5K Rae

Diagnosis & The Plan

2011-07-29T13:23:00.000-04:00

So I went to the doc yesterday and they basically told me everything the Hubz told me (yes Hon, you were right!). They said I strained my left hip flexer muscle. They gave me stretches to do. They said to try and run once a week to see how it feels. If it's better, then I can start running again. If it's not, then don't run...duh. If I am still in pain in 4 weeks, then I will go back and they'll do xrays to see if it's something more. They don't think they will see me again and I hope they are right.

Because they aggravated it yesterday while they were stretching me and seeing how strong my leg was and stuff like that, it's a little sore. So I won't be trying to run until next weekend. So that will give me another 8 days of no running, so maybe I'll be feeling better.

I am going to stick to my workout plan of biking, ellipticaling, and Rep Reeboking.

I am going to keep my fingers crossed that I'll be able to run again soon and that I'll be able to run my next Half...which is just 6 weeks from Sunday!

Have a great weekend!

Injured

2011-07-26T11:24:00.000-04:00

Yup, I am injured. And yup, I did it during my Half Marathon. Boo! Right after I finished my Half, I felt a weird pain where my leg meets my pelvis...it might be my hip flexer...not sure yet. The days following the race I was super sore. So I denied that I was injured and said that I was just sore. I took 5 days off from running or any other form of exercise. Finally on Saturday I set out for a 4 mile run. As soon as I started I knew something was wrong. I could feel the pain again. I was run limping and I'm sure I looked pathetic. I knew I couldn't do 4, so I decided to do my 3 mile route. A half mile in, I knew I couldn't do 3. So I made myself finish 2 miles. I was not happy and finally accepted that yes, I am hurt, not just sore. After the run I could feel the pain for the rest of the day and was sore there. Now I don't feel the pain unless I lift my left leg. So I feel it running, going upstairs, things like that. Today it is not as bad as it was Saturday, but I still feel it. I am not sure exactly what is wrong. Did I sprain a muscle? Did I tear something? I made an appointment to get checked out so I know what to do to fix this, how long to rest it, and to find out when I can start running again...I am supposed to run another Half in just 6.5 weeks! We'll see though! Today I went back to the gym for the first time in two weeks! I took my Rep Reebok class and was ok for almost all the moves...it's a strength training class not cardio. The only think I couldn't do were knee lifts and jumping jacks during the warm up. Before class I tried biking for cardio and thankfully had no pain! Then after class I tried the elliptical and again had no pain. So thankfully I can bike and elliptical for cardio until I can run again.

So no running for now. My workouts will be biking, elliptical, and Rep Reebok. Half Training part 2 is on hold until I hear from the doctor what the plan is. This stinks!

Weekly Workouts
Monday ~ OFF
Tuesday ~ Biked 4.4 miles, Rep Reebok, 15 min Elliptical (Check!)
Wedensday ~ Bike, Elliptical
Thursday ~ Bike, Rep Reebok, Elliptical
Friday ~ Bike, Elliptical
Saturday ~ OFF
Sunday ~ OFF

My plan might change after I meet with the doctor. I'll keep ya posted.

Now for some pics of my kiddos to lighten the mood. :)

Doing It Again

2011-07-22T10:26:00.000-04:00

Well it's official! I registered for my second Half yesterday! It's just 7 weeks from Sunday! I worked on my training plan and my first run will be tomorrow.

I was soooooo sore from my Half on Sunday. I could barley walk Sunday night and Monday. And then each day has gotten better. I haven't done any runs or workouts since the Half. I've enjoyed the break. But tomorrow I will attempt my first run after my Half. Then on Monday I'll be kicking things back into high gear with my running, workouts, and eating.

Thank you for all the awesome comments on my Half! I had an awesome experience with it and it felt amazing to cross that finish line! I'm looking forward to doing it all again in just 7 weeks!

Presque Isle Half Marathon

2011-07-18T13:54:00.001-04:00

I did it! I am a Half Marathoner! It was actually harder than I expected. It was very hot and the heat definitely effected me. But I pushed myself with all I had and finished!

The Half started at 7:30, so I got up at 5:50 and go ready. I left my house by 6:30 and headed down. It was very busy and I was lucky to get a parking spot in the main lot. My pit crew, S and M, met me there and here super helpful! They held a lot of my stuff and took all my pictures. I grabbed my chip and then we went back to the car to put on my bib and chip and get all my gear ready.

Then I headed to the bathroom line. It was long, but there were a few sets of lines. Thankfully I got in and out just in time.

Ready to go!

I put on my hydratin belt and mp3 player and got in line. We started like 2 minutes later!

The first couple miles flew by. I saw S and M around mile 1 or so.

Right after that I got my first side cramp. I was not happy about that. It slowed me down and I worked through it. Right after that I saw my Hubs and Kiddos! It was so great seeing them. I got really emotional when I spotted them. I could see my husband made shirts for the kids to wear...My Mom is Fast, Run Mom Run, and Mom's Biggest Fan! They were so cute cheering for me.

I kept pushing along. My family drove up next to me and they'd cheer from the van. Then they'd go ahead and get out and wait for me to come. It was really great having that support and motivation.

Around mile 4.5, I got another side cramp. Again I pushed through it and it went away. I was struggling because of the heat. I had my hydration belt that I was drinking from. Thankfully I had that!

I have never walked during a 5K, 10K, or any of my training runs. But I was hurting in this heat. So finally at mile 7 I decided to walk through the water stop. I grabbed a water and walked and drank it and then picked it back up again. At this point I knew I probably wouldn't reach my goal of under 2 hours, but at this point I just wanted to finish. I told myself that I could want through the rest of the water stops. Trust me, there were times I wanted to walk, but I made myself wait for the water stops. If I hadn't have walked during the water stops, I think my body would have given out on me. I am proud of myself for sucking up my pride and doing what was best for my body.

I counted down every mile. I told myself that at mile 12 I'd pick it up a bit and then at mile 13 I'd give it my all. Man that is a long 1.1 miles! When I hit mile 13 I just ran as fast as I could. The spectator line was so long! The finish seemed so far away! But I knew I couldn't slow down with all those people watching me. I saw my husband, kids, and parents cheering me in. And then a little further down I saw S and M cheering me in. I crossed that finish line with a smile on my face and my arms in the air! I did it! I made it!

I finished in 2 hours 3 minutes and 14 seconds. I was 18th out of 50 in my age group and 399th out 849 overall!

Coming down the stretch!

I just passed my family!

Catching air!

Almost there! Push it girl!

I did it!!

Afterwards I just walked around in a circle until I calmed down. I was already starting to hurt. But I kept moving and stretched out. I met up with my family and friends and told them about the race.

HOT and SWEATY!

Half Marathoner!

My wonderful family!

S's shirt!

My pit crew!

Me, R, and my parents!

The kids held the build a sign I had made!

They held a picnic at our local amusement park afterwards. They fed us and even gave us beer! It was really nice!

I am super proud of finishing this race. My training runs were all awesome. I was fast during them. I averaged 8:45 minute miles in my 12-mile training run. But every run is different. My 12-mile training run was not nearly has hot and it rained on me the entire time. So heat definitely plays a role. I am glad that I wasn't stupid and that I made the decision to start walking through the water stops. It could have been a huge disaster if I hadn't. And the best thing is that I am so proud of my race. I am not upset that I didn't reach my time goal. I'm proud of taking care of myself and finishing as strong as I could. Now I have a Half PR and something to try and beat next time...and yes, there will be a next time! In just 8 weeks I am going for number 2! Same course but a lot cooler temps!

Fun Fact

2011-07-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

I ran my very first race, a 5K, last year on July 17, 2010.

I will run my first Half Marathon exactly one year later on July 17, 2011.

Cool, huh!?

My first 5K race ~ July 17, 2010

Hello!

2011-07-11T10:38:00.000-04:00

Wow! Almost a 2-month hiatus! Sorry about that! You'd think that with training for a half marathon, that I'd write on my running blog all the time...guess not! I've just been busy enjoying the summer and running that I really haven't been in the mood to blog.

My Half training has been going awesome! I've loved it! My Half is just 6 days away! I can't believe it! My longest run was 12 miles and I loved every second of it. I've figured out how to fuel. I hate gels and love chomps. I got a hydration belt that is awesome and works perfectly.

We've been pretty busy this summer on the weekends. Doing lots of fun things with the kids. In June the boys turned 2 and S turned 4. We've been outside nonstop. It's been a lot of fun.

I haven't ran a 5K in almost 2 months. It feels weird. But running one would have messed up my Half training. I don't know when my next one will be. But I definitely miss it! Maybe I'll find one in August to do.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer! I will definitely write a race report for my Half Marathon!! So excited!

Here are some pics from the last couple months.

This Week's Workouts

2011-05-23T14:58:00.000-04:00

Hello! I skipped this last week. So here are this week's workouts.

Monday ~ BFBM Circuits 1-3,6/HMT ~ 3.1 miles
Tuesday ~ Run 1.5 miles on TM/Rep Reebok/10 minutes elliptical
Wednesday ~ HMT ~ Run 4 miles/Abs
Thursday ~ Run 1.5 miles on TM/Rep Reebok/20 minutes elliptical
Friday ~ BFBM
Saturday ~ HMT ~ Run 6 miles
Sunday ~ Probably rest

My half training went well last week. I did 3 miles Monday, 4 miles Friday, and 5 miles Saturday. Due to our anniversary celebrating I didn't run Wednesday morning, so I just moved it to Friday.

To those of you who run longer distances for training: Do you fuel during those runs? Like take gels or whatever? I have never fueled during a run and I know I'm going to need to for my Half. So I'm just looking for advice on when to fuel during a half. What do you do?

Anniversaries

2011-05-20T13:46:00.000-04:00

May is full of anniversaries for me! And, I've been so busy that I missed two of them!

May 8th was my 1-year Running Anniversary! It has been one year since I just picked up and started running. I've done C25K, a 10K training program, and now I am training for my first Half Marathon! If someone would have told me this time last year that next year you'll be running a Half Marathon, I would have thought they were crazy! Since I started racing in July 2010, I've done nine 5K races, two 10K races, and one 5-mile race. I love to race! I'm really looking forward to my Half and many more 5Ks and 10Ks! I am so glad that I started running...it does a mind and body good!

May 12th was my 1-year Blogging Anniversary! I'm also so glad I started blogging about my running. When I first started running, I looked all around for a C25K blog and had no luck. So, I started my own. Then I became aware of all the awesome running blogs out there and I am hooked! I love reading them for inspiration, motivation, and advice. It's a great community and I'm proud to be a part of it!

May 17th was my 8-year Annivesrary with the Hubz! We've been married for 8 years and together for 14 years! High school sweethearts here! My Mom came and watched the kids and we were able to go out and celebrate. We had a really good time.

LOVE HIM!

Art & Sole 5K Race Report

2011-05-16T15:20:00.002-04:00

So it finally happened. I overslept on race day! I planned on getting up at 7 and leaving for my sister's at 7:30. I did set my alarm for 7, but I didn't turn the alarm on. And I even asked the Hubz if it was on and he said no. But I just went to sleep. Thankfully my friend texted me at 7:30 to wish me luck and woke me up! I hopped out of bed, threw on my clothes, put in my contacts, threw my hair up, grabbed all my gear, and headed to my sister's. I woke up and was at her house within 20 minutes...only 5 minutes late...not too bad!

Pre-race car pic

It was a nice day. Around 60 degrees and cloudy. Chance of rain, but it held off for the race. But it was humid! It was the first muggy race I've ran since last summer. I almost wore shorts and during the race I wished I had.

At my sister's we put on our bibs. K was pretty pumped because it was her first race. It was fun! My Mom came too to cheer us in and take lots of pics.

Me and K waiting for race time.

Walking to the starting line.

It was a small race...only 108 racers. There were other 5Ks that day too.

Mom and Me...our cheerleader and photographer!

We got in line and made our plan. K didn't know how fast she'd go. So she said she would try to keep up with me, but I could take off when I wanted. Right before the start she told Mom and Me that she'd see us in 40 minutes.

At the start. It was a small race so we were in the front.

And we're off!

The course was fun. It was downtown again but on different streets. It was also a tough course. Lots of hills. Right away we hit a big hill. Then we headed down the main street of the town which was fun because of the people out and the businesses. It's also downhill. I was with K for about half a mile and then I took off. After that main street we headed into neighborhoods in the city. Then it was back uphill. With it being so muggy, the hills were tough. But it was good to run them. I just keep pushing. I kept counting down the blocks to go until we turned back on to the street we started on. But once we did that, we still had a ways to go. I just kept pushing to the finish.

Racing for the finish!

Crossing the line.

I finished in 25:55 which I was happy with. With the hills and humidity I was pleased with my time. I also got a longer distance on Mr. G than 3.1. I went to my Mom and then had to get some water. I was so thirsty. I thought I had time to do that before K came in. Right when I got back, there she was coming to the finish!

Here comes Sis!

She finished in 28:23! Way before 40 minutes! She rocked it! And I was impressed cause she was dressed in a snowsuit! I thought I was hot! LOL!

28:23 for her first 5K!

All done! Hot, sweaty, and beat!

I loved my number. It was the Hubz' football number.

We waited for the results and found that I was 38th out of 131 and I took 1st in my age group out of 10! And my sister finished 54th out of 131 and she took 2nd in her age group out of 11! Awesome!! She was very pumped up and excited. I think she now understands my love for racing.

Our Awards! Artwork made by the kids in the organization we ran for.

Awww. Mom got us flowers!

We had a fun time together and I'm sure she'll join me for more. She already said she wants to do a 10K!

So after 3 straight weekends of 5Ks I am ready for a break! My next race is my Half Marathon in July! Unless a 5K pops up. Now I will concentrate on my Half training.

My Week

2011-05-12T09:29:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty late posting my workouts for this week, so here they are.

Monday ~ HMT ~ 3 miles
Tuesday ~ Ran 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, 10 min Elliptical
Wednesday ~ RI30 L4, HMT ~ 3 miles, Abs
Thursday ~ Ran 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, 10 min Elliptical
Friday ~ BFBM
Saturday ~ Art & Sole 5K
Sunday ~ Rest!

I'm having a good week! I started my Half Marathon Training (HMT) on Monday. So far so good! And I'm loving our new routine in Rep Reebok.

Saturday I'm racing again and this time my sister is doing it! It's her first race and I'm excited for her. So stay tuned for a race recap next week!

Mother's Day 5K Race Report

2011-05-09T13:57:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had the most wonderful Mother's Day! It was the perfect day! It was gorgeous outside!

I started my Mother's Day with the Mother's Day 5K. It was a great race with a great out and back course. This race was a fun run with lots of familes. So no awards were going to be given. I was also out the night before for my sister's birthday. So I was just going to run and see what happened. I actually felt pretty good when we started. But about a half mile in, I got a side cramp. I ended up working through that. Then the last half of the race, my left shoulder blade was hurting. It felt like a pinched nerve or something. So other than those things, I did feel good. I liked the out and back course because you can see everyone as you are running. I got to say hi to my friends along the way.

I ended up finishing in 25:29. Slower than last week's race, but faster than all of my other 5Ks. So I was happy. I knew if I were feeling more 100% I could have done better. I was 57th out of 563. And I was 4th out of 65 in my age group. It was a big race for our area.

Pre-race car pic!

S and Me

The start...see me?

Heading for the finish!

Crossing the line!

Cool shoe chocolates

The rest of my Mother's Day was just awesome. We went to lunch with my family. Got ice cream. Played outside. The Hubz made me and his family an awesome lasagna dinner. It was a perfect day!

