Race Recap: Bucktown 5K

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This is probably the first race I went into KNOWING that I could run the entire race.  I've run 3 miles plenty of times now so I had that confidence.  This meant I was pretty sure I'd be able to snag a new personal record (PR).  If you follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook you know that not only did I get a new PR I crushed my old one!  My last PR (37:24) was from the Journey's Marathon/Half/5K back in May.  My shiny new PR (32:28) is from the Bucktown 5K.  But let's back up ...

The start -
it was crowded so I circled my head,
in case you don't recognize me

I went to Deerfield on Thursday to pick up my packet and was super pleased with how packet pick-up was done.  I was in and out of the store within minutes and while I could have stayed longer to shop I had lunch plans that I was already late for.  The fact that I walked in, presented the QR code on my phone and was handed my bib and goodie bag in less than five minutes of walking in made me super happy.

When registering for races run by RAM Racing you have to specify your average pace.  Since I registered for this race back in May I used the pace I was running back then.  Today I ran much, much faster than whatever pace I registered with (likely a 12-15 minute mile) back then.  It did, however, give me an opportunity to meet one of my Team Challenge (TC) teammates.  I was wearing my TC training shirt and she came up to me and we had a nice chat before the race which was really nice because it seemed to take a long time to actually start running (20 minutes for my corral to get to the front) so warming up seemed like a waste of time.

What's that?  Thumbs up?  I actually feel good!

Once we were running things were good.  I felt like I was darting around people like crazy so I was a little worried that I'd burn out because I was trying to get around people.  I was amazed (and still a little worried) when my Garmin ticked off the first mile and I read that I finished it in 10:39!  While this pace was comfortable I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep it up and I remember thinking that I needed to slow down.  Imagine my surprise then when Garmin ticked off the second mile and I read that I finished it in 10:17!!  That mile also included the water stop which I did not walk through but I knew I slowed down because everyone else slowed down and because I knew I needed to get some water in my mouth rather than just all over my shirt, like I usually do.  I knew that I'd see Dan shortly because there was only a mile left so I tried to keep my eyes on the crowd and it wasn't long before I saw him and we tried to get a quick photo.  Turns out when running that's more difficult so ... whoops!  Pretty soon after that I saw the last mile marker and knew that I was almost done.  I did another quick check of my form, corrected my arm swing and pushed forward.  I about wanted to cry when I saw the numbers on my watch - Garmin said I finished in 32:31 which I knew was a lot faster than my last PR.

After I crossed the finish I grabbed a bottle of water (seriously they were handing out full bottles which was awesome because I was hot.  And thirsty.), a banana, apple and a granola bar.  I realized I got a text from Dan that he was already at the car because he saw the crowd at the finish and knew we wouldn't be able to find each other so I walked to the car.  After a quick "HOLY CRAP GUESS WHAT I JUST DID" phone call we went to Revolution Brewing for our post-race celebration.  We had some time to kill so we walked around for about 30 minutes and then went in to have brunch.  At this point I pulled up the official race results and was amazed that the chip time was FASTER than my watch time.  I'm not sure why but I'll take it!

Official Results

Overall this race was fun and the goodie bag included a very cool sweatshirt.  There were plenty of port-o-johns available at the start/finish and that was appreciated.  I don't really remember much of the course because I was pre-occupied with making sure I wasn't running into people.  I will very likely do this race again because it was managed fairly well.

RACE RECAP: The Color Run - Racine

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Jen & Brenda ... nice and clean

I'm not sure this technically qualifies as a race because it's not chip timed and the organizers specifically call it the happiest run.  It really is because running is totally optional.  But let's back up... the races apparently fill up very fast so if registration is open where you live - sign up fast!  A few days before the race we received an email with a LOT of information including the fact that there are a lot of participants and lines would be long.  They were right - the line was L-O-N-G.

Thankfully, the check-in was pretty painless and the line moved quickly.  We were given our bib at check-in, a bracelet to get into the beer tent later and then went to another table to get pins.  Then came my least favorite part of the race, you were supposed to pick up your T-shirt and race bag before the race.  We didn't think we'd have enough time to get back to the car before the start and they didn't have gear check so we took a chance and left without any of it.

The Blue Push Team

Our team was made up of a few of Brenda's teammates from BDC and their spouses/significant others and after leaving the registration area we met up with the rest of the team and got some "before" shots.  Photo credit goes to the Leah and Ann - thanks ladies!  After a few great group shots and some dancing in the street (they played some really great music while we were waiting to start) they sent off the first wave.  Each wave was made up of about 1000 people and after the first wave left we moved up the street a little, more dancing and soon we were off and running.

