Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Ren10- A new 10k

                                                   rv-REN10logo-Color web
Saturday, August 20 was the new Ren10. This is how they advertised the course:

The best part about the race, besides the beautiful scenery, is the ease of the course. Other than one hump in the road near the end of the lake, it’s pancake-flat. 

Great Group
Well in all of my past experience if they are saying its 'pancake flat' then its probably really NOT and the fact that I am know the course so yeah.......

Because I have been running so much better I was excited to 'try' my hardest for this. Several of my friends was there we all gathered up at the start talking getting ready joking laughing etc. then all of a sudden everyone in front of us started taking off!?!?!??? I never heard a single announcement or 'GO' I didn't even have my Garmin on yet??

It is hard to see me but I am all the way in the back of this photo in white with the girl in the white hat (Kristen) behind me, can you see I am still fumbling with my 'stuff' I wasn't ready at all!! But it was all good. I told my friends I was wanting to 'try hard' today and Tiffany told me to stay with Kristen :) and that we did! 
Running Selfie

Parts of the course is 'Pancake flat' like the start so we was easily able to keep a good pace and I was still able to talk and not feel winded! As we were talking I found out that Kristen hadn't ever ran this course before so I told her "well you don't know about the big hill then huh? I'll just go ahead and tell you its more like a small MOUNTAIN!!" not to scare anyone I just like to be honest :) We was still going along at a decent pace and then we saw the base of the hill, she said "That is where I draw the line with this pace" LOL no worries cause I am too!! ** umm hello another bad blogger moment- I had my phone why didn't I take a picture of the small mountain???** We got a little ways up it before we walked the rest but the best part down hill is just as great as the up!  We was able to hold the burst down and around to the water stop where we walked long enough to drink a little bit. The way we was heading I knew there was another mountain to climbed and said out loud "surely we DON"T have to go up that part too??" One of the ladies from that area told me only a little ways up it.....shew thank goodness! Once again we walked up the hill to the turn around point and almost back down to the water stop. I told Kristen I was going to start slowing down the 'faster' (for me right now) pace was starting to get the best of me thankfully it was overcast and wasn't too hot. Of course we had to go back up and over the small mountain to get back to the finish line but as we were going back this lady that was a little bit ahead of us dropped down and grabbed her leg, I knew her to so I sped us up to get to her and see what was wrong. She was crying holding her leg saying "it popped something in my leg popped" we told her to just stay there and we will send help. But when help came she waned to keep going ~ guess she will be ok! Anyway that was mile 5 and our slowest due to stopping and helping her. Oh how I was so ready to be finished thankfully I had Kristen by my side and just tried to stay positive for her sake but it was her keeping me positive and going I totally would have gave up and walked LOTS in the last mile. We or I did have to walk a little but I tried as hard as I could to keep going. When we saw the corner to the finish line and Mom the race photographer and Kristen says "fists up!!" and THEN that little turd didn't tell me what came next......

Sprint like the Wind

She takes off sprinting like the wind! What?? Wait for me!!! LOL The road was wet from where it had rained some and I almost slid across the finish line! I wasn't prepared to 'Sprint like the Wind' but I am extremely thankful she pushed me not just then but during the entire run without her I would NOT have done as well as I did. Thank You Kristen!!


Check out this AWESOME finisher medal!

Love Miss Haylee :) 


Look at These Awesome Ladies


RUN HAPPY :)

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Three Things Thursday- Upcoming September Races


Can you believe that September is just around the corner??  I am hoping with September it will start bringing cooler weather!! My #BRF keeps saying all this hot weather running will make us faster this Fall I am hoping so!

Anyway I have 3 big races coming up in September:

1. September 3/4 I am heading for the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Mile in the Sand and Half Marathon!!! I am really excited for this! Last year I did the half but it was when I was battling my Plantar Fascitis issue and I bombed out big time I am really hoping to redeem myself this year!!
                      
2. September 17 will be the RJ Corman 10 miler
RailRunner-2016_600x400
This is a fun race because of the after food!!! Let's be honest I do run for food :) but they have a cookout or provide Zaxbys nibbler sandwiches along with homemade ice cream!!!! The worst part of the course is running on the airport runway it feels like it just keeps going and going and going!! Yeah I pretty much sucked at this race last year too and the have changed the time of year from March to September this year so hopefully I can redeem myself here too!!


3. Then there is the KY History Half September 24- this was probably my most favorite half from last year! I still wasn't too great but I did feel great this day but my #BRF hadn't ran in a couple of weeks so me and someone else stayed with him and just enjoyed the course. I am really excited to attempt this one again this year and yep you guessed it redeem myself !!!

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How about a little #TBT too

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Tackeling the Long Runs


I really enjoy long run day. It is not always the easiest day of running but it is the day that I get to spend the most time with my Running Friends the main Friends in my life!! I mean lets be honest #RunningFriendsRock !!

My #BRF was out of town for a couple of weeks so he missed the long run one of those weekends I took off as well :) so last weekend (August 7) and this weekend (August 14) I told him we was NOT going to worry about pace only completing the distance we needed!! The first weekend we had a crew of us!!! I love it when we all can get together!!!

