Trail Run #2!

...oh, the agony!!

Murphy-Hanrehan Park in Savage, you have bested me but I shall not be conquered!

This was a heckuva race, ladies and gents. Firstly, I'd been mentally preparing for a 5-mile race (which was a bit longer than I thought I was raeady for) only to be told the course was actually 5.6 (or so?!) Secondly, there was not a lot of running going on - this course had some serious ups and downs. There was a lot of walking up, and actually a lot of walking down so I didn't die. (I did almost biff it once. That was terrifying.) Add to that the eternal "sunglasses or no sunglasses" question - the last few miles left me choosing whether to be blind from lack of light, or lack of glasses.

Yeah, it was tough.

I was impressed that I did manage to maintain around a 15-minute mile, I didn't die/injure myself, and I will show up for the next race.

Oh, and I wasn't last! I actually passed 6 people, and mky best mile was mile 4-5. I picked up some serious pace time.

The next race, at 3.2 miles will seriously seem like a walk in the park.

Woo hoo!

Oh AND I wore my totally bad-ass trail shoes. They are awesome.

AND AND my number this race was 113! I am having some serious number love... though I have still to win any serious swag. Maybe next time.

Warrior Dash Pictures!

Yup.  Still feeling good at this point.

Jumping the Fire!!!

Kind of thankful that I didn't have to run more 

 

of it

 covered in mud like this.

Trail Race #1!

I can't believe it's already started, but I had my first trail race of the season last night!

This is part of the Lifetime Fitness Trail Series -- it runs every other Thursday for 5 events.  This one was 4.58 miles in Hyland Park Reserve.  The weather was a little on the muggy side, and I was having a hard time with needing my sunglasses for the blazing sun, but being blinded by them in the more wooded areas -- but all in all it was a success!  My goal was to finish in a hour, and I got in at 1:03:38.  Not too shabby at all!

(I think I could have made it.  I didn't push myself tooooo hard.)

The only bummers were that there was no water at the second water stop, and then no water at the finish line.  (Or Gatorade!)

But I'm excited for the next one... or I was, until I just saw that it's 5.4 miles.

Erk.

A really good number!!  Except that I didn't win any prizes.

Warrior Dash!!!

My recommendations to you, if you wish to participate in Warrior Dash:

1. Actually train.  No, seriously.  Running. Pushups. Situps. Hill drills.  Seriously.
2. Do it with friends!
3. Get more than 4 hours of sleep the night before.
4. Don't fly in from anywhere the same morning.

In spite of not following any of my own recommendations, I survived.

Yes, survived.  The thing about having the race at a ski hill is that you've got to run up the hill.  And down.  And up.  There was not a lot of flat.  (And therefore, there was not a lot of running on my part.)
The obstacles were fun to tackle -- I did bow out of two of them, but I think I would give them a tray next time.  There was a length of trail that was really (shoe-sucking) muddy, and that was unfortunate... but I made it across the finish line and got my medal!

The socks got trashed, and the shoes got donated.

WARRIOR HELMET! ...and a medal.

Do the Du!

Today was the first training session for the Minneapolis Duathalon.

It was also beautiful and gorgeous and I happened to wake up without the aid of an alarm with enough time to get ready.

So I ate, dressed, and loaded my bike into my car. (It still weirds me out a little to just take the wheel off... I'm concerned that one time I won't get it on quite right and it'll fall off while I'm riding.) Thankfully, I had plenty of time built in, because I never did find Peace Coffee (who had agreed to let participants use their parking lot.) -- Later I would discover that I was looking in the complete wrong neighborhood, but oh well, right?)

I hopped on the Greenway right off River road.

The Greenway is Awesome. Capital "A" Awesome.

So it was about 2.5 miles in to Freewheel Bike (a co-sponsor of the training.) They are the only business to have an entrance right off the greenway! They also have a cafe and WiFi and bathrooms and lockers and showers.... AND space you can rent to store a bike, AND a Metro Transit rack you can practice putting your bike on! Freewheel is pretty sweet.

My glorious steed!

So everything was done by time instead of mileage, which I appreciated because it meant I only got passed by everyone during the transitions. It was 15min run, 45min bike, 15min run. I did about 1 mile, then 8.5 miles, and 1 mile again. Tack on the 5 mile round trip to get there and back and it was a really great workout! (And in spite of forgetting sunscreen I didn't get burned. I got lucky.)

Pineapple Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. Nom.

I wrapped up the morning with brunch at the Birchwood. 

And now I'm a little wiped out! But in a good way.

To Duluth!! (Link-o-Rama!)

A whirlwind trip to Duluth this weekend.  I came into some surprise concert tickets -- and the show was awesome.  Every hotel within 20 miles was totally booked, and I am thankful that I have generous relatives who will let me crash in their cabin overnight.  Waking up to the sunshine over the lake -- priceless.  Almost enough for me to wish I drank coffee.  I bet that would just add to the enjoyment!

