Weekend Running, and I Have a Race in 6 Days?!

Spring has finally sprung in Baltimore my friends, and I hope it has come your way as well. 

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After a week of very little exercise due to living out the wrath of the cold from Hell, I was itching to get outside and run, especially because sunny warm weather was in the forecast.  Also, I just realized the race I signed up for in January is next weekend?! Ahhhhhhhhhh cue under-training cry of panic. 

 

I'm running the Sole of the City 10K downtown next Saturday, a race put on by Baltimore's hometown running store, Charm City Run.  When I registered for this a few months ago, I had no idea how time would fly or just how much sweet ol' Mother Nature would prohibit outdoor training this season!  Ahh well, I've never run a 10K before, so you know what that means?  INSTANT PR baby!  Hahaha, no matter what time I run it in, it will be my best ever!! Yippee for first time races. 

 

I don't really know how to pace myself for a 10K.  I know I definitely can't sustain a 5K pace the entire time, but I also know I have to run a bit faster than half-marathon pace.  I'm really just looking forward to seeing what a 10K feels like.  One of my running goals this year was to run some shorter, more varied distance races, and this fits the bill.  I'd also like to add a 10 miler to the mix at some point as I keep seeing more and more of these crop up.  I know a lot of you were running the infamous Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC today - what great weather you had!

 

So, running this weekend.  I decided to run a 5K after work on Friday because the temp was pretty mild and the rain they were calling for all day had been holding off.  I still wasn't feeling 100%, but I hadn't worked out since Monday and I was really just looking to stretch out my legs and hoping the fresh air would continue to clear out my stuffed up head.  I didn't feel that great running (legs were tired and heavy and my body felt weak), probably because I hadn't eaten or drank much all week.  I didn't really have an appetite for days, and I know I should have been pushing fluids, but once again, I just didn't feel like it.  So I think I was running on a half empty tank.  I came home and crashed/napped for a bit and then pulled it together for a night out downtown. 

 

Saturday, I was not feeling well.  My body was very achy and I felt like I backtracked with my sickness!  I don't know what was going on, but maybe I overdid it running on Friday in my weakened state.  (I only had 1 drink out the night before so I know it wasn't that.)  I got lots of sleep that night and spent the first part of Sunday watching some interesting programs on the Oprah network, and started feeling much better again. 

 

I headed out for a longer run - about 5 and a 1/4 miles - which felt worlds better than Friday's run.  I think the weather had something to do with it as well.  It was nearly 60 degrees in Baltimore and sooooooo sunny! I even noticed some trees blossoming.  All was right in the world.  What did make this run difficult was my constantly running nose!  Everything is still draining and clearing itself out, and running only exaggerates these processes.  I had to keep blowing/wiping my nose on my shirt. I know, GROSS!  But I mean, I had to keep my airways open for you know, breathing! Anyway, I ran a couple splits in the 8:50 range which was faster than I thought I'd be after such bad nutrition/hydration all week so I'm not complaining.

 

Got to break out one of the running skirts my sister got me for Christmas!  (My running outfits never match.  I'm ok with this)

 

 

So my strategy for this week will be to EAT ALL THE THINGS in an attempt to recoup my nutritional losses from last week.  And, I plan on drinking water and sports drinks like crazy to replace everything I lost from my leaky nose last week.  I also broke down and bought some Laura's Lean Beef when I went grocery shopping last night.  I still have very mixed feelings about this, but I felt that my body really needed some meat, especially after last week.  I just felt like I needed the added protein, iron, and B12, and I can't tell you how good it tasted.  Like a slice of heaven, with a side of guilt :(

 

I'm hoping to enjoy the run next Saturday and am trying not to run with a goal time in mind.  Now, I'm off to EAT...

 

Have a great week!

 

 

How was the weather near you this weekend?

Did you get outside to run/workout at all?

 

 

Spring Race Decisions

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I've finally decided on a Spring race.  It wasn't part of my original plan and I was back and forth on it for several weeks, but after having lived through my new schedule during the month of January, I was forced to make a tough decision. 

 

I was looking for a Spring Half to do that was relatively close to me (to save on travel costs) but on a course I had never run before.  I came across this brand new race in Philadelphia called the Love Run scheduled for March 30th, and liked the sound of it.  I've never run a race in Philly.  I got to talking with my sister - the one who joined a running group and ran her first 5K this past October - and it turned out her running coach was trying to convince the team to run this race as their first group half marathon! 

 

My sis's first race!

 

 

I thought it would be incredible to run this race with my sister, and be there to support her in completing this awesome milestone. So, I had all intentions of signing up a couple months ago.  But when I returned to Baltimore after the Holidays, my obligations starting piling up...majorly.  I started to get anxiety thinking about how I would fit training into my days, when some days I didn't even get home until late in the evening (exhausted nonetheless).  With the way things are right now, it just didn't seem feasible that I could train for this half marathon that was 8 or 9 weeks away. 

 

So, last week I made the call that I would not be registering for the Love Run.  I talked it over with my sister and she was actually ok with it.  She is planning to go down and stay the weekend in a condo with all the girls on her team, so as it turns out, I wouldn't have had anyone to room with for the weekend anyway, and I probably would not have seen too much of her!  I kind of feel like it may have been hard for her to choose between spending time with her coach and her team that weekend and time with me so I think it's better the way it worked out.  My sister has run with these ladies since last summer and I think it will be really special that they are all doing this together. 

 

I'm still feeling a bit sad/guilty that I won't be there to run with her, but I guess that's means we'll just have to plan for another one in the future.  (You hear that Laura?!  I'm already planning your 2nd half marathon!)  But, I am also feeling relief that I did what was best for me right now, and that I won't have this anxiety hanging over my head and scrambling to try to fit in training with my crazy work hours. 

Training for a race should be fun!

 

 

So, what race DID I decide to do, that is the question.  Well, I stated in my 2014 Goals post that I wanted to run a 10K this year because that is a distance I've never raced before.  And that's exactly what I'm doing!  I signed up for the Sole of the City 10K in Baltimore on April 12th.  This race is run by my favorite local running store (Charm City Run).  You get a sweet Under Armour half-zip for participating, plus the race will benefit a local Baltimore teacher who was injured in the Boston marathon bombings last year.  Also, it won't require as much training on my part and I'm guaranteed a PR since it's my first one!  Just an all around winning combo if you ask me.

 

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I feel both excited and relieved about my decision, and also a bit remiss that right now I don't have a Spring Half to look forward to.

 

Who knows, as I live through my new work life, perhaps I will find more wiggle room and I can always register for a race in late Spring or early Summer.  If not, I love Fall racing season and this will just give me more time to prepare for and find a great Fall half (maybe that will be my destination race?!).  I also plan to continue my 5K streak that started last year by peppering in several of those fun little races in throughout the year. 

 

So that's where things stand right now.  I've still been managing to work out 4-5 times per week, but only running once or twice.  My other workouts are all cross training (biking, weights, HIIT, swimming, yoga, and now barre) that I manage to squeeze in at the gym, or at home; wherever I can find the time! 

 

In the first half of this year, there are several professional and personal things I want to focus on (I will probably share these with you at some point!), and not having a big race to train for will allow me to do those things.  This year is all about doing what feels RIGHT for me, and I keep tuning into those feelings as I make my decisions.  So far, they've felt right so I'm going to just keep tuning in and listening to my heart :) 

 

 

What races are on your schedule this Spring?

 

Have you ever had to cut back on running races because of other life obligations?