Me and My Babies

My Sister, Mom, and Me

Tough Run

2011-05-06T11:16:00.004-04:00

I had a tough run this morning. I woke up and did JM's 6 Week 6 Pack Level 2 and then headed out for a 3 mile run. It was tough. I felt I was going so slow, yet I was pushing myself. I ended up cutting it short and just did 2 miles. But that's ok! I guess some runs just will be more difficult than others. Here's to hoping my Mother's Day 5K is a great one!

Guess what? My Half Marathon Training starts on Monday! Woot! I'm excited!

Shout out to AWESOME Emz who is doing a 24 hour treadmill run from 6 this morning until 6 tomorrow morning! You go girl!

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Moms!

Weekly Workouts

2011-05-04T13:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day!

Here are what my workouts this week have looked like and will look like.

Monday ~ Ran 1 mile on TM, Boot Camp
Tuesday ~ Ran 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Ran 1 mile on TM
Wednesday ~ Ran 2 miles on TM, Boot Camp...Maybe Yoga this evening
Thursday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile on TM, 10 lb Slimdown Core
Friday ~ Run 5K outside OR RI30, 6W6P
Saturday ~ Burn Fat Boost Metabolism
Sunday ~ Mother's Day 5K

I decided not to do the 10 Pound Slimdown anymore. I liked the workouts, but sometimes I didn't feel like doing a second workout for the day in the evenings. Getting up at 4:45 in the morning to workout, makes me ready for bed once the kids are down. I will probably still do one of the workouts every once in awhile. Like today I might do the Yoga workout. Plus if I'm just doing a video workout for the day, I'd rather do a Jillian workout cause her workouts are hard core and I sweat a lot more.

The Rep Reebok routine has finally changed! We were stuck with the last one for 8 weeks! That is long! I was so sick of the last routine. I didn't go a few Thursdays so I could have a break from it. So goodbye to that routine. I love the new routine. This one focuses back to strength (the last one was endurance). We seem to do a lot more moves, but for shorter amounts of time, so it seems to fly by. And we have almost no shoulders. The last one was about half shoulders. Too much! I'm sure I'll be ready to change routines again in 8 weeks. But as of now, this new one is way better! I am so sore from yesterday. My biceps and triceps and killing me! But, I love it!

Now I gotta add some pics from last weekend. :)

Hubz and Me

S and Mommy

Super smiley R

J and Mommy

I am really looking forward to the weekend. We have fun things planned...plus a race on Sunday and Mother's Day!

Law Day 5K Race Report

2011-05-02T14:48:00.000-04:00

Saturday was the Law Day 5K! It was a beautiful day! It was sunny and about 50 degrees. Chilly in the shade, but toasty in the sun and perfect for running.

I woke up and got ready...purple and black today! Then I headed downtown to meet up with my friends.

Pre-race car pic!

S, C, and Me

It was a chip-timed race, so I grabbed that and put it on. Then we hung out and waited for the start.

Trying a Hammer Gel for the first time.

Being silly.

I hit the bathrooms and then we headed to the start line.

This race is downtown and has some smaller hills. Not nearly as hilly as the Linked By Pink 5K, but it has some little rolling hills. I started off and felt really good. I really wanted a new PR so I tried to keep a faster pace than I usually do. I paid a lot more attention to Mr. G than usual...but it paid off!

The race course goes out to the west, then you drop down a street and then keep going west. Then you go back up a street, and come back east. Then you pass where we started and you have to run around the town square to the finish.

Here I am coming to the town square.

I knew I was sooo close to the finish. Kicking it into high gear!

I had one more turn to make and then I'd be running to the finish. There was a woman in front of me and I knew I had to pass her. So I rounded the corner and really started sprinting. I passed the woman. Then I saw the clock...under 25 minutes! I had to make it! I really wanted a finish time of 24:XX. So I was pumped up! I crossed that finish line in 24:52! A new PR of almost 1 minute! I was so stoked! As soon as I crossed, I yelled "YES!". I did it!

About to cross the finish!

I was super happy with the new PR! I really couldn't believe it! After I finished, I went and got a water and then waited to cheer in my friends. They all did great! My friends all got PRs too! It was a great race day!

C, S, and Me after the race!

C, S, S, and Me...New PRs Baby!

I had a fabulous time at this race. The day was beautiful. I had good racing company. The course was awesome. A new PR! Perfect!

Next race: Sunday, Mother's Day 5K!

This Week's Workouts

2011-04-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

Monday ~ RI30 L4, Ran 3.1 miles outside (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile on TM
Wednesday ~ Run w/ Running Group OR Boot Camp, 10 lb Slimdown Lower Body
Thursday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile on TM, 10 lb Slimdown Total Body Blast
Friday ~ 10 lb Slimdown Upper Body, 10 lb Slimdown Core
Saturday ~ Law Day 5K
Sunday ~ 10 lb Slimdown Total Body Blast

10 Pound Slimdown Lower Body is no joke with the lunges. I did this workout Friday morning. I can now finally sit without it hurting. I can't believe how sore I got from these lunges. I do 8 sets of lunges with a bar bell with weights every Tuesday and Thursday and I don't get this sore.

I've also done the Core Workout and the Total Body Blast, and both are really good workouts.

I ran outside again this morning! It was nice. It was warmer than last week by a little but it sprinkled a bit. I also tried to beat my time from last week's run...and I did! I would have been a bit faster but I was having issues with my MP3 player.

Looking forward to my race on Saturday!

I'll leave you with some pics of the kids playing outside this weekend...don't mind the dirt, mud, and boogers. :)

S flying a kite with Daddy.

Mr. J

Mr. R

Easter Eggs!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

TTT

2011-04-21T11:04:00.000-04:00

1. I ran this morning! Outside! Woot! I did a 5K around the neighborhood and it felt awesome! I am so excited to be able to run again outside. It was still cold and maybe 40 degrees, but I was already warm from doing a workout before my run. I love running outside wwwwaaaaaaayyyy more than on the treadmill!

2. I started the 10 Pound Slimdown this morning. Today's workout was Upper Body. It was only 23 minutes long...which is nice. The format is a warm up, 3 circuits, and a cool down. You do 2 or 3 upper body strength moves, and then a cardio burst, then you repeat those 2 or 3 upper body strength moves, and then finish off the circuit with another cardio burst. Then you do 2 more cicuits. I was definitely sweating and catching my breath after the cardio bursts. So I liked it! I can't wait to try the 4 other workouts! I get to do the Lower Body and Core workouts tomorrow.

3. We went to our nephews 3rd birthday party last night at Chuck E Cheese. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast. Here are some pics. (And a couple from the previous weekend.)

S and Mommy

Daddy and R

R rocking his cool shades.

This guy is always laughing.

My beautiful girl!

I'm off tomorrow! Yay for a 3-day weekend!

Linked By Pink Race Report

2011-04-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

I am finally getting to my race report for the Linked By Pink 5K!

Rivals Linked By Pink is a group of college students from "rival" colleges in my town. They raise money for breast cancer research. This year they put on this 5K. So that means, it wasn't put on by the Runners Club in my town and things were a little different. First, it was a new course. I was really excited for that. But it was also a hilly course! They took and posted results differently and they only gave awards to the first male and female finishers.

It was a beautiful morning! Sunny and warmer. Well warmer for us. It was maybe 50 degrees. But I'll take it!

Pre-race car pic!

I headed to the race. It was nice because it was only about 5 minutes from my house. I was a little nervous for the race because I didn't know the course and I knew it would be hilly. But I was excited.

I got to the place and went and got my bib and shirt. Then headed back to my car to take off my running jacket. It would have been to hot while running. But while waiting I was definitely chilly without it.

Before the race, we hung out in the gym at the college and there was a DJ, so that was cool. Some guy was having a dance off with a mascot. It was pretty funny.

Then we lined up for the race. We ran from inside the college grounds, left the grounds, and then came back in. If you picture the course as a square...the left side was all up hill. It was tough. I'm so not used to running hills. The top side was pretty good, flat with maybe a tiny hill, and the right side was a super steep down hill. Then we had to loop around a second time. Even though it was hilly, I had a lot of fun. I thought about taking a walk break the second time through on the hills, but I pushed through. I have never walked during a 5K, and I didn't want to start now.

I ended up finishing in 25:49...a new PR! I was stoked!

There were a ton of college students running. I'd say about 90% of the runners were in college. So I probably won my age group. :)

Because the timing people that usually do the races weren't there, I didn't know where I finished. Usually those people post the results as they come in. So I had to wait until they were finally online. Of course the results just were in order of finish with names, bib, and time. They didn't even number the finishers. So I had to count to find that I was 55th out of 211. Not too bad considering I was racing with a ton of college students. I also couldn't find out if I would have placed in age group if they did that because they didn't list our ages.

So it was a great race. I loved that it was closer to my house and a new course. I loved the cause. I will definitely do it again if they do it next year. Yay for a new PR! Hopefully I beat that next week!

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This Weeks Workouts

Monday ~ RI30 L4

Tuesday ~ Run 1 mile, Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile

Wednesday ~ Run 1 mile, Boot Camp

Thursday ~ Run 3 miles, 10 Pound Slimdown Upper Body

Friday ~ 10 Pound Slimdown Lower Body & Core

Saturday ~ 10 Pound Slimdown Total Body Blast, 6W6P L2

Sunday ~ 10 Pound Slimdown Upper Body & Core

So as you can see I am going to start a new 30-day workout program called the 10 Pound Slimdown. I love doing 30-day workout programs...I'm strange like that. :) So this program has five 20-minute workouts. You can buy the dvd that has all 5 workouts, but Exercise TV On-Demand has them all on there right now for free. They also have a free 30-day workout plan...which is what I'm doing (you can find it at the link above). I did switch a couple of the workouts and off days so it would work with my racing schedule. So you will see a lot of these workouts for the next month.

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Next Race: Law Day 5K on Saturday, April 30th!

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Weekly Workouts

2011-04-12T13:15:00.000-04:00

Here are my workouts for the week.

Monday ~ RI30 Level 3 (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Ran 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Ran 1 mile on TM, RI30 L3 (Check!)
Wednesday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Boot Camp, RI30 L3
Thursday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile on TM
Friday ~ RI30 L4
Saturday ~ RI30 L4, 6 Week 6 Pack L2
Sunday ~ RI30 L4, 6 Week 6 Pack L1

I still have to download the couple pics I got from my race on Saturday. I'll do that tonight and then I'll write up my race report. I did get a new 5K PR!

Overnight Oats

2011-04-07T09:25:00.000-04:00

If you read food blogs, then I'm sure you've heard about Overnight Oats. I've seen them all over the place and always thought of trying them. Yesterday morning I finally did. I made my first bowl of Overnight Oats Tuesday night. I didn't know if I'd like the oats being cold because I'm used to hot oatmeal. But I was surprised with how good they were! So I made another bowl for me to have this morning...and it was even better. So good! So if you're looking for a new breakfast idea, try Overnight Oats!

Yum! Overnight Oats!

Rae's Overnight Oats
1/2 cup Oatmeal
1 1/2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
1/2 tablespoon Ground Flaxseed
1 tablespoon Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk

Mix it all together and let sit in fridge overnight. Then enjoy!

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-04-05T09:46:00.000-04:00

Weekly Workouts
Monday ~ RI30 Level 2 (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Ran 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Ran 1 mile on TM (Check!) RI30 L2 this evening
Wednesday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, 10 min Elliptical
Friday ~ RI30 Level 3
Saturday ~ Linked By Pink 5K, RI30 L3
Sunday ~ Rest

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I'm excited for my 5K on Saturday. It's my first 5K race in 4 months! Crazy! I'm also excited about it because it's at a new location. I'm afraid it's going to be hilly...we'll see! I think it's going to be a little smaller. It's not held by our local running club so it might not be as competitive. Look for my race report next Monday!

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I think I'm getting burned out with my Rep Reebok class. I love strength training and lifting weights. I feel stronger and can see results. It's just that I am sick of the routine. 8 weeks is a long time to do the same routine and the same moves. I'm ready for a new routine, but I think we still have 3 weeks! I might have to drop it to once a week.

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I'm loving Ripped In 30. I'm currently in Level 2. I like it a lot. I just have one more day of Level 2 (tonight). Then it's on to Level 3 on Friday. I highly recommend Ripped In 30 if you're looking for a new video to try. It's a great all over workout and I love the 3-2-1 Strength-Cardio-Abs circuits.

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And now I will leave you with pictures from my super fun date night with the Hubz last Friday.

One bar was packed and we couldn't find a seat. Sad face, thumbs down.

Chatting with a lady in a window.

Yum...Chocolate Covered Strawberry!

Fabulous night!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T13:36:00.000-04:00

This Week's Workouts ~ RI30

2011-03-28T17:00:00.003-04:00

It's the start of a new week already!

Here is my workout plan for the week.

Monday: Circuit Workout (morning ~ check!), Jillian Michaels' Ripped In 30 Level 1 (evening ~ check!)
Tuesday: Run 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile on TM (morning ~ check!), RI30 L1 (evening)
Wednesday: Run 1 mile on TM, Boot Camp
Thursday: Run 1 mile on TM, Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile on TM
Friday: RI30 L2
Saturday: RI30 L2, 6 Week 6 Pack L2
Sunday: Rest OR RI30 L2

First off, I finally was able to do the circuit workout yesterday morning. It was a pretty good workout. I liked doing the strength and then running for 3 minutes. I had to run 6 times for 3 minutes each at certain speeds and it came to be 2.08 miles.

You may have noticed that I am doing a new workout video of Jillian Michaels. I got her newest workout called Ripped In 30.

It's a lot like the 30 Day Shred and I love that. So I knew I'd love this. My friend got this and is almost done with the 30 days and she is doing awesome!

The video contains 4 levels of workouts. You are supposed to do each level for 1 week and it lasts 4 weeks. Each level uses a 3-2-1 interval system. You do 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, and 1 minute abs and the 3-2-1 system is repeated 3 times in each level.

It is a great workout. It goes pretty fast. The 30 minutes are over before you know it. I love doing strength, cardio, and abs all in one workout.

I decided that I am going to do each level for 4 days in a week and then move to the next level. My friend did it 6 days a week. But I didn't want to miss my morning classes at the gym so I am working the video in with my other workouts. I work out at home Friday through Sunday so on those 3 days I will do this video along with another JM video. Then I will do the video Tuesday night. If I take Sunday as a rest day, then I'll do the video Monday night...like I am doing this week.

So if you see me talking about RI30 (Ripped In 30), that is what it's all about. Once I complete the month of doing RI30, then I will just incorporate the RI30 workouts with my other JM videos (6 Week 6 Pack, Shred It with Weights, Burn Fat Boost Metabolism, No More Trouble Zones, 30 Day Shred). Yes, I am a huge Jillian fan...she is awesome and knows what she is talking about. If you don't like her, then you can always mute the tv. :)

Have a great week!

This Week's Workouts

2011-03-21T13:36:00.000-04:00

Monday ~ X-Bike, Ran 1 mile on TM, Abs (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 2 miles on TM
Wednesday ~ Run 1 mile on TM, Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 2 miles on TM
Friday ~ Burn Fat Boost Metabolism
Saturday ~ Burn Fat Boost Metabolism, 6 Week 6 Pack L2
Sunday ~ Off

So this morning my plan was to try that circuit workout I mentioned last week. I get to the gym and for the first time in months, the boot camp instructor had class in the workout room instead of the gym. Really? We have had boot camp up in the gym for months and months and of course today she decided to have it in the room. So no cicuit workout for me today. Instead I took X-bike, ran, and then did abs. I might skip boot camp on Wednesday to do my circuit workout, but if not I will try again next Monday.

