MCRRC Jingle Bell Jog

This was the last race of 2015! Where did the year go?!

I ran the Jingle Bell Jog in Rockville, Maryland on December 13th. This was another MCRRC race so it was free thanks to my membership. The race distance was 4.78 miles and since I’ve never raced this distance before it was an automatic PR. I’m not normally one to dress up for a race, but I decided that it might be a fun to do so for a change. I fell in love with these socks from Brooks and had to have them.

It was an unseasonably warm 54 degrees that day, hence the t-shirt. My BRF, Tamieka @ Fit Balling Running Mom, let me borrow a tutu and belt for the occasion. We also ran into Jeri from our MRTT group.

 

It was a surprising hilly course, but then again it seems hard to find anywhere flat to run in this area.

There were lots of snacks afterward, including bagels, bananas, animal crackers and m&ms. They also had coffee and hot chocolate to drink, but it seemed entirely too warm for that.

Off Season LUNA Ladies & Friends

It certainly wasn’t my best effort, but it was a fun race regardless. I enjoy seeing lots of people who I know at these small, local races.

Place  Sex/Tot  Div/Tot   Time   Pace 
117        33/155        7/15     40:28    8:28

Do you ever dress up for races?

The Turkey Trots Recap

My husband and I decided to sign up for the Erie Turkey Trot since we were able to go home for Thanksgiving this year. I had originally planned to just run the 10k, but he pointed out that it was only $2 more to run both the 5k and the 10k. So we decided to attempt to run both. I’ve never run 2 races back to back before so I wasn’t really sure how that was going to work out. Ragnar would probably be the closest in comparison, but even then I had several hours in between legs.

My brother-in-law has run this race for the last several years and he was kind enough to pick up our shirts and timing chips. We weren’t able to pick them up ourselves since we got in late on Tuesday night. I thought it was a little odd that we couldn’t pick them up on Wednesday. Also this was the first race that I’ve done where there weren’t bibs.

Love this race shirt!

I didn’t get into these races expecting to PR, mostly I just wanted to have fun. The moment that I go home to Pennsylvania and eat things out of the ordinary for me I start having stomach problems. This trip was no exception.

Race Morning:

The 5k was to start at 8am and we didn’t want to have to walk too far so we got there a little over an hour early for a good parking spot. We saw my aunt as soon as we arrived. She’s been running this race every year for as long as I can remember and ended up placing 1st in her AG.

The weather was perfect, especially for Pennsylvania where they normally have lots of snow already this time of year. The temperature was in the low 50s with some wind, which only bothered me a few times. We saw a beautiful sunrise which I neglected to get a picture of unfortunately. After finding the porta potties, we went back to the car until closer to the start time.

5k race:

My only real complaint about this race experience was the start of the 5k. They didn’t have signs or anything as far as where to line up for your pace, so immediately when the gun went off people were walking. I spent the first mile maneuvering around people and running over in the grass trying not to trip over sticks. It wasn’t very enjoyable and I wasted a lot of energy. Now I know for the future to start closer to the front if I choose to run the 5k again. Although honestly I think I will just stick with the 10k. I had planned to run this race as a warm up for the 10k, but my adrenaline kicked in and I went faster than I had planned.

Splits	Time	Cumulative Time	Moving Time	Distance	Elev Gain	Elev Loss	Avg Pace
1	7:49.9	7:49.9	7:45	1.00	—	7	7:50
2	7:33.6	15:23	7:30	1.00	—	—	7:34
3	7:35.4	22:59	7:31	1.00	—	3	7:35
4	1:04.6	24:03	1:00	0.14	10	—	7:28
Summary	24:03	24:03	23:46	3.14	10	10	7:39

My husband rocked and was in front of me the entire time. It wasn’t until the last-minute that I caught up with him and ended up finishing 4 seconds in front of him. I finished 5th in my age group (out of 145).

Then we went back to the car to relax and have a snack before the next race.

