Roxymama's 5k to Marathon, Time to Collect Another Castle

[roxymama]

I've been meaning to start on your training journals for ages now, and @LSUlakes' QOTD challenge prompted me to do it! Training journals are definitely my jam, because people on this board are definitely my people!

You have had some seriously fun races! I love how varied the themes have been, and it has been awesome to see the progress you have made from your start!

Oh, and all of those meal posts are making me want to put a little more effort into menu planning. Those dinners look delicious!

Thanks for stopping by and perusing my journal. I really think I need to go clean up the first or second page with links to my recaps so people don't have to wade through all my training rambling Maybe that will be a lunch-time project for me this week.

I honestly had no idea all these fun races even existed outside of rundisney until last year. My concept of running events were very local small 5ks that closed street parking or happened prior to parades, big city marathons I watched on tv and disney races that I saw on disboard trip reports. Honestly! I probably started running at a good time because it sounds like there was a race-boom at least two to three years before I really got into it so by then a lot of races were already at full competitive levels of "biggest medals, best expos, coolest shirts, special themes" to draw runners in. I think hunting out the fun and interesting races for the personal experience of doing them and then fun of posting about them here is what has kept me continually signing up for more.
That being said...I have no August or November or December races this year. So I'm in race-hunt mode still

Thanks for the comment on my progress. There are days I feel like wonder-woman and days I feel like I'm back at square one. I'd love to get back to PR levels...but maybe I'll save that for when its not 93 degrees and humid.

I figured out the trick to making those awesome meals. I pick three nights a week where I cook these meals and then I make "lazy dinners" or leftovers all the other nights. Kind of like how I run only three days a week. And usually run nights = lazy dinner nights. Last night I boiled hot dogs and served them with every leftover in my fridge and then went running.

I guess I should add my run notes from last night. I didn't make it out the house until 8:14...I had approx. 23 minutes until sundown so I just decided to run 2 miles in that time to make it into my house before it was pitch black. I ended up doing 2 miles at 10:37 avg pace. The first 1.25 miles were at a much much slower pace and then I had to kick it up a notch to get home in my window. So not the plan. I'll probably do more of an easy across the board run on Thursday since this mimicked more of a tempo-ish kind of thing last night. Oh and it was very very humid and high 80's, so basically what my July race is going to be like minus the sun. Yay?

 

[roxymama]

So, I went shopping. I have not purchased a Sparkle Athletic skirt since last year. So I was due. They've been sending emails with new designs that were very holiday specific but nothing that hooked me. Until today. I got an email for this beauty and I ordered it literally two minutes later. I may have paid the extra couple of bucks to get the 2-4 day shipping so I have it in time for my Rock n Roll 10k. EEEEEE!

Now I just need to buy either a white or pink or some matching color tank and I'm all set. If it's hot and I'm wanting to give up, I'll just look down and say "when I finish I can eat ice cream!"

If anyone is wanting this skirt, they are $35 and all sizes are still available that I can see.

 

[Ariel484]

I got that email too. Excellent post-run motivation!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

OMG Ice Cream Skirt!!! That is awesome.

 

[roxymama]

I got that email too. Excellent post-run motivation!!!

If Inknburn offered an ice cream outfit how fast would you buy it...5 seconds? 2 seconds?

OMG Ice Cream Skirt!!! That is awesome.

All attempts at trying to hold off on buying more running leggings was totally thwarted by cute running skirt. Oh well. So do you think people will hang around me because they are mesmerized by my ice cream bootie or do you think they will try to pass me to get away from the reminder they do not have ice cream?

 

[SarahDisney]

All attempts at trying to hold off on buying more running leggings was totally thwarted by cute running skirt. Oh well. So do you think people will hang around me because they are mesmerized by my ice cream bootie or do you think they will try to pass me to get away from the reminder they do not have ice cream?

I think you will be the post popular person at the race. Everyone gravitates towards the ice cream.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Super cute skirt! And I agree with @SarahDisney! Everyone will be all over that on a hot day (hopefully in a totally appropriate manner though!)

