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?

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?

I'm Afraid of Commitment

For days now, I have been reading on Facebook and blogs about the New Year's Resolutions of others.  There is one goal that I most definitely want to accomplish this year but it's going to be a challenge for me so I'm afraid to officially declare it.  If I don't officially commit, then I can't officially fail, right?

When I first started blogging, part of the motivation behind it was to put my goals in writing and hold myself more accountable for my actions.  So here it goes:

• Run, walk, and/or crawl 1000 miles (approximately 20 miles a week)
• Walk 100 miles with Julia (approximately 2 miles a week)
• Get married!
• Run a half marathon under 2:22:00
• Bring my bowling average up to 120 (haha, baby steps)
• Prepare meatless dinners on Mondays
• Continue to decrease body fat (down to 22%)
• Stay positive by writing in five things I am thankful for every day

There you have it!  I hope you are as excited as I am for this new year!

(FYI:  6 miles on Sunday---994 to go!)

What are your goals?

Is there a goal you would like to suggest for me?

Vices are Nicest

Is it still a vice if it is helping you to get attain a healthy goal?   I hope so because I have taken the leap!  I will be running another half marathon!

I have never been a runner that set timed goals for myself until recently.  I was always ecstatic if I was able to finish the whole race without walking at all and only focused on increasing my mileage and race completion.  I've used a Nike+ for quite some time but never really paid much attention to the pace.  It was merely my odometer. 

I think it has actually been this blog that has inspired me to keep track of my pace and set more ambitious goals for myself.  Well, probably not MY blog but all the other blogs that I have started reading since starting this blog.  For instance, some bloggers are running 50 mile races and make my sad attempt at a half marathon look um, sad.  I still think they are crazy but it makes me feel like a marathon might not be that insane to attempt ;)

Just a mere twenty-four weeks until I get my second chance at half marathon glory.  I have to admit, it won't take much to beat my previous time of 3:22:27.  But my goal for this half is 2:22:00 (10:50 min/mile).  I'm actually running as part of the Lake Ridge RidgeRunners team so I feel like I have to meet this goal not only for myself but for them as well.....and now for all of you :)

What race are you training for?

Do you think Hershey would put on a better chocolate race than RAM racing?

In Search of Indulgence

Good Turkey Eve!  Thanksgiving has started early here!  It is my mom's birthday today and in true celebration, we went out for lunch and stuffed ourselves.  We met up at Famous Dave's and ordered their double lid feast.  That's right folks, two trashcan lids full of delicious barbecue and sides.  Even after absolute gluttony, we went home and soldered the cracks with vanilla and chocolate cake.  Remember the ultimate vanilla cake?  Well, I got some more of that and also tried the ultimate chocolate cake.  Yum yum yum!

In a related story, I have been thinking more and more about finding a half marathon to sign up for.  My first half marathon was Disney's Wine and Dine.  Unfortunately, a mystery pain in my leg sidelined me about two months before the race and prevented me from finishing my training.  I ended up running cold turkey and the pace clearly shows it.  My finish time will not be hard to beat and I am really excited to try again.

I'm not sure what finish line will beat Epcot but I'm willing to try to find it.  It's weird but my searches for "Oreo half marathon" and "bacon half marathon" came up with nothing.  There was a Turkey Hill 10k but the distance was all wrong.  I did find a nice half marathon in Pennsylvania.  Hershey, PA that is!   I know I am already running a race that ends in a chocolate heaven but I'm pretty sure chocolate is always motivating! 

Here's the deal, this race was held October 16th this year.  Our wedding is planned for October 20, 2012. 

Who's up for moving the wedding to PA?

Do you have running bumper stickers on your car?

BAM it! :(

Yesterday's 10pm bedtime was an intentional fail.  I forgot about this growing addiction on Wednesday nights...

So let's just call today a rest day too because I didn't get up and run either.  No BAM today.  I love that tomorrow is Friday though!  It means I can go to work in jeans and sweatshirt.  That also means that it will take me half the time than it usually does because it will require NO ironing.

So the plan is to get up and run five miles on the treadmill.  Boring but necessary to keep in training for the Hot Chocolate 15k and the Lake Ridge RidgeRunner 10k Turkey Trot.  I'm getting pretty excited about the Turkey Trot race on Sunday :)  It's nothing compared to Kara's JFK 50 miler but let's face it, 10k is going to take a lot less time and won't make me nearly as sore.  Those are two things that I am very grateful for!   I updated my races page with a couple more runs.  My time for my first half marathon was added to it and it was AWFUL!  I need to sign up for a half marathon and redeem myself...immediately!

I have mentioned before that when I was training for my half marathon, I got some leg injury that no one could help me with.  I did physical therapy and saw an orthopedic surgeon and still had no diagnosis.  I ended up resting all of August and September (as in NO running) and ran the half marathon cold turkey in October.  It's no small wonder that I was doing a 14 minute mile. 

Do you know of an awesome half marathon that I should redeem myself at?

Do you have a TV show that wins over sleep?