Category: Running

Weekly Recap #1

weeklyrecap

*January 5-11, 2015

Monday:

  • PLAN- Cross-train
  • ACTUAL- Nada, but does walking count?

Back to work and no motivation to get on the elliptical.

Tuesday:

  • PLAN- 3×1600 @9:29 (400 RI)
  • ACTUAL- I did run 3 miles but at 9:34 pace.  However, I was not able to run them consistent and so I had to stop every quarter mile.  Not my finest moment but still felt great after my run.

I was tired and it showed because I could not run one mile without stopping.  Or perhaps the pace was too fast for me?  I was happy that I was able to run 400s even if that wasn’t in the plan.  Definitely counts as speedwork.

Wednesday:

  • PLAN- Rest day
  • ACTUAL- Rest day

No school due to weather.  My evening class was not cancelled.

Thursday:

  • PLAN- 2 miles easy, 2 miles @10:02, 2 miles easy
  • ACTUAL- Did not run at all.

Still no school so I stayed home.  I had planned to go to the gym after lunch but once I saw the snow, I decided to skip it and not worry about it.  I finished watching the last season of “Veronica Mars”.

Friday:

  • PLAN- Cross training
  • ACTUAL- None

Met a friend for dinner.  Had a great time and enjoyed my two apple martinis.

martiniSaturday:

  • PLAN- 8 miles @11:45
  • ACTUAL- I did 6:54 miles alternating between 11:44 and 11:18 with a few walking breaks.

Oh boy, I guess the martinis on Friday night were a bad idea.  I finally made it to the gym at 3pm and could not keep up with the pace.  I usually enjoy running on the treadmill but for some reason I was not liking it on Saturday.  I watched a few episodes of “Hot in Cleveland” and that did not help at all.  I finally stopped with 6:54 miles.

Sunday:

  • PLAN- Rest day
  • ACTUAL- Rest day

*Runs on treadmill are done on 1% incline.

Thoughts:

  • A rough first week into the new year.  Definitely not my finest moment.  I need to work on being consistent with my runs and cross training.
  • Hydrations is key.  Must remember that every single day.  Even though I was home for two days, I did not drink water like I was supposed to.

Running in new states in 2015

To date I’ve run in 31 states.  Well 32 if you include Washington DC.   I know Washington DC isn’t a state either I am counting it as part of this goal.  The states in yellow are those that I still need to run in.

Race in the 50+1 States

To date I’ve registered for the following races/states:

There are a few more I plan to do but still working on logistics:

So that is 7 new states this year for a total of 39.  Wow, I was hoping to be in the 40s at the end of this year so I will need to add a few more races to my list.  Let me check out those cities that I can get to on Southwest.  I live about 5 minutes away from Midway Airport so there is no doubt as to which airline to use.

As I complete a race in a new state I get excited because I am so much closer to completing my goal. I am hoping this year I get to truly enjoy each race instead of focusing on time.  Although I would like to one day run a sub-2 half marathon.  To date my best time is 2:17:03 at the ING Hartford Half Marathon in 2013.

I am also excited this year to run the Illinois Marathon as a relay member for “Team Faster than Snails”.  For sure that race will be just for fun!  Oh, and I am still hoping to run Ragnar Relay Chicago. So far we’ve had 2 snow days and now my last day of school is June 9 (Tuesday).  Team members meet on Thursday evening to start on Friday morning.  A couple more snow days and for sure I won’t be able to run in the relay.  No more snow!!

Come run with me!  Where are you running?  Can I tag along?

Three Things Thursday, January 8, 2015

Disclosure of Material Connection:  Some of the links in the post below are “affiliate links.”  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 

1.  I got back from San Antonio on Friday night and spent the weekend getting ready to go back to work on Monday.  Honestly, I was excited to see my kids again.  The snow looks so pretty.

letitsnow

Monday and Tuesday went well with my kids but was exhausted at the end of each day.  Notes from my principal always make me smile.

backtoschool

On Tuesday I got a call that school would be closed on Wednesday.  Yes, I was happy but my math class in the evening was not cancelled.

coldday

That evening I found out that school would also be closed on Thursday.  Another day at home.  It was so cold today and I did not leave my house at all.  Instead, I watched the last season of “Veronica Mars”.  It will be another cold day tomorrow but it looks like there will be school.

snowday

2.  I spent these two days at home watching “Veronica Mars” on Amazon.  Love, love that show.  I cannot remember why I never saw it when it was shown on TV.  I am disappointed that there aren’t any more seasons for me to watch but do know that the movie is available on Redbox.  Besides Veronica, my other favorite character is Logan.  I like his bad boy character and cannot resist his gorgeous smile.  This girl is also a big fan and got to see the movie premiere in Los Angeles.