I hadn't run since Wednesday and hadn't gotten a ton of sleep the last several days so I wasn't sure how this was going to work.  I figured I'd use the fact that it wasn't a "race" to my advantage and kinda take it easy.  I ran in 10 minute intervals with 2 minutes walking in between.  Each kilometer was marked with a color zone that was about 40 yards long.  There were people on both sides of the street and in the center of the street throwing a corn starch like substance at you.  They generally aimed for the hip/back/forearm area to avoid getting too much in our faces which was nice.  I ran with my water bottle (because it was really hot) and I was glad I did so that I could at least take small sips of water because even though they didn't aim for your face it's powder and windy so it gets in your face/mouth anyway.

Going through the color zone

I was a little ways out from the 2nd color zone when I started to walk so I pulled our my camera to get a couple of shots going through the color cloud.  I kept my camera in a ziploc bag to protect it from the color so pardon the fuzziness of the photo.  Color throwers stood with 5 gallon buckets and generally used their hands to toss the substance at you.  When it hit your skin it actually felt pretty cool, which was nice.  There was also a nice breeze off the lake from time to time which helped keep me cool.

Blue Push? I don't see much blue!

I thought the one bad part about the race itself was the water stop.  All the water was on one side of the road and it was sitting on the sidewalk, rather than being handed out.  This caused quite a lot of congestion with people stopping.  Thankfully the water was cold and I grabbed it, drank it all and was back running. A few more color zones to pass through and soon I was close to the finish.  The race seemed to go much faster than I expected probably because of the distraction of the color zones.  There were a lot of spectators out on the sidewalks which was nice too.  Even a cow bell - definitely always fun!  As I was about 0.4 miles out from the finish I spotted Brenda coming towards me.  She told me the finish line was close and asked if I wanted to run it in.  That had been my plan so we picked it up and headed to the finish.  There was plenty of water (which was good because at the last color zone I'd gotten some of the powder in my throat so I wanted to wash it out) at the finish line and I think I guzzled 3 cups of it.

No purple hair - that was a bummer

Luckily, after the race was over we circled back to the registration area and they had a couple of packets left so we picked them up (which was cool because then we had our color packets to throw in the air) and our T-shirts.  I wasn't sure how we'd find the other team members because there were so many people.  The newspaper reported that there were about 7500 people - it was crazy.  But we found them and got some great after shots, danced some more and took part in one of the rainbow color clouds - where they count down from 10 and anyone with a color packets throws the color in the air to blanket everyone.  It was cool but I, again, inhaled a little too much.  Oops!

Sassy Sisters!

We danced a little more and then Ann suggested we get some ice cream.  I've never met her before but I like the way she thinks!  They had gotten to Racine a little early and spotted an ice cream shop near the starting line.  So we headed up there and I got a single scoop of Coconut Joy ice cream.  It was delicious and a great way to end the race.  All in all I'd have to say that if they are doing one of these runs in your area - sign up fast because they fill up quickly and they are a lot of fun.  Not surprisingly I want to do another one!!

RACE RECAP: JOURNEY'S MARATHON/HALF/5K

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Yes, I did get a screen shot
from the interview!

I'll be honest, I was a little nervous about this year's 5K in Eagle River.  I was also tremendously excited!  I'm not sure which emotion was stronger.  This was the race that I'd trained for and I wanted to do well.  Spoiler Alert:  I set a new PR (Personal Record).  Another spoiler alert:  I wasn't happy with it.

I should have paid better attention to my Garmin who would have obviously told me that I'd gone out at the start way too fast -  nearly an 11:00 min/mile (that's about a minute faster than I normally run) but I was oblivious just trying to pass the walkers and not run over the children on the course.  There were a lot of kids running, which I think is great, but they don't have any idea about pacing (though apparently neither do I) nor do they realize that suddenly stopping in the middle of the course might mean that someone coming up behind them has to stop as well (or not if mowing kids down is acceptable to you).

Another shot from the interview

I like the course a lot because it's mostly flat but with just enough hill to make you want to make it your bitch but not enough that it could make you it's bitch.  I knew from last year that the water stop was essentially half way and that if I ran to the water stop then I could take the water and walk a little bit and then run the other half back.  That was my plan and I stuck to it, unfortunately, that's where the wheels came off the bus a little bit for me.  After the turn around I had no plan, other than to run.  This is the moment where I finally looked at my watch and realized that I'd been running for 27:00 and I was still .65 miles from the finish.  While this may not sound like a lot (and as I type this I could kick myself for not just running it) my longest run had only been 30:00 and I really started to doubt myself.

