Racing and crafting

Things have been a little different at my job lately, my partner at night moved to day shift on another floor and in order to have coverage on more days they asked if I would work 5 eight hour shifts per week or 11p-7a Monday-Friday so that is what I have been doing lately.  I had already signed up for the Kaiser Permanente 5K race in Atlanta for Thursday Sept, 13 so I asked if I could just come in a little late that night.  So I came home Thursday morning, slept a bit and off to Atlanta I went. 

 

We got there super early to make sure we could get parking since the race was going to be so large.  It was a warm day but there was a nice breeze and we checked out the Expo and hung out listening to the music until Jason's Deli arrived with our box lunches.  We chowed down and then walked back through the Expo again to see what else had been put up since before.  I met my new boyfriend, Mr. Broccoli.  Then we warmed up with the group exercise.

 

This was a HUGE race, when we lined up you couldn't see the front or the back of the swarm of people.  The race started at Turner field, made a loop around the capitol and then ended back at Turner.

 

It was slow getting started due to the sheer number of people that were participating, however it started to open up a little into the race.  We finished in 35:45 which was pretty good, I have not run in 4 weeks, yikes!  The marathon training burned me out from running so I decided to drop it.  I think I may do another half though, I enjoyed that length and the training was not nearly so time consuming.  

 

The sunset was beautiful at the end, we grabbed our t-shirts and headed out, stopped for a delicious milkshake on the way home.  I stopped by the house showered up and headed to work.  Running this race definitely has me wanting to do more 5Ks!

I made Arnetra's baby Zachariah a present the other day and took it to her at work.  I used the caps off of vials from work that I had saved for a long time and never knew what to do with them to cover the frame.  I made the background with fabric and cut out of scrapbook paper the moon and caterpillar.

Trail Run

I completed my first trail run this weekend.  It was a really enjoyable race.  There were about 220 total participants.  The weather could not have been more perfect, a high of 82 on the first day of June is fantastic.  It was a 15k race through Dauset Trails.

 

The day was perfect and the time went by quickly under the cover of the trees.  There were water stations about every 2 miles.  I felt like I was flying along but I took 1:55 to finish.  I am not disappointed though  because all the hills were much tougher than running on road.  My endomondo on my phone was off, not picking up well in the trees because it said I averaged about 14 min/mile but the chip time was an average of 12:26.

Courtney and I walked the first mile then started running, I think I passed about 18 people after running. 

 I was going so fast during the end that Clay could only get my foot as I ran through the finish.

Official Race Photos

The Zooma site posted the race pics last night.

I still can't believe I did it. Glad I have the pictures to prove it.

Zooma Half Marathon

Good Morning! Getting ready for race day. This is my surprised racing face.

I totally had the Chateau Elan lady pose down.

Clay was ready to cheer me on.

Ready, set, GO!

Love the honey badger sign!

Hydrate, hydrate. I walked/ran the first 5 miles at a little better than a 13 minute mile pace, starting at mile 5 I started running and ran the rest of the race. I took 2 walking breaks, once when my thighs and hips were getting too tight and once more when I was feeling queasy going up a hill. I managed to maintain about an 11 minute mile pace for those 8 miles. I also realized that I cannot do math while racing because I was all excited at the 5 mile mark thinking I was halfway through, then it dawned on me at mile 7 that I had slightly miscalculated that. I had no idea of how I was doing after the 5 mile marker, I didn't check my time anymore. I dropped my camel back at mile 5 and stuck my phone in my jog bra so I didn't want to keep pulling it out and checking it.

This was a killer hill at mile 10, not the best time to eat the Gu I had but there was a water station to chase it so I did what I had to. I actually went a little past the Gu station and realized they had it and doubled back a few paces but was past the water so I held it until I got to the next water station. It was the chocolate which I had not had before. It tasted like brownie batter. The taste was great, but it was really hard to swallow, especially while running up a big hill. I also was worried that I was going to have Gu chocolate all around my mouth in the finish line photos.
I decided when I started running at 5 that I would try not to let anyone pass me and stay ahead of me for the remainder of the race. I also was going to count how many people I could pass before the end and set a goal of 30. I got to 30 and decided to try for 50. At the 12 mile mark I had 5 more to go, the first 2 were easy, the next 2 kept speeding up as I got closer but I finally got ahead of them and passed one more for a total of 51. I was worried that a couple of them were going to catch me in the final stretch so I really pushed myself and maybe too hard, I didn't realize that the last 0.1 mile was going to be UPHILL. I was almost to the finish line and got the urge to throw up, there was a lady in a white shirt standing near the end and just yelling her heart out, "come on, you got it, finish strong, smile to the end." So I smiled to the end while wanted to puke on the inside and certain that I was going to pass out as soon as I crossed the finish line. I just KNEW that the race photographers were going to get a photo of me slumping to the ground. Thankfully, I made it through ripped the top off a water bottle, sat my butt on the curve and put my head between my legs before I landed on the ground. Between swigs of water I started to feel better and realized that my legs were stiffening up already so I got up and walked around slowly while finishing my water and letting it sink in that I had just finished a half marathon.
I DID IT!!

