Race For the Taste 10K

Let me start by saying thank you to M, J, and Becky for making it a really fun weekend. It was the first time since I got married that I have gone ANYWHERE without my husband and kids. I did realize however, that I missed them immensely and will probably have them with me at any and all future races. We left of Saturday around noon and got to Wide World of Sports for the packet pick up and expo. Once again SOOOOOO disappointed with the Disney expo. You would think that because this is a race at Disney they would have something. I bought absolutely nothing because there was nothing to buy (sigh). We didn't get shirts either but we did get a beer mug (which my husband has claimed for his own). We had planned on going to Giordano's for our pre-race dinner and I have to say that I was not let down. My usual pre-race meal of choice is pizza and Giordano's did not disappoint. Becky and I shared a pizza that looked like this:

it was soooooo good!!! Then, we went back to the hotel, looked around and went to bed.

I was under the impression that the race started at 7:30 BUT it started at 7.

I DO NOT LIKE TO GET UP EARLY!!!!!

We had the wake-up call come in at 5:30 but M & J were up at 5. I ate my cliff bar (so didn't like it but forgot my hammer ones :( ), got dressed and off we went to the Wide World of Sports for the start of the race. I was a little nervous because we usually do our long runs at night but I must get over this because most races start in the morning (ugh!). We missed most of the crazy traffic and got there about 6:15ish. M met up with her brother and we took some pre-race pics

Of course I had to go use the porta pottys and the lines were CRAZY!! I probably stood in line for 30 minutes and then it was time to line up and start the race. Now, I knew that Becky would leave us and that was ok. I totally expected her to do awesome. She has been running for 2 years and is in the middle of marathon training. She did great and finished in 57:45- SO PROUD OF HER!

So we started Becky, took off and so did J. I am a slow and steady person so I don't sprint at the beginning because I knew we had 5 more miles to go and I wanted us to enjoy it and finish in our time not anyone else's. M and I just kept running and the 1st mile went by so fast. I think that was because we were running on 192 and there were so many people in such a small space. Before I knew it we were running into Hollywood Studios. We ran awhile with M's brother and then we just kind of enjoyed running behind the Light's, Motor's Action set. We went out the back side of Hollywood Studios and 3 miles were done. At this point I knew the rest of the course because we walk it ALL the time when we go to Disney. Around mile 5.5, my legs started to feel a tad heavy and I my tummy wasn't too happy about the cliff bar. I actually felt like I was going to be sick which has never happened to me before. Note to self: REMEMBER your HAMMER BARS!!! The best thing about running races at Disney is that most of them end in the same place. I knew once we passed Space Ship Earth that we had .2 left and I knew that no matter if I lost my cliff bar that I would finish strong and we did. We finished in 1:02.02. It was 2 minutes longer than I wanted but honestly I am so proud of the time we finished in. We ran and we had as much fun as 2 moms could have. We finished and I went and got my complimentary diet coke and all was well in my world. We got our medals, took tons of pictures and I was bummed that my hubs and kids weren't there.

I am so proud of my running girls. We have Tower of Terror 13K to look forward to in 2 weeks and it is at night (HALLELUJAH!!) It will be my last longer distance race before I begin training for the half next March.

Can't wait until Oct 15th when they announce how they are changing the races at Disney for next year! Hope everyone else had fun while running this weekend.

Happy Running!!

The trials of training and the glory of accomplishment

I won't lie- training for a race of any length with kids is tricky, especially if you live in Florida and the average temperature between 9a.m. and 7p.m. is 95. I started my training for a 5k (yes already passed but on to that later) on August 1st. At that point I just found a training schedule and began running. I remember the day that I started ,I went 2 miles and I felt pretty good at the end. I figured that since my 5k wasn't until September 26th that I would not be last and that I would have a great time with my husband and I would enjoy being able to run. About a week later my sister in law asked me if I would sign up for a 10K with her that was 2 weeks after the 5k. I signed up and then she said she may not be able to go. HUH??
This was something that she wanted to do, not me, but since I made a commitment, I figured that I may as well train for the 10K and then do the 5K as a training run.
I printed out my schedule (intermediate seemed doable to me), put in on my refrigerator and followed it as best as a mom with a husband who works weird hours could.
Let me say this too...I LOVE RUNNING.
I always have enjoyed it but it really has helped me to have that certain time a day that I focus only on me. I focus on my breathing, moving one foot in front of the other, and not getting hit by cars :) Running has given me confidence again and I just love lacing up my shoes and going.
I made running a priority every day and everyone around me knew- that I was training and what I was training for. Eventually M started running with me and I have found a great peace in running with someone else. I find comfort in doing something I love and not doing it alone.
So we trained, rain or shine, in mostly HOT weather. I started running in the mid-morning (although I love to run at night, even if it isn't quite safe), running with my jogger (ugh!), and simply enjoying being able to run.
When people ask my why I run, I always tell them the same thing- because I can.
So this morning when I crossed my last 2 mile run off my training schedule and the next run I am supposed to do is the 10K, I am proud of what I have been able to do. I am giddy because in 2 days I get to run 10K with M and Becky (she decided she could make it after all). Some days I don't think that I am a "real" runner because I don't honestly care how fast I get there. Miley says it best when she says, "It's the climb!"
I enjoy the training as much as the races. I enjoy running with my girls and running alone. There is always going to be another race, I am signed up for 2 more after the 10K but to me this one is special because it is the first that I have trained diligently for and I am going to enjoy it (and hopefully finish under and hour :))