 

[Ariel484]

If Inknburn offered an ice cream outfit how fast would you buy it...5 seconds? 2 seconds?

There would be smoke coming from my keyboard, I would order so fast. I just really friggin love ice cream.

 

[roxymama]

I have a few new meals to add to my collection of cooking creations.

Some turkey meatballs over brown rice with spicy Asian flavors. And more zucchini


Panko bread crumb chicken with kale "slaw" and roasted sweet potatoes

Made a sauce with honey and red pepper flakes to put on top of the chicken. Sorry for the half eaten pic, I forgot to take it before I dug in!

And then finally last night I made ginger pork burgers with cucumber salad and a black bean mayo spread. And sesame covered blanched green beans.


Tonight I attempt some veggie enchiladas (yellow squash and rice). And then the plan is to run before the enchiladas weigh me down

 

[croach]

Something in this thread about ice cream?? Lol. Yummy looking food also. I like this thread.

 

[roxymama]

Something in this thread about ice cream?? Lol. Yummy looking food also. I like this thread.

I swear this is a running journal not just a food journal!! I just really like food...which is a good reason to run

 

[croach]

I swear this is a running journal not just a food journal!! I just really like food...which is a good reason to run

I consider it one of the main reasons to run.

 

[Anisum]

I swear this is a running journal not just a food journal!! I just really like food...which is a good reason to run

The food looks delicious and really the two go hand in hand. I ate too much so I run but then I used up all my energy so I gotta eat. I think it's a vicious cycle.

 

[roxymama]

I consider it one of the main reasons to run.

The food looks delicious and really the two go hand in hand. I ate too much so I run but then I used up all my energy so I gotta eat. I think it's a vicious cycle.

Sitting at an office desk for 8-9 hours every day + LOVING food = thank goodness for running. I've been trying to be really smart about portion size and not having seconds and adding in veggies as much as humanly possible. All things that don't come very naturally to me but are becoming habit the more and more I just default to it. I literally am only cooking enough for one helping for me and hubby. We still have splurges every week. Tonight we are going to a Sox game so you know there will be some form of cheese nachos or cheese fries in my very near future. I just can't go totally cold turkey on the fun stuff. But behaving a little bit better throughout the week helps me not feel so guilty about the fun stuff.

And I totally agree about running making you hungrier....it is a vicious cycle! Gotta eat enough calories so the run goes well....run makes me hungry...want to eat more calories because I ran.

 

[Anisum]

Sitting at an office desk for 8-9 hours every day + LOVING food = thank goodness for running. I've been trying to be really smart about portion size and not having seconds and adding in veggies as much as humanly possible. All things that don't come very naturally to me but are becoming habit the more and more I just default to it. I literally am only cooking enough for one helping for me and hubby. We still have splurges every week. Tonight we are going to a Sox game so you know there will be some form of cheese nachos or cheese fries in my very near future. I just can't go totally cold turkey on the fun stuff. But behaving a little bit better throughout the week helps me not feel so guilty about the fun stuff.

And I totally agree about running making you hungrier....it is a vicious cycle! Gotta eat enough calories so the run goes well....run makes me hungry...want to eat more calories because I ran.

I'm the same way though I don't like veggies so much. I find that if I don't have small splurges I'm more likely to have a large splurge and struggling to get back to eating healthy. Cheese fries vs. Nachos is a hard choice because you can't really go wrong.

 

[roxymama]

Knew yesterday was my last long run before my rock n roll weekend and was sitting on my couch waiting for it to be cooler outside. My kiddo fell asleep in her room and my husband said "might as well go now, the weather next weekend could be hot so good practice". Ugh I hate when he's right. So I went out in about 77 degrees and very sunny. I decided to do a different route approach to help me for next week too. Because I'm masochostic or just trying to be well prepared? Probably both.
I decided to make one giant box for my over 5mile run. So straight lines down streets lasting over a mile. There's gonna be some long straightaways in my 10k so might as well have something fresh in my head saying "I did it before, I can do it now"
Straight long miles are my least favorite.
But I did it! I tried for 11:15 ish and I had a good mix of 11:10 to 11:25 most of the time when I sneaky peaked. Shade is my best friend but it was lacking except for a glorious 1.5 mile stretch where the buildings where just the right height. You'd be proud...or think I'm real dumb...that on the fourth mile I could have crossed the street for more shade but I stayed on the sunny side. The whole time questioning what I was thinking.

