runDisney Mad Tea Party Virtual 5K

Last week, my friend Melissa and I (along with Brayden and Melissa's dog Tink) completed the first leg of the runDisney Summer Virtual 5K series, the Mad Tea Party 5K! 

With the state of the world as it is, I knew another runDisney event wouldn't be in the cards for me this year, so signing up for this race series was perfect!

We decided to complete the first portion of this race series at Melissa's house. This was a new (to me) route, and we had a lot of fun along the way!

Their neighborhood almost makes a 1 mile loop, so mile 1 hit in no time.

Around the end of mile 2, I noticed something in the water of the ditch alongside the road...

Can you see it? It's a water moccasin and it looked like it had just eaten dinner due to its fat belly!

Naturally, our mile 2 stop had to be taken with the (not so friendly) snake! Yikes!

Needless to say, our mile 3 was just a tad bit faster than the previous two! We were ready to be finished!

Melissa's dog Tink came along for our 5K (which Brayden loved) and had a great time!

Before long, our 5K was complete! I'm so glad we decided to do this together. We can't wait for part 2 and part 3, coming in July and August!

The last time I completed the runDisney summer 5K series was the inaugural year (back in 2016) and I've enjoyed this one just as much as the first! Reading back over part 2 from that race series reminded me about the snake I came across in the grass during that run. What is it about the runDisney summer virtual series and snakes? I'm not sure, but I hope it doesn't happen again!

Did you register for the runDisney summer virtual series? If so, how has your running gone so far?

4 on the 4th and Festivities!

Over the years, a "staple" race for me has been our hometown 4th of July race. I've missed a year or two here and there due to injury or being out of town but for the most part, I've run this race every year. Despite my new hamstring injury this year, I still decided to do this race with a plan of "taking it slow". Besides, I had a Triple Crown medal at stake here and after having run the Athletes Corner 3 miler back in March and the Contraband Days 5 miler in May, I knew I HAD to do it, even if that meant walking the entire thing.

Somehow, a race recap from the Contraband Days 5 miler (from May) never made its way here, but during that race, I ran/walked the entire thing with a few friends due to our Relay for Life event the night before. Going into the 4 miler, I knew if I could just get to mile 3 by run/walking with my friends again, I would make it...and make it I did!

 

It was a hot one (as always) for the race, but the sun was hiding behind a cloud most of the time which made it bearable.

My dad was so generous to come out and watch Brayden while we ran. He used to come out to cheer me on by himself but now, he has a buddy to visit with!

Jason was working nights, so he sadly missed the entire day. Whomp whomp. 

This course took us down the lake, out and back. They also had PLENTY of water stops and gatorade, too!

The miles seemed to fly by for me as we chatted and before I knew it, we were almost finished. About .2 miles from the finish line, we passed Brayden and my dad. Brayden started crying because he wanted me, so we ran the remainder of the race together. He LOVES going for a run with mom! Sweet boy!

(Side note, I wouldn't have minded running this race with him but I'm super glad I didn't. After taking his stroller, I could really feel my hamstring pulling for just those last 0.2 miles.)

Triple Crown!

They've offered this option for the past several years and I've only done the full set twice so far. I'm glad they change the medal from year to year, too!

Kona Ice was out there for a frozen treat after the race. I wasn't going to get one, but when I saw "Lavender Lemonade" on the list, I knew I had to try it! The flavor of this one was amazing and reminded me of a Violet Lemonade from the Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT. I love having little tastes of Disney at home!

After breakfast and showers, we headed over to my friend Kim's house for a lunch time BBQ! All of the food was delicious!

That evening, my community hosted its first ever "Red, White, & Boom" event, complete with fireworks. We had SO much fun! My parents came with us to enjoy the evening and we had a great time!

There were food trucks from vendors in our community which was fun as well as jump houses for the kids.

Side note, when I saw these matching shirts at Kohls in the spring, I knew I had to have them!