Happy Running!!

8 miles and a recantation- HA

First off I have to let you know I had to return the Brooks- sniff. I really did enjoy them that first run BUT I exchanged them this morning. I went into my trusted Fit2Run and told them that my knee was killing me 5 or so miles into my run. Oh, your IT band that is common. IT band? what? my knee hurts! Well this is what I found out about IT bands.

Jeff Gallaway's website says:

Where does it hurt? Almost always on the outside of the leg, from the knee to the hip. The pain from I-T band is most often felt on the outside of the knee, slightly below the intersection of the two leg bones. For some, pain may be centered just above that point. In rare cases it may hurt on the outside just below the hip, and occasionally the pain may radiate up and down the outside of the leg, at various times. We will concentrate on the most common site, the outside of the knee.

It says to treat it do this:

1. Take enough time off to get the healing started (usually 3-5 days) 2. Take vitamin C. When I have an injury such as I-T band, I take 1000mg of Vitamin C, 3-5 times a day. Consult with a sports nutritionist for further information about vitamin C and other nutrients which can speed healing. 3. Stretch the tendon. The I-T band is one of few running injuries that is helped by stretching. Start with the stretches recommended and experiment to find ones that reduce or eliminate the pain. You can stretch before, after, and during a run‹and even in the evening, or while sitting at your desk at work. Stretching primarily reduces the tension on the tendon so that it doesn't hurt for a while. By keeping the I-T band flexible you also reduce the continued pulling on it, and may help it to heal to some extent. Experiment with different stretches for the area. The best ones are those that release the I-T band at that time, giving you instant relief. Compare stretches with other I-T band sufferers, but very few runners will use the same stretch routine. You will find that different stretches help at different times, even on the same run. 4. Ice massage. Freeze a paper cup and every night, rub the ice directly on the area of pain until it gets numb (usually about 15 minutes). Be advised that there's usually no healing effect from ice in a plastic bag, towel or frozen gel pac. It helps to ice the injury immediately after a run, but even if you miss this opportunity, ice it well at least once a day. 5. Run on level surface. Uneven surfaces will fatigue the muscles and tendons and increase the chance of I-T band irritation. A road that is slanted can cause I-T band problems on one run.6. Get the right shoe and possibly an orthotic. Even the perfect shoe (whatever that is) will lose support from the midsole, usually without any outward sign on the shoes. To run on these shoes usually aggravates the injury. Shoe experts, (such as the ones in really good running stores) can advise you in finding current shoes which can give the support or cushion your foot needs. Overpronated floppy feet show some shoe wear on the inside of the forefoot and benefit from motion control shoes. You'll have to give them feedback how the shoes feel and whether there are any discomfort areas. The shoe should be an extension of your foot without any extraordinary pressure or tension.

So... I bought these instead

On to the 8 mile recap. I feel enduarance wise I am in GREAT shape. The actual distance didn't bother me. I actually enjoyed running for an hour and a half. About mile 5 my knee started hurting which was most likely due to the shoes not giving me enough support (or so says the shoe lady at Fit2Run). I am taking today off to rest this IT band thing and hopefully can run my 4 miles tomorrow in the new shoes to test them out.

The kids are all feeling better and look at this cutie

she is going to be 11 months old soon. AND she is calling me now :)

Happy Running!!

