PHM 2015-In Pursuit of Cupcakes While Running in Glass Slippers

[JCurrey]

Yes, it's my first one. My goal is to finish in under 40 minutes, b/c that's my 3 mile time right now. I am not good at pacing myself, and I need to work on that. I usually run a fast first mile (9ish minutes), and then slow down b/c I can't maintain that yet.

In reality, I don't care what my time is, I just want to do this for me.

Ah, the going out too fast dilemma. It happens to everyone. A couple of years ago I ran a half marathon, one I have done before. I started too close to the front so I was running with the fast runners. I was going at a 7 min/mile pace, faster than I have ever run and I was feeling great! I remember saying to myself, "wow, if I can keep this pace, I will blow my PR out of the water!" Well, I held that pace until mile 8, then all hell broke loose. I burned my glycogen store, I didn't have gels with me to eat, I was feeling like crap and I dropped to a 10 min/mile pace. I felt so sick and had to stop and walk a few times because I was on the verge of getting sick. Then it happened, 40 yards from the finish line I threw up. Thankfully there was a garbage can that I made it to, but there were crowds all around and the medics came over. I was worried they wouldn't let me finish, but they did, they just rode their bikes behind me. My husband didn't see what happened so he was trying to snap pictures of me and I felt like crap but was trying to smile. I finished with a good time still, but it was not fun. A month later I ran another half marathon. I wasn't going to make the same mistake so I picked up a pace bracelet at the Clif Bar table. I was paying very close attention to my pace and made sure I keep it nice and slow and even in the beginning. I finished that race 5 mins faster than the half from hell and I started off at a slower pace. Pace means everything! You can make pace bracelets online for any distance. It is nice to wear one as a reminder or write your pace on your hand to remind yourself to slow down. Or you can take walk breaks in the first mile to make sure you don't go out too fast.

Sorry for the novel! Oh and you are not nutty for scoping out the course. I always look at the course maps and elevation changes so I know what is coming. I do like to not run a course too much before a race because then it is fresh on race day and I find my mind is distracted by looking at the course and not thinking about the actual run. So I would advise you to not train too often on the course.

 

[swwake]

Did Tammie ever post her recap or is she MIA?

 

[ARmom30]

Congrats on your first 10k and for Tammy running as well! It doesn't matter when you finish just as long as you finish. As they say, finishing is winning! I wish there were more 10ks, that is such a great distance. Up by me, there are very few. 10ks and 15ks are just enough of a challenge.

I had to run 16 miles on Saturday and it was awesome! I have been following the Galloway method for my long runs and it is amazing how good I feel and I am still able to keep a great pace. I ran my first 6 miles with some friends so there were no walk breaks. Then I did the last 10 miles by myself and felt strong. In fact, my last mile was a fast 8:45 pace with a walk break in there! I couldn't believe it! I rewarded myself with a nice treat on Sunday, ice cream! I cannot eat much after a long run so Saturday was not a good day to eat treats.

I talked to DH some more this weekend about the Glass Slipper Challenge and he is on board! We are starting to research flights and figure out when I should book our rooms, I can book AKL at 11 mths and then switch to BW at the 7 mth mark or I can hold out and book BW at the 7 mth mark. Not sure what I want to do yet, but I am so excited to run it!

I already know my costume for the Princess Half, Mary Poppins!

Thank you! I cannot even imagine running 16 miles yet! I know I will get there, but I'm not even close yet!

Congratulations on your 10K!!

Thank you!

 

[ARmom30]

Ok. I did it. I signed up for the 5K on May 10th. My 10 year old is running the kids' one mile event.

It took a lot of guts for me to do this. I'm a chicken.

First step on the path to PHM 2015 has been taken

Good luck! I'm sure it will be great!

 

[Tinker326]

Did Tammie ever post her recap or is she MIA?

I was just thinking this AM that Tammie is AWOL.

We need to lure her back with cupcake talk...........

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ohhhh Tammie! Come back to us and tempt us with your yummy cupcake pictures! If Nicole and I are left to our devices, we may just end up posting booze pictures instead and disrupting the whole flow of cupcake land.

I have no idea what I'm talking about. See?!?! I'm lost without you Tammie! come back to us with sugary goodness!

 

[JCurrey]

Karen~ I just read your race recap from the PHM 2014 and you got me sooooo excited for 2015! I loved your photos. I am all about my DSLR, I don't even own a point n shoot because they make me so mad. I had thought about how I would take pictures while running so it was nice to read how you managed and what you thought of all that. Congrats, I was so inspired reading how you pushed through your injury and how hard you had trained. So fun to read!

 

[momabaarjo]

I know, I know, I know...MIA and barely keeping my head above water playing catch up at work (for being gone 3 days) as well as all the kids things! Ugh...

