Monthly Archives: October 2013

Sunshine Run 10K

Daily Life!, Workouts, ,

Well, I did it folks! 10K has been completed and totally dominated. IMG_2254Yesterday morning I ran my very first 10K in the Sunshine Run 10K here in Springfield, and I had a blast!

The day started out rainy and stormy, so I was definitely awake early and worrying about the weather. My race was at 8:30 am, so I was sure to wake up by around 6:30 to get some food in my belly and be sure I had everything ready to go. I had some Cheerios and an apple to keep it light on my tummy. And of course I had my typical morning coffee – just not quite as much as normal.

IMG_2245I was dressed and ready to head out with Nick by my side around 8 am. The race started at Hammon’s Field, home of the Springfield Cardinals, which isn’t too far from my house. It was also absolutely POURING rain at this point, so I was in no rush to get there early and stand in the rain. 🙂

IMG_2246See all the water on the field? It was intense. Luckily right as we arrived the rain started to lighten up, and it was totally done by the time I got to the starting line.

IMG_2247 IMG_2238The rain definitely kept the numbers down. I went to the starting line probably 5 minutes before race time, and I was still way up in front. I was getting extra nervous at this point!

IMG_2240This was also my first timed race, so I was worried about my chip the whole time. Silly, I know. It stayed right in place the whole 6 miles.

We took off quickly, and I settled into my normal groove of running and breathing. I don’t listen to music when I run outside, so I tend to focus on my breathing a lot. It paid off too! I found a good set of people to help me pace easily, and the 6.2 miles flew by. It was a ‘down and back’ course, which isn’t my fave. The course seemed to be uphill the whole return trip though, which kept my mind off the course itself and more on me picking up my feet and not passing out. 🙂

IMG_2249 IMG_2248Nick caught these photos of me right outside the stadium which is where the race ended. I was so happy to see him cheering me on and to know that I was almost done! The race ended after one lap around the outskirts of the field. This is where I got completely muddy and gross! But with the finish line in site, I didn’t mind too much.

IMG_2250Woo!! I ended up running a little more than 6.2 miles (I was not hugging the inside of the track enough!) in 50:54 officially. My pace was 8:10 per mile which is my fastest yet!

IMG_2241And with those numbers, I was super happy but completely pooped.

IMG_2253I’m exhausted and sweaty in this photo. Can you tell?? HA! And look at this fancy pose…

IMG_2256I’m super cool, I know. 😛

IMG_2242And here is just a taste of all the mud that got slung up on my legs during my final lap in the stadium. Yuck!

They handed out bananas, Greek yogurt, and protein bars along with lots of water after the race, but nothing sounded good to me for a bit. So we headed on home where I finally stomached some yogurt and showered off. It was such a fun time!

This was way different from the other races I had been in though. I showed up just on time to run, and then I headed home as soon as I caught my breath and had some water. It wasn’t the most fun race as far as activities and huge crowds, but I still loved it, especially since I was so happy with my time. 🙂 Plus I placed 61st overall, and 2nd in my age group. Woot! And for the record, I really don’t care about all the numbers and stuff. I just set out on this run with a goal of finishing strong without any walk breaks. And that I did with ease! So it’s a win in my book.

The rest of the day consisted of relaxing and lots of eating to fuel my running tummy! I got on my comfiest outfit and we headed out to lunch at TGIFridays.

IMG_2258Ha. Once again, I’m super cool. I had a grilled chicken salad with lots of blue cheese, avocado, and a balsamic vinaigrette.

IMG_2259I had one happy tummy. It was the perfect post race meal. It just took me a while to gain my appetite, but no worries, it showed up and hasn’t quite gone away yet!

Overall, I’m really proud that I completed my 10K without any issues, and I’m hoping that I have many more races ahead of me. Running is tough, but it’s extremely addictive. I love it!

IMG_2272Have a great night everyone. I have something yummy cooking in my Crockpot for our dinner on this nice cool, Fall evening. Recipe to come asap! See you then!

Ready for Rest

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, ,

Happy Friday!! It’s been a beautiful day here in the SGF. I definitely took Mac on a long walk during my lunch break to soak up as much sun as possible. It’s looking like today may be our last ‘hot’ day of the season, so although I hate hot weather, I’ve gotta try to enjoy it while it lasts.

