Yukon Do It Half Marathon

Hello all!  As you know I recently ran in and completed the Yukon Do It Half Marathon on 12/31/12.  It was an interesting experience because I was severely under trained.  Unfortunately life got in the way (along with the short days and cold weather) and I wasn't able to get all of my long runs in.  Here is a recap of that race!

I woke up at 6:30 am on Monday December 31, 2012.  I knew exactly what I was wearing because I had set it out the day before.  I quickly got dressed and went downstairs to pour my coffee.  I like to drink coffee the morning of a race because it gives me a nice little jolt and also aids in pre-race digestion.  I made my breakfast, the usual maple flavored oatmeal and a banana.  Just enough food to give me energy but not too much that I feel bloated or heavy!  This was discovered simply through trial and error.  I once ate cereal and milk before a long run and I will NEVER do that again.  I will just leave it at that! 

After breakfast I was able to put my shoes on and gather my water belt together.  I put the water bottles in the fridge the night before so they would be cold.  Looking back on that now, it seems silly since it was 30 degrees when I started the race!  After I was all ready to go I had a few spare moments to sit on my iPad and play some games to calm my nerves.  I should mention that while I was eating and getting myself ready, my husband was waking up our 4 kids and getting them fed as well.  I love traveling with my own cheerleading squad! 

We all piled in my van and left the house around 8 am and arrived at the start line around 8:30.  It was COLD!!!  I ran in to my friend Marissa and sat in her car for awhile to try and stay warm.  Around 8:50 we decided we should go use the restroom and get ready for the start of the race.  We should have gone sooner!  We barely made it to the start line before the race started.  I think we had 30 seconds to spare and our watches were still locating satellites!  I had decided before the race that I would be running 3/1 intervals and my watch needed to locate before I could start them.  Right before crossing the start line my watch found the satellite and I was off.  I made the rookie mistake of starting out too fast.  My first mile was a 9:46/mile.  I quickly regretted that.  Especially because of my lack of training.  I finally settled into a more "doable" pace of 11:30/mile.  I am by no-means fast.  I will probably never run an 8 minute mile and that's ok.  However, I do feel that if I had trained better I could have at least kept my pace around 11/mile. 

Miles 1-4 were great!  I was cold but I had my Under Armour on and a running jacket.  I had also purchased full length compression pants and a fleece head band to wear for the occasion.  I was in the groove.  Around mile 5 I started wishing that the race was over and wondering where the turn around would be.  I was sad that I wasn't able to appreciate the beautiful course I was on!  It was a breath-taking run around the water.  Yes, it was cold but the sun was shining!  Not too many fans were out supporting us, which was a let down but we made it through either way.  Between miles 5-8 there were rolling hills and one large incline.  I was expecting a relatively flat course and that's pretty much what I got.  That was a nice change from my usual routes. 

Around 6.5 we turned around and started heading back.  I was so glad!  It was not fun anymore for me.  This was all self inflicted because I didn't train well.  And I hate the fact that I wasn't able to enjoy it.  I saw my family along the way at mile 1.5, mile 4.5 and again at mile 9.  It was nice to see their faces and hear them rooting for me to finish.  I had all but given up and each time they urged me to keep moving. 

By the time I reached mile 12 I had slowed down to a very slow 13/mile.  I was tired, my feet hurt, my thighs were numb from the cold and I was ready to be done.  My little brother showed up at the mile 13 to usher me in, taking pictures the whole time.  That last .1 mile was the hardest and also the best!  I was so glad to be done and proud that I finished!  I crossed the finish line and they announced my name!  So proud!  I received my medal from an adorable little boy and had my chip timer cut off my shoe.  Once I was wrapped in my silver blanket I grabbed a bagel and made a beeline for my car.  I was SO ready to go home and take a nap!

I am now 3 days post race and am still a little sore.  I did strain a ligament or something in my left foot because of the grade we had to run on.  It is the part of my body that hurts the most at this point. I have taken many Aleve tablets and slathered myself numerous times with Ben Gay and Biofreeze.  I was pleasantly surprised that I did not get any blisters on my arches this time.  I have suffered from them in the past.  This time around I bought some Body Glide and it worked like a charm!  I also consumed 4 GU packets during the race.  First one at 3.5 at the aid station and then every couple of miles from there.

The morale to this story is two parts.  The first part is to make sure that you properly train for a half marathon.  It is not a short race that one can simply expect to show up and just "do".  I am certain that I would have ran it faster and I would be less sore if I had some longer runs under my belt in the weeks leading up to the race.  The second part is that the human will is so much stronger than muscle.  Though I was under trained, I was DETERMINED to conquer this race and finish.  And finish I did!  I not only finished but I beat my Personal Record by nearly 5 minutes.  I can only imagine how much more it would have been. 

My next race is January 26, 2013.  It is the Winter Runnerland Half Marathon.  It is a virtual run that is put on by my running group Moms Run This Town.  Though it is virtual, there are several of us that are going to run it together.  Solidarity!

