Tuesday, August 23, 2011

8/15 - 8/21 Hitch Runners

And it went like this:

Tuesday- 4mi 36:30
Wednesday - 5.5 mi 51:52
Saturday - 7 mi 1:06:15

Not the best effort this week on distance but the runs I had were good ones! On Wednesday I think the Hubz was feeling sorry for me because I didn't have anyone to run with so he agreed to go to the park, his words were "I will go to the park but I am not running in town and all that crap!" And I told him if he was just doing one lap around the park it wasn't worth my time, he said he would wait while I did the second lap if he didn't feel like it. Okay that works! Well lucky for me, some how I timed it (and not on purpose wouldn't even know how to) just PERFECT because when we reached the front of the park we 'ran' into Sheri and her Hubz running for boot camp and we decided to join them!! That made my 4 mi run into a 5.5 mile run and it involved a big hill - Great workout :) It was kind of funny though all of the boot camp people were looking at us like where did they come from. A couple of them we know and my Hubz works with one, I told him we was 'hitch runners' instead of 'hitch hikers'.
There wasn't any race this weekend - wow that is surprising I honestly would have to really think of the last Saturday that I didn't run a race. So we decided to go ahead and do our long run so we could sleep in on Sunday :) Another friend that is on our Bourbon Chase team ran with us also. We decided to head on back to where we always train, the lovely Bluegrass Pike nice and gently rolling hills, gotta LOVE Kentucky. When I woke up a little late I thought this is not going to be a very good run for me I can already feel it, but I tried to stay positive and see what happens. I was very pleased with my 9:27 pace!

Don't forget to enter my Razzy Roo Funky Runner Band GIVEAWAY!! Or you can ALWAYS click on the link on my left sidebar and purchase any Razzy Roo product and use code PROMOBP10 for a discount!!

Happy RUnning!!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

My new Kicks......don't seem to agree with me :( But it was a 5k like no other!

On July 23 I competed in the RJ Corman 5k in Nicholasville, Ky. This was a different 5k than I have run before. It wasn't anything crazy different but different because the registration fee was $0 and the winners (overall and age group winners) won Pearl Izumi running shoes!!! Yep no entry fee and free shoes count me in for sure! Oh and they had a free cookout with awesome homemade banana ice cream!! :) It has been a couple of years but I have ran the course before and felt pretty confident that I might be able to place in my age group. Also set up was the local Run Bike Swim store that was offering the same Pearl Izumi shoes for half price along with other items offered at the store. Come to find out they was holding the race for RJ's birthday and he was funding the event. RJ Corman is a local (in central Kentucky) railroad businessman who is also a runner and does lots of awesome things for the community, he is such a super nice man! It was race time and me and my friend Carmen lined up towards the front, beside us was a man in a kilt - ha ha. To begin the race they blew a train whistle and I mean a LOUD regular train whistle, even though I knew it was coming it still scared me and off I went way too fast. This was also one of the super hot days we had and it was super humid. I did okay until about mile 2 then I was tiring very quickly, we had to cross a small concrete foot bridge that swayed with all the people on it. After coming off the bridge I had to take a small walk break due to my head and stomach feeling a little dizzy. I took a quick peek at my Garmin and told myself "if you want to place you better get to moving!" At this point there was less than a half mile to go so I slowly started trying to pick up my pace, until I came around the finishing curve then I gave it all I had, which wasn't very much but I finished in 26:51! Usually it doesn't bother me if I place or not but on this day I REALLY wanted to, I WANTED to WIN me some shoes!! RJ really goes all out when races are held at his place, at the finish line there was a tub filled with iced towels super nice to have after a hot humid race. And I saw a long line of people so I went to check it out, they also gave out these sticker things that had everything on it, your name age finish time overall place and age group place, very cool! Unfortunately I did not place :( and to be honest I was quite disappointed!

But since my birthday was just around the corner my awesome and wonderful mom bought me a pair of the half price Pearl Izumi ISO Shift (shown above). When I tried them on they felt great! Then I put them on to try out on a run and well they didn't feel so great any more. They felt really tight around my toes but they were fairly comfortable while running. I wore them on about 5 or 6 runs before I have decided to go back to my old faithful Brooks! After wearing the Pearls my calves and legs hurt something terrible! So it looks like Pearl Izumi brand isn't for me.

Thank you Mr. RJ Corman for a great race! Hope to give it another try next year!!
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Week in Review 8/8 - 8/14- A 5k in my new age group or NOT???


