WINNER of the Blue Ridge Marathon Entry Giveaway

And the winner of the FREE Blue Ridge Marathon entry is:

Commenter #27: Morgan R!!

Whose family made a generous donation to the extra credit Fundraiser I spoke of (and earned 10 extra entries)!

Thanks also to Kelli C. for donating to the fundraiser!

What is this fundraiser? I will explain in my next post.

Have a great new week everyone! I am still recovering from my birthday weekend!

Alexandria Turkey Trot 2012 - Thanksgiving Day Fun Run!

We went up to MD to visit my family again (2nd time in two months! woohoo!) for Thanksgiving, which happens to be my most favorite holiday ever: good food, family and friends, and TURKEY TROTS!

This is actually my very first Turkey Trot! The Alexandria Turkey Trot 5-Miler. Thanks to Shonna (my BF since F), she forced encouraged me to sign up! And since I was persuaded to sign up, I of course had to force Joel to run it too. LOL

The whole week before was pretty hectic. Shoot, the Sunday before Thanksgiving we had just done the St. Augustine half marathon – our second half in 16 days... not to mention those were our first two halfs EVAR. So there was the recovery, plus the impending sickness (crud) that was looming over me. No amount of apple cider vinegar could push it away, it was bound to happen. I put my body through hell and now it was time to pay.

So I got sick before we left to drive to MD. I was a worthless second driver because I just couldn't stay focused or awake. And my voice was pretty much toast. Throat scratchy and coughing. Blah.

 

The morning of the run was cold! My dad dropped us off in Alexandria - the cute Dey Ray area. It started at a school. Then we met up with Shonna and Paul and made our way to the start - among the other 5,000 people! Tons of racers!

The gun went off and the mass of people didn't really budge. It was super crowded. It was probably a good minute before we even made it to the official start line. Joel took off and I stuck with Shonna in the beginning. With the super huge crowd, comes the weaving in and out. Sucked. It was funny though because as I was doing my weaving, someone came up next to me and said, "... ... so you're ignoring me?" And I looked over and it was Joel! LOL I didn't acknowledge him at first because I figured he was way ahead of me. I guess he did more weaving than we were doing.

Around the 2nd mile, I noticed the distance between Shonna and I kept growing larger! She looked back at me and I waved for her to go ahead. There was no way I was keeping up with her – the one in the beginning who said she was lucky to do 10 minute miles!! Haha! Her easy pace is my fast pace. :) So once I stopped trying to push myself, I eased down to probably a 10 minute pace myself and just kept at it. The crowd never really thinned out. In fact it was a romper room most of the time. Especially since they allowed dogs and strollers in this race. We saw some kids almost get clotheslined by dog leashes. :\

There were a few hills, which were hard but welcomed since we have virtually no hills in Savannah. Gotta get them when ever I can! I was pretty beat by the end of the race. The last straightway was long... I didn't know when to pick it up for my strong finish, so I don't even think I ever did. I felt my hips ache and I wasn't in the greatest condition to even try to PR for this 5-miler. I think my time was 47 and a half minutes. Not bad. My first 2 miles were sub 9s, thanks to speedy Shonna! haha I had a great time and it was a ton more fun doing it with friends!

Hopefully this will be the first of many Turkey Trots to come!

GIVEAWAY!! Blue Ridge Marathon!

It's been a whirlwind week (more on that later) and now all of a sudden December is here! My 31st birthday is on Thursday (12/06) and I wanted to do something special on my blog. Within the last year, I have trained my butt off to run my first half marathon and I met TONS of awesome people in the process. It was a great year for getting back on track with running (hence the name of my blog)! To honor it, I chose this week to hold my:

www.blueridgemarathon.com

Blue Ridge Marathon Entry GIVEAWAY!

If you are here, I assume you found out about the giveaway from me or the Blue Ridge Marathon FB or Twitter (@BRM26pt2) and are all ready to enter!!

But lets get all the details out of the way first (taken from www.blueridgemarathon.com):

Local runners have crafted one of the most challenging and beautiful marathons on the east coast. In 2010 the full marathon course included 3,076 feet of total elevation gain and 6,140 feet of total elevation change, but that just wasn’t enough.

The 2012 course includes 3,620 feet of total elevation gain and 7,234 feet of total elevation change. Kind of gives new meaning to runner’s high.

The uphill portions will test each runner’s strength and endurance while the equally challenging downhill sections are sure to weed out those who are unprepared. The breathtaking views and stunning Blue Ridge Mountain scenery will offer some reprieve to runners as they persevere to the finish line! Are you up for the challenge of America’s Toughest Road Marathon?

• What: Full & Half Marathon. 5-Person Team Relay. Walking Half. YMCA Kids Marathon
• Where: Roanoke, VA and Blue Ridge Parkway
• Date: April 20, 2013
• Start Time: 7:30 am
• Begins: Taubman Museum of Art
• Ends: Taubman Museum of Art
• Total Elevation Change: ~7,234 ft. (full), ~2,500 ft. (half)
• Most Difficult Section: Roanoke Mountain on Blue Ridge Parkway
• Awards: All runners receive finisher medals. Top male and top female finisher of full marathon receive a Tag Heuer watch courtesy of Fink’s Jewelers
• Beneficiary: Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Honorary Race Chair: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (Va)
• Magnificent Views: Plenty

 CONTEST RULES:

Giveawy starts today and ends on Saturday, December 8. I will announce and contact the winner on December 9.

Leave a comment and tell me you did for each entry below. You can do one, some or ALL! I will chose a random comment below (using random.org).

1. “LIKE” Blue Ridge Marathon's Facebook Page
2. Follow Blue Ridge Marathon on twitter @BRM26pt2 (and me too, if you want @jacybackontrack) 
3. Tweet the following: Win a FREE registration into America's Toughest Road Race! http://tinyurl.com/bmc6gsu @jacybackontrack @brm26pt2 #runchat #runBlueRidge

FOR SUPER EXTRA CREDIT – 10 entries – if you donate at least $10 to this special fundraiser. (Just comment once to let me know that you donated. No need to comment 10 times, I will put your name in the pot 10 extra times)

Additional notes: The free entry is for the Full or Half Marathon only.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Disclaimer: As an official blogger for the Blue Ridge Marathon, I am receiving a free entry into the Blue Ridge Marathon in exchange for promoting this event.