Have a great week!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

I hope you're having a fun St. Patty's Day! I am stuck working, but I'm still trying to celebrate. I'm in my green tie dye shirt with my shamrock socks. I also made a yummy, green St. Patty's Day dessert for my coworkers. It was a huge hit!

This morning I had a great workout. I ran 1 mile on the treadmill, then took Rep Reebok, and then ran 2 more miles on the treadmill. I was festive at the gym too and wore my Lady Luck shirt with my Shamrock BIC Band.

Maybe next year I'll go out cause it's on a Saturday!

St. Patty's Day 2010

Green Beer!

My Sweet St. Patty's Day Slippers

Hubby and I at St. Patty's Party

~Thanks for all of your advice on the Half Training plans!~

Presque Isle Half Marathon

2011-03-16T11:52:00.000-04:00

I did it! I registered for my first Half Marathon! I have been bit by the Half Marathon bug! So on July 17, I will be running my first Half! I am excited, nervous, and can't wait!

So now I ask you for training advice. Please let me know of any training plans that you are using or have used that worked for you. How many weeks should you train for a Half? I would really like to keep my training to just 3 runs per week. So advice please!!

This Week's Workouts

2011-03-15T09:33:00.000-04:00

Thank you guys so much for the awesome comments regarding my race. You rock!

Ok, now on to my workouts for this week.

Monday ~ Burn Fat Boost Metabolism (Jillian) and 8 Minute Abs (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok and Ran 2 miles on TM (Check!)
Wednesday ~ Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 2 miles on TM
Friday ~ BL Cardio Max
Saturday ~ Burn Fat Boost Metabolism, 6 Week 6 Pack
Sunday ~ Rest

I had planned on trying a new circuit workout I saw online at the gym on Monday, but I set my alarm for 5 PM instead of 5 AM. Duh! I woke up at 5:45 wondering what was going on. So I slept a little longer and then did some videos at home. I am hoping I can try the new workout this coming Monday.

Have a great week!

Hubby and I heading to a St. Patty's Party

Leprechaun Leap 10K Race Report

2011-03-14T09:54:00.000-04:00

The Leprechaun Leap Distance Festival was a 5K, 2-mile judged walk, and a 10K. It's a distance festival because you can run both the 5K and 10K if you want. I chose to run the 10K. Maybe next year I will be crazy and run both.

I got up and got in my festive St. Patty's race gear.

I ate a Clif bar and drank a huge glass of water and then headed down to the race.

Pre-race car pic!

I was going alone, so I didn't have to pick anyone up and I wasn't meeting anyone down there. I did hang out with runners I've met along the way.

I didn't know how the roads would be for the race. I brought my Yak Traks just in case. As I was driving to park, the roads looked clear. But then I saw certain areas that looked icy and snowy. I parked and then headed to pick up my shirt and bib. The 5K was supposed to start at 9. I got there a little before then so I would be parked before runners were on the roads. As I was walking to the race area I heard that the 5K was delayed 10 minutes because so many runners were still in line getting their bibs. I thought that was cool because then I'd get to see the 5K start.

5K Start

After I watched the 5K start, I headed inside to get my shirt and bib. Then I headed back to my car to drop off my shirt and coat, and to get my gloves and gear for the race. I still didn't know if I should wear my Yak Traks or not. So I decided just to put them on.

5K Racers Across the Pond

Ready to Race!

I headed back to the race area and made it just in time to see the first 5K runner cross the finish line. I then went back inside to warm up by the fire. I just hung out and waited for the 5K to end and the 10K to start. I found some friends that ran the 5K and asked them about wearing Yak Traks. They didn't for the 5K and said the wished the would. They said they were gonna wear them for the 10K. So I was glad I had mine. But then right before the 10K start they said they changed their minds. They said I shouldn't wear mine because most of the roads were clear. So my friend let me throw mine in her car. Right after that we saw the 10K racers were lined up. So we ran to the start. But then we found out we had to move way back to where the real start was. So we moved back and had to wait maybe 10 minutes. I was cold. It definitely was colder than when the 5K started. The sky was darker too and it got windy. I was just ready to go. I was pretty excited and pumped up.

Finally we got the GO! I felt awesome and pretty fast. I actually started the race with a girl in my running group. She is pretty fast. I just told her I was going to try to keep up with her and for her just to run and not to worry about me. She had already ran the 5K so she was worried how her legs would feel. We started off good and weaved around a bunch of people. I was keeping up with her really well and just felt great. Between miles 1 and 2 it rained. I was afraid it would rain the rest of the race, but thankfully it didn't.

At around mile 3 my friend said that I will be the one leaving her. Her legs were tired. At mile 4 she told me just to go ahead, but I said not yet. I didn't want to take off and then run out of steam. At this point in the race, the sun came out! We had every type of weather for this race. :) At around mile 5, I did take off. I really pushed myself this race. I wanted to PR. My first 10K was the Turkey Trot and I did that in 56:19. So I was really hoping to PR for this race.

I was finally coming to the finish and I started sprinting, but we came to this icy area and I had to slow a bit so I wouldn't wipe out. Once I crossed that I sprinted so fast. There were people behind me and they were not going to pass me! And, they didn't! My friends were cheering me in.

I finished in 54:25...a new 10K PR!!

I felt awesome and had a really great race!

I went inside to grab some water and after race food. I got a couple granola bars. Then I was in the awards area and saw the awards were medals! So cute! I said "I want one!" Some guy said I could have his, but I said that I wanted to earn mine.

The results were being posted, but I wasn't on the list yet. So I just hung out waiting. Finally they brought in the results for the age groups. I was NOT expecting to place in my age group for a 10K. Not at all. I just wanted to PR. So when I checked the results and saw that I took 2nd in my age group, I just couldn't believe it! I EARNED a medal!

I ended up finishing 98th out of 222. And I was 2nd out of 14 in my age group! And the 3rd place finisher was 2 minutes behind me! I was super pumped for the rest of the day!

Me and my Medal!!

2nd in Age Group!

So I had an awesome race and I'm excited for more races to come! Maybe next year I will do the 5K and the 10K...we'll see!

Triple T

2011-03-10T10:51:00.001-05:00

1. I am so sore! I was finally able to take Rep Reebok this week after being sick last week. They started the new routine last week. It is hard! My shoulders are always screaming at the end. It's nice that things are differnent this time. Different moves. Different counts. I see results and I feel a lot stronger. I really love this class.

2. I've actually been running this week! I ran 3.2 Monday, 3.1 Tuesday, 1 yesterday, and 1 today. Wow...8.3 miles in 4 days! :) It's all been on the treadmill. I can't wait to get outside and start running again. I just get so bored on the treadmill and just watch the time and distance pass.

3. My race is on Saturday. I am kind of wishing I signed up for the 5K instead of the 10K. Today I was going to run 2 miles after class, but my legs were so tired that I just did 1 mile. The whole mile I thought about the race and hoping my legs don't feel like that then. My last race was 5 miles, so I know I'll be ok, but 3.1 miles is shorter than 6.2. :) But if I'd switch to the 5K then I would have to run fast. With the 10K I can start out slower and get faster as I go. I think it's just my pre-race nerves setting in a bit. I know I'll have fun. It should be fun to see if other people are dressed up festive for this race.

It's almost Friday!

This Week's Workouts

2011-03-07T12:26:00.001-05:00

I am back! I finally felt better and back to normal on Friday. I worked out Saturday and Sunday and was so happy. I missed it!

So here is my plan for this week.

Monday ~ Ran 3.2 miles on TM, Abs, Arms (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok, Run at least 3 miles on TM
Wednesday ~ Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1-1.5 miles on TM
Friday ~ Light Cardio
Saturday ~ Leprechaun Leap 10K
Sunday ~ REST!

So this morning I planned on taking X-Bike and then running on the treadmill. But my car doors had other plans. It was so cold this morning that my doors wouldn't close after I opened them! I usually don't open the passenger door, but I had a lot of stuff to load. I didn't want to wake my kids and the neighborhood at 5:15 in the morning so I just left hoping that the car would heat up and they'd close. I was ok driving straight, but turning was another story. I was steering and trying to hold the doors closed. Fun times! I made it to the gym with 5 minutes to spare. I tried blowing on the doors but that didn't work. I had to get to class so I just went in. Here I find out that the boot camp instructor didn't show so all those people went to X-Bike instead and all the bikes were taken. So no X-Bike. Instead I filled my water bottle with super hot water and went back out to my car. Dumping the hot water on the doors did the trick and they finally closed! Now I didn't have to worry about that. So then I went back in and ran 3.2 miles on the treadmill. It was a tough run. I got a bad cramp and had to walk for half a minute. But I finished! I'm running another 3 tomorrow too. I have to get ready for my 10K on Saturday. After my run, I did some abs, planks, and arms. So I ended up having a good workout and it was nice to do something on my own rather than in a class. But I can't wait to get back to Rep Reebok tomorrow!

I'm excited for my race on Saturday! The weather says rain...but I'm hoping it holds off.

Down for the Count

2011-03-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

I can't put up this week's workouts because I haven't worked out since Saturday! I have been sick. It started Sunday at 5 am and hasn't let up. There is no way I can workout, so I'm just letting my body rest and get better. I haven't taken this many days off in a long time. I can't wait to get back into it and hoping that I'll be ready tomorrow. So if I can workout tomorrow, the rest of my week will look like this:

Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1 mile on TM
Friday ~ BL Cardio Max
Saturday ~ JM's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism, 6 Week 6 Pack L1
Sunday ~ JM's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism, 6 Week 6 Pack L2

Let's hope I am better so I can get back into things.

Oh, and because I'm sick I missed the first Rep Reebok class with the new routine. I heard it was hard. I can't wait and hope I can try it tomorrow!

So that's the deal with me. Down for the count.

I'll leave you with a few pictures from the fun times we had before I got sick.

The Fam at Chuck E Cheese

Out for our Friend's Birthday

Celebrating my Father-in-Law's Birthday

Princess S

This Week's Workouts

2011-02-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

Hello! I totally forgot to post my workouts for this week. So here they are!

Monday: Biggest Loser Cardio Max
Tuesday: Rep Reebok, Ran 1 mile on TM in 8:13
Wednesday: Boot Camp
Thursday: Rep Reebok, Ran 1 mile on TM in 8:30
Friday: JM's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism
Saturday: JM's Shred It with Weights Level 1, JM's 6 Week 6 Pack Level 2
Sunday: REST!!

Everything has been going well. I've been getting all my workouts in. I am still loving my Rep Reebok class. We just finished our first cycle today. You do the same workout each class for 6 weeks (12 classes), then you switch. So on Tuesday we'll be doing a new routine and I can't wait to see what it is. The instructor said that this cycle was focused on strength and the next cycle is focused on endurance. So we'll be doing more reps. I can totally see/feel a differnence since I've started this class. I feel a lot more toned and a lot stronger.

In my boot camp class we've been having plank competitions. Last week I held my plank for 3.5 minutes. So this week I wanted to hold it for 4 minutes and I did! There have only been 2 people to hold it longer than me. I'm glad I didn't hold it super long the first time. Now I can improve and beat my old time each week. I can REALLY feel it today in my lower ab area. Planks are awesome!

We have fun plans this weekend and starting tonight. We are taking the kids to Chuck E Cheese. We tried to go Saturday, but that was a joke! There was a line out the door to get in. So we left and are going tonight instead. The kids love it there. Tomorrow we are going out for a friends birthday (Hey M!). We got a sitter so that will be fun. And Saturday is my father-in-law's birthday, so we are celebrating that. So lots of fun ahead.

I'm really looking forward to my next race. It's just 2 weeks from Saturday. It's a 10K so I'm hoping to beat my Turkey Trot time. If there is still snow and ice, then that may not happen. So hopefully the roads will be clear and the snow and ice will be gone!

Till next time!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

Valentine Predition Race Report

2011-02-14T11:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I ran in the Valentine Prediction Race. The premise of this race is that you predict your pace per mile. Then the person with the actual pace per mile closest to their predicted pace per mile wins a prize. We knew that the race distance would be between 4 and 6 miles. We were not supposed to wear watches or timing devices. We would know the distance of the race after we cross the finish line.

I got up and got ready for the race. I decided to wear my Nuu-muu dress that I won ages ago from Stacy. I thought my outfit was cute and that I was festive for the Valentine race. A lot of women said they liked my outfit.

Ready to head out!

Pre-race car pic

I picked up E and we headed down to Presque Isle. It was actually pretty nice out. It was about 35 degrees, which was warm for us. It's been in the single digits for weeks now.

I went into this race just to have fun. I haven't ran outside or a longer distance in a long time.

Almost race time!

Me and E ready to run.

So the race started and we started out pretty slow. Well, I guess slow for me. It was funny because I said to E that I didn't feel like I was in a race. I stuck with E for about a mile or so. I didn't want to go out too fast. A lot of people passed us at first. I couldn't hear anyone behind us and I said it felt like we were last. I started picking it up. I knew I was going way slower than my predicted 9-minute miles. I don't know what I was thinking when I chose that time. :) So I left Erica and slowly got faster. There weren't any mile markers which kind of stunk. We had no clue what mile we were on. But I'm used to racing on Presque Isle, so I had a feeling about where I was mile wise. I caught up to one guy and he started chatting with me. So I ran with him for a few minutes. Then his shoe came untied and had to stop. So I picked it up again. I was picking people off left and right. That part was fun! It was cool starting off slower and then increasing my speed. I saw friends ahead and knew I wanted to catch up with them. Eventually I did. And I passed them. I'd see someone else and pass them. Fun! It didn't matter in this race though because you could finish last and still win. But I still knew that I was passing these people. I felt pretty good. My nose was a running machine the first half. I'm getting over a cold, so that part wasn't fun. Good thing I had gloves on. :) Then for the middle half of the race I had a side cramp, but I pushed through it. I knew I was getting close to the end and I really picked it up. There was a girl a little ways ahead of me and I wanted to pass her. So I kept getting closer and closer. We rounded the corner to where I knew the finish was and I booked it! I ran so fast! That girl probably had no idea I was coming. No one was behind us so everyone was cheering. I passed her! I have to say that this race was my best finish yet. I finished fast and strong. After crossing the finish I found out that the distance was 5.06 miles. My time was 49:01 and my actual pace per mile was 9:41. So I was 41 seconds off! Oh well! I finished 32nd out of 91! Not too shabby! Of course in this race it doesn't count when you finish, but I don't care! I would have been first in my age group too! Once the times were all figured out I was like 67th or something. :)

It was a super fun race and I'm glad the weather cooperated. I am really looking forward to my next race where I can wear my Garmin and try to place. Less than a month!

This Week's Workouts

2011-02-14T08:26:00.000-05:00

Monday ~ REST!
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.6 miles on TM
Wednesday ~ Boot Camp, 6 Week 6 Pack L1
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.6 miles on TM
Friday ~ Biggest Loser Cardio Max
Saturday ~ Shred It with Weights L1, 6 Week 6 Pack L1
Sunday ~ Shred It with Weights L2, 6 Week 6 Pack L2

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Valentine Prediction Race Report to come later today! I am a little sore from the race which is why I decided to sleep in and take today as my rest day. My legs will thank me. :)

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Weekly Workouts

2011-02-07T12:00:00.002-05:00

Monday ~ Boot Camp (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.6 miles on TM
Wednesday ~ Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.6 miles on TM, Run 5K on TM later in the evening
Friday ~ JM video
Saturday ~ Rest
Sunday ~ Valentine Prediction Race!!

