Free Your Sole 5K & 10K

Yesterday was my last big run before the half marathon on Saturday. I ran the 10K for the "Free Your Sole 5K 10K" race at Woodland Cemetary. It was a very hilly course and challenging, but it felt good to push myself after taking some time off the last two weeks to rest my knee. The volunteers were super nice at the water stations, and everyone cheered as you came to the finish line (the 10K was the same course as the 5K, you just looped through again, so I got cheers two times). The friends and family members who were watching their friends and loved ones were very encouraging to the runners, even if they didn't know them. This was so nice. This week I have a 5 mile run on Wednesday, bookended by 3 mile runs on Tues/Thurs, and then the half on Saturday. It's odd that my task list on Google now has so few things to do - it was very satisfying to check off each training run as I completed it. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 839 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: -3 ft Date: 04/25/10 Up/Downhill: [+656/-659] Time: 09:58 AM Difficulty: 3.2 / 5.0   Weather: Mostly Cloudy   63 F temp; 89% humidity   63 F heat index; winds SSW 10 mph Performance Distance: 6.01 miles Time: 0:58:31 Speed: 6.2 mph Pace: 9' 44 /mi Calories: 609 Map

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Getting ready for the big day!

Last weekend I did my longest run yet - 11 miles. It was a gorgeous day, perfect running weather. My dad (on his bike) and I started at the Second Street Market and ran on the Great Miami River Recreational Trail from downtown Dayton to Moraine and back. It was really beautiful and scenic. I saw the usual fauna - geese galore and some mallard duck pairs, which was interesting. The geese must nesting b/c they were very territorial and hissed at us as we passed them on the path.

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 0 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 04/10/10 Up/Downhill: [+0/-0] Time: 10:47 AM Difficulty: 0 / 5.0 Weather: Sunny 51 F temp; 50% humidity 51 F heat index; winds S 9 mph Performance Distance: 11.03 miles Time: 1:47:47 Speed: 6.1 mph Pace: 9' 46 /mi Calories: 1163 Map

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I had my phone in my new SPIbelt that I picked up at Up and Running a couple of weeks ago. I love this belt. It is small and inconspicuous and it doesn't bounce. I had to tweak the positioning before I found the perfect spot on my hip for it. Plus, it has a stripe of hot pink around the zipper which is very cute! I also stuck some money and a package of lemon-lime Sport Beans in the belt - very handy. I'm not sure about the sport beans. I liked the fact that they are jelly beans (I have an addiction to the Starburst ones at Easter) but they tasted like a bit like Gatorade and made my mouth pucker a bit. The week before, I tried Luna's Moon chews on my long run. I bought two flavors, watermelon and blueberry. I didn't care for the watermelon flavor during my long run, but I tried the blueberry later on that week during one of my training runs and I enjoyed those much more. The flavor was very close to that of actual blueberries and not artificial at all. I think for the Capital City Half, though, I will stick with Sharkies. I think my belt should be able to fit my Blackberry, camera, and Sharkies packet, right?

I ended last weeks long run with some knee pain and have taken it easy this week, skipping my long run today on the advice of my chiropractor. He says I should be ok for the race on May 1st. I hope so - I would hate to do all this training and then have to skip the race! Tomorrow I'm participating in Live Earth's Run for Water 6k in Cincinnati. I'm gonna take it slow, easing my way back into things.

Catching Up

I haven't forgotten about this blog, though it may seem like it. The Capital City Half Marathon is three weeks away, and I've been training for it. I took a couple of days off last week because I felt worn down - I haven't really changed my other exercise habits, just added the training runs on top of the Zumba classes, lifting, and dance classes; and I'm a little afraid of over training.