10k race:

I was pretty tired from the first race so really I just wanted to finish the 10k in a reasonable amount of time. I had hoped to do better of course and it was no where even close to a PR, but it was still a fun morning. I was glad to be able to share this experience with my husband.

Splits	Time	Cumulative Time	Moving Time	Distance	Elev Gain	Elev Loss	Avg Pace
1	8:25.4	8:25.4	8:18	1.00	—	—	8:25
2	8:09.9	16:35	8:04	1.00	—	7	8:10
3	8:19.5	24:55	8:16	1.00	—	—	8:19
4	8:24.0	33:19	8:23	1.00	7	—	8:24
5	8:35.2	41:54	8:32	1.00	—	10	8:35
6	8:40.6	50:35	8:40	1.00	—	—	8:41
7	2:32.6	53:07	2:26	0.31	9	—	8:12
Summary	53:07	53:07	52:39	6.31	15	16	8:25

I finished 8th in my age group (out of 36).

Afterward we stopped by the little after party at Rainbow Gardens. Then we went home to shower and eat all of the food. I would love to make this race an annual tradition. Maybe one day Haylie will run it with us too.

Pumpkin Roll!

  Did you run a Turkey Trot this year? Do you like racing with friends & family?

Candy Cake City 5k Race Recap

The awesome ladies that I spent the majority of my Wednesday mornings doing speed work with over the summer, the Luna Chix, suggested that we sign up for this race to put all that hard work to good use. I was a little nervous actually since I haven’t run a 5k since high school and had no idea how to pace myself.

The race was through Montgomery County Road Runners Club which I have been meaning to join for the last year or two. I guess this race was the motivation that I finally needed, so I signed up. Members run low-key races for free which is awesome!

“The mission of the MCRRC is to promote and encourage running.

We are one of the largest, most active running clubs in the nation, known for our low-key but high-quality club races, training runs, special events, and other activities. We offer programs and opportunities for all types of runners, from newcomers to experienced. Whether your goal is to run a marathon or just to get into shape, you’ll find other club members who share your interests.”

Race Morning:

I had no idea how to dress. Some how I forgot how to dress for colder weather since last year. I decided upon a t-shirt and shorts the previous night and instantly regretted it, but I didn’t want to wake up my husband by searching for something else to wear so I decided to suck it up. It was definitely a chilly morning with temps in the 40s.

I got there an hour early because parking was said to be limited and I have anxiety about being late. Apparently I didn’t need to be there quite that early since the race bib pickup wasn’t even set up yet so I hung out in my car to stay warm.

Once the volunteers were all set up, I was able to get my bib and timing chip quickly. Now I can literally show up a few minutes before the low-key races and run.

We all met up near the registration table around 7:15 to give us time to warm up ( 1 mile and dynamic stretches). Before I knew it, it was time to line up to begin the race.

The Race:

Overall, the race went pretty well. I wonder if I could’ve pushed myself a bit harder, but seeing as how this was my first 5k in many years it was a great learning experience. I did warm up pretty quickly after I started moving so the t-shirt and shorts weren’t the worst idea after all. The Rock Creek Trail is beautiful, especially with the leaves this time of year, and I enjoyed taking in all of the scenery.

I’m going off my Garmin time since the race results were from the gun time and I know I was a little faster.

Splits	Time	Cumulative Time		Distance	Elev Gain	Elev Loss	Avg Pace
1	7:25.7	7:25.7		1.00	—	—	7:26
2	7:32.9	14:59		1.00	26	21	7:33
3	7:23.0	22:22		1.00	—	6	7:23
4	0:46.3	23:08		0.12	—	—	6:35
Summary	23:08	23:08		3.12	26	27	7:25

I got first in my age group (out of 11) and 6th female (out of 152).

Candy Cane City 5K – Photo by Ken Trombatore

Candy Cane City 5K – Photo by Ken Trombatore

Candy Cane City 5K – Photo by Ken Trombatore

Afterward, we headed to a local deli for breakfast, which was delicious and the conversation was a great way to end our time together.

