So I think I am going to join the Lake Run Club marathon training group...but I wish I had someone to join it with me (there's no way I am gonna get Jeremy up early on weekends for long training runs of, say, 10+ miles! ;)). The first informational meeting is tomorrow night, but I am unfortunately unable to attend due to a prior commitment (volunteering to help teach an SLP class over at ISU for the evening). So, I am going to e-mail one of the contacts listed on the Lake Run Club's website and see if I can just sign up and then join in on some of the weekend runs. We'll see.
In other news, I haven't taken a day off yet post the 15k on Sat...I did take it relatively easy the past 2 days. I just did 65 minutes on an elliptical followed by 10 minutes on a stationary bike at the gym yesterday, and then 36 minutes on the treadmill today at the gym...I figured I needed to do at least SOMETHING, however small...since I am teaching that class tomorrow night and most likely won't make it to the gym. So, there you have it. Wednesday I'll pick up (hopefully) with an outdoor run. I really need to start getting up earlier (egads!) and getting in my runs before work when it's cooler. I am SO not a morning person, though. We'll see.
Have a wonderful day, everyone, and happy running :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
State Farm 5k results
Oops, I almost forgot to record the results from last Saturday's State Farm 5k! Jeremy and I ran together and I am pleased to report that I creamed him ;)...by 46 whopping seconds!!!! I actually got 67th! I was in the top 100 :). I also got second in my division...F 25-29, with a time of 25:26.6. My pace for this race was 8:12/mi. Jeremy got 79th with a time of 26:12.9 and a pace of 8:27/mi. He got 8th in his division. Not too shabby! ;). Out of 253 runners, we did decently :). It was a really fun race, too :). Plus, it was only $10 ;). AND I did better my 5k time from the previous 5k I did (Race to Wrigley on April 25) by two minutes and 6 seconds! So, in other words, kind of a LOT! :)
WOW, so I've successfully completed 5 races so far this summer! 2 more are coming up in July (the Park to Park 5 mile race here in Bloomington on July 4th and the Bix on July 25th! :) )
WOW, so I've successfully completed 5 races so far this summer! 2 more are coming up in July (the Park to Park 5 mile race here in Bloomington on July 4th and the Bix on July 25th! :) )
The Steamboat Classic
So yesterday I ran in the Steamboat Classic in Peoria. There are 2 races: the 4 mile and the 15k. I chose to run in the 15k. The night before I got pretty nervous....I even had trouble sleeping! I was driving to Peoria by myself in the morning; my attempts to get a few friends to come with to run in the 4 mile event (since I knew none of them would want to run in the 15k!) was fruitless, unfortunately. And, Jeremy was scheduled to work so he was unable to go along. So, I was worried that I would wake up late, would be late to the race, would have a hard time finding where to go, have difficulty finding a parking place, etc., etc. Well, I successfully woke up at 5am, was in my car by 5:20am, stopped in Morton at a gas station for a potty break ( ;) ), and arrived at a parking garage off of Hamilton Avenue in Peoria around 6:20 am. The race started at 7am, so I was golden!
The next dillemna I faced was deciding whether or not to use Jeremy's iPod that I had borrowed for the day (I don't have my own iPod...I know, get with the times, right?! Even my father owns an iPod! ;)). The information I had gotten the day before when I piked up my race packet clearly stated that no portable music devices with headphones were allowed. Well, the thought of running 9.3 miles without the distraction that music could bring me just wasn't very appealing. Call me a wimp....whatever ;). I don't do my long training runs with an iPod, I only use the iPod during races. However, I reallyreally like doing so (I ran the half marathon with Jeremy's iPod in April, and also the Lake Run..a 12k at Lake Bloomington)...so I sat in my car for a while and scoped people out to see if people were wearing iPods and the like. Since I only saw ONE woman wearing one, I decided to leave Jeremy's in my trunk :(. I then ventured out to find the starting line. As I was walking, though, I noticed that there were indeed many people wearing iPods! So, I decided to go back to my car and get Jeremy's....rules or no rules, I decided that my comfort was more important ;). I will say, though, I listened at a low volume and often ran with only one ear bud in an ear so that I was still aware of what was going on around me and all that jazz.
