Cheetah Chase 8 Mile Race Report

Saturday was a busy day for me.  I decided early in the week that with (what I thought was an 8 a.m. start time) I could do this race and be back home in time to get Monkey to her 10:15 soccer game.  So the decision was made, registration form was filled out and pizza was eaten the night before.  I laid out everything the night before so I could be ready to go by 7, since I didn't pre-register for this race I needed to be out there early enough to be ready for the start.

Now remember at the top I wrote how I thought it was an 8 a.m. race start.  I was wrong and read the form wrong.  It was an 8 a.m. race start for the fun mile.  The 8 and 4 mile race started at 8:30.  No biggie.  I was already there, paid and was waiting to go, so I sucked it up, reevaluated my time plan and just decided to go straight to the field from the game.  The hubs would have to get the girls ready for their games but that shouldn't be a problem, I had everything laid out the night before.

So the director of the race goes over the ground rules and points out that they marked the course as best as they could but there was still a lot of roots and stuff and that the trail was a single trail, which meant that going around people was going to take patience.  He finally yelled go and off we went.

It was trail race in all sense of the word trail.  I decided to just follow people as long as I could without feeling like I was on their butt the whole time and pass when I could.  The course was very pretty but with all the roots and stuff, I kept my eyes down the whole time.  At the 3.5 mark, the four milers went on to the finish line while the 8 milers kept on trucking.  I did end up having to walk some during this race because it was a lot tougher than I was ready for and my legs where killing me.

I ended up finishing the race in an hour and 9 minutes.  I was very happy with that time because I had given myself an hour and 15 minutes to finish.   I came in 2nd place for my age group (30-39).  I'll definitely be back to do this race again next year.  It was tough but so much fun at the same time.

Afterwards, I drove like crazy to get to Monkey's game.  Since she is on the U6 team, they don't keep score but she is loving her first season of soccer.

Then we headed over to the other fields for Bug's game.  Her team lost by two points but it wasn't because of effort.  The Warriors played hard and I was very proud of them.  Soccer season is busy for us right now but I'm loving every minute of it.

Angela :)

I thought this was Recovery Week

So I've made it to week 5 of Insanity, also known as Recovery Week.  I'm not sure if Shawn T. understands what recovery is suppose to be, but I'm in some serious pain.  My arms and shoulders have never hurt this good.  I'm really happy to have made it this far though and the pain that was in my hip has seem to disappeared so I'm going to stick with Insanity.  I realized I've only really made it through two days of Month 2 before I gave up, so I'm determined to make it through the whole month this go around.

Plus it's bathing suit season and I want to look hot in my new Victoria Secret bathing suit. 

This evening I'm planning on running 4 miles and then doing Insanity.  I'm really enjoying my running at the moment.  I think before the half marathon back in March I was starting to get burned out on running.  Taking some time off and finding exercise again has made me realize how much I really love it. 

Angela :)

Lunch Time 5 Miler

Whatever problems I was having with my right hip are almost gone.  That means I've back to running at the pace that I'm comfortable with (8:00ish) and I'm able to go further and longer.  It also means I'm back to running on my lunch break.  Well that and it's spring time.  It's hot but not unbearable just yet.

Yesterday I had 5 miles on tap but because I didn't get up in time to go running before work (must work on this) and didn't bring my stuff to go on my lunch break, I decided I would go in the evening.  Well family time got in the way and I ended up pushing my run back until today.  I still did Insanity.  I'm on week 5, which is the recovery week before the hell of month 2 begins.  I've only made it through one week of month 2 before calling it quits so I'm hoping to get through the first month and JUST DIG DEEPER!!!!!

I decided to go on my lunch break but when 12 rolled around and the weather didn't seem to want to heat up past 60, I decided to take a chance and hope I didn't freeze to death in my shorts and tank top.  It was the windiest five miles I've ran in a long time but I was able to pull out a 41:19 5 mile run, which means the pace was around 8:15.  I don't think I ever saw a 9:00 minute pace but it got close when I felt like I was standing still in the wind.