What?!? The stomach flu? (a very LONG update)

I am sorry that I haven't posted but if you follow me on twitter you would know that we have been battling the stomach flu here in Kyleland since EARLY and I do mean early Wednesday morning. I woke up around 1:30ish to someone running around the upstairs. I thought it was Ryan so I got up to investigate and heard someone crying. So I ran up the stairs to find Ashley who had been in her bathroom got tummy sick and RAN to Ryan's bathroom to thrown up (i know my kids are a little odd). So I cleaned up the mess, got her in clean clothes, places towels all over her room, and gave her a bucket (so she wouldn't have to run around). Then she and I both went back to sleep. Ry came down around 6 which was when Dave proceeded to follow in Ashley's footsteps- without all the switching bathrooms. He said that if Ash felt like he did to keep her home from school. At this point Ryan wasn't showing any symptoms of being sick AT ALL so I thought they had gotten food poisoning since Dave and Ash had been out the night before for cheer. So, I take Ry to school and bring Ash home for a little rest. She is still getting sick at regular intervals and can not eat or drink ANYTHING. She takes a nap and then Dave calls to tell me he is coming home from work because he is too sick to be there says his Deputy Chief. This about the time I was going to pick up Ry and I had an epiphany. If Dave was home and Ash and Ry were napping I could go for a short run with Lexi.
HMMMM! Maybe not my best idea!
Dave comes home, Ash and Ry are sleeping and I take off with Lexi. It is about 1:15 or so by now so it has already been a pretty long day. I had a pretty good run but was feeling a little guilty about leaving my sick kids with their sick daddy, so I only ran about 2 miles. I walked in the door to Ryan's bedding which he had gotten sick on-YUCKY!!! and my little boy sitting on the couch looking so exhausted. Dave was feeling better at this point but this was the beginning of my 4 days FULL OF LAUNDRY. I honestly think I did about 15 loads total of sheets and towels and I was tempted to run to Home Depot and buy one of those blue tarps that they sell during hurricane season and lay all of my family on those to not have to wash more sheets.
So, by the end of Wednesday everyone was feeling a bit better and I was feeling pretty confident because I still felt ok. I decided to sleep on the couch so that I could hear the kids better during the night.
DeJaVu! Ry came down and slept on the floor next to the couch and then around 6...ummmm...i didn't feel so hot and I layed on the couch for the next 18 hours. I only got up 3 times to use the restroom. During those 18 hours I SLEPT!!! WHAT?!?! 18 hours of sleep- I guess my body was trying to tell me that it was tired. The worst part for me wasn't the tummy problems it was that my bones hurt so badly. I just kept telling myself that there were people out there with real diseases that wouldn't be gone in 24 hours like my pain would be. I was finally able to take some Tylenol to help break my fever and when I woke up about 6:30ish I felt better and ate a bowl of Cookie Crisp (ha!)
I have to say that Friday and this morning all I have done is Lysol toys, wipe surfaces, and do more laundry. The kids seem to be feeling much better and that is a blessing in itself. I am trying to rest up because tomorrow night I have a date with M to run 7-8 miles and I am looking forward to it but am so nervous at the same time. I know that we can do it and I honestly don't really care about the time I do it in just that I do it. So, say a little prayer for me that my body is rested enough (come on 18 hours!) and that I feel strong throughout the run.
Hope you all had great runs this week and weekend. Those who had races I hope you ROCKED THEM! and Until tomorrow...

Happy Running!!

2 t-shirts and a long run

Wow- the run last night went so much better than I thought it was going to. M and I decided that we were going to run 6.5 last night and since I am ALWAYS up for a run we decided to meet at my house for a 7:15ish start time. Since my birthday just passed I had received money from my MIL to get a new pair of running shoes. So, yesterday I packed up the "littles" and hubs and I went down to our local running store Fit2Run to buy me a pair of Brooks Glycerin 7's. I have never used Brooks shoes before but my SIL and hubs raved about them so I figured I had a 30 day switching policy so why not try them. I came home with these:

Aren't they pretty? Well they are also workhorses. Last night I ran ...7.94 miles in BRAND NEW SHOES. Usually I would say that wasn't a very good move, but it went amazingly well. I still like my Asics but I am seriously in LOVE with the Brooks.

And did I mention that I ran 7.94 MILES?? We were supposed to run 6.5 but we had to keep running across the street to avoid sprinklers and deer and other weird things and then we ran that extra .5 miles around my lake and when we were done M and I had run WAY further than we had planned. We did it in 1:15:23. That is the longest and farthest that I have EVER run.

So after coming down from my high, M wants me to run the Tower of Terror 13K with her on October 24 and I think that I am going to do it :)

Then I get up this morning to 2 different e-mails letting me know that I have won giveaways. One was from Brooks (woo hoo!) I signed up for the Brooks Running Club on Facebook and the first 5 people to e-mail Meredith won a Run Happy tee like this:

Then I had a e-mail from Run U Mother and I WON a giveaway from Heather! I was able to choose one of their products and since I love me some tank tops I chose this:

Now, I have to go take care of my little cheerleader who is home sick from school. No running today since I don't want to take a chance of sickness in the jogger (ha!) I think I will do a little CardioX tonight.

Happy Running!!

Expedition Everest or Monsoon?

