The long Race report! and other ramblings

Sorry I have been M.I.A with Birthday going on's and I had a slew of family visiting it was certainly nice to see all of them! and they kept my kiddos so Handsome and I could sneak out for a birthday date! We went to a cute little cozy restaurant here in town and enjoyed Champagne and Appetizers I really had a great day...

So on to the Race....Sunday morning wake up at 5:45, I really wanted to give myself enough time to wake up, fuel up, calm down and be ready, today was the day! I had been talking to my own brain all weekend. I continued to tell my self that all I needed was 9:45 paces to do this...this would be pushing it but to remember that burn feels soooo goood!

I couldn't even get my coffee down my throat! ugghhh so not a morning person! I gagged on a PBJ and packed some things thinking in a bit I could eat! I drank water hit the bathroom, loaded the car, kids and husband and we were off. We arrived at the race with plenty of time to spare...the weather PERFECT 63 and a slight breeze, I had not stressed about my outfit I just wore my favorite shorts and favorite brooks running shirt....Sorry TMB , next time I promise to be more coordinated. (If y'all don't know TMB you should click on her and be prepared for the most hip running fashions, she even gets her hubby to coordinate! She must have magical powers!) Anyhow I was comfy and there were sooooo many people there that I knew! I began chatting and then slowly feeling hungry! yayyy I was able to put down a banana and bottle of water with minimum gagging!

Handsome being the ever supportive, if not completely sarcastic jerk Gem that he is said "baby you do this in 30 or under or I won't come back to another race.." thanks for the motivation baby, remind me next time to leave your ass on the side of the road....we kid, we kid! Anyhow, he only gets away with such sayings because he knows that the only thing stopping me is my own brain!

We lined up I managed to get in the middle of the pack, the gun went off and we were moving, I left my Ipod behind, today I wanted to be in my own head talking to myself, you can read that as day dreaming because before I could come back to reality there was some dude yelling 9:25....when I awoke from my slumber/day dream I realized I was already at mile 1...I thought awesome totally on track I can do this now how do I get back to that dream world?

I came up on the water stop and needed a drink my mouth was soooo dry! So I grabbed water and stood for a second and then took off again... I stopped because I still have not learn to run and drink from a cup...that stop my friends cost me 21 precious seconds..

Mile 2 the little chick yells 20:37, I was getting stoked I had 9:20 some ide seconds to get the last 1.1 and still feeling great knowing I could sprint the last .2 to the line....then I hear "you guys know they saved the killer hill'S for last!" I thought no way, Southern Maryland is as flat as flat can be.....ummm except for Civista hill when I was at the bottom I thought oh crap....then my little brain said "hey just sprint it out baby" and that is what I did Sprint up, not so bad let it carry me down only to find I was at the bottom of a long incline up, craaappp ....ok slow and steady wins the race right? and that is where I saw them, two of the most muscular dudes I have ever seen, dying going up hill I thought I am gonna chick you two so bad that when I get to the finish I want to be able to point them out to hubby! So I passed them on the hill, they passed me on the down hill, I passed them again going up they jump a cone to pass me.....and we are .2 from the line and the clock says 28.52, I looked at one and said "see ya" my long sprinting strides took over...

I was positive I was going to puke, muscular dude number one stayed with my for about thirty seconds, as I crossed the finish Handsome was there yelling and cheering and so were my cutie pies....I looked at the race clock 30:45 is what it read...so I installed the Boston rule (they allow the extra :59 seconds on a qual time!) My official chip time was 30:21!! I say it was a great day! I was proud, and felt awesome after wards....I know many of you are thinking it was a 5k what is this chick going on about? I would just like to remind you in January I couldn't run a half Mile, and now I had just finished a 3.1 mile race in 30 minutes, it was such a powerful thought to see how far I had come, my paces were 9:47( my first race in February it took everything I had to stay with 11:30 goals) which was just off my goal....stupid water stop.

It was a PR by 3 minutes....I have been on cloud nine since Sunday!

ohhhh and I got a Garmin for my birthday, it totally needs a name! I will start taking suggestions and there will be a small prize for the winner! If one of the names is picked! Hope everyone is having a great week, I will be around to catch up on blogs soon....but please be patient I am busy training for my 10k in June... :)

PR BABY!!! mini race report

Alright.......I finally did it!!! I have been saying for weeks my goal was to get a 30 minute 5k before I moved on to 10k!

