I’m mining my 15k and my 5k for a few November Runfessions today. The Holidays are going to be pretty low key around here. Thanksgiving at my parents Senior Living Community (please God no drama), we celebrate Hannukah, which is not a big deal. So not a whole lot to runfess when it comes to the holidays. I hope wherever you are and whatever you celebrate, you enjoy this time with friends and family.
I runfess . . . I seriously gave consideration to running another half marathon this year. After training for a 15k, I knew I was pretty much there. I got as far as looking a few up, trying to judge the drive.
I decided that even though I was pretty much trained, the stress of the travel — the potential for crappy weather on that travel — just wasn’t the right thing for me right now. I am both sad that I don’t get to see where I’m at, but thinking maybe my body needs this longer break right now (even though it feels pretty good).
Would I soldier on in pain in a half or DNF?
I runfess . . .
I also wondered after that 15k just what would I have done if it had been a half? The pain started before the halfway mark of a half. It was slowly but surely changing my gait — never a good sign. Would I have had the sense to DNF or would I have been stubborn and finished, risking a real injury?
When the sun is shining it’s easier to get out the door — but we don’t get a lot of sun here
I runfess . . .
I am forever procrastinating on getting out the door once the weather dips down into the 30s (and below). Sometimes it seems really cold in our house — or maybe I just imagine it? Then I step outside and it really isn’t so bad and I kick myself for waiting so long. Although sometimes it really is that cold!
Yup, I ran in these sunglasses one day & didn’t even realize it
I runfess . . . I got done with a run one day this week, got to the car, and went to take off my running sunglasses to put on my driving sunglasses. Only I’d never actually put on my running sunglasses. I didn’t even realize it!
Well, good to know I can run in those, although kind of scary how bad my short term memory is lately.
My friends didn’t know I was out here running this
I runfess . . . I kept my 5k last week (read about it here) on the down-lo from my friends. I didn’t tell my running friends beforehand (with one exception). I knew they weren’t interested in running it and sometimes I just want to go and do my own thing, I guess.
Do you procrastinate on getting out the door in Winter?
Do you only race with friends or do you sometimes go solo?
Ever got back to the car after a run & realized something was odd about your outfit?
What do you have to runfess from November? Come join us
Girls on the Run (also known as GOTR) is an awesome nonprofit that helps train young girls to run a 5k, but more importantly, also helps them with their self esteem. The lovely Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner runs one of these groups, by the way.
This was my third time running this 5k (not in consecutive years) and it’s always been kind to me. In fact, it’s my “real” 5k PR. I say real because technically I have one a few seconds faster, but I also know that course was short. Like at least a quarter mile short.
Love the color; not so much the 100% Cotton
Packet Pickup Packet pickup was Friday night at our local Fleet Feet, from 4-7. The locals know how crazy busy that road gets on a Friday afternoon, but I knew it would make my life simpler not having to go back and forth to my car on Saturday.
I ran some errands in the vicinity and got there just a tad before 4, and they were enthusiastic, all set up, and ready to go. I had signed up on Wednesday, so they had to make me a packet, but it was quick and easy.
Not a lot of swag: some True Lemon drink samples and a lip balm. I actually used on of the True Lemon samples last week. The 100% cotton tee was a pretty teal color — of course I prefer a tech fabric, but sometimes in the winter I like to wear cotton tees under a sweater to keep warm.
The river is why I love this path
Getting There & Hanging Out Since I had picked up my bib the night before and was going solo, I didn’t feel the need to get there super early: only an hour before, LOL. I parked in the Riverfront parking garage, which is free on weekends, and a short walk over a bridge to the race start.
We run in this area frequently, and it’s actually one of my favorite areas to run (but only in a group, as there have been several attacks there), so I knew where other free parking was, but I was unsure how far from the start the alternative parking lots were. Note to self: only a quarter of a mile.
I stayed in the car and meditated a bit. I had a really good feeling about this race. It was sunny, but still cold out. Eventually I got out and used a portapotty, walked around a bit (asking a stranger to take my photo), and then did my warmup.
