January in Review

It seems hard to believe that January is at an end. Already one month of 2013 has passed and it is time to take a brief look at how things turned out.

Here are my notes:

• Completed one new activity - met with a new personal trainer and used equipment I have never trained on.
• Still inconsistent with my running, working on it.
• Completed a 5K and a 2 Mile Race (got a PR on the 2 Mi as well as 1st overall at that distance)
• Did not do as well with weight training as I would have liked. Need improvement here.
• After this weekend my thesis course is finished. Huge.
• Enrolled in an Associate's of Science degree in Digital Photography where I work. I won't start that though until my Master's is done. What can I say? I love to learn.
• Commencement for my Master's degree was finalized for May 30th in San Diego
• Registered for the Devil Dash - 9:30 AM start
• Started a second season in softball with hubby's work. As much as I suck at it, I admit, it is kind of fun.
• Began a tracker for races, fees, etc so I can budget better for the races I really want to do and to help my training plan go a bit better.

Looking ahead to February:

• Need to be more consistent with running. Once my paper is done I will start a chart in my office to help plan. I am a checklist kind of person so I think this will be helpful.
• Need to set up another session with the trainer.
• Pick out an activity for next month.
• Register for my first half marathon of 2013.
• More quality time with friends. Been a bit of a hermit thanks to my class. Need to put in some fun time.
• Submit the grant proposal for my next book.
• Write and draw more.

 

 

Holy Race Fees Batman!

If you are a runner who lives for races you have probably had the same conundrum I have had today. Namely.....

"How the hell do I pay for all these race fees?"

I love to race. I love the anticipation of them, the touch of nerves I get the morning of, and the thrill of the finish. I may not be the fastest runner or the most consistent in my training (still trying to work that out) but I just can't go long without a good race. This past summer was the longest I have gone in awhile and I hated it. Frankly, it made me cranky.

The trouble is that races are getting pretty pricey. I do a lot of the low-key races here in Las Vegas through the track club, which are more than affordable. However, there are still some larger races (namely obstacle courses and half marathons) that I am looking forward to, with many averaging around $60 or more a piece.

If you throw in a destination race (of which I only have one to date that is paid for) it can be downright frightening to think of one's budget. I had wanted to try for the Coast to Coast medal through runDisney but I am thinking, after scanning what fees I will pay alone in local races over the coming months, that this plan is likely going to have to wait.

I know I am not alone in this predicament. Many of you out there are likely in the same boat. My husband understands my love of these events and is doing  his best to encourage me, but also with a touch of being the voice of reason. He's right though (shhh, don't tell him I said that or I will never hear the end of it). It is hard to argue against the statement "$80 to run 13 miles? You can do that for free any day." Um, yeah, he DOES have a point.

Yet, there is something intangible about race day that defies this logic.

So, as a result, I am re-thinking my plans and trying my best to be a bit more strategic. Instead of running ones I have done before maybe I will do ones I have never run instead. There is also the consideration of bling...and yes it is important especially if I am throwing down some serious cash to run a race. I think it is only fair I get to add something to my collection, right?

I am not complaining about the fees themselves as I cannot speak on what it takes to coordinate, set-up and run a race like these. I am saying that over the next few days I will be thinking of ways to make it happen without breaking the bank, or sending my husband over the edge, or both!

My New Endeavor with Bulu Box!

I am excited to announce that I am now a Brand Ambassador for Bulu Box. What is Bulu Box? Well here is their description of their service directly from their website.

 "Bulu Box is the first vitamin, supplement and general health subscription sample box designed to help you feel your best. Every month, you'll get a box filled with 4 to 5 premium, curated samples from top brands. Look forward to a new mix of products for both women and men, including vitamins, weight loss, sports nutrition, protein, diet, energy, detox, digestion,sexual health, herbs, natural remedies, endurance and more. We'll make sure you get enough to decide if the product is right for you. No shipping or shady fees. Depending on your plan, you can cancel anytime. Get ready for a healthy discovery!"

As an Ambassador I can offer my followers a free box when they subcribe to Bulu Box.  