Brayden LOVED "driving" the firetruck and playing on the slide. He also really enjoyed the fireworks!

At last count, I heard over 4400 people were in attendance which is huge for my small-ish community. We usually go to the larger event located in the nearby town for the 4th, but wanted to support our community on its first year and I'm so glad we did! We were also home by 9:30 since we didn't have near as much traffic to fight. Score!

My friend Kim was there too and we had fun hanging out with them! In all, it was a great day!! Happy birthday, America!

What did you do for the 4th?

Summer Running Plans

Races in the summer here in Southwest Louisiana are not plentiful, and for good reason. Unless you are able to wake up early before the sun rises or go out once the sun is setting, your chances of getting in a decent run will be few and far between! However, there are still a few (random) opportunities for races during the summer and I'm going to take advantage of at least one of them!

4th of July 4 Miler

This is one I've run almost yearly for a while now. It's hot, it's sunny, it's crazy, but it's so much fun! A couple of friends and I are also participating in the Triple Crown again this year, so we will receive a medal for completing all three races of this series (the other two races were earlier this year). I am definitely looking forward to a fun day with friends!

Orangetheory

Even though I leave a nasty mess, at least this one is inside with AC and fans! Apart from a few Saturday long runs, the majority of my workouts will be taking place at Orangetheory this summer!

Wine & Dine Half Marathon Training

With the Wine & Dine Half Marathon at the beginning of November, training will have to begin sometime this summer. Although it's going to be a hot one to train for, this race is going to be so much fun and I'm really looking forward to it!

...and that's about it! I knew there's not much going on around here this summer, but it's still going to be a great one!

What are your summer running plans? 

Today, I'm also linking up with KookyRunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics!

Remaining Summer Running Goals

Although the calendars say that summer is coing to a close soon, that couldn't be farther from the truth for Southwest Louisiana. If this year's weather pattern follows the last, we will have summer like temperatures into October which really makes me sad because I love fall! Oh well, let's hope we at least have a few "fall like" days soon!

Today's Tuesdays on the Run topic is all about our remaining summer running goals.

I have one.
 

My remaining summer running goal is to run the Castaway Cay 5K on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Soon and very soon, we will be out in the Caribbean, enjoying the sweet sound of waves crashing on the shore and I'll have the chance to run this 5K once again.

I've mentioned this before, but it's amazing to see how this race has changed and evolved so much over the years. When I first ran it back in 2009, we had maybe 15 fairly hard core runners that met with a cast member on the gangplank and I was the little newbie runner who had no clue what was going on. Now, runners meet in the Walt Disney Theater and there's usually hundreds of runners that take part in this race on each cruise.

We can't wait to board the Disney Fantasy and take part in all the fun the ship has to offer. I also plan on going for a few training runs on the jogging deck on our at sea days.

Do you have a remaining summer running goal?

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

Fitness Friday - 7/27

Hello Friday! I'm so very glad the weekend is here again. Jason is off from work this weekend which means we get to spend it together as a family! I love weekends when he's home! :)

Here's a glimpse of how my week went, workout wise!

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA 
• Contraband Days 5 Miler 
• 4 on the 4th
• Rock n Roll San Antonino Half 

Saturday - 4 mile run
Sunday - Rest day
Monday - Orangetheory strength day
Tuesday - 3 mile walk
Wednesday - Rest day
Thursday - 3 mile run
Friday - Rest Day

You'll notice I only made it to Orangetheory one day this week. Well, that's because my parent's are on vacation and Jason's work schedule this week didn't allow any extra time for me to get in a workout. Instead, I'm going for my second Orangetheory day of this week tomorrow morning!

 Knowing how my week was going to pan out, I convinced myself that I needed to get out of bed on Saturday morning and go for a run. It was too hot to run very far with Brayden and although my head told me that it wasn't really a "Saturday long run" if I didn't make at least five or six miles (yeah right), I didn't listen and just ran.