St. Augustine Half Marathon – Nov. 18, 2012

I signed up for this race (the St. Augustine Half) a few months ago, when Jen (of Running Our Way) told me about it and the discount code for MRTT that she was able to score. I signed up even before I ran my first half, which was the RnR on Nov 3rd (15 days before the St. Augustine Half). I figured I would already be in shape for another one at that point.

Well, after the RnR, my body actually recovered quite well – I pretty much did everything "by the book" with the training plan and taper and eating, etc. I didn't even run again until the following Thursday. I had a few more runs after that to prepare for St. Augustine (SA), nothing too hard that would throw my body off (hips, knees are my main concerns). I sort of wanted to treat this run as just another long run in my unofficial training plan for any future races, such as the Bridge Run on Dec 1. So I didn't really taper - my last run before the race was I think the prior Thursday (SA was on a Sunday). I actually signed up for a 5K taking place the day before - because the price was so cheap, but ended up giving it away because I just didn't have time to do it with all the thing I had to do to prepare to get down to SA!

I invited my sister Jen, who lives in Orlando, to come along, mainly to hang out with Liam while Joel and I ran. :) She didn't mind and I am glad she was able to come! We met up with her in SA after we checked in to the hotel (which was right in FRONT of the start line and expo!). After Joel and I picked up our bibs and chips we ventured out to check out the city and get some dinner. The "expo" for this race was one of the smallest ones I've seen. Only a few booths were set up and when we got there (we got there close to closing time) only one was still open (Newton).

One of my MRTT sisters - Tina (of One Foot Out the Door) and her daughter - met up with us for some pre-race dinner at a place called Pizzalley, which was recommended by the front desk of the hotel. Man, those alleys are so confusing! haha... I'm usually great with directions and having a general idea of where to go based on a map glance, but maybe since the sun wasn't out, I wasn't able to hone my inner navigator! We eventually found it and got out eats on! I had a little bit of pasta with light red sauce, just because I didn't want to get any major issues for the race. After dinner we, said g'nite to Tina and decided to head back as well... until we passed by this awesome looking gourmet popsicle shop called The Hyppo! OMG... the flavors they had were all so delicious... I ordered a Pear Pie pop, Liam got a Strawberry one and Jen got a Avocado-Coconut one. I traded with my sister because the Avocado-Coconut one was just sooooo good and creamy and mmmmm... I am not an avocado lover, but this was just amazing. Except after I devoured it, I found out that it had DAIRY in it! Dairy and my tummy don't really get along... I was so scared that something would happen at the race!

When we got back, we set our alarm for 4:45 (race start was 6:05am). I think I actualy got up at 5, ate my Powerbar and half of a banana. Then, I tried to do my pre-race "ritual" if you know what I mean, especially after that damn delicious dairy pop the night before! I wasn't too successful, but time was running out and we had to get out there to the start. It was GO TIME! Luckily we had just a few yards to walk to the start line! And it was pretty damn windy!!

I saw minute pacers and was eyeing the '10' sign, when I saw Kim (another MRTT sister)! We chatted a bit before the anthem and then it started! I ran the first bit with Kim until her first walk break and off I went. The first part of the race was narrow getting to the main road, but it opened up quickly. The streets were lined with beautiful holiday lights and the first bridge we were crossing was also lit up with lights... awesome! After the first bridge, I was a bit more warmed up and tried to get in my groove. The first few miles were along a straightaway then turned onto another straightaway to another and then to a bigger bridge.

There was actually ONE band early on the course, which led me to believe that there would possibly be more, but then I thought, "It's friggin 6am... who would want to hear a band playing that early?" There was not much crowd support other than the water stations, cops manning the street closures and the random pedestrians that happened to be out while the race was going on. I wasn't expecting much support to begin with, especially that early, so it wasn't a big deal for me.

Anyway after the somewhat uneventful miles 2-5, I took my first Gu and walked. Then it was up the second bridge!!! This one was longer and steeper than the first one. I tried to see if I could find Tina and Joel on the other side of the bridge (on the way back). I thought I saw Tina and yelled her name, but she didn't wave back (turned out it was NOT her, haha) and I also saw Joel and waved and he waved back. The bottom of the bridge had cheerleaders and I took it upon myself give them all high fives as I passed because they were a great cheering squad! At the turnaround was the 10K point! Woohoo! almost half way done!

The second ascent of the bridge was tougher because of the wind. I thought I was going to be blown off, it was so strong! But I didn't stop, I kept going... I saw Kim on the other side and I yelled to her, which she acknowledged :) There was a lady I caught up to and ran and chatted with for a bit until I realized that my pace was getting a little too easy and I had to pick it up! I think the bridge was rough on a few people because I passed a bunch of people on the straightaway back.

The second half of the race went through a park, so it was a bit more scenic, thank goodness. A little bit of neighborhood, then cut to a park - I think it was around mile 10 where there was a straightaway along the coastline that was SUPER windy... I think it was harder than the wind on the bridge ascent! I was trying to find someone to draft off of, but no one was around to run behind. It wasn't that long and after the next water station (Snoopy-costumed volunteers!) I took my second Gu and walk break to finish up the last 5K!

This last bit went through some neighborhoods and eventually ended up back on the same straightway in the beginning, leading to the first bridge we crossed over. I was hanging behind a couple of guys who were more 'mature' (maybe 60s?), I overheard them talking about Ironmans and Tri shoes, blahblah... they were going a good pace, until they slowed to chat with another runner and I went around them.

The final mile-point-one was pretty long... as expected at the end of a race. The bridge wasn't too bad, I tried to let my momentum going down the bridge give me speed for the last straightway to the finish line... I finished pretty strong, especially when they said my name as I approached the arch... they even said it correctly (doesn't happen often)! So I was super happy... and even more happy to see a 2:12 on the clock! New PR! Faster than my RnR (2:14). I raised my hands and crossed the line, got my medal and to my surprise, Liam ran up to me! It was great to see hi after that trek through the city. :) I sat down to catch my breath and gave my medal to Liam to wear.