So Race Week is here!!!!!!!!!!

My ice cream skirt came in the mail. It fits and I love it.

Today after brunch we stopped in our local run store which was having a sidewalk sale and I got some really nice mizuna shorts for only $20.


They aren't the bike short kind, their like the "running shorts" kind but they fit really well and aren't too short or too long. I will test drive them this week but thinking I'll go shorts with no skirt for 5k on sat. Eek! And bike shorts with skirt on sun for 10k. Summer of shorts!

I fought urge to buy ghost 8's in my size on sale cause $80 seemed like a lot since I don't need them now. If they'd have been 50-60 maybe. I kinda want a different shoe if I rotate for 15k training. Like a totally different brand or model. Eyes will be open for expo this weekend.

So Friday is hotel and expo.
Saturday is 5k and hubby and I are gonna run it together easy whole way. If we get like 33-35 min we did it right. Naaaaaps and swimming and dinner with friends.
Sunday is 10k and kiddo retrieval after checking out of hotel.
And Monday....no work!!! Took the day off. I'll recap the race and do nothing and it'll be glorious.


No goal time for 10k. Let's just see who I feel and the weather. But I'm running it solo (hubby has his own plan) so we shall see.


Sooooooo excited.

 

[Ariel484]

Cute skirt!! And yay for a good deal on the shorts!

Sounds like a great long run considering the conditions. I totally would have crossed the street for more shade!

 

[roxymama]

Cute skirt!! And yay for a good deal on the shorts!

Sounds like a great long run considering the conditions. I totally would have crossed the street for more shade!

9 times out of 10 I would go for more shade too. I love shade...it is my very best friend while I run. But I get so scared that I will fall apart during my races that I try to emulate anything that could go wrong because I guess I'm a tiny bit crazy. If I didn't have a 10k this weekend, I am 100000% certain I'd be in that shade in a hot second. Once I get past this weekends hot summer races I think my brain and body will go back to normal behavior. Haha.

And I think I like the shorts I picked because they don't do that thing where the scoop up on the sides. They are pretty straight across. I like that look on other people with the scoop but then sometimes that tiny little bit of extra flesh on me and I get all modest. Haha. Ok maybe I'm always a little bit crazy

 

[Ariel484]

9 times out of 10 I would go for more shade too. I love shade...it is my very best friend while I run. But I get so scared that I will fall apart during my races that I try to emulate anything that could go wrong because I guess I'm a tiny bit crazy. If I didn't have a 10k this weekend, I am 100000% certain I'd be in that shade in a hot second. Once I get past this weekends hot summer races I think my brain and body will go back to normal behavior. Haha.

And I think I like the shorts I picked because they don't do that thing where the scoop up on the sides. They are pretty straight across. I like that look on other people with the scoop but then sometimes that tiny little bit of extra flesh on me and I get all modest. Haha. Ok maybe I'm always a little bit crazy

No crazy. That's smart of you to try to prepare for race conditions.

I totally get what you are saying on the shorts...I am right there with you.

 

[roxymama]

I have to brag about my hubby because he doesn't really talk about his running a ton. But he reached a goal weight this weekend and now has made a new one for 12 lbs more Then he went out and did his last long run before our race weekend and did a full 6.2 because he felt good! He said he was just running normal and it felt fine, not like racing and he PR'd by 5+ minutes???!!!! I mean he seemed not like he was dying when he got home so I believe him. It's going to be very soon that instead of me beating him by a few minutes, he will start being there waiting for me at the finish line and I couldn't be more okay and happy about that. From major knee surgery over a year ago to this now, super proud wifey!!!