I loved this race experience! It was so nice to meet up with a wonderful group of friends and cheer each other on. It was another reminder of all that running has brought to my life.

In other news, I was finally matched with my I Run For buddy! This is a wonderful organization and you should really check it out. I signed up almost 6 months ago and have so been looking forward to being matched. I’m so excited to begin building a wonderful relationship with my buddy and his family.

IR4

I Run 4 Michael is a non-profit organization founded in January 2013 by Tim Boyle, who was inspired to run for more than health and weight-loss by a viral meme saying, “I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can’t run, what they would give to have this simple gift I take for granted, and I run harder for them.” When Tim shared the meme, Michael, a 50-something man with Down Syndrome, replied, “You can run for me any time!”

Do you like racing the 5k distance? Have you heard of I Run 4?

 

Ragnar DC Recap-Day 2

We received a text message during dinner the previous night that leg 23 through Sugarloaf Mountain Park was closed. It was apparently flooded and dangerous, which made Alexis very happy. She had been dreading running that leg in the dark. This meant that we would proceed directly to the exchange for my next leg. We had some difficulty following the directions to get there and became slightly lost. Finally, we arrived and I checked in and was on my way. It was still dark and those rolling hills made it feel pretty lonely. I was so grateful once I saw the sun beginning to peak up over the horizon. I was also glad that this was my one leg that actually had van support. They were really there for me when I needed them! I grabbed some Clif Shot Bloks, which were in the bright orange bag that Ragnar gave us (yay!), and water from the van to get me through my leg.
I finished this leg a little after 7:00 am and was greeted by wonderful team. My hands were frozen. Lisa held onto them on the walk back to the van to warm me up a little. I wished that I had brought my gloves, but then realized that they would’ve just gotten wet from the rain and that would’ve been even worse. 
Stacy and I both live in Germantown. She had already offered up her house for us to use, so we headed there. Her husband had the house all set up for us, complete with towels, beds and coffee. It was amazing! I crashed for about an hour and then started getting restless. We left about a half hour later after everyone was up and ready to go.

I was having anxiety about getting lost on my last leg. There were so many turns and they even said to be sure to bring your phone just in case you got lost.

I didn’t want to get overheated so I sported my Girls on the Run t-shirt, even though it was still pretty chilly. Thankfully I didn’t get lost. I did at one point veer slightly off of the correct path, but I noticed it quickly and corrected. The turns were very clearly marked. Really my only complaint about Ragnar is the portion that I had to run through Georgetown. I had to run through the city streets because there were so many people on the sidewalks. This also meant stop lights, and lots of them. My last leg felt like it took forever! I would suggest an alternate route in the future that doesn’t go directly through Georgetown.

We each had to take a selfie at the one mile to go signs.

One of the volunteers warned me that the bridge to the finish line was slippery, so when I got there I just kept telling myself not to fall on my face. The rest of my team met me on the bridge and we all crossed the finish line together somewhere around 5:00pm, so I was still able to get home in plenty of time to see my daughter before bedtime.

This is what the back of the medals are supposed to look like.

Seriously this was such a wonderful experience and the fact that I ran it in support of Girls on the Run made it that much better. The weather was not nearly as bad as they had predicted so I was incredibly grateful for that. There is such an amazing sense of team work that goes on. I was so tired by then end, but I kept pushing myself for my team. I will never forget these wonderful ladies or the incredible running adventure that we went on together. It was worth every second and I had the best runner’s high ever! Thanks to the best husband ever, who had to play single parent all weekend to a toddler with strep. I’m so grateful for all that running has brought to my life, from building new friendships to showing me that I’m physically and mentally capable of more than I had ever dreamed possible. This is what running is all about and I love it!

What’s one of your favorite running experiences?

Ragnar DC Recap-Day 1

I’m not even sure where to begin with Ragnar. So much happened in the course of less than 48 hours, that it felt more like I was gone for an entire week. I had so much anxiety leading up to this race, mostly because it was unlike anything that I had ever done before. I was also really nervous about being able to meet my fundraising goal for Girls on the Run of Montgomery County. In the end, I had an amazing experience all around. The race was great and I was also able to meet my goal.

