, so even though I edged her out at the end, she still technically beat me. Curses!), 30/100 women, and 70/197overall. Not too shabby!

Just as I'd hoped, I managed a faster pace than last month's 5k. Any improvement on a race of this distance is hard-earned.

After the race, we took some photos and waited for age group awards...until we realized the fasties at this race finished a good five or six minutes head of us. Sometimes I think "small race" means "less competition", and I've only ever placed in my AG at races with a couple hundred people or fewer, but I seem to forget that Seattle is a running town and people are fast.

Matt finished in 24:19. You'd never know the last time he ran was in August.

I don't have another race on my calendar this year, so this may be the last of 2021 for me. Considering COVID had me thinking I might never race again, I can't say I'm disappointed. It's a good way to end the year.

ABK

Zooma Holiday Challenge, Week 2

I thought I might struggle this week because of the holiday, but that wasn't the case. Not only did I meet all my goals, but I really enjoyed this week! Fitting in movement and self-care came more easily and felt more natural, maybe because having an event on the calendar kept me focused. I actually knew what day it was every day this week!

Skirt Sister Kate mailed me a hardcopy of the goal tracker. Of course I hung it on my fridge

Nov. 23: I completed the same workout as last Monday, doing lots of squats, planks, and core work. I felt less sore this time around and like how easy it is to start the week with an at-home workout.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cassey Ho (@blogilates)

Nov. 24: I set a goal to run five miles and got it done! I was especially pleased because it was rainy and cold, but I kept this commitment to myself and enjoyed this entire run.

Nov. 25: For self-care, I baked for Thanksgiving! As this was our first Thanksgiving in Seattle and away from the majority of our family, it felt really important to have a good one. I baked two pies (apple and chocolate pecan) and corn bread, whipped up some whipped cream, and made my mom's signature cranberry sauce.

Given the circumstances right now, having a tiny Thanksgiving felt appropriate. We wouldn't have seen our families even if we had still been in Florida.

Nov. 26: I ran my Zooma virtual Turkey Trot 5k before we went over to Robby and Scott's for Thanksgiving. I didn't break any records (I felt pretty sluggish, actually) but I enjoyed keeping this tradition alive. Matt joined me, and we wore our ALSO Youth Turkey Trot shirts to rep our usual yearly race.

It rained on us nearly the entire run.

Thanksgiving can be a tough holiday because so many of the dishes have hidden gluten, but Robby and Scott went out of their way to make everything they could gluten free. 

Turkey, marshmallow yams, green bean casserole, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, dinner rolls, cornbread, and cranberry sauce. The gang's all here!

We had a relaxing, fun holiday and spent the night, so we spent Friday with them, too.

Nov. 27: I doubled up on movement today, but not really on purpose! I had planned to try the boys' new Peloton on Friday morning, so I did. I did a 20 minute ride with Cory and actually enjoyed it. 

This did not hurt my butt as much as I expected, but my quads were MAD.

The last time I did a spin class was 2005. I hated it and never went back. But the Peloton wasn't so bad and I made a profile on their bike so I can go over there and use it for cross-training once in awhile.

It was a sunny day, so in the afternoon, we all decided to take a walk down to South Lake Union Park. We walked down, played some Phase 10, and walked back.

Nov. 28: Self-care today came in the form of sleeping in and recovering from a week of go-go-go. I also painted my nails.

Nov. 29: Full rest day. Admittedly, I planned to run but felt like I needed another rest day.

I baked another pie (because I had a leftover pie shell and tons of apples) and completed some work things...So in the end I felt productive even though it was another lowkey day. Sometimes self-care is about being an adult and doing the stuff you need to get done.

I didn't have enough crust for a top, so I made a crumble instead. Yum!

This week felt amazing. I loved feeling like I'd accomplished what I set out to do, ticking off boxes and keeping commitments to myself. This challenge is giving me a good reason to set little goals throughout the week, which feels great mentally. I'm ready for week three!

ABK

ALSO Youth Turkey Trot 2019

The last time I ran an A1A race, I wrote about how I had created some false memories of all the previous times I had run it. I discovered this year that I did the same for this turkey trot! Matt, Steph, and I have run the ALSO Youth Turkey Trot three times, and this year made the 4th, but those year weren't consecutive. Here I was thinking this was a Thanksgiving tradition, but actually the years we ran were 2012, 2013, and 2018.

2018

2013

2012

It's weird how memories work, isn't it?