Training for the Fort2Base 10 NM3.  With a new year comes a new training plan.  I am not training for anything specific but just planning to run a few half marathons this year.  I wrote my new plan using the book “Runner’s World Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary 3-Run-a-Week Training Program“.  I already missed today’s workout but don’t want to stress out about missing any of my runs.  Now I only need to work on my cross training.  I dislike the elliptical and get bored on the bike.  A new show on Netflix or Amazon would definitely help.

December and Year in Review 2014

Disclosure of Material Connection:  Some of the links in the post below are “affiliate links.”  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 

HappyNewYear

In December I ran 90.71 miles compared to 69.82 in November.  Last year (December) I ran 142.39.  Big difference but I remember that I was training for my 50K in April.

Here is my 2014 running year in review:

# of Miles Run: 1001.48.  I did my last run yesterday morning.

Races Run: 17, 50K (1), marathons (1), half marathons (9), 10K (2), 8K (1), 4 milers (1), 5k (2).

Fun Race Destinations: All Disney races except the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  Also, Des Moines and Tulsa (basically all races with Jaime).

Best Races: I had a great time at both the Shamrock Shuffle and the 4 on the 4th.  I felt really good in both races and definitely enjoyed them.  Also, I enjoyed the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon because I also felt great (besides some pain in my glutes) and did well despite my lack of running/training.

Worst Races: Chinatown 5K, ZOOMA Chicago Half Marathon, Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon and Route 66 Half Marathon.  I really hate running in the rain and hills.  However, I would like to run again Chinatown 5K and Route 66 Half Marathon.

Running Shoes: I started off the year running in Brooks PureConnect 2 (315.35 miles).  Then switched to the Brooks PureFlow 2 (346.28 miles) and then back again to Brooks PureConnect 2 (65.18 miles).  I then needed more support so I got a pair of Mizuno Sayonara.  There were OK.  I guess I was used to lightweight shoes and found the Sayonara too heavy.  I went back to Fleet Feet and was fitted with a pair of Newton’s Kismet. Wow!  I really loved those shoes.  Everything was going well until I experienced some toe numbness in my right foot.  I went to the podiatrist who diagnosed me with Morton’s neuroma.  I don’t think that’s accurate since I did not experience many of the symptoms. “Morton’s neuroma is a painful condition that affects the ball of your foot, most commonly the area between your third and fourth toes.  Morton’s neuroma may feel as if you are standing on a pebble in your shoe or on a fold in your sock.  Morton’s neuroma involves a thickening of the tissue around one of the nerves leading to your toes.  This can cause a sharp, burning pain in the ball of your foot.  Your toes also may sting, burn or feel numb.”

Luckily, I only experienced the numbness but it was enough to take me back to Fleet Feet for another pair of shoes and I walked out with the Brooks Ravenna.  Really comfortable shoes but somehow I experienced some discomfort on the right side of my right foot.  I really tried to make them work (because I did not want to buy more shoes) and used several different pairs of socks but no luck.  In November I bought my last pair, Saucony Ride.  My feet are happy and I am happy.

Star Sightings: I met Scott Jurek, Deena Kastor, and John Cox.  Plus, I got to see Bart Yasso again in Chicago and Tulsa.

runningstarscollage

Ambassadorships: Zooma Chicago Half Marathon and Fort2Base.  I did not run Fort2Base but instead volunteered at gear check which was fun but also exhausting.

Next year I will be am ambassador for Christmas in July and will be sponsored by Hammer Nutrition.

Register for any Christmas in July Race and use discount code AMBARROYO10 to save 10% off and code 228361 to save 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order (affiliate link).

Personal Records (PRs): 2, Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle and Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th.  I am excited and looking forward to running them again this year.

