First 10K EVER!!

This weekend was a busy one.  I had to work on Saturday and we have a ton of work to do to get this house Spring/Summer ready.  I also had my first ever 10K on Sunday morning.  I have done ever other distance but for some reason, this one has gotten away from me.  I ran with a couple of ladies from my running group, my fast running partner from my last race (ASK 5K) and one of the ladies husbands.  It was a total different experience this week, thankfully.
We started out at an 8:00/mile pace which we were doing good with and then fluctuated between 8:10-8:20 the rest of the race.  She doesn't wear a watch so I was in charge of the pacing which doesn't bother me.  I watch the pace and she keeps me going. She is a little faster than me but that's the beauty, I keep up with her and it betters my time.  She is like me, constantly competing with herself and trying to do BETTER every race she runs.  I normally am not a finish line sprinter, I tell her every race, I'm a distance runner, I don't sprint.  Well this race, I sprinted the last 100 and it felt great!!! I raced a woamn that came up next to me during those last 200 and beat her which felt awesome.  I know, I'm a little competitive but it's what's taken me from a 10:00/mile to an 8:00/mile.
I have now been contemplating attending a speed workout at the UVA track.  The workouts are FREE and there are some great runners there that I could learn a lot from. I have two hang-ups, one- it's at 530AM and      two- I have a race this weekend and then another in two weeks so I just need to get past them and then really start training for the fall season. I have decided after my June 1, Wounded Warrior 5K, that I am taking a racing break until late summer, fall. I need to work on my speed, distance and strengthen my core and glutes. I have signed up for one half this fall and have another one in the back of my head for the end of August so I really need to make sure my knee is ready for the distance and I am mentally ready to get under 1:50 for the half.  I finished my last half at 1:57 so 7 minutes if lofty but totally doable with the right training.  I had thought about hiring a coach to get my time down but am now being approached by my friends for plans and training help for fulls and halfs.  That is the ultimate compliment and I am considering getting my coaching certificate in the future.  Not sure I am going to jump into the ring with all the other SUPER coaches out there but some local stuff and my own training would be wonderful.
On a sad note, I had to say good bye to a wonderful woman this Sunday. I played competitive fast pitch softball throughout my high school career and traveled across the US with a great group of girls. Some of my fondest memories are on the softball field with these ladies and it is bittersweet that I only get to see them at funerals now. We always plan to get together for a happy event at the funerals but they never seem to happen and then another death occurs.  Life is way too short, I am trying to appreciate ever minute I have with my family and friends as I know it could be taken away in an instant.  
On a happy note, happy Monday.  Beginning of another training week. I have the Foam Fest 5K this weekend to look forward to with my husband and then Mother's Day!!! Happy running!

May goals

May has arrived, very quickly this year has gotten away from me.  I had such plans going into 2013 after finishing my first marathon which were quickly destroyed by IT band syndrome.  I signed up for several races and low and behold, I ended up in P.T. rather than PR'ing races which I believed I could.
Enough pity party.... May goals:

1. Run at least 75 miles this month.
2. Complete glute exercises at least 4 times a week.
3. Complete the ab program my girl Nicole at Cole Squared Fitness developed for me
4. Unplug in the evening when my kids are still awake and limit my time to an hour when my hubby is home.

I think I can stick by these and will be checking in more frequently to hold myself accountable for my decisions that I am making.
I have two races so far for this month.  The Carytown 10k this weekend and then the Foam Fest the following weekend with my husband.  We run a few races a year together and this is one of them. I am not a fan of obstacle races but he loves them so I will support him.  I am definitely fearful of hurting my knee and not being able to complete any of my races I have paid for.  I am considering a half in August which puts me back in training the second week of June which I was planning on taking easy and cross training during but HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!
Running is my drug...... I try to stop and end up signing up for another race.  At least this habit burns calories!!

Running with a friend.... good or bad??