The race was a lot of fun, really! The route was great and I will definitely try to do it again next year. It was HARD, though, too! There were some crazy hills...both up and down...that were strenuous (I saw a lot of people walking at these points!). I am so glad I did it, though!
I got 443 out of 726 overall, 19th out of 39 in my division (Female 25-29) and a time of 1:23:57. My 10 k time was 58:23 and my last 5k was run in 26:40. This all breaks down to an average pace of 9:08/mile....not too wonderful...but also not terrible! I was below the average time of 1:21:25. All in all, though, I am satisfied with my performace. Next year will be even better! :) And, I can't honestly imagine having done much better; I think I did the best I can do. I was unbelievably dead last night and am SO sore today! Honestly, I feel even worse than I did after the half marathon I ran in April! I am sure that it has to do with the fact that it was COLD in April and pretty hot yesterday. I am definitely not so used to running outside in the heat. I need to get better at that!
I will take this time to re-iterate my ongoing BEEF with post-race "parties". It totally stinks to NOT be able to eat anything (or much, anyway!) that is available due to my silly gluten intolerance. Seriously, there are bagels and cookies, etc. GALORE (and beer of course ;)) after races....sometimes even PIZZA (like at the half marathon in Champaign last April)....talk about tempting! I made due with a bottle of water and an apple yesterday. It stinks, though. Maybe someday huge GF muffins or something will be available after road races! That would be INCREDIBLE!
Off to have a productive Sunday. I think I'll let myself take the day off of training ;). My body probably needs some rest! :)
112 days and counting...Chicago, here I come!!!
The next dillemna I faced was deciding whether or not to use Jeremy's iPod that I had borrowed for the day (I don't have my own iPod...I know, get with the times, right?! Even my father owns an iPod! ;)). The information I had gotten the day before when I piked up my race packet clearly stated that no portable music devices with headphones were allowed. Well, the thought of running 9.3 miles without the distraction that music could bring me just wasn't very appealing. Call me a wimp....whatever ;). I don't do my long training runs with an iPod, I only use the iPod during races. However, I reallyreally like doing so (I ran the half marathon with Jeremy's iPod in April, and also the Lake Run..a 12k at Lake Bloomington)...so I sat in my car for a while and scoped people out to see if people were wearing iPods and the like. Since I only saw ONE woman wearing one, I decided to leave Jeremy's in my trunk :(. I then ventured out to find the starting line. As I was walking, though, I noticed that there were indeed many people wearing iPods! So, I decided to go back to my car and get Jeremy's....rules or no rules, I decided that my comfort was more important ;). I will say, though, I listened at a low volume and often ran with only one ear bud in an ear so that I was still aware of what was going on around me and all that jazz.
The race was a lot of fun, really! The route was great and I will definitely try to do it again next year. It was HARD, though, too! There were some crazy hills...both up and down...that were strenuous (I saw a lot of people walking at these points!). I am so glad I did it, though!
I got 443 out of 726 overall, 19th out of 39 in my division (Female 25-29) and a time of 1:23:57. My 10 k time was 58:23 and my last 5k was run in 26:40. This all breaks down to an average pace of 9:08/mile....not too wonderful...but also not terrible! I was below the average time of 1:21:25. All in all, though, I am satisfied with my performace. Next year will be even better! :) And, I can't honestly imagine having done much better; I think I did the best I can do. I was unbelievably dead last night and am SO sore today! Honestly, I feel even worse than I did after the half marathon I ran in April! I am sure that it has to do with the fact that it was COLD in April and pretty hot yesterday. I am definitely not so used to running outside in the heat. I need to get better at that!