After the race, after the interview, after the coffee!

So, I walked.  I walked for a total of 5:00 during the 37:24 that it took me to finish the race (about 30-45 seconds were at the water stop) but I finished the race by running the last 0.4 miles including crossing the finish line because let's face it, that would have been lame to cross the finish line walking.  Especially since there was a reporter from Newsline9 there to interview me.  The walking part is the reason I was disappointed with the race because I had intended to run the entire way.  I know that with more training and time that I will run a whole race and clearly that'll be all kinds of awesome.

Regardless of a new PR, or walking or the fact that the guy who won the marathon then asked to be interviewed (sorry dude, I realize you just ran 26.2 miles and you SHOULD get all the camera time in the world) but the best part was that I got to spend the day with my amazing sister on a gorgeous sunny day in one of my favorite places in the world.  It was most definitely a good day!

Thoughts pre-race

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I'm writing this post on Friday so you can read it first thing in the morning on Saturday.  I'm thoughtful that way!  :)  Today is the day that I've spent the last 8 weeks training for.  Today is the day that I'll see if I have what it takes to run 3.1 miles.  Today is race day.

Let's rewind to a couple of years ago when I started Weight Watchers, particularly when I switched to the 4:30 pm meeting and met Kim.  Kim is an avid racer - 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, marathons (right Kim?) even the Tower Climb and Hustle Up the Hancock don't even give Kim a moment of pause.  I honestly thought she was nuts - I thought I would/could never do something like that!  Fast forward a year to 2011 when I started walking in 5Ks and I still thought that I would/could never run a race.  Even the high from completing a race wasn't enough to make me think that I could run.  Then fast forward again to the end of 2011 and I realized that I was pretty much at the limit of how fast I could walk.  But I still wanted to do more races and get faster what would I do?

At that point my husband suggested I look into the Couch 2 5K program.  Still thinking he was crazy I checked it out and the more I thought about it the more I thought, "Hey, I think I can do this - I mean I can run for 30 seconds" and so it began!  I started training and then found an app to have on my phone called Learn 2 Run.  It's very similar but it only takes 8 weeks (instead of the C25K program that takes 9 weeks) to be ready for a race.  Plus, I liked that I had an app that would count down the time I had to run.  I mean I don't need to be running and then remember (or calculate) when I should stop running.  The app did all that for me!  Additionally it has more training programs to use - like 5K - 10K (which yes, I am going to start next week) so I was kind of in love with it.  The app also tracks the amount of time running, walking and total.  For those that know me you know that I love numbers/data so this is totally in my wheelhouse.

As I started running more I realized I wasn't crazy about my headphones - I always seemed to end up ripping them out of my ear and then I'd practically trip over them.  Yes, I'm graceful that way!  So I started programming my Garmin Forerunner to tell me when to run and for how long and I love that even more.  I get to completely unplug for an hour when I go running.  So I guess the lessons learned here is that I never thought I'd be running and I certainly didn't think I'd do it without listening to music but I do enjoy it and I definitely like the results when it's Tuesday at 4:30 (weigh-in time).

So, I'll go out today and run 3.1 miles in the peaceful and serene Eagle River, Wisconsin.  The best part is that I'll likely be smiling from ear to ear the entire time.  This is something that I honestly never thought I'd do or enjoy but I will tomorrow and I love the fact that I'm doing something that I doubted about myself before.

Do you ever have those moments where you've overcome something you never thought possible?  How did you feel?  Where did you find the motivation to do it?

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If you haven't voted yet today (you can vote up to 10 times per day through May 13) please do - I will be eternally grateful!  http://finalists.sharecare.com/finalist/jen+mcelroy

RACE RECAP: Oshkosh 5K

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Having lived in the Wisconsin Fox Cities area for a couple of years I thoroughly enjoy any reason to go back.  This time we ventured north to Oshkosh for the Oshkosh 5K.  My sister and brother-in-law, Brenda and Alex, and friend Kristi, were running the half marathon.  Thankfully, Dan was along for the ride to take photos and to drive home today (thank goodness)!  I have to start by listing out the number of strange things we saw once we entered Wisconsin.