I decided a time of 30:59 or less would make me happy (right that is the way Boston does it with the :59) So I am here to say I ca officially move on!

This morning's 5k was 30:21 ....and I still kicking myself for walking through the water stop! There were two killer hills at the end...seriously with less then half a mile to go the hills were daunting! I kicked it up the first one and crawled/rolled up the second, but when I rounded the corner with .2 to go and say the clock at 28:45 I knew I had a minute to sprint!!

I did it I did it...

Thank you for my birthday present running gods and legs.....I can say I am pretty happy!

More at a later time I got to get a shower!!

Happy Sunday looking forward to race reports!

don't be hokey!

When I said the other day I was tired of making excuses for myself I truly meant it! I still make excuses in my brain but then I counter act myself, by squashing the excuses. Persevering is a tough thing, but I think once we see the other side of our perseverance and what it can do for us, we feel good about our choices and it becomes easier to make good decisions.

I ran Crystal city 5k last night, again with high hopes, I had a decent training week and although I have been plagued with inner calf pain, I was not about to make any excuses for myself! I did not realize how many people were at CC5K, over a 1,000 runners holy smokes! Just looking at the crowd of city dwellers, and other active life forms made, a hunky chunky running Mom like myself cower.

I am usually totally pumped on Race day and ready to go, I am a middle of the pack kinda chick and even if by some not so weird chance I am the last runner, there are always the walkers so I won't be dead last....serious fear of mine for whatever reason. Just looking around at the crowd was totally enough to intimidate me last night! Every one was fit (or fit looking), they were young (I am youngish too) but I mean college age, we are gonna run this in 5 mins and then go party for the rest of the night young looking! I started making jokes to my husband, to look for me at the local hospital because the street sweeper would probably run my short ass over when the big crowd was gone! He laughed and agreed the crowd seemed like a fit one!

When it was time to line up I got lost in the sea of people! What I did not realize is that I had lined up with the 5 minute pace group.....ugghhhh crap, When I saw the mile one sign,I knew I had gone out fast, what I did not know is that I had gone out 8:10 for the first mile fast.....here is where things get shady.... (if your still with me)

I saw 8:10 on my watch, and knew in my mind I was in trouble, but was I REALLY in trouble or is that what my brain was telling me? Either way I backed waaaay off and saw the water stop up a head at mile 1.5 by time I got there I was walking, when I walk the pain sets in, I got a drink stood there for a second or ten and took off again.

At this point I had stood long enough that the pain was bad no matter what I was doing, should I quit now? and hobble my way over to the finish line or push through....I can tell you guys, one thing I am not is a quitter, I may make excuses, I may whine, but I rarely loose an argument and I never quit! That and "Baby got back", was blasting through my Ipod, I don't care if martians just landed, if "Baby got back" is playing, I feel good. hey hey don't judge me......this mama got some back.....and I roll in a honda (nobody has to know that it is a honda mini-van).

sorry I got off track, anyhow I kept running slowly and painfully, but as I rounded the corner and so those cute little faces, on my little girls yelling, go mommmyyy, I couldn't help but sprint it out! My official time was 33.07. yup, it is a PR by 2 seconds! I hobbled over to the grassy knoll where tears began to squeak out because of the pain! Thank god for compression socks, as soon as I could slide them over my sweaty legs I felt much better!! The little ladies got Ice cream and we headed home!

This morning I headed to Pacers our local running store, I had "Mr. Chilsed calfs" as the authors of "Run like a mother"(if you have not read it yet GO GET IT....NOW) call him! He said that he did not think I was suffering shin splints, and my shoes look great! Instead his suggestions were
A. Growing pains of running
B. dehydration and lack of potussium thus inducing acid burn in thy muscles
c. Cramps from above mentioned things

All I really know is I paid $30.00 for some foam roller thing MR C.C. suggested...he was incredibly nice and had a wealth of knowledge, just a little bit sticker shock when you pay so much for Styrofoam! Anyhow hopefully all of this helps! My Mom had good suggestions too! Thanks Mom!

