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

[roxymama]

I kept checking before and during my race ... you crushed it! So proud of you! Congrats!

How'd your race go??? I put on my burners a lil at an hour in. Thought of you

 

[SarahDisney]

How'd your race go??? I put on my burners a lil at an hour in. Thought of you

1:05:36 (goal was 1:10). 10:35 pace. I'm pretty much in shock right now.

 

[Sailormoon2]

Nice job @SarahDisney

 

[roxymama]

1:05:36 (goal was 1:10). 10:35 pace. I'm pretty much in shock right now.

Yaaaaaay!!!! You Go Girl!!!!!

 

[ZellyB]

Woohoo!! Great job on your new PR!!

Congratulations @SarahDisney !!

 

[Ariel484]

Fabulous job ladies!! @roxymama @SarahDisney

 

[FFigawi]

Congrats on the new PRs, ladies!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Awesome job @roxymama and @SarahDisney

 

[dancingtodisney]

Hey! I never got a chance catch up with your updates due to crazy pre-holiday workload...when do your leave for WDW? We are having a great time so far, weather pretty chilly! Looking forward to catching you at Ohana

 

[sourire]

Congrats @SarahDisney!!
Jumping smilies for both of you awesome ladies today!!

 

[garneska]

Good job ladies! Roxymama enjoy Disney.

 

[roxymama]

Thank you everyone!!!

Hey! I never got a chance catch up with your updates due to crazy pre-holiday workload...when do your leave for WDW? We are having a great time so far, weather pretty chilly! Looking forward to catching you at Ohana

So jealous you are at WDW already!
I'll be flying out super early Tues... Sooooo excited! I hope we can find each other pre 5k too. And of course Ohana!!!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Congratulations @roxymama and @SarahDisney!!

 

[roxymama]

Hot Chocolate Chicago 15k race recap:

No big expo recap on this one. I literally got dropped off at the door and made it a mission to get in and out and back in our car so I didn't have to pay for parking. It was easy getting my bib and shirt and confirming there'd be a pacer I could use in my corral. I did grab free chocolate squares on the way in and out because it'd be silly not too.
It was very cold this weekend and just being outside for the little bit waiting for hubby in the car I started thinking "what have I signed myself up for"? This fall racing season has had record heat, lots of wind, and now brrrrrrrr.

So Sunday morning comes and I get up and dressed in a bunch of layers and say to hubby "this is stupid" and he said he was proud of me for being stupid. Which is like a runners love story right there. But of course I'm going to go do the cold race....there's chocolate to be had!!! (And running, that too)
Parking was easy. Finding gear check was easy. Dropped off a bag with a giant coat to wear on walk home.

And found the most glorious line of secret porta potties behind a row of trees. If this beautiful skyline porta potty shot doesn't make you want to visit Chicago...

Look at all those potties with no lines. Life can be a dream...sh boom.

So I timed it pretty well at half hour before race (one of my many learned #badgerstrategies) and headed to the corrals with a brisk jog. Which trust me was about 50% to warm up for running and 50% to keep from freezing. It was 32 degrees and a bit windy. Went through three bib checkpoints and got into corral C. Stretched some and put my layers on the fence. And then found this guy. (Creeper shot hovering behind)

I think he said his name was Nate??? That's probably wrong.
He told us he was going to try to run even pace throughout but the first underground part messes with garmins so not to freak out. He'd get us to the right pace. I mentioned that I had 10:00 exact avg. last year and if I had it in me I could PR if I just finish ahead of him. He said that was a good plan.
And then I un-creepered and fell back a little more behind. Put in the earbuds and picked 90's pop running playlist. Started with some Britney!

And we were off. No sticker on my garmin today. It was super congested off the start. Just dodging and weaving to keep near the pace group blob. I could tell the actual pacer was trying hard to get to the actual pace. We were at like 10:50 and it was too crowded to do anything about it. I eventually got up front near him and that was better. My garmin buzzed like super fast on first mile and I was like "really". You'll see in my stats down below it clocked mile 1 at .15 in. D'oh
So it was lap button and paying attention to mile clocks from this point on.
Mile 1 came and we were def slower than 10. I was feeling a lil claustrophobic in the pace blob so ran a bit in front and that helped. I knew where the water stations would be so I'd put some gas on to get to them. Grab a water, take a few steps as I drank and get running again usually as the pace guy was coming up and I'd fall back next to him or just ahead.
Mile 2 was closer to 10 and by about 3 we were back on. I felt they were pushing pace bit to get caught up but it was still very comfortable for me (especially compared to my all out 10k pace a few weeks ago)
My 5k split was 31:52 = 10:16pace

I ran the next 2+ miles almost lock step up front between a bearded guy and the pacer. Times I'd go ahead a bit just due to having to get around people. At about mile 5 the pacer looks at me and bearded guy and says "keep the pace" and hands the stick to beardy and runs off super fast. I said "is he coming back?" We laughed as we saw him sprinting for the porta potties. But I guess we did an ok job because he did come back and said thanks.
Somewhere between 5 and 6 a blonde gal who had been in our group made a move forward and I just thought that it had felt fairly easy up to this point and I knew hills were coming so I just made the move up with her. I stayed lock step with her and I saw a bridge (new part of course this year) with some elevation and I just made a mental challenge that I was going to WORK up this hill and leave my pace group behind for good. I hate hills. But I piston armed and watched the horizon #badgerstrategy and lactic built but the downhill was sweet.
I came into 10k tiny bit slower than last year but virtually identical.
10k split 1:01:44 = 9:56 pace

Up til now every mile clock ended in X9:XX and now I saw at X:X8:XX
So I knew I was gaining and decided the negative split was going to happen. I think confidence this year has been my biggest area of improvement. I just knew I could keep 10:00 behind me! That being said there were some nasty hills and I certainly wasn't prepared mentally to push pace crazy aggressively but I felt good and strong just hanging at my HM tempo type pace. So that's what I essentially did.