1. KFC has a buffet
2. NAPA sells brats in the parking lot
3. Red, white & blue striped toilet in a field where Recall Walker Petitions can be deposited
4. A man driving a riding lawn mower down the sidewalk (as in mowing the sidewalk)
5. Girl wearing pajamas riding a BMX with a dog (as in walking/biking the dog)
6. Dog wearing a backpack
7. A man driving a Prius dressed in formal wear while wearing gardening gloves
8. A woman walking a horse (with a full saddle) down the street
9. A man driving a camouflaged Surburban with red/black hair & full face paint
10. A guy riding a low-rider Schwinn with speakers on the front axle outside where we ate dinner
11. A guy with full tattoo sleeves wearing Vibram's and a Breathe Right strip
12. A cat jumped out of a car at the restaurant we had breakfast at 
13. A Buick Rendezvous with a WI license Plate "Bun B" - this might only be funny to my family though

Aside from the strange things ... we were there for a purpose and that started with a stop at the Outlet Mall to look for a few things.  We hit up the Eddie Bauer outlet where I got a new pair of teeny tiny (to me) jeans.  I'm pretty excited about the new pants because I realized that the ones I have are nearly to the falling off point.  I also wanted to go to the Under Armour store to look for a wind breaker type jacket.  I have a rain coat and a sweatshirt but I they are too warm to wear while running so I wanted to find something a little lighter.  I found a jacket in the men's department that I liked (it was red) and it fit (in a size medium - seriously?  awesome) but I kept looking, you know just in case.  I found a jacket in the women's department (size large) in a coral/melon kind of color that I selected.

Fast forward through a fabulous dinner with some family and friends at Gardina's Wine Bar and some restless sleep and it was time to get up for the race.  I'd luckily laid out all my clothes, bib, shoes last night in preparation for the race so all I had to do was get my pile and start putting clothes on.  We met at Brenda and Alex's house for a quick pre-race breakfast (read:  toasted slimwich and water) and then we were off to the race start.  The half and the 5K were leaving from the same start line so it was a little crowded.  My one complaint about the race is that there were no time corrals where people should line up so the start was a little chaotic with runners trying to pass the walkers.  

Coming into the finish area!
Seeing my husband (who wasn't familiar
with the course so he stayed near the finish
was awesome and a welcome site!

My plan was pretty simple.  After going out too fast during the first mile of the Egg Shell Shuffle I was going to walk the first 5 minutes.  That would also let the crowds disperse so I didn't feel like I was fighting for space.  However, as we were moving I decided to cut that 5 minutes to 3.5 minutes and then run.  The rest of my plan was to run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes and repeat those two things until I crossed the finish line.  I sort of knew where the course was going so I sort of knew what to expect.  The weather was beautiful, albeit a little chilly when the wind picked up, but I was happy to be outside on such a great day.  I finished the first mile in 12:08 which I knew was faster than my training runs but I still felt good.  I hit the water station around the half way mark and walked a little there so I could try to get water in my mouth.  It was sort of successful but not entirely.  I finished mile 2 in 12:19 and I was still feeling really good.  Mile 3 had a slower walking session but the pace stayed consistent at 12:17.  When I realized I was closing in on the finish some energy came from somewhere and I remember thinking to myself, my god my legs are moving so fast!  Why/How are they moving so fast but I saw the finish and I didn't care!  I threw up my arms and heard the announcer say my name - apparently they've done this before but I had headphones in and wasn't listening so I thought this was awesome! 

How can you finish a race without jazz hands?

After I finished I saw Dan and my friend Matt (Matt's wife, Shawn, was running the 5K too) and then we found Shawn (who crossed the finish line a minute after I did) and chatted a bit.  Then I grabbed some food, chocolate milk and a beer (which I gave to Dan cause I was too cold/dehydrated).  While trying to decide where we should go to see Brenda, Alex & Kristi finish the half I checked out the results board to find my new PR 38:01!  I'd set a goal of 38:00 so I was a little disappointed but it's still awesome to see the numbers changing so much.

We decided to walk backwards on the course to find the half marathoners.  On the way we found a BP so I got a cup of coffee to not only warm my hands but also to warm my insides.  It was delicious and I splurged on two French Vanilla creamers!!  It wasn't long after we left BP that Alex was racing by us and then a little bit later Kristi was blazing by.  We hustled back to the finish (because we were carrying Kristi's jacket) to meet up with them.  A little while later Brenda crossed the finish line and then we were off to breakfast (WHOO HOO!!)  I was cold and hungry.  All in all I walked/ran about 5 miles today so I was ready for some good, hot food.  Unfortunately, our overnight adventure had to come to an end and then we were back on the road.