I will take this time to re-iterate my ongoing BEEF with post-race "parties". It totally stinks to NOT be able to eat anything (or much, anyway!) that is available due to my silly gluten intolerance. Seriously, there are bagels and cookies, etc. GALORE (and beer of course ;)) after races....sometimes even PIZZA (like at the half marathon in Champaign last April)....talk about tempting! I made due with a bottle of water and an apple yesterday. It stinks, though. Maybe someday huge GF muffins or something will be available after road races! That would be INCREDIBLE!
Off to have a productive Sunday. I think I'll let myself take the day off of training ;). My body probably needs some rest! :)
112 days and counting...Chicago, here I come!!!
Friday, June 12, 2009
120 days!
...and counting til my big Marathon Numero Uno! :) I can't wait!
My good friend Jillian came down to Bloomington this morning (she lives in Peoria) so we could get in some training together. She is training for the Chicago Triathlon (in late August). Today we biked 8 miles and then ran 2 miles. It might sound somewhat wimpy ;), but having never ever in my entire life ran directly following a bike ride...WOW! My legs felt kinda goofy! It was a lot of fun, though. I really wish Jillian lived closer...for more reasons than one! She is so much fun and it would be great to have a training partner at easier access! ;)
Jeremy and I are running a 5k tomorrow morning at State Farm Park here in town. My goal is simply to beat my time at the Race to Wrigley 5k from April 25...27 minutes and 32 seconds. Not anything to be too excited about ;), but not too terrible either. I am excited; I always get excited before races! This will be my 4th race of the year. Woo hoo! :)
I also registered for the Steamboat Classic 15k race, which is next Saturday in Peoria. I am really looking forward to that race! I think it will be a great time. It will be my first time running in that event, but I guess it's one of the bigger running events in the area.
I want to get a bit more consistent with my blogging on this blog so that I can keep better track of my training/event times, etc....but we'll see if that actually happens ;). Somehow life just always seems to be busy and gets away from me rather quickly....and I don't even have a kid yet to chase around! It's just me and Jer and I STILL feel busy!
Off to see a movie with my doting husband ;).
Have a wonderful day!
My good friend Jillian came down to Bloomington this morning (she lives in Peoria) so we could get in some training together. She is training for the Chicago Triathlon (in late August). Today we biked 8 miles and then ran 2 miles. It might sound somewhat wimpy ;), but having never ever in my entire life ran directly following a bike ride...WOW! My legs felt kinda goofy! It was a lot of fun, though. I really wish Jillian lived closer...for more reasons than one! She is so much fun and it would be great to have a training partner at easier access! ;)
Jeremy and I are running a 5k tomorrow morning at State Farm Park here in town. My goal is simply to beat my time at the Race to Wrigley 5k from April 25...27 minutes and 32 seconds. Not anything to be too excited about ;), but not too terrible either. I am excited; I always get excited before races! This will be my 4th race of the year. Woo hoo! :)
I also registered for the Steamboat Classic 15k race, which is next Saturday in Peoria. I am really looking forward to that race! I think it will be a great time. It will be my first time running in that event, but I guess it's one of the bigger running events in the area.
I want to get a bit more consistent with my blogging on this blog so that I can keep better track of my training/event times, etc....but we'll see if that actually happens ;). Somehow life just always seems to be busy and gets away from me rather quickly....and I don't even have a kid yet to chase around! It's just me and Jer and I STILL feel busy!
Off to see a movie with my doting husband ;).
Have a wonderful day!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Summer is nearly here!
Ok, I am not sure what day exactly hails the "start" of summer...but, really, for all intensive purposes summer is HERE! Today it was in the upper eighties here! Wonderful! I got two 4-mile runs in this week after work in the evenings (and some gym visits of course), which was great...the weather was perfect and it was SO nice to be able to take advantage of that.
