4 Miler on the 4th of July & Other Festivities

Hello blog world! Long time no see! It's been insanely busy around here, but I realize that's not a good excuse because everyone is busy. It seems like every time I think I have a chance to sit down and put together a post, something else happens and it just doesn't come together. I am making an effort to be better, though! I love blogging and it seems to be a part of who I am...so even if the posts are random and scattered, they will still be there!

On to this past weekend's festivities - I RAN A RACE!! In person! 

Although the details and logistics of running said race didn't come together until the night before, the stars aligned and I was able to make it happen. I knew I couldn't miss out on our areas 4 miler on the 4th of July, so my dad agreed to stay with Brayden and off I went!

Had to pull out the traditional skirt! Love it!

It wasn't "hot" by any means (because we were graced with a cloud cover) - but it was humid...so so very humid!

The sight of a bib on my shirt and other runner's feet around me made me so very happy!

I also LOVED the addition of a "fireworks" start! This runDisney fan approves! :) 

Overall, this race was a really good one for me. Nothing hurt, nothing felt off, I didn't breathe funny and my heart didn't act crazy. I also knew ahead of time that I wouldn't PR this race and I was ok with that. I'm nowhere near the speed/pace I was a couple of years ago and that's ok. Hopefully once our Orangetheory opens back up, things will improve even more. (Not corona related but Hurricane related.)

I managed to keep pace during the race with a runner ahead of me and it was pretty smooth sailing to the end. I pushed myself to an extent I was happy with - without overdoing it - and was incredibly happy with the end result!

My official time was 35:14 was with a pace of 8:51/mi. I was 5th in my age group and 17th woman overall. 

It felt SO nice to be back, I just sat near the finish line and watched/cheered on runners and listened to the music while attempting to cool down.

After the race, I showered then met up with my parents and Brayden for breakfast at Waffle House. Seriously, their waffle with peanut butter chips is my all time favorite. So good!

Brayden is growing so big, so fast and will be starting kindergarten this fall. I made it my mission to make this summer the most magical one yet and I think we've done a pretty good job with that! (More to come later with our summer shindigs.)

That evening, Jason joined us after work for a 4th of July celebration at the park. I was sad it rained literally the entire time, but we still had fun!

The fireworks were great, too!

On Sunday, our church had a BBQ potluck dinner, complete with waterslides for the kids. 

It was fantastic and Brayden had a blast! I loved matching him for church that morning, too!

The weather on Sunday was 100% different from Saturday's which I was grateful for! It gave me a little time to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the gorgeous weather!

On Sunday evening, we drove downtown to the lake to watch the fireworks there.

They had food trucks set up as well as a commission of people handing out small American flags.

This time, we met up with some of our friends and we had a blast!

My friend Jane and I were pregnant at the same time, so these two are only 6 weeks apart. It's been so much fun to watch them play together over the years!

We stayed long after the fireworks were over, just talking and catching up. It really was great to see our friends!

As a last minute addition on Monday, we had my parents over for hamburgers! None of us were working, so it all came together perfectly!

It was yet another beautiful day, so enjoyed dinner outside on the patio. I just love days like this! 

This past weekend was a great one and definitely one I'll remember forever!

How did you celebrate the 4th? Run any races? Watch any fireworks? Spend time with friends/family?

Favorite Race Memories from 2018

Happy happy 2019! I hope you all enjoyed your New Year's Eve/Day celebrations and kicked off the new year on a good note!

Last week I shared a little about the medals earned during my 2018 races, but I didn't share about my favorite race moments and memories! There were several high points to races for me this year, so I thought it would be fun to share them with you today!

Hands down, the highlight of my year was the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World in January of 2018. Running all four races throughout the parks for a total of 48.6 miles was nothing short of magical. Sure, the early mornings x 4 were gruesome, but crossing the finish line of the marathon made up for it all!

Stopping for character photos and seeing familiar faces throughout the race course added to the fun! Being around so many runners who were attempting to accomplish the same "crazy" goal made it all the more exciting. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a little FOMO for this upcoming Marathon Weekend in just a few short days.

Another highlight of the year for me was when I placed at the Warrior 5K held by the high school where I graduated. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I managed to keep the lead in all of the women and I crossed the finish line in first place! Yes, it was a smaller-ish 5K but I still won a pair of shoes from our local running store for placing! The fact that the race was put on by my old high school made it fun for me, too!

In May, I ran the Contraband Days 5 Miler after having planned and helped execute our local Relay for Life event the evening before. I didn't get to sleep until after 1 a.m. the morning of race day and after having been on my feet ALL day the day before, I was running this one on dead legs. Needless to say, this wasn't my greatest race but it's definitely one I can laugh at because I'm still wondering what in the world I was thinking by registering for it!