***ENTER MY RAZZY ROO FUNKY BAND GIVEAWAY HERE***


Here's how my week went:
Monday- 3mi 28:22
Pretty cool we show up in the same colors and
the same headband without planning it!!
Wednesday- 3.05mi 27:12                                           
Saturday- 3.10(5k race) 25:19 *NEW PR*
Sunday- 6mi 56:27






On Monday and Wednesday Sheri and I decided to put in a couple of practice runs on the course for the 5k. It is a fast course and its where I got my PR for last year, I love this course! Wednesday our husbands ran with us, always nice to share some quality time with spouse and friends while running :) Sheri's husband has just recently started running (again I think he used to in the past) and on this night he finished in way under 30 minutes~ HOORAY MIAH!!!! :)

Saturday was suppose to be my first race in my new age group (35 - 39), this made me nervous. With such a fast course I really wanted to do great but at the same time I am not used to looking for and watching the times for the new age group which meant they could be really really fast.

Shalan #72, Me #44 and Sheri #36

The beginning is a little zig zaggy, it goes around a small curve a little straight stretch then a 90 degree right turn into a straight which leads you into the main route. When we hit the straight Sheri being awesome like she is yelled out "7:30, 7:30" and I knew yep lady you better slow yourself down a tad or  you are going to wear down, Thank You Sheri :) My plan was to stay with Sheri, she does a great job at starting out right and picking it up when needed, a wonderful pacer! There is only one little hill in which I took it a little easy on which gave Sheri a lead that I used to keep me going. At the end you have to make a lap around a track, there was one man in between us and I decided I was NOT going to let him finish in the middle of us! So I waited for just the right time and gave it all I had and chicked him!! Then I saw the time clock and said out loud "Heck ya!" I just got a new 5k PR of 25:19!!!!!!(previous 25:31) Then it came time for awards and it was announced that the age groups were off by a year, I couldn't really hear everything that was said but then people we knew started getting awards in groups that was shocking and we was confused! My age group ended up being 31 - 35 which basically put me with the same people I have been with minus Sheri (she's 30). I took 2nd and was Happy with it! (even though I would have had 1st if it was normal age groups!)

Sunday morning we FINALLY was able to get up and do a longer run of 6 miles. We have decided to start doing long runs on the upcoming 15k course, it is very gently rolling. I was really surprised but I was able to keep up pretty well and hold a 9:25 ish pace the entire time.

It feels so wonderful to get back into a running routine! I hope I can keep these Happy Runner feelings I have had the last couple of weeks!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Razzy Roo.........Awesome Headbands for ONLY $5..... Get one(or more) Today + Giveaway

A while back I did a review and giveaway for RAZZY ROO HEADBANDS. I really love my RAZZY ROO BAND and wear them quite often! And the owner Cheryl is SUPER nice and VERY fast with her service and response time. Recently Cheryl added the "FUNKY RUNNER BANDS". OMG these bands have the best patterns and bright colors, as soon as I seen them I knew that I HAD to have one! I mean look at some of these patterns:


AWESOME RIGHT?!?!?!?!!!!
There is so many awesome designs they will match any running outfit and make the PERFECT accessory to complete your running outfit or well any outfit! And these WONDERFUL Bands are ONLY $5 each, which is a good thing since its hard to pick just one! With such an affordable price these bands make the perfect gifts for your running friends, groups or clubs! To browse the site and PURCHASE a "FUNKY RUNNER BAND" or ANY RAZZY ROO product click the link on the upper left (above the yearly mileage counter:)


Me running with a Razzy Roo!

Oh but WAIT......Cheryl is so nice and wonderful she is offering one lucky follower a chance to WIN a "FUNKY BAND" as well as a discount code ( PROMOBP10 ). Only $5 and a discount code, what are you waiting for click the upper left right away!

Enter to Win by doing one or more of the following:

*This one is MANDATORY- Be a Follower of this Blog
*Like RAZZY ROO on Facebook and let Cheryl know I sent ya!!
*Go to RAZZY ROO Here and tell me what you would like
*Follow RAZZY ROO on Twitter and tweet this giveaway
*Post it on your Blog and or Facebook- Spread the word

Entries will be accepted through August 27th.