Not only did I do it, but I noticed my time as I was almost to the finish line and kinda thought I was hallucinating. My goal was to finish in under 3 hours. My time was 2:33:46. I had definitely underestimated myself. What an awesome feeling!!

Then, the moment I have been waiting for....I put my 13.1 magnet on my car. I'm all official and stuff now.

Do Life 1/2 Marathon Style

Can't wait to sport my new "do life" shirt at my first half marathon this weekend. I am participating in the Zooma Atlanta race which is actually held at Chateau Elan. I am super nervous and super excited. I cannot believe how much can change in a year! The plan is, if I don't face plant at the finish line or before I plan on signing up to do a whole at Callaway Gardens in January when the do life guys come to GA again to run the 52 in 52.

Who is this Girl??

After my suitcase epiphany that I had a week or 2 ago I went back and was looking at old photos. These photos are not proudly placed around my house and there is a reason why. I was not happy with these photos, I was not happy with myself. These photos represent a time that I often avoided doing things because I was so uncomfortable with myself. I had let myself go, I gave up on the inner adventurer and fun lover and I was so embarrassed that I could let me down like that.

Mortified there was a photo like this, but now glad to have it to remind me how far I have come and that I never want to go back!

Still room for improvement, don't ever believe that you have achieved it all because then the only place to go is down. 1st race ever, climbing over a pile of old cars, covered in mud, and HAPPY!

I look so foreign to myself in this photo, this is when I just finished nursing school and started my job. I would not recognize this girl if I passed her on the street, and she is me.

Please let me be outdoors and moving!

This was about at my heaviest, not sure because I avoided the scale like it was the plague.

Amazing how losing about 25% of your body weight will lighten your load, both in your physique and most of all, in spirit. I love taking goofy photos now and I don't feel like everyone is staring at me.

A great hairdo and a dress can only go so far to make you feel pretty.

I look so tired and worn out at my heaviest, and now I look like I have tons of energy (sometimes that is true, sometimes it is not.)

Promise to self...Never again!!

Tribute to the many more races in the future (next is November), not having to hide photos anymore, and to feeling great and experiencing everything I can that this life has to offer. Bring it on!

Spontaneous 5k Sunday?

Was reading Caitlin's blog, HTP this morning after work and watched a very inspiring video.



I followed the video to the Do Life website, i noticed that Atlanta's 5k is this weekend, and I just happened to be off and headed that way anyway. Meant to be?? I thought so. So unless something crazy happens I think I will be joining the Do Life crew in Centennial Park Sunday at 10:15 for a little exercise.

Racing

Funny GPS find from last weekend on the way to Warrior Dash, Mountain City, GA 2011. Truly the name of the town in Jot Em Down. Whoda thunk it?
Always crafty me wanted to make t-shirts for the race. This is Eric's handywork. We had decided that team tortoise was a good name since it was going to be a slow race.
Allyson and I got our pre-race birthday (mine) celebration on complete with my Bennie and the Jets glasses. Thank you dollar store! How I do love some prop action for photos.
Off to the race. We bussed in. The hubby (with hat) and his friend Eric showing their scariest warrior pose.

My bestie, Ally and me pre-race. She didn't run with me this time, she and clay were our groupies. They came out to show support and took some awesome photos. Unfortunately, they were there to witness my none than stellar, thoroughly terrified transition over the top of the 20 foot wall.
As we rounded the bend from the initial jog into the course we heard screaming, cold mountain nasty pond water will do that to people. I mentioned to Eric that I felt kinda like I was on a nature show where the wildebeests all go crazy and try and cross the river at the same time.
Oh, just kidding...here I am. Yes, I am raising the roof.
I was standing on top of a car in this pic below, I promise. There is a photo somewhere in which you can actually see the car. I WILL find that photo and post it too.
Me and Eric, 2 obstacles in...9 more to go. This is what our game faces look like.

3rd and scariest obstacle of all for me. I crawled right up the rope but I freaked out at the top having to go over. The foot "holds" were less than 2 inches deep and my muddy feet kept slipping off. When I leaned over the top to switch to the other side I imagined myself landing on my head. So I chilled on top (20 feet in the air) for a minute or so until I could gather the gumption to climb on down. Embarrassing!
Water slide of epic super-awesomeness! They had to throw a bale of straw in front of me at the bottom I was going so fast.


Mud bath anyone? Ally and Clay did not want hugs, sadface.
Trying to see just how pathetic my results were. Keep in mind, this was my first race EVER please. It was a 5k plus 11 obstacles and I I quite sure that my little FREAK out on top of the wall cost at least 30 minutes ;) My time was around 53 minutes.
Here the hubster was trying to steal our racing glory all jumping into the warrior shot.
1st race medal. I think I am addicted!



With my warrior helmet and post-race mud face.


He would not hug me but he let me give him a muddy smooch. What an absolute blast! I can't wait to do it again. I also signed up for another race today....more on that to come.