This week's Training plan + Mini-recap of Christmas without Cancer 5k from 10/1/16:
So I was hemming and hawing over running the small 5k in my town on Saturday. It really didn't fit in my training plan because I'm trying to do all of long runs and I'm trying to keep my tempo runs on my tempo days, etc. I don't know why it never occurred to me that I could just shoe-horn it into a planned run. By not driving to the race, I'd get my mileage in on the way home. It was like a light-bulb went off. Chris' parents said they'd come over to play with my kiddo and since it was a little gloomy out they ended up just staying at the house while we made the mile+ hike to the starting area. The plan was to just stick together and not try to break any world records. No speeding off for no reason. We did not bring any music for the specific reason to chat with each other, and chatting requires running comfy and easy.
Our plan was slightly foiled when it began to drizzle as we got close to the registration tent. I should have brought a hat! We ducked inside and registered and talked with a few volunteers about the cause (my husband is a cancer survivor and my mom is battling her third type time within a years time, so it was empowering seeing all the women with short hair helping to man the gear check and raffle tables etc.) Made me glad I was there. And then the skies opened up. We had a weird feeling the race would be called and it would just become a donation from us. But the race director got up on a chair and said they were delaying the start by a half hour and then they'd let us know. We were packed pretty tight into the tent at this point. There was a full JV footabll team under the tent and people in drenched ugly christmas sweaters and a high school choir singing christmas carols. Was kind of a funny scenario. We bumped into a woman around my age who asked about my pink flower in my hair (for my mom, I've been running with it this year) and she's an oncology worker. She just did her first two triathlons this year so her and Chris talked each other's ears off. Runners really are such a nice bunch.
Finally the rain let up enough that we got out to the start. Unfortunately all the pre-race speeches were a little long because it started coming down hard again. They announced all kids who did not want to run could go do hoola-hoop and obstacles in the tent aka be babysat. Good idea. And we were off. Hubby and I started at a reasonable pace and a million people flew past us. We entered a weird vortex of only us for a long time. All the speedy people way ahead...all the slower people way behind. Every now and again someone would come zipping by us and I think maybe only 4 times we passed anyone. But we were having fun out there. I was talking more than him, but that's like any other day. There was FlashDance and Eye of the Tiger sung. I removed my glasses during mile 1 and just ran half blind in the rain. A new thing for me. I should have brought my hat. I will forever remember this race as the "soggy cowbell race" because every intersection had a bunch of football players at it with cowbells (that's why that football team was under the tent!) and they were very supportive, calling out our numbers and cheering. Those boys should get a medal for standing in that rain being so cheerful. A fellow runner asked them how they were doing this season and they are undefeated and had won the night before. Nice, hope they don't all have pneumonia today!
So final .1 of a mile a woman looking my age zipped past me like lightning and I jokingly said "there goes my age group award." Full well knowing there were at least 30 runners who finished ahead of us (I told you all it was a small race.)
We crossed the finish hand in hand which got a good cheer from the dozen spectators and line of more soggy cowbell football players. I was shocked to be handed a medal. Was not advertised, so nice surprise. We both ate a soggy banana and drank some water and ducked into the tent to get our t-shirts that we had gear checked (which was just a folding table with ziploc bags on it with our name magic markered on it, but whatever, nice to have at a small race.)
And then we just turned around and went back...through the course again basically (not back over the timing mat though)..and back home. A police officer who was out blocking traffic saw us and joked "haven't you already gotten your excercise in for the day" Haha, nope. I joked back "we should have drove here." It was still raining btw, just lighter than before.
I'm kind of proud of us for doing something so silly in hindsight. And it was nice to spend the time together. And looking back I feel pretty good about being able to talk and joke around while running, I know my fitness was not "there" for that kind of thing a year ago (or even less.)
My hubby is going to try to PR the other local race next weekend. I told him I think he has it in him. He has not sub-30'd yet but has gotten very close a number of times. He has better endurance than me though. He ran 9.2 miles the other day because he felt like it. Ooof.
The final weird thing that I talked about in the running thread: I maybe might have gotten an age-group placement maybe? The initial results had me at first place for my age...but the # of runners listed was seriously low. I thought they updated the results today when I saw a patch article on facebook stating 160 runners of the 427 who registered ran/walked the race (due to the rain!) and when I clicked the results it had only 27 people on it and my hubby and I aren't on there at all. I hope they put us and everyone else back on there soon so I can solve the mystery. I DOUBT I actually placed first. I'd be happy with a top 10 though seeing as the field in front of us was pretty small but also it was full of women who look my age. Unless this was a magic race where all other women are 34 or 40???
My hubby needs his results to show so he can get his challenge medal for running our local race series.
No other pics...it was raining and I didn't bring my phone.
OK and now to my training for this week:
Monday 10/3: Usually rest, but my hubby flies out of town on Tuesday, so 4 miles @ EA on the treadmill.
Tuesday 10/4: Rest
Wed 10/5: Rest (aka clean and laundry)
Thur 10/6: 1 mi WU, 5mi Tempo 9:42, 1 mi CD EEEEEP, 5 miles TEMPO! AHHHH. Ok, I got this, I can do this. I may need some encouragement on Thursday.
Fri 10/7: try not to eat pizza night.
Weekend: 5 mi @ LR 11:01. Hey, only 5! So Thursday will be tricky but at least this one will be less tricky. I see hot it works
Next weekend I spy an 8 mile LR...which will be a new distance PR for me.
I'm gonna add some food pics from the week here now. So I apologize if you are all hungry.
Chicken with fennel and tomatoes and mashed potatoes.
Cajun chicken with grilled corn and tomatoes over zuchinni rice.
And my hubby made this one last night (bless him): Sliced grilled beef and shisito peppers over a toasted baguette with garlic aioli (I made the aioli...I think I'm spelling it wrong though) and a salad with just olive oil and some red wine vinegar on it (I wish it was ranch dressing but the point it us trying to be healthier.)
And last but not least. My kiddo earned her kids backstroke and breastroke patches and has moved up to level 3 on the big lanes...learning how to flip. And she's only 3! Got a little athlete on our hands here. Good thing hubby and I are trying to be in shape, gonna get harder to keep up with her.
Oh and finally finally...I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT TINK WEEKEND!!! I can't contain myself. There was a travel brochure at Costco this weekend that had the DCA ferris wheel on the cover and I about lost my mind with excitement.