I almost went back to the car to get my slightly heavier jacket, as my teeth were literally chattering as I walked over to the race start — but in the end, after I warmed up, I was fine.
Loving the Skirt Sports High Waist 7/8 Tights!
The weather & dressing The weather was on the chilly side, but really, it was pretty darn nice. Partially sunny. Wind not too bad. 36F (which passes for warm this time of year here).
I chose Skirt Sports Wonder Wool Long Sleeve , Light-ish Jacket, and High Rise 7/8 Tight. (Skirt Sports Ambassador). I had light convertible gloves on as I walked around and did my warm up, but by the first half mile or so my hands were warm and I put them in my pockets. Newton Motion on the feet.
I might have been okay with a Watch Me Go Top instead of the Wonder Wool, but all in all, I was happy with this outfit.
I lined up close to the start to try & avoid too many girls (they can stop suddenly in front of you!)
My Race Plan I put a little thought into how to handle this race. Yes, I wanted to run hard and chase that PR (this race being my 5k PR, after all, and flat, too!). I haven’t been training super hard, of course, and I slept horribly the night before.
I always knew it would be run in positive splits, and I was okay with that.
A Goal: PR
B Goal: How fast can I comfortably run that first mile and what could I hang onto after that?
C Goal: Run Naked
D Goal: Finish with a smile on my face feeling good
So how’d that work for me?
Mile 1: 9:49. My Garmin Vivoactive 3 can be wonky on the first mile. If I just go by what it says, sometimes I’ve slowed down thinking I was running too fast — and I wasn’t. So I just wanted to go comfortably hard. I think that’s the fastest mile I’ve ever run in a race, so mission accomplished. Obviously I decided against the run naked goal.
Mile 2: 10:13. I knew this mile would be slower. I don’t walk at all the first mile, so the second, when I take a short walk break to drink some water, is always slower.
Mile 3: 10:31. I wish I could’ve held on to mile 2’s pace. Even just a tiny bit slower would have snagged me that PR.
Last .10: 9:44. A sprint to the finish. Yes, indeed, finished with a smile and feeling good (well, feeling spent when I crossed the finish line but overall happy with the race after I caught my breath).
31:31 — Official Time
10:09 Average Pace
33 out of 159 (remember, lots of young girls!)
1 out of 6 F55-59
2016: 31:28, 10:08 Average Pace 2015: 31:37, 10:11 Average Pace
The official time is Gun Time (man, I hate when they do that). Net time was 31:27 (which would have been a 1 second PR, LOL!).
There was some ice on the course in several different spots, and I chose to slow to a walk over those spots. I’m quite sure I could have eeked out those few extra seconds for a PR had the course been ice-free, but you do what you do and if it’s not an actual PR, it’s not. No whining. I am very happy with this race.
Don’t get too excited about the fact that I was first in my AG (whether you did 5 or 10 year AGs), because this isn’t a race that draws the speedsters. This race is about the girls, and a lot of people don’t enjoy dodging around them. Oddly enough, almost all my fastest 5ks have been ones that are geared to girls.
Was the race well run?
The race started exactly on time and miracle of miracles, my Garmin showed it was also exactly 3.10 miles. There was a warm up (geared to the girls) before the start. It’s a simple out and back on a narrow path, and yet there are plenty of course marshals to cheer the girls (and adults) on.
The swag and the after race refreshments were underwhelming, but at least there was something, and it’s a good cause.
Final Thoughts
Was it a PR, or wasn’t it? I guess it wasn’t. So tantalizingly close. Much like my recent 15k, I think it could have been without the icy spots, but there’s no prize for could-have-beens (or PRs, for that fact).
There might still be a couple of 5ks in the next few weeks. One is strictly a fun run. The other depends on weather, again. PR or not, I am so, so pleased with this race. I have been running roughly 11 years now. I don’t think my PR days are behind me, not yet, although you never know.