To take up this great offer simply use code box7677 at checkout. If you subscribe, let me know, and I will give you a shout out. 

Enjoy!

Tip of the Day!

If you are a runner you probably have tons of safety pins and possibly even bobby pins too that need to be stowed away. My solution? A Gerber baby food container. I actually like their apple sauce and sweet potato sauce as a snack and then just save the containers for tiny items...like all those race safety pins!

Running From an Angel (Race Report)

Last Saturday I ran in the Running from an Angel 5K. I wanted to do the half marathon but since I have not been running as much I should I opted to just keep at this distance until I am back on my feet - so to speak. My friend Angela of Sole Sister on the Run (see Link Love page for her site) was running the half so though we drove up separately we hung out a bit before the race and tried out best to keep warm. It was a pretty chilly morning in Vegas with temps just barely hitting 30 degrees, but with the wind it was bitter. We both knew we would warm up after we got going but it wasn't much consolation while we waited.

At 8:30 Am Angela was off on her race and I had about 15 minutes to wait till mine would begin. I hid as best as I could next to the ladies room since it was both in the sunshine and away from that wind. I chatted with a few runners that were there.

At 8:45 AM my race began and despite the incline heading out I kept at it, no walk breaks, even if it meant I had to go slow. Typical for me I found the first mile the most challenging, especially because some of that was head on into the wind. I was glad that I had kept my jacket on despite knowing that later I would have to shed it.

I did pretty well on the first mile, but did struggle more than usual which I am not surprised about since I realized that I didn't have my inhaler. I seem to need it more when it is cold then any other time. Still I just kept trucking on, giving myself kudos when I felt good and told myself to keep at it when I felt fatigued. I was cheered on by a few passing runners and returned that favor with others I saw struggling as well. I love that about runners, always encouraging one another to do our best.

I didn't look at my pace and even kept the ear buds out, just had the music on low. I figured I was averaging around 11-11:30 min/mile and sure enough when I looked at the results I ended at 11:30. I didn't beat my last 5K race but only by 7 seconds. Still on track. I know once this class is over, and I am able to train more consistently, that it will come together.

I was happy to see that in my age group I placed fourth. Pretty cool!

Here are the official results:

Overall 

What A Week

I know that all of you have busy lives. All of you have had days or weeks like mine and have come to the end of it feeling utterly drained. I know I am not alone in this. I would say that it was one thing or the other that caused me to fail so miserably on my training this past week but the fault is my own. I let the myriad of things on my mind affect how my body reacted. I gave in to that feeling a rode that slow wave to no where.

Ben actually said to me "You probably would have felt better if you had gone to the gym even for a little bit". He was right of course. I just couldn't see it at the time. All I could do was feel the way I felt. I am disappointed that I let it get to that point but like anything, it is what it is. No sense wallowing in it further.

Tomorrow morning I will run the Running From an Angel 5K. Next year I can assure you that I will be doing the half marathon for this event. However, tomorrow's race is purely for the fun of it. I have been working on getting my pacing and breathing up to par but after this week I know that I just need to run, and enjoy it, without thinking so much. Sure, I will need to tell myself what to do no matter what. I have to. I know that I will push myself to do as well as I can anyway. I just mean that I am going to take in the scenery (which is beyond lovely there) and see what happens next.

I look forward to adding the first of what hopes to be many shiny new medals to my wall of...wall of....hmm I need to think of what to call it. Fame does not quite cut it.

I still need to pick a new fitness activity to try for January. It looks like Bikram Yoga will happen in February. Any ideas from my Vegas readers?

Good luck to all the racers out there this weekend. Be safe, have fun, and may your feet be swift and your soul lifted.

Cheers!

Carry On by Fun.

I just wanted to post this song because lately it seems I hear it on those days I am not feeling my best. Here are the lyrics - Carry On by Fun.

Me and my Personal Trainer!

Yesterday, I became friends with the Freemotion machine at the gym thanks to Personal Trainer Lara. First off, my session with her was fantastic. She asked a lot of questions about what my goals this year were, what activities I like to do (other than running) and also what my diet was like right now. Which she said was not bad, but did give me some tips on how to improve on it.