I have come the the realization that I am going to be a once a week kind of blogger right now.  This past week was crazy hectic with sports class, swim lessons, preschool, gymnastics, 2 birthday parties in two states and a 5K on Saturday all the while trying to get my miles in and get my May goals in check!!
I ran the 5K with my fast running friend and while she drives me to run faster, I really don't enjoy running with others.  I know it sounds weird but I think I get more enjoyment out of running alone than with a group. When I started out on my running journey, I ran for my ALONE time. I had newborn twins and a 15 month old daughter at home, had stopped working all together and was trying to adjust to being a SAHM.  I really don't care what people think about SAHM, we do work, we do have stresses in our life and yes sometimes it is easier when the kids get sick or something comes up, not having to shuffle around work, it was something that I was not in anyway prepared for.  I enjoy my time on the road whether it be a 25 minute quickie or a 2 hour long run.  My husband has been very supportive of me throughout this whole process and I am very thankful for that.

So back to the 5K...... I did PR this weekend.  25:22 was my official time.  I say I will be happy once I get to 24 minutes for a 5K and into the 1:40's for the half but feel like I should be happy with just running. I have an inner competitive person that lives in me and she is harder on me than any person I know.  My running partner beat me by 9 seconds but that really doesn't bother me.  The reason I dislike running with people is I feel like we have to talk and the two people who I typically race with depend on me to pace them.  Enough complaining about that, I should just be grateful that I could run another race.

This weekend I have a 10K with the ladies from my running group. I am running this one with my fast friend again so we'll see how happy I am after this race too. The following weekend I have the Foam Fest which I am DREADING!!! Obstacle races scare the bejesus out of me.  I'm always uber concerned I will get injured  as I already have knee issues!!!

Trying.....

I promised last week that I wouldn't disappear for another week and low and behold I did. My last post was written the morning of Boston while I sat and followed the race via BAA.com. I was so excited to feel like I was part of something huge and that I am really a part of the running community then, I took my sons to their sports training class and started to receive messages from my friends. "So glad you're not there." "Glad you didn't qualify." I forgot my tablet so I was in the dark and still have the old fashioned phone so internet on that thing is spotty at best. I thought some my friends were being odd so I turned on the news station in my van and heard the news. I almost got sick in the car and thankfully, my children weren't with me. I started to tear up and thought of all those people. WHY would anyone bomb runners??? We're the crazy people that get up at 4AM to run, run for hours at a time and do it all because we CHOOSE to. Our spectators wait for hours sometimes to see us on the course, just a glimpse. I've never truly understood what pure evil was or how it can be within a person. For once, was happy to have run a slow marathon, if I had qualified, I would have gone with my husband and I fear one of us wouldn't have come home to our three wonderful children. That being said I am grateful to the BPD and all other law enforcement that was involved and pray that the victims can find some peace.

I signed up for the Runners United to Remember, have purchased a wonderful t-shirt and Sweaty Band to support Boston. The Carytown 10K, which I am running on a whim, has changed their shirts to blue and yellow in honor of Boston and I look forward to sporting my Sweaty Band, Runners United bib and Carytown tech shirt during that race. I am hoping to get some pictures as I have a few friends that I am running with. I actually get to cross the finish line and have someone there.

Training has been going well. Got an 8-mile run in with my fast running friend. She and I push each other and it was great, as I have NEVER done a long run with anyone. I am starting to figure out my training plan for my next half. I am trying to drop into the 1:40s so speed training is something I'm going to HAVE to add. I loathe speed training and have avoided it at all costs. This will be my first ever flat half so maybe that will help with my time too. Getting close to the 20's a week mark and will feel better about myself when I get there. I'm trying to bee accountable for my running, blogging, housework, mom duties, work duties and I have let some things fall by the wayside. Next up, It Works, Get Your Sexy Back, wrap which I will be trying this weekend and reviewing for your pleasure. I had twins three years ago, 15 months after I had my daughter so I am afraid there is no amount of planks and sit-ups that can totally repair my body. I am going to post a few pics but am having severe anxiety about it. After that will be a review of an Ab program that my wonderful friend Nicole at Cole Sqaured created for me and probably a Kona Kase review. Busy, busy, busy and only three birthday parties, work, preschool, gymnastics, sports class and swim lessons to fit in.

