French Fry Runner

Frigid 5K Recap

First, I hope you all had a good holiday! The Engineer and I ran the Frigid 5K on Saturday. Overall it was a great race.

The race started at 9:00 a.m., which was awesome. Who doesn’t love sleeping in on race morning? I know I do. Since the race course was on our local river trail, it was quite chilly when we got to the race. Thankfully they had some hot chocolate to help us warm up. Unfortunately, the race was delayed at the start line for 20 minutes. I felt bad because all the speedy people could’ve been done by the time we finally started running (the winner ran it in 17 minutes). Oh, well.

After that hiccup, the race was super gorgeous and fun to run. The river trail is lined with trees, so it was really pretty running through that canopy. I took it slow at first, running and walking (3:30 and 1:00 intervals, respectively) and then sped up for the last mile or so. I’ve been easing myself back into running over the last month, so I was working hard but still felt good. I sprinted the last .1 mile and registered a 5:40 mile for about 5 seconds, so that was fun.

My final time was 31:35, which is a lot better than I thought I would run. My goal was actually 36 minutes, so I was stoked to run it in under 32. I attribute my faster time to all the strength training I’ve been doing. (Go BodyPUMP!) The Engineer came in less than a minute later than me. Go us! And we were both 8th place in our respective age groups. At the finish, they gave us donuts, cider, water, and Larabars. Not too shabby.

Frigid 5K Recap via @FrenchFryRunner Share on X

The race also included a polar plunge (for a separate fee), but we didn’t do that. We had a lot more fun watching people and judging (haha).

All in all, it was a good race, and we had fun. We’d run it again. Hopefully they fix the late start for next year.

Did you run this weekend?

Would you ever do a polar plunge?

Friday Five: What’s In My Gym Bag?

I’m linking up with Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia from You Signed Up for WHAT?!, and Mar from Mar on the Run. This week’s Friday Five theme is What’s In My Gym Bag. This is such a fun theme!

I’m sure most gym enthusiasts have a lot of the same things as I do, but here are 5 6 important things I currently have in my bag:

Lip balm (notice how I have two): You can ask my husband–I have so many different types of lip balm, it’s ridiculous. I’ve gotten them in stockings, in race swag bags, and because Chapstick has come out with a new flavor… Some people impulse-buy candy or shoes or whatever; I buy lip balm.
Yurbuds: These are simply the best earbuds ever. I won this pair in a giveaway a couple years ago and they are still going strong. I have two pairs now, one that I keep in my bag and then some that are on standby for race action. (Also featured, an iPod Nano)
Running shoes: I always keep running shoes in my bag, so if I’m at the gym and need to run or have planned a run, I have them.
Hand sanitizer: Reasons for this are (1) it’s that time of year when germs are rampant, and (2) the gym is gross.
Combo lock: For safety! There are locker-rooms at the gym, so I often stash my stuff in a locker and go on my merry workout way.
Water bottle: Gotta stay hydrated!

5 Honorable Mentions

Swim cap and goggles: If I happen to have a swim planned, I’m set.
LUNA bar or Larabar: Delicious
Hand towel: Great to have
Extra socks: Sometimes these aren’t exactly clean socks, but there you go.
Yoga grip socks and mat sanitizer: I hardly use the grip socks, but they’re nice when I do use them, and the mat spray works like a charm

FYI, my bag is an Apera Yoga Tote, and I love it!

What's in your gym bag? Post a picture! via @FrenchFryRunner Share on X

What’s in your gym bag?

Do you have a gym membership?

Do you use Yurbuds?

Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

I’m also linking up with Jill Conyers’s Fitness Friday.

Thoughtful Thursday: Hard Work

This quote really resonates with me. When we don’t work hard toward our goals, we will always come up short, but when we do work hard, we’ll find loads of success. I already am seeing and feeling the results of the goals I set this year, and I know that the harder I work to achieve them, the more success I’ll have and the happier I’ll be.

How hard will you work this year to meet your goals? via @FrenchFryRunner Share on X

How will you achieve your goals this year?

Do you feel lucky?

Are you on Twitter? (Follow me! @FrenchFryRunner)