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I got a kettlebell over the weekend! I tried it out with Jillian's Shred It with Weights and it was an AWESOME workout! I highly recommend it. It's so fun incorporating different workouts into the mix.

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Sunday is the Valentine Prediction race! I am excited! It's been over 2 months since my last race. I am going to run a 5K on the treadmill Thursday evening just to get a longer run in. Funny that 3.1 miles is a long run for me right now. But I haven't ran far in awhile. I get about 1.6 miles in every couple days after class, but I definitely want to get in at least a practice 5K. The race will be between 4 and 6 miles and we won't know the distance until we finish. We are not allowed to wear any watches. I prediced my pace per mile to be 9 minutes. We'll see how close I get.

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So did any of you try a Green Monster? Aren't they yummy? I bought more spinach and bananas this weekend. I am so hooked! I also got some oj and it's really yummy with a splash of that. My boys even love it!

Green Monster Smoothie

2011-02-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

I have been reading about the Green Monster smoothie for months on various blogs. I always wanted to make one, I just never had all the ingredients. But this past weekend, I finally had the spinach to make the Green Monster!

My first attempt I followed a recipe I've seen everywhere. This recipe called for 1 cup of milk. I made the smoothie and it was ok. I actually liked it less and less as I drank it and never finished it. The next day I bought some frozen strawberries. I made another Green Monster but added the strawberries. Much better! I asked Hubby if he wanted one and he said he didn't like smoothies made with milk. Later I was thinking of that and I never make smoothies with milk. I usually use juice of some kind. So the next day I tried the Green Monster again, but replaced the milk with 1 cup cold water and a splash of apple juice. It was so good! I too like smoothies without milk. I finally got it right to my liking.

So I wanted to share my way of making the Green Monster.

Green Monster Smoothie (Rae's Version)

1 huge handful spinach

half frozen banana

3/4 to 1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup cold water

splash of apple juice

Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend away! It's best to put the spinach in first because the frozen fruit will help weigh it down so it blends up nice. It took me 4 tries to figure this out. Duh!

Yummy ingredients ready to go in the blender.

My Green Monster Smoothie

It's really, really good. You can't even taste the spinach.

About to enjoy my Green Monster.

I recommend just playing around with the recipe until you get it the way you like it. I'd actually prefer to use orange juice over the apple juice, but I don't have any. Here are some other add-ins I've seen people use: protein powder, uncooked rolled oats, different kinds of berries, peanut butter, almond milk, etc. You can also use a whole banana if you like...I just want to make my banana supply last longer. Just have fun with it! It's an excellent way to get in some fruit and veggies. I am now hooked!

Weekly Workouts

2011-01-31T15:13:00.000-05:00

Monday ~ X-Bike Class, Ran 1 mile on treadmill, 15 minute ab class (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.6 miles
Wednesday ~ Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.6 miles
Friday ~ Burn Fat Boost Metabolism
Saturday ~ Off
Sunday ~ Burn Fat Boost Metabolism & 6 Week 6 Pack

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I completed all my workouts last week. Go me! I am really loving my Rep Reebok class. After only 4 classes, I feel that I can notice a difference. My arms seem to be getting more toned. I am happy about that.

My first race in 2011 is less than 2 weeks away! I'm excited, but of course nervous because I haven't really ran a longer distance in awhile. But I know I'll be able to get it done! I also registered for my 2nd race of 2011 this morning. The Lepruchaun Leap. I decided to go with the 10K. There was also a 5K option. But there aren't any 10Ks offered for awhile, so I figured I should do it.

Happy Last Day of January!

TTT

2011-01-27T14:15:00.000-05:00

1. I realized that I can push myself harder on the treadmill than I was. So each time I run, I try to end my run faster than before. Today my max speed was 9.0! Now, I only did it for about 15 seconds, but I did it! It's funny cause a couple weeks ago my max was 8.0 and now I can do that speed longer. I've been getting in about 1.6 miles after my Rep Reebox classes. Not too far, but at least I'm running. I can't wait until it gets a tad warmer so I can head back out with the running group. Oh, and my first race of 2011 is just 2 weeks from Sunday!

2. I fell down the stairs last night...while holding J. Not fun. Thankfully we are all ok. R was coming down the stairs too and he sat right in the middle to go down. J wanted picked up, so I picked him up and went to the right of R on the stairs to head down. My sweats were too long and my foot slipped. My feet came out from under me and down we went. I couldn't catch or stop myself cause I had J in my left arm the whole time. And when we initially fell I think my arm and J hit R. I landed on my left butt and elbow and then slid down the rest of the way super fast and hit the same spot on each step. Thankfully we only have like 8 steps. Once to the bottom I just laid there cause it hurt! R and J were both crying. Thankfully R didn't fall too when we did. I think he was just scared. And J's foot was red cause it was behind me cause I was holding him. But we all calmed down and the boys were running around after a couple minutes. I am ok, I just have a bruised butt and elbow. It was super scary though!

3. The Hubby and I got to go out last Saturday for a friend's birthday. We had fun. :)

Me and Hubby

I got to drink beer out of a golf ball glass!

Weekly Workouts

2011-01-24T14:11:00.000-05:00

Monday ~ X-Bike Class, Ran 1.6 miles on treadmill (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.5 miles
Wednesday ~ Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.5 miles
Friday ~ JM's Burn Fat Boost Metabolsim
Saturday ~ JM Workout
Sunday ~ Rest

I completed all of last weeks workouts. So I did another 6 days of workouts. Go me! I am finally not sore anymore from Rep Reebok. It was nice to have a few days off from that. But I'm sure I'll be sore again after tomorrow's class.

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On Friday I registered for my first race of 2011! It's on Sunday, February 13. It's the Valentine Prediction race. What you do is predict what your pace per mile will be. Then who ever is closest to their predicted time, wins a prize. The kicker is that we don't know the distance of the race until we cross the finish line. All we know is that it is between 4 and 6 miles. Last year, it was 4.6 miles. So I'm guessing it'll be longer this year. It's gonna be fun! I'm excited to kick off my racing in 2011!

Weekly Workouts

2011-01-18T09:10:00.000-05:00

Monday ~ X-Bike, Ran 0.75 miles on TM, Abs (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rep Reebok, Ran 1.35 miles on TM (Check!)
Wednesday ~ Boot Camp
Thursday ~ Rep Reebok, Run 1.5 miles on TM
Friday ~ JM's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism
Saturday ~ JM video
Sunday ~ Rest

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So this week is the first week of my new workout schedule at the gym. So far so good! I took Rep Reebok this morning for the first time. Some of you may know this class as Body Pump. It's an all weights class and you do the same routine for 6 weeks and then it changes. The instructor said class will be about 50 minutes, a little shorter than my other classes. With it being all weights, I definitely want to get in some cardio after class. With class ending earlier, I have plenty of time for this. So my plan is to take the class and then run at least 1.5 miles on the treadmill. That's what I did today and it worked out great.

We did a lot of upper body stuff. We did some lower body, but I do a ton of that in Boot Camp anyway. But we did so much upper body that my arms were shaking uncontrollably! It was hilarious! Towards the end we did dead lifts, and just holding the barbell made my arms shake! So I know I will be super sore tomorrow. I can't wait! I love being sore. But now I take Boot Camp tomorrow, so that might be harder now that I'll be sore.

I'm really interested to see if I will notice a change in my body with this class. I'm really hoping to tone up more and see more definition.

Hard Work Pays Off

2011-01-14T12:31:00.000-05:00

The changes that I have made at the start of the new year are paying off! I said I was going to up my workouts from 4 times a week to at least 5 times and that I was going to cut out junk and snacking. I've been doing really well with both. I've actually been working out 6 days a week with 1 day of rest. I haven't been eating junk like I was in November and December. If I really need a snack, I try to do something healthy. It's so nice to see results when you work so hard. I'm hoping to keep this up. I have help on the eating front cause Hubby is on a weight loss mission. So he has been making healthier dinners for us.

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There have been some rumblings at the gym that morning class might be changing. On Thursday we found out they are. Monday and Wednesday will be Boot Camp and Tuesday and Thursday will be Rep Reebok. They also added a morning class on Friday called the Warrior Within and it's kickboxing and yoga. I am ok with the changes, except that they got rid of my Tuesday Kickboxing class. I loved that class and the instructor. I'm excited to try Rep Reebok. I guess it's all weights. I don't know about the Friday class because I am not a yoga fan. But, I might try it just to see. I'm a little bummed that Boot Camp is Monday and Wednesday because that is when the running group meets. So, I am going to have to figure out what classes I am going to take. When the weather gets nicer I might do running on Mondays, Rep Reebok on Tuesdays, Boot Camp on Wednesdays, X-Bike and TM on Thursdays, and then running or a dvd at home on Fridays. That way I can still take 1 Boot Camp class, still run, still take an X-Bike Class, and still do the Rep Reebok. We'll see!

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GO SEAHAWKS!!! I think you know what we'll be doing on Sunday!

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Have a fabulous weekend!

Sweet Signs

2011-01-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

Megan from BuildASign.com contacted me a couple months ago asking if I'd like to design some things. Of course I jumped at the opportunity!

It was a lot of fun thinking up ideas of what I would like to make. The site is really easy to use and has tons of different things you can design.

I ended up designing a window-cling, a bumper sticker, and the most awesome sign for my family to hold at my races!

5K Rae Window Cling

Bumper Sticker Design with my Motto

Super Sweet Sign for the Family to Hold During Races

Miss S practicing cheering on Mommy!

I loved everything! I am really loving the sign. It's great quality. There are tons of ways to make signs (size, material) so if you like the looks of mine, I can let you know what I used.

Megan was super nice and sent me extra Push It! bumper stickers. I have 15 that I can giveaway. So, if you'd like one, just let me know in the comments. If I get over 15 people, then I will randomly select 15 of you to get a cool Push It! bumper sticker.

Check out BuildASign.com if you'd like to create your own bumper sticker or signs or anything else you think up!

Featured Goal Getter!

2011-01-12T13:57:00.000-05:00

I have been featured on Trainer Momma in her new Goal Getter feature!

I'm so excited to be able to share my story of how I became a runner.

Check it out!

BIC Band Winners!

2011-01-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

After sorting through the comments and entries, there were 148 entries in my BIC Bands Giveaway!

And, the winners are....

Random.org chose entry 124...Paula from Running Mom of 5 and entry 148...Thirteen Point One Miles!

Congratulations Paula and Thirteen Point One Miles! Please email me with your name, address, and the BIC Band you'd like and Sandy will get it out to you!

Thank you to everyone that entered!

Weekly Workouts

2011-01-10T13:31:00.000-05:00

So, I have to report that I did do Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack on Friday! And I did Jillian Michaels Burn Fat Boost Metablism on Sunday! I was a machine!

For those wondering, 6 Week 6 Pack is awesome! It's about 35 minutes long. It includes a warm-up, the workout, and a cool down. For the workout, you go through each move. The warm-up and first part of the workout take about 17 minutes. Then, you repeat the workout part. Does that make sense? So if you don't have over a half hour, you could do the warm-up, the first workout part, and then the cool down. It includes standing abs, floor work, and cardio mixed in. It is really great and you'll be sweating when you're done.

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Weekly Workout ~ 1/10-1/16
Monday ~ X-Bike, Ran 1 Mile on TM, Abs (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Kickboxing
Wednesday ~ X-Bike & Run on TM OR Strength and Abs Class
Thursday ~ Boot Camp
Friday ~ 6 Week 6 Pack
Saturday ~ Jillian DVD
Sunday ~ OFF

I heard from someone at the gym today that a new class is starting Wednesday mornings called Strength and Abs. I'm not sure when it will start up, but if it's this Wednesday, I'm definitely doing it to check it out.

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I am really happy with my last week. I reached my goal of working out at least 5 days a week and I was really good with my eating. I am on the right track again!

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I'd also like to say......GO SEAHAWKS!!!! What.A.Game! It was such a good game! We had a blast watching it!

Hubby cheering after TD #1

My Sweet Seahawks Socks

The Kiddos Cheering Go Seahawks!

Seahawks Win!

We can't wait till next week!

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Don't forget to enter my BIC Bands giveaway! Guys can enter too! Get one for your wife, girlfriend, daughter, sister, or friend!

I ran.

2011-01-05T19:55:00.000-05:00

I ran this morning. Outside. In about an inch of fluffy snow. 4.6 miles. It was awesome!

It felt so great to get out there and run again. I really have missed it. It was tough at times since I haven't ran that far in over a month. But I did it!

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Weekly Workout Schedule

Monday ~ X-Bike, Ran 0.6 Mile, Abs (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Kickeboxing, Abs (Check!)
Wednesday ~ Ran 4.6 Miles (Check!)
Thursday ~ Boot Camp
Friday ~ Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack
Saturday ~ Rest
Sunday ~ Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack

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Check out my BIC Bands Giveaway!!

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BIC Bands Giveaway!

2011-01-05T09:38:00.002-05:00

Sandy, the awesome creator of BIC Bands and the author of A Mom On The Run has offered to let me host a BIC Bands giveaway!

BIC Bands ~ Because I Can Bands ~ We run because we can...for those who can't, so that one day they will!

Sandy is so great because she donates $1 from the sale of each BIC Band to a new charity each month! This month, BIC Bands is excited to be raising funds for Back on my Feet and Just as I am ~ Downs Syndrome Awareness Association.

Sandy sent me two BIC Bands to try out and review. She makes thick, thin, and skinny bands. And there are so many colors and designs to choose from. I got to try a thick band and a thin band. Here are the ones I chose.

Aren't they awesome!?

The Review

Once I let Sandy know which BIC Bands I'd like to try, she shipped them right away and I got them really quick. I love that!

As soon as I took them out of the package I could tell that they were of great quality.

I have worn these BIC Bands for every workout since I received them. They DO NOT MOVE. They stayed in place while I ran, took X-Bike class, did Kickboxing, and taken Boot Camp. I have done floor work and lots of jumping and they have never moved or even needed adjusted. They are seriously awesome.

I've received many compliments on them while wearing them at the gym and while out running errands.

I highly recommend them and will definitely be buying more.

Sandy told me that some people prefer the thick band and others will prefer the thin. I love both sizes, but the thin one is my first thin band in this style and I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to get more!

When I got my BIC bands and opened them, Miss S really wanted to try one on. So here she is modeling the thin BIC Band.

Here is what they look like on me.

The Giveaway!

Sandy has offered two BIC Bands to giveaway! So, that means two of you will win an awesome BIC Band of your choice! Guys, you can enter too! These would be a great gift for a girlfriend, wife, daughter, sister, mom, or friend!

Here's how to enter. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

~ Mandatory Entry: Go to the Bic Bands esty site or Facebook page and tell me which BIC Band you will choose if you win.

~ Be a follower of 5K Rae.

~ Like BIC Bands on Facebook.

~ Make a BIC Band purchase and get 5 extra entries.

~ Spread the word by posting this giveaway on your blog.

Enter now through Tuesday, January 11. A winner will be chosen by random.org. I will announce the winner on Wednesday, January 12!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

I had a fabulous 10-day holiday vacation (time off from work) with my family. We had a great and fun Christmas. And we just enjoyed spending time with each other, family, and friends. I hope you all had a great Christmas and are having a wonderful New Year!

Now, it's back to the old grind! While off, I didn't read one blog. So again, I am behind in my blog reading. But I can't wait to find out how my favorite bloggers are doing!

Now that it's the new year, I am kicking my fitness and healthier eating back up a notch. I used to workout at least 5 days a week in the summer and fall, but since winter hit, I've only been doing 4 days. So, I want to do at least 5 days again. That will mean doing a workout video at home on the weekend. Which I do love doing and miss doing.