Speaking of Insanity.  This is suppose to be a recovery week, but I'm more sore again after last night's workout.  His recovery week is really all about control of your core muscles.  So you hold posses longer, you do the same exercise a little bit longer, you control your speed to work your muscles but at the same time take it a little easier so you can recover from the first 4 weeks before moving into the last 4 weeks.  I'm a dead woman next Monday.

Angela :)

Thoughts I've Never Thought I'd Have

The hubs and I were talking last night while I was doing the warmup to one of the Insanity workouts.  We got to talking about Boston and destination marathons.  He innocently suggested that making Boston a destination marathon.  I explained to him that you had to qualify for Boston and it wasn't a race that I could just signup for on the sly.  He then said that if I ever qualified, then we would go to Boston so I could run the marathon and also see a state that both of us had never seen.

So now I have thoughts of trying to qualify for Boston.  I'm not going to attempt it next year, since I'm doing my first marathon next year, with a friend who has suggested trying to beat 4 hours.  I have a feeling I can, possibly, if I train smart and not become injured, beat 4 hours in the marathon.  But I'm thinking of making 2014 the year I try to qualify for Boston so the hubs and I can go. 

On another note, I'm coming back from a hip injury.  I really don't know what exactly happened but I  had a really bad pain shot through my leg on a 3 mile run about 3 weeks ago.  I took the rest of that week off and started Insanity to help stretch out my hips.  Ever since then I've kept an eye on my pain level in my hip and this week is the first week I've ran pain free.  I'm also on week 3 of Insanity and I'm starting to see my abs come back in and my running is becoming stronger. 

Also on April 28, I'll be running in my first 8 mile race.  It at my local zoo, which is exciting because I've always wanted to go over there and run.  My mom will be running it also.  It's suppose to be a trail run but trails in my area are pretty easy to navigate so I won't be purchasing trail shoes for this run.  I'm also planning on wearing my black running skirt and a cute colorful top that I have. 

I hope everyone is doing well.

Angela :)

Insanity

I recently started over on the Insanity project.  I'm in my 2nd week and the pain is starting to subside and I'm starting to feel the effects of Insanity.  Clothes getting looser, feeling really good, have lots of energy.  The only problem I'm having is my right hip.  It's bothering me to no end.  I have been really good at stretching it and I've started using patches of icy hot on it at night after my workouts.  That makes it feel amazing but if I go for a run, the pain isn't as intense as it was, but I can sure feel it later in the evening and especially at night when I roll over or try to sleep on my right side.  It feels bruised.  Ugh, driving me crazy.

So I haven't been running as much but I have been doing Insanity every day except Sunday because that's my rest day.  This time I'm hoping to make it through the second month.  The last time I got to the second month, I was only able to get through the first week and it was just too much for me.  This time, I'm actually putting running on the back burner to do Insanity so I can see the results.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter.

Angela :)

I'm here

I know it's been like forever and a day since I've blogged about anything.  Sorry guys for running off like that.  I've just been crazy busy at work, two girls in soccer on different teams that practice at different times, and life in general has gotten in the way.

I ran a half back at the beginning of this month.  It was suppose to be my first marathon but things didn't go according to plan so instead of just backing out altogether, I decided to do the half.  I ran it a minute slower than last year at 1:58 but I had a blast during this race.  I smiled almost the whole time and even though I managed to hit the wall at 11 miles, I didn't let it take me to far down.  It rained on us while we ran the half and even managed to have the tornado sirens go off during mile 5.  That was hilarious.  I wanted to make a t-shirt that said, "I outran the tornado"  but I haven't done it yet.

After that race, I ended up getting the worse cold known to man.  I lost my voice for about four days.  I thought I was getting better but only ended up getting a fever for a few days which made me go to the doctor to find out that I had caught a virus that was going around.  I'm feeling a lot better now.