The 4 Miler on the 4th of July was another fun one this year. I'd just started Orangetheory about 6 weeks prior to the race and the consisted cross-training proved itself as a plus. Although I had to stop for a minute to get my heart under control mid-race (because it did that crazy PSVT thing), I still landed a 30 second PR! I couldn't believe how great I felt during this race (minus the heart part)!

In the fall, I ran my very first trail run at the Spooky Trail 10 Miler. To be honest this wasn't a fun one for me but it was definitely memorable. I was sick and running this race probably had a hand in turning said sickness into full blown bronchitis. Also, running trails alone in the woods is not a fun thing for me as I'm seriously the biggest chicken in the world. Needless to say, I stuck like glue to the runner in front of me. I probably won't be running this one again anytime soon, at least not alone.

Last but not least, I ran two Rock 'n' Roll events this year with Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans and Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio. Both were great runs and great ways to see both New Orleans and San Antonio. The bands at every mile were fun and I loved how each race included a unique glimpse of the culture of the area - New Orleans included a second line/jazz band and San Antonio had several mariachi bands along the way!

2018 was a great year, running wise and I'm excited to see what 2019 has in store!

What was your favorite running/race memory from 2018?

4 on the 4th 2018

Another 4 miler on the 4th of July has come and gone and yes, this was another one to remember for sure! For starters, rain was in the forecast all week for the 4th of July and I wasn't sure if this race would actually take place.

After I picked up my race packet on Tuesday afternoon, they told me that if the race was called due to rain, it would be a last minute decision. 

When we woke up on Wednesday morning, the skies were overcast but it wasn't raining at that moment which was a good sign. (Although it had been raining off and on all night)

We arrived at the race start location and met up with my dad who came out to cheer me on.

After a quick port-a-pottie stop, I made it to the start line with literally moments to spare!

Literally as soon as the national anthem ended, the rain started. It felt cool although the humidity level was through the roof. I also figured that this race could go one of two ways - either a lot of people would come out since it wasn't a sweltering 100 degrees at 7 a.m. or no one would come out due to the rain. Well, the first one won out - there were so many people at the race this year!

We began running and I felt amazing. Y'all, there's seriously something to this Orangetheory thing! I was keeping a steady 8:20 pace and knew I could PR this race once again.

There were two downfalls to this race for me and neither issue was the race's fault itself. For one, certain parts of the course were incredibly slick, so I was constantly having to watch my footing so I didn't fall. Thankfully that wasn't the case for the entire course. Second, if y'all remember from WAY back with the little heart issue I have? Occasionally my heart will jump into PSVT, and it doesn't happen often (probably not in the last year), but I felt it coming on with just about .25 miles to the finish line. Although I tried to will it away, I couldn't. At the same time, something that's never happened to me occurred as well - I felt as if a giant rubber band was around my lungs and I couldn't fully inhale or catch my breath. When my heart does its crazy thing, I usually have to squat for a second and hold my breath to get it to stop. Well, I couldn't do either because I couldn't inhale. Then, just as quickly as they came on, both issues passed. The whole thing seriously lasted about 45 seconds. As I began walking again, I passed an officer who asked if I was ok. My response? "I'm fine...I have a heart thing...and I'm a nurse...we're good..." hah!

At that point, I felt ok to run again so I did...and I crossed the finish line while running without any problems. After stopping my watch, I realized that I STILL managed a PR! Even though it was just about a three second PR, I'll take it anyway!

I'm going to mention the lung thing to my doctor at my next appointment. I've already been checked for asthma but not exercise induced. I wonder if that could be the case? We shall see what he has to say.

While cheering runners on at the finish line, I realized that I recognized someone - she was pushing a chair for an "Ainsley's Angels" athlete - it was Jennie Finch! If you follow sports at all, she's a local star around here - she was a part of the USA Olympic softball team who won a Gold and Silver at the games. She was also more recently on the Dancing With the Stars Athlete edition! How neat it was to be running the same race as her! I kinda geeked out a little I'm not going to lie. :)

My cheerleaders!

A local business was out there with gourmet popsicles after the race...mine was watermelon mint and it was delicious!

I screen shot this after we finished. The weather was perfect the entire race, although the 93% humidity made it a little difficult.

Oh yes, and compared to last year where I placed 5th in my AG, (just to show you the crowd levels this year), I placed 14th in my AG this year.  I'm glad they had such a great turnout, though!

After a 2 and a half hour nap (for both of us), we had a late lunch at my parent's house. My mom cooked one of my favorites - roast with rice and gravy and it was delicious!