I started packing the night before because I’m a total procrastinator. I had to laugh at pics that people were posting about their super organized packing. I had printed off an incredibly helpful list of what to bring from Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes and went from there. Most important was my night-time running safety gear which I had slowly purchased over the course of the last few months since signing up for Ragnar.

My friend Tamieka @ Fit Balling Running Mom was on my team, but she was in the other van. I also knew two of the other members of my team from Moms Run This Town (MRTT). I had met them fairly briefly though and only one of them was in my van. I tend to be really nervous and shy when I first meet people. Not to mention there was great concern about a hurricane. The weather forecast looked awful and I had signed up to be runner 12 with the longest distance at almost 29 miles. I figured that I had recently run a marathon so why not.

I got up early so that I could get some much-needed coffee in then met up with Stacy to carpool to Silver Spring. It turned out that she pretty much lived right across the street from me. Since we were driving during rush hour, we did get a little behind. Once we all arrived, we packed up the van then headed to our exchange point as quickly as possible. Alexis @ Flecks of Lex was our fearless leader throughout this experience and I was glad to finally meet her in person. She had printed out the race bible and also made a handy-dandy driving chart.

We had to rush to check in, watch the safety video and then Stacy was off on her first leg. I was looking at all of the vans driving in and some of them were pretty awesome. My favorite featured a blow-up monkey on the front and I also noticed a few decorated with Christmas lights at night.

We followed Stacy to cheer her on which was so much fun with our Ragnar flags. Our first exchange was at a gas station which had a cute little shop inside. I grabbed a veggie sandwich and we filled up the van’s gas tank. Since we didn’t have runner #8 we skipped ahead to the next exchange. This was my favorite exchange location. I loved the minion theme.

Lisa handing off the baton to Alexis.

Finally it was my turn to run my first leg around 7pm. I was nervous since I haven’t done much night-time running, but the headlamp was pretty nice. It just made the rain look more like snow and since I could see my breath very clearly, I thought snow might just be possible at the moment.

Fort Frederick State Park

This Asics Storm Shelter jacket was amazing! I lit up like a Christmas tree so I wasn’t too afraid of getting hit by cars. I did get overheated after a while and wanted to take it off, but that seemed like too much effort with the safety vest on. As a person who easily gets lost, I loved how clearly the route was marked. There were also other runners in front of me to follow. I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as that goes. I thought that we might be too spread out to be able to see the other runners. The hill was a little rough, but I managed to get up it without slowing down too much. I was able to finish strong and handed off the baton to Carrie from Van 1.

After my first leg, I crawled in the back of the van to change clothes. It was kind of nice being short one runner because each of us was able to have the backseat to ourselves after we finished our leg. I quickly changed into dry clothes and we went to Uno Pizzeria & Grill for dinner. I ordered the spicy veggie, black bean and brown rice patty with house-made guacamole and salsa with a side of broccoli. Once we finished dinner we went to meet up with van 1 at our next exchange. There was a creamery there that was staying open all night for the runners. This sounded amazing, but I was having terrible stomach pain so I decided to pass. We passed out in the van for what felt like 5 minutes and then Stacy was off on her second leg. I think that was sometime around 1:00 am, but the details are little fuzzy.

The recap for Day 2 and the finish are coming up soon!

Have you ever run a Ragnar race before?

Presque Isle Marathon Race Recap

I’m really glad that I decided to run this race even if it was kind of a last-minute decision so that I wasn’t able to train as much as I would’ve liked to. I absolutely love Lake Erie and just being near water in general. It would be incredible to have a beach house one day. Both my family and my husband’s family live near there, so I had a lot of support. My dad even came out to cheer me on! He has a lot of health problems, so it is difficult for him to get around. Also a huge shout out to my mom for coming. She’s a nurse with a crazy work schedule, so she was functioning on basically no sleep. It meant the world to me that so many people came out to watch me run.