My first #RunningSelfie

That weekend for some strange reason I felt really good and don't exactly know why since we ran cross country all week that week I think I was just excited & happy to actually be back on the roads!! This really was a nice relaxing run and was just what I needed! Not one single one of us stressed anything with this run I REALLY ENJOYED IT! 6 miles logged that day :)
Cute little sidewalk Library :)

Love the message!
This past Sunday (August 14) once again I said we are NOT going to worry about pace just completing distance. I really wasn't sure how I felt or how I would do. The first 2 miles was a little eh' ok but I started feeling better and more like running after that. We said we was shooting for 8 - 10 miles just see how we felt. It wasn't as humid as the day before during the Dash for Danielle but it didn't take too long to get HOT neither David or I had a single dry piece of clothing! Just as quick as we was feeling great about running we felt awful too. We settled for 9 miles.
Beautiful Morning Sunrise 

I'm going to master the #RunningSelfie 
But then when we was leaving.....David leaves his keys under the windshield wipers. Well they had slid down and neither of us could reach them! So I gave him a ride home to get a coat hanger LOL!!!

Yay it worked!!!
Oh the adventures in running!!! You just never know what may happen!!! And David thanks for the talks I treasure them :)

Do YOU prefer to run with someone or alone?  I seemed to run better with someone!

RUN HAPPY ;)

Monday, August 15, 2016

Another Weekend Gone........Already


Can you believe it? Its Monday again already!! You know what they say the older you get the faster time flies....well now that I am at the ripe old age of 40 time is flying and has been for some time now!! LOL

Saturday (August 13) I ran the Dash for Danielle 5k. This was actually a special event as it was held in honor of our (mom's and I) family friend's sister who was killed by domestic violence it was/is a very sad story.  In fact her story was played on CBS that night. Hard to believe some thing like that can happen to someone I knew of ~ SCARY!!
I have been running so much better and getting a little faster well back to where I was so I had already told myself I really wanted to 'try hard' in this race. Well except that I woke up with a terrible belly ache and couldn't stop making bathroom stops before it even started. And it was very humid as it has been all stinkin' summer long!! But even with all that already against me I was still going to TRY MY BEST! **Side note- Before the race started this lady looking panicked says "Quick what's the best app for running music mine didn't download?" Umm well I don't use my phone for that so I had no clue. As I was walking to the start line I was beside the same lady so I asked if she got it worked out and of course she didn't and was still acting in a panic. So I asked her if she HAD to have her music to run cause if so she could take mine??!! It was her first 5k! She was ok without it. Sorry but YES I just gave myself a pat on the back :) ** Off we went we have several races at out local park but this one was a route I had never run before and it cut out a hill or two! My first mile I felt pretty good and didn't feel like it was a struggle at all but I knew I was either way too fast or a few in front of me that I know are fast are being slow?? Yep I was too fast 8:44!! Now I am too hot and a little exhausted but still trying to hold on strong. Thankfully mile 2 included the downhill and I could coast for about a ¼ of a mile!! This mile pace is more what I should try to stay at for a 5k for now 9:38. Well then came mile 3 this is where I gave up. I think I was trying too hard and it was too hot. My stomach was telling me if you don't stop I am going to make you stop and throw up! I bet I walked every bit of .3 at the end I just didn't have anything left in me. It showed in that split 11:07!! Do What??? However with all of the walking I did I am totally thrilled to have finished under 30 mins with 29:49 overall pace 9:49!! And this was my first race in my new age group......





Yay I got 2nd place and a door prize to our local Bike & Footwear store! SWEET!! (Actually I traded door prizes the one I won was an oil change but my husband is a mechanic so I will let him do it :)!!)

Now that I am all better with my feet and legs are better (hopefully) I need to work on getting faster well back to where I was and could easily run a 5k at 9:15- 9:30 pace. At this moment I struggle to get close to that.

What kind of 'Speed' training do you do??

RUN HAPPY ;)





Thank You- Thank you for saying you adored our friendship yet you turned your back on me. Thank you for leaving me in tears. Thank you for turning your back on me during my time of NEED!  Thank you for showing me NOT to get THAT attached to another friend again even though I told myself not to do it this time. Thank you for showing me there obliviously isn't many true friends out there  Thank you for showing me you don't want to talk or try to work things out.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Lordy Lordy I am 40.....

Age....It's just a number right??  You are only as old as you feel, Right??

I knew this day was coming (hopefully anyway!!). I am not one to let birthdays bother me ever. In fact I usually love birthdays, that is each persons one day in this crazy world that is (should be) all about YOU!
**(Well let my own pity party begin now)** 
I did this all to myself. I had expectations. WHY??? We never "celebrate" my birthday WHY would we do it just because I turned 40?? (We are always on vacation for the hubs b-day, hmmmm ??) He doesn't ever remember its my birthday until after leaving the house WHY would it be any different just because I turned 40?  And then there is my friend issue. WHY did I expect to receive at the very least a text even though we don't talk anymore WHY did I feel like I was special because I turned 40??  (Not to sound greedy because I totally do not feel that way at all but for her bday I made an extra special point to get up extra early to make sure I had a special Facebook post & time to leave her gift waiting at the doorstep to be the first thing seen that morning!! And I am late for everything!) Then I see said friends post for another friends birthday and gifts I was crushed. WHY am I starting to dwell on this again just because I am 40??

 WHY did I sit myself up for failure and failure feelings??

However my work best friend did NOT let me down! I walked into Birthday Wonderland!




And of course my MOM never lets me down. Check out my awesome "Pepper Bouquet"!!!

Ok party is over now. Time to get back to reality.........

RUN HAPPY :)