Ok so I just wanted you all to know that, I could not blog until I had answers to my issues, because I would be making excuses otherwise right? Nope I am being pro-active!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Today I am thankful for....an every patient Husband and children who follow me to my races, to watch me get all sweaty, upset with myself for not finishing faster, and generally thrilled to be able to race! Actually, I think it was the ice cream bribe that got them all out of the house! :P at any rate I am still thankful for their support!

Three things Thursday...

First, I don't know why, but I decided I needed to race again this week so tomorrow I am running Crystal City 5K can I get a PR in the house pleasssssseeee running gods?

I am just tagging along with three things Thursday this week, my brain does not seem to be able to cough up anything else!

1. Holy workouts batman! I decided on Monday, that I do not push me body hard enough, fast enough for long enough! Sure I can run, sure I can finish a race, but I bet you I can do it faster, and I bet I can run further! and I am not actually betting you guys as much as I am betting myself! Also on the days I don't run I absolutely have to do some other form of exercise, another bet I made with myself! This can be riding my bike, aerobics, weights or my current fave Jillan's Shred....TODAY I can barley cough, sneeze, laugh or lift my children without wincing, all for 20 minutes on level two with Jillian, it actually is really painful, feels freaking awesome!!!

2. Also, on Monday (wow I thought a lot on Monday) I decided I was not eating right, when I decided to start running it was to loose some weight and to do something I have never done before, I relished in the "thing I have never done before part" and not the loosing weight part! I hate to admit that, and don't get me wrong even without being overly strict about what I eat I have lost weight, inches and changed my body SOME.....but I want to be able to quit the hunkey chunky running Mom club before long(and be in the speedster,marathoning Mama club) and my Brie and triscuits with Honey is not helping me get there!

So I have gone Psycho on my booty and have been making much better choices about what I eat! I have always been able to consume large quantities of food! Yup I can take out a whole pan of brownies, an entire brick of cheese or half of a large pizza all by my little lonesome! Not to say I am proud of these things, just saying this girl can eat! When I was nursing, people would laugh at the amount of food I would consume, I guess they just weren't expecting a chick to eat like a 500 pound Man! SO instead of consuming junk,(that would not keep me full) When I get hungry (and decide I could eat a small horse,) I make a giant salad with many veggies, and fruit on the side and I consume without guilt! I was starving at lunch today, I was able to put away, half a chicken breast, 3 cups of salad greens, 1 cup of broccoli, 1/2 cup of carrots, a spinkle of cheese and one tablespoon of dressing! Packing in the veggies and fruit feels great! and I feel really good too!! Eating right is really a fine tuned balancing act! and for me a work in progress.

3. Excuses, I told you the other day I have been making excuses! I really have been whining and complaining about whatever I can latley! So much so that I am driving myself nuts. So I decided that also needed an overhaul. Sure I am having some leg pain, and some Achilles problems, my days are long (but who's aren't?), I am tired after getting up with Itty bitty who is teething (again), so on and so forth blah blah blah....I also want to loose weight and be faster so what is all my complaining getting me? NOTHING, NATTA, ZILCH, ZERO......So it's over, I am no longer making excuses for myself and I am going to do everything I can to complain less, about everything including my in-laws haha just kidding they are great wonderful people whom I don't ever complain about! But you get the picture, instead I will be trying to find things I am thankful for! Thank you to all my friends in both the real and blog world who have listened to my bitching' for far too long..I am sorry I promise to try harder! Tonight, I put this to the test, actually all week Hubby has been away, and I could have easily made excuses not to run or cross-train but I didn't!! Tuesday, I ran with the stroller, yesterday I did shred during nap time, today I began to blow off my run when I decided I had no reason to, and although I only got two miles in because by time I got out there it was dusk, dark fell on me quick, I still got two miles in!! Take that excuse maker!!



Ok All this hit me on Monday!
Dear,Rude awakening,
You caught me, I hear you loud and clear I am trying to change, please bare with me while I try my best! Thank you for shaken my ass up and bringing me back to reality!

so so proud of all you Boston bloggers, I watched some of it in complete aweee...I would be lying if I said there was not some spark of "hey I want to do that one day in me" yikes I think my heart just skipped a beat, mostly I just want the Jacket...and if you have ever seen my jacket collection you would know that if I had to run 26.2 miles for the awesome Jacket I would freaking do it! Yup I am bazzzaarrr like that! and don't say to me "you can just buy the jacket" I already know, I want to freaking earn the jacket!