Expo/Packet Pickup:

This day was also my sister-in-law’s wedding day. It was such a chilly and rainy day! I felt awful for her, but her and her husband didn’t seem to be phased by it. I was having anxiety because I was pretty traumatized by how awful the weather was at the Rock’n’Roll DC half that I ran back in March. I really didn’t want a repeat situation like that.

This is a really small race which is capped out at 2,500 people so there really wasn’t much of an expo. It was basically nonexistent by the time that I got there to pick up my packet a half an hour before it ended. I found out that there had been a few vendors earlier in the day, but they had packed it up because of all of the rain. I really didn’t mind at that point since I was pretty tired from the cake making and wedding attending festivities. I was able to grab my packet and shirt and head out in just a few minutes. Easy-peasy!

I stopped for a quick pic on the rainy beach on my way out. I tried to take the pic with my race bib, but it was way too windy for that.

The Night Before:

The nice thing about the wedding being so early was that I was still hungry for my traditional pre-race dinner. We had the usual Wegman’s frozen veggie pizza with white sauce for dinner so as not to mess with my routine and stomach any more than I already had the past two weeks.

Everyone else went to the bar, but my husband, daughter and I just hung around his mom’s house and relaxed. I set out all of my race day essentials and what I thought that I wanted to wear. I had a backup outfit in case it felt too cold in the morning. I tried to get to bed as early as possible in hopes of getting some sleep. I was so worried about the rain that I was up constantly though. I think it finally stopped some where after 2am. Race Morning:

I had some fancy Keurig coffee and made my ritual pre-race breakfast: PB & honey sandwich with bananas and cinnamon. My stepsister-in-law apparently keeps bees now so she had brought some delicious honey with her from Wisconsin. I tried to be quiet sneaking around the house so that I didn’t wake everyone up.

I didn’t understand why the race could only accommodate 2,500 runners until that morning. Traffic was a nightmare! I was glad that I got there so early, but the start of the race actually ended up being delayed 15 minutes because traffic was still backed up with runners trying to park for the race. Part of this was due to one of the parking lots that they had planned to use being flooded.

Once I parked and got all situated, I wasn’t sure where to go then I realized that there was a glow stick walk way. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but it looked really cool. I thought that was such smart idea.

I found my way to the port-a-potties, then once again later. The line was much worse by my second trip. I’ve never seen so many people just going in the bushes!

I walked around and stretched out. Right before the race was to start, I checked my bag. I’ve never done a bag check before because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle. I was nervous because there was a long line to check bags, but it went really quickly.Next I went to find the 3:35 pace group, which was my goal time in hopes of qualifying for Boston.

The Race:

Finally at 7:15am we were off. I hated being crammed like sardines for an additional 15 minutes, but really it wasn’t that big of a deal.

I stuck with the 3:35 group for the first half and I felt great. I just kept telling myself that I could do it and I really believed it. Something happened around mile 13 and I just couldn’t hold that pace any longer. Perhaps I hit the proverbial wall. Perhaps it was my diet and sleep habits being totally out of whack for 2 weeks. Who knows, but I watched my Boston dream slip through my fingers as I fell further and further back.

By mile 24, I was pretty much done. Some lady was running near me and saying how she was over this and was ready to be done. My thoughts exactly! I saw another struggling runner too and my heart went out to her. I just kept running though. I knew if I stopped to walk for even a second that would be the end of it.

Right around mile 26 a bunch of vultures were circling over head and I was sure that they were coming for my dying body. I know this sounds dramatic, but that’s really how I felt at that point.