Then into Duluth for a run along the lakeshore on the boardwalk, followed by a delicious breakfast at At Sarah's Table Chester Creek Cafe.  Everyone should go there.  All the time.  I left a postcard to my friend's Fringe Festival show.  Everyone should go to that, too.  Seriously.

THEN a quick stop by the Park Point Art Fair, where I bought a spectacular photo from Pat Parnow Photography (the pear one under "fruits & veggies.")

Oh, and a few rousing games of Road Trip Bingo (thanks to an iPhone app) on the road home!

SO fabulous.

I am SO TIRED.

I am AWESOME!!!

Okay, just a little horn-tooting here.

I had kickboxing this morning at 6am!

BUT...

I GOT UP AT 5 AND RAN FOR TWO MILES BEFOREHAND!!!!

Considering I knew I'd be at work until after 7, it was a very pleasant day.  Up to run and box, then a shower and breakfast... drive to work, get stuff done... get a hair cut, do the frog dance, take some photos...

It was a great day.

Awesomely Sore...

My first kickboxing class was yesterday.

Kevin totally kicked my butt.  I never want to try to work any part of me "to failure" ever.

It was fun, though.  Real fun!  The time went fast, and I got to hit things. (But not people.)

I learned how to wrap my hands, and I had gloves, and got to kick stuff, too!

The coolest(?) part was that about halfway through the day the soreness started creeping in... suddenly when I reached for something, it hurt a little.  When I gesticulated wildly in a meeting (as I am prone to do) it kind of hurt! And then later, when I had a nice belly laugh I capped it off with "ouch."

So excited that I'll be doing it again tomorrow at the peak of soreness.

W00t.

Oh, the Anticipation!

Monday is my first kickboxing class!  I mean, they SAY kickboxing class, but it could also involve PVC pipe filled with sand, or tractor tires, or running around with car tires chained to you, or lifting big wooden beams... "Caveman Training" supposedly.  I'm a little intimidated, but also pretty excited.

New Car "Bling"

My sexy reading mudflap girl
totally digs the new sticker.

I now proudly display "13.1" in my back window.  I've actually had the sticker for about a week, but didn't want to jinx my performance/success by applying it prematurely.

For about 2 seconds I thought about "leaving room" for a 26.2.

Ha!  Hahahahaha!
Not gonna need it.

I'm Alliiiiivvveeee!

Me and Kristin and our 
well-deserved hardware!

And not only am I alive, I finished the half marathon in 3 hours -- 30 minutes faster than I expected!!

<happy dance>

Of course, I'm tired and sore (and I know that is only going to get worse in the coming 48 hours or so) but all-in-all it was a fabulous time.

The weather was beautiful, Team Ortho really knows how to put on a race, and I had a wonderful brunch featuring the company of my fabulous sister!

(This post sounds like I'm still riding the runner's high... and I might be.  I spent the last 2 hours on the internet researching possible races to fill the gap between now and the duathalon in August.)

I'm looking forward to a quiet night at home, doing laundry, with an early bedtime.

I am not looking forward to tomorrow so much.

It's the Month of Me!

I figured that since I'm starting the month with my half-marathon debut, and I (for some reason) decided to cash in on a LivingSocial deal for unlimited kickboxing classes for a month... that June is going to be the Month of Me!

I think it's a good idea to try to set aside a whole month to be a bit selfish. The weather is nice for once, and I have a whole list of things I want to do. And in the immortal words of that makeup ad campaign... I'm worth it!

So it's going to be a month of focus on my health, my fitness, and my life. I feel good about this, and I hope I can stick to it.

The Final Countdown...

Today was the last long run before the Half Marathon.

Officially, it should have been a "taper" week where you take it easy since the race is coming up.  However, that is a luxury left to those who managed to stay on track with their training.  I am envious and in awe of such people, for sure.  Anyway, I decided after the big jump to 12 miles last week, that I could probably get away with something around 8 today.

To be honest, I don't know how far I actually ran today.  My goal was 8, at a pace of 15 min per mile... so I set out to run for 2 hours.  I took a nice meandering route through a lot of Como Park, through the Midway Parkway median to the State Fairgrounds, and then back again.  It was kind of pleasant.

I also made a 10-minute pit stop at ye olde Java Train for some Izzy's ice cream and water.  And that probably helped my longevity a bit.  If I think about it, I don't think there's an Ice Cream stop on the Marathon route.  I think I may need to talk to someone about that for next year.

Not that I'll be doing any Half Marathons next year.

Anyway, here are some pics I snapped on the run!

The Conservatory -- another one of those beautiful things that is so close and I never go to.

One of my favorite "behind the scenes" part of the Fair.

No, this is not what I picked for my pit stop.  But I really wanted to.

Mango Ice Cream and Water!  Fuel of Champions!

A nice pool and a gazebo... what a great place for a rest.  (Yeah, right.)

Is it the Rapture?

Oh, SO many NEWs today.


First, I ran 12 miles. It took over 3 hours. I started in the rain, and then with less than a mile to go, when I finally felt dry -- downpour. Oh you are cruel, Mother Nature. (Also, if the end of the world was coming, couldn't it have come BEFORE I ran? That would have been nice.)

