Running Fuel

I find it highly amusing that the topic of today's "Tuesday Topics Link Up" is all about how you fuel for a run.

Why is this funny, you may ask? Well, let me replay my Friday evening.

9:00 p.m. - Hey Jason, you wanna watch that Bird Box movie on Netflix? Sure.
11 p.m. - Movie is over and I'm SO WIRED because I don't do suspenseful or horror movies. I think I'm about to lose my mind.
Midnight - Still can't sleep. Hey, let's work on trying to transfer all 100,000 pictures from my iphone to my computer. No time like the present, right? (But for real...it's like 24,000 pictures. Anyone else feel me?!)
1 a.m. - If I don't go to bed, I'm seriously not going to wake up for my long run in the morning (and not waking up was seriously not an option)
2 a.m. - Barely asleep, I heard the sound of Brayden crying because he wanted "momma's bed". Alright, kid...come in momma's bed.
4:30 a.m. - The toddler was giggling in his sleep. Giggling. It was cute but 4:30 a.m.? Really? His giggling got him transferred right back into his own bed.
6 a.m. - A crazy freak storm moved through the area. Every time it thundered (happened at least three times), I JUMPED out of bed like the Bird Box ghost was headed my way.

Needless to say, it was not a productive night of sleep. Oh yes, and Brayden's monitor decided to have a sporadic connection which then caused the machine to annoyingly beep and beep and beep. It got itself turned off on two separate occasions during the night.

So, when my alarm went off at 7:15 a.m., the rain had just passed and I was ready to just get my long run over with.

What did my sleep deprived foggy brain have me do? I got dressed, grabbed a bottle of water, then headed out the door.

It was around mile 4 of my 10 mile run that I realized I didn't eat breakfast. Not even a typical pre-run bar or a banana. (Totally NOT in my norm...like at all.)

When I started getting light headed at mile 9, I realized I also didn't have any gels, GU, chomps, sports beans, not a single thing on me.

What. In. The. World.

Y'all, I've been a runner for 10 years now. I've run 6 marathons and 30+ half marathons and definitely know better. What possessed me to forgo any and all nutrition, food, gels, or gatorade at the least?! 

I'm not sure I know the answer, but the breakfast Jason had waiting on me when I returned home was everything I'd ever dreamed of!

All I can say is, I blame it on the Bird Box. Thanks, Sandra. 

Join Kookyrunnerand Zenaida every Tuesday for the Tuesday Topics Linkup!

Spooky Trail 10 Miler Race

Participating in a trail race was never something I thought I would do. After all, trails are hard to run  and being alone in the woods has never thrilled me. (Big chicken here.) However, when faced with the option of running 10 miles around my usual same old route vs taking up a new adventure out on the trails of a local state park, I went with the adventure!

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I wasn't sure what to do about a race outfit. The temps were forecast to be in the 50's the entire length of the race and I didn't know whether to wear a short or long sleeved top. Such a dilemma. In the end, I wore a long sleeved top to the race site and brought the short sleeved top along with me just in case I decided to change at the last minute.

This park is only about 10 minutes from my house, so it was a very easy drive to get there.

The sun was just rising as runners were entering the park. It was so beautiful and peaceful on the river!

Packet pickup was super easy and it was at this point that I realized two things - for one, I wondered what in the world I got myself in to and two, there weren't many runners milling around and I freaked out a little bit about the possibility of being in the woods alone. (Big chicken here, remember?)

In the end, I decided to change into the short sleeve shirt and I was SO glad I did. After a quick restroom stop, it was time to line up to start the race! I heard that around 60 runners registered, but only about 48 or so completed the race.

Once the race began, a group of 5 of us kind of unintentionally formed a little pack runners who stayed together for about half the race. That was fine with me because I definitely didn't want to be alone, especially not knowing the trails well.

It took about a mile and a half before my body warmed up. It was also hard for me to enjoy the course and the scenery because I was constantly looking down to make sure I didn't trip. One of the guys in our little pack of runners face planted at one point and another girl in our group kept getting her foot caught on roots and the rough ground.

This race seriously made me realize that trail running is NOT for the faint of heart!!

We made our way through several trails and although this trail looks pretty decent, the majority of them didn't look like this. There were hills, steep curves, lots and LOTS of roots, mud, uneven ground, more steep curves, bridges, and...well, you get the point.

Once our group of 5 broke off, I literally stuck like glue to the runner in front of me. After a little while, she asked if I was familiar with the trails and she admitted that she wasn't either. At one point, we weren't sure we were even going the right way because we couldn't see paint markings any longer. Luckily, we were on the correct course.

Also, there were no water stops along this course. Thankfully I knew this ahead of time and was prepared with water bottles for my flip belt. One thing about running with water, though...I despise it. I absolutely cannot stand the sound of sloshing water while running. Lucky for me, I had headphones and listened to a podcast the entire race.