I haven't been running really at all since the snow hit. I will do the treadmill at least once a week, but I really don't like it too much. It just seems to drag on and all I do is stare at the clock. But I'm really hoping tomorrow is nice so I can run with the running group. Currently there is no snow on the ground, so if it stays like that tomorrow morning...I will be running!

I'm also cutting the junk and sweets out. I used to be really good about it. But since Halloween I have been horrible. And especially with the holidays I've been eating treats like it's my job! So no more! For awhile at least. :)

Oh, and I got a couple running related Christmas gifts! I got a Marathon book from Hubby! He also got me a subscription to Women's Running magazine! And I got a running skirt from my Mom! I can't wait to try it out!

Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.

The Family at Olive Garden

Santa came to our Christmas Eve celebration!

Hubby and Me on Christmas

S and Me on Christmas

The Fam on New Year's Eve

J and Me on New Year's Eve

R and Me on New Year's Eve

Me and S on New Year's Eve

Hubby, Me, and our tired boys on New Year's Eve

I can't wait to get back to blogging more regularly. I am planning on doing my weekly workout schedules again. And keep your eye out for another giveaway coming in a couple days!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Peace. Love. Joy.

A time for loving, a time for sharing, a time for giving.

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

The Goose is Getting Fat!

2010-12-23T08:54:00.000-05:00

Growing up we would listen to the John Denver and The Muppets Christmas record...yes, record! I loved it! Once I grew up, I bought myself the CD and I still listen to it during the holidays. The songs are so fun with all the muppets singing along with John Denver. It's really great for kids....and adults!

One of the fun songs on it is Christmas Is Coming. Miss Piggy leads the song and has the other muppets join in and sing it in round.

Christmas is coming,

The goose is getting fat,

Please put a penny

In the old man's hat.

If you haven't got a penny,

A ha'penny will do,

If you haven't got a ha'penny,

Then God bless you.

Fun memories! We always play it when we open gifts Christmas morning. Have you ever listened to this CD? If so, what's your favorite song on it?

I am super excited for Christmas! After today, I have 10 days off from work! I can't wait! The fun festivities start this evening with a family turkey dinner at my in-law's. Then we go, go, go from there.

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas! Enjoy and cherish spending time with your loved ones! It's such a fun time of year!

Safe Holiday Training Giveaway Winner!

2010-12-22T08:14:00.000-05:00

After sorting through the comments and entries, there were 174 entries in my Safe Holiday Training Giveaway!

And, the winner is....

Random.org chose entry 30...Natalie from Lil Runner!

Congratulations Natalie! Please email me with your name and address and we'll get you your Road ID e-Card and GU!

Thank you to everyone that entered!

And thanks to Scott at Outside PR for letting me host this giveaway!

Happy Holidays!

Blogger Awesomeness

2010-12-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

You have to go read this post from Q. It is awesome!

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Last day to enter my giveaway! Winner will be announced tomorrow morning!

Giveaway Reminder

2010-12-20T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hey All! I just wanted to remind you of my Safe Holiday Training Giveaway of a Road ID and GU! Check it out if you haven't yet! You can enter through tomorrow. I will randomly select and announce the winner Wednesday morning!

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Friday was my work Christmas party. It was a lot of fun. The kids were at sitters overnight, so we really enjoyed ourselves. :)

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I really hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I am really excited for Christmas! My daughter is really into it this year, so it should be a lot of fun. And, the boys are old enough to unwrap presents. We are going to be super busy, but it is a lot of fun! Can't wait!

My Workout Classes

2010-12-16T11:44:00.001-05:00

Miss Janae over at The Hungry Runner Girl had a request that I share what my workout classes are like. So here you go Janae! Oh, and you have to check out her blog....she is funny, beautiful, shares pics of food, and is a very fast marathoner!

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I started taking classes at my local Y in February. I am now hooked! The first class I took is Boot Camp. I would go on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Then I started going to the Y Mondays and Wednesdays too. On those days I would take an X-Bike class and then run on the treadmill for a bit. And then yesterday I took a Step class for the first time. I really enjoy taking classes. I think working out with a group helps pushes you. If you are home alone doing a video (which I also love to do), you might have a greater chance of quitting.

Boot Camp

There are different instructors for my Tuesday and Thursday Boot Camp classes. Each instructor does things completely different. But I like it that way.

Tuesday
J used to do a lot with a step when I first started taking her class. But months ago she switched to doing more kick boxing. I don't mind because I love kick boxing. I used to take that class in the evenings before I had my kids. Once she started doing more kickboxing, a lot of people stopped taking the class because the wanted more Boot Camp. I just want a good workout, so I didn't care. So for awhile it was strictly kickboxing. J is a really awesome kickboxing instructor. She puts everything she has into her punches and kicks, that if you were standing in front of her, you'd be knocked out. She motivates me to give it my all. Lately though, the few of us there every Tuesday have mentioned trying other things. So now we do kickboxing along with more Boot Camp like moves. We've done things with medicine balls, big weight plates, and bar bell bars. The other day we did the side ab moves with the bar bell bars....I am still sore! My entire core was sore from this. It was awesome!

Thursday
K used to do Boot Camp in the workout room. She would do a Boot Camp class that involved leaving the room to run 15 laps on the track, running the stairs, running outside around the building. We would do strength and then do cardio bursts by doing the things I just mentioned. Now we do stations up in the gym. It.is.awesome! The class is packed on Thursdays. K will tell us what to do at each station. Then we pair up. We do about 9 stations for 1.5 minutes. Then we go through again for a shorter time. These are the stations we did today:

1. Run the stairs.
2. Run around the track.
3. Full situps
4. Jumping jacks
5. Sit against the wall (sitting without a chair) holding weighs out at shoulder height
6. Jump rope
7. Push ups or planks
8. Lunges
9. Suicide sprints

Today's workout was harder for me, but I think it's because I'm still sore from my other classes this week.

Each day the stations are a little different. It's fun cause you can chat with your partner. It's more laid back. But people work hard. This class has the most attendance.

Monday
K also does a Boot Camp class on Mondays. I go once in awhile. When I'm running outside, it's a running day.

On Mondays, she stays in the room and does what I mentioned above that she used to do. But lately she's been doing pyramids which is fun. You get 3 different sizes of weights. Then we do a move, say bicep curls, with the lightest weight for 15 reps, then the middle weight for 12 reps, then the heaviest weight for 10 reps, then the middle weight for 12 reps, and finally the lightest weight for 15 reps. Then we do a cardio burst (jumping jacks, speed skaters) and then we do planks. Then we start all over with a new strength move. I really liked that class a lot.

In the past she has also done 3 minutes of a strength move, then a 2-minute cardio burst, and then 1 minute of abs. That's also an awesome class.

So as you can see, the instructors really mix it up. It's great because you don't do the same thing each day. Also, we do about 10 minutes of abs at the end of each class.

X-Bike

X-Bike is really an awesome class. Here is what the X-Bike website has to say about it.

Riding an X-Biking™ Indoor Mountain Bike Experience class on the X-Bike™ is as fun as riding outdoors and it'll get you fit - crazy quick.
When you go X-Biking you won't just sit there turning your legs like a saccharine amped hamster on a Habitrail wheel. You'll be standing up to climb, pumping the handlebars from side-to-side and turning the pedals round. You'll be stomping over hills, twisting through single-track and coasting down hair-raising descents - all to the driving beats of music synchronized to an array of fun and challenging rides designed by Olympic mountain bike coaches, world champion cyclists and fitness professionals.
The interval based, 30-minute X-Biking rides will call on your entire body. Your upper-body musculature, legs, core abdominal and stabilizer structures, neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems are all activated delivering functional fitness benefits that exceed any group cycling program ever created.

This class is only 30 minutes long, but you get a fabulous workout in. I get super sweaty in this class. I've seen people come in to try it, and they leave only a few minutes in!

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So those are the workouts I do when I'm not running. I think I'll definitely add the step class in a little more because I'm not running outside with the running group right now...too freezing and snowy and icy. I think it's a great mix of workouts.

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What other workouts do you do besides running?

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Don't forget to enter my Safe Holiday Training Giveaway!!

Safe Holiday Training Guide and Giveaway!

2010-12-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

Because it's the holiday season, I figured I'd go over some things I do to stay safe while running during the holidays.

1. Wear your Road ID!

2. Wear reflective gear so drivers can see you...especially crazy drivers out to get a hot deal at the nearest store! Seriously beware of this...I was almost hit by a car while walking in the mall parking lot! I definitely should have had on reflective gear cause this woman didn't see me at all!

3. Bundle up if you are in cold weather!

4. Wear Yaktrax so you don't wipe out! Especially if you are going out to chase Santa and Rudolf!

5. Fuel yourself properly so you have enough energy to finish that holiday run!

I hope these safe holiday training tips help you this season!

To help you on your way to a safe holiday season, Scott from Outside PR is letting me host this awesome giveaway!

One lucky winner will win:

a Road ID Gift Certificate

and a mix of GU products!

Here's how to enter! Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

~ Be a follower of 5K Rae.

~ Enter the Road ID Holiday Giveaway. (5 extra entries per $5 donated. Comment to let me know.)

~ Like GU on Facebook.

~ Sign up for the GU blog RSS feed.

~ Tell me what you do to train safe during the holidays.

~ Spread the word by posting this giveaway on your blog. Leave me a comment.

Enter now through Tuesday, December 21. A winner will be chosen by random.org. I will announce the winner on Wednesday, December 22!

Happy Holidays!!

Snowflake 5K Race Report

2010-12-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

The weather for the Snowflake 5K was great! The sun was out. It wasn't windy, rainy, or snowy. I was happy! It was cold, but warmer than it's been. It was about 34 degrees.

I dressed festive for this race. It was fun! Check me out!

Here's my pre-race car pic.

On the way down to the peninsula, where most of the races in my city are, the roads were clear. We got a lot of snow that week, but it was a warmer day. I thought the roads that we'd race on would be clear too. My friend lent me her Yactracks. I brought them, but didn't think I'd need them. As soon as I hit the peninsula, the roads changed. They were not clear. They were icy and had some packed snow. My car slid when I braked. I got nervous. I knew I'd definitely be wearing the Yactracks.

I found a good parking spot and headed in to get my bib. I also met up with my friends S and K. K was there and was running her first 5K race! M was also there...he's our race photographer and does a fantastic job.

Here are K, me, and S.

I went back to my car and put on my running shoes and Yactracks. I forgot my racing gloves, but my friend E had an extra pair...red! They matched my outfit perfectly!

The ladies at the registration table called me the Ho Ho Ho Girl. It was funny!

It was time to line up.

Here I am running back to wish my girls good luck!

The start. We were off! It was snowy down there, but not nearly as much snow as inland. We are right on the lake.

There we go. I am to the left of the picture. The one in the red shirt and hat.

At first I was nervous about the conditions. But once I saw what the Yactracks can do. I was confident. I felt pretty good. I definitely wasn't running as fast as usual, but I was running pretty well for it being icy. I only saw one person fall, but he caught himself and popped right back up.

Coming up on the 1-mile mark.

I ran with my friend E. I wasn't planning on it, but he got in line with me. I just ran my pace and he stayed with me.

As we raced, M took pictures of the scenery.

Across the way is our city. The water is the bay.

This is the other side. This is our beach and Lake Erie.

It was fun racing. The volunteers were really nice and encouraging. I always thanked them. Once we were headed to the finish. I picked it up. Earlier there were two girls I wanted to catch and pass and I did. So that made me happy. But this girl passed me about half way through and I just couldn't catch her again. Later I found out she was NOT in my age group. Yay! She was in my sights the whole time. I did get close at the finish and was probably only seconds behind her. There was another girl too. I'll tell you about her in a sec.

Here I am coming to the finish. I'm not a fan of this pic. I look bad. Oh well!

Finishing! My official time was 27:15. So it was my slowest 5K race, but with the conditions I ran on, I'm happy with the time.

After I finished, I went and got some water. They had it in that building. I also got my girls some water too for when they finished.

I came back and waited with M to cheer in the girls.

Here we are! S, me, K, and E

We went inside and waited for the results.

I finished 64th out of 191. And I was 2nd in my age group! Only 12 seconds back from 1st. Ugh! And it was the girl I mentioned earlier. I missed 1st in my age group by only 12 seconds. I wish I could have caught her!

So I got another award for my shelf! Isn't S funny in the background? :) Thumbs up for Rae!

My sweet plaque!

So another fun and successful race in the books!

It was my last race of 2010. Since starting running in May by doing the Couch to 5K program, and since starting racing in July, I've done a race per month..July through December...five 5Ks and one 10K! I can't wait to see what's in store for 2011! I'm pretty sure I'm starting it off with the New Year's Day 5-miler!

Running Less

2010-12-08T15:12:00.000-05:00

Geez! I haven't been posting as much. There are a couple reasons, the first is that I haven't been running as much. Boo! And the second is that it's just a busy time of year with the holidays quickly approaching.

Since the Turkey Trot, I've ran two times. That's it. I took time off for Thanksgiving and Hubby was hunting, so I couldn't leave the house to workout. Then we've been hit with snow, so I haven't been running outside with my group. But last Wednesday and today I did do an interval run on the treadmill. So at least that's something!

I've been nervous about the whole running on snow/ice/slush that I really don't want to run outside. But, I will be running outside on Saturday for the Snowflake 5K! And it's a perfect name because we were hit hard with snow. We got so much snow Monday, that we had the weather channel guy broadcasting from here. It really was crazy how much snow we got. But the forcast is saying Saturday is supposed to be nice. As in about 35 degrees and not snowing or raining. So that's good. I'm just hoping the road is cleared pretty well. I am excited for this race because I haven't done a 5K race in two months. It will be smaller, so maybe I'll place. :)

I've still been taking my Boot Camp and X-Bike classes, so I'm not slacking everywhere. I just need to accept the fact that I won't be running as much during the winter, but really, that's probably true for a lot of people.

Here are a couple pics I got of the snow on Monday.

Hubby Snowblowing

Lots of Snow!

We decorated our tree Monday. S loved it and had a blast. Here she is with our tree.

Thursday Things

2010-12-02T16:09:00.001-05:00

1. I feel so behind in my blog reading. I haven't read any of your blogs since last Wednesday...that's over a week ago! I started catching up on a few today. So my comments will be back soon!

2. I can't believe it's already December! I'm excited about it and the holidays, but it came fast! We have a very busy December. I need to get on the ball with my shopping.

3. My next race is just a week from Saturday! I'm excited! I have a feeling it's going to be super cold and snowy.

I will leave you with a few pics from Thanksgiving.

Me & R

Me and Hubby

Me & J

Silly Me & S

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Oh, and on Saturday I took S roller skating for the first time! I haven't roller skated in probably 20 years! It was fun and S loved it!

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Happy Thursday All!

Turkey Trot 10K Race Report

2010-11-29T18:36:00.000-05:00

I ran my first 10K race on Thanksgiving morning...the Turkey Trot!

I woke up at 6:30. It was already rainy and windy. I got dressed, ate my Clif Bar, and drank some water. I also put my first shoe chip on!

When I walked out the door, I thought how crazy I was to be leaving to go run 6.2 miles in the cold, wind, and rain. But I was ready!

Here's my pre-race car pic.

I went to E's house and she followed me to the race. There was going to be over 3000 runners, so we didn't want to not be able to find each other. We got down there nice and early and got great parking spots. If you didn't get down early enough, you'd have to park further away and then take a shuttle.

After we got there we walked around to find S. We finally found her car and said hi and took a pic.

We were pretty cold and our feet were wet, so we went back to my car do warm up and dry off.