I saw Joel and was happy to hear that his time was MUCH better than his first at the RnR – he got his sub-2! I stretched a bit, but felt my right hip was sore. I had been having issues with my left, but now my right is acting up again. We walked back to the field to meet up with Tina, got some pics with her and she had to leave because it was really COLD. I waited for Kim and we got some food – a pretty good selection of stuff, even free beer (didn't get any, but I got a free koozie!) Then took pics with Kim and her sis-in-law Maureen, another MRTT sister! Then back to the hotel room to thaw out and shower, nap, pack up.

It was a great weekend! My tummy never really bothered me, so the dairy in the pop wasn't so bad! haha My chip time ended up being 2:11:05, which is already pretty damn close to my goal time of a 2:10 half for 2013! So I'm happy. The course was good, sun never came out, windy, challenging... I really enjoyed the bridges because of the change up and the challenge. Would I do this race again? Most likely not, only because there are so many other races I'd like to do and just the logistics of what to do with Liam, what to do with the dogs, how to afford the hotel, etc gets hectic. It was nice that it was very close. The drive was not bad at all (3 hours from Savannah) and SA is a great city that I'd like to visit again to explore more.

Next half marathon??? Not sure, but the next one I am registered to do is the Blue Ridge Half on April 20, 2013!!! Woohoo!

New Goals / Shooting Stars / Running Groups [[randomness]]

After the Rock 'n' Roll, I realized I need to make new goals for myself.

For the time being, my goal is to continue to train for the half marathon distance and stay injury free!

Racing goals are to be able to run a half in 2:10 or less. Hopefully I will be able to attain that in 2013. My goal for the upcoming bridge run on December 1st is to break 30 minutes on the 5K - I have come so close, but have never done it! My fastest bridge run 5K was 30:02 in 2007. And since I'm doing the Double Pump, I'd like to beat the time I did for the bridge run 10K in 2008 - which was 1:08:19... I'm in so much better shape that I was for both of those times, so I'm sure I will be able to do it!

Long term, I would like to train for a marathon, and then run one at sub 4:30 (Oprah's marathon time - which would be the same pace I did for the RnR half).

But before I get there, I would like to be able to run a half marathon in as close to 2 hours as possible. That's a nine minute mile, for 13.1 miles. Am I near that? Hell no. I was in the low 10s for the RnR. But, I also had no idea how fast I'd be able to run 13.1 miles when I signed up for it last year. I estimated 2:30 - based on the fitness level I was at the time. When My little sister ran her first half in 2011 (the RnR in San Antonio), I was amazed by her finishing time of 2:20!! So I sort of secretly changed my goal time to that. So, If I am able to crush my original goal time by 15 minutes, what is another 15 minutes?? If I continue to train like I have been doing and keep challenging myself to get faster, I'm sure I can do that. I gave myself until my 35th birthday to get there... so, 10 years should be enough time... LOL ok, just kidding. I'll be 31 this December, so 4 years to a 2-hour half... I can do it!!

+++++

Getting up to run in the morning before dawn has it perks (just a few). Other than being able to get your workout out of the way first thing in the morning, the next best thing I love about getting up so early are the shooting stars. I'm a wanna-be stargazer: I love space and the idea of an infinite universe all around us, I just don't ever have time to sit and stare at the sky at night (I'm so tired these days). For living right next to a major interstate, my house is actually in a great area for stargazing - it gets pretty dark and you can see a ton of stars at night if it's clear. Anyway, on a number of my morning runs, especially this time, late in the year, I am sometimes greeted by a quick beam of light passing by in an instant. I saw one yesterday morning before I got in my car to run downtown - it was super long and bright too - I took that as a sign that I'd have a good run that morning (which I did). On another run (my first 12 miler), I actually saw THREE of them!! It's pretty awesome.

+++++

I just wanted to mention that joining running groups has really changed the way I run and given me so much more motivation to run. I would not be signing up and getting excited for all these races if it was not for my running buddies. I signed up for the Savannah RnR thinking that I could totally just pick a training plan and do it myself. All by myself. Running is a one person sport, after all, right? Yes, and no. True - you are your only competition in running (unless you are an elite...), but with a group, you have your support team, cheering squad, running buddies, friendly competition and coaches... it's totally not a one person sport. I honestly would not have had such a great time and finish time at my first half without being a part of my 2 running groups (MRTT and CREW). I was skeptical at first because I was used to training on my own and running by myself before this year, but having people to run with and to push you to go faster or run longer, really helps. REALLY. So if you are getting bored with running... I highly suggest joining a running group! Best decision EVAR!

Color Vibe 5K WINNER!!!

And the winner of the Savannah Color Vibe 5k entry is.....

Commenter #28: Brooke Lee Smith!!!

Congratulations! I will contact you soon!

I have another AWESOME race entry giveaway coming in a couple weeks... hint: It's not in Savannah (and if you are observant, it's listed on my blog already...)

Stay tuned!!!

Next up for me: The St. Augustine Half Marathon on Sunday!! Woohoo!! Half #2, here I come!

FIRST Half Marathon - DONE!!! (warning: long post)

 

After all the training, hard work, early mornings, sore body parts, blood, SWEAT and tears, my FIRST half marathon is COMPLETE!!! November 3, 2012 will definitely be one of the most amazing days of my life – right up there with college graduation, my wedding day, and the birth of my son. haha I could not have asked for a more perfect day.

I really have to admit that tapering the last 2 weeks definitely helped - not only to recharge my body after a hard week year of miles, but to also recover from my injuries: the road rash, the sprained calves, the sore shins... I ran probably my best run ever on Saturday morning. AND, I did not have any lingering soreness, blisters or pains afterwards. It seems so magical. I did everything right the entire taper period, from resting when my body needed it and drinking water until I peed every hour... it totally paid off in the end!!!

Expo green screen fun!

The Savannah Rock 'n' Roll weekend kicked off with an awesome Expo. Joel and I went on the first day (Thursday) to pick up our numbers and race swag. I was able to change my corral from 16 to 12 (which didn't really matter, as I had come to find out). I'd never been in a huge race before, so the expo was an experience in itself! I picked up a bunch of freebies and samples, got our photos taken, signed up for free entries to other races, walked around and just took in all the energy. That night I went to a group dinner with my CREW training group - the ones who have gotten up with me every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings since June to run around dark Pooler neighborhoods and train out butts off! We have become a little tight-knit family!