It was at that point that I saw my husband, daughter and my husband’s mom and step-dad. My husband said that the finish line was right around the corner and I kicked it up to finish as strong as I could at the point. After I crossed the finish line, I grabbed a Tru Moo chocolate milk and got wrapped in my fancy foil blanket. I also got a Tru Moo sweat towel.  How exciting! My mom and dad were waiting with my favorite G2 raspberry lemonade and some beautiful flowers for me. I’m still very proud of myself for finishing strong. I really do think that my sleep and diet being off was a contributing factor to my slowing down, as well as not enough training. I still earned a 10 minute PR which is awesome and I’m that much closer to Boston. I’m only 13 minutes off what I need to qualify so I’m sure that I can reach that goal one day. I have my whole life. Boston I’m coming for you! 🙂

The rest of the day was mostly spent relaxing and eating. My in-laws took us out for a delicious brunch at The Breakfast Place.

Did you race this weekend or do you have a big race coming up?

Up next is Ragnar!

If you would like to help me reach my fundraising goal for Girls on the Run, I’m including the link below. Every little bit helps and would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Alanna’s Girls on the Run Ragnar Relay Fundraiser Page

3 weeks of Craziness (8/24-9/13)

I’ve been so busy these last few weeks with training and cake making. We got to go home (Pennsylvania) for 2 weeks for my daughter’s birthday party and then my sister-in-law’s wedding the following weekend. We hadn’t been able to go home since Christmas, so it was a long overdue trip. My only complaint was that it went so fast! It seems like it went by in the blink of an eye and suddenly fall, along with all things pumpkin, is here.

Monday-  rest

Tuesday- 4 miles

Wednesday- 8 miles

I’m thankful that Plant Fitness is cheap and open 24 hours in order to make these super early morning runs possible. It’s kind of nice too because I feel like I pretty much have the gym to myself with the exception of a handful of other crazy people. 🙂

Thursday- 4 miles

Friday- rest

We went family grocery shopping. I love having most of my Fridays off now!

Saturday- 12 miles

This was my last run in Maryland before leaving for our trip home. It was such a nice day, so we went to the splash park after my run.  Sunday- Orange Theory

Monday- Orange Theory

I had to stock up on my OTF since they don’t have any back home. Then we made the roughly 5 hour drive to my parent’s house. Haylie wasn’t too bad in the car other than throwing things and then demanding to have them back. I’m surprised that I didn’t dislocate my shoulder frantically trying to grab things for her while driving, but we made it safe and sound.

We went for a little trip in the woods with my dad and picked some apples. Haylie really seemed to enjoy them.

Tuesday- rest

Wednesday- 4 miles

It’s a little challenging running on dirt roads. I was slightly terrified of twisting my ankle on rocks with the race coming up, but the scenery is so beautiful. Such a nice change of pace from my usual city running!

Thursday- 6 miles/Haylie’s actual birthday

I trimmed the tops off of her cakes so that they were nice and flat, then combined the cake trimmings with buttercream and rolled them in chocolate to make a cake pop/truffle of sorts. Haylie loved them and kept asking for more chocolate. I guess her sweet tooth is the one thing that she got from me. I made a simple cake to celebrate her actual birthday and we went out for a nice dinner with all of her grandparents. My father-in-law asked where we got the cake. Really?! lol

I love this pic, but can’t get over how grown up she looks!

Friday- 3 miles

I decided to run through the woods which wasn’t my brightest idea considering it had rained recently. My shoes were quite muddy. Thankfully I brought 2 pairs!

Later we took Haylie to visit a dairy farm where my dad used to work many years ago. She got scared when the cows actually mooed.

Saturday- rest/Haylie’s Birthday Party!

It was such a nice party. I can’t believe that she is 2 already! The only bad part was our unsuccessful hayride. We had a hayride last year which was a huge hit, but this year the rain let loose as soon as we were pulling out of the driveway. So it was the shortest hayride ever. At least the rain held off until the end of the party.

The theme was ladybugs this year and mom even found a really cute happy birthday banner that fit right in.

Sunday- 8 miles/Beach Breakfast

I think this may have been my favorite day of the entire trip. I had a great run in the morning then a big group of us got together for breakfast right on the beach. Gotta love cooking eggs at the beach on Sunday morning! I miss living this close to water. I found several pieces of beach glass. Haylie kept calling them rocks.