Red Kisses,

Krissy

Snow Day!!!!!

Hello lovelies!  Today was a snow day here in the Great Northwest and I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to work from home if needed.  My daughter's school and daycare was cancelled due to the mere 3 inches of snow and I had no child care.  Thankfully I was able to stave off the munchies....I tend to eat when I get too bored.  But I did it!  Amidst the craziness of my house (a small child and two dogs that LOVE snow) I was able to keep my food intake to three meals.  Woohoo!  Go me!  My poor kid had to wait until my lunch time to go out and play in the snow.  It hasn't been that long since I was a kid and I know that was simply torture for her!  When I finally took her outside the snow was already turning to slush but she was in heaven.  She went sledding down our short driveway, built a snowman (sorta) and ran around like a wild child!  During her play time, I was able to get in some exercise.  I shoveled snow!  It was a tough workout.  The snow was very wet and it was HEAVY.  I think I shoveled snow for about 20 minutes before I had to go back in after my lunch time was over.  So I didn't get a treadmill work out in today but at least it was something.  Below is what I ate today.

• Double fiber English muffin with pumpkin butter from Trader Joe's
• 2 pancakes with coconut flakes and pumpkin butter (this was lunch!  I did not eat two breakfasts!)
• 3.5 ounces of steak
• Homemade mashed potatoes
• Mixed veggies

Not too bad huh?  For a snow day.  I was very tempted to eat chocolate and chips today.  Ha!  Oh and I forgot to add that I drank 4 cups of coffee with sugar free hazelnut creamer.  YUM! 

So here's to snow days and the ability to work remotely!  I love my job!  Talk soon!

Red Kisses,

Krissy

Back in business

I'm baaaack!  Today was a so-so day in terms of diet.  The holiday season has been particularly tough to maintain my self control.  So here is a list of all the food I ate today.

• Apple Cinnamon oatmeal- 1 packet

That was breakfast.  Started off pretty well right?  Well that was before our office holiday party.  So here is what I ate there.

• 3 pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup macaroni and cheese casserole
• 1/3 cup 7 layer dip
• 1.5 oz tortilla chips
• 1/4 seafood salad
• 1/3 cup coleslaw
• baby carrots
• 2 gingersnap cookies
• 1 krumkake (norwegian cookie)

The damage wasn't as bad as it could have been.  There was cheesecake and 2 layer chocolate cake.  I sustained my will power some what. 

For dinner I have been told that we are having chicken (grilled), rice (white) and veggies (steamed).  Sounds yummy!  I need to track my points for the day but am afraid to see the total!!!  UGH!

I did get on the treadmill today.  I did 3/1 intervals and went for 3.1 miles.  My pace was slow but it seems as though my treadmill runs are always slower.  I am hoping to get one last long run in before my half marathon on New Year's Eve morning. 

Tomorrow is another day so I will try and stick as close to my Weight Watchers points for the day.  At my weigh in this week I was UP 0.4 pounds.  No it isn't much....and I ate terribly on Saturday but Christmas and New Year's is an awful time to be watching weight.  Did you know the average person gains 6-8 pounds during the holidays?  I WILL NOT be that average person.  I am ok with a pound or two but not 6-8.  That is unacceptable!  Talk to you all tomorrow!

Red Kisses,

Krissy

Tragedy

Today I am deeply saddened.  As a parent I am horrified by the recent school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in NewTown, CT.   Since first hearing about this incident I have not stopped crying.  I am sad for the families that have been affected and want desperately to hug my baby right now.  My daughter is in Kindergarten so it is really hitting home that this shooting took place in a Kindergarten classroom.  I think of how scared those children must have been when a masked man walked in and started shooting.  We teach our children that they are safe at school and that we would do anything to protect them.  They are so trusting and innocent.  They look to adults to protect and shield them.  So what happens when this fails to happen?  How do we begin to apologize and help them heal?  How do the adults heal?  How do those of us that were not directly affected move on and heal?  Do we have the right to be upset?  Because I am deeply upset and feel guilty that my Christmas holiday will go on as planned while other families are planning funerals for children that shouldn't be gone. 

But let's talk about the adults that kept the majority of those kids safe!  Teachers that are SEVERELY underpaid and yet put their lives on the line protecting our future generation.  That is a hero in my opinion.  Reports of a teacher that locked herself and her students in a bathroom and eased their fears, telling them that they will have Christmas.  It is easy to say that you would lay down your life for your own child or children but it's a special person that does it for someone else's.  So here's to them!  A small glimmer of hope in humanity during such a horrific event.  It is so easy to lose hope in humanity when something so disturbing happens but we need to remember the heros. 

I cannot begin to imagine what goes through the mind of a person that thinks of killing children.  What enables them to think that it's a viable option or ok in some way.  Normal people can't rationalize it because the kind of person that does that is irrational.  As a nation we are once again grieving.  A mere three days since the shooting in Portland and a few short months since the shooting in Aurora CO.  How do we move forward?  All of these questions that I can't answer.  I am a mother, how do I explain this kind of evil?  Where are the words to describe this?  I have the instinctual need to hug my daughter right now and take comfort in the fact that she is ignorant to what is happening right now.  She is playing at school happily and blissfully unaware.  And I am glad.  She is merely 5 and thankfully will remain unaware.  For that, I am thankful.