Kristi, Alex, Brenda, me

Sister + Text = Fun Times

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Today I got a text from my sister (Hi Brenda!) asking me if I had plans on May 19?  Hmmm... No?  What's up?  She told me they were looking for a 4th person to join their team in The Color Run in Racine.  Wha??? Is this the race where you get some sort of funky colors sprayed at you while you run a 5K?  Oh, yes it is.  I thought for a minute (about the time it took me to get Dan on the phone to confirm we didn't have plans that weekend) and then said YES!  The only rules to the race are that the runner must wear a plain white t-shirt and to have fun.  That's my kind of race!!

Now... to think of a name for our team.  Do you guys have suggestions?

On another note... While at my meeting today a new(er) member asked about my weight loss.  I shared that I've lost 172.6 pounds and she asked if I had a before picture.  I didn't have a *real* before picture but I had one from about a year ago when Diane made goal.  In the picture (which isn't electronic or I'd share it with you) that I showed her I was wearing a long sleeve red t-shirt and she looked from me (when I was wearing a long sleeved purple t-shirt) and she exclaimed, "Oh my god you went from a red apple to purple asparagus!"  Having never been compared to a fruit or vegetable before I busted out laughing.  I don't really have anything else to say about that but I thought it was hilarious (and really something I would say) so I wanted to share it with you.

Also, some folks from the meeting asked for my blog address so I hope they found it.  Hi Peoples!!  Post a comment below to say hello.  Go, now.  :)

RACE RECAP: EGG SHELL SHUFFLE 5k

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Some things will probably never change, like the somewhat restless sleep the night before a race or the second guessing my wardrobe for race day.  I was struggling with the decision of whether to wear long sleeves or not when Dan told me that the temperature had already risen 4 degrees in the last hour.  I also realized that it was later than I thought so I needed to book it to Woodman's to meet Kim and Jen.

On your mark....

Meeting up with friends to carpool to the race was definitely calming because we were able to talk about lots of  things which kept my mind off the race.  We got there really early and spent a lot of time walking around visiting the sponsor booths and watching the half marathoners start their race.  Soon it was time for us to begin but I hadn't seen Dan yet.  A last minute change of plans for him meant he was going to be able to come watch us race and that really meant the world to me.  Shortly before we were ready to begin Dan walked up and gave me the needed boost of energy and excitement that I needed.

Jen M, Jen B, Kim - let's get this race started!

Finally, we'd been waiting about an hour before our start time, we were lined up to start the race and we were off.  Jen and I had planned to run intervals for the race.  Our plan was to run 3 minutes then walk 2 minutes and repeat for the duration of the 3.1 miles.  After the first 3 minute interval we both felt awesome so we decided to change our strategy and run 4 minutes, walk 2 minutes.  At the end of mile 1 my Forerunner alerted us that we logged a 12:14 mile.  I told Jen and I know we were both surprised.  It hadn't really dawned on me that we started out too fast and we needed to slow our pace if we were going to be able to keep running for the whole race.  We pushed on and logged mile 2 at 13:04 and mile 3 at 13:58.

Jen B is "encouraging me" to keep going.  I {heart} her!
Plus don't you love our matching running tights/skirts?!

One thing I didn't like about this race is that it consisted of two out and backs.  If you're not familiar this is basically where you run one direction, get to a certain point, turn around and run the exact same path but in the opposite direction.  I'm not crazy about that because there is nothing new to look at so I'm much more likely to get into my head rather than enjoy the run.  Plus I felt like I knew how far it was and at least at one point it felt like we were 10 miles away from the start rather than 1 mile away.  I know they changed the first two miles of the race course because they had so many people sign up to do the 5K so this might be the reason.  The other problem was that the first mile and a half (or so) was mostly downhill so the back part of the first out and back was mostly uphill and even though the hills weren't really bad it's enough to psyche you out.  I guess I need to work on that part so I'm better prepared for hills next time.

Hanging with the Easter Bunny after the race

The best part of the race was running with Jen.  While I think it is a little difficult (mostly because I'm not used to it) to run with someone else it was really the kick in the *ss I needed when we were about a quarter mile out from the finish.  I had told Jen that one goal I had for the race was to cross the finish line running and she reminded me of that yesterday.  So, we crossed the finish line pushing it hard and I logged a new PR (for the 2nd time this week) of 40:20!  I was completely thrilled, you know once I had caught my breath and all!

Race Recap: The Jelly Bean 5K

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You're going to get more posts than normal this week because I have a busy race schedule.  It started on Sunday with the Fight Forever Virtual 5K, last night I posted about finding your anchor, and today I completed the 5K for The Jelly Bean race (no jelly beans were harmed or consumed during this race!)