Monday- rest/zoo

I can’t remember the last time that I was at the Erie zoo. They’ve made a lot of improvements and it’s really nice now. Haylie got to see her first real life giraffe. It was a really hot day, but still fun. We rode the train then went to have lunch at Mad Mex which was amazing! I want them to open up one in Maryland. It is so hard to find a taco that has a vegetarian protein unless my husband makes it for me. I got the Herb O’vore’s Tofu Tacos and they were so good! I will definitely be back.

Tuesday- 3 miles

Wednesday- 4 miles

Thursday- 2 miles

Friday- rest

Saturday- rest/Wedding

It was a pretty cold and rainy day which wasn’t good for the wedding. Thankfully the happy couple didn’t seem too bothered by it and I was able to deliver the cake without it getting wet.

Sunday- marathon

Stay tuned for my race recap.

Monday- long drive home

I think this picture pretty much sums up how we all felt.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Do you ever feel like you need a vacation after your vacation?

If you would like to help me reach my fundraising goal for Girls on the Run, I’m including the link below. Every little bit helps and would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Alanna’s Girls on the Run Ragnar Relay Fundraiser Page

Survey!

Charissa tagged me in an awesome survey recently and I was excited to have the chance to sit down and answer these questions (thanks, Charissa!). You can read Charissa’s answers here in case you missed her post.

1. Would you rather run along a beach path or mountain trail?

I prefer the beach. It would be amazing to live near the water one day!

2. If you could choose the flavor of Gatorade at your next race’s aid stations, what would it be?

I love my G2 Raspberry Lemonade.

3. If I gave you a $100 gift card to a running store, what would you purchase with it?

Shoes of course. The most essential part of running!

4. Do you prefer to follow a training plan or wake up and then decide how far and how fast you want to run?

That kind of depends. I like the structure that a training plan provides. I can mentally prepare for each run and know what lies ahead, but at the same time that can make running feel like more of a chore. So I guess I prefer to wing it based upon how I feel that day though I would probably never wake up and think how amazing it would be to run 20+ miles that particular day.

5. Would you rather start your run with the uphill and end on the downhill or start your run with the downhill and end with the uphill?

I would rather start uphill. I love sprinting downhill at the end of my run.

6. When you can’t run, what type of cross-training do you choose to do?

I love my Orange Theory workouts.

7. What is your preference—>out and back, point to point, or loop runs?

I like point to point, but that’s difficult unless you are running a race. So on a normal day I like loop runs.

8. If you could recommend ANY running related item to a new runner it would be…?

I’m going to agree with Charissa here and say running shoes. It’s so important for a new runner to get fitted at a running store and to run in the right shoe. Otherwise, injuries are more likely to happen.

9. Do you see any wild animals while out on your runs?

Mostly just deer, rabbits and squirrels.

10. Ever gotten lost while out on a run?

If I don’t have a specific route planned out I may try to mix things up with a few different turns, but I usually have a good general idea of where I am. Thankfully if I were to get lost I have an iPhone.

11. If you could have one meal waiting and ready for you each time you got home from a run for the next 30 days…what would it be?

My mom’s lasagna is amazing!

12. Capris or shorts? What do you run in most?

I prefer to wear shorts as long as I possibly can.

13. At what mile (or how many minutes) into your run does your body start to feel like it is warming up and ready to go?

I would say that it usually takes me about a mile to get warmed up.

14. What do you do with your key when you run?

It’s usually either in a pocket or in the holder that I use for my phone.

15. If you could relive any race that you have done in the past, which one?

The Baltimore Marathon was such a wonderful experience and my first marathon. I loved it!

16. What type of run is your least favorite?

Maybe a tempo run? It really just depends upon the day.

17. When you go for a run, do you leave from your front door or drive somewhere to start?

I usually go from my front door because it’s easier, but I like to drive somewhere too for a change of scenery.