Last Saturday, I ran 10 miles. I started off from home, ran to Riverscape metropark, followed the Mad River Recreational Trail to Eastwood Metropark, looped back to Riverscape, and ended at the Second Street Market for breakfast. Yesterday I did 11 miles and started at the Second Street Market. I ran the opposite direction from last week, on the Great Miami River Recreational Trail past the University of Dayton and Carrillon Park, out of the city of Dayton, and into Moraine. I returned the way I came to end up at the market for another yummy breakfast. It's a nice pattern to end the long run with an omelette. I slipped in some mud leftover from rain last week and have managed to end up with a sore knee. I took today off and I'm hoping it's back up to par tomorrow, as I have to teach 2 dance classes. Today was very nice: I spent most of the day with friends at STUDIO Zumba Fitness helping out during an event and ended the night with my girlfriends eating dinner at The Melting Pot. It doesn't get much better than cheese and chocolate fondues!

New 5k PR!

My half marathon training is coming along swimmingly (literally, as it was rainy during both of my runs on Saturday and Sunday). I was scheduled to run 3 miles on Saturday, so at the last minute I decided to enter the Harrigan’s Tavern 5K. I’m glad I did because I ended up running a PR of 26.07 (3 minutes off my last 5k race on NYE), coming in 6th place in my age group! It was also really nice to see some familiar faces I hadn’t seen in a while – a couple of girls I grew up with, with their husbands and children in tow, and a girl I went to high school with. Sunday I ran 7 miles, from my house to the Dayton Dragon’s baseball field in downtown Dayton and back. I felt really good and probably could have done more, but I’m saving my legs for dancing on St. Patrick’s Day Wednesday. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 757 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: -7 ft Date: 03/14/10 Up/Downhill: [+314/-321] Time: 11:24 AM Difficulty: 3.2 / 5.0 Weather: Cloudy 39 F temp; 90% humidity 39 F heat index; winds NNE 8 mph Performance Distance: 7.22 miles Time: 1:09:30 Speed: 6.2 mph Pace: 9' 37 /mi Calories: 778

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Almost Halfway to the Half Marathon

This morning I got a nice 6 mile run in. This was a great confidence booster for me for two reasons - I missed my long (6 mile) run on Sunday due to volunteering at an event and I'm almost halfway to my half marathon mileage. It was so warm out this morning I ended up taking off my tech shirt and running in my tank top & pants. I'm happy I've gotten 6 under my belt, this will give me the mental confidence to get 7 done on Sunday. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 754 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: +26 ft Date: 03/10/10 Up/Downhill: [+229/-203] Time: 06:51 AM Difficulty: 2.6 / 5.0 Weather: Cloudy 51 F temp; 90% humidity 51 F heat index; winds S 8 mph Performance Distance: 6.09 miles Time: 1:01:24 Speed: 6.0 mph Pace: 10' 05 /mi Calories: 660

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1/2 Marathon Training Week 3, Day 3

The roads were a bit icy this morning - I probably should have worn my YakTrax. I hope the snow melts enough on the bike path so that I can run on it again rather than in the street. Looking into getting a pair of trail running shoes might be a good idea, too. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 753 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 02/24/10 Up/Downhill: [+173/-173] Time: 06:53 AM Difficulty: 2.5 / 5.0 Weather: Cloudy 28 F temp; 82% humidity 28 F heat index; winds W 4 mph Performance Distance: 4.10 miles Time: 0:40:52 Speed: 6.0 mph Pace: 9' 58 /mi Calories: 430

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1/2 Marathon Training - Week 3, Day 2

I got a late start this morning on my run - left the house shortly before 6:30 and got back right around 7. This doesn't leave me much time to get ready for work. Getting out of bed when my alarm goes off the first time would be helpful. The weather was nice - not too cold, and I warmed up to the point that the gloves probably weren't necessary. The running/biking path I usually run on is still covered in snow so running on the road was interesting. Fortunately, even at 6:30 in the morning, there weren't too many cars out. Tonight I'm teaching a Zumba class and then taking a Circuit Zumba class later on at Studio Zumba. I'll sleep well tonight, I'm sure. Tomorrow is 4 miles! Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 757 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: +7 ft Date: 02/23/10 Up/Downhill: [+190/-183] Time: 07:00 AM Difficulty: 2.2 / 5.0 Weather: Cloudy 33 F temp; 93% humidity 33 F heat index; winds NW 5 mph Performance Distance: 3.54 miles Time: 0:35:38 Speed: 6.0 mph Pace: 10' 04 /mi Calories: 374