Now I have to play catch up here since you ladies continued on with the fast paced thread without me!

 

[momabaarjo]

Sunday Stats
for Tammie
5K Training Week
Week 5

Total Week Distance: 15.23 miles
April Total Distance: 29.01 miles​

Monday, April 7 (None):Did not get out thanks to weather and schedule.

Tuesday, April 8 (Walking-2.10 miles/15:46 mm): Today I managed to sneak out for a lunchtime stroll around the school neighborhood…making up for not getting out there on Monday!

Love Spring Flowers!!!!​

Tuesday, April 8 (Interval-2.10 miles/14:16 mm): The walking at lunch was a making up for not doing anything on Monday, so with it being Tuesday it was my normal internal day. Today’s run started Week 5 on the Galloway 5K app, and I completed a 2.10 mile run with a average pace of 14:16 mm. Not a great pace, as I was dealing with shin splints (what’s new) and trying to figure out if there is a connection between that time of the month and my shins.

Wednesday, April 9 (Walking-1.65???/15:15 mm): MapMyRun was messed up today or more than likely I did something to mess up the app. I know I went farther than 1.65 mm during lunch and that pace is awfully fast for shins hurting.

Boo’s (middle child) birthday​

Thursday, April 10 (Walking-2.00/16:56 mm): Another walking at lunch day with my shins still tight. But I know I am not going to make it walking tomorrow (as I will be driving most of the day) so I need to get in my Friday’s walk today.

Thursday, April 10 (Interval-2.02/14:45 mm): Today was interval day #2 of week 5. I know I should have probably rested up for my race on Sunday with the way the shins have been acting, but I really wanted to get in the workout...really I wanted to try out my new gymboss to use with my intervals! The shins were persistent, but the gymboss is awesome!

My new Gymboss...I really did not want to learn a new app at the moment and I had a gift card on Amazon for doing a survey.​

Friday, April 11 (None): Spent the morning at work and then drove all afternoon well into the night for my first 5K since the ToT in October. So excited.

Saturday, April 12 (5K): Bluebell 5K...see race report

 

[momabaarjo]

Bluebell 5K
Saturday, April 12​

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After driving all afternoon on Friday and arriving at the hotel after 11 (then in bed after midnight), the morning came really early for me since I still needed to pick up my race bib/packet. A little after 7:15 am, I arrived at Brenham High School and already the parking lots were getting full…there was supposed to be around 5,000 people running in the 3 races (Kids 1 mile, 5K, and 10K). I was relieved to be directed into one of the last parking spots in the parking lot closest to the school. Already, the music was playing and the hype of the race was starting as I made my way to packet pick up and of course the prerace jitters started to work the magic on my sleep deprived body and I found myself excited about running (but nervous as to what my legs where going to do). Packet pick up went fairly smoothly, just a little hiccup of standing in a long line thanks to the first letter of my last name being popular. Got my bib (and bag full of fliers…no freebies) and then picked up my tech shirt, which I love (matches great with my Dress Me Up Blue SparkleSkirt)! I headed back to my car to wait for the next 45 minutes, until my start time was closer and to think about my goals for the race. After a really hard training week, I felt like my goal of under 40 minutes was probably unattainable so I would go with just staying under a 15 mm pace. About 8:30 am they announced that the ice cream trucks were open ...

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and of course I needed some prerace fueling as I texted with Betsy to help calm my nerves…hey strawberries are good for you, right? (I can’t tell you how much I loved this 2nd ice cream treat before the race…think purred strawberries dipped in chocolate…tastes just like a chocolate covered strawberry).

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Then about 8:45 am the 5K was called to the start and I walked the hill towards the starting line with a mass of people. When I made it to the top of the hill, there were signs asking people to line up behind their average mile times…6 minutes…so not my sign!

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After walking past lots of signs and shaking my head at where people had placed themselves I found a spot behind the sign “MORE THAN 12 MINUTES.” Yep, just where I want to be in the back. I found a place on the outside and prepared all my technology for the race and thought about my plan…

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I would run until the crowd thinned and then settle into my interval pace. It wasn’t long after the start that I knew that my plan had to be thrown to the curb and I would be running lots more than I anticipated.

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LOL, I managed to post onto a FB group about 10 pictures that I had not even know I had taken…here was one of them. There were so much congestion that I had no choice but run the first ¾ mile until finally it thinned enough that I could comfortably feel like I could walk and run. Then the next hurdle came into play with my newest running plan, HILLS and lots of them. So between the hills and crowds I felt myself doing what the crowd was doing running the flat and downhill portions and walking the hills. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved being able to blend into the crowds of this race and this crowd was pushing me to my limit. The race course was very pretty around and through a park covered in Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes, and the smell was amazing in the air!