Anyway, this was the 10th annual, so this year there were medals! Steph opted out this year because, although this race is stroller-friendly, she and Gordon are operating on very little sleep thanks to little Mr. Wyatt. I don't really blame her! They actually didn't make it into town until after our race.

BABY SPAM!

Matt and I went to packet pickup the day before at a local Fleet Feet. Some things on sale caught Matt's eye and he ending up buying his first ever pair of running shorts. He always runs in regular gym shorts. Now he's a convert; after running in his new shorts he's already looking to buy more!

The race start was at 8am. There's been construction on the road where the race begins for years now, so we left the house at 6:45ish and arrived right around 7:20. We had plenty of time to park and use the bathroom. We also checked our water bottles; the race was attempting to cut down on waste and offered a reusable cup check, which was super neat.

How could I NOT request this photo?!

This year, I told Matt we needed to line up at the front of the corral. We always get stuck behind so many children and walkers who don't know race etiquette. I think that made all the difference.

I wasn't sure what to expect performance-wise. I never seem to be at my best for this race and I never set a goal because the bridge is intense. But I saw early on that I was holding a pretty steady pace without having to think much about it.

We are not in this photo even though we started pretty close to the front!

Within the first mile, on our way up the Ringling Bridge, a woman in front of me slid on some of the grates and took a pretty intense tumble. I stopped to help her up and see if she was okay. (She ended up passing me later on so she was fine!) At that point I thought, "Well, I've been running on my bridge but it barely compares to this one, and now I've already stopped once, so this may be a slower race."

Still, I felt really good on the rest of the first ascent. I waved to Matt as I began the descent and saw him passing on his way back up. This year, they moved the start/finish so the turn around to go back up the bridge had to be moved, too. Rather than getting off the bridge and running on flat land for a bit, we turned right around at the bottom and climbed again!

I am actually in this photo but good luck finding me.

Not far from the top, I was having a lot of trouble breathing. My heart rate was out of control! I decided to take a quick walk break.

Can you blame me?! Also, interesting to see that quick stop just before the mile mark, where I helped the lady who fell.

Once I crested the top, though, it was all downhill. I wasn't sure how I'd be able to finish the last half mile or so without walking; I felt completely depleted and exhausted. I was trying to do math and figure out if I was coming in sub-30 or not and was totally failing. My brain refused to work. Somehow, though, I managed to talk myself out of a final walk and keep it in high gear through the end.

I was so psyched to see the clock! My terrible math had not given me an ounce of hope that I'd be so safely sub-30! This was a huge course PR for me.

Actually really pleased with these splits.

My pace matched my bib number! 19/77 in my AG. I'll take it!

Matt and I collected our medals and water, took some photos, and then headed back to my parents' house to officially start Thanksgiving.

Matt finished 10th of 49 in his AG, with a time of 24:21.

As usual, I enjoyed the challenge of this race and was happy to support ALSO Youth. Hopefully I'll be back again next year!

ABK

Prepping for Ragnar

At the end of summer, I put three races on my fall/winter calendar to end the year. While there were some minor changes and additions to that original schedule, the main events have stayed the same, and now my final big race of 2019 is on the horizon.

Last time I ran a Ragnar relay race was in 2014. That race was a traditional Ragnar, where our team of twelve runners split into two vans and covered the 200 miles between Miami and Key West over 24 hours.

This time, I'll be running the Florida Trail relay. Ragnar trail races are camping races, so our team of eight (World's Okayest Running Team) will set up camp at the Alafia River State Park just south of Tampa. We'll each run three legs totaling about 16 miles.

The park's trails are made for mountain bikes and built on old phosphate mines, so they are actually hilly. My legs are quaking at the thought! If you're skeptical, have a look:
Running the bridge isn't going to be much of a comparison, but I just keep reminding myself that Matt and I ran the trails on Orcas Island and I really enjoyed that, and the elevation and distance is fairly comparable.

Reading the loop descriptions has me feeling completely daunted, but I'm equally excited to take on a challenge and try something new! Our start time is 12pm and I am the third leg, so I think I'll be running my hardest loop in daylight.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alafia MTB Trails (@alafiamtb_trails) on Oct 15, 2019 at 1:38pm PDT

I really hope my legs can handle it!

We are expecting a cold front next week, too, so that's good news!

PERFECT race weather!