Ok so maybe that was more like 110 things but I had a lot to say, the creative juices just didn't start flowing until I started typing! Happy Friday tomorrow!

Today I am Thankful for a supportive community of friends and family (bloggies included) who know how to hold me accountable for all the ridiculous things I manage to sign myself up for!!!

What are you thankful for? Do you ever make excuses?

di di dum diddley deeee

I could write for two hours tonight, I have so much going on in my brain and I am trying to sort it all out!! I am going to do extended bullets so there is not so much confusion! Ok every one hang in there with me.....

First and foremost an extended race report, I am sorry the one from Sunday was so quick we had family staying with us and I did not want to be rude! I really felt good during the race but I was slightly annoyed that the course was not marked properly as in the only mile marker I saw was mile one and from there I had no freaking clue where I was and it drove me crazy!! All that being said, I heard a nasty rumor today that the course was actually 3.5 miles long and not 5k distance of 3.1....I have no idea if this is true but I would like to believe it in my brain because that would then mean I finished 3.1 in thirty minutes! Anyhow no reason to dwell on the past, I will get sub 30 before long! Although it was fun, I enjoyed it, and it refueled my fire for running!

uh-huh you heard me say re-fuel....pretty much since the day I bonked I have been in a hate relationship with running! I have not blogged much or told anybody because I was not ready to give up, I just hit a hard spot and had to work through it. In fact I only ran once in the week leading up to the race and was nervous because of it! I am blessed with a loving supportive handsome hubby who puts up with my freak show self on a daily basis, he was nothing but words of encouragement and jokes for the entire week! SO now I am back to my love/hate relationship with running, yup I love it when a tough run is over but hate the moments leading up to going running! Maybe one day we can take our relationship to the next level of all love....so be for warned Hunky chunky RUNNING mom has resumed!

Today I went for a run with itty bitty in the stroller! Hubby is away on a business trip and I was not going to let that be an excuse, because seriously I have been making excuses lately and I am done! there are no excuses anymore! So anyhow we parked and tried out the "rail trail" while little missy was at school. I had a hard time with the stroller this is the first time I had to use it and I was not a fan but it was fun to share my run with itty bitty she loved it! I ran and ran and OMG it is 10:30 and I have not turned around and I have to get little missy in an hour, I was at least 20 mins from the school!! and god only knows how far from my car! I took off running back towards the car, we managed to squeak out three miles in about 34 minutes, not too bad considering I had 40 pounds of pushing in front of me!

Realization today! Construction workers around these parts can be total creepers! Sorry I don't mean to offend anyone who does construction or anyone who's hubby does, but in these here parts, honking your giant dump truck horn at a Hunky chunky Mommy with her baby in the stroller more than once, is just creeper status all the way!! Unless you were about to run my ass over, please don't honk it scare the bejesus out of me!

Watching parts of Boston was sooooo inspiring! Woooowwww maybe one day....just maybe!

Decided today that maybe I don't feed my family so healthy! I mean I always make sure they get fruits, veggies, protein and dairy in their diet, but I also feel like I am a little lax about the junk food! This has really been driving me crazy and I don't want to obsess about what my kids eat but I feel like I need to curb the junk food to the tenth degree, it seems every time I turn around someone is begging for junk and I am not ok with that! I will be a better example as well, the girls and I made whole grain English muffin pizzas for dinner with veggies and it felt good that every one had a nice healthy dinner that they enjoyed!

Ok so I am back and ready to attack...(running attack to be clear, and maybe the next construction worker who honks while I am running)

Okay so I can't wait to hear about Boston! I hope everyone else is having a great week I promise to make my way around to make comments tonight!

did she PR?? a race report

did I PR??? I did, I did! I shaved an entire 1:35 seconds off my last record! So I finished my second 5k in 33.09, I really wanted to break 30 minutes, but that will have to wait for another race.

I felt good I ran this race comfortably! My Achilles has really given me some trouble the last couple of days and I am considering getting it checked ...(yup it's that bad!) So I did my best not to break myself during this run and I can say I defiantly did not!