Quickie Workout

Since I’m running a 10K in the morning, I was going to sleep in today to let my body rest. But it had a different idea and I awoke at my normal 5:15 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. So I decided to go to the gym for a light and quick workout.

I didn’t want to do anything to make my legs too tired, so I contained all my cardio to the Elliptical machine. I started with 2 miles before doing a small circuit of weight machines that focused on my arms and back. I moved onto the rowing machine for about 5 minutes (I get so bored!), and then I finished with 1 more mile on the Elliptical. It was quick and easy, but I was sweaty and felt accomplished.

Breakfast

Breakfast should’ve been better, but I don’t think I cooked my oatmeal correctly.

photo(77)Blah. It tasted okay, but somehow I messed up my classic breakroom oatmeal. At least it still filled me up. And I had an apple and some yogurt on the side with lots of coffee.

photo(78)I’ve been washing this pink coffee tumbler just about every night. It’s my Breast Cancer Awareness mug – so obviously October is the time to use it most!

The morning crept by pretty slowly, and my tummy was growling by around 11 AM. I was ready for more food!

Lunch

Lunch started out with a big salad that I threw together last night.

photo(76)This salad was FULL of veggies as I was trying to use up some stuff that nearing it’s expiration. My tummy was lovin’ it. So I had a few more veggies (also leftovers!)

photo(75)A mix of sweet corn and lima beans leftover from dinner last night. A colorful lunch so far! And then I finished it all off with some eggs and cheese.

photo(74)I scrambled 2 eggs in the microwave and then put some reduced fat colby jack on top. I could hear the lactose-intolerant part of me screaming “NOOOOO, Don’t do it!!” But the cheese was calling my name and I had to. I’m paying for it slightly right now but nothing too intense. 🙂

And now as my day is winding down I’m getting more and more tired. I wish I could’ve slept in this morning, but my body was just ready to go! I’ll be extra ready for some rest after my race tomorrow. I start at 8:30 a.m., so I should be relaxing by approximately 10:30. Can’t wait! Nick and I also have a Groupon to use tomorrow night that is getting ready to expire. It’s for a date for 2  at Vino Cellars. Should be a fun time and will be my little reward for (hopefully) finishing my first 10K!

I hope you all have a great start to your weekend. I’ll see you after I dominate my first 10K!

10K Anticipation

Daily Life!, ,

Happy Thursday! I hope you all have had a great day so far. My Thursdays tend to always be awesome since it already feels like the weekend is here. And today has been a good one as well!

Since I started yesterday with a long run (8 miles), I decided to sleep in this morning and delay any crazy morning workouts until after my 10K on Saturday morning. I always feel lazy when I sleep in and don’t workout before my workday, but sometimes an active body just needs some rest! This is something I’m slowly learning, and it’s not been fun.

I’m in complete and utter anticipation-mode of my first 10K that’s on Saturday! I’m so excited/ready/pumped about it! I’m also ready to get it over with. Races are so fun, but the anticipation is killer! I feel more than prepared enough to be able to finish the 6.2 miles without any issues. So I’ve got my game face on….like this little guy…

baby memeHaha sorry, I couldn’t help it. He’s so darn cute.

Nick was planning on running with me but has run into some health issues this week, so I’ll be heading out on my own during the Sunshine Run. Although he promised to come cheer me on from the sidelines. 🙂

I’m slowly learning that running and races can be quite addictive. I’ve only run two 5K races up to this point, and I’m already hooked!

photo(73)I betcha can’t guess what my first run was?! The Color Run was my very first race which took place in April of this year. Then next came the Glow Run 5K!2013-09-14 18.56.00 And now this weekend I’ll add my 3rd race, the Sunshine Run, which will also be my very first 10K. I hope I get a medal at the end to add to my wall!!

Depending on how this 10K goes, I really think I want to sign up for my first half marathon. I found one in St. Louis on January 25. I think this would give me the perfect amount of time to train! And we could stay with Nick’s family for that weekend as an added bonus. Have I mentioned I LOVE his family?? Well I do. So stay tuned folks. My first 13.1 may be in the near future!

So here’s a sneak peek of Katie‘s professional wedding photos!

903434_10201964979628258_2035155224_oCute, right?! I’m so excited to see more from her big day.

Well enjoy the rest of your Thursday night. Yay for the weekend starting tomorrow! Friday’s are the best. I’ll be taking it easy in prep for my race – hopefully you can get in some relaxation time as well! See ya then!