This was another virtual race I found out about via some Chicago area bloggers.  The organizer actually held a physical race near Peoria last weekend but I couldn't make it there.  There are a bunch of events you could participate in but I was focused on the 5K.  I had another Learn 2 Run training run scheduled for today anyway so I used that as my pacing strategy.  I was wearing long sleeves because the weather man said it was cool outside this morning.  I sort of regretted that decision around mile 3 but I was definitely glad I started out with warmer clothes on.

not bad...

My training run looked had me doing this:
Warm Up:  5:00
Run:  3:15
Walk:  2:00
Run:  4:30
Walk:  2:00
Run:  4:30
Walk:  2:00
Run:  4:30
Walk:  2:00
Run:  3:15
Cool Down:  5:00

My splits looked like this:


At the end of that run I was still over a mile from home which was good because I hadn't gone the full 3.1 miles yet.  Luckily, my Garmin Forerunner calculated that it took me another 4 minutes to travel the last .24 miles (at this point I was in cool down mode so I was moving slow(er).

All in all I felt pretty good, I had a little pain in my knee but it's been tight lately so I've been trying to stretch it out more and will continue to do so over the next several days because Saturday is another race.  This one will be the first "actual" (read:  not virtual) of the year and I'm super excited.  Two of my friends from WW are doing this race as well so it should be a blast.  Stay tuned....

I may need a new grocery store

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Every week after my meeting there are two stores that I visit.  The first one is for mostly produce and to check out the fresh seafood counter.  The second is for other more mundane groceries.  At the second store I've seen the same woman for the past month or so (she works there, obviously) and we exchange the usual niceties.  Tonight when I walked into the store I say her, nodded hello and rushed on to finish my shopping.  When I was finished I hit the self check out lanes (cause there are never any lines) and she began to bag my items and we had this little exchange.

her:  So how's the diet going?
me:  (puzzled cause I thought we were still in the hi, how are you kind of conversation) uh... good.
her:  well you always buy healthy food and you have these Weight Watchers ice cream bars so I figured you were on a diet.
me:  oh, good pick up, yes I am on a diet.  I've lost 160 pounds (feeling pretty proud of myself even though I gained this week)
her:  wow, well I don't want this to come out wrong but you must have been a big lady.
me: ............. uh... yeah I was.

But it gets worse... after I leave the store I call Mom to tell her my little story.  She answers the phone and I ask if they are having dinner.  She says yes but she wants to hear how the meeting went.  So I tell her and then replay the above story and then this:

me:  so really?  How does something like this even happen?  Oh F*** me.
Mom:  (laughing)
me:  Ok well I'll let you go have dinner.
Mom:  Oh, but you should say hello to everyone
me:  Really?  You can give a girl a little notice that she's on speaker phone.  Hello everyone.  Sorry about the F bomb in there.

The conversation continues for a bit but mostly I just want to end it (not "all of it" just the most recent completely embarrassing conversation EVER!)

So does this happen to everyone?  What's been a recent embarrassing situation.

Oh and on the weight loss front ... I've finished week one of the 5K training plan.  I'm feeling pretty good about it even though I don't really follow the training plan to the letter.  The plan says that you're supposed to do the prescribed workout which is about 30 minutes.  On the days when I'm "training" I also spend 20-30 minutes on the recumbent bike.  On the days when I'm not "training" I've been doing my usual 4 mile loop with the dog.

I put training in quotes cause it seems so strange to think of what I do as training.  Does anyone else feel like that?

Race for the Light Recap

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I can't believe this is my recap from my last race of 2011 - that's crazy!  We drove to Oshkosh on Saturday and despite the rain it was a nice drive.  Once we got to town we hit the Under Armour outlet store and I got to pick out my birthday present from Dan.. a shiny new water resistant jacket!  It's a pretty orange color, it's warm and blocks the wind and I love wearing it.  Then we met Brenda and Alex (my sis and bro-in-law) and headed over to the Boys and Girls Club/start/finish line of the race.  When it was time to line up it was a little crazy - I thought there were supposed to be separate areas for the runners and walkers but there were no signs so Dan and I just lined up towards the back of the crowd.  Then we were off ...

