The 10K experience

Well, it was race roadtrip #2 for me this spring and I took along Runnerbud Jen and Runnerbud Amy. Now as you know, Runnerbud Jen and I have been cranking out the predawn runs to train for this. Our main goal is to get time on our feet (distance) and not worry too much about time. We didn't even set a goal for ourselves with time for this race. We weren't really feeling the excitement we had before our trip to VA beach...maybe the lack of beer at the finishline? Who knows?

Ready to roadtrip, like my RUN magnet?

Anyway, we headed to Olney, MD to stay with a friend of mine, Diane. Diane isn't a runner but boy does she show sportsmanship! She let us bunk with her, drove the route with us the night before, took us to the start/picked us up at the finish AND acted as our photographer! WE LOVE DIANE!!!!

On the ride prior to the race we realized just how long 6.2 miles really is...started to psych ourselves out seeing the inclines we would be taking on the next morning. Have you ever really clocked over 6 miles in the car? It's pretty far!

After a yummy carb loading dinner- including 4 desserts (that we shared, really we did!), we did our pre-race ritual of applying our Power Polish before hitting the sack. Sleep proved to be a fruitless attempt as I tossed and turned all night. Of course Jen had to ask me 10 times what time the alarm was set for (she didn't sleep either) since I went with 5:54am...not 5:45 or 6:00. What can I say? It's another of my pre-race quirks!
Then the morning of, I ate my only digestible food - 1 piece of bread with honey and had some water, and we took our series of "queer" photos that are a must before all races.

PowerPolish Grape Going!

We call this our "queer" prerace photo!

Another new prerace ritual ~ The Thumbs UP!

When we got to the race the sun actually started to peek out of the fog and the temp started to get above 42 degrees which was a blessing. Waiting at the start line is always exciting, but no fun when you are cold! We did the bib pinning, porta potty stop and got ready to head to the start.

Pinning the bibs!

Pre-race - Ready to Rock it!

  Turns out there were over 2300 racers registered and they managed to run out of our size fleece, so we all ended up with XL. Guess Eric and Steve will be sporting our 10K fleece sweatshirts this spring! (No worries, we did a little disgusted emailing to the race directors...guess we will see what comes of that!)
That's about the time I realized I forgot to use my inhaler (which was now in Diane's car heading to the finish line), not a good omen since I woke up the day before with a sore throat and head-cold. Too late for worrying though, I had to muddle through it.
After we did some warm-up exercises with the drill sergeant (crazy as it sounds, it's true) we stood and stood and stood at the start. Always a few glitches on race day.
Finally, our corral headed out of the start and we were off. It was a relatively uneventful run. Runnerbud Jen and I stayed together for about 5 miles and met some very friendly runners. Mostly commenting on our matching 5K Diva shirts that say 3.1 is Just for Fun on the back. Truly, there aren't too many "mean" runners that I've ever run into. (It's the haters in the cars who swerve at you that are mean! None seen on this trip tho!)  Most runners will give you a thumbs up or a comment to keep you going. In the last .5 mile I met an older gentleman named Bart (who was being cheered on by bystanders which is how I learned his name) who paced me the last 1/2 mile. When we finally saw the finish line about .2 miles ahead of us we kicked it into high gear. Between the balloons and the crowds, you just can't help yourself! At one point I was kicking a 7:49 mile which is WAY fast for me, but it didn't last too far as the finish-line was just ahead!

There just really aren't words to express the feelings you get as you cross the finish, stop your Garmin and look for a water station! Just knowing I completed my first "official" 10K made me feel awesome and seeing my RunnerBuds smiling too iced the cake. Funny how almost immediately you begin thinking of the next race. (Crazy since 1 mile ago you are thinking, what in the world was I thinking when I signed up to do this?)

Runnerbud Jen and I must have done a decent job training. I didn't have to chase away a "mental pity party" that sometimes creeps into my head during this race, I just ran. It truly does make a difference having your partner right there with you.

So friends, we are setting our new goal. Looks like a 10 miler is on tap for us.
Runnerbud Jen, let the training begin!

Anyone else training for anything? Post or comment and let me know what plan you are using or race you are heading for.

If you run, you are a runner!
~Rachel

Pre-race rituals

Well, it was our last run before the big day...10K baby here we come! Predawn (best time to run) Runnerbud Jen and I hit the roads for a short 5K; that of course went a little longer, but what the heck?

Now some say I research and read too much, which isn't always a good thing. You know what they say about too much knowledge... But I like to be prepared ~ for the good and the bad. So training plans have been looked at ten times, remodeled to fit our schedules and looked at again. The "experts" from Runner's World suggested 2 days rest before a 10k...obviously that didn't happen. But if you are a runner or obsessed with some other form of working out you know that rest days aren't all they are cracked up to be.

So let's talk about rituals. Now I'm not to the extreme of knock three times before entering a locked door, but I do believe it "signs" if you will. There are certain things I take as a sign from above or a good luck signal of good things to happen. Whether or not you believe in angels I always feel that I have a certain few who are looking down upon me as my guardians.
I also think that if something works one time, keep it up the next and the next and the next...

Power Polish
This is my newest ritual. A new polish color (toes and fingers) must be worn for all races. This weekend I will be sporting Grape Going! I'm pronouncing it with the -oy sound, not like go-ing, but that too has a ring to it for a runner. Anyway, if you see me today I am trying it out on my toes. My ritual is that it needs to be applied the night before.
SO, Saturday night I'll be polishing up the nails - and most likely urging Runnerbud Jen to do the same. (She wore Power Polish Green with me at the Shamrock race!)
Will it make me faster? Keep me from hitting the dreaded wall? Win (Ha ...yea there's a pipe dream...)
PROBABLY NOT! And I'm okay with that.
Does it make me feel better to look down at mile 5 and see my flashy purple nails? Yup it does.