Most of my Pooler CREW

Friday, the day before the race was hectic - trying to get work done, trying to get everything ready and packed up since we were spending the night at Joel's parent's house, making soup for the pre-race dinner hosted by my other wonderful running group - Moms RUN This Town (MRTT), going to the dinner (sorry no pictures... Katie's Blog has some good ones though!) and then coming back to drive to the in-laws with kid and doggies in tow. Set the alarm for 5:30am. I went to bed at my normal time (1am).

I woke before my alarm went off. Joel was awake too, I think. Took a while to get out of bed, but when I actually got up, my tummy had an urge to go. TMI, but you runners know what I mean. My day could not start off ANY better! I was worried about tummy troubles during the race, so emptying them out before the race was ideal for me. I had a glass of water, half of a banana and half of a Powerbar before we gathered our stuff and headed out. It was chilly that morning, but not cold enough that we needed our hoodies/sleeves at the start.

Newport running family!

Our BEFORE photo!

Joel's dad dropped us off as close as he could to Ellis Square, where I was to meet up with my CREW group to take a photo before we split off to our corrals. We passed MANY empty spots downtown! After the pictures, we trekked down to the bag check area, and took a few more pictures along the way. Bag check was very easy, it was just pretty far down from where we needed to line up. On the way back up to the corrals, we found the line for the Brooks VIP bathroom. The line was shorter than the port-a-pottys but still longer than I expected. Joel couldn't wait for me, so I kissed him goodbye/goodluck and off he went. I got out just in time to line up in corral 12.

I stayed up at the front of the corral and met up with Chris, a fellow CREW member, who was at the back of corral 11. As we moved up when the race started, he found others in our CREW and they called for me to come up and join them! It was nice to be able to start off my first half with the same people who I trained with for the past 6 months!

It was our turn to start and we were off! I stuck with Chris for most of the first half of the race. It was nice to have someone to chat with for those first miles. Made it easy! There was the first hill in the first mile, not so bad. After the 2nd mile, I think there was a water station. It was chaotic because the road was pretty narrow and there were people stopping right in front of you to get water. In addition to the narrow run-way, there were random cups on the ground that you had to dodge. Well I dodged them anyway - I didn't want my injury-prone ass to slip on one! The narrow water stations was probably the only bad part of my experience...

I stopped to walk for a bit after mile 4 to take my first Gu, then went back at it. We were headed back towards downtown. After we made the first left turn onto MLK (around mile 5), there was upbeat hip hop/dance music playing and it really pumped me up! Then I saw a huge line of kids with their hands held out and I made my way over to them and just ran down the line giving high fives!! WOOHOO!! That was the start of my surge!! It really got me going! The whole downtown part (miles 5-8) was just so awesome and packed with spectators!!! Especially along Oglethorpe!! I loved the bagpipers playing in front of the Cathedral (probably the best band out there on the course! haha). Around mile 8, I saw my friend and boot camp instructor, Kerrie who came out to cheer for us!

After the hustle and bustle of downtown, it was back to the neighborhood streets... after mile 9 we passed under the legs of a huge inflated Brooks rocker dude. Then I decided to take my second walk break to consume my 2nd Gu before entering the Gordonston neighborhoods, where I would be on the look out for Joel's parents and Liam! For some reason this part seemed pretty long to me. Maybe because I was searching and anticipating seeing my son. I knew we'd see them in between miles 10 and 11, but as we kept making turns and not seeing them, I thought they might have left already.... until I finally caught sight of them near the end of the 10th mile. I briefly stopped to give Liam a kiss. Then he says, "I want to go run with you mommy!" I didn't tear up like you'd think I would - instead I just said, "I'll be right back! We'll see you later! Love you!!!" and continued my journey. Then I hear some really sad weeping... that just kept getting louder even as I jogged away!! :( I felt like a bad mom... one lady runner came up and said, "Oh it just breaks your heart doesn't it?" And it did, but I just had to laugh. He does that every time I leave him! Apparently he did that with Joel too, so I'm sure seeing his other parent run away from him earlier didn't help me! LOL

After that little ordeal, I saw the 11 mile sign and knew that I was SO CLOSE to the end!! A couple miles to go!!! It started to split off to where the marathoners left for their 2nd half... it was very clearly marked and they had people along the course telling people as well. After the split, was mile 12!!! AHHHH just 1 more mile!!! This last mile was the longest mile EVER. First of all, there were a couple little hills on this stupid road. It was rough. My toes had become numb and my feet were just getting beat. I made myself walk a little bit before trying to finish strong. I wish there was as many spectators on this final mile like there were on Oglethorpe! I was trying to remember the succession of streets before Drayton (the LAST turn), but I just kept seeing a mass of people still lining the street ahead of me. Ugh. But it came up by surprise because I think there might have been a hill and then right after the hill was the final turn! WOOHOO!!! Just .1 mile left!!!

Where's that finish line?

The last .1 was a blur. There were tons of people lined up on the sides cheering people in! I tried to sprint, but I don't think I had much left in me. I went as fast as I could, even slowed a bit to make sure my finish line photo was cute by posing. LOL I crossed under the gate and yelled out, "WOOHOOOOOOO!!!" I didn't cry like I thought I might (especially because just I started my period, haha - sorry TMI). I was just so HAPPY and overwhelmed and proud of myself!!! Especially when I looked down at my watch to see my time: 2:14:36!!!!!!! Holy $hit! I beat my goal (2:15)!

Finishing up strong!

Pumped up at the finish!!!

I went and got my medal and saw Joel! He waited for me, which I am glad he did because we got our finishers photo taken together! He didn't do as well as he would have liked due to an injury, but I am proud of him for finishing!! I met a girl who recognized me from Daily Mile, which was pretty awesome that we finished around the same time. I also saw my old Crossfit instructor, Kim at the end handing out medals and gave her a high five!

Finisher's photo with my man!

After the photos and crowded finish line craziness, we walked straight down to the bag check area and got our bag. Bag checks are awesome! I changed out of my shoes and into my FitFlops... ahhh... my feet needed those! Got my phone and took an "after" photo of Joel and I and checked my texts and FB... although it was nearly impossible to get a good signal out there with all the people trying to do the same exact thing.

Our AFTER photo!

