Firecracker 5k Race Goals

On Tuesday I'll be racing in a local Firecracker race. I had originally planned/wanted to do the 10k as there are very few 10ks around here. But after I missed the last 5k in the Parks and Rec series due to an angry back, I decided I wanted to line up for the 5k instead. Also the humidity was going to be out of control again (as per usual) and it seems way easier to wrap my brain around running hard for 3 miles vs 6.

The last two 5ks I ran were short courses, at 3 miles, paces at 8:57 and 8:22. The 5k I ran earlier in June was 8:40 pace. I'd really like to be under 8:15 pace for this 5k, as close to 8 as possible. I've done zero speedwork so who knows if this is feasible, but I know it'll be significantly cooler at this race than it was for the one I ran 8:22 pace for. However, the humidity will be intense, soooo we'll see.

Excited to see what my legs can do!

4th of July Weekend

Ollie's face in this photo pretty accurately sums up our trio's excitement over a long weekend getaway at the lake cabin.

Car rides are boring, so pug + mom selfies are a necessity.

Beer upon arrival? check.

First pontoon ride of the week. Ollie and the flag flappin' in the breeze. #murica

Most interesting beer consumed of the weekend.

#teamgreen

Trying to snag Ollie's pic with the sunset in the background. Fail.

Ollie likes to drive the boat. (that's Captain Ollie to you)

I love when she sits like a human.

Best buds forever.

Raybans+sun

My love and I.

My loves.

Happy.

Slow Down Summer

I feel like all I do anymore is write “update” blog posts. But Danielle was whining that I need to blog asap, or she’s going to cut me, so here I am. IN BULLET POINT FORM-ish.

• Last weekend I biked 52 miles in the Okoboji ride. Following arrows on the road is hard thus the extra 2 miles in my 50 miler. It was hot. Last I saw, the heat index was 106 or something painfully hot like that. From 9am-2pm I drank over 80 oz. of fluids, yet did not have to pee until well past dinner time. Please keep in mind that I sweat 1/10^th of what I do while running, as I do biking. Gross. Big thanks to Aaron and Mike who kept me company, and joined in on my delirious singing on the latter miles, something to the effect of “my lady bits hurt, and my butt hurts, and I’m HOT.. doo deeee dooooo!”
  
  10:15 breakfast brat, natch.
  
  
• I got to spend the 3^rd and 4^th of July with my bestie Jenn and it was glorious, but of course not nearly enough time, as it never is. Someone needs to stop living in the jungle on the other side of the planet ASAP… ya know?
  
  
  
  I hope Jenn has all the cute pics, this is the only one on my phone.  *sobs*
  
  
• The other night I asked Kyle if he would come snuggle with me, as I was having a bad day. He looked at me, looked at Ollie who was snoozing away in between us, and indicated that we be “vewy vewy qwuiet” to sneak out without her. We crawled in to bed and giggled about our swift escape. Ok, I giggled, it’d be way weird if Kyle giggled… not much of a giggler. We joked that it felt like we had a kid that we were trying to sneak out on. We enjoyed 5 minutes of alone time before someone woke up and likely had a panic attack that we weren’t there anymore. “MOOOOM! DAAAAAAAAD! WHERE’D YOU GO? COME BACK! I MISS YOU! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Our Ollie girl is a little bit of a spaz when it comes to our attention, can you tell? (just like her mama, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!? Ok yeah. I’m a spaz for attention too, I must admit.)
  
  
  
  
  
• It’s been hot as hades here and running sounds like 0% fun. I’ve been going pretty strong with one run a week, Monday nights, 5 miles. It’s become a running joke, actually (heh…running joke.) I’ll be lacing up my running shoes and Kyle will say, “Whoa?? You’re going running? How far??” And then he’ll remember it’s Monday…. “Oh.. enjoy your 5 miles!” This week I bucked the trend. It was 100+ with a gazillion percent humidity, so I decided to take my 5 miles to the gym in my apartment. Ugh. The treadmills may be as old as me in there. My footfalls are SO LOUD that I couldn’t hear the TV over my plodding along. 1.25 miles later I called it good. I planned to wait until 9 when I dipped below 90 but then I got invited out for beers at Old Chicago. That’s one thing I *can* do in the heat.
  
  
• Marathon training starts in approximately a month, so I think my time of “d!ck!ng” around should probably be coming to an end. Meh. I am excited to start running again, but glad I’m not having to get “serious” for the next month. I’m kind of enjoying this break. I have started doing some targeted strengthening exercises to strengthen my glutes, hammies, hips, so hopefully I can avoid injury for once.
  
  
• I got an invitation from the Mizuno Mezzanni project, and received my free Wave Riders in the mail today. That means, that along with my heavily discounted Kinvara 2’s that I just purchased, I’m now hoarding 3 pairs of running shoes in my office at work. I used to really like the Wave Riders, and ran the Vegas Marathon in them. But when the newer version came out in Winter 2011, I *hated* them. Speaking, I still have a pair of them in pink, size 8 if anyone wants to buy them for cheap. They have 5 miles on them. Anyway, given my extreme ability to break while running, I’ve been thinking that I could stand to run in a more “substantial” shoe, especially for long runs. I’ve wanted to try to Wave Riders again, but after being burned with the pair a few versions ago, I couldn’t fathom plunking down $100+ to see if they’d changed. I’m pretty excited to see if they fill the previous long run shoe void in my heart!
  