There were a few snotty Mom's who had made snide comments at pre-school last week, and I don't want to brag or be Ugly so I will leave it at I beat the pants off of them, by a good 5 minutes haha, I think I will stick out my tongue when I see them next! How mature and adult like of me!

My only complaint is that it was freeezzzziiiinnnngggg!! It was no kidding 40 degrees at the start line. It was 85 degrees on Friday! geeezz I would like for the weather to make up it's mind! Anyhow here are a few photos. Good luck to all the Boston peeps and I am excited to read other race reports, enjoy your weekends!


Thats me in the pink!


the girls and I at the finish

big achilles.....

My Achilles is swollen like ouch...Actually it did not hurt while running it just gets big and puffy after wards and is tender! I am not even sure it is my achilles but it is that area....sure I get rid of the inside calf pain and now this! Oh well I put some Ice on it and it will be o.k.!

Can't find my recovery socks!!! This should not surprise you I cannot ever keep up with my socks! I was doing pretty good with $35 recovery socks but I think my washing machine got hungry!

I totally walked tonight during my run...hello can you say wus! It was only for a minute but ummm I can't remember the last time I did that!

I am racing this weekend and I am overly nervous, I have not been able to shake my nerves all week....and who knows why?

I think I forgot to mention that I signed myself up for a 10k, all so I could meet Sara Bowen Shea of "Run like a mother"!! I also managed to suck my BFFFL into it, sorry Katy but you know you still love me and you will still be my BFFFL, and yes I happen to be twelve tonight!

I could not bring my brain to actually write a nice flowing post so I just hit the highlights, I am lazy and tired...time to rest up so I can be super speedy this weekend.....eat my dust other racers...bwhahahah I wish!

All you Boston peeps ....good luck you have already made it! Now have the time of your lives!!!! Happy Friday everyone!

runnning runnning running...run onnnnnn

or is that rolling rolling rolling.....either way, As you can see I have been absent since turning into a cute little chimp on my last run...it is pretty hard to type with those thumbs they have ... Actually, and truthfully sometimes life gets in the way of my blogging....damn that stuff we call life! how dare you interrupt my witty writing schemes!

Handsome and I have been on a serious home improvement kick, I told you about our impromptu kitchen re-do and well now our deck is half torn down, as we have decided that we don't like it and need a new one.....seriously I am unsure why we do this to ourselves. But it has been my job to go around and take out all the screws, there are 100 boards on the top deck each has 22 screws in them, most of them old and rusty, can you imagine the fun I have been having! Forget bad ass runner mom, I am a bad ass with a drill/runner mom!! bwhahah I make my own self laugh!

Actually, I am quite versatile, after all not only are we doing the deck, I have been in the midst of baby shower plans that are going on for my sister in law this weekend, and well it has not been a walk in the park, but that is a story for another time!

Oh yeah and running! After my bad ass five on Tuesday, I took Wednesday as a rest day, I was super sore!! Thursday I was supposed to do a tempo run but my kids really deserved a trip to the park. So little missy and I ran there and back which overall is about a mile! she was great she is 3 and a half (please don't forget that half it upsets her!) and she would jog for a minute or two and then stop to "stretch" I think I laughed the entire time! She was in a dress and her super fast "running shoes" and those were here words the whole time "mommy aren't I so super fast!" totally adorable although she runs a little like Phoebe from friends!! More of a skip than a run, but non the less totally worth every minute I missed running to be with her.

and then on Friday I went running with a total Rockstar!! She just so happens to be one of my besties....she is the Mom of three. Three of the cutest kids I know and I swear if she would let me, I would glue my self to her hip, I would do it in an instant! Seriously she is that awesome! She is a former runner, (As in before she had kids she used to run and loved it!) and I will just say I was nervous!! I am totally confident this chick could roll me up and smoke me on a run in no time! I just did not want to be embarrassed, but as it turns out when you have a best friend, there is really no reason to be embarrassed. I figured she would still love me, even if I am slow.

