Nightmare on Plank Street

This was the name of my workout today. Sounds awesome right? NOT! Apparently every OTF had the same workout today, so I had a heads up from my friend N that today was gonna suck. And she was right..

Our workouts only consisted of two major workouts. If you were on the treadmill, you had to do a rotation of: .125 mile sprint, 10 thrusters, 10 single arm snatches, 0.25 mile sprint, 10 thrusters, and 10 single arm snatches - for a 5 minute span. The other workout consisted of a rotation of: 200 meter row, 10 dolly pushup pikes, 10 dolly knee tucks, 400 meter row, 10 dolly pushup pikes, 10 dolly knee tucks - for a 5 minute span.  In between each workout, we had to do planks. We started with a 30 second plank and ended up with a 3 minute plank. I held my planks every time, but my arms couldn't stop shaking.

I was possessed during this workout. I literally powered through each workout and did not stop. Even when we were supposed to rest, I was still working out. I just wanted to go nonstop. I loved the pain I felt and the burning in my muscles. I felt like the workout was over just as soon as it started; it was the weirdest thing ever. Good news is I was able to get through each workout at least twice within my 5 minute rotations.

Overall it was a good workout. It was nice for me to get lost in this workout because today was weird. For some reason, lately I've been thinking about some of my friendships. Specifically, the friendships where I've had to let go. In the past, I've been the one who has let some friendships go. Typically I've let them go because they're either one sided or the person has hurt me so bad that I just couldn't bring myself to continue the friendship. However, I've also had friendships where the person has just cut off communication with me. Even when I reach out, I hear no response. It sucks. It makes you feel rejected and inferior. And I just need to let go. I recently read that true friends will be honest with you, be non-judgmental,  and just always be there for you through thick and thin. You should never "chase" the friendship.

And see that's what I do. I chase my friendships. I feel rejected when others don't want to be friends with me, and quite frankly that's lame. I should focus my energy on my current friendships, and cut my losses. If anything, I should realize that those who don't want to be my friend are missing out, and just continue on with my life. I know it's easier said then done, but I'm going to try. I hope it works, because I'm tired dwelling on this topic. Well enough of this topic. I'm looking forward to run club tomorrow where we have a costume run!! I am super excited :)

It's Starting to Feel Like Fall!!

This weekend I had two races. Although I love racing, it kinda sucks waking up early two days in a row.

My first race for the weekend was a run I had planned with my friend N. She is slowly starting to get back into 5Ks and wanted someone to run the race with. I love being there to support my friends during 5Ks so of course I was more than happy to sign up. Another fun bonus about this 5K was that it was 80s themed so N and I got to buy some fun stuff to dress up.

When I woke up Saturday I was so excited (and super tired lol). The weather was absolutely beautiful and it was actually pretty chilly. I went over to N's house and we headed over to the race. We met up with the group we were running the race with (it was her boyfriend's gym) and took some group pictures before heading out. Before we started the race, we agreed to keep a 2 minute run/1 minute walk interval. Once the race started, we started to follow the 2:1 interval I set up on my Garmin (N's Garmin went haywire and froze up causing it to have a shrilling beep the whole run - yes, it sucked lol).. As we approached the end, I could see she was tired, but she kept going. I don't even know if she realized how proud of her I was.

N had gone through a bunch of knee issues (it's a long story) and is still recovering from it. Her knee started swelling up at the end, but she powered through it. I know she was frustrated with the run,  but she shouldn't be. It's hard to come back from any injury, but especially one like hers. For now, it's all about coming back, but slowly. I think as runners, we want to come back to the exact running level we were in before being injured/taking time off/etc... Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Instead we need to fight harder, and work harder. I know in time she'll be back to where she was, but it's going to take some tough runs. I'm hoping I can be there for her when she needs me.

Ok, enough sappiness :) Here is one of the pictures from the run:

 
 
Now, Sunday's race was different. I was on a mission: to PR in the 10K. I had only done a couple of 10Ks, and figured I could do pretty well on this race based on my last couple of weeks of training. I had run in this race before, but this time it was double the size it was before. I knew the weather would be pristine, and when I woke up I was right - it was nice, cool, and breezy. I was a little nervous about my body because I've been having pains in my knees and heels this past week. I think because I've upped my mileage recently and continued to train harder with weights, it was my body's way of telling me to slow down.