I finished this race in about 2 hours which is what I was expecting. My body also felt as if I'd run a full by the time it was all said and done. Actually, it's Tuesday and my hip flexors are still sore. I had a feeling this would be a tough and interesting experience, but I didn't realize just how hard it would be. There were many times I wanted to walk but I couldn't bring myself to because I didn't want to lose anyone in my group.

In all, I finished 40th out of 48 runners. Definitely not what I'm used to, but I'll take it for my first trail race experience!

I sent a text to Jason while on my way home and asked if he had breakfast waiting for me.

...of course he did!

Now for the burning question - would I run a trail race again? On Saturday, I would have told you a flat out no. After having a few days to think about it, now I honestly don't know my answer. If I were more familiar with a trail or course before jumping into it like this, I would be more inclined to say yes. Overall, it was a neat experience and definitely one I'm glad I took on!

A friend asked what the "spooky" aspect of this race was all about. No, there never was anyone hiding in the woods, waiting to jump out at us. For me, the spooky part had to do with being alone...lost on a trail! Thankfully, that never happened!

 Have you ever run trails or a trail race? What are your thoughts on the whole thing?

Relay for Life Weekend

Happy Monday!

As y'all know, I'm a big Relay for Life fan and am a part of our local Relay for Life Event Leadership Team. Well, we had an event leadership conference this past weekend, so that's where I spent my Friday evening and most of Saturday!

It all began at a dinner on Friday night, honoring the top fundraisers, events, and teams in the state. I was invited because our Lake Charles relay was the top #7 in the state as far as dollars raised!

We had a great dinner and enjoyed networking with others!

On Saturday morning, we needed breakfast and coffee...so I might have convinced my travel buddy to ride along to the nearest Target with me.
#1 - I needed to check out their Chip & Joanna section...ours is kinda small.
#2 - I NEEDED to check out their dollar spot because it's WAY bigger and less picked over than ours!
#3 - There's a Starbucks inside of their Target - ours doesn't have this luxury.
Hello - we accomplished 3 goals at once...enough for me!

Although I didn't purchase any Chip and Joanna items, I did rack up at the dollar spot - Brayden's stocking is done!

Oh yes, and Starbucks...there's that!

We even arrived in plenty of time before the event began!

One of the highlights of the conference was a "branding" class. They made these boards to show the difference in "service" you receive from various companies (Disney World was up there too). On the airlines section, someone decided to make their own "Southwest" section and started placing sticky notes on the blank wall! I might have followed along as Southwest is my airline of choice....although I do fly United and Delta when Southwest isn't available.

On Sunday morning before church, I hit the roads for my long run. I tried to time it so I would finish before Jason had to leave for church, but that didn't quite work out. It was time for him to leave around the time I hit 8 miles. Since Brayden was awake at that point, I got out the jogging stroller and together, we finished the final 2 miles.

It was nice and cool although I was slightly overdressed.  In all, it was a good run and seemed to go by pretty fast!

Sunday morning smiles!

This outfit cracked me up! I'm just loving the tie!

After lunch, we realized it was close to 2 p.m. which meant buy one get one free holiday drinks at Starbucks! Our restaurant connected to the Starbucks parking lot, so it was a no brainer! We had about 10 minutes to spare, so we waited around, then drove through the drive thru!

I might have also ordered a snowman cookie! It was yummy, too!
 

We sat in the car with our drinks because Brayden was asleep at this point for his nap. In all, it was a fun little surprise mini-date! Sometimes, you gotta take them when you can!

Last but not least....LOOK at these PJ's! Aren't they precious!? I saw them and was instantly in love!

Well, that's it for my weekend!

I hope you all had a great one, too! :) Have a great week!

Ten Take 2

Ice, stretch, roll, squat, lunge, repeat...

That's what my week last week looked like. I was worried that I over did it with my left hamstring during the previous week's 6 miler because it bothered me all week.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. My running group was meeting up again for the first time in weeks and the temperatures out side were perfect. I technically wasn't even supposed to be here this weekend and wasn't planning a long run because I wanted to give my hamstring some rest while on our cruise. So....what to do?

Well, after going back and forth in my head, I decided that I would KT Tape my hamstring properly (for the first time) and go out to meet my running group. If I only made a few miles before stopping (because I'm trying not to overdo it), then so be it. There were no preconceived notions about distance or time in my head - I just wanted to get out and enjoy the fresh, cool air and our first cool front of the season!

The sunrise was just beginning as I reached town.

Also, we couldn't have asked for better weather! When I first started running, I was really cold and wondered if I should have worn a long sleeved top. It didn't take long for me to warm up, though.

This route was also one of my favorites - it led us down River Road where we truly had a chance to experience the gorgeous sunrise!

During Harvey, this area was impassible for a while due to high water and the signs still remain...

At this point, I was about 2 miles into my run and my hamstring felt AMAZING! I seriously couldn't believe it as I didn't think I'd even make it this far while running.

So, I kept on. The entire route around the river is almost 8 miles out and back which was perfect for me that morning!