We got our free beer and then headed over to the CREW tent for post-race congrats to my CREWmates and photos. Then we went over to the MRTT tent to catch up with the other MRTT runners from Savannah, ATL and other chapters, as well as rest, stretch, ice, drink more beer, and just enjoy the beautiful afternoon... We stayed and got updates on Jen - who was doing the Full (a first for her, too!) It was really awesome to watch her come in and finish strong - well above her expected goal!!!

Morgan and Jen... both big achievements at the RnR!

This race was so unbelievable. I knew it would be a great time, but it really exceeded my expectations of a half marathon. I wore a custom-made Wonder Woman running costume (from the wonderfully talented Helen of This Princess Runs) which got me lots of comments and "GO WONDER WOMAN" cheers along the way! Whenever I heard someone say it, I'd yell out "WOOOHOOO YEAH!!!!" and try to make eye contact with them as a thank you to let them know I heard it and it is keeping me going!!! The race support and volunteers were just so phenomenal. I would love to do this again next year!!! 

My splits. I wanted to see those 9s at the end of the race, but I guess I started off faster than I should have. Oh well! I still ran a fabulous race!

(Thanks marathonfoto.com for the pics! I will be purchasing them soon!)

GIVEAWAY: Savannah Color Vibe 5k

**** UPDATE: I realized there were issues with commenting on my page. I think I fixed the issue so anyone can comment now. If you are still having issues, please let me know by emailing me: msfourtune @ hotmail (dot) com  THANK YOU!! *** 

Woohoo!!! Still on a runner's high after the Savannah Rock 'n' Roll yesterday!! So amazing. Race report coming soon... In the meantime...

The Color Vibe 5k is coming to Savannah on December 8!!! 

If you have made it here, you probably already know what a color run is and what it entails. I have never done one (this will be my first!), but from what I understand is that it is a fun run that pretty much anyone can do - it's family friendly, kids 7 and under are FREE (but no pets), the color that is thrown is safe, colored cornstarch, and looks like a great time!! Check out the Color Vibe FAQ and site for more detailed info.

My running group - Moms RUN This Town (Savannah, GA) has teamed up with the Color Vibe to help spread the word of this fun event!! 

Giveaway time!!! 

RULES: 
Do any or all of the following items below. Leave a SEPARATE comment for each item you do.

1. LIKE Color Vibe on Facebook. Tell them Savannah Mom RUN This Town sent you! Comment here that you did.
2. LIKE Moms RUN This Town (Savannah, GA) (Savannah MRTT) on Facebook - this is my awesome running group made up of moms (of humans and pet-babies) who RUN! Then comment that you did.
3. Tweet your excitement about the giveaway: “I want to run into some color in #Savannah from @colorvibe via @momsrunthistown!!”  Then comment that you did and tell me your Twitter handle
4. If you LIKED the Savannah MRTT page (from item 2), find the post with the link to this blog entry and SHARE it on your Facebook page. Comment here that you did.

I will pick a RANDOM comment at by the end of Sunday, November 11 and that person will be the winner! I'll announce the winner on my blog Monday morning - November 12!

 

Please be honest with your comments. :) If you've already liked or tweeted, just tell me in the comments. But I'm going to make sure you did!! haha

 

There is ONE more FREE entry opportunity after mine closes... be sure to check out Tina's blog: One Foot Out the Door next week!!!

Also, if you register please be sure to enter charity code: CHILDRENMUMC when registering to help raise money for the Children’s Hospital at Memorial University Medical Center! A portion of the proceeds will go to this charity.

Thanks and good luck!!!

This is it...

At the Rock 'n' Roll Expo - the Brooks photo booth

Only one more day until the Rock 'n' Roll Half!!!

I'm beyond excited... I'm really tired. haha Just so exhausted from running around and doing Halloween stuff and baking and making various foods and trying to get all my normal work done. I only ran one day this week - an easy 3 miles around the neighborhood. I was going to push myself to get out at lunch and do another quick 3, but it would have been pushing it with time and work. I hope the taper helped!

I just realized I have not updated since the October 1! It's been a whole month. It has been a busy month... my sister's wedding, lots of traveling, lots of trying to get runs in... I did manage to do my new PDR - a training run of 12 miles... at a pretty decent pace. Which surprised me because I drank the day before and I ran on a sore leg - which I know I probably shouldn't have, but I did anyway and am alive to live about it. Which is why I have not done so much during the taper. That 12 was 2 weeks ago. It was also the same week that I had another FIRST... my first road rash! I tripped on a 6 mile run the Thursday before we did the 12 miles. I don't know what I tripped on because I run that route 2-3 times a week. I think my legs were just tired and I was just not feeling it that morning. My right palm and both knees ended up with scrapes. The scrapes on my right knee and palm ended up getting infected so I had to go to urgent care to get antibiotics. The scars have scabbed and are not so gross looking now. I have progression photos, but I don't think anyone would want to see them. haha

Anyway, I would LOVE to write a review on my first big race Expo and everything else that has been going on, but I am so damn tired. Hopefully I will update soon... I actually NEED to because next week I'll be giving away a race entry to the Color Vibe 5k in Savannah!

The next time I update this blog, I will be an official HALF-MARATHONER! :)

Bring on October!

The first few bars are not proportional to the later ones

Just to give you a bit of history, I only used to train for mostly 5Ks back in the day, pre-baby. Which meant the furthest I ever ran on any given running day was 4 miles. I ventured into the 10K distance for a short time before I got pregnant and did a couple 10K races (both 10Ks were bridge runs, so I am looking to eventually do a flat one to try to PR -- sub 1 hour is my goal!)

I joined a training group in June this year with my local Fleet Feet for beginner half-marathoners (specifically training for the Rock and Roll Savannah Half in November) and they have been excellent for making me get out of bed in the mornings. I knew I could never follow any type of plan by myself because I could easily have just said, "I'll run tomorrow" or, "I'll just make up the miles this weekend" or... any other excuse not to get up and get my miles in.

Another group that I joined this year: Moms Run This Town, has given me even MORE motivation and support to go out there and run. Plus I've made a bunch of awesome new mommy friends -- which is a milestone in itself because I am not the type to go out there and join a "mommy group" but I am so glad I did. I love the group and try to pitch in as much as I can to give back to the cause and support I have received in return. I was recently promoted to be a co-chapter leader for our Savannah group, which I am honored to do so, but not worthy! I'm just doing my part! :)

Doing the LoCo Motion this past Saturday!