Noms.  Delicious, well-earned noms.

On to lunch at the Birchwood.  I indulged in a rhubarb bar with cream cheese frosting (better eat dessert first.  Heaven knows if the Rapture might come early.) Then I enjoyed a cup of cauliflower fennel soup and a tofu Thai sandwich.  Delicious as usual.  If I ate at the Birchwood every day, I'm pretty convinced that I could just sit on my butt all day and still lose weight.  Such great, good food.

The sky was blue when we arrived.

And then, for dinner -- Duplex on Hennepin.  The weather was looking a little inclement, but we opted to dine on the patio.  It was lovely.  I had a fabulous bison burger and fries, and then we split a Boston Cream Cake for dessert.






...and we didn't get rained on.


...nor were we Raptured.


All-in-all a great Saturday.

Delicious NEW!

Another delicious NEW today: Izzy's Grapefruit Mint Sorbet.

Nom. Nomnomnom.

It is finally gorgeous and I took my bike out for a spin today. (Some would say I didn't want to run. I would say I elected to do some cross training. Both are accurate.) Mid-way I decided to stop at one of my new favorite places: Java Train. As I re-filled my water bottle I decided to peruse their Izzy flavors, and couldn't resist trying the Grapefruit Mint Sorbet.

It was teh delicious, and definitely helped motivate me to finish my ride!

Oh, and something that is NOT new.... still not a great idea to head off on a ride without the padded bike shorts.

I'll learn one day.

Seven Miles!

...Accidentally!!

Last weekend I was lucky and it was a "rest" week for the runners that are on-track for their race training. This week I thought I was lucky that the first water stop was 3.25 miles in -- so I could run for the water, and turn tail and get back to the car.

I was happy to discover, once I reached the water stop, that it was actually closer to 3.7 miles in!

Hooray!

So, today's NEW is running 7 miles -- something I've never done before.

I also ran in the rain... which although it's not my preferred weather was not so bad.

Next week everyone runs 12 miles -- including me. I thought it was smart (and necessary) for me to try the distance before the race so I knew what I was getting into and could set some reasonable expectations.

Oh, and have 2 weeks to recover -- and re-attach my legs if necessary. :)

One Mile!

Okay, so today's NEW was a one-mile race.

Some people may know that my experience with one-mile races is both short and traumatic. When I was younger, perhaps 10 or 12, I participated in a St. Patrick's Day Fun Run on Summit Avenue.

I came in dead last.

I like to blame this experience for my hatred of running... but I think I'd just be looking for a scapegoat.

In any case, I and a gaggle of friends decided to try our hand (feet?) at the TC Marathon 1-mile. We got a tech shirt and 1,000 finishers will be drawn at random and given the opportunity to participate in the 10-mile race associated with the Twin Cities Marathon in the fall. The weather was a bit gross... damp, a little sprinkly, and cool.

(At this point you say to yourself... wait. It's cold and wet, I had to drive and park in Downtown Minneapolis, and I'm running this just so I might be able to run 10 more miles in the fall? WTH?)

Aside from a little chilliness, the experience was pretty awesome! We all finished within about a minute of each other. One of my friends finished under 10-minutes, which is awesome for her, and I finished in 10:34! Afterward we stopped at the car for more layers, and then watched the "real" runners. Who were incredible.

The lead male runner finished in under 4:00, the lead woman at 4:30.

I'm not saying they made it look effortless, but it certainly looked like they were working a lot less hard for their 4-minute mile than I was for my 10.5.

Just saying.

Then we celebrated with delicious food at The Local, and I had the most delicious cheesecake of my recent memory.

A faboo day.

The runner's high...

...fades so quickly.

...and all you're left is the memory of the run...and the aching, aching muscles.

As you cozy up to various ice packs and frozen vegetables, unable to traverse the simplest of obstacles: be they stairs, or chairs, or putting your pants on...

...and you wonder, "is it worth it?"

...I'm not sure. But I am afeared about what tomorrow will bring.

:)

Going the Distance

Today's NEW... Running 6 miles.

I know, right?

According to the established half-marathon training schedule, it's a "rest week" and the run is 6 miles. According to MY awesome training place -- I'm just finally reaching 6 miles. So, it allowed me to partake in a group run with a good friend. We totally got lost, but we also got to run by a very scenic cemetery and check out some buff guy turkeys trying to mack on a girl turkey.

And the weather was perfect.

5 more miles.

..I was hoping to do six today, but I think 5 was a good choice. (by the last mile and a half I was definitely feeling specific muscles in my legs. It was not cool.)

What a gorgeous day! If weather like this would stick around, I don't think I would have any problems getting my runs in. I took a route along Summit avenue again today. Started at the Cathedral, and then ran by a TON of churches along the way. Got to see a bunch of people in their Easter Best, which was really fun.

Tonight I'll be attending my first "Hoopla" at Lake Harriet. I made my very own Hula Hoop last night, and I look forward to being able to keep it off the ground for more than 5 seconds at a time. :)