gear – Page 3 – French Fry Runner

Yeah, I know

I’m being lazy at posting. I just haven’t been feeling like blogging. I’ve needed a break. I have been running, though, and though I hit a little snag (foot issues in August), I’m feeling pretty good.

Let’s talk about running, shall we?

Anyway, I should probably tell you about the race I ran back in July, the Pioneer Day Fun Run. No chip timing, a really basic cotton T-shirt, and Otter Pops and water at the finish. The race entry was only like $10, so it was fine. We got a coupon to RoadID, though, so I’ll be using that. I ran the race with The Husband (his first race!), so that was pretty special. I ran the first mile with him (9:19), and then had to slow down since I was sucking air . . . I settled into a comfortable pace and was doing okay until my shoe came untied. I stopped, fixed it, then finished the last half of the race. I still managed to improve my time from the Freedom Run 5k with 31:18.47 (according to my GPS), which is about 1:45 faster! I’ll take it.

I took a few weeks off running in August because of some foot pain (too much too soon)–which I think is a direct result of my wearing Old Navy flip-flops–and I’ve been trying to work up to what I was. My new goal is to run a 10k in November. We’ll see! For now, though, I’m just running comfortably!

River Post Heights 4.25k — We're a happy family . . . and I look bald.

On September 10, I ran another 5k (which turned out to be a ~4.25k) to benefit a special needs school. I ran it with The Husband, a brother-in-law, and a sister-in-law. It was pretty fun. The guys (TH and his brother) beat the girls–those long legs–but I think it was just great to run with family! I love that we can get together and run a race.

Then on October 8, I ran the Cougar Run, which was a homecoming 5k for my alma mater. I ran it with a close friend of mine and one of her friends who was running her first 5k (way to go, Maren!). We had so much fun! 🙂 I ended up running it in 39 minutes, but I really ran more than a 5k–more like 3.5-4 miles–because I gave a million high-fives and ran ahead of my friends for a 50m or so and and looped back to run with them, and so on. It was my slowest 5k, but I think I had the most fun. It’s always great to run with friends! 🙂

Yeah, I don’t really ever look good in pictures, especially those taken after running. It’s just a fact I have to live with. The race was great, though!

I other news, now I’m training for a 10k. It’s been really fun, though it’s dark at 7 a.m. and freezing outside! I might have to go run at an indoor track, which I’m not really looking forward to. Oh well. I feel great, and I’m only running 3 times per week. I’ll increase that at some point, but it’s working for me. I really want to avoid an injury since I’m a beginner.

Speaking of awesome, I ordered a fantastic shirt from runningwarehouse.com! I love that store. It’s hard to not spend all my money there. Right now on Facebook, they’re doing a promotion for 15% off sale priced items! Just like them on their page, and you’ll get the code.

I promise to update more often (for the 2 people that read it). Really!

Happy running!

New Shoes, AF Canyon, and Freedom Run

I’m sorry that I’ve been MIA for a couple weeks.

First, I just have to tell you . . . I got NEW SHOES–the Saucony ProGrid Mirage from runningwarehouse.com, which, by the way is an awesome site to get running gear. My shoes were $25 cheaper (with a coupon code) there than at my local running store/Sports Authority/Dick’s Sporting Goods. They shipped quickly and were packaged well. AND they’re turquoise and bright green! Yes, I got the color I wanted. I’ve already been complimented on them, so I deem them a success. Also, they’re really comfortable, light, and just make me feel fast.

I wore the shoes to the American Fork Canyon 5k, which was a great race. The morning was nice and cool–perfect for running. It was the race’s first year, and it was super well organized and had awesome shirts (I want like 10 more.). Since I ran the 5k, I don’t know about the half marathon course, but I heard that it was fast and mostly downhill and fantastic.

There was a monster hill in the middle of the 5k, but it was doable. After the hill, it was downhill to flat. I thought I ran a pretty good race and got 16th place in my age group with a time of 33:20. Woo hoo! There were only 35 people in the group (the 5k was pretty small), but it’s good that I was in the top half! 🙂 Here’s a picture of me being really excited at the finish.

All in all, I loved the race. I wasn’t gasping for air at the end, which makes it a success. My goal for next year is to run the half. I’m already excited about it! 🙂

The Freedom Run 5k on the 4th was a bit different. First of all, the weather decided to be hot and muggy, which is weird for Utah. Not the hot, just the muggy. It was almost 80 degrees when the race started. There were also 5,000 runners. At the AF 5k, there were a lot fewer than that! I think I like the smaller races. As I run more, I’ll let you know.

Anyway, the mugginess meant that I was drenched in sweat by the first half-mile. I’m a heavy sweater anyway, but this was ridiculous! I really felt like I was swimming throughout the race. The course itself was pretty good–mostly flat with a gradual incline starting at the last mile, then downhill starting with .2 mi. to go, and flat for the last .1 mi. My legs felt great the whole race, and I even sprinted to the finish! I passed an old man at the finish. Yeah, I felt good about that. I wanted to run faster than I did at AF Canyon, and I did by like 21 seconds for a time of 32:58.96. I hope I continue to improve. It’s nice seeing progress. The goodies at the end were really good, bread, Powerade, grapes, oranges, chips. We also got a medal and a water bottle.

Me and The Husband after I kind of fixed my hair

Pretty sweet.

I liked the shirts too–very patriotic. I’ll probably run it again next year–for the medal of course. 🙂 Where else do you get a medal for a 5k?

I did it!

Well, I did it! I ran a 5k, the Race for Red. It was the first one I’ve run since 2007. I’m a little slower than I was, but I have no doubt that I’ll improve. My time in 2007 was 30:46, and today was 33:10, so I’m about 3 minutes slower. Not a big deal. I was in a lot better shape back then. I also ate too much for breakfast. I know, excuses, but I think that actually contributed. 🙂 Really!

I’m excited for my next race on June 25, the American Fork Canyon Half Marathon and 5k. My goal is 30 minutes. 🙂 However, before I run another race, I need some new shoes. You’ll probably hear that a lot from me before it happens, but it’s true. I found some good deals online. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get the blue and citron ones, but I think I’ll be okay with the black and pink. We’ll see. What do you think?

This week has been pretty good, running-wise. It’s my second week with over 10 miles. Not too shabby for me! I’m already seeing results. Maybe I’m hallucinating, but I think that my love handles are a little smaller. The Husband thinks so too. I’m excited that he actually notices something different! It’s a great feeling! I think I’ll stick with this running thing.

Anyway, I’ve been reading Kara Goucher’s Running for Women. It’s a really fast read with a lot of good information. I would recommend it for beginners, but it seems like a lot of it is common sense. It’s great to read about her personal struggles because she’s an amazing athlete but also very human. All in all, it’s worth a read.

Oh, we also tried a new restaurant in town. It’s called Roll-Up Crepes. It’s really good. I had a chicken bechamel crepe and The Husband had the pulled pork one. I didn’t think I would fill up, but I came close–there was room for some soft-serve ice cream. 🙂 Yeah, it’s really bad for me, but I’m doing better on the healthy eating.

Anyway, stats for the week are as follows:

Total distance: 10.44 miles

Shortest distance: 2.12 mile

Longest distance: 3.1 miles

Best pace: 10:41 min/mi