One of my last posts dealt with new records for the month of September -- I have even more to add. It's just getting a bit ridiculous -- the amount of achievements I've done this month -- but it's all true and noteworthy that I have to mention it! haha It's like it just keeps getting better!

• Finished my first 10-mile race, the LoCo Motion 10 Mile Run/Walk in Callawassie Island, SC (details below)
• Ran a record number of miles in 1 month: 78 (see image at top)
• Reached a total of 400 miles run for 2012 thus far (according to Daily Mile, yet the screenshot above totals only 388... which is fine because there were a few times I did not log!)
• Completed my highest total number of organized races for the year...so far! And more to be added! I am at 6 thus far in 2012, whereas my previous highest was 4 in 2010!)

Last Saturday morning, while pretty much everyone was out doing the Big Nasty Mud Run (I'm so jealous!), I was out running the LoCo Motion 10 Mile Run on Callawassie Island in SC. It's a 3-day, 30 mile event which benefits breast cancer research, screening and treatment. Callawassie Island is the first community in South Carolina to be designated a Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, so the course was BEAUTIFUL - half golf course and half shady neighborhood streets. But the race started at 9 am! HOT! I've grown accustomed to seeing dark morning stars and beautiful dawns on my runs.

I guess I'll start with the few CONs of the run: First, the late start time, nuff' said! It was a very casual race, which meant no chip timing (no big deal, I knew this before hand and was prepared with my Garmin and was not expecting a PR). But it also meant that the course was most likely not measured correctly -- my GPS readings were minus .2 miles from each mile marker, so I had to make up for it after I crossed the finish line. It also meant that the start was not really officially announced - I thought we were doing a group "warm up" walk, but then after I saw people in the front of the pack start running, I started my watch and tried to make my way past the walkers, which also kind of sucked, because I was in the back and I'd say 75% of the group were walkers. Plus the start was on a golf course path, so it was really narrow and really hard to maneuver past. I read on the website that they'd give runners a 3 minute head start. I guess they forgot!

Now that all the bad stuff is out of the way, I can get on with all the GREAT stuff!

1. It was a beautiful, scenic, mostly shaded course.

2. TREMENDOUS community involvement: high school cheerleaders were cheering, residents had pink bows on their mailboxes, and a lot of them were outside their houses cheering everyone on and waving.

3. TONS of water and snack stops along the way, which made it fun and really broke up the course -- some residents had unofficial stops where they set out some snacks, drinks, candy, pretzels, oranges, chocolates, watermelon (OMG the watermelon hit the spot!) and played music. I wasn't planning on stopping along the course so much, but I loved how they all came out to support the race!

4. It was a small race - maybe 150-200 participants that day, so parking and bathrooms were not an issue!

5. The overall vibe and energy of the morning was great! Maybe due to the intimacy of the race because it was so small? I was definitely catching the vibes of all the different groups and runners out there. For some, it was the 2nd day in a row to be walking or running 10 miles. That's amazing to me.

6. I got to wear PINK! It was a perfect race to don my hot pink CEP compression socks! I got multiple comments and compliments on them!

7. Race goodies! For a small race, they sure had a good amount of free stuff out there: along with the usual bottles of water, bagels, grapes, bananas, granola bars, they had large bags of sweet potato chips (yum), medium size bottles of Gatorade, pink lollipops (grabbed a few for Liam) and other pink candies. And in the race bags there were pink cups, bracelets, a pink beer koosie, nail file...

8. Great race support staff - I had many questions before the race, which I asked on their FB page and they were quickly answered!

Finish time was 1 hour, 43-ish seconds on the race clock. I wasn't paying too much attention because I had to go the extra bit after crossing under the finish line arch to reach 10 miles on my Garmin, which was 01:48:30.

I'd totally do this again next year. Maybe even try to do this and another one of the other days as well! The final day of the event was 10 miles on the beach!

Time for bed... It's October now... where how did September go by so fast? :)

Run it! Blue Ridge Marathon 2013!!

 http://blueridgemarathon.com/

I want to win an entry to run in the Blue Ridge Marathon from Sweat Junkie!

Record-Breaking September

ALMOST a new PR...

What a month it's been so far! And it's not quite over!

First of all, I have LESS THAN SIX weeks to go until I run my first Half marathon!!! I am SO friggin excited!  :)

I had an AWESOME 10 mile run last Saturday morning with the Pooler CREW... my pace was FASTER than both my previous 9 and 8 mile run (which both happened to be just about the same pace) and my legs felt GREAT! I had my first ice bath afterwards. Which might have been a minor FAIL because I only got 2 bags of ice and had to supplement with the ice cubes in my freezer because my tap water wasn't cold enough. I think it worked though. It wasn't so bad for my first one! I need to do it more often!

It was also the second time running my longest distance EVAR of 10 miles. And I kicked that previous time's ass!! By about 16 minutes! Well, the first time I did it, there were multiple HUGE hills that I was not ready for...

Ice bath! (I know... I need a new pedicure)

I started putting my distance PRs on my "Completed Races and PRs" tab... to keep track of my fastest times for each mile distance. If you look at the page, almost ALL of the 4-10 mile PRs happened this month! That PDR is about to change too... the long run on October 6 is 11 miles...

We had a mock 5K race last Thursday morning... It was cool and dark, but I was ready to run! I have not run that fast since 2009 when I did my current 5K PR in the Race for the Cure that year (27:49), but if I remember correctly, that course was a bit short, so I the time that I posted in the photo above is truer. 9 minute miles, for 3.1 miles! I didn't think I was going to see a 27 at the end of my run...

And then this morning, I kicked even MORE ASS running 4 miles in 36:32! That's only a slightly slower pace than that 5K last week!

I attribute these record times to the cooler weather and running with a group. Running with people that are at your pace or slightly faster definitely helps push you to go faster than you would naturally go if you were by yourself. Plus the (huffed) conversations while running help with your lungs and also just helps to keep things less boring! It's a good distraction. :) I don't think I would have been able to train like this all by myself, I am SO thankful for my group!!!

That's not all... last week, I achieved my highest weekly mileage: 27 miles (Sunday, Sept 16 to Saturday, Sept 22)!