18. When running in daylight, are sunglasses a must or an annoyance?

I don’t think that I could run with sunglasses. I feel like they would really annoy me, although I’ve thought about getting pair a time or two.

19. When you get tired, what keeps you from quitting?

Getting back home to my little family.

Tag! You’re it:

Tamieka @ Fit Balling Running Mom

Victoria @ Ice Packs + Races

Weekly Update: 8/17-8/23

I’m linking up with Holly @ HoHo Runs & Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin for the Weekly Wrap.
The first week at my new job went pretty well. It’s been an adjustment getting up even more ridiculously early than normal so that I have enough time to run and shower before work, but it hasn’t been as difficult as I feared. Other than being tired, it’s actually pretty nice to have my run done early and it’s a great way to begin the day. Maybe I should’ve started this sooner?

Monday: rest day/First day at the new job!

Tuesday: 10 miles

All my early week day runs will likely be on the treadmill since it’s just too dark and not entirely safe at that hour.

Wednesday: 5 miles

Thursday: 5 miles with Fleet Feet

We got a little soggy from the rain, but the resulting double rainbow was amazing.

Friday: Orange Theory

We went to the fair later on in the morning which was nice because it wasn’t too crowded yet. I love fair lemonade and Haylie enjoyed seeing all of the animals.

I don’t think this is the proper way to sit in a high chair.

Saturday: 21 miles

I met up with a girl from my Fleet Feet running group. She is faster than me, but I kept up with her as long as I could. It’s awesome to have someone pushing you harder than you would normally push yourself.

Overall this way a really good run. It was a bit slower than I had hoped for, but I’m trying to focus on the positive aspects instead. Physically I felt great which is huge. Also I didn’t have any intestinal problems or cramping which is also huge and was a big concern after my terrible 18 miler a few weeks ago. I’m as ready as I’m going to be for my marathon, so now we taper.

Sunday: Orange Theory

I was pretty sore from yesterday’s long run so this may not have been the best idea. I was pretty glad when it was over and I normally love Orange Theory. Tomorrow will be a much needed and well-earned rest day.

Someone figured out that my breakfast smoothies are delicious, so I had to share.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

What was the favorite part of your week/weekend?  

If you would like to help me reach my fundraising goal for Girls on the Run, I’m including the link below. Every little bit helps and would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Alanna’s Girls on the Run Ragnar Relay Fundraiser Page

5 Things I’ll be Doing in 5 Years

It’s the Friday Five with: Cynthia, Mar, and Courtney today! Today’s topic is 5 Things I’ll be Doing in 5 Years. This topic made me laugh because I had this year of my life all planned out and I had to watch as that plan totally fell apart. So I’ve been striving every day to live in the moment and not worry about the future. That’s a task that is easier said than done, but ultimately I do have long-term goals that I can share.

1. Mother of 2- Yes, I would like to have one more child in the next 5 years and then I’m done. I’m going to tap out at 2. Being a parent is simultaneously one of the most wonderful and difficult things that I’ve ever done. I think it would be great for Haylie to have a sibling, but I’m also trying not to stress myself out over it.

2. Travel- I would love to travel some more. My husband has been wonderful at helping me fulfill my dreams and see some amazing places. I’ve always said that if I were independently wealthy I would travel the world. Next on my wish list is Venice. A girl can dream right?

3. Moving- I wouldn’t mind moving to a slightly larger house some time in the next 5 years, especially if we do have a new addition. At the same time, our little town house is nice and cozy.

4. Job- I just want a stable job that makes me happy, as I’m sure everyone does. That is certainly not easy to find in this industry, but I really don’t like being unhappy at work when I spend so much of my time there. That time is precious, and could be spent with my daughter who is already growing up way too fast.

5. Running- I really want to BQ and then run Boston. That’s my dream. When I even think of what an amazing and emotional experience that would be it gives me chills.

There you have it. I have no idea what I’ll actually be doing in 5 years, but I hope that I can accomplish at least some of these goals.

What are you going to be doing in 5 years?