Like I said before, it's a mental thing...and if my power polish helps me get across that finish line ~ then so be it!

Good luck to all racers this weekend!

If you run, you are a runner!
~Rachel

P.S. Do you have any rituals? Crazy or not? Post and let me know!

Pretty snazzy, isn't it?

Mid-Week Pep Talk

Well, it's Wednesday and Jen and I took our last "long" run before the Pikes Peak 10k on Sunday. Eric says it's just another run with Jen. I truly wish I could look at it that way. When you get to the starting line and the other runners are looking all "trained" and "fit"...it's a bit daunting.

Yea, this is the girl I hope I'm NOT running next too!

Between the adrenaline, lack of sleep (I never sleep well the night before a race) and the unknown - it's all a bit nauseating. Plus factor in I can't eat before a run...you get the picture! Of course at the gun, you do the shuffle to jockey for a place and try not to trip or knock anyone down. The first mile, as all runners will agree, sucks! Til you find your pace, your breathing and settle down...it takes the wind out of you. But when you find your groove...we remember why we love to run!

If you are lucky enough to have a running buddy to train and race with (like my Runnerbud Jen) you hang together most of the race. I'm over the top lucky this time around because I've got 2 Racerbuds this weekend...Jen & Amy!

Runnerbuds Jen & Amy...this was actually taken at our 8K race in VA Beach last month! We got stuck in the rain...and that's a whole other story!

I guess where I am going with this is running is a mental sport. Some say our sport is all other sport's punishment. My favorite saying is, Running is 90% mental and the other 10% is all in your head.
We've run a 10k distance numerous times over the past few weeks, there is absolutely no reason why I can't do it on Sunday. Just need to get it into my head. My body can do it. There is just something about a starting line, a finish line and the time on my Garmin. (And boy am I hoping to rock a 10k time!)
So friends, tune in Sunday evening to find out how this story ends. I'm hoping it wraps up like a fairy tale. But in any case, I'll be running like I'm being chased!

Have a great rest of the week!
If you run, you are a runner!
~Rachel

Great Grains! It's Quinoa!

One of my sole sisters, Amy, got me on the quinoa bandwagon not too long ago. She was looking for  gluten free grains and this fit the bill.

Quinoa is a versatile grain – it’s great for runners and athletes and can fuel a workout. (Yes, like Zumba!) Also because it is a whole grain, it takes the place of those refined carbs we tend to eat. Therefore, weight loss can be side benefit. Quinoa is actually a seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked.

A quick health lesson about quinoa...Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, folate, and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches & diabetes. (info. from whfoods.com)

I started serving it for dinner and my kids thought it was Couscous until they tasted it. (Ryder says he is not a Quinoa kind of kid….Eric and Garrett eat it because I serve it and in our house it's basically eat what I make or starve!) It really is quick and easy to make as a side dish although you can eat it as your main source of protein as well. Check out some of the recipe links at the bottom if you are interested.

Now by no means am I replacing my pasta or potatoes with quinoa, but it is a good alternative.  My running buds, Jen & Amy, know I love to carb load with french fries before a race! (And after if you count dinner after the Shamrock race in VA Beach!) But I digress, it is an alternative to spice up the dinner table. 

Check it out, when cooked it looks like couscous!

Check out these recipes if you want to try quinoa...although for the "kitchen challenged" there are prepackaged flavored bags of quinoa at local grocery stores that cook in about 14 minutes - only water is needed!

Interesting info about quinoa

Breakfast Quinoa

Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry

Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf

Let me know what you think positives or negatives about quinoa!

If you run, you are a runner...

~Rachel

When Life Hands you a Lemon...

I started reading about the benefits of drinking lemon water - more specifically hot water and lemon. It's pretty amazing the positives this can have on your body. Besides the fact that lemons have vitamin C, B1, B2, B6 and Riboflavin they have calcium too. (Great for folks like me who aren't crazy about milk!)

Drink hot lemon water twice a day for great health benefits! 6 oz. of water to a 1/2 lemon if you weigh under 150 lbs. or a whole lemon if you are 150 lbs. or above.

Benefits can include aiding in digestion (which is a positive for me and my reflux), weight loss, overcoming nausea and morning sickness, more energy and clear skin.

Within some of the reading I've seen that you should drink this first thing in the morning, before you eat or drink anything else. I tried it two days in a row and will keep at it to see if I find any personal benefits. What do I have to lose? If nothing else I'll increase my vitamin intake and stay hydrated.

Check out the links I've included to read more!
Lemon juice and hot water at Livestrong
The Benefits of Lemon Water

Let me know if you try this and any benefits you may find!

Remember, if you run, you are a runner!
~Rachel

Welcome to my blog! I am on a journey toward a fit lifestyle, while running and having fun! I've run for a few years, but have just become interested in increasing my miles and finding some fun races along the way. You'll read about my adventures and running buddy, Jen. (Guess I better let her know about this, huh?)
 I'm hoping to write and entertain as well (I've got a cheezy sense of humor as you will find out...) as I share bits of info that I learn along the way. By no means am I an expert on running, fitness or nutrition ~ but I am always looking for new information to try and share. You'll see that I love to run, but believe you need to find what makes YOU happy and motivates YOU!

I'm new to blogging, so I'll be experimenting with this as I go. Feel free to share with your friends or give me suggestions and feedback!

If you run, you are a runner...
~Rachel