We started out super early (like not long after the sun rose) and it was my goal to be finished with the run before the heat index began to rise.

In total, we made 4 miles and I was happy with that. It was a very slow 4 miles from my usual because I just wasn't feeling it that day, but it was done and that's all that matters!

Afterwards, we had a few errands to run so we treated ourselves to Starbucks!

He loved his muffin!

On Monday morning, I got out of the door early for my one OTF opportunity for the week. It was an endurance day and I definitely left the workout feeling accomplished.

That evening, a local frozen yogurt shop offered a "pay your age" event, so we had to go! Basically, you had the opportunity to fill up your cup and pay pennies to the dollar of your age. Brayden' s was twenty cents and mine was three dollars and fifty cents! Score!

A crazy mad heat wave spread over the south earlier this week and we saw temps with a heat index well into the hundreds. Combine that with the humidity and it was so...UGH. Hot.

On Tuesday afternoon, my friend Melissa and I took Brayden on a three mile walk around our usual route. Have you ever seen a house all wrapped up like the circus is coming to town? Me either. We were like HUH? After a little investigation, I'm pretty sure they were treating termites.

Signs were even up all over the house, warning anyone who got too close of the "deadly poison" inside! Scary!

Last night, we waited until the sun was setting before heading out for a 3 mile run. It was still hot but not as bad as it's been this week.

This run started out with me thinking it was going to be another awful run like Saturday, and then it turned into an awesome run! I even had negative splits with pushing the stroller! The first mile was a 9:40, the second a 9:04, and the final mile an 8:25.

I'm serious when I say that cross training has made a world of difference. Why on earth I never stuck with something like this before, I have no idea!

I also can't wait for Saturday's Orangetheory workout! There's only one coach I haven't taken a class from yet and she will be the instructor on Saturday. I've heard she's awesome so I'm really looking forward to it!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Fitness Friday - 7/6

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA 
• Contraband Days 5 Miler 
• 4 on the 4th
• Rock n Roll San Antonino Half 

Saturday - Orangetheory - GREAT Workout
Sunday - Rest Day
Monday - 3 mile run outside
Tuesday - Rest day
Wednesday - 4 Miler on the 4th of July - and a new PR!
Thursday - Orangetheory
Friday - Rest Day

Well, what an interesting week it's been! I'm not going to lie, taking a day off in the middle of the week had me totally confused as to which day it actually was! I do love days off, though so I'm not complaining.

In all, it's been a great week of workouts!

It all began on Saturday when I miscounted my Orangetheory days and realized I would have one extra when the month was all said and done. So, I booked the 7 a.m. class and off I went!

We all started out on the treadmills which is totally new for me. I'm usually a run last kinda gal. It wasn't bad, though and I had a really really good workout. You know when you leave a workout and you're like WOW that was a good one? Yeah, that was Saturday!

 

I about lost it mid-class when Christmas music started playing! We all joked that it was just "Christmas in July", although July didn't start until the following day. Oh well, it was fun anyway!

On Monday evening, I decided to go for an outside solo run (minus Brayden), since I had the 4 miler on Wednesday morning and it had been a few weeks since I'd done so.

Why oh why did it still "feel like 100 degrees" at 8 p.m.? I love you, summer but I'm over your craziness.

While running, I found that I wasn't pushing myself hard enough which was shocking to me! I also didn't want to overdo it and possibly injure myself for Wednesday's race. 

Wednesday was the 4 miler on the 4th of July and I shared my experience with the race yesterday. Despite my ridiculous heart craziness right at the end of the race, I still managed a PR!

Even though this one was only by 3 seconds, a PR is still a PR and I'll take it! 

Yesterday was another Orangetheory day where we focused on strength. This workout was tough and hard for me to keep my heart rate in the orange zone, but it was a good workout overall!

This weekend, we are planning a little out of town trip to see the Astros and take Brayden to the Houston Zoo! I'm excited to share all of the fun with him! :) 

Have a fabulous weekend!

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!