Before the race

The course wound through some neighborhoods and a park in Oshkosh and was really quite beautiful with all the holiday lights and decorations.  There were even people standing on the sidewalks with jingle bells cheering everyone on.  How cool is that?!  I found the night race a little harder to navigate than I had anticipated because I was really afraid of falling. Brenda and Lucinda (Brenda's friend) came back and met us about a mile from the finish and they were apparently talking to me and I didn't hear them at all, though I was also wearing headphones.  We were probably about a tenth of a mile from the finish and I looked at my watch and thought, "Oh crap I'm not going to PR and I'm not even going to make sub 50:00.... oh hell no" and I looked back at Dan (he was having some shoe/foot issues) and then I took off running for the finish line.  Yes, I ran.  I desperately wanted to finish in less than 50:00 even if I didn't PR.  It felt amazing to cross the finish line and I finally have a picture of me crossing the finish line where I'm not looking down was nice too.  :)

Ok, maybe 2012 will be a better year for photos!?

So it wasn't a PR but it was a fabulous race because...
1)  I got to do the race with Dan (it was his first race so he got an automatic PR - way to go!!)...
2)  It was during Christmas so it was awesome to see all the lights and decorations...
and most importantly
3)  Because we raised $1000 for Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services, Inc (CADASI).  THANK YOU for supporting me through this journey and for supporting CADASI too.

There is one other little bit of information I wanted to share.  On our bibs for the race we'd gotten a coupon for RoadID and given the close calls with cars that Tucker and I have had while out on our morning walks I finally broke down and ordered one.  I got the kind that you put on your shoe.  Anyway, they sent me a coupon so if you want to order one for yourself, use the following coupon ThanksJen9720463 to save $1 - the coupon is valid for 30 days at www.roadid.com

How was your week?

Another 5K, a new PR and my holiday menu

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Last Sunday I did a 5K walk with my bestie Sheri and her daughter Brianna.  My friend Kim from my WW meeting ran the 5K too.  It was to support the Helping Paws Animal Welfare Association in Woodstock, IL.  Brianna volunteers there, I love a good 5K and who doesn't love helping the animals?!

The weather was odd that day, it was super windy at the starting point but as I got going into the course the wind was blocked or it died down and I was wearing my new Under Armour jacket that has a pretty warm inside.  I started to get hot and could tell I was sweating a lot, so much so that my sleeve was practically dripping, but I kept pushing through.  My reward was a new PR of 48:48!!  That's nearly 10 minutes off my time since the first 5K I did back in May.

Tuesday I had to be in the city for a work event so I missed my regular meeting but I made it to a meeting tonight.  My leader handed out paper plates and we were to write down all the things that we were going to eat for Thanksgiving.  Then she asked us what we'd wrote and she went through the common PointsPlus values for the foods.  It's always interesting to see the appropriate serving size and hear the PointsPlus values for each item.

Luckily, I'd put a lot of thought into this a few weeks ago because we are going to be at my parents house for the holiday.  Mom is making the turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, stuffing/dressing, and pumpkin pie.  I am making roasted beets, coconut topped sweet potatoes, caramel apple salad, stuffing with sage and chives and a batch of pumpkin muffins. When I tallied up my items, including turkey, my plate ended up being 15 PointsPlus.  That's not too bad considering the rest of the day will hopefully be pretty light.  I'm also going to try to get in a LOT of activity points next week so that even if I indulge a little bit that I won't punished for it on the scale.

Have you made holiday plans?  Do you make special arrangements so that you can stay on plan or do you just hope that you'll be able to eat healthy?

Upcoming Races

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Yesterday when I talked about my GLORIOUS NUMBERS I mentioned that I was doing a few races in the next couple of months.  Here's my schedule so far:

October 23 - Chicago, IL - Title 9K

November 13 - Crystal Lake, IL - Panting for Paws

December 13 - Oshkosh, IL - Race for the Light

That's what I know so far... show some love in the comments section if you're doing any one (or all) of these events.  :)

It's a New Day!

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Sunday was the Weight Watchers sponsored 5K Walk-It Challenge.  My bestie, Sheri, asked her friends to join us and even offered goodie bags as incentive.  I met Sheri at her house and we drove to McHenry where we met up with Marianne, Anita and Karen (our walking posse).  We got registered and dropped off our Weight Watchers sponsored goodie bags in the car before heading over to the starting line.  We snapped some photos and then they fired the starting gun and we were off.

The route we took was a little crappy.  We walked on the streets of McHenry which were currently under construction.  The route had loose gravel and was terribly uneven, which caused some muscle aches later.  Anyway, we were rewarded with a beautifully sunny day and a nice breeze exactly at the moments we needed it.

The last quarter mile were spent on the high school track and I found it terribly ironic and a little encouraging that as I rounded the last turn to the finish line my iPOD started playing Jennifer Hudson's song "It's a New Day" that she wrote for the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program.  Seriously?  How appropriate is that?