We had so much fun during our weekend . The weekend began early on Friday when I drove with all 3 kids to The Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had never stayed at this hotel before and we all were really looking forward to the new experience. We arrived and the “magically” had a room ready for me (score!) and when I got to the room my hubs and kids had a “birthday basket” waiting for me. Lot of CHOCOLATE- yummy! Then Hubs decided to take an earlier flight so our whole schedule was thrown off BUT we adjusted. We went over to the Wild World of Sports to pick up the packet for the Expedition Everest race and I was really looking forward to the expo. I shouldn’t have! It was the absolutely saddest expo that I had ever been to L
We then went to T-rex for lunch which was excellent as usual. Back to the hotel and then off to pick up Dave from the airport. Then we went to Animal Kingdom (which will be a theme on this vacation). We went out for my birthday dinner at Boma which was probably the best meal at Disney that I had ever had. It was seriously that wonderful.
The next day we woke up and went to MGM who had extra magic hours for Ryan to be able to go on Toy Story Mania. We fastpassed it and waited in line so that we would be able to go twice. Then we took the kids over to see JoJo and Goliath. I was extremely sad for this because I took Ashley to see JoJo when she was Lexi’s age. Then we went and picked up Auntie Becky and went to Downtown Disney. Ryan had a great time in the Lego store and we just enjoyed walking around. We decided to spend some time at the pool and rest our legs for the night ahead.
We arrived for Ashley’s race at about 5:45 and her race started at 6:30. We took the pre-pictures and went to the port a potties many times and then it was time for her to go. Because there were obstacles in this race and not just running parents were “encouraged” to run with their kids. SO- Ash and I lined up and off we went. She did great. She ran and then had to climb under a cargo net, go across a balance beam, over a wall, and then had a scavenger hunt in a baby pool. She conquered those obstacles with style and received her medal like the champ she is. Well at this point it was maybe 6:45 and Dave and I were in WAVE 10 to start our race, so we packed our kids off with Auntie Becky back to the hotel and soon we were really glad that we did.
Wave 1 began promptly at 7:30 and every wave after that went off 5 minutes apart. Like I said earlier we were in Wave 10-yes that is right I said TEN! I have no idea how they set up these waves but oh well…moving on. Our wave began at 8:15 and because I was running with Dave and very happy to be doing so, I went at his pace. His pace is fast at the beginning then slowing down, where as my pace is slow at the beginning and progressively getting quicker as the race goes on. So, we took off pretty quick and soon we were passing people that were in Wave 9 (Dave’s goal met) and we continued running through the parking lot for Mile1. Mile 2 went really well. It was the portion of the race that was out and back. People were screaming walkers to left the WHOLE time but we just weaved through when we were going to hit walkers. Dave has nerve damage in 3 of his toes and they were bothering him so we slowed a bit (not a lot) but really we were moving at a 9 minute or so pace. We got to mile 2.5 and the sky opened up and the rain POURED down on us. I do not mean a light sprinkle but a monsoon. We made it to the finish of the the 5k and knew the obstacle course was going to be sloppy. (Remember – I don’t like to be dirty) I sucked it up though and we did the obstacle course pretty quickly. The scavenger hunt was a mess!!! The book they gave us with the clues was completely useless because it fell apart. It was raining so hard there were lakelike puddles in the streets that we had to walk through. We started running again just so that we could finish, get our medals, and go back to the hotel. We did finish and the scavenger hunt wasn’t even checked because (duh) the books fell apart and we couldn’t even write on them but all in all it was a very fun experience.
I have 2 weeks until the Race for the Taste 10K and I am so excited to see what kind of fun that weekend holds.
Tomorrow I have 6-6.5 miles to pump out and I am looking forward to it a lot more than I probably should be.

Happy Running!!

Giving up Diet Coke

Today I am giving up diet coke (not entirely but limited to one per day). No, I am not pregnant again (sniff) but because I signed up for this....

Disney Princess Half Marathon

I have been debating it for a while and I officially signed up. I am super excited to begin training for it soon. I mean I have the 5k there this weekend and the 10K there in October so I figured why not do my next distance there as well right?
Speaking of races, I just mentioned the Expedition Everest 5k. I am looking forward to it for a couple reasons. First because it is a team event and my team the CRAZY KYLES- consists of me and hubs. We have never really ran together because we alternate who watches the kids. My SIL is coming to watch them while we do the race. Also because it is my last race being 30. My bday is monday and the dreaded 30th year went by so fast. 31 Here I come and you better watch out :)
Then we only have 2 weeks until the 10K which i am super excited for because I get to do it with M :)

Do you look forward to races because of who is doing them with you??
Wish me luck!

Happy Running!!