Busy Busy Busy

MIA again last week. I have got to get myself together. Stressful week all around from the hubbies job, kids activities, school and kids/momma being sick. No excuse but truly I'm not sure how all you wonderful people keep up with Twitter, Facebook, blogging, running, working and kids. I would LOVE if we could add just two more hours to my day, both of which EVERYONE in my house was sleeping.
Training last week: a little over 17 miles. I finally got my virtual Happy 5K run completed with a running friend from my Moms Run This Town group. Ran in my neighborhood at a slower pace but was thankful because I had to rearrange my long run for my hubby's hunting schedule, rain and bridesmaid duties. Long this week was 7.3 on Friday evening after a busy day of school, gymnastics, getting the house prepped for the in-laws, packing for bridesmaid duty and grocery shopping. Needless to say, it wasn't my greatest run but the pain was minimal in my knee so I can't complain.

I always look at my end of week mileage and am disappointed when it's under 20. I spent all of 2012 running in the 20's getting ready for the Richmond Marathon and now I think I am still having postpartum (marathon withdrawl) with all this Boston talk. It's been a dream of mine to run THAT race as I feel if you get there, you've made it. Not sure I will ever get there, but I may make a run for it next year!

Oh no, not again!

Well this week I think I may have done it again!! I decided to run after a long weekend with the family Sunday night.  I then thought it would be a great idea to run Monday and then again on Tuesday.  I took Wednesday off and then did my long (7 miles) on Thursday and now have THAT feeling in my knee.  I'm not sure if I'm just really super sensitive to any type of off feeling in my knee but I am concerned the IT pain is returning, and it would after I just paid for four more races. 
I just signed up for a 5K in the end of the month to support ASK, a childhood cancer support network in the RVA area, the Happy 5K (virtual race I have to get done before April 15th), the MRTT virtual race (Summer) and the Richmond Half in November (way off I know but always concerning). 
After my run yesterday morning I iced and then I rolled last evening. I have been trying to do the 100 squats a day challenge too and have a feeling I have fatigued my glutes and they aren't able to do their job while I am running so I think I'm going to back off the challenge, 3-4 times a week and give my knee Friday and Saturday off to see if the rest helps. 
I've NEVER had any type of injury with my running so this is all new to me and I certainly don't want to end up back in PT or worse having to rest for a prolonged period of time, I was not a nice person when that happened.  Anyone with IT band recovery experience. I know it will take time to get all the way better but this is ridiculous!!

April Goals

I've been MIA for a few days, taking some time to enjoy the holiday with my family near and far. I had a lovely time with my parents and siblings and all their kids.  We are very blessed to have cousins that LOVE to play together, and have a few more on the way.  Down to the business...
I have decided that this is the perfect month to put some accountable goals in place. Here are my April goals which I WILL meet.
1. Run at least 65 miles this month.  - My knee has been feeling better and I've been hitting the 50 mile mark for the last two months so this should be attainable.
2. Complete the absolutely killer Abs program that my girl over at Cole Squared Fitness Training put together.  I started the first days and got sick and then got busy but now I'm ready!!
3. Complete the 100 squats challenge.  100 squats a day plus the exercises my PT gave me should keep my IT band at bay with glute strengthening.
4. Run my next 5K (April 27th) under 25 minutes. I have NEVER run a flat race in my life so if it's anything like running at the track, I should be good.

I'll start out with these four.  My kids are on Spring break this week which knocks everything out of whack but that's fine with me.  I love not having to rush off to preschool and being able to snuggle a little later with my loves.  I received a new product in the mail to review, not really fitness related but I think it will be fun to try. Let me know what everyone thinks about my goals and if you have any ones set for April.