So, after my race on April 11 (the half marathon that I wrote about!), I've ran in 2 additional events thus far this year...The Race to Wrigley ("just" a 5K) and The Lake Run (a 12K here in Bloomington). Awesome! I've had a great time at both. The Race to Wrigley was a tad underwhelming...it was hard to get a good run in, because the course was narrow; especially at the end when we had to run through the concourse of the ball field. There were soooo many people walking or taking it way easy, so it was actually somewhat dangerous at times to try to dodge people without hurting them or myself! All in all, though, it was a fun day. The Lake Run was also great...it was on May 2 and the weather was PERFECT! I actually drove up to Lake Bloomington, where the race was held, all by myself! I did end up seeing a few people I knew there (namely my boss, Kory, who was handing out water bottles at the end; he is a member of Kiwanis)...but for the most part I was by myself. I was fine, though, and had a really good time.
Here's my big news....I registered for the Chicago Marathon! Yup, believe it! Just 141 training days left, too! :) I am pretty pumped, but I am starting to get intermittently nervous :)
I hope to get in some other events this summer....we are registered to run the Bix together in July, and will probably run something on the 4th of July. That's all that we have planned for now, though :). I will probably try to get in another half marathon (at least) between now and October. We'll see! :)
Wish me luck! ;)
So, after my race on April 11 (the half marathon that I wrote about!), I've ran in 2 additional events thus far this year...The Race to Wrigley ("just" a 5K) and The Lake Run (a 12K here in Bloomington). Awesome! I've had a great time at both. The Race to Wrigley was a tad underwhelming...it was hard to get a good run in, because the course was narrow; especially at the end when we had to run through the concourse of the ball field. There were soooo many people walking or taking it way easy, so it was actually somewhat dangerous at times to try to dodge people without hurting them or myself! All in all, though, it was a fun day. The Lake Run was also great...it was on May 2 and the weather was PERFECT! I actually drove up to Lake Bloomington, where the race was held, all by myself! I did end up seeing a few people I knew there (namely my boss, Kory, who was handing out water bottles at the end; he is a member of Kiwanis)...but for the most part I was by myself. I was fine, though, and had a really good time.
Here's my big news....I registered for the Chicago Marathon! Yup, believe it! Just 141 training days left, too! :) I am pretty pumped, but I am starting to get intermittently nervous :)
I hope to get in some other events this summer....we are registered to run the Bix together in July, and will probably run something on the 4th of July. That's all that we have planned for now, though :). I will probably try to get in another half marathon (at least) between now and October. We'll see! :)
Wish me luck! ;)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thoughts...
So while I was running today I thought about the half marathon that I ran last Saturday....and about all of the surprising things about the whole experience. I mean, I guess the whole thing was really just one big surprising adventure, because it was something I had never done before! But, anyway, there were many things I felt like recording for myself...I bet someday down the road after I have run like 20 half marathons (or even marathons!), I will laugh at these things...so here we go!
1) I got emotional! When I saw the 11 mile marker and began running the 12th mile of the race, I teared up a bit. This completely caught me off guard and of course I kept myself in check and got rid of those almost-tears quickly ;). 11 miles is the most I'd ever run at one time prior to the half marathon last Saturday....so it was embarking on some uncharted territory at that point. It was pretty amazing, really....I was SO excited to be doing something that I had never done before. I didn't really get emotional at the end...just excited! Oh, and tired ;)
2) The bottoms of my feet didn't hurt. I had heard from more than one person that after completing races of that distance the bottoms of your feet typically hurt from the pounding. The right side (outside) of my right foot hurt a bit because I got a small blister, but other than that my feet were in really good shape. In fact, the pedicure that I got in early March before we went to AZ was actually still largely intact, believe it or not! Later that day when I went over to a friend's house for a party someone asked me, "Did you get a pedicure after the race today?" because apparently my toes looked more than decent. WEIRD! I think the whole thing was affected by the fact that I had gotten new shoes (Adidas Boost) the previous weekend and had just been running on them for one week. So, basically, they were perfectly broken in by the end of the race!