So we headed out for a 5k! and we did great.....I don't know if she was taking it easy on me, but I was able to keep up with her! and we managed to kick it out in 34.31 which is a great pace!! We pretty much held a conversation most of the run! Now, I never talk and run, and I talked between my huffing and puffing! She was so great and I totally loved having a running buddy!!! and talking while running (although I did not know it was possible) but let's face any chance I get to talk I pretty much cannot refuse, and K and I could be held captive with our mouths taped shut and we would figure out a way to conversate I am pretty sure! The run went by so fast, and I never wanted to give up! I really hope you come back and run with me again K!!! It was the highlight of my running week.... and some creepers in a car totally honked at us....even though she claims she knew them, I know we are just that hottttt.....

Well seeing as how I have to be on my way to Virginia in 20 minutes and I am sitting here typing un-showered I should probably scadoodle, but just another quick highlight, I went window shopping yesterday and I was TWO whole dress sizes smaller.....holy dress fitting gods are you kidding? So excited, until last night when I was trying to pick out something to wear for this baby shower today and nothing fit! Not in a bad way, but like every dress I put on fell off, or looked awful, ok now usually I would not complain...but at 8:35 at night when I was still un-showered from my run and just wanted relax I flew to the mall and dropped $75 on a dress to wear today....all because I am smaller....sayyyy whatttttt at least handsome is a supportive dude and said I totally deserved it!

Anyhow, ahhh must go shower Have a great weekend everyone!

Ruuunnnnnn.. a quick recap!

I did it... I ran the first 5k of my life and totally have a PR! ok so the Pr is a little bit of a joke considering I have never run an official timed race but I finished the race in 34.43 which for me is a PR!!

It was a great race a beautiful day, and a lovely weekend! Other than sharing my bed with Itty bitty (my one year old)she made it really hard to sleep solidly, everything went great, we made it every where we needed to be in time and the kids were not too fussy!

I felt great running today, I know this is so cheesy of me but I got a little emotional in the beginning, thinking that it was not so long ago I was sitting on my couch complaining that working out and getting shape was hard and I was never going to be "one" of those people. Anyhow I was able to fight back the tears have my private sappy moment at the beginning and comfortably run the whole time! I would occasionally catch myself running much faster than I had planned and I really wanted to save my energy for the last half mile. I totally fist pumped it across the finish line!

Speaking of the last half, as I approached it...guess who was standing there? My cute little family talking about moving faster....they were adorable freezing their bums off just to wave as Mommy went by!

Needless to say it was awesome, I am addicted and I have another race next weekend! Which pretty much means,I have to go to bed now because I am exhausted from a busy weekend and we have a busy week to go! I hope everyone had a great run or race weekend looking forward to hearing about all of them!

Gallatea..... things I say to myself while running

hmmm....what the hell is Gallatea you say? ahhh yes

Well Gallatea is the new name I have for my gluts! That's right everyone I have named my butt! Oh yes I did..... you see today while on a 5k test run my friend Gallatea really really got on my nerves! She jiggled and wiggled like she always does but she simply could not push me as fast as I wanted to go... I then said the following things to her...

Dear Gallatea,

You are one of the largest muscles in my body! You are also one of the largest anythings on my body, in fact your HUGE! Is there a reason you can not pick up your friends Thunder thighs and cankels and make them move faster? Oh what was that you said, Lenny lungs simply won't have it? and Hedi head cold simply thinks your dumb to think you can move this body any faster! Well come on Gallatea prove them wrong pleeeeasse.

I know over the years I have not been so great to you Gallatea, but I am trying my hardest right now to make you a popular girl (i.e. Hot ass) but you have to do your part too, now let's pump it out together and by the way could you stop jiggling around so much it is really making me loose my self confidence!

Thanks and yours truly,
Erica (aka the rest of the body your supposed to be pushing)

I did my 5k run through today, it was much slower than I wanted it to go but I figure I have to jump off somewhere and poor Gallatea I did not feed her right today, yes you read that right I did not feed my butt right today in fact all I had was a double cheeseburger! I know completely disgusting, so when I was loosing steam at the halfway mark I really only had myself to blame!

I have been trying to pace myself but finding this a challenge, I also apparently in my 26 years of life have not figured out how to drink from a water bottle and at one point stopped because I managed to choke myself.

Ok so that's enough talk about my rear end friend! 5k-36 minutes....must get faster!