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I must be crazy

Today was Day 1 on my training plan for the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus on May 1st. This morning when I checked my Weather Channel app on my phone at 5:55 am, it said it was 26 degrees Farenheit out. I've run in colder weather, so I knew I could tough it out. The not so fun thing about running this morning was the 2 inches of snow on the ground, and the falling snow as I ran. I must be crazy.

This is my shoe after the run, complete with Yaktrak and snow. It wasn't quite the Snowpocalypse the Mid-Atlantic is getting, but we're getting a decent amount of snow here in the Midwest, with predictions of up to 10 inches by end of day tomorrow.





And here are my cute "recovery" (not really, but warm socks I got on clearance from Target for $2!) socks:




This snow had better not mess up my departure for Miami on Friday. I plan to ditch the snow and be cruising on the Zumba cruise starting on Saturday. I will be spoiled with all the running in the warm weather!

Pre-Training

I started my half marathon pre-training today. (Who am I kidding, I hopped back on the running train after 2 weeks off cause my actual training plan starts next week.) It was chilly out this morning, but I warmed up eventually. I wish the sun would be out this early in the morning, but it's too early in the year for that. So, I resumed running. The next step on my plan to run the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus on May 1, 2010, is to actually register for the event. I guess I'll be breaking out my credit card this afternoon and getting on that. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 748 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: -69 ft Date: 02/03/10 Up/Downhill: [+95/-164] Time: 06:40 AM Difficulty: 2.3 / 5.0 Weather: Cloudy 32 F temp; 75% humidity 32 F heat index; winds NW 6 mph Performance Distance: 3.34 miles Time: 0:33:14 Speed: 6.0 mph Pace: 9' 57 /mi Calories: 351

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Back in the Saddle

I have ended my running hiatus (seriously, it's been 3 weeks since the NYE Resolution Run). Getting out of my warm bed to go run in the cold is very difficult. Please note it was 22 freaking degrees outside this morning. And it was dark. I should be applauded. While running this cold, cold morning, I noticed a few things: Getting out the door at 6:45 to run is way too late. I need to get up and out earlier, thus I need to go to bed earlier. I need some gloves cause pulling my hands inside the sleeves of my fleece is not sufficient. I need actual running gear. My Brazilian suplex pants, while awesome, are a bit long, and the oversized tech shirt I got at the Turkey Trot last year aren't cutting it. Plus I only have one pair of running socks. All in all, it was a nice little run to get back in the habit. I'm glad I kept up with Zumba and dance classes, though, so I didn't lose any fitness during my mini-break from running. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 757 ft Location: Dayton, OH, Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 01/20/10 Up/Downhill: [+147/-147] Time: 07:12 AM Difficulty: 2.4 / 5.0 Weather: Partly Cloudy 22 F temp; 94% humidity 22 F heat index; winds E 3 mph Performance Distance: 2.65 miles Time: 0:26:34 Speed: 6.0 mph Pace: 10' 01 /mi Calories: 289

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Week 3 Update - 10 in 10

I'm watching the Golden Globes with my feet up because they ache from a 90 minute Zumbathon to raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti this morning (it was wonderful - thanks to Studio Zumba!), 45 minutes of a capella hard shoe class for Irish dance (that's where the blisters came from!), and 45 minutes of the Zumba class I taught following my dance class.

My goals for the 10 in 10 challenge are:

Food Goals:

• Cook more, eat out less - I have been noshing on a giant batch of veggie chili all week and had a yummy portabello mushroom cap with balsamic vinegar for dinner tonight.

• Bring lunch to work every day - Mission accomplished
  

• Only eat meat at one meal each day - Planning is a must in order to accomplish this, but I've stayed on track.
  