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I found myself doing lots of weaving around little ones, strollers, and a few macho guys dragging (and 1 carrying his huge lab…wish I would have taken a picture) their dogs after 2 miles and had to laugh as I ran behind a group of maybe 13 years olds already planning on telling all their friends they ran the whole way. This race was so well run (one of the best events I have been too), even 2 water stations and every mile was well marked with flags and student athlete volunteers from the high school cheering you on as you passed (all money raised went to the high school athletic department). There were lots of well wishers on the sidelines and a few signs as we climbed our last hill to the finish line.

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As I round the corner at the top of the hill to make my way down hill, the final song of my 5K playlist came on an I realized then that maybe 40 minutes was not going to be so hard to make and my shins had treated me well! I really had not paid much attention to where I was at time wise during the race. SPAZZ hands ready, I crossed the finish line with a time of 40:53 and received my medal.

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I was disappointed in my run after seeing the time, because I thought I had done lots better since I ran so much and headed off to the Ice Cream truck to drown my sorrows as well as text with Betsy some more.

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As I sat and enjoyed my little treat, I opened up MapMyRun to look at my splits

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HOLY COW… and then decided to celebrate with one more ice cream treat. Heck, I probably ate enough ice cream before and after the race to negate the calories I burned running! I need to remember that a 5K is more than 3 miles and you just cant put a number in your head for 3 miles pace and expect to get that time...LOL!

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Overall a great race...well run, well organized, great tech shirt, cute medal, pretty course (if you don't think about the hills), great cause AND FREE ICE CREAM. More importantly I remembered how much I love races where I can blend into the crowd and be part of the fun, plus my shins held off for the run and let me post a decent time for my first "run" of the new training goal of PHM GSC!

 

[EcbLovesMickey]

Glad the race went well. How were your shins?

 

[JCurrey]

Great race recap Tammie! I love the medal as well. As I said, I am all about the bling! How do you like the gymboss? I have been using the app on my iphone and that works well, but I don't like carrying or wearing my phone on my arm, it bounces too much. I wanted to see if I liked the interval training before I invested in the belt clip model.

 

[momabaarjo]

Glad the race went well. How were your shins?

The shins held up for the race...but they were raging yesterday for my lunch walk...wearing the heavy compression sleeves today! No running yesterday...

Great race recap Tammie! I love the medal as well. As I said, I am all about the bling! How do you like the gymboss? I have been using the app on my iphone and that works well, but I don't like carrying or wearing my phone on my arm, it bounces too much. I wanted to see if I liked the interval training before I invested in the belt clip model.

I like the bling, but really is not that important in this type of race for me...now my Disney bling is a whole different story!

I have only ran with it twice...but I love it. I clip it on to my waist band and it works great. I hate things on my wrists or hands...hence why I LOVE my sparkle skirt pockets! Prior to the gymboss I was using Galloways apps for my interval...but the intervals are limited and I am ready to change them up...which the gymboss is great for. I was looking at ismoothrun, and have tried a few interval timers on my phone...but nothing worked like I wanted.

 

[Tinker326]

Yhea, you are back!

Great mileage this month so far!!!

And GREAT race-recap. Those bluebells are so pretty!

You did awesome running that race! Way to go!!!!

Hope life slows down a little for you coming up..... we miss you!

 

[momabaarjo]

Nicole...have you seen the newest Kellybell kit....

 

[Tinker326]

Nicole...have you seen the newest Kellybell kit.... http://s127.photobucket.com/user/mo...9-4B8B-99F9-E27BC4F60E1B_zpslyqxcyyo.jpg.html http://s127.photobucket.com/user/mo...E-40D9-9776-A386B4D70493_zpsupaaleik.jpg.html

I did Tammie!!! I was going to point it out to you! I'm crazy excited about it!!!!!

 

[ZellyB]

Great race recap! Looks like a fun race and you gotta love ice cream at the end. Hope your shins continue to improve!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

That race looks like it was a lot of fun!

 

[Ariel484]

Sounds like you had a good race overall, congrats! Now I need to find a race local to me that gives out ice cream that the end!

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Yea Tammie is back! I was so happy to see you had sent me a FB message during my run on Saturday telling me about your race. I knew I wouldn't be able to respond, so I waited until I was done to read it. You really did great!!

Hills are EVIL!! I am dreading mile 6-ish in my race on the 27th due to something called "gorilla hill"

I love my Gymboss too. Use it each & every run! So many people put their watches on "beep" & you can never tell which one belongs to who, but with the Gymboss it is nice to have the vibrate so I can always feel when the interval change is.