3) People throw away their clothes. I had talked to my sister a few days before the race about the weather (it was forcasted to be cold) and what to wear. Megan had done a half marathon in St. Louis a few years prior so I thought she would at least know what to do. She said that during that event, people wore layers and shed their layers as they ran. Basically, they must have worn things on the top layer(s) that they didn't really care about losing as much and just threw them off onto the road when they got a bit hot or uncomfortable. I didn't really believe this til I saw it with my own eyes. Indeed, during the race people were shedding long-sleeved shirts, jackets, gloves (even expensive-looking Nike gloves!), etc. WEIRD! I did wear a pair of inexpensive (maybe $3 at the very most) thin gloves that I did cast aside after the 3rd mile or so...and felt wasteful doing just that. I couldn't imagine throwing away a shirt or anything like that! As we passed many churches along the route I thought to myself that the churches should go around after the race and collect all of the cast-aside clothing items to donate to charities.
4) It was fun! Ok, I had a feeling I would have a great time and would think the experience was fun...or I wouldn't have signed up! However, I wasn't aware of just how much fun it would be! It was sooo festive, and just so exciting! I really can't wait til my next half marathon, or running event in general. I have definitely caught the running bug, if there is such a thing ;). The running community is fun...but of course it has its share of odd-balls as well! ;)
5) I CAN DO IT! I ran the ENTIRE 13.1 mile race WITHOUT stopping...no potty breaks (wow, pre-Celiac diagnosis I couldn't imagine such a luxury!!!), no walking...no giving up! I DID IT! It was really one of the proudest moments of my life. Ok, ok...I know it wasn't really THAT big of a deal. After all, lots of people run half marathons all of the time...heck, lots of people run marathons or even those crazy 200 mile super marathons. But, to me...this was a big deal.
Ok, that's all for now...I need to go to bed. I am TIRED!! I am sure I might have more to add to this later.
I am not sure how long I should let myself "rest" after a half marathon. The 25th we are running a 5k, the Race to Wrigley...so not a huge deal, but I don't want to be completely dead and not do at least decently at that event! On Sunday (the day after the half), I took it pretty easy...I just did 22 minutes on a recumbant bike at Jeremy's parents' house after Easter dinner. Monday I did 65 minutes on the eliptical, I took Tuesday (yesterday) off, and today I ran 4.5-5 miles outside (it was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!)....so I have stayed active for sure, but I haven't been working too hard. I am not really sure what the best thing to do is.
Anyway, bedtime for real now!
Bring on the 26.2! ;)
1) I got emotional! When I saw the 11 mile marker and began running the 12th mile of the race, I teared up a bit. This completely caught me off guard and of course I kept myself in check and got rid of those almost-tears quickly ;). 11 miles is the most I'd ever run at one time prior to the half marathon last Saturday....so it was embarking on some uncharted territory at that point. It was pretty amazing, really....I was SO excited to be doing something that I had never done before. I didn't really get emotional at the end...just excited! Oh, and tired ;)
2) The bottoms of my feet didn't hurt. I had heard from more than one person that after completing races of that distance the bottoms of your feet typically hurt from the pounding. The right side (outside) of my right foot hurt a bit because I got a small blister, but other than that my feet were in really good shape. In fact, the pedicure that I got in early March before we went to AZ was actually still largely intact, believe it or not! Later that day when I went over to a friend's house for a party someone asked me, "Did you get a pedicure after the race today?" because apparently my toes looked more than decent. WEIRD! I think the whole thing was affected by the fact that I had gotten new shoes (Adidas Boost) the previous weekend and had just been running on them for one week. So, basically, they were perfectly broken in by the end of the race!