After playing at my parent's house a while, we went to my friend Kim's house to swim in their pool, then we ended the evening while watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks via live stream!

It was beautiful as always!

In all, the day was perfect and more than I could have asked or hoped for! I loved spending time with friends and family and just simply relaxing and enjoying the day!

Thanks to Lake Area Runners for another great race and thanks to my friends and dad for coming out and supporting me while I ran!

4th of July Race Fun

When you think of a memorable race experience, what do you think of? For me, I think of our local 4 miler on the 4th of July. It's always hot, always has a good turnout, always hot (did I mention that already), and it usually brings around a good story or two to share.

I've run this race six times so far (this year will make seven) and each experience has been incredibly different from the previous.

I ran this race in 2009 with my sister in law and oddly enough, I formed this blog just a couple of weeks later! Happy 9th blogiversary to my little corner of the world!

The race that year was my third to date and her first ever! I had just began running in January of that year and she followed suit not long after. Every time I think about this race I giggle. It was freaking hot, we walked a lot, and were some of the last ones to cross the finish line. The course even "re opened" while we were on it and we were asked to push to the sidewalks by the officers. My oh my how far we've come!

In 2010, I had a broken foot and missed out on the race, but I was back in 2011 and so was Kayla! This race turned out to be much better than the last and I ran it with a few of my "super hero" friends! We had a blast!
 

 

After coming back from my initial IT Band injury in 2012, I attempted to beast mode this race and literally threw up after crossing the finish line. Thankfully, a trash can was nearby. Never beast mode when it's 100 degrees outside, people. Learn from me.  

In 2014, I way overslept and a text from my dad woke me up..."hey, are you here?" I've never jumped out of bed and gotten ready for anything so fast in my life. Ever wonder what it's like to be inside the mind of a runner? Well, check out this race recap and wonder no more! 

For 2015's race, several friends of mine and I decided to complete our area's "Triple Crown" - a series of races that falls between March and July. We also received a special medal for doing so! Participating in all three races with them was so much fun!!

 

 In 2017, I ran this race and knew I was going to majorly bomb it. Well, as a HUGE surprise to myself, I actually ran very well and somehow achieved a 30 second PR! I was incredibly shocked to say the least!

What does 2018's race have in store? Well, here's a new one for this year - there's RAIN in the forecast! We shall see what new and exciting experiences Wednesday has to bring! 

Are you running a 4th of July race? How far is your distance if so? Have fun and have a Happy 4th!

It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty. 

Favorite Hometown Race

Please pardon my lack of human social interaction over the past few days - I am officially down with the flu (type A) and have been since Sunday. Ironically, my brother who lives in another state was also diagnosed with type A on Sunday although his case is WAY worse than mine, symptom wise. For two days straight, I've been quarantined to my bedroom, only leaving with a lysol can in one hand and a clorox wipe in another - and the trips out of my room have been few and far between. I've been SO meticulous over the past few months with hand hygiene for both Brayden and I so I'm not quite sure where I picked this up from! (Yes, I also received the flu shot as required by my job.) Now, my biggest prayer is that Brayden doesn't get it...that would be awful.

Anyway, I decided to join in on a little Tuesdays on the Run fun today to help break up this crazy watch tv, sleep, drink fluids, repeat monotony.

Today's topic is all about your Favorite Hometown Race and after a little deliberation, I chose one and actually surprised myself with my choice - it's the 4 Miler On The 4th (of July, that is).

This race is hosted by our local running association. They host several races throughout the year and always do a great job, but this one happens to be my favorite.

Once May hits around here, races are few and far between due to the heat. I guess I always look forward to this 4 Miler for a couple of reasons - first because by the time it rolls around, it's been a while since I've run a race and second, this is one of the first races I ever ran when I began my running journey back in 2009!

This race also holds a lot of fun memories for me! I ran this race in 2009 with my sister in law - it was my first time to run this race but her first race ever! We still joke about this one because it was super hot and probably not the best race to choose for a first ever!

Another year, I must have missed my alarm and woke up from my dad's text, asking if I had made it to the race start! YIKES! I somehow managed to get dressed and out the door in record time, which led to a pretty interesting race to say the least! 

I've also had the opportunity to run this race with friends over the years (here and here) which has always been fun and helped those hot miles not seem so hot after all!

This past year's race was one of my favorites, though! I went into the race not expecting much at all and came out with a 30 second PR! I still have NO idea where that came from, but I'll keep it! :)

Oh yes, I should also mention that I love the 4th of July which definitely helps with my loving this race! Red, white, and blue, patriotism, USA, summer, fireworks, BBQ...need I say more?

Do you have a favorite hometown race? If so, what is it?

It's the Tuedsays on the Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty!