Life is more fun when you RAWR!


Showing posts with label 5K. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5K. Show all posts

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Return and Report: Race for the Cure

On Saturday, 10/1 my Mom & I ran in Charlotte's Race for the Cure.
That race is so fun and so well organized.  We both really look forward to it every year.
This is my 2nd 5k this year, and I'm really happy with how my time has improved.  My first mile was 13 minutes!  I couldn't believe that one!!  Miles 2 & 3 were 16 minutes so our time was just over 46 minutes for the 5k.  I was really hoping to be under 45 minutes but I guess that will have to happen in my next race.  We hit the 3 mile mark before 45 minutes so I'm pretty happy with that.  Stupid .1 mile that screwed up my time!  Also, I got a little thirsty and gulped water at the last water station (just before mile 3) and let's just say that running up that last hill with a tummy full of water wasn't fun at all.  Not. at. all.

My new big addiction though is spinning.  There are some pretty amazing instructors at the gym we go to and I find myself not only looking forward to spinning but scheduling my days three days a week to make sure I'm at the gym by 8:30am so I can get a bike and spin.  Wow, how times have changed, huh? I've also started taking the body pump classes which are very very good for me but leave me very very very sore.
Unfortunately though I'm stalled at about 18lbs of weight lost.  I'm going to need to refocus on cutting carbs but that is just no fun!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Streetlight 5K

First 5k of 2011 is in the record books!
Wow, what exactly was I thinking?  I'm on week three of the "Couch to 5K" training application on my iPhone.  So why did I think I'd just zip through this one tonight?  I guess because at "Race for the Cure" there are so many people and a lot of them walk the 3.1 miles.  A much smaller, city-sponsored race is for people who, well, race.  Where were the slow, heavyset people who were out there to try and have fun, get a t-shirt and work on fitness?  Oh, I guess I was the only one.  Nice.
So, I didn't finish dead last.  I was in the bottom 10.  Easily.  My final time wasn't too shabby though at 49:57.  I mean, come on, I struggle to run 5.0 miles per hour for 3 minutes on the treadmill at the gym.  I was hoping to finish at 47 and thinking there would be a lot of 20-minute-milers walking.  Nope.  None.  Gah!
I will say that 3/4 of a mile into the race BOTH of my feet went numb.  By 2 miles my right leg was numb from my foot to almost my knee.  I'll be going for a shoe assessment and fitting post haste as I'm going to keep doing these 5ks.  I think I could have easily been 2 or 3 minutes faster if my feet weren't totally numb for most of the race.
Long-term goal: I'd like to do a 34 - 36 minute 5k.  Short term I'd like to improve my time with each race even if it's just by a second.  There is a run at our zoo that's in August then the Race for the Cure again in October and tons of runs around Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I want to keep at it because I genuinely do feel better being active and these races are great motivation.
So Monday morning I'll be back at the gym, slogging away on the treadmill doing my C25K training.  I'll just get to do it wearing my new race shirt.