Karma Got Me

So it really served me right when I showed up in my purple shirt hoping to blend in with the Team in Training runners....

And everyone else at the run was wearing orange for Team Challenge.

They were not running for Team in Training

Hi, Team Challenge!  I see you like to wear orange shirts...

Instead of blending in with the masses of purple that I expected to see, I stood out like a sore thumb in the sea of orange that ruled this race.  I have to admit that this serves me right for pretending to be a part of a charitable group in hopes of hearing a few people cheering me on. 

Despite my foiled wardrobe plan, I had a really great race.....once the race actually started....  Apparently there were transportation problems with shuttles from the hotels so the race actually started about 40 minutes late.  I'm pretty surprised that it started so late since last year they had the same problem.  I guess the race organizers didn't learn anything from their inaugural race and I wouldn't hold my breath for the problem being solved next year either.

Once we actually started running, the run felt really good.  My dad and I ran the first two miles together and then I told him he could go ahead without me.  The weather was a perfect fifty something degrees with an occasional breeze.  The course also had a significant portion that was shaded with trees, which made the run even more enjoyable. 

Me and My Favorite Running Partner

I finished the race in 2:17:04 chip time, which would have been faster had I known that the race was going to start 40 minutes late because I would have used the port-o-potty one last time and would have eliminated the bathroom break at mile two.  I paused my Garmin for the potty break and my finish time was 2:15:03.  I'm pretty sure that's frowned upon in the running community but I don't care.  In case you don't remember, my goal for this race was 2:22:00 so I beat that time by a five minutes!

I'm pretty proud of myself!  In comparison to my first half marathon time of 3:22:27, I have improved by over an hour :)  To top of my elation, I got some pretty nice finishers gifts as well.

Riedell Wine Glass.  Fancy!

I love getting a technical shirt instead of the regular cotton ones but I have to admit, this one is pretty ugly.  What $100 for this shirt.  I also really like the medal that we received.  It is a bottle stopper AND has a corkscrew on it!!  My one complaint is the medal weighed about fifty pounds and while walking around with my nice wine glass, it hit the glass once or twice and I was pretty sure the glass was done for.  Thankfully, the glass held up to the beating but maybe the race organizers should rethink that combo.

What has been your favorite race swag?

My Body Hates Summer

I did it!  I went out for a nine mile run on Saturday.  Yes, I know I promised you the thrills of a double digit run but it just didn't happen.  Let's just say that I didn't get myself out of the house to run until 10:30am and at that point it was starting to warm up.  I felt like the sun was beating down on me with every step I took.
Not only that but I've been pretty awesomely bad about doing laundry so I was stuck running in black socks...

I'm pretty sure it was psychosomatic but I was convinced that my feet were melting inside of my shoes.  Not only that but the soles of my feet were hurting from lack of cushioning too.  (I hope you stopped by for a healthy dose of whining because that is what you are getting today!)

So anyway, I nearly died of heat on my run and then decided to head off to the Healthy Kid Expo at the Pnats Stadium.  For the next three hours we walked around in the sizzling sun.  It was actually only in the mid-80's and I'm pretty sure I will spontaneously combust once July rolls around.....I really wish my body would adjust to these hotter temperatures already!

On the plus side, Kara gave me a great idea for the VA Wine half marathon and the Team in Training predicament:  Wear a purple shirt!  So simple and yet so genius.  I picked up a purple tech shirt at the thrift store a couple weeks ago so I think that's what I will wear.  It's a long sleeved shirt so I will need to bust out my Sally  Seamstress skills but let's hope it pays off in fan adoration and extra water along the course ;)

Are you more whiny in the winter or the summer?

Two weeks until 13.1 miles

So it just dawned on me that I only have two weeks left until the VA Wine Country Half Marathon (eek!).  I have been running but I haven't been doing much in the way of distance.  I have mapped out a lovely little route for today that will be a nice ten miles under my belt.  Isn't planning half the battle?

Even though I have been signed up for this race for months, I have only recently started researching it.  It turns out that not only will I be getting a medal for finishing BUT that medal will also double as a wine stopper!  Literally, this is the best news of my day :)

source

Finally, I medal that I can actually use!  For next year's race, I think they should have it double as a wine holster.

I'm pretty sure I could wear this
while running

Anyway, I read some reviews and it turns out this race starts out downhill and then continues to roll after that.  I guess my previous admission of wanting to do hill work should come to fruition if I want to be mildly successful in this race.  I also read that the participants in this race are largely Team in Training.  Some of the complaints were that the volunteers and spectators were blind to anyone not wearing a purple shirt.  I'll admit this won't encourage me during a race but I don't think it will kill me either.  Possible famous last words? 

If you could design a twofer medal, what would it double as?

Countdowns!

I feel like time has been flying by, deadlines fast approaching, and I have been doing nothing.

There is little more than five weeks until my next race.  It's not a long one but it's one that I have done several times and I want to PR.  My best time at the Monument Avenue 10k is 1:00:52 (9:49 mile).  My goal for this year is 59 minutes (9:29 mile).  Since gaining twelve pounds over the course of the past couple of months, this goal may be more difficult that I originally intended it to be.  OH, the challenges of being lazy and gluttonous.  It's a good thing that I have finally settled on a good pair of running shoes!  We will be spending lots of quality time over the next five weeks.

My next race is the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon, which is a mere 14 weeks away.  I am really, really excited for this race because it will be my second half marathon and, as long as I don't die on the course, it will be no problem killing my last PR.  I have to admit, I'm really awful at sticking to a training plan.  I usually print one out, post it on the wall next to my treadmill, and proceed to ignore it.  Well, not entirely, I reference it to see what my longest run should be for the week and then I try to get that one done but that's it.  I still don't understand the speed work that they list on there...

So that's all my running countdowns for the time being.  I really want to sign up for more races but alas, the wedding planning is getting in the way and spending money is frowned upon when I'm supposed to have mucho money saved :(  Speaking of, there are only 240 days (roughly 34 weeks) until I am Mrs. Munoz!! 

Also, 15 weeks until I'm the big 3-0 and 28 days until...

It may be worth the midnight screening

What are you counting down?