And to top it off, I am on track to complete another record monthly mileage total of: 78 miles for September!! Woohoo!!

More new Kicks - Saucony Progrid Omni 11

Saucony Progrid Omni 11

I ordered a pair of Sauconys a few weeks ago from Fleet Feet. I have wide feet and they didn't carry these babies in wide. Well, they came in and I picked them up last Monday. Tried them out on Tuesday morning... OMG... they are AWESOME! I might have a new favorite running shoe. The thing I like about these the most is the cushioning. The inserts have memory foam in them. I might have tried these on last year at the Potomac River Running Store....quite possibly the same model, but not sure. I should have taken note. They were my second choice behind my trusty Brooks Adrenaline. I've never had TWO pairs of running shoes in my rotation, so this is a FIRST for me! I've also never really run in ANYTHING other than the Brooks Adrenaline!

The Saucony Omnis (SO) are lighter than the Brooks Adrenaline (BA), so they are more suited for longer distance running than the BAs. The SOs are just so friggin COMFY! I cannot stress this enough. It's like walking on a dang CLOUD. I could wear them all day! They were the same price, I think... at least in the same price range. I learned that the WIDE version of shoes are very limited in colors, which is why I can't ever find any snazzy/flashy colored shoes that are right for my feet. :\ The SOs also came in a nice Blue/Gray color scheme (still not as flashy as I'd like), but the Wide was only in this Red/Gray combo. I am REALLY happy with my purchase and I hope to make the SOs a part of my running shoe family from now on! :)

Up this week is my last day of Crossfit. I will miss it, but I will be back at bootcamp soon. If they ever do more classes, I will definitely sign up. If they ever open up a Crossfit gym in this area, I MAY sign up... not sure. Those gyms are hardcore. But at some point, I'd like to be hardcore. :) Maybe. At least I got a taste of it. And dammit, doing ONE unassisted pull up in my life is on my bucket list!!!

I have a 10 miler this weekend. I hope to redeem myself from my last 10 miler... which was hilly and just plain exhausting. I wasn't ready, but I wanted to make the most of the running trail in DC. At least THAT was pretty! Me on the other hand... was not so much.

I also wanted to write a bit about my 9-miler I did last Sunday. It was fine. I did it at the same pace as the last 8-miler. We went a bit later than I normally go, so it was pretty hot. I don't know if I just didn't take enough fuel (I split 1/2 a pack of GU chomps - I took 2 at 4.5 miles, and the other 2 at 7 miles in) or what, but my legs felt pretty damn tired at mile 7. I tried not to think about how tired my legs felt... tried to scroll through some uplifting songs on my mp3 player to distract myself (I don't usually listen to music)... it wasn't until after the 8th mile - the last one - that I was like, screw it, let's just get this over with and end it! After I hit 9, I stopped my watch and started to walk the .75 miles back to the car. My damn right calf was so tight! It was tight for 2 days. Well, it didn't occur to me until well after the run that: what if that happens to me at the half in November? What if my legs give out in the middle of it? I thought about the ironman races where people literally crawl through the chutes to the finish line, falling, and getting back up because they just pushed themselves so hard... After some motivating comments from my Daily Mile friends, I decided, well, I just have to take the bad runs and move on. Everyone has them. Just have to adjust and adapt!

I do know that those GU gels worked for me. I tried one for the first time on my 5 miler on Tuesday... and it instantly worked...or so it seemed. Haha. It tasted like shit, though! haha... Whatever. I will choke it down if it will make my legs move faster!!

Peek into my Kitchen

This blog is addressed as "jacy's FITNESS blog", but all I really talk about it my running. I do other things to try to keep fit, such as the crossfit class that I've been attending twice a week for the past 4.5 weeks (this evening is my 2nd to last class). And when that's over, I will be doing one day a week of Bootcamp classes every Wednesday with Kerrie of CrazyFit. I need another day of something in there, so I might go back to Bikram or just try to row and strength train here at home.

So, I thought I'd take the time to post some stuff that I eat -- the GOOD stuff, not the BAD! (This post would be super long if I posted all the CRAP I eat!) 

First of all, I would like to state that I am in NO WAY a "health freak" or "calorie counter" or what have you, nor do I have any real dietary restrictions. I still eat crap, whenever I want! I don't feel guilty! Shoot, I'll eat meat and processed crap all day! haha But I have been watching my portions and am trying to be more aware of my body and trying to stop eating when I'm satisfied. I will eat an entire bag of kettle chips, chocolate granola (see below), or Cool Ranch Doritos if I don't pay attention!

One of my Favorite Snacks:

Bear Naked Heavenly Chocolate Granola

This is the bomb. I eat it like popcorn. I think I actually strained my jaw eating so much of this delicious, chocolatey, chewy, all natural goodness!

Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness

I was thinking about investing in a juicer at one point... until I decided that buying all the fruits and veggies to go INTO the juice would be super expensive. For now, my cheap self buys this really tasty juice. Or is it a smoothie? Not sure. I start my day with 8 oz. of this stuff.

Any Tea – Especially Green Tea

I am a tea drinker. I also drink a cup of straight up, unsweetened green tea in the morning (after the juice), sometimes mid-day and in the evening. I love my coffee, too, but I try to save that for when I need to pull an all-nighter. I have a little Keurig machine which I love for not only the ease of coffee making, but because you can easily brew up some hot water for tea in about a minute!

Apple Cider Vinegar

This is something new I am trying. I got the idea from Ms. Plank-a-Day, Lea of Running For Dummies. :) It's been around for a while; the health benefits/old wives tales of it seem too good to be true, but I'm trying it mainly for the claims it has on weight loss and immunity boosting. I mix 2 Tbs with 8 oz. of water, in the morning and in the evening. It's definitely NOT good. But growing up, me and my sisters used to eat Granny Smith apples dipped in apple cider vinegar, so it sort of has a nostalgic taste for me... sorta. I read that it can cause damage to tooth enamel, so I usually rinse my mouth out with some water afterwards.

 Chia Seeds, Almond Butter

Chia seeds are the same seeds from the infamous Chia Pet of our childhood. Who knew these novelty toy seeds would have so much Omega-3 (supposedly more than Salmon)? They also work as an appetite suppressant because when you eat them, they expand and turn into a gel and keep you feeling full. They don't taste like anything, so you can put it on anything! My favorite is putting it on a sandwich - as shown above. It adds a pleasing texture!!