Right before the race was to start, we got out of the car and headed to the start line. There were a ton of 10K racers. And then there were even more 5K runners and walkers waiting to go after our start.

This is a tiny fraction of the 10K start. See me? I'm center pic with my arm waving and me yelling hi.

Going into this race I had a few goals. Because I haven't raced a 10K before, I was afraid of starting off way to fast and then getting burnt out in the end. So here are my goals.

1. Finish under 1 hour.

2. Try to keep it at about a 9-minute pace for the first few miles.

3. Just have fun!

I've heard by many people that this is a fun race with a ton of people and families. So I just wanted to have fun and see what would happen. I decided to run with E. I told her my plan and she was for it. I do run faster than her, so I think it worked out well. We started and ran and talked a bit and weaved around people. If we slowed down, I would tell her and then we'd speed up. I know I could have definitely ran faster, but I wanted to stick with my plan.

The rain stopped for the race...at least I think it did. I don't remember it raining while we were running. I felt really good. At about 4 miles I saw we were at about a 9:20-minute pace. I told E and she said to just go on. I wasn't running my hardest, but she was. So I said I'd see her at the finish. I picked it up and was out of there. For the rest of the race I was at about a 8:48-minute pace. I stuck with a few people and just wanted to keep up with them. At about 1.5 miles to go, we merged with the 5K runners and walkers, so I had a ton of passing and weaving to do. It was a bit annoying when a walker would be right in the middle instead of off to the side, but again, it was a fun race. I got a little cramp about 0.5 mile to go, but I pushed through it. It went away and I could see the finish and I sprinted. I seriously felt fabulous. It was nice to finish a race without feeling like I was going to die.

Here I am finishing. I'm crossing the mat in the pink jacket. I put an arrow with Rae pointing to me. :)

I finished my first 10K in 56:19! I was 377 out of 650 10K runners. I was 11 out of 26 in my age group. I am super happy with my results. I reached all my goals. I had such a fun time at this race. It feels so good to have a 10K race under my belt. I think I can definitely beat my time my next 10K

Here's S, me, and E after our races.

After the race, I enjoyed spending the rest of my Thanksgiving with my family. It was such a great day!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving too!

Next up, Snowflake 5K on December 11th!

Tuesday Tidbits

2010-11-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

~ I ran 6 miles on Sunday morning. I wanted to run a 10K to prepare for the Turkey Trot. It was really cold, but I felt really great.

~ I ran 5 miles yesterday morning with my running group. Man was it a hard run! I know it's because I ran 6 miles just about 24 hours before. Plus the route that was chosen stunk. A ton of hills! I was hoping for a flatter, easier run. I pushed through it though even though I was so close to stopping to walk.

~ The Turkey Trot 10K is just 2 days away! I am still nervous...and I'm sure I will be until I start running. My friend picked up my chip and sweatshirt yesterday. It's going to be a huge race...well, huge for our area. They had 3000 pre-registered racers. That is almost 800 more racers than last year. They were going to cut it off at 3000, but they got more chips. So they are guessing 3200 to 3500 racers. There is a 10K, 5K Run, and a 5K walk. The weather is supposed be rainy I think. We are all hoping it holds off until later in the day. So look forward to my race report! It may not be until Friday thought..you know, with it being Thanksgiving and all.

~ I have to work tomorrow and then I have 6 days off!! I took some time off for the holiday and I can't wait!

~ I will be going Black Friday shopping. It's a tradition with my Hubby's family. All the girls go and we have a fun time.

~Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Throwback Thursday...But Not Too Far

2010-11-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

Here I am at 36 weeks pregnant with my twin boys. I had them the next day. :)

That night we had our daughter's 2nd bithday party. We got home around 9:30 or so. Then Hubby and I stayed up and went through her gifts. We didn't get to bed until midnight. At 5:45 am I was woken up by my water breaking. I was so surprised! I thought for sure I'd make it to my due date because I felt great. The boys had other plans.

This was about 1 year and 5 months ago.

Track Intervals

2010-11-17T12:00:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning and was getting ready in the bathroon and I could hear how windy it was outside. It was raining the night before, but I still layed out my running stuff for this morning's run. I headed out and it was actually warmer. I saw it was about 45 degrees. It was also misting. My running group always says they run no matter what. Well, I got to the Y and was the only one there. One lady came by and said she doesn't run in this weather. Oh, by now it was raining and still super windy. I think about 30-50 miles per hour at times. Another girl came over in shorts and a tshirt, so I knew she was running. A few of the usuals didn't even show. One guy came up and looked ready to go out. He said he was probably going to run inside now because of the rain. I was not about to run alone outside, so I said I'd run inside with him. He had a track interval plan and we decided to try that. I went to the locker room to get rid of my outside running gear. Unfortunately I did not pack a tshirt, so I ran in my long sleeve shirt. When I got to the track another runner was there too. He was going to run outside, but we missed each other so it didn't happen. But I'm glad we stayed inside and did this awesome track interval workout.

We did 20 warm up laps...1 mile. Then we aimed for 5 laps at 8-minute mile pace. Then we would do a 5-lap recovery run. At first the plan was 5 intervals. After the first one, we upped it to 6 intervals. We definitely ran faster than an 8-minute mile pace. Each interval got harder, but I hung in there with the guys. After our last interval, I was glad to have it done. We did a 5-lap recovery/cool down run. But then they said we had time to do another one! They asked if I could do 10 laps at that pace and I said no way! I was mentally done. So they said 6 laps and I said ok. So off we went. It was hard! This was the first interval where I fell back a few steps. I think it's because I thought we were done and I was in cool down mode. But I was proud of myself for doing the 6 laps. I thought about stopping after 5, but didn't.

As we were stretching they figured out that we were running a 7:30-mile pace not 8-mile pace. So that is pretty cool! We ran a total of 4.5 miles. I'm really hoping running with this group improves my race times. I think it will. The guys also gave me some running tips, which was really cool.

So I had a nice change to my run today. I'm glad it was windy and rainy. :)

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My running/workout plan for the next week looks like this:

Thursday: Boot Camp
Friday: Run with Running Group
Saturday: REST
Sunday: Run at least 6.2 miles
Monday: Run with Running Group
Tuesday: Boot Camp
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: Turkey Trot 10K

I'm still nervous and excited about this race. I'm hoping the weather cooperates. But again, I think I'm gonna try to go in and have fun and see what happens.

Thank you for all the advice on fueling for a 10K. I know I will definitely eat a Clif Bar and drink water before I head to the race. I might try gummy bears or a GU before the race start and then just do water during the race. I will test out my fueling during my run on Sunday.

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I wanted to share the new running clothes I got this past weekend.

Here we have Rae modeling a Boys' C9 by Champion Black Compression Tee. She found it at Target in the Boys section for only $9.99! What a steal! Rae is wearing an extra large.

Now Rae is modeling her new Running jacket. It's also from Target and was on sale for $20. Please don't mind Rae's weird pose. She defintely needs to take more posing classes.

I really am loving both of these items. I think I'll get another Boys' compression tee. The jacket is really nice too. It has reflective qualities and the thumb holes on the sleeves. It also has a hood. No pockets though. They had other colors in this jacket. I couldn't find it online though. I am wearing a medium.

Because I ran inside today and didn't pack a tshirt (which I will be doing from now on), I had to run in the outfit in the first pictures...indoors. I was Black Lightening! The compression tee definitely had me sweating inside!

Monday Stuff

2010-11-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

I now have a head cold. It came on out of nowhere Saturday afternoon.

This morning I met my running group for another run. It was about 35 degrees. But on Saturday I got myself some warmer running stuff. I got a long sleeve Target brand Under Armor type shirt...from the boys section for only $10! And I got a sweet running jacket. It was on sale. Go me! I will take a picture to show off the goods on Wednesday.

So we ran a route I haven't done before. It actually went by pretty fast. The run was a little difficult because of how I feel. But I pushed through! We got back to the Y at about 4.75 miles. I really wanted to do 5 so I ran around the parking lot until I hit 5. :)

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My next race, my first 10K, is next week! I am excited, but nervous. I've heard it's a huge race and a lot of fun. So I am going to just try to have fun with it. But I was wondering, how do you fuel for a 10K? I haven't really fueled before because my past races are just 5Ks. But with a 10K, I was thinking I might. What do you think?

Fabulous Run!

2010-11-12T16:30:00.000-05:00

I had an awesome run this morning! I wasn't feeling that good on Wednesday, so I missed my group run. So I made sure I got up today to go meet my running group. I am so glad I did! What made it so awesome? The route! We ran all the way downtown and then back. Of course it's really hard to explain because you can't picture my town...well Tonia can, but just trust me, it was awesome! Instead of running in a super dark neighborhood, we ran "in the city". I've heard of this route before I even started running with them, and I've been waiting to try it. Finally we did!

It was also a little longer than we usually do. It was about 5.8 miles. I had to guess-timate cause I stopped my watch when I had to wait for traffic and then forgot to start it again for a bunch of blocks. Doh!

There were 8 of us today. At first we split off into 6 and 2. Then we all met at the stretching spot. Then we were 5 and 3. Then 3 guys took off and I ran with another guy. He didn't want to go far, so he left me and went a different direction. So, I really picked it up and basically was sprinting to catch up with the other guys. I could not catch them. I thought for sure one of them would see me and they'd come back for me, but no. They had to stop for traffic...but then I had to. So I basically was running alone for a bunch of blocks. I was afraid they would turn and I'd lose them so I finally yelled "HEY!" Thankfully they turned around. I yelled "Come get me!" So they did. By the time I was with them, I could barely breathe. I was running that fast to try and get to them. It really was quite funny. They told me they were doing a tempo run, so that's why I couldn't catch up. By then we were downtown. We ran around the square and headed back. The way back is all up hill. Two of the guys took off again, and thankfully the other one stayed with me.

It was nice running with this guy because it was our first time meeting and we talked about our running history and past races. It was so weird because when we were almost back, we ran into the other members of the group that went different directions.

So, it was a really fun run. I got to see more things than darkness, houses, and parked cars. I hope we do that one again soon!

Oh, and it was super nice out. In the 40s instead of the 30s! :)

Have a great weekend!

Throwback Thursday

2010-11-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

I've been inspired by Q!

Last week, Q posted a picture of him and his daughter shaving. It was so adorable. I loved it so much because I have a picture of me shaving with my Dad. It's one of the very few I have of him. He passed away when I was 13.

So I am doing my own Throwback Thursday to share my Father and Daughter Shaving pic.

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Thank you all for all the awesome comments on my 100th post. You guys rock!

100th Post!

2010-11-08T16:33:00.000-05:00

I started 5K Rae on May 12, 2010. Almost 6 months ago. I was just about to start the Couch to 5K Program. Before starting that program, I was searching for blogs where someone did a run to run review/post for the C25K runs. I couldn't find anything. I was already a huge reader of blogs of all kinds. I was just finding running blogs. So, I decided to start my own blog where I talk about my experinence with the C25K program. Who knows...maybe there would be someone out there looking for my reviews.

So that is how 5K Rae was born. I would write about each of my runs. I had no pictures. Basically it was a journal for me because I didn't think anyone was reading. But after finding many running blogs that I now read daily and love, and from commenting on them and getting to know other bloggers, I got myself some readers! Now I am apart of this awesome running and blogging community. I get so much advice and inspiration from all of you!

In just 6 months of running, I did the C25K program, trained for a 10K, raced in four 5K races, I've logged in 157 miles since July 17, and I joined a running group. I have my first 10K race in just a couple weeks. I know in the future I definitely have more 5Ks. I think I want to train for a Half Marathon and then do a Half in the spring or summer...or both! I am just so excited to see what my running future brings me!

So thank you for following my running journey!

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Last week the fam was hit with the stomach flu. Hubby got sick Wednesday. I stayed home from work to take care of him and the kiddos. He didn't come downstairs all day. He was hurting pretty bad. I just knew the boys would get it. And sure enough, by 4:30 R is sick. I feel so bad for little ones when they get sick. R was done and pretty much back to himself really quick...just a few hours. But once he was done, J started. He was done too after a few hours. I spent the evening getting thrown up on and cleaning it up. Fun! I was just waiting for S to get it..and me. Thursday rolled around and we were good. The boys were on the mend. But then Friday came. I woke up around 2 am not feeling well. S woke us up at 5 am cause she got sick in her bed. She was pretty sick from then until noon. She was a trooper. By noon she was bouncing off the walls again. It's amazing how quickly kids can bounce back from that. I was sick all day too. But thankfully no throwing up. Just weak, tired, worn out, head ache, stomach cramps. I slept a lot of the day. So due to all the barfing in my house, I missed my workouts on Thursday and Friday. I wasn't up for any working out Saturday either. Sundays are my day off. So, I had a little workout/running break.

But today I started fresh! I ran 4.75 miles with my running group. It was pretty cold again. About 37 degrees. But it was so aweome to have the sun come up during our run! It was actually weird to be running in the daylight.

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Family Pictures

Here some of the pictures from our fall family photo session!

COLD, Morning Run

2010-11-03T12:50:00.000-04:00

This morning I had another running group run. I headed out at 5:30 and it was maybe 35 degrees....COLD!

Here I am in my aweome cold running gear...NOT! The tights work well, but I need to get some long sleeve running shirts, under armor, and a running jacket.

I submitted this awesome picture into Run Faster Mommy's big giveaway! The readers get to vote for the best...or worst...winter running gear picture. So vote for me once it's up. :) I need it!

Our run was good. It was really cold, but so beautiful out. The moon was just a little sliver, the sky was clear, and the stars were bright. I felt like my eyebrows were frozen, but I felt really good this run. We did just about 5 miles. That seems to be the trend with this group...and we like to be back by 7.

I would really like to run again Friday, but it's so hard getting up when that's my usual day off. So we'll see.

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Here is a picture of us on Halloween night.

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The Hubby is sick today, so I am home taking care of him and the kids. Hopefully we all don't get it!

Halloween Fun

2010-11-01T11:54:00.000-04:00

Let's see, where did I leave off?

Date Night: We had a really nice date. We went to a bar that switched owners cause we wanted to see how the menu changed. There we each had a tall Bud Lite draft. We also had some chips and salsa. Then we went to dinner to another restaurant and we had a really nice time talking. We don't get a lot of time without the kids, so it was nice to hang out without having to do kids stuff. Our sandwiches were really good too!

After that, my Mom and I headed down to the club to visit our old bowling team for their Halloween Party. I went as a cat!

On Friday, I dressed up as a witch at work. My friend S dressed up as Wenda from Where's Waldo! We had a lot of fun at work.

Me and my pet spider. :)

Hubby brought the kids in to trick-or-treat at my office. They had a blast and got a ton of candy!

Saturday night we carved pumpkins! Actually, Hubby did all the carving. S and I cleaned out the pumpkins. S had a blast! The boys watched and played. They'll be more into it next year.

Hubby did an awesome job!

I really wanted to get a run in this weekend, but it just didn't happen. We were really busy Saturday and Sunday. For Halloween we had all of our family over. We took the kids trick or treating and we all hung out and handed out candy. It was a lot of fun! I'll post some pics soon. I haven't had time to look through them yet.

I did run this morning with my running group. There were only 5 of us this morning. One girl was new and it was her first time. Another girl said she was running short today, so at almost 2 miles in she parted ways and the new girl went with her. So that left me and two speedy runners! I tried hard to keep up with them. Towards the end I was probably 10 to 15 yards back from them. We did 5 miles in about 45 minutes. And man was it cold this morning! It was only 38 degrees! It was the coldest I've ever run in. I wore long running tights, a running shirt, my arm sleeves, and then a long sleeve shirt over top. I got myself some $1 gloves yesterday and wore those. I used my Bondi Band as an ear warmer. I'm gonna have to get some long sleeve running shirts and a running jacket. Cause it was cold! Of course I was ok running, but starting out was tough.

