“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.” - Walt Disney

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Blood, Sweat, and ... No Tears!

I swapped tomorrow's run for today since tomorrow's going to be so busy.  As I was having trouble working myself up to anywhere near my normal running pace for the second day in a row, I was flummoxed!  Surely my poor diet over the last week couldn't have had that much of an affect, right?  After all, it's never seemed to matter this much before...  Then it hit me - I'd given blood on Monday night.  DUH!  Although blood volume can be replaced within several hours to 48 hours after donation, red blood cells take longer to be replenished.  So I'm guessing that the blood donation, along with the poor diet the last week or so made for an especially bad combination this time around.  I'm really hoping that by resting tomorrow, I'll be in better shape for Friday's long run - I'll just have to see I guess!

Today's stats:
  • 3 mi; 0:52:18 min; 17:29 min/mi avg.

Run, Run, Rudolph! Race Report

Saturday morning was the Lifetime Fitness Reindeer Run 5K.  It was a "fun run" - so no timing chips, just a clock at the finish line.  We had some friends in town for the weekend, two of whom are runners, so they registered, and since there was going to be a costume contest also, I managed to talk them into running in a group costume with me!  After much consideration, and more-than-a-few email conversations, we figured out a costume that included Christmas ribbon and jingle bells finagled into a faux-reindeer-team-harness (as if we were hitched together), reindeer antlers, and even a red rudolph nose for the lead runner!

We got lots of attention, laughs, and comments from spectators, other runners, and even the police officers monitoring the course!  We were obviously a crowd favorite, which was proven later during the costume contest judging.  We won the group costume division, and were each given a running skull cap and fleece blanket (both of which had the race logo on them)!  As if that wasn't great enough, because the race benefited the Toys for Tots campaign, anyone who donated a toy was entered in a raffle - and my name was one of the ones drawn!  I won a goody bag from a local women's running store that included a set of matching items: a no-slip-grip headband/sweatband, a wristlet for holding keys, and a running skull cap with a hole in the back for a ponytail!  Cool beans!

Another high point in the morning was meeting up with some friends of mine from work who are also runners.  They brought the whole family, and Jessica WON the women's division of the 5K, and their oldest daughter (who's 5) ran in the Kid's K.  Jessica won a gift certificate for a pair of Mizuno's from Sun & Ski Sports and Anna got a super-cute medal (that I'm secretly really jealous of) and an ornament with the race logo on it.

After the race, prize ceremony, and costume judging, we went our separate ways.  However, I still had to log some more miles that morning, so Carrie and Elizabeth were kind enough to join me on continuing my run along one of the trails nearby.  We got in another 4.5 before I was ready to call it quits (so much for the plan to try to get in 9, but 7.5 certainly wasn't terrible -especially with the good paces we were keeping).  All-in-all, a very good day!  And, now the pre-half-marathon taper has officially started!

Saturday's stats:
  • 5K Race: 3.16 mi; 0:39:42 min; 12:34 min/mi avg
  • Other: 4.5 mi; 0:58:19 min; 12:58 min/mi avg

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Christmas Junkie

Yup, I admit it.  I love everything about Christmas: the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes - especially the tastes.  Not only am I a Christmas junkie, I'm a Christmas junk food junkie.  Up until the last couple of days, I was doing pretty well - a few indulgences here and there, but I was trying very hard to be mindful of what I was putting in my body.   All that started to slip this weekend, and then went completely out the window the past couple of days at work...and I felt it today during my "run."  I was sluggish, tired, and hurting.  A three mile training run turned into a three mile stroll on the treadmill.  It was a HUGE wake-up call that with just over two-and-a-half weeks until the race that I can't afford to routinely put crap into my body, because that's what I'll get out of it - crap.  So, to continue the metaphor, with the exception of the "big" meals coming up over the holidays, it's back to the "high-octane" food fuels for me!

Today's stats:
  • 3 mi; 0:53:06 min; 17:42 min/mi