I got to the race early, and started listening to my music to focus. I ran into my friend P from run club as I walked around the venue to warm up. P and I run about the same pace, so he stuck around with me until the race started. I almost always start in the back for every race because I like to chase everyone once the race starts; it's almost like how horses chase the rabbit when they are racing. P had never started from the back, and after the race he admitted that he liked my strategy.

Once the race started, I shot towards the front. The race had over 1000 people in it and there were some fast runners there who were looking to win prize money. I started fast, but figured I could keep pace. Mile by mile I started closing the gap between myself and the front pack. By the last mile, I had made up a lot of ground, and knew I would at least place in my age group. P had stayed with me pretty much the whole way until mile 4.5, where he dropped back a little. It was nice to have someone to take down racers with me; it kept me motivated.

My goal was under 49 minutes (right under an 8 min/mile). As I looked at my watch I knew I would beat that goal by more than a minute. During the last mile, I pushed it and passed some of the girls who I knew would try to gun for me at the end. As I rounded the corner for the last 0.2 miles, I saw one of the girls coming up right in front of me, and heard another girl grunting to pass me. There was no way in hell I was letting that happen so I turned up the heat and ended up passing her. The crowd went nuts lol; it was pretty epic. When I saw the clock I couldn't believe it. I saw my friend A from run club while I was on the course and since he finished right before I did, I went to say hi. P had come up as we were talking and we all high-fived each other. Once we said our hellos, we went to check out our time.

So official time: 46:31 - 7:30 min/mile pace. Holy crap. I couldn't freaking believe it. Not only did I place first in my age group, I ended up coming in 10th female overall. What?!?!?!! It's a crazy concept to think I ran that fast. It's hard to maintain a pace like that, but I truly believe that you can do anything you set your mind to. What's funny is that I barely looked at my Garmin. I knew that I was pushing as hard as I could, and by looking at the Garmin, I would try to adjust my pace somehow which could have ruined my race. So lesson of the day: let your body guide you to your pace during a race. I'm sore as hell but I figured that would happen, I've napped a lot today to recover.

Race Report: The Flannigans 10K race was awesome from the get-go. My race packet was the best one I have ever gotten - it was full of so many thing I would use, it was unbelievable. The venue was awesome and the time of year makes the temperature perfect! The racers were great; it held everything from the super fast runners to the novice 5K runners. The prizes were awesome! First place in the age groups got cool gear from Newton. I'm actually considering buying my next pair of running shoes from Newton because of it. And, last but not least, it was one of the biggest races in our community. I'm hoping that this race continues to get bigger and bigger. We'll see!

Before I go, I'll leave you with some pictures:

I love my gear! My favorite thing is probably the backpack!!

AHHH!!! I couldn't believe my time!

My friend P and I. He ended up winning first in his age group too!

My awesome swag bag for winning 1st in my age group. I love the socks!

Happy Trails :)

Wedding Weekend Part II

So after reading my last post, I realized I was deliriously tired, and made absolutely no sense in certain parts of my post. Ha! Ok, so as promised - Here are some of my pictures from my weekend run!




So I'm really lame and I thought this flower was so pretty!

One of my running partners and I!

This bridge was packed!!!

Someone once wrote that every time you see a feather it means your guardian angel is nearby.
This picture reminded me of my favorite poem - Footprints.
The day after the wedding we woke up to watch the sunrise :)

This was my 8 mile run time! I was so stoked. Best run I had in a while.
So, overall, the wedding was awesome. Not only did I have the best time, but I got to spend time with some of my best friends. Although I paid for it at the end, it was nice to get away from work and just relax with some of my best girlfriends. The house was absolutely ridiculous, and the view was to die for. I'm hoping to go back there for a beach vacation some time soon.

Of course no wedding is complete without some wedding drama! The drama was quite entertaining: we had a couple who got in a spat and a search party for some important wedding party guests who went missing after getting drunk for hours. It was pretty nuts. Coming home was also a nutty situation. I ended up having to change my connecting flight to Miami and sprinting across the Charlotte Airport. I sprinted so hard my lungs burned. I did have people cheering for me as I raced through the airport with carry on in hand - I felt like I was in a race. Even though I was sweaty and out of breath by the time I got to the gate, it was totally worth it! 

