It's Monday, mmmm, Monday. Hmm, that doesn't quite have the same feel as "It's Friday, frfrfr, Friday" does... We have a busy, but fun weekend this weekend. On Saturday, Beer Geek wanted to try out something new to us - duckpin bowling. What, you ask, is duckpin bowling? Well, it's bowling with small balls (3.5-5 pounds) and smaller pins. While it looks a lot like regular bowling, the different weight and sizes make the pins act differently. And I'll be the first to admit that we kept the bumpers up for the whole time we bowled. It would have been a depressing game otherwise LOL. I also found that I actually had a preference of which ball to use, even though they all looked basically the same. Certain balls just seemed to slip … [Read more...]
That time my skirt fell down and I PR’d my 5k
I've been really lucky with races. I've never forgotten anything super important like my shoes or my Garmin. I've never had horrible chafe or fallen at a race (I save that for when I'm running alone). I've had a few not so awesome fueling situations and I've completely forgotten to eat before a race, but I've never not made it to the portapotty (ahem), I've never puked at a race (come close a few times), and I've only had a few complete meltdowns due to heat/poor hydration/poor fueling choices. So, since we are discussing Race Mishaps on Tuesdays on the Run, I'll share my 5K PR story. Before I do that, promise me you'll share a race mishap or two with me. This blog was started to chronicle my journey to the Marine Corps Marathon … [Read more...]
Skirt Sports Ambassador Weekend and 13er/5k
Have you ever had a weekend that you had super high expectations for and then it turned out even better than you could have ever expected? That was this weekend at the Skirt Sports ambassador retreat and 13er/5K. It was a whirlwind trip with some glitches and some craziness, but worth every penny spent and all the logistics that went into it. I left DC on Friday morning, with a bit of a hangover and not nearly enough sleep. Beer Geek's sister and her husband had visited on Thursday evening and I had a lovely time hanging out with them. Unfortunately, that meant I packed my suitcase at 1:30am and then got up at 5am. Thankfully, it was a Skirt Sports weekend, so I literally grabbed handfuls of Happy Girls, a couple of Gym Girl Ultras, … [Read more...]
Runner’s World Five and Dime Race Report
Runner's World Five and Dime October 17, 2015 5K: 34:34 10K: 1:09:38 Temp: Mid-40s with a bit of wind What I wore: hat, long sleeve half zip, Skirt Sports Happy Girl Skirt(this is an affiliate link), compression socks, arm sleeves, and Altra Running One 2.5 (affiliate link). When I got invited to the Runner's World Half and Festival as an influencer, I thought I'd be pushing it at every race. Unfortunately, bronchitis and my hip had a different opinion. So, instead I had one goal for these two races: finish them both without re-injuring my hip. I was still coughing quite a bit and had forgotten my inhaler, so that added a little extra fun to the races. But I totally nailed my goals. 5K After hanging with several of the other … [Read more...]
5K Dreams
I don't run a lot of 5Ks. One, they are hella uncomfortable. Two, I prefer to spend my race dollars to run long and slow. Yeah, if I'm going to pay to run, I want a good 2 hours of torture LOL. But I got offered two free entries to the Cupid Run 5K AND my dad is in town, so what's a girl to do? Run, of course. And try to keep the back of my dad in view. (Yes, he kicks my butt at all distances LOL). The Cupid Run is being held at a new local shopping area, Mosaic. I've never been as it's not super close to my house, but I'm looking forward to checking it out when I go over for packet pickup. According to their website: An intelligent & connective urban design Mosaic is pioneering intelligent urban design and enhancing … [Read more...]
Breaking the rules
As I mentioned earlier, I joined Team Tough Chik in January. I'm not sure exactly why I joined, other than the shirt was cute and I like their philosophy. As it turns out, it's a group of women from all walks of life. We are all different ages from different parts of the country. We are young and old. Some run, some do triathlons, one woman rock climbs (holy cow!) What I found (and had no idea I'd find) was a wonderfully supportive group of women who are willing to discuss everything from menopause to injuries to fashion while running. One of the TC's came up with the idea of a weekly "Riddle me this?" question for those of us who blog to answer if we feel like it. This week's question: What running rule do you break? Me? I … [Read more...]
State #17: Wild and Wonderful West Virginia
Well, it was definitely wild. And wet. This past weekend I was in Shepherdstown, WV for the Chesapeake Watershed Forum. Conveniently, Freedom's Run was the same weekend and they offered everything from a 5k to a full marathon. After a full day of conference stuff, I headed over to packet pick up with my parents and managed to switch to the 5k. (I'm attempting to have as few 5k's as my state races as possible, but I'm not in 10k shape. Sad but true.) Pre-race Anyways, packet pickup was a breeze and I got to talk to one of the guys at Two Rivers Treads, which has the Center for Natural Running and Walking. We spent some time discussing my injuries and he watched me run. His verdict? I run too hard. So, in addition to all the … [Read more...]
First Vibram Five Fingers 5k Race
I would have to say that my first 5k in the Vibrams was a huge success! I PR'd by 41 seconds, I came in under 25 minutes (barely) AND I took 2nd in my age group. The running skirt? That was a major FAIL from a running standpoint. I've lost a couple of pounds, so the skirt kept sliding down and the compression shorts totally worked themselves up where they should not have gone. It was a recipe for chafe. It annoyed me at first, but I decided I wanted to focus on the run and I'd deal with the chafe later. Surprisingly, while I'm sure it looked unattractive, I managed not to chafe. The Vibrams were great for the most part. The first mile and a half of the Clarendon Day 5k are largely downhill. The last mile and a half are rolling … [Read more...]
PR at the Turkey Trot
Thursday morning dawned cold, but sunny. I had a rough night with Shoo, so I got up a bit late. I ate a bit of breakfast and played musical cars (we live on the route and I wanted them off the street) and then headed over to the race. I continued my pursuit of my 1000 mile goal by running the .4 miles to the start. When I got to the start, I ran into a ton of neighbors and friends. About 1500 people were doing the race and I felt like I knew at least a quarter of them. LOL Most of the people I knew weren't planning to race the Turkey Trot, just finish it, so I moved by myself to the start. The turkey gobbled and we headed off - straight up a steep hill. Luckily it wasn't too long, so it was just a nice warm-up. The first mile was only … [Read more...]
