Fun stuff

So here are some of the highlights from the last month, plus.

June 26, 2011
FIRST 10K race! Siena/Francis House 10K and 5K Run/Walk held at Lake Z, 8am.
>>>>I got an age group award!!!<<<<

I have been pretty excited for this race. It is the first 10K race I've done, AND it was less than a mile from my house. Sweet.
I woke up around 5:30, got dressed and fueled up at 6 with my trash of choice which was a crunchy peanut butter and jelly sandwich. SO yummy. Drank a little water (made sure to hydrate well the day before) and got my stuff together. Bib #, Garmin, tunes, hydration belt and a long sleeve shirt as it was going to ever so slightly chilly and I look worse than a shaved chihuahua when I am chilly. I seriously move the earth when I shiver.

This race was well organized and I would definitely run it again. Lots of pre and post race food (yogurt, several varieties of bagels and cream cheese, large variety of muffins, gatorate type drinks and bottled water and a bushels of 'bars' (nature valley, power bar, wheaties bars etc)...

10K started 5min before the 5K which started 5min before the walkers. SO wish I would have brought my camera.

I feel I ran the race well, going easier at the beginning and gradually picking up the pace as I went. I started out pretty much at the WAY back of the pack. I think that's going to be my starting place in every race I do. I feels SO good to be able to pass people =)

My friend Jody took these race pics. The race photographer has some on his site too, so I am waiting for him to email me the attachements so I can bombard you with more of my dorkiness.

*Right after the first mile and waving the dorky flag with pride.

At the finish. My 'official' time was 55:11, which puts me 11 seconds OVER the time limit to be a select seeded runner in the Corp. Cup 10K race in September (still puts in as a seeded runner though). My soft goal for this race was 65min, my hard goal was 60min, so I was VERY pleased.
HOWEVER, I ran the tangents WELL and still my Garmin showed a further distance. When I hit stop at the finishline, my watch was 55:00 EVEN and a distance of 6.28. Oh well.


After the race I hung around w/ my friend Jayne to see if she placed in her age group (she was in the age group above me) and she got 3rd!! So we were looking at her medal and I thought I heard the announcer call my name. I thought 'Surely they didnt....I'm not even gonna ask cuz I'll be too embarrassed when they laugh in my face'.
Anyway, I braved up and went and asked if they called my name and sure enough, they had!!
They told me I got 2nd, but later found out it was actually 3rd (there were no timing chips, they just ripped the bottom of your bib off quickly after you passed the finishline.)
I was positively GIDDY with excitement. I actually clapped my hands like a 5yr old when I got in the car.

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Went biking w/the hubby earlier this month at Wabash Trace in CB Iowa. Gorgeous crushed limestone trail. We biked 22 miles out and 22 mi back. Its an EVER so slight decline starting about 6mi from where WE started ALL the way to our destination (Malvern, IA). NICE for going out but you sure FELT it coming back. Wasn't horrible but we were WORKING it.

We stopped in Malvern and ate at a little cafe there. I think we'll try the one across the street next time as neither of us cared for the food.

*This was a creek we went over w/ what looked like old railroad cars decaying on the banks.

*A picture of the gorgeous trail. The whole thing is pretty much like this so it was nice and cool.

*Queen of Dorks*

*thought this was cool at the time. Cant remember what those containers said on the side...

*rekinky-dinky little town we passed thru

*NEW SHOES! I have pretty much miled my old Nikes out. The back of the heels were wearing down and I was starting to get sore feet and legs after every run. I am VERY partial to my 2010 Air Max's which pretty much NO store carries anymore (dont really like the 2011), so hubby ordered these online for me. AND bought an extra pair!! So now when these decide to poop out on me I have a back up pair.

*The old shoes. You served me well, my friends.

*these are the heels of my old shoes. Not only am I a pretty pronounced heel striker but I notice I scuff my heels alot when running up hill so these have taken quite the beating as I LOVE uphills

*They have no clue what's in store for them....BWAHAHAHA!!!
*Here's my calendar/planner I have been using since January. The highlighted areas are my runs (so I can easily see when I have run and how far). The paper next to it is where I write down the splits from my runs. I mark on here what exercise I did for the day, for how long and what distance. Also mark my weight workouts, sit ups, push ups and planks.

Went thrifting this past month. I *HEART* thrifting. I am like a lion when it comes to the thrill of the hunt.

*Got a bunch of past sof running magazines for .29 each!
*SUPER awesome Nike jacket for $4!! Fits me like a GLOVE.

*Has a sweet little pocket in the back too. No clue what I could use it for, but still. Cool.

On another note, I am almost at my weight goal! I set a goal beginning of March that I wanted to get from my weight of 111-112lbs down to 100lbs which I think looks better on my frame. This morning I was 101!! Getting so close!

I have been running 4x a week after my 1/2 marathon in May (Sun-long run, Tues-easy, Thurs-tempo, Fri-short and easy) and then cross training on other days with the elliptical, bike or a treadmill hike. Doing lower body weights 3x a week and upper body 3x a week. Also going sit ups, push ups and planks 3x a week.

The sit ups/push ups/plank routine takes 30min. I do a routine hubby and a friend made up years ago along w/ the '100pushup challenge routine' (I have been on week 6 for a few weeks now) and for planks I do 3 sets for 70, 65, and 60 seconds. Considering I started out doing them for only 30 seconds, I should say I am improving in this area!)

Trying to cycle my calories. Some days I am around 1,500, other days close to 2,000 and sometimes as high as 2,500! Drinking LOTS of water 7-8 16oz glasses a day.

Here's a sample of a lunch for me:

1/4c cottage cheese (40), 1/2 orange (35), blueberries (20), wrap (160) for a total of 255 calories.

Now if I could JUST resist the potato chips and cinnamon toast crunch, we'd be in business! But ya gotta have a little naughty amongst the nice, right? =)