Are PRs important to me? Yes and no. Running is still about challenging myself, being the best version of me under the circumstances given to me on race day. Some day inevitably I will slow down and my PR days will be behind me. I’ll keep running, as long as I’m able to. Maybe I’ll race less. Maybe I’ll run less in general. As long as my body can run, though, I will run.
This race is for a good cause: using running to help young girls feel better about themselves. I wish I’d been exposed to something like this as a young girl, although chances are I would have hated it. I encourage you to see if there’s a chapter near you here.
There are definitely days I wish it hadn’t taken me until my mid 40s to find my inner athlete, although on the other hand, there are days I’m thankful that I started so late, because running may be good for our bodies, but it also is hard on them.
Another week at home, although I had a false alarm midweek. Physically my Dad is regaining some strength, but mentally not so much and it’s only going to continue going downhill. Even with an aide, it’s very hard on my Mom. On everyone, really.
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Running Update
Why does the universe keep throwing cats at me?
Monday I seriously had no desire to run today. Considered waiting til tomorrow and taking it to the mill if the forecast wintry mix showed up (it did, along with some snow). I also know that there will probably be lots of treadmill days in my future, so why retreat when there’s no reason? Ran into another cat on the trail. Why is the universe throwing cats at me lately?
I’ll also add this tip to my post on winter running tips (read it here): plan errands around your run. It’ll get you out the door when you just want to hunker down at home.
This cemetery in the middle of the subdivison seemed a little creepy — must be fun on Halloween!
Thursday The one where I discover #alltheneighborhoods. I set out for a long run (planning on a 5k Saturday), but the path still had some lingering slushy/snowy bits, and I feared the opposite way would be even worse (it was).
So I took one of the side paths that led into a neighborhood. Many neighborhoods, in fact. Hilly neighborhoods. I discovered you could run for miles back there. Would I brave walking 3/4 of a mile on a snowy path to get to those neighborhoods to have someplace new to run in the Winter? Dunno.
This part of the path doesn’t generally have as many people on it as another section I frequently run, but it’s closer to me. If I’m running later in the day, I’m mostly alone. So knowing the neighborhoods are right there is a nice alternative.
All the girls. All the fun.
Saturday The weather was pretty atrocious this week, but I caught the one nice day for my 5k. I signed up early this week, and since it was the Girls on the Run 5k (read about them here), I knew if the weather was really bad it would just be a donation — but I got lucky. So how did that work for me . . . I’ll recap it on Tuesday. Yes, I love to tease. 🙂
Birthday girl first
Favorites of the week
Somewhere in this week, I’m pretty sure, was Lola’s fourteenth birthday. I have been doing some organizing, rearranging, and decluttering — and somehow all her records aside from the past few years have gone missing. I havehad the records from Simba, Chester, and Gizmo still (gone almost 7, 4, and 1 years) — and Bandit’s records with his three different birth dates (not kidding!) — but Lola’s has gone poof! So we simply celebrated her all week.
Beef = laser-like focus
At times Lola is still possessed of puppy-like energy, but we definitely see her age. She’s gotten a little snappy about being handled sometimes. She has a lot of trouble jumping (and we already have stairs in our bed & living rooms for her). She doesn’t want to eat first thing in the morning these days (although evenings are a very different story).
In general, though, considering her age she’s doing well. That’s definitely something to celebrate.
Do you like the challenge of the 5k or prefer the longer distances where you don’t have to go full out all the way?
Do you celebrate your furkid’s birthdays? My SIL is having a “bark mitzvah” for their dog. I kid you not.
I do love me some races in the Fall. This week’s was a 5k. One billed as flat and fast for PRs — yeah, right! The hills weren’t bad, but they were there. I’m getting ahead of myself though.
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Running Updates
Chose the hilly route. Would it help Saturday?
Monday It had to come to an end at some point, right? The nice weather that is. Foggy, drizzly, raw. I had a really good run though. I chose the hilly route outside my neighborhood, the HR cooperated, and despite the hills I had a good pace.
I forgot to take a photo — this was from Monday’s run — it was a beautiful blue sky on Wednesday.
Wednesday A really nice day to run and actually wish I’d worn a skirt instead of capris! I set out thinking maybe I’d do an easy run with strides, maybe a 5k this weekend, and then thought maybe not the 5k so let’s push it a bit (although I’m back to thinking maybe do the 5k).
Somehow though I’d turned off step tracking so all the steps on the run weren’t tracked. In fact, it was a frustrating tech day all around.
We run through this covered bridge & up the hill every weekend training for Freihofers
Saturday First I warmed up up for the 5k, meaning to do .9 mile but somehow spaced out and ended up with 1 mile — which worked out okay since the 5k was just a bit short.
After the 5k I finished off with 7 miles, to round it up to a nice 11 miles — except quite frankly the rest of the run was kind of a death march, starting out slow and just getting slower with each mile. With lots of extra walking towards the end.
I was just so demoralized by how slow I got towards the end that I did run/walk intervals for the last mile. Pushing it when I ran, walking where I felt like it. Fastest mile of the run, which quite frankly isn’t saying much.
Rookie mistake #1: although I actually grabbed some fuel (and had had a snack after the 5k), I didn’t have any electrolytes with me. Maybe that’s why it was so tough? Last week’s long run was so strong.
Rookie mistake #2: Normally when I split a long run into a race and miles afterwards, I drop down my mileage, figuring that during the race I’m really pushing it (which I did). So seriously I probably should have run about 5 miles post race. And had some electrolytes with me.
Well, I got it done. I’m not injured (although one of my toes was bothering me and I worried about a blister, but it’s ok). It was a beautiful day and a good cause.
More nice weather at the rehab
Favorites of the week
Running Buddy J PR’d her half yesterday. The one we ran last year in the Nor’easter. Of course she had beautiful weather. I rarely do, I must be a jinx.
Thankfully I’m not running today — because today it is raining. Most of the week we had really nice weather and I don’t have to go out today, so I’m not complaining.
So you have a favorite time of year to race?
No matter how long you run, do you find yourself sometimes making a rookie mistake?
Can you believe next weekend we fall back — and Darlene runs her first marathon?
If you’re coming up to run Mohawk Hudson/Hannoford Marathon/Half next month, just watch out for those acorns! In 10+ years of running I’ve never been hit by one, until this week. Damn, those things hurt! Did it just naturally fall or did some angry squirrel throw it at me?
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Running Updates
Been watching this vine grow & flower all summer. It’s like in the middle of this person’s lawn. And then boom! A pumpkin? Or some weird squash?
Monday I was going to run in the morning then do grocery shopping. Nope, too humid I’ll run on the treadmilll later. Then I walked the dogs and with the cloud cover it was not bad.
Got home, ate a small snack (since I’m not a fan of the fasted run), and chose a rolling hills route because I’m thinking about a 5k this weekend (all depends on how I feel). It won’t be nearly as hilly, in fact overall somewhat flat, but there’s a little bit of hills.
Because my route was hilly, I did let my HR climb more than I normally do for an easy run, but I just wasn’t feeling the walk breaks (except to drink water each mile) today. The sun started to come out just as I finished. That was my miracle this morning (which refers to last week’s WRD,which you can read hereif you missed it).
You will probably see some wildflowers along the Mohawk Hudson Route
Tuesday I did a sort-of time trial today to try to figure out my HR zones. WU .5 mile, run comfortably hard for 30 min (one walk break roughly halfway through to drink water), and .75 mile cool down. It was nice to know I could still actually run fast, for me.
Now I just have to figure out how to configure those HR zones from the data!
And you will probably encounter some leaves & acorns (hopefully not the falling ones)
Friday Another beautiful Fall morning to run, another day getting out pretty late, but a decent (if slow) longish run. Cause I don’t really consider 6 miles long, even if the longest I’ve run in basically 8 months is 8 miles.
The good news is the 5k on Sunday starts earlier, but the bad news is that park has basically no shade. On the other hand, the weather looks to be good (which is part of why I decided to do it).
Um, yeah, the wind was crazy today and this was before the race! my braid completely fell apart. And yes, the twinning was completely unintentional, too.
Sunday My friend and I had a good time at the Crossing 5k Challenge this morning, with a recap to come on Tuesday.
Not the Mohawk Hudson path, but pretty
Favorites of the week
Unfortunately a few of my running friends are on the injured list. The good news for me, since I wasn’t running but walking, was that I had someone to walk with for a nice long walk on Saturday.
Spicy Crab Japanese Crepe
We had our second visit to the local Japanese crepe restaurant. I chose the spicy crab crepe this time and the blueberry cheesecake dessert crepe; I know, no chocolate, shocking!
The interesting surprise here was that while we were eating, the owner of our favorite sushi restaurant walked in. She owns this restaurant, too. And a few others. She’s a busy lady!
Last but of course not least, I taught my first private yoga lesson this week. She seemed to like it and wants to do more, although she’s busy so synching up our schedules isn’t easy. She’s also running Chicago, btw. We hadn’t discussed price, and I didn’t charge her, although she made the offer to pay me when we were done.
She should be a good resource, as she’s a chiropractor and also helps volunteer coach other runners. I’m trying to decide whether or not to offer her the friends & family price. Probably.
Oh, and really not least, but last: Happy New Year! Yes, it’s the Jewish New Year tonight. I think I’m overdue for a better year. Although there were certainly ups and downs this year. I am headed back down to my mom’s again tonight so she won’t be alone, and I will take her to my Dad again tomorrow.
Do you sign up early for races to save money, or wait til the last minute to make sure you want to actually do it?
Have you ever had your own business? I was a graphic designer for a long time.
How did you handle pricing for people you knew? Would you give the chiropractor a discounted rate?
If you’re not familiar with Girls on the Run, you should check them out. I wish I’d had a program like this when I was a girl! This was my second year running this race, and it was also the second year the race was ran — got that?
Packet Pickup While there was an option to pick up the packet at the Athleta store in the mall (and I would have loved to!), I didn’t have the time on Friday so just picked it up the day of the race. No problems.
Unfortunately because I signed up so late, I could only choose between a L or XL race shirt. I took the L as a throaway. I do love the bright yellow color!
Race Plan Yes, I had a plan for this race, too. It is my last serious 5k of the season, and one of my goals was to run a 31 minute 5k this year. Although the race is chip timed, we only got our gun time for the official results.
The race is meant to be a fun run for the girls, and more serious runners were encouraged to line up near the front, which I did. I still ended up with a lot of girls in front of me, and even though I was gunning for a PR, I was fine with that — as I wrote on last year’s post, I love this group and wish I’d had something like it when I was a kid.
The course is relatively flat with just a few little inclines and declines — mostly declines on the way out, inclines on the way back. It’s one of my favorite paths by the water, but it’s also quite narrow and that makes racing difficult.
So how’d that work for me?
Mile 1: 10:13. Well, darn. I was shooting for a consistent 10mm pace. But still, I know that I tend to be slower the first couple of miles.
Mile 2: 10:13. Wait, what? How in the world did I run the first two miles at the same pace?
Mile 3: 10:04. I knew I needed to pick up the pace if I was to reach my goal. I did pick up the pace, but obviously, I fell short on my goal.
Last .1: 8:03. Sprinting for the finish, as usual!
I can’t blame weather — it was just perfect for racing. I can’t blame anything. I tried my hardest. I did shave 9 seconds off of last year’s time, and last year’s race fell a little short of 5k — this year was spot on.
2015: 31:37
2016: 31:28
Negative splits, though, baby!
The weather & dressing It was a foggy and chilly 30 something when I got there, and probably around 40 by race start. I dressed much lighter than last year (although I never took a photo of the outfit, bad blogger!). I wore a Skirtsports free flow long sleeve top (love this top!) and lotta breeze capris in frolic with CEP compression sleeves and my Newton Gravity IIIs. I topped it all off with my I Run Like a Girl jacket (it seemed appropriate).