• No more soda - I haven't even been craving it!
  

• track food - I use a neat application for my iPod, "Tap & Track". Some days I'm better at this than others.
  

Fitness goals:

• Train for a Half Marathon in May - I have yet to resume running, mostly because of the snow. I haven't been slacking on my exercise, though - I am active each day with dance class, Zumba, or lifting.

My goal for this week of 17 January 2010 is to resume running. I've got to make myself get up and out of bed so I can go before work because I have no time in the evenings.

I'd love to hear from other 10 in 10 participants - even if you're not blogging about it!

10 in 10 Week 1 Recap

Here's what I've been doing to stay on track for the 10 in 10 challenge:

• Made delicious Veggie Chili from Natalie's Killer Cuisine Blog with a couple modifications - I didn't have kidney beans so I used Great Northern and Black Beans and I used both cans in their entirety. It was so yummy!
  
• I brought my lunch to work every day. If I didn't cook something, I had a couple of frozen lean cuisines for when I was in a pinch, which I was this week.
• I have only had meat once a day (I think this has been a great success).
• I've been using an app on my iPod to track my food. (This works well, but can be frustrating when I'm trying to enter food that is homemade and can't find the appropriate/corresponding food in the app. I am much more conscious of what I am eating and the portion size, though.)
• I have successfully not had any soda since 1 January. I don't miss it, really. I drink coffee and/or tea and have been upping my water intake.

I've haven't been pre-training for the 1/2 marathon in May, but I haven't exactly been inactive either. I have exercised each day, even doing yoga dvds when the Zumba and weights classes I usually take on Thursday were canceled due to snow. I have made a 12 week schedule for actual training for the mini marathon, but I need to do pre-training runs twice a week. This means I can't be a baby and will have to run outside in the cold because I don't have a treadmill or a gym membership. I'm also trying to recruit fellow runners for the 1/2 marathon.

All of this has resulted in a 4 pound weight loss, bringing my total to 47 pounds lost in 2 years. Like the tortoise, I'm slowly but surely winning the race!

It takes 21 days to form a habit - I'm hoping this 10 in 10 challenge helps me to form healthy new lifestyle habits!

NYE Resolution Run

Yay - finally got my sync issues worked out with the app I use to track runs on my blackberry. This was the NYE Resolution Run 5K I competed in on 12/31/09. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 903 ft Location: Alpha, OH, Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 12/31/09 Up/Downhill: [+121/-118] Time: 08:29 PM Difficulty: 2.2 / 5.0 Weather: 34 F temp; 93% humidity 34 F heat index; winds W 9 mph Performance Distance: 3.12 miles Time: 0:29:25 Speed: 6.4 mph Pace: 9' 25 /mi Calories: 338 Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 44 +0' 19 6.2 -0.2 +36 ft 2 9' 24 -0' 01 6.4 +0.0 -10 ft 3 9' 07 -0' 18 6.6 +0.2 -23 ft end 9' 26 +0' 01 6.3 -0.0 0 ft Versus average of 9' 25 min/mile

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10 in 10

In order to continue my transformation from unhealthy to a healthy lifestyle, I'm joining the 10 in 10 challenge put up by the Recipe Girl. It is about taking 10 weeks to become a healthier person. In my quest for a healthier lifestyle, I have participated in challenges at Studio Zumba. In fact, I just completed the Holiday Express challenge where I did three cardio classes and two strength classes a week for 8 weeks. The drawing for the grand prize (2 weeks of free classes) is Saturday - I hope I win!

For the 10 in 10 challenge, I made some goals about food and fitness. Most of them are about food, which is my downfall. I think I have the fitness portion covered - I am active every day, but I wanted to push myself so I added a big goal:

Food Goals:
Cook more, eat out less
Bring lunch to work every day
Only eat meat at one meal each day
No more soda
track food

Fitness goals:
Half Marathon by May

I will be posting about my progress here and on Twitter. You can follow me at ZumbaZ!