At this point, both IT Bands were starting to bother me which is incredibly random. I think my socks were too thick and my shoe laces were tied too tight. It's incredibly random, but it happens sometimes. I decided that since I know how to deal with IT Band pain, I would continue to push on to finish at 10 miles. I said I wouldn't run a 2 digit run again until it was cooler outside and somewhere along the river, I decided that today was that day!

The last two miles turned into a run walk due to my IT bands which didn't make me very happy but that's ok!

In the end, I was still happy with the mileage for the day and incredibly amazed that my hamstring held up just fine. So, from here on out I'm going to ice, roll, stretch, and KT Tape my hamstring along with my physical therapy work and see what happens!

 Did you run this weekend? How was your run? Have the temps cooled down in your area?

Ten.

Is October here yet? Y'all. This heat and humidity is about to do me in, especially this past Saturday with an afternoon heat index of 106 degrees.

So last week, I set out for a 10 mile run and couldn't make it. At 6 miles I threw in the towel and decided that 10 miles in August was for the birds. That thinking didn't last long because this past Saturday, my brain got the best of me and I once again decided to try for a 10 mile run.

The sun was just peeping over the horizon when I began my run. It was already 80 degrees with a high humidity rate and I knew as soon as the sun became visible, it would get hotter and hotter by the minute. 

Originally, I was going to meet up with my running group in town, but a few last minute change in plans left me running from my house. I've only run a distance like this from my house one time in the past and I did not like it one bit. 

My options were to run a 2 mile loop 5 times and have water every 2 miles, or run a 4 mile loop a couple of times plus a few and carry a bottle of water with me. I didn't like either option, so I compromised. In the end, one 4 mile loop won out where I carried a bottle of water with me and three 2 mile loops where I passed water every 2 miles at my my mailbox. The. Struggle. Was. Real. (Yes, I should invest in some kind of water holder but I honestly haven't needed it up until this point. I also do own a water belt but I kind of don't like it...)

Anyway, I decided to change a few things up for this run vs my last week long run fail. I drank plenty of water the day before (80 plus ounces) and had a decent lunch and dinner on Friday. I also ate a different protein bar that morning before heading out the door.

The run went fairly well up until mile 5 when I realized I forgot KT tape for my right knee (how?!) and my left hamstring wanted to act crazy. I considered quitting at mile 6 but didn't give it too much of a thought. I talked myself into stopping at mile 8 if I HAD to and by the time I reached mile 8, I decided that I was almost to mile 10 so why not.

 

If this run proved anything, it's the fact that no one should be running double digit miles in the south in the summer. Honestly, it was a miserable run but definitely one I'm glad to say I accomplished.

I know it was a slow one, but I didn't even care. Finishing the entire distance was more important than speed this time. Speed will come in the fall when it no longer feels like a sauna outside and I can breathe once again!

Although Madalynn wasn't with me for this run, I did take a second to say hi to her horse friend! They made buds several years ago and love to see each other. It's rather cute!

I look like I'm about to pass out (because I felt like it), but I was so glad to be DONE!

The best part of the whole thing was returning home to see Brayden dressed in the onesie I bought him at Rock n Roll New Orleans this year! It says, "I want to RUN like you when I grow up!" Isn't that adorable?! My husband is thoughtful like that! :)

I topped off the weekend by wearing compression socks to help with recovery and a glorious 2 hour nap on Sunday afternoon!

How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Did you run this weekend? 

Long Run, Productions, & Snow Cones!

HOW is it Monday  already?! I’m pretty sure I blinked and the weekend was over like that…  Thankfully, I don’t have any meetings or events tonight, so my life can somewhat return to normal now that the production is over!

Saturday morning, I met up with my running group for a 10 mile run. It was a little chilly at the beginning, so I wore a long sleeved shirt and regretted it about halfway through my run. Oh well. At least it was a cute shirt! :)

I took the run a little slower than normal because my knee started bothering me about halfway through.

I was going to attempt a 12 mile run but decided to cut it down to 10 when my knee started acting crazy. This is the longest I’m going to run before the Diva’s Half Marathon in a few weeks. Twelve miles is what I prefer as my longest training run before a half marathon, but I’m not running Diva’s for time so it’s ok. I also want my knee to feel good for the race and that’s the most important thing!

After the run, I came home and stained the planks of the deck in our backyard…..then I convinced my husband to take me to get a snow cone!

This one’s a new creation called “The Little Mermaid” and oh my goodness….it was delicious!

Friday night, Saturday night, and all day Sunday were filled with rehearsals and performances of our Easter Production.

I was Mary, the mother of Jesus. I didn’t have a baby doll for our first few run-throughs, so it ranged from Big Bird to Hello Kitty to (finally) a “real” baby doll.

Overall, the production went really well and everything flowed smooth! I love being a part of these but it’s exhausting at the same time. Seriously, I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to a night off tonight!

Lunch at McAlister’s was a must this weekend, too (of course)! :)

How was your weekend? Anything exciting happen?