Monday, I got up at 4:30 a.m. to head out for a run.  After about a mile in I started getting really sick and ended up calling the run at 2 miles.  Since I hadn't ran in 2 weeks, I  considered that run a success in my books.  Yesterday I went out for three miles and had a hard time but I managed to get them done and then my right hip seized up on me and I've been slowly getting the pain out of it all day.  I could hardly walk last night but after doing a lot of stretching and not making my self over compensate for it, it feels better.  I was planning to do another 2 miles today but I think I'm going to ice my hip down, do some more stretches and see how it feels tomorrow.

On April 28, I'm hoping to toe the line at an 8 mile trail race in my local zoo.  I'm really wanting to run this race so I'm hoping that there is nothing wrong with my hip.

I'm also considering another half at the end of October at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  It promises to be fast, flat and scenic.  I'm trying to get another girlfriend to go with me, but if she doesn't, I'm thinking about doing it anyways and just going by myself.  We shall see.

Nothing else is really going on over this way.  I'm hoping to be back to my regularly schedule of blogging every day.  Again, we shall see.

Angela :)

Random Fun Day Friday Facts

Thank goodness it's finally Friday.  This week has been a wild week for sure.  Work is hetic and crazy.  But in all that madness, I have managed to run 26 miles since Sunday and I'm super excited about that.  I ran 10 on Sunday, 4 on Monday, 6 on Wednesday, and 6 yesterday.  I've also started the Fab Ab February Challenge and my abs are super painfully today but it's a good pain.  I'm loving it.  I did take a pre-picture and will be posting it just as soon as I can get ahold of our computer at home.

Here's my random facts of today.

1.  I'm so enjoying this video at the moment.  Kristen Bell is one of my all-time favorite actresses so to see her be like this makes me feel like we could be best friends.  Kristen, if you read my blog, I would so love to be your best friend.

It's so hilarious to me.

2.  I have 12 miles on tap for tomorrow and I'm super excited about them because it'll be my first long run ever ran with someone else.  I do all of my runs solo.  I'm happy doing them solo but sometimes having a friend along is fun.  She's already warned me that she's a 12:00 per mile runner.  I told her not worry about it.  This run is about getting the miles in and not about speed.

3.  Speaking of speed, I'm not exactly sure what's gotten into me lately but Wednesday's 6 miler was run in 50:57 and last night's 6 miler was ran in 48:23ish.  I do know it was an 8:03 pace.  I'm loving the speed and I'm just going to continue running on this speed wave for however long it let's me stay on it.

4.  I started the Fab Ab February Challenge yesterday and OMG am I feeling it.  I did Wednesday and Thursday's workout in one.  That meant 25 situps, 9 pushups and 25 seconds of a plank hold.  I'm so loving the sore feeling.  It's a hurt so good feeling.

5.  Bud Light has released a new beer called Bud Light Platinum.  It is really, really good.  But it packs quite a bit of punch at 6% so I'll have to drink it slowly.  I'm really looking forward to having one after tomorrow's 12 miler.

6.  With the Super Bowl being this Sunday, I'm going to try some new pinterest recipes I've gotten over the past few days.  It's going to be a lot of fun to eat, even if I don't really care who wins it.  Now if the Carolina Panther's had made it, I would be pulling for them all the way because yes, I'm a HUGE Cam Newton fan.

7.  I've noticed quite a bit of difference in my attitude this past week and I know it's because I've actually worked out instead of just lazing around.  I feel amazing and I've been a lot nicer because of it.  Now I've just got to get back up to doing it before work and I'll feel a lot better off.  I feel a little guilty when I exercise at night after work because it means another hour lost of spending time with my girls.  My youngest really made me feel really guilty the other day when she said, "I feel like I haven't seen you much this week."   Thanks kid, that really punched me straight in the gut so next week, I'm going to make it a point to push myself out of bed.

That's it, that's all I've got for today.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Angela :)