There was one tiny out and back where I finished the back and saw 10:00group starting the out and I'm glad I saw them. Totally pushed me to turn on my gas a little higher.
The song "going the distance" by cake came on and that's such a good running jam. Perfect timing.
I made it to mile 9 and pushed up that last big annoying hill (stupid hills) and just pushed hard the last .3 to where I was in the 8's!
Final time was 1:31:22! I ran 9.38 miles per garmin (yay for not a short course!)





I knew I'd PR today as soon as I got past mile 2. Didn't want to say it here that I wanted to, because I just wanted to take the pressure off. But I wanted to prove to myself that I could execute the half marathon Fall plan at least by getting to tempo pace by mile 9. I feel like if I had a half today I would have done well (but I didn't, so still gotta sign up for a new one right?)
Last year's 15k was a top running moment and this year I beat that time and it was easier. I'm pretty stoked about that. Still running 9.3 miles isn't an easy thing and it feels cool to cross that finish after pushing.

Here's my paces via drunk garmin. They are in the ballpark but can't be totally trusted.




And then I got chocolate!!!!!! After grabbing my checked jacket first of course.
I had to sit on the lawn to feast since I was all by myself but it was worth it.




The rice crispy and the marshmallow won the best thing to dip in chocolate award this year. I forgot to mention I ate a magical coffee flavored marshmallow about mile 7. Sooooo goooood!

And I stopped at the legacy tent for my special 3 year medal and pin. Gotta keep coming back for the 5 year silver swag. Maybe I'll have something left in my next year to sub 1:30??? Or I'll be dead post 26.2 (lottery/charity gods willing)


It's really awesome bling! And we got 10 yr anniversary "bean" keychains too. The clanking was out of hand...sounded like a bunch of reindeer out there!


So my final thoughts...
Thank you @DopeyBadger for the 2x half marathon + speedy 10k training because I'm in some kind of special running mindset right now. I feel like a different runner. Less scared, more confident, less tired, stronger. I'm still no elite but I really like running and running people and training (well, ok, not all the time.)
And thanks everyone for all the cheering and thanks for reading along. So excited for WDW and my hopefully very easy, breezy, magical 5k. No regrets on not running the half at W&D. I'm proud of this year even though I didn't hit every goal, I know I can do more

 

[Sailormoon2]

Amazing race recap!! I love how strong and empowered you feel

 

[Anisum]

Congrats! It's always great when you feel strong and empowered by your running. Also, nice bonus bling!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Yay!! Congratulations on your new PR!! I think for the first time, I’m more interested in the post-race food than the bling... that chocolate!! But the bling is great too!
I love reading about your running and it’s clear that you’re a strong runner, getting even stronger! So inspiring

 

[FredtheDuck]

Woot woot, congrats on the new PR! That bling is huge. And also, I kind of love this:

I get up and dressed in a bunch of layers and say to hubby "this is stupid" and he said he was proud of me for being stupid. Which is like a runners love story right there.

 

[roxymama]

Amazing race recap!! I love how strong and empowered you feel

Thanks! My catholic guilt about being boastful or showing pride eats at me to admit things like that. But I do feel strong and it's a nice feeling.

Congrats! It's always great when you feel strong and empowered by your running. Also, nice bonus bling!

The bonus bling def. makes me want to keep running this race...so their marketing strategy is working
I'm a sucker for bling shaped like mugs!

Yay!! Congratulations on your new PR!! I think for the first time, I’m more interested in the post-race food than the bling... that chocolate!! But the bling is great too!
I love reading about your running and it’s clear that you’re a strong runner, getting even stronger! So inspiring

Yay!! The chocolate is good, real good. If it was watered down hot chocolate and sucky snacks I'd be sad...but it's really really good stuff!!!
I wonder if it tastes better because of being a hungry runner..but, no, it's just good stuff.

Woot woot, congrats on the new PR! That bling is huge. And also, I kind of love this:

We often ask "why are we doing this" but then we keep doing these things and enjoy them. Haha

 

[ZellyB]

So much great in that recap! I loved that you told the pacer basically, "hey, I'm gonna hang with you until I feel like I'm ready to leave you in my dust" and then you did just that! I'm mean maybe you weren't quite that out there in what you said, but that's what I heard. You've done amazing things this year and it's been so fun to see you get faster and more confident. Love that little chocolate plate at the end. YUMMY!

And, I'm really hoping the lottery gods favor us and we can enjoy the magic of porta potties in Chicago.