Favorite Medals:

favoritemedalscollage
Top L to R: Tinker Bell Half Marathon and Disney Princess Half Marathon Bottom L to R: Dumbo Dare Challenge and Coast to Coast Challenge

Best New Running Product I Tried: Hammer Gel in Nocciola (Hazelnut-Chocolate).

My plans for next year?

  • Run 2,015 miles as part of Run 2,015 in 2015 Challenge.  The plan is to run them with three other friends but don’t think they’ve signed up.

RunTheEdge

104.10 Miles for runDisney

So this year I ran a few Disney races.  I ran a total of 8 races which equals to 104.10 miles and 14 medals.  I won’t get into how much money I spent.  I had fun traveling to Florida and California but prefer going to Florida because 1) It is closer and cheaper and 2) More parks and more things to do.

I remember when I signed up for the Goofy Challenge and I was nervous and scared.  Running a half marathon is tough but then to add a marathon the next day?  What was I thinking?  I wasn’t.  My friend, Jaime, convinced me to do it so I did.  She did Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, 13.1, and 26.2).  At the end of the marathon I was almost in tears because I had accomplished something that I did not know I was capable of.  Plus, I enjoyed the course more for the full than the half.  I was also very sore.

RunDisney1

But I recovered quickly because the following weekend I went to California for the Tinker Bell Half Marathon.  Traveling there was nerve wrecking because there were problems with my flight and I got to the hotel after 5pm.  I was too late to pick up my packet but luckily I picked it up on race day.  I was not able to get my shirt but someone was nice enough to mail it to me.  I liked the race and the course.  The weather was perfect too.  The last time I was in Disneyland was in 1991 so I stayed an extra day to hang out in Disneyland.

In February I went back to Florida for the Glass Slipper Challenge (10k on Saturday and 13.1 on Sunday).  Definitely so much “easier” than Goofy Challenge.  I ran the Enchanted 10k with Jeff Galloway and it was nice to chat with him.  It was muggy and humid that morning but I finished early enough to head back to the hotel, shower, eat breakfast and hang out at Magic Kingdom with Arasally.  We had a blast! The last time I was there was in 2004 (I did run through there in January but did not stay at the park).  The half marathon was OK.  Nothing too exciting about it.

RunDisney3
Pretty medals!

At the end of August was another trip to Disneyland for the Dumbo Double Dare (10k on Saturday and 13.1 on Sunday).  This time I made sure to leave early enough to avoid any problems with my flight.  I saw Jaime again and it was fun hanging out with her.  I knew Emily was also planning to run the half marathon but I did not see her at all.  I liked the 10k but not so much the half marathon.  It was cool running through Disneyland and California Adventure Park but could not wait to finish the half marathon.  I did like the medal I got for completing both races.

RunDisney4

Finally my last race was last month.  I was nervous and excited about that one.  The race was at night and I am not a fan of night races.  The weather was pretty decent during the day but then things turned for the worst.  It rained pretty much the whole time for the whole race.  I heard good things about the race and was looking forward to it and the post race activities.  I was cold and miserable.  I could not wait to finish.  I walked a lot, which made it worse.  I know this was out of Disney’s control but the rain ruined it for me.  However, the best part of the race was seeing all of the beautiful lights in Hollywood Studios.

Final thoughts:

  • Each race is a fun experience.  I like the Disney theme and seeing the various costumes.
  • I prefer traveling to FL than CA.  But unless you have a car or stay on property, it is much easier to get around in CA.
  • When traveling to FL make sure to stay at a resort.  Disney does a great job of providing shuttle busses from/to the airport and to/from the expo and race.
  • Why, oh why, is it so expensive for these races?  I know I spent over $300 for Goofy Challenge and while I did get 3 medals and 3 shirts, there pretty much nothing in the goody bag and in the post race box snack.
  • I told myself I would never run another Disney race but am finding myself drawn to the Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon in 2015 and the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2016.
  • Part of me wants to run again the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and actually enjoy the race.
  • Ugh, I will not miss the 3:00 wake up calls.  Those were brutal.  I understand the reason behind it but they’re still brutal.
  • Every runner has to run one Disney race.
RunDisney6
14 medals!

My favorite medals.