  
  
  
  
• I’m still riding a 4.0 wave after getting my grade for my June class (quickly raises the roof with excitement). Oh p.s. I’m trying to bring “raising the roof” back so feel free to get on board with that, spread the word, etc. It was a children’s materials and services class, and further solidified how badly I want to be a children’s and young adult librarian.

Well I think that’s enough babbling for now. What’s that? You want more Ollie cuteness before I go? Alright, twist my arm.

Ollie thought she got to drive home on the 4th of July.

Dad gives the BEST tummy rubs.

When I smile my tongue usually gets caught in my teef and flipped around.  

I kan haz some sushee?!?!?!

No.

Long Run + Great Weekend + 1 Rant

Have I mentioned yet how much I love the 4th? It's great.  :)  Taylor and I went to his friend's lake cabin and had to use the wipers the whole way there.  Yup.  Rain.  :(  With no sign of sunshine in sight.  We got in around 4pm and since it wasn't sunny, decided to break into some beverages.  I had some Fat Tires.  My new favorite beer.  Yum.  Since his dad's house is insane, we played some pool, some shuffleboard (yes they have a shuffleboard table) and just kind of hung out.  It was a blast.

Saturday morning we woke up expecting to have sunshine pouring through the windows, but again, just clouds.  :(  We decided to go out in the boat anyway.  We loaded up the coolers and headed out.  Day 2's bevs were Lienekugel's Honey Weiss.  My 2nd favorite beer.  :)  We boated over to a friend's cabin to pick them up and headed out.  Many, many MANY bathroom breaks were had throughout the afternoon.  At least 10 or so by me.  :(  Whoops.  At one point we got caught in the middle of a rain shower, but it was still a blast.

Saturday night we ate some good grub and hung out by the water watching the fireworks.  There were some seriously awesome fireworks.  It was great!  I also played bartender and made the most amazing vodka tonics.  Wowsers.  So good.  :)  We ended up crashing EARLY and tented out next to the cabin since one of the guys inside kept us up ALL NIGHT Friday with his horrid snoring.

Of course, sleeping in a tent causes you to wake up at 6am because of the sun, so we were up and at em early.  SUN!  We ran to grab our suits and went out in the boat.  Too bad that the couple we were with had to leave by 10am to head to work.  So off to the waterpark Taylor and I went.  :)  Shocking.  Most of our friends were either there or on their way there, so it was a great time.  EVERYONE was questioning why I was drinking water instead of chugging the booze like them, and I had to explain again and again that I was running 9 miles that night, and didn't think the alcohol would help me any.  The responses I got was that I was crazy/9 miles was a LONG ways/and probably again that I was crazy 10x.  

After 7 hours in the sun, and dinner at Old Chicago with Taylor's family, I was ready for my 9 miler.  Luckily for me, the sun was beginning to set, and the temp was down to 75-ish.  The run was pretty uneventful so I'll throw out some highlights (and lowlights).  

First up, the RANT.  My run took me past one of the country clubs in town.  As I was running up, I saw a lady, walking backwards on the trail, in the middle of the trail.  Keep in mind that this trail is very busy, and bikes are constantly whizzing by me.  Behind her was a tiny little "purse puppy."  As I approached, she turned around and started walking forward, and I noticed her dog wasn't on a leash.  I assumed the dog must have great obedience skills, so I soldiered on.  Of course the dog ran straight at me, and I had to stop.  Jump over him.  And continue running on.  Who does this lady think she is?  After this incident, 2 cyclists went by also, and I believe yelled something at the lady about not having her dog on a leash.  It wasn't TOO difficult for me to dodge the dog, but I can't imagine if I was on a bike.  That's just a wreck waiting to happen.  In my head, I was already formulating my screaming match at the lady.  In it, her name was Muffy (totally the old-money type of country club go-er) and her dog, Poopsy.  Either way, I vented completely in my screaming match in my head.  :)

Other than that, I tried a new Gu at Mile 4 of the run--strawberry.  It was disgusting.  Yuck-o.  It did the trick though and the run was a success.  It was kind of scary running the last 3 miles as I was pretty far away on a part of the trail that is very infrequently used, and surrounded by industrial buildings, and it was getting DARK.  I get spooked so easily.  :(  I think it helped to make me run a little faster.  :)

9 miles in 1:23:33 for a 9:17 pace.  

1 9:34 
2 9:30 
3 9:22  
4 9:24 
5 9:23 
6 9:30 
7 9:22 
8 9:00 
9 8:27 

Very consistent, which I'm proud of, minus the last 2 miles where I picked it up a bit, because I just wanted to be home.

When I came home I found Tay zonked out, fast asleep.  I definitely felt like the cooler/stronger one in the couple by going for a long run after the exhausting weekend.  WHOO!  Post-shower I was practically passing out waiting for my leftover calzone to reheat.  Wowsers, the tiredness hit me like a ton of bricks, and I slept HARD.

I have the day off today too, yay go me.  :)  I think Round 2 at the waterpark is in store.