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween weekend!

Thursday Things

2010-10-28T08:17:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Yesterday morning I ran with my running group. We had a strom here the night before, so I checked the weather for the morning and it looked good. When I got up it was about 50 degrees, clear skies, and a high bright moon. I was excited.

We met and then headed out. We did almost the same route as last Wednesday...the one with the huge hill. We went in a differnent neighborhood after that though so the run ended up being about 4.4 miles. We had a good run. I can tell I'm running a little faster with them because the guys are faster than me. So when we're all together I try to keep up.

I'm really enjoying this because I will end up running more miles in a week than I was. I talked to one of the girls this morning and she told me that she started running with the group about a year and a half ago and by running with the group, she took about 1 minute off her pace time! Amazing! That would be so awesome if I could do that!

This morning I took Boot Camp and had a good class with stations. I love it! I plan on taking tomorrow off and then I hope to get a run in Saturday.

Tonight Hubby and I have a date night and I can't wait! We're going out for dinner and drinks!

Road ID Winner!

2010-10-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

After sorting through the comments and entries, there were 137 entries in my Road ID Giveaway!

And, the winner is....

Random.org chose entry 51...Stephanie Anne from Running to Health!

Congratulations Stephanie Anne! Please email me and I'll get you your Road ID e-Card!

Thank you to everyone that entered!

The Weekend and Running

2010-10-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

We had a really great weekend! It started off on Friday with Zoo Boo. It was a nice night and it wasn't too crowded. The kids got a lot of candy.

R as Buzz Lightyear!

J as Woody! He was not a fan of the hat.

S as a frog!

The Fam

Here we are again.

Saturday I had planned on getting a run in cause it was supposed to be nice. But we had family pictures at 1 and I had to get the kids and myself ready while Hubby worked, so I didn't run. We had fun getting the pictures done. The boys weren't too smiley though so hopefully we got a few nice ones. As soon as I get them, I'll share some. It started raining just as we finished up. So instead of running, I went grocery shopping. Then we hung out the rest of the evening.

Sunday we had plans to go to the local pumpkin farm. It was really nice out! Partly sunny and almost 70 degrees. We headed out and were there for about 2.5 hours. It was so much fun!

The Fam at the Pumkin Farm

J wasn't having picture time.

Sliding!

Playing in the corn box.

Feeding the animals.

It was so nice out on Sunday that I had to get a run in. We got home from the pumpkin farm and got the boys down for a nap and then I headed out. It was about 72 degrees! The weather was perfect! I ran my 5K route. I did get a side cramp about half way in...man I hate those!

Done with a great run!

Stats from Mr. G.

After my run, we watched football (Go Seahawks!!) and had some friends and family over for a visit. We had a fun, busy fall weekend!

This morning I got up and headed to the Y for a run with my running group. It was an awesome morning for a run! It was 69 degrees at 5:30 am! It did start raining though when we headed out. But it stopped after a bit. But it was a nice rain and wasn't cold cause it was pretty warm out. We did a tad over 5 miles in about 48 minutes.

Here is my workout plan for the rest of the week.

Tuesday ~ Boot Camp

Wednesday ~ Run with Running Group

Thursday ~ Boot Camp

Friday ~ Rest or Run with Running Group (Not sure yet)

Saturday ~ Run or Rest (Opposite of what I decide on Friday)

Sunday ~ Rest ~ Halloween!!

I plan on getting some Hard CORE workouts in too. I've seriously been slacking on these. It's been at least 2 weeks since I've done the workout...I do get ab workouts in on Boot Camp days though. So I am going to make sure to get them in this week!

Today is the last day to enter my Road ID giveway! So if you haven't entered, do it now! :)

Weekend Plans

2010-10-22T13:05:00.000-04:00

I thought about getting up this morning and meeting my running group for a run. After much back and forth, I went with sleeping in. I usually rest on Fridays anyway. It's supposed to be nice and warm tomorrow...I heard 70 degrees which is warm for this time of year. So I'm hoping to get a run in tomorrow. I have no idea how far though.

Tonight we are taking the kids to Zoo Boo. It's always a fun time. I love seeing all the kids dressed up in their costumes. S is going to be a Frog, J is going to be Woody from Toy Story, and R is going to be Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. I'll be sure to post some pics of my cuties in their costumes.

Tomorrow we are getting family pictures done. It's a special event called "Portraits in the Leaves". The pics will be taken outdoors...which we've never had done before. I'm hoping the weather and kiddos cooperate.

Then Sunday we are going to a pumpkin farm if it's not raining. It's such a fun place with corn mazes, huge slides, a corn box, animals. I love it there! The slides are awesome!

See...

This is S and me from last year.

So I'm looking forward to a nice fall weekend. I hope to have some fun pics to share on Monday.

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Don't forget to enter my Road ID Giveaway if you haven't yet! It ends Monday and a winner will be announced Tuesday!

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Running Group

2010-10-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

This morning I had my first run with a running group! I was all pumped up and ready to go. I left the house and it was chilly...about 45 degrees. I had on my running capris, a running t-shirt, my relflective arm sleeves, Mr. G, my Road ID, and a bondi band to cover my ears. I guess I should have taken a pic.

We met in the lobby of the Y. There were a total of 9 people. We headed out. Two of the girls in front of us started running. Then my friend J (my boot camp instructor) and I started running. There were 3 guys behind us and then 2 more girls. So we headed along our route. The 2 girls in front took off and we didn't see them until we got back to the Y. The 3 guys caught up to me and J about a mile in. We never saw the last 2 girls. I think one of them is newer to running so they took it slow and didn't go as far. So basically I ran with 4 other people. We got to a plaza after a little over a mile and did some stretching. Then we started up again...up a HUGE hill. I made it up pretty well. It was long and steep so I think I did good. Then we were in some neighborhoods and it was flatter. It was pretty dark in areas and I was afraid of tripping and falling, but thankfully I didn't do that. After a bit we ran up another steep, but shorter hill. It about killed me! Then it was all down hill for there. We clocked in 5 miles! I also talked almost the entire time, so that made it even harder for me. I always run alone, so I never talk while I run. But it was great getting to know everyone!

I had a great time and a great workout. I am now hooked! They meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I"ll probably start going Mondays and Wednesdays. I'm sure I won't be able to resist the Friday runs too. And, the one guy told me they meet at different places on Sundays to run and they'll send a text on Saturdays letting you know the time and place. So that will be cool to do sometimes too! I think by running with them, I'll increase my weekly mileage...which will be cool!

So far, so good!

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I have been seriously slacking in my Hard CORE workouts. BOO! I really need to get back into them. I am promising to do them tonight! Please hold me accountable!

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Enter my Road ID giveaway!

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Happenings

2010-10-19T12:04:00.000-04:00

I was supposed to do a long run Friday morning, but it didn't happen. I took the day off! I was super sore from my week of workouts. Especially my calves. My Boot Camp instructor has us do a move called the Running Mans. Thankfully she hasn't had us do this in months. What you do is put a resistance band around your hips and your partner holds on to the ends. Then you run in place. Sounds easy, but it's not. I had to do it for 30 seconds, then 60 seconds, then 90 seconds. Then I couldn't walk for days! My calves hurt so freakin bad! There was no way I could run Friday morning. It's funny how I workout daily and run 3 days a week and then something like this makes me immobile! They were so sore, it hurt just to touch them!

Saturday I had a hair appointment and then me and Hubby had a wedding to go to. So no working out Saturday.

Here we are at the wedding.

Sunday morning we got home super late. I don't think we went to bed until 3 am. I was up by 9...Hubby let me sleep in. Then it was a lay around and watch football and nap type of day. So no working out again. It was actually nice to have 3 days off. Hubby asked me if I was in withdrawals cause I hadn't worked out in 3 days. Very funny!

Monday, I was back to the grind! I took X-Bike and then ran 2 miles on the treadmill.

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Tomorrow I am running with a running group! There is a group of runners that meets in the Y lobby and runs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I've known about them, but I can be shy with a group of people I don't know. Well, yesterday I was cleaning off my treadmill and I heard a lady on the other side of the room talking about the "girl in the red shirt". That was me. Hmmmm? Then Jen, my Tuesday Boot Camp instructor, called me down there to "meet the running group." So I went down and met everyone. Jen told them I would run with them in the Spring. I never said that, she just said it. The one guy said "why the spring?". So, I told them I'd run with them Wednesday. I'm pretty excited about it. I think they go different distances, and they'll do hills, and things like that. The group is all at different fitness and running levels. I've never ran with a group, so it will be interesting. If I like it, it'll be nice to get my longer runs done with during the week. So expect a full report tomorrow!

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Last night I dreamt ALL NIGHT about running Half Marathons. It was crazy! Of course in the first dream I didn't make it to the start line in time. The second dream I ran a Half with Skinny Runner. Too funny! I think it's because I've been reading Half and Full race reports for weeks now, and because I secretly want to run one. :)

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Don't forget to enter my Road ID giveaway! It ends Monday, October 25!

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Road ID Giveaway!

2010-10-15T08:26:00.008-04:00

Do you want a Road ID? You should! Have you been putting off getting a Road ID? If so, here's your chance to win one!

From Road ID:

If you are a runner, cyclist, triathlete or just a person who doesn't sit on the couch all day, Road ID is for you. This awesome piece of gear not only looks good but it could save your life. In the event of an accident, if you can't speak for yourself, your Road ID will.

The Review:

I had been wanting a Road ID for some time, but always put it off. I knew it was a good idea to have one. You never know when something could happen. But still, I put it off. Then one day, one of my friends fell while running in the dark one morning. She did get hurt, but she was ok enough to make it home on her own. That woke both of us up. We need Road IDs ASAP! So we decided that morning that we were each ordering a Road ID and we'd make sure the other did it.

I got my Road ID a few days later. I now wear it for all of my outside runs and any race I do. I can't even tell it's on. It doesn't bother me at all. It even has reflective qualities. I highly recommend a Road ID. I hope you never need to use it, but if you do, you'll be happy you have it!

The Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive an eCard to Road ID!

Here's how to enter! Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Mandatory Entries:

~ Be a follower of 5K Rae! Leave me a comment!

~ Answer this question by leaving a comment: "What is your favorite race distance? Why?"

Extra Entries:

~ Head over to Road ID, take a look around, and let me know what you like! Leave me a comment!

~ Spread the word by posting this giveaway on your blog! Leave me a comment!

Enter now through Monday, October 25. A winner will be chosen by random.org. I will announce the winner on Tuesday, October 26!

Check it out!

2010-10-13T14:09:00.002-04:00

I got an email from an awesome reader...Alanna...with my race pic attached! She worked her magic and made me a copy of my pic! Sweet! Thanks Alanna!!

Her Times 5K Race Pic ~ Coming into the finish!

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I did my interval training workout today! It was a great workout. Interval training is a kick butt workout! I increased my "running" speed today and could tell I was running fast! It was tough to hold that speed for the 90 second interval...yet I can hold that average speed for an entire 5K. Crazy what a race will do for you.

Question: Each time I do an interval training workout, should I increase my "runnning speed"? Like last week my running speed was 7.2. Today I increased it to 7.5. Should I continue to increase the speed, or just keep it at 7.5?

This Week's Workouts

2010-10-11T11:17:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I found Street View pics from the Her Times 5K that the newspaper photographer took. I searched all 341 pictures and found one of me coming in to the finish! I love it! It's my first "official" race pic. I couldn't copy it though, so I have to put the link. Check it out HERE!

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Here is my workout plan for the week.

Monday ~ Boot Camp, Hard CORE
Tuesday ~ Boot Camp
Wednesday ~ X-Bike, 2-mile Run with Interval Training, Hard CORE
Thursday ~ Boot Camp
Friday ~ Run 7 miles, Hard CORE
Saturday ~ REST

J4JS Virtual 10K Race Report

2010-10-10T17:24:00.003-04:00

This morning I completed the J4JS Virtual 10K! I decided to break it up into two 5K races because I had the Her Times 5K yesterday.

It was another gorgeous fall day! Clear, blue skies, sunny, and warm. It was almost 70 degrees when I ran.

Here is my awesome race bib!

In my gear and ready to Jog 4 Joubert Syndrome!

I tried running harder and faster than I normally do around my neighborhood. This race was a little tough, and I think it's because I raced the day before and pushed really hard for that race. But I gave it all I had!

It was pretty hot while running. I actually miss that. It's been way cooler, if not cold when I run outside lately. So I got to get nice and sweaty!

All done!

I finished my J4JS Virtual 10K in 52:45!

I had a lot of fun participating in this race for such a good cause!

Her Times 5K Race Report

2010-10-09T18:22:00.007-04:00

Today was the Her Times 5K...a women only race!

It was gorgeous out! Blue skies, sun, and warm if in the sun.

I did my usual pre-race morning activities. Then headed out to pick up E. We were meeting S at the race.

All ready in my race gear!

Pre-race car pic

Posing with the race sign.

See? Beautiful out!

This was a much larger race than two weeks ago. There were a total of 525 participants!

Here are 3 of them! S, E, and Me!

So it was almost time to start the race and the ladies were all lined up. Then we found out that we were not at the start line. So it took about 5 minutes for everyone to move back to the start line.

E and Me at the fake start line.

Finally ready to start at the real start line.

The lady in front said go and we were off! It was the same route as my race two weeks ago, so I knew what I was in for. I also knew it would be longer than 3.1 miles. I felt pretty good the whole race. No cramps or anything like that. I was kind of spitty like I've been once before on a training run. I really don't like that. I actually had to spit on the course or I would have probably choked. The ladies behind me probably thought I was disgusting. Oh well!

Here I am coming up on 1 mile.

Here I am heading to 2 miles.

I had looked online at last years results and tried to guess where I might finish. Last year, with my current times I would have been around 30. I think there were 350 racers last year. So I was kind of hoping for a finish around that. Towards the end I told myself I'd be happy if I was around 50th. I knew there weren't tons of ladies in front of me.

Yay! The finish line is in site!

Pushing super hard to cross that line.

Mr. G said the race was 3.24 miles long. I finished in 26:08. Pretty good! Technically not a PR, but if it were 3.1 miles, it would have been for sure. This was the same route as the race two weeks ago, and I did better today. So that's good that I improved.

E, Me, and S after the race.

I finished 33rd out of 525! Totally awesome! I was so stoked! I placed 3rd in my age group and got a cool plaque!

The race is down on the peninsula. The beach is right there. So afterwards E and I went and took some pics on the beach because it was so beautiful out.

Me on the beach

E and Me on the beach

Another fabulous race! I am so happy with my performance! I am really looking forward to working on my speed by doing the interval training and I hope to shave some time off my next 5K.

Tomorrow I am doing the J4JS virtual 10K!

Race Weekend

2010-10-08T13:08:00.003-04:00

The Hubby and I took S to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live! Wednesday night. It was the best kids show we've ever seen. It was awesome! I just wanted to share a couple pics.

S was super excited when she found out who we came to see. It was a surprise!

Yo Gabba Gabba!

The 3 of us!

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It's race weekend! Tomorrow I have the Her Times 5K. It's a women only race and I'm really excited about this. It's supposed to be nice out, but I'll believe it when I see it. I'm definitely wearing something pink.

Then Sunday I will be doing the J4JS virtual 10K!

So keep your eyes out for race reports!