3) People throw away their clothes. I had talked to my sister a few days before the race about the weather (it was forcasted to be cold) and what to wear. Megan had done a half marathon in St. Louis a few years prior so I thought she would at least know what to do. She said that during that event, people wore layers and shed their layers as they ran. Basically, they must have worn things on the top layer(s) that they didn't really care about losing as much and just threw them off onto the road when they got a bit hot or uncomfortable. I didn't really believe this til I saw it with my own eyes. Indeed, during the race people were shedding long-sleeved shirts, jackets, gloves (even expensive-looking Nike gloves!), etc. WEIRD! I did wear a pair of inexpensive (maybe $3 at the very most) thin gloves that I did cast aside after the 3rd mile or so...and felt wasteful doing just that. I couldn't imagine throwing away a shirt or anything like that! As we passed many churches along the route I thought to myself that the churches should go around after the race and collect all of the cast-aside clothing items to donate to charities.
4) It was fun! Ok, I had a feeling I would have a great time and would think the experience was fun...or I wouldn't have signed up! However, I wasn't aware of just how much fun it would be! It was sooo festive, and just so exciting! I really can't wait til my next half marathon, or running event in general. I have definitely caught the running bug, if there is such a thing ;). The running community is fun...but of course it has its share of odd-balls as well! ;)
5) I CAN DO IT! I ran the ENTIRE 13.1 mile race WITHOUT stopping...no potty breaks (wow, pre-Celiac diagnosis I couldn't imagine such a luxury!!!), no walking...no giving up! I DID IT! It was really one of the proudest moments of my life. Ok, ok...I know it wasn't really THAT big of a deal. After all, lots of people run half marathons all of the time...heck, lots of people run marathons or even those crazy 200 mile super marathons. But, to me...this was a big deal.
Ok, that's all for now...I need to go to bed. I am TIRED!! I am sure I might have more to add to this later.
I am not sure how long I should let myself "rest" after a half marathon. The 25th we are running a 5k, the Race to Wrigley...so not a huge deal, but I don't want to be completely dead and not do at least decently at that event! On Sunday (the day after the half), I took it pretty easy...I just did 22 minutes on a recumbant bike at Jeremy's parents' house after Easter dinner. Monday I did 65 minutes on the eliptical, I took Tuesday (yesterday) off, and today I ran 4.5-5 miles outside (it was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!)....so I have stayed active for sure, but I haven't been working too hard. I am not really sure what the best thing to do is.
Anyway, bedtime for real now!
Bring on the 26.2! ;)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!
Me and my sister, Megan, before the Illinois Marathon (we both ran the half marathon) in Champaign, IL....
This was taken at 6:45 am, right when we arrived in one of the parking lots (you can see Assembly Hall in the background!) and met up with some high school friends of hers...she looks WAY too chipper for that early and for how COLD it was out there!!! :)
Afterwards....yeah, we were a little tired. ;)
...but we were SO proud of ourselves! This was my FIRST time running 13.1 miles and I did it in approx. one hour and 57 minutes. Not too shabby...I was pretty proud of myself! It was Megan's second time and she ran it in approximately one hour and 47 minutes. We stayed together for about 4.1 miles and then I slacked off ;). She ran a half in St. Louis approx 3 years ago.
And here we are again, looking all civilized-like this time around! ;)
I can't wait 'til the next one! AND, bring on the 26.2! I CAN DO IT!!!!!!
This was taken at 6:45 am, right when we arrived in one of the parking lots (you can see Assembly Hall in the background!) and met up with some high school friends of hers...she looks WAY too chipper for that early and for how COLD it was out there!!! :)
Afterwards....yeah, we were a little tired. ;)
...but we were SO proud of ourselves! This was my FIRST time running 13.1 miles and I did it in approx. one hour and 57 minutes. Not too shabby...I was pretty proud of myself! It was Megan's second time and she ran it in approximately one hour and 47 minutes. We stayed together for about 4.1 miles and then I slacked off ;). She ran a half in St. Louis approx 3 years ago.
And here we are again, looking all civilized-like this time around! ;)
I can't wait 'til the next one! AND, bring on the 26.2! I CAN DO IT!!!!!!
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