What I Saw/Felt I didn’t get there as early as I did last year — and parking was already going quickly by the time I got there. But I got my spot, my shirt, put them in the car, then ran into Darlene on the way to use the portapotties.
We chatted a bit and made plans to meet afterwards for more miles, but she was there with a group so I used the potty and wandered around for a while, until I bumped into a friend from my running group and we hung out together until the start.
It had been very foggy (and cold!) when I arrived, but the fog was lifting and the sun was peeking out and it was promising to be a lovely day.
The race was supposedly chip timed (there were chips on the bib), but the results see, to be gun time. I also knew that the path is quite narrow, so if you’re aiming to race, as I was, you need to be near the front — so I got pretty near it.
I always dither a bit about lining up near the start and having to take a walk break just 2 minutes into the race. Especially on a narrow trail! I try to be very courteous and always be over on a side so I’m not stopping abruptly in front of anyone, and I try to be aware of people behind me, too, for the same reason.
I tried hard not to weave much, but it was hard, as there were quite a few points where the path was blocked with girls — and it’s their day, after all. It didn’t make me angry, but sometimes it was just a wee bit frustrating.
My friend thought she would finish far behind me, since she hadn’t been doing speedwork. I know she is a naturally faster runner than me. She was ahead of me for much of the race, but in the end finished just seconds behind me — although she was expecting a much worse finish time.
I didn’t run by feel this year. I watched my pace — sometimes — and I dug deep and really tried. I did my run/walk intervals, but I didn’t take any photos during the race. Someday I hope to run my 31 minute 5k. I hope I can do it before age slows me down!
Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll do it running a 5k by feel, but I don’t run a lot of 5ks. I think this was the third 5k I’ve run this year.
My first race — a 5k — was in 2010. I’d been running about a year by then, mostly on my treadmill. I finished in 39:19 (that race is also in early summer, so I’ve never set a 5k PR running it), so I’ve taken almost 8 minutes over that time in the last 6 years. Of course, some of my 5ks are much slower than my PR too!
Was the race well run?
I’d say it was actually better run than last year, with the exception of there being more runners and therefore parking went quickly! I got there at 9 am (for a 10 am start) and parking was almost filled already.
Final Thoughts
So this is what I wrote at the end of last year’s race:
What is my 5k PR, anyway? One of these days I’ll hit 31. Maybe even 30 although seriously right now I don’t feel capable of sustaining 10 mm for 3.1 miles (I guess you’d actually have to be just under 10 minutes).
Techinically my 5k PR is 31:23, but that was at a race that also fell short on distance. So is that really a PR? My Garmin says this race was 31:25, but my official time is 31:28. Except either one would be an actual PR, because this race was 3.1 miles. Do I claim 31:28 as my 5k PR?
I do know that while that 31 minute 5k seems so close, it’s still so far. I also know that while I ran few PRs this year, I feel very strong and I’m really happy with my running this year.
I’ve been plagued by this on again off again pain, sort of in my groin, for a few weeks now. Plagued is too strong a word — I’m pretty sure it wasn’t caused by running and it doesn’t bother me while running, either. But raising my leg? Or legs swings to the side that I do for a warmup? Yes, that can hurt a little.
It was there before Dash to the Finish Line, seemed better, then reared its ugly head again after Stockadeathon. So I decided I need an easier week this week; you’ll notice a lot of yoga this week! And I started to experiment with taping it — talk about an awkward area! But there was a big payoff — it seemed off again by the end of the week (and some hard running on Saturday!).
I love linking up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlinand reading about how you’ve been active. Join us!