LOVE my Razzy Roo Band :)


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Week in Review 8/1 - 8/7

Monday- 4mi 38:12
Tuesday- 4mi 37:10
Saturday- 3.15 27:20 (5k race)

Yep that's it and this was suppose to be my first week of training for fall half marathons??? Not off to a great start but I am getting there. Life events got in the way this week but sometimes there are other things that are more important than running! Our daughters birthday on Thursday and a death on Friday left no time for running on those days and Sunday I was just plain lazy after two very LONG days in a row :)

I (we, being Sheri and I) have a new running buddy that has been running some week night runs, which is super awesome, the more the merrier! Monday night it was just me, Shalan and the Hubz, the Hubz hasn't been running hardly at all and it sure showed this night as we left him in the dust ~ ha ha just joking honey! Tuesday night there was a group of 4 running the same route as Monday night but a minute faster :) Yay us!!

Saturday I ran the last 5k in the 30 - 34 age group, still not sure how I will hold up in the 35 - 39 but we shall see. It was the Mid Summer Night 5k in Lexington, Ky. This is ALWAYS a crowed, humid race where people NEVER line up right. This was the third year the Hubz and I have ran this race and appartenly they reverse the route every other year, so we had to change direction and walk down to the starting area that was already SUPER crowded. We saw a sign telling walkers to line up behind the sign so we kept on walking what I thought was a long way and we saw an opening so we jumped in. There was still about 5mins or more until the start of the race so I was looking around trying to see if I could see anyone I knew and sizing up the crowd, the more and more I looked around I told Hubz " I think we have made a mistake, I feel like we should be ahead of at least 1/3 of the people around us;" he agreed but it was too late to try and move up any more. The gun went off to start and there we stood, NO MOVING up AT ALL waiting and waiting ~ Oh wait here we go well no maybe not! It took 2 1/2 mins to get through the starting line and then it was at least  3/4 mile of weaving in and out, trying not to step on others heels, dodging the young fellow that just fell face first on the road, several people stopping right in front of me and listening to Hubz saying "slow down, quit weaving you are going to wear yourself out!" I shouted back "Follow the lady in the orange she is doing a good job!" Around the first sharp curve everyone was on the sidewalk and I was almost the ONLY FOOL still on the road, as I was looking around realizing this I twisted my ankle/knee in a small pot hole ~UGGHH! Then there was the foolish boy on the skate board riding in and out of the crowd, as I was coming to another sharp curve he got right in front of me slowing himself down so he was able to take the curve on his skateboard! I yelled out " GOOOOSSHH  GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!"  The greatest thing with this race is the Hubz and I was pretty much right beside each other the entire time, I LOVED it for that fact alone :) At 2.36 mile I told Hubz "go ahead Baby my knee is killing me I need to get to the side for a moment" (get to the side like a poliet runner out of the way not right in front of someone!!) but the sweet and awesome Hubz he is stopped with me to make sure I was ok and encouraged me to COME ON!! From that point on he had a slight lead on me but it was just what I needed to keep on going~ Thanks Hubz. He finished in 27:06 and I was 27:15 a minute less than last year.

Sunday was suppose to be a longer run day of at least 6mi but I woke up to thunder and lightening so I text Sheri and went back to bed! Oh well maybe this week I can get it all together !!

Happy Birthday to ME today!!! (August 9th)

Monday, August 8, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PENNY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PENNY FROM OVER AT PINK HAT RUNNER!!!
HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING YOUR DAY PENNY!! (Mine is tomorrow:)


Let me know when "YOUR DAY" is and I will give YOU a shout out!!!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Hello August - July where did you go.....

WOW, I can not believe it is August already! This entire year has flown right by but geez it sure seems like July really went by fast! August is my favorite month, of course that is due to it being my birthday month:) When I was younger I used to think no one had a birthday in August but boy was I wrong. Lots of famous people have birthdays in August, just to name a few : Martha Stewart, Martin Sheen, President Obama, Billy Bob Thorton, Neil Armstrong, "Magic" Johnson, Madonna, the list goes on and on! Check out FamousBirthdays.com to see who shares a Birthday with you!!  My youngest daughter, my best friends son and my father also have August birthdays. For me this year not only will I be one year older I also move up in age groups :) and to be honest it doesn't even bother me! After next Tuesday I will officially be in the 35 - 39 age group. Not sure right now if that is good or bad but I will soon find out.

I say lets ALL celebrate all month long, how about you? Anyone else have a birthday in August? Be sure to let me know so I can give you a shout out on your day! Be on the look out for some giveaways this month.

So where did July go? Flying right on by like all the other months this year I guess. I had really hoped that July would be my come back to running month but that was a failure for me. I did however make a great start to a regular schedule the last two weeks of July so at least I made an effort! And I am off to a wonderful start for August since it is now time to begin training for fall half marathons ~ HOORAY!!!

What are YOU currently training for???