We followed up the 5K with massages and a BBQ at my bestie Sheri's house.  The food was amazing (thanks Sean) and plentiful!  The massage, including the hot stones, felt amazing after having walked so much in the last week.  All in all the day was amazing and I'm so happy that I did it and that I improved my time by 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  How awesome is that?!

Now, where's the next 5K?

UPDATE:  5/25/2011 8:45 pm.  I got a tweet from Weight Watchers last night because I'd tweeted about the Walk-It Challenge and how I was excited about it.  Apparently the folks at WW were excited that people were excited to take part in the challenge and they selected some of those tweeters to win prizes.  The tweet I received told me to contact the social media director (ok and seriously how cool of a job do you think that has to be?  <insert jealousy here>) so I did and I got a response that I won the following:


a signed copy of Jennifer Hudson's "I Remember Me" CD
a code to redeem a free pair of Skechers Shape-ups on www.skechers.com
a Skechers T-shirt (available in M/F sizes S-2XL)
a Skechers water bottle
a Skechers bag

Seriously?  Awesome.  Plus I still think it's funny that Jennifer Hudson's song came on while I was finishing the 5K!

5K = 3.1 miles (can you walk it?)

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As you know I'd been preparing to walk my first 5K and as I told you in a previous post my sister, Brenda, asked me if I wanted to walk a 5K and before I had a chance to think about it I said yes and then quickly registered because let's face it if I've paid money it is way harder to back out on something!  So, Friday night Dan and I headed up to Wisconsin and met Brenda, Mom and Dad.

Brenda and I before the race

Saturday morning came and I was about as excited as when I woke up on Christmas morning as a kid.  This was it!!  I was pumped as I got dressed and made a bowl of oatmeal.  Then, I realized it was raining and I was a little less pumped.  I'd never walked before in the rain.  Ugh, this was going to be awful because not only was it raining but it was WINDY and a little colder than I'd prefer.

Regardless, the five of us piled in the car and drove to Eagle River for the race.  We picked up our race packets and goody bag and then headed back to the car to wait for the start.  We made a quick trip to Walgreen's so Brenda could put on long pants and we could use the bathroom.  On our way out we found some 2/$2 rain ponchos (who can pass up a good deal on such a necessity?!) and then we were ready.

Here we go!!

While waiting for the race to start I met up with my friend Shawn (who was also running the 5K and had a PR, by the way) and her husband Matt and the kids and had a few minutes to chat about how the rain was really just going to encourage our pace!!  Soon, it was time to leave the warmth of the car and go wait at the starting line.  And then, they fired the starting gun.  According to the video Mom shot this was very shocking because she jumped at the sound!!

Originally, the plan was going to be Brenda and I walking together.  As I started training though I started to think that I'd really rather walk alone so I could set the pace I wanted and I told Brenda this.  She said she would probably run the race and then rather than just stopping and waiting she would come and meet me and then walk the rest of the way back with me.  So, when the race started Brenda and Shawn hit the course like the champion race runners they are and I kept toward the back of the pack to avoid being in the way.  But we were off...

I got to the halfway point, grabbed my cup of water and kept pushing forward.  I was less than a mile from the finish when I saw some traffic coming toward us (I was following two other walkers) when I realized there was also a person running towards us.  True to her word, there was my sister coming to meet me and walk the rest of the way back with me.  I don't know why but immediately and every time I think of the sight of her with her red winter hat, blue long sleeve shirt and yellow poncho coming towards me my eyes tear up.  It was great fun to have that time with her and celebrate the accomplishment, just the two of us.

Nearing the finish line and still rocking out!

Anyway, as we neared the finish, she left the course (so she wouldn't cross the finish line again) and let me continue forward.  As I got nearer I could hear my Mom yelling for me and saw Dan taking pictures.  A few steps later I saw Shawn and Matt cheering me on too and then I saw Dad and Brenda there screaming for me.  Seriously, how lucky am I to have these people come and cheer me on?

I finished last place in my age group but I don't care.  I finished my first ever 5K in 57 minutes and 41 seconds.  This was almost 2 minutes faster than any of the times I'd walked it at home (though I blame the dogs and their need to poop and smell stuff for that!)

Oh, and for those who said (or bet) that this would only be the beginning to doing more races, well, you were right.  I'm already looking at signing up for another one, which would make it my third 5K this year!  My 2nd one is coming up on Sunday in McHenry.  I can't wait.