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Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

Interval Training

2010-10-06T10:00:00.009-04:00

So I was planning on doing a Wordless Wednesday post and put up some pics of my cute kiddos. BUT! I tried my first interval training workout this morning!

The awesome Trainer Momma hooked me up with some great articles about interval training. People talk about interval training all the time, but for some reason I just didn't get it, or understand how this is supposed to make me faster. The articles really helped me get a clue.

Here's the workout I tried this morning on the treadmill. I got it from this article.

Interval Variation II: Pyramid
This pyramid structure allows you to start with short bursts of speed, and then you'll peak at the longest surge of energy in the middle of your workout before coming back down.

1. 3 minutes warmup
2. 30 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
3. 45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
4. 60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
5. 90 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
6. 60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
7. 45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
8. 30 seconds high intensity
9. 3 minutes cooldown

I really liked it. I mean REALLY liked it! Today was my 2-mile run and this workout fit perfectly with this distance. I ran faster on the treadmill than I ever have (during the high intensity parts). I knew I was getting a fabulous workout. I was drenched when I was done. And I could tell I was working on my speed. I plan on doing this workout, or some type of interval training, every Wednesday. It actually made my workout seem to go faster because I had to watch the time and change the speed so often. I think next time I will try and up the speed a little bit. Yay for interval training!

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Of course I still had to include the pics of my kiddos!

This Week's Workouts

2010-10-04T08:33:00.002-04:00

Here is my workout plan for the week.

Sunday ~ Hard CORE (Check!)
Monday ~ X-Bike, Ran 3 miles, Hard CORE (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Boot Camp
Wednesday ~ X-Bike, 2-mile Run, Hard CORE
Thursday ~ Boot Camp
Friday ~ Hard CORE
Saturday ~ Her Times 5K
Sunday ~ Run 5K to complete the J4JS Virtual 10K

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I ran 3 miles on the treadmill this morning. I felt really good...until I felt my shoe or sock rubbing on the back of my heel. At around 2.3 miles or so I could feel that I was getting a blister. I thought about stopping at 2.5 miles. But I wanted to run to 25 minutes. When I did, I was at 2.6 miles, so I just had to go to 3 miles. I was in pain! I got done and checked it out and yup, I rubbed skin off. I noticed it hurting in the same spot last week in these shoes, so I think it's the shoes. Weird. These are the shoes I had before I got my running shoes. I wear these shoes while I'm at the Y taking my classes. I'm annoyed about it because I have my race on Saturday. I'm hoping it heals up fast. This is only the second time this has happened since I started running. So that's not too bad. But both times happened in these shoes and on the same foot. I guess I should stop running in these shoes. :)

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Here's a shout out to all of you who ran Halfs, Marathons, and a 50-mile race (EMZ!) this weekend! I can't wait to read all about it!

7 Miles!

2010-10-01T13:30:00.003-04:00

This morning I had 6.5 miles planned.

I got up and got ready. I wore my awesome new arm sleeves because it was maybe 50 degrees out. I walked out the door and could feel the chill on all my exposed skin, but my arms felt warm. It was cloudy, so no bright moon.

Robot Rae in full effect!

I felt fabulous on this run! I have absolutely no complaints. I planned on doing my 5K loop twice and then keep going until I hit 6.5. As I was running, I decided to do a loop in my route twice in a row just to get it over with. Then I decided to do it a third time because then I'd be closer, if not at, 6.5 miles when I hit my house. The plan worked and then some. I hit my house at 6.63 miles...over 6.5!...but, because I'm a girl who likes things to be even (I won't eat 3 oreos, I'll eat 4. I'll set my volume on my car radio at 32, not 31 or 33. Things like that.), I decided to go to 7 miles. I ran to the next street and turned around and ran back to my house. I was so excited to run 7 miles!

All done!

7 miles baby!

Mr. G's Stats

So my 10K Training is officially over today! 10 weeks of fun! I loved it! I think I am going to keep running 3 days a week. I'll do 2-4 miles during my weekday runs, and then a longer run on the weekend. I'd love to keep adding half a mile each week. I'd really like to get up to 10 miles.

Review on my Nathan's Reflective Arm Sleeves ~ These things are awesome and I highly recommend them! Of course they are great for their reflective properties. But they are great because they did keep my arms warm. The stayed put pretty well. I mentioned before that I would have gotten a smaller size if available. I originally pulled them all the way up and then put my shirt sleeves over them. When I ran, they slid down a tiny bit. There was about an inch of skin showing...you can see it in a pic above. But they didn't go down further than that. And they didn't annoy me. I think if you had bigger arms, they wouldn't move at all. When I got home and went to take them off, I noticed they were soaked with sweat! I had no idea they were wet when I ran. So I think that is pretty cool. So if you are looking for something to keep your arms warm and/or something reflective, these are for you!

~This is just my honest review of these arm sleeves. I bought these with my own money.~

10K Training ~ Final Week!

2010-09-28T08:29:00.002-04:00

Here is my training for Week 10...the final week!

Sunday ~ Run Around Erie 5K (Check!)
Monday ~ Boot Camp, Hard CORE (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Rest (Might do Hard CORE tonight.)
Wednesday ~ X-Bike, 3-mile Run, Hard CORE
Thursday ~ Boot Camp
Friday ~ Run 6.5 miles, Hard CORE
Saturday ~ Rest (Going out of town for the day.)

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I can't believe I'm done with my 10K training this week! It seemed to go by fast. On October 9th I have the Her Times 5K...just the ladies! It should be fun! Then that weekend I also have the J4JS Virtual 10K. I'm gonna be a running machine that weekend.

So again I will be wondering what I should do with my running. I really like running 2 miles Mondays, 3 miles Wednesdays, and then a long run on the weekend. So I might keep that up and each weekend increase my run by half a mile. I'd also like to work on speed, so I may do that. Hmmmm.

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Thanks for all the congrats on my race! Yes, I'm very smiley. :) A lot of your comments made me laugh.

RAE 5K Race Report

2010-09-27T08:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the Run Around Erie 5K!

I woke up, got ready, stretched, and ate a Clif Bar. Then I headed out to pick up E.

Pre-race car pic

When I left the house it was about 50 degrees and cloudy. The weather report the night before AND that morning said partly sunny. I don't think so. There was no rain in the forcast. Apparently our weather forcasters were wrong, very wrong. On the way down it started to sprinkle. Then it rained the rest of the time. Not a down pour, just a light rain. But it also made it feel colder.

Posing with the race sign.

Me & E about to start warming up.

There was also a 15K. They started at 9. We watched them start. And then goofed off.

See?

It was a pretty small race. Way smaller than I had expected. I'd guess there were maybe 50 15K runners and 50 5K runners.

Here we are at the starting line. Excited to start!

And we're off!

I started off pretty good. It was weird not having to dodge so many people. I just tried to keep a fast pace. Like I mentioned, it rained the whole race. I wasn't cold running. I just had to dodge some pretty big puddles.

Here I am around the 1-mile mark.

The race wasn't marked well. I didn't notice the 1-mile marker. Then when Mr. G alerted me of mile 2 I said "cool!". Then a minute or so later I passed the 2-mile marker. At that point I knew I'd be running further than 3.1 miles. There was a guy in front of me and then a girl. I had my eyes on them. I picked of the guy. Yay! Then my mission was to get the girl. I picked it up and I'm pretty sure she slowed down. I passed her! I then was trying to catch up to a guy I know. But we had to have been running the same pace cause I didn't make any ground until the very end.

I saw the finish line and kicked it in to high gear.

See how speedy I am? I'm just a blur. :)

Mr. G said I finished 3.21 miles in 26:42. I don't know what the clock said because it had the 15K time up. They also didn't post our times there and the official times still aren't posted. So for now I'll go with this time. I don't think it's a PR. If it is, it may be by a second or two. I am happy with my time and my race. I did pretty well for it being chilly and rainy.

Me & E finished

So, I figured I placed in my age group. So we stuck around for the awards. We saw them bring in trophies and medals. We were hanging out and saying how we'd love trophies cause they're so cool...thinking we wouldn't get one. So they start the 5K awards. They announced the 1st place overall female finisher...she wasn't there. Then, "And the 2nd place overall female finisher is Rae..." I was like "WHAT?!?!?" It was hilarious! I had no idea and totally wasn't expecting to place overall! It was awesome! It was a small race, but I'll take it when I can get it! E took the 3rd place overall female! It was so awesome!

Rocking our trophies!

I also took first in my age group, but because I got the trophy I didn't get a medal too.

So I had a great race and a fun time. It was cold and rainy but we made the best of it!

Hubby and I went out for lunch to celebrate!

10K Baby!

2010-09-24T09:49:00.004-04:00

I did it! I ran 10K! I was supposed to run 6 miles this morning. I was going to do the 5K loop twice. I had told myself I wasn't going to stop at 6 and that I run all the way home. I got to my house at 6.15 and kept going til I hit 6.2!

Now the details.

My alarm went off at 5:40...I got to sleep in a whole half hour! It took me a few minutes to wake up enough to put my contacts in. Then I got dressed, put my gear on, stretched, and headed out.

Where is Rae?

I walked outside and it was nice! But warm and humid nice. It was in the 70s already, humid, and windy. I walked to the backyard so I could take that awesome pic shown above. On my way back I heard music. It freaked me out. I listened closer and still heard it. I snuck up slowly to the back porch and then realized it was my kids' toy house thing and the wind was blowing the door open causing it to play it's music. Thank goodness that's all it was!

I was excited to see it was clear and the moon was high and super bright. So it wasn't as dark as I thought. Due to the warmth, I didn't wear my robot sleeves. Sorry, maybe next time. I also chose not to listen to music. I wanted to be able to hear what was going on around me cause it was dark out. I was still a little creeped about running in the dark.

On my run, I heard the wind gusting, trees rustling, a hose spraying, acorns falling, alarm clocks going off, my breathing, and my feet pounding. It was nice to hear everything.

In one part there are huge acorn trees. There are acorns all over the sidewalk and street. I was hoping not to wipe out. The second time through there were huge gusts of winds and I heard acorns falling onto cars and the ground. It startled me. Then they were falling all around me. I covered my head and ran faster so I wouldn't get pelted by acorns.

When I was headed back to my house the first time I saw the sun was coming up. I got excited for that. I like being able to see when I run.

I felt pretty good for my entire run. No cramps or anything like that. Once I could see, I noticed I wasn't running as fast as usual. I don't think I did a mile under 10 minutes. Maybe it had to do with running right after waking up? Who knows. But I'm glad it was a slower, "easy" run. I need to save my speed for Sunday.

Here I am after running 6.2 miles!

Stats from Mr. G.

So I wore my running vest for the first time. It was a little big on me. They come in two sizes, small/medium and large/extra large. I wish they had a smaller size. It hung off my shoulder most of the time...as you can see above. I wish I had adjusted it before picture! Doh! I had to adjust it a handful of times during my run...which wasn't a big deal. I'm really glad I had it so people driving could see me.

Oh, and I wore my RoadID for the first time! That didn't bother me at all! So glad I have that now!

I had a great long run this morning and I'm looking forward to resting up tomorrow for my big race on Sunday!

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Miss Zaneta from Runner's Luck tagged me to do 10 random things about me. So here they are!

1. I love Oreos, peanut M&Ms, and twix bars.

2. I have one sister....and then I have 1 sister-in-law, 1 to-be sister-in-law, and 3 brother-in-laws.

3. I talk to my Mom at least once a day if not more. We are tight.

4. My favorite shows are (in no particular order): Bones, House, Biggest Loser, Modern Family, The Middle, Two and a Half Men, Big Bang Theory, Man v. Food.

5. When I am at work, the sound of coffee or hot water pouring into someone's cup annoys me. I don't know why.

6. I could eat ice cream every day. That is the only thing I craved and had to have when I was preggo.

7. I love listening to my kiddos playing and laughing together. Makes me smile.

8. I used to clean operating rooms after surgeries as a part time job during college. It was gross but I did love that job.

9. I was a cheerleader in highschool.

10. I'm really close with my in-laws and I think it's great.

~Why is it so difficult to think up 10 random things about yourself?~

I know a lot of you have already done this, so if you haven't had the chance yet...then I tag you!

Three Things Thursday

2010-09-23T10:37:00.002-04:00

Hello! Let's get to it, shall we?

1. I just want to say that I had the best Boot Camp class this morning. We did stations. There were 9 of them. We pair off and then do 1.5 minutes at each station. We did 2.5 times through (1 hour) before we did abs and stretched. I was drenched! During one station you have to do a bear crawl...great for the booty...and my sweat was running into my eyes! Totally awesome! I love being a mess after working out. Makes me feel like I kicked some butt and burned major calories!

2. I have my longest run ever tomorrow morning! 6 miles baby! I am excited to tackle this distance. But I am nervous again cause it will be dark. However, as you know, I will be rockin' all my new reflective gear! Robot Rae will be running tomorrow! Of course I will take pics in my gear in the dark.

3. I have my 5K Sunday morning. I'm getting excited. The course is flat, so maybe I'll PR. I hope to have pics to share. I don't think we'll have spectators with us though. I will try to take some before and afters.

I had a race dream last night. My friend S was there and apparently she's the person that says "Go!". Well, she said go and I wasn't ready. I had on a jacket and my purse with me??? So I gave S my purse and then had to take off my jacket. So then I was late starting. And then the course wasn't marked well and people were getting lost. Too weird. That is the second dream in about a week that I had and I started a race late for some reason.

Be back tomorrow with a great (hopefully) run report!

10K Training Week 9

2010-09-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

Here is my training for Week 9.

Sunday ~ Hard CORE (Check!)
Monday ~ X-Bike, 2-mile Run, Hard CORE (Check!)
Tuesday ~ Boot Camp
Wednesday ~ X-Bike, 3-mile Run, Hard CORE
Thursday ~ Boot Camp
Friday ~ Run 6 miles!
Saturday ~ Rest (Run Around Erie 5K is on Sunday!)

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I'm getting my long run in this week on Friday morning because I want to take Saturday off to rest up for my 5K. I'm really excited for the 5K. The course is actually flat! I can't wait to see how I do!

5.5 Miles

2010-09-19T10:33:00.003-04:00

I had my longest run to date yesterday...5.5 miles!

I was a little anxious for this run. Because I skipped last weekend's long run (5.5 miles), it had been 2 weeks since a long run and an outside run. In the past 2 weeks I did get my shorter 2-mile and 3-mile runs in, but I was still a little nervous.

It was beautiful out and a perfect day for a run. It was sunny with some clouds and just about 70 degrees. Hubby had mapped out a 5K loop in our neighborhood that he wanted me to run and use my Garmin to see if it was a 5K. So I was planning on doing the 5K loop twice, but just stopping short at 5.5 miles. So I ran the 5K loop, and then decided to go a different route for the rest. I had my new handheld water bottle in my driveway that I picked up after the first 3.1 miles. Then I ran the last 2.5 miles with it. The last 2.5 miles were my slowest. I'm not sure if it was the water bottle slowing my down or I was getting tired. I didn't really feel tired. But the bottle was added weight. Plus, I'm not really good at running and drinking at the same time. So I know I slowed down to drink.

Overall I had a pretty good run...especially considering I didn't do a long run last week. I know I could have gone longer, but I'm a girl that sticks to the plan so I just stuck with 5.5 miles.

After my run.

Mr. G's run stats.

Handheld water bottle review: I did like the waterbottle. It was way better than running with just a plain old water bottle. I liked how I didn't have to really hold it. It will take more getting used to though because I don't normally hold things when I run. I would only use it on long runs because I'm fine without water on my shorter runs. I like that it has a pouch too.