The logistics of Ragnar are a little overwhelming to figure out, but that's part of the challenge. I'm weirdly looking forward to packing and getting everything situated! I'm not generally a very organized person, but this kind of planning is right up my alley.

Leading up for Ragnar, I have one more race on my calendar. Matt and I will be running the ALSO Youth Turkey Trot again this year on Thanksgiving.

We love running this race because it benefits such a wonderful cause. This year is the 10th Anniversary and will be the fourth time we've run it.

I hope everyone has a restful Thanksgiving. I appreciate all the warm sentiments regarding my last post. My grandma's funeral was beautiful and so special; she was treated to some well-deserved pomp and circumstance and it was wonderful to see her honored in that way.

This year, I'm more thankful than ever for my family.

ABK

Weekly Workouts 11/21-11/27

Monday: Because of our aborted long run on Sunday, we used Monday to run our usual 4 miles on the bridge. I felt much better and the run went well. I'm not sure why I felt so sluggish on Sunday, but luckily whatever it was passed.

Tuesday: I created an upper body circuit that absolutely killed us. It looks easy enough, but my arms (specifically my triceps) were still sore four days later!

My left arm literally buckled and I face-planted during my last round of shoulder-taps.

Wednesday: We didn't have work, so we made up the missed long run. 11 miles at a 10:26 pace. This is Elizabeth's longest run to date and it went really well! I felt strong; a little ready to be done toward the end, but we didn't need to walk or slow our pace.

I don't know why the quality of this photo is so awful. Maybe my camera lens was sweaty?

We walked once at 6.2 miles (I ate a Gu) and once at 7.5 (water/bathroom). Otherwise we just kept it moving!

Thursday: Thanksgiving! I rested and ate a whole bunch of food.

Three pies, cupcakes, carrot cake...In our house, we only eat dinner so we can have dessert.

Friday: 4 miles. In my parents' neighborhood there's one decent hill so I made sure to incorporate it into my run twice, in lieu of the bridge. Elizabeth sent me her splits and they were insane. She's getting fast! I think I may be slowing her down these days!

Saturday: Stretching, planks, rolling...just an easy recovery day.

Charlie got in on my workout, too.

I was also the guest Instagrammer on Skirt Sports on Saturday, so that was really fun! If you didn't get to see my posts, you can still go on their account and catch up.

Sunday: Unplanned rest day. I was supposed to run 9 miles but visiting friends, traveling home, doing laundry, and grocery shopping had to be prioritized.

Total mileage: 19

Considering the mid-week long run and the fact that this was a holiday week, I feel pretty good about my workouts!

Did you have a good week and a good holiday?

ABK

Thanksgiving Weekend

As usual, Matt and I had a very busy Thanksgiving!

We started the festivities Thursday at Matt's dad's house, then stopped by his cousin's for dessert. We finished with dinner at my parents' house.

Meal #1 - I had a tiny helping of everything to save room for later! I like that Tammy always has ham at Thanksgiving so I don't have too much turkey.

Matt had three slices of pie at dinner #2. THREE.

Selfie break!

Thanksgiving #3, plus the homemade chocolate pecan and blueberry pies my mom made. I also splurged and had GF cookie dough ice cream at our final dinner.

Post-dinner coffee and games.

Friday we had our fourth Thanksgiving at Matt's mom's. She made roast beef, so we weren't completely overloaded with turkey.

Playing Fill or Bust and Matt's mom's.

Saturday, we met Jenn and Tommy for lunch and then went to Mote Marine. I haven't been in years, but it was the first place I ever saw manatees, so I blame it for my crippling fear of sea life. (It's actually a research aquarium, so the exhibits are not only educational to visitors; they also allow marine biologists and other scientists in Florida keep our ecosystem flourishing.)

Sea turtles, lion fish, sharks, sea dragons, and sea horses! (The males were all pregnant, and watching them try to swim with their huge bellies was kind of hilarious.)

We used the "two finger touch" to pet some baby sharks, sea cucumbers, sting rays, and more!

Saturday evening I went for a five mile run while Matt longboarded along with me. I realized that last time I ran 20 miles, it took a full week to recover. This time, I felt ready to run again Friday but didn't have time; my legs felt fresh and light Saturday, and I kept a steady pace easily.

Sunday, after a stop for lunch at Matt's mom's and a stop to see Brittany, we finally came home. Groceries bought, laundry done...I guess that means the weekend is over, but it was blissful while it lasted!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, US friends!
How was your weekend?

ABK