She also recommended that as a runner with asthma that swimming could help me build my lung capacity without the stress on my joints. She said that I could do 15 minutes of swimming, stopping when I needed to, to help build my lungs up.

The best part was that she gave me a plan to take home with me so I could work on it over the next four weeks until I can meet with her again. As we were leaving she gave me the best compliment-"I know you said that you were weak in the arm area, but honestly you are way better then you think". She also gave me kudos on not giving up when it got tough for me and for not complaining that it was hard. :-) It was a great session and I cannot wait to meet with her again in February!

Lara's Plan of Attack For Me

No endings, just wonderful new beginnings. #Fitfluential

Cheesy Self Portrait

Well, 2012 has finally come to an end and the holidays along with it. The last few days have been pretty awesome. Spent some quality time with the family, and especially with the hubby. I focused on just enhjoying that time, and not to worry about anything that I "needed' to get done.

I have been able to run more lately. I have been able to enjoy it again which has been something that has been missing since before the wedding. I participated in two races this past week. The first was the Las Vegas Track Club's Sole Purpose 5K./2M event held at Heritage Park in Henderson, NV. Since I am still rebuilding I stuck to the 2M course to see if I could improve from the week before.

By the way, it was the first time the track club ran a race there and I have to say I would be happy to go there again. Sure, it is a bit out of the way for me, but most races are it seems. Yet, the course itself was nice. It was an "out and back" course that had a nice incline at the beginning that was awesome to have at the end of the race. Most of the rest of that course was fairly flat. I focused on running the first mile with no stopping and despite my lungs protesting until the .50 mile marker I did just that. On the second half of the course I did get tired and stop but unlike an interval that I normally ran I stopped, counted to three, and kept going. I finished in 22:05 and though I was the only one in my age group (taking home another coveted blue ribbon) I also beat out everyone else running that distance, male and female. I was thrilled! Here are some more pictures from that race.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday I focused on my Capstone course so technically it was a rest day for me. I had the itch to go to the gym but held off knowing that I had the Elemental Running Resolution Run 5K Monday after work. Yes, two races in one weekend. I figured that I had not had this much fun in a long time and just wanted to go with it. Sunday was also a big football day for me as I got to see my beloved Redskins take the NFC East!

 

Monday marked the return (felt like I never left) to work. I packed up my running gear the night before and double checked it. I packed a decent lunch (couscous and veggies) and laid of the coffee and hit up the water. I wanted to run the race without the water bottle since they had an aid station, freeing up my arms. I still haven't gotten to get my iFitness waist belt and water bottles yet. The last few races with my other waist belt did not end well (my other one bugs the heck out of me).

 

The race was on a beautiful Vegas night and I ran without sunglasses. The sun was just low enough that I didn't see the need. The only thing I did not do was check my shoe laces. I had been in a hurry to change at work and knew I rushed getting dressed so I would make it across town in time.

 

Once the race started I yet again faced the illusive first half mile issue with my lungs which do not like to warm up. I did take a few short runs to warm up before the race, which helped, but I did still have that tightness in my chest that I get when it is cold. I was sorry that I left the inhaler at home. However, after a bit I was okay and even kept my pace around 11:00min/mi which I was aiming at hoping to reserve some oomph for the end of the race. Then my shoe felt like it was going to fall off and I saw my lace on the right was loose, so I had to stop. It took a bit to get my bearings again after that and I did have a few times where I had to stop, again for only two or three seconds.

 

The last mile though felt awesome and I looked at my Runkeeper and I was running a 9:30 min/mi (How the heck did that happen at the end of a race no less?). My pace was all over  the place for most of the race but seeing that made me feel like I was again heading in the right direction.

 

Here are my results:

522
 

Zehner, Karen
 

00:35:51.3
 

Pace: 11:34
 

F
 

38
 

10th - 30 to 39

 

 

Here are some photos from the Resolution Run:

 

 

 

 

 Have a wonderful New Year Everyone!

 

Next race for me? Running from an Angel 5K on January 12th!