So now that I'm back, I've been working out almost every day. Tuesday - Orange Theory; Wednesday - Run Club; Thursday - Orange Theory. I actually cut OTF short today, because my knee was in pain. My calves feel ripped and my knee could not handle walking lunges. I think since I increased my mileage so much recently, my body is not happy. I got the message and so I'll be off my feet tomorrow. I've got two races this weekend and hope to do well in one of them. The other one is a fun run I'm doing with a friend. We get to run/walk the race in 80s outfits... How fun is that? Until my next post.. Happy Trails :)

An Amazing Wedding Weekend Part I

I want to blog about the actual wedding, but since it's late and I can't put up any pictures because they're all on my phone, I'll write about the workouts I did during my vacation :)

My flight was on Wednesday afternoon, so I decided to squeeze in a workout before I left. I ran about 4 miles, and it was probably one of the worst runs I've had in a while. I didn't have my Garmin, which was probably a good thing. The night before it had rained and you could feel the humidity suffocating you, weighing you down. Regardless, I was glad to get a workout in, even if I was disappointed in it.

On Thursday, I was able to run in some cold weather. Now, stupid me didn't bring any cold weather gear for the weekend, so I practically froze my butt off. I took a slow easy pace, and was able to knock out 4 miles, at around a 9 minute mile pace. I took someone pretty neat pictures of the scenery which I'll post later. Not only did I get to run, but the house that I was staying in had four stories which we constantly walked up and down.

Friday was the day of the wedding. We didn't have any tasks we needed to accomplish, so we got to run  that morning. One of the bridesmaids , well call her N, and myself went out for a 3 mile run. N is training for her first half marathon which is exciting. She loved talking about race stuff with me, and I gave her some minor pointers so she could be fully prepared for her first distance race.

She struggled with the run, and take a good amount of walk breaks. She kept apologizing, but I didn't mind. I love running with other people of all speeds. It gives you a chance to talk to them and pretty much be their personalized cheerleader. Trust me, if I didn't want to run with slower people, I wouldn't offer.

The run was absolutely beautiful and the beach scenery was surreal. Since I kept a steady pace for our run, I got to fully look at the world all around me. The color of the shells in the sand, the waves crashing and breaking, the smell of the ocean water, and the list goes on and on. Halfway through our run i got frustrated and I told her to calm down. I told her I loved this run because of the scenery. Her response back to me was a little shocking, because she didn't even get a chance to enjoy the scenery and focused just on enter run. Doesn't that sound like life? We get so caught up in the moment, that instead of slowing down a bit to enjoy all the things that are beautiful around us, we speed up. Maybe we don't have time, but I find that reason a lame excuse.

Saturday I ran with one of the wedding guests who is a pro athlete. She just wanted a timed out and back run. She did great without me and ended up pulling out an amazing run. Overall we probably ran about 6 miles. Crazy, huh?

I'm super tied, so I'm about to go to bed. I'm hoping tomorrow I will have cleaned up these documents and go from there.

Weddings Galore!!

The last two weeks I've been on wedding duty for some of my closest friends. Tomorrow I'm flying out for one of my best friend's wedding from high school. I am so ridiculously excited to be there for her. It's a smaller wedding - I think about 40 people total, and it will all be done at a beach house they rented. I'm staying at the beach house for the weekend and get to bunk with some of my best friends. Overall, it's a win for the week!

I checked the weather for the week, and it looks like it's cooler in North Carolina. What does that mean? Awesome running weather!! I'm planning on working out tomorrow so I don't have to pack an extra workout out fit since I'm just bringing a carry on. All my years of traveling, I've learned to pack light. I'll be sure to take pictures of my scenic runs :)

So what's new? Well, I decided to run a half marathon. What can I say? I saw it on groupon and signed up for it ;) also, I bought a guitar. Hahaha. Yup, I bought an acoustic guitar. I've been toying with the idea for awhile and decided to make it official tonight. I'm soooooo excited for it, and am ready to start learning how to play when I get back home this weekend. Yesssssss... I'll be sure to document my progress ;)

Now, as far as my workouts, I've been keeping up. On Sunday I started my half marathon training and got in 7 miles. This weekend I'm hoping to get in 8 miles and then I have two races the following weekend (so I can work on speed and taper off a bit). I've also been trying to get into the gym at least twice a week to get in some HIIT tariff.

Well.. I'm exhausted and wanted to wake up early to run a couple of miles... So until my next blog...Happy  trails ;)
 
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