Almond butter is something new I'm trying as well. Almonds have a lot of healthy fats. This stuff tastes like regular peanut butter. I had to stir it a lot before using it because the oils were separated.

Running-related stuff:

Pre-Run Fuel

I can't eat much in the morning before training runs... due to time - basically because I literally roll out of bed and get in the car (I sleep in my running clothes)! So I need quick fixes so that I don't run on an empty stomach. I have found that a snack size box of raisins or these Power Bar Energy Bites work well and do not mess with my sensitive stomach. I could probably make my own bites.. I think I saw a recipe on Pinterest somewhere...

Hydration:

Nuun Tabs

Drop a tab in 16 oz of water and shake! For post-workout, I usually put one in my Camelback water bottle (which holds 24 oz total) and fill the rest with some ice. When I carry a smaller bottle on my runs (I HATE carrying stuff while running, I need to find a belt) I usually put the Lemon Tea flavored one in it because it is caffeine-infused (one of the only 2 I've seen that have caffeine). They have electrolytes and are pretty much taste like a watered down sports drink. Which is awesome because I don't like sports drinks, and I do actually like plain ol' water! Thanks Jen for introducing me to these!

Running Fuel

Jen also got me into the Power Bar Energy Blasts. I actually have not tried them on a long run yet, but plan to this Sunday on my 9-miler. They are pretty damn tasty. And so are those Honey Stinger chews! Oooh..the Cherry Blossom flavor is like candy! And they are organic and all natural!!! But unfortunately, I did try the Honey Stingers halfway on a 10-mile run and it did not help at all (it could have been me - not physically prepared to do a hilly 10-mile course for the first time). I have tried the GU Chomps on an 8-mile run the other week and they seemed to work VERY well! They taste OK. I like the other 2 better in terms of taste. They are pretty sticky and hard to get out of the wrapper though. Especially when you are sweaty and hot yourself. Jen has these little baggies (that look like dimebags!) that are supposed to help with that. I haven't been on too many long runs over 7 miles to really try much of this stuff.

Other:

Awesome (BBQ) Sauce!

Weber Real Molasses Buzz'n Honey 

This is like the best BBQ sauce, EVAR! When I went up to DC to visit my BFF, her hubby grilled some chicken with this stuff. It's so damn good. I included it on this list because it's actually all natural, has no high-fructose corn syrup, and is gluten free! Woohoo! Get it, try it, love it!

That's all! Hope you enjoyed my little tour....

Daniel Defense Pooler 5K Recap

Official Time: 29:53
My GPS Watch Time: 29:01

Proof! ...Of my fastest 5K for 2012, so far...

So I stopped my watch well after I crossed the finish line. I didn't even notice the small time clock at the end. I just sprinted my way to the finish. It was not a chip timed race, so the clock started when the gun went off – not when I crossed under the starting archway. Also, the course was a bit more than a 5K, my watch registered 3.19 miles. My goal was to get a sub-29 5K time... which I JUST MISSED by 2 seconds (by my watch...LOL), oh well, maybe next time!

Beginning of the race, waving to Liam

About to cross the finish line... I totally sprinted past this one gal I was trailing the last quarter mile... sneaky!

It was a hot race. It started at 8am, not the ideal time to run in these parts. I definitely started out too fast, but tired to slow it down... it's hard in a race setting. I guess it's something I need to mentally train myself to do, but the only way to do that is to enter races! On my training runs, I usually keep a steady pace throughout the run until the very end where I try to kick it up a notch to the finish because I have that saved up energy (which I have learned is not good for my knees, lol, but I have toned it down). I probably could have pushed myself just a bit faster at the end, but I was pretty wiped. That mask didn't help either!

There was a costume contest for "Most Patriotic" male and female runner. I ran in a silly costume that I put together the day before the race. I made the cape from an old race T-shirt that was too big for me, and I spray painted the star on it, as well as the red stripes onto the white shirt. I bought a cheap mask and spray painted part of that too and bought the star "race legs" from Team Sparkle! I wore my awesome blue MRTT Bondi Band to represent my mommas and my awesome pair of red Aspaeris Pivot compression shorts! Turns out I was pretty much one of the only few people in costume! I wasn't expecting to win, but after seeing the lack of patriotic costumes, I was pretty sure I had a good chance... and well, I did win!! Too bad it wasn't a cash prize! :)

A few of my fellow mommas from MRTT ran this race and so did about half of my CREW training group (our group long run that morning was actually cancelled due to low participation). It was a great small race that wasn't super crowded, but still had a great turnout. I think about 600 runners participated. The race proceeds went to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Stewart where wounded soldiers go to heal. They raised $20,000 for them!!! Woohoo!

Me and fellow CREW mate, Janet

Liam and Mom (me) running the Kids race! Notice the matching capes!

This was also a special race because it was Liam's FIRST race!! They had a kiddie run right before the actual race started. I ran alongside Liam and he was doing AWESOME! He ran ALMOST the entire distance until he tripped and fell right before the finish line! :( It was so pitiful, but cute... he of course cried when he fell. I dusted him off and asked if he still wanted to run, but he shook his head, still crying. I held his hand and asked if he still wanted to finish and he nodded. So we walked into the finish line with everyone cheering him on! It was a pretty awesome feeling, even though he had a little fall -- I'm sure part of the crying was due to embarrassment. But I am glad he wanted to finish because that's what it's all about -- getting back up after you fall and NOT QUITTING what you start! I was so proud of him! :)

Me and Jen

Thanks to Jen at Running Our Way for my free entry into this race!

Jen's 12-year old son Morgan ran the 5K in 21:27!! He got FIRST in his age group! He's such a talented young runner! The MRTT moms are very proud of him!!

Katie also had her first table set up for MRTT at the race which was pretty awesome. We are trying to attract more members... so if happen to be reading this, are a mom (even to furbabies), live in the Savannah area and want to join an AWESOME, free running group, come check us out!! http://savannahmrtt.wordpress.com/

Oh, I also want to thank my husband JOEL for watching Liam and carrying my purse while I ran. :D

Awesome MRTT Running Moms!

Up next: the LoCo Motion 10-miler on the 29th. Woohoo!!