Workouts update
Monday: Yoga Body Makeover Tone with Weights, Dogwalk, SB 20 minutes
Wednesday: Yoga Body Makeover Tone with Weights, Dogwalk, 3.75 easy (2.25 with Bandit)
Thursday: YFPR Align & Alleviate, Dogwalk, 3 miles easy (2.25 with Bandit)
Friday: Pahla B Strenght & Tone Yoga & Balance, Dogwalk
Saturday: Girls on the Run 5k, YFR Hamstrings (pre-race) & Foundation (post-second run), 7 miles “easy” with Darlene post race
Sunday: Baking is exercise, right? It sure feels like it, all that time on your feet!, very short walk with Bandit, who really wasn’t terribly willing (it’s cold and windy and wet from melted snow/rain/sleet)
Mileage: 16.85 (-1.5ish)
TIU = Tone it Up
TM = Treadmill
YFR = Yoga for Runners*
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike
YFPR = Yoga for Pain Relief
YTU = Yoga Tune Up Lower Body*
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I headed out and warmed up with Bandit in the neighborhood and realized after maybe a quarter mile that I’d hit the wrong button. Which is how he got to run with me for 2.25 miles.We actually did negative splits.
I finished up with another 2.5 miles on my own. I thought I’d stop and take more photos of the sunset on the way home, but it had fizzled by that point and was just getting dark.
I figured since he did 2.25 miles yesterday, he could do it again. Which he did. He also made the rookie mistake of going out too fast. So no negative splits today. I was able to get this photo of our shadows literally on the run.
Magically overnight, though, that groin pain seemed a lot better. So maybe taping helped. So I did it again. Despite the fact it’s actually rather annoying in that awkward place.
I like it, but the inseam is too long 😦
I recently bought the Skirtsports wrapsody skirt. I don’t recommend it for petite ladies — the inseam isn’t right for us — I actually dried it on high after its first outing but it’s still just not right. Or maybe I need an xs instead of a small? Or I need to cinch the continuous drawcord some more?
I’m really kind of bummed because I do like the look of it.
My last “serious” 5k of the year. Although technically a fun run, I was still shooting for a goal. My actual last 5k of the year is at night through the holiday lights and it’s all about fun and friends, not PRs (nope, I never even come close and I don’t care).
I’ll be recapping the 5k on Tuesday, but I also joined Darlene for 7 miles after the race. Which means it’s a very slow run for her, but a tempo run for me. We stopped a few times — for Darlene to ditch her jacket, for me to change from my long sleeve, sweaty top to a fresh tee, and then towards the end when we ran into my friend Jan.
It was a perfect day to run, and I’m so glad we did, because the forecasted snow arrived right on schedule on Sunday.
Favorites of the week
I posted these over on IG, but every time I wear these silver sneakers I’m so amazed at how comfy they are. If only getting into them wasn’t like getting out of a sweaty sportsbra!
“Chilling” before my race
My comfy Skirtsports Ambassadors beanie (the link goes to the same beanie minus the Ambassador branding — I have several other Skirtsports beanies I use all winter long, not so much for running, mostly for just being out in the cold — I love them! Use CRJ20 for 20% off) — no, I didn’t race in it, since thankfully the fog had cleared and the sun came out by the start, but it helped keep me warm pre-race, and yes, it was damn chilly!
Old Navy 50% off jeans. Hopefully I can actually keep my recent weight loss off, but most of my jeans are now too loose (I know, boo hoo for me). So I took advantage of 50% off jeans on Saturday. Unfortunately I never had time to get to the mall and try on stuff, so I’m guessing on sizing, ordered multiple sizes, and am hoping a few of them fit. I really only need a couple of pairs right now — I can still wear my old jeans, they’re not falling off me, but I need a couple of pairs that fit right!
The unfavorite of the weekend? Bandit’s look says it all — not happy with spring on Saturday and winter on Sunday.
Last but not least, we gave Bandit his second bath. Inside. In the tub. I thought we’d have to leash him like we did outside, but once I put him in there he stayed — until I told him to come out when we were done, and he jumped out. I, of course, had to pick him up and put him in the tub in the first place, but that’s such a change from the beginning, when we couldn’t pick him up at all (or at least were too scared to).
He did really well and we didn’t need the leash.
And that’s a wrap
This week I am also linking up with the Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup brought to you by Ilka @ Ilka’s Blog and Angela @ Marathons & Motivation.