I will not be posting a normal post today regarding the food I ate and my workout.  It seems too trivial in the face of such tremendous grief.

Krissy

Very little energy and a treadmill run

Happy Thursday everyone!  How did you all do today?  I did much better today than yesterday.  I ate better and yes....I got on the treadmill!  Woohoo!  So here is a run down of everything I ate today

• Banana
• Cutie (one of those little oranges)
• Salad with cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, 1/4 cup of crab meat, 1 tablespoon of real bacon bits and raspberry vinaigrette
• Humus with pretzel chips (pre-packaged)
• 5 ounce pork chop
• Baked potato
• Steamed Broccoli

During my day I also drank a few things.  I had 1 cup of chai tea with 2 Splenda, 1 liter of Sparkling Arrowhead water with lemon essence (yes essence), a diet RockStar and a Diet Pepsi.  So the RockStar isn't the greatest choice but I was tired yo!  I have been trying to drink more water everyday and honestly it isn't that hard.  I just get lazy and don't want to get up and pour the water!  Ha!

Back to my workout.....I told you all that I was going to get on the treadmill today and I stuck to my word!  Got home and immediately changed in to my workout clothes before I could get involved in anything else.  So my iPad, iPhone and I (yes I'm codependent) went upstairs and got on the treadmill.  I like to watch Netflix while I run on the treadmill.  It helps me zone out, thus making the time go by faster.  I did 3/1 intervals on the treadmill.  It started out as 5.5 speed on the jogging and 3.5 on the walking but by the end I was doing 6.5 speed on the jogging and 3.7 on the walking.  In all I did 4 miles in 45:30.  So roughly an 11:22 min/mile.  Not too bad I suppose but certainly not as fast as I normally do outside. 

So that is my day! I plan on having a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich (MINT!!) as a reward. They are only a 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus value so it isn't much of a splurge.  Feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on Twitter or Facebook

Happy Thursday and Red Kisses,

Krissy

Binge Day

Soooooo....today was a rough day on the food front.  We celebrated my coworkers big 4-0 today at work.  Typically we go out to lunch but this time we decided that we would have a potluck.  At first I thought that was a great idea!  I could hand pick everything I ate and stay within my Weight Watchers Points Plus budget for the day (which is now 26).  Boy was I wrong!!!  Everything was so yummy and I had a moment (ok a couple of moments) of weakness.  The Lil' Smokies are what did me in...they are 1 point per smoky!  WHAT?!?  Who knew? I certainly didn't.  Here is a list of all I consumed.....

• 1 Chicken drumstick (didn't eat the whole thing.  It had skin on it. ICK)
• About 1/4 cup of Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
• Several pieces of Asparagus (steamed at least!  This was my contribution)
• Around 10 Lil' Smokies
• 2 Lemon Cheesecake Bites

It was all so delicious that I couldn't resist!  I felt sick afterwards though.  That was my punishment.  After work my husband and I decided to go to Fred Meyer and exchange some snow suits we bought for our kids.  We were out late enough that we decided to stop and get dinner.  We had our youngest daughter with us who has a bedtime of 730 sharp (she's 5 and in all day kindergarten).  It was faster just to go out to eat than drive all the way home and cook.  I decided to order the Nachos.  Yes this was loaded with melted cheese, refried beans, salsa, chicken, etc.  In my defense, I ate less than a third of it!  I was proud of myself.  Here's to small victories!  A few months ago I would have cleaned that plate and still wanted more.  After 5 weeks of Weight Watchers I have lost 7 pounds!  Yes!  I did gain 1.8 pound the week of Thanksgiving but weight loss is an up and down battle.

No work out today unfortunately.  The meal was just too heavy to jump on the treadmill after.  I hope to get on the treadmill tomorrow after work, Saturday I will be sledding with my family in the mountains and Sunday I have a 10 mile run planned with some buddies from my running club, Moms RUN This Town (MRTT).  I will check back soon and let you all know!

Red Kisses,

Krissy

Winter Blues

I am currently suffering from a bout of the Winter Blues.  When I leave for work in the morning it is dark and when I get home from work in the evening it is almost dark!  How am I supposed to run in the dark?  I understand that I can wear a reflective vest and a head lamp but that doesn't keep you safe from everything.  So I have been resorting to using my treadmill on the weekdays.  Which, to be completely honest, is very hard to force myself to do.  Treadmill running is BORING to me.  I feel like I am exerting so much more engery for less output.  I try to keep myself distracted by reading a book or watching something from Netflix on my iPad.  But it's inevitable....I hit that point around 2 miles and I am sick of the treadmill.  I need something to keep me motivated but I haven't found it yet.  I have tried zoning out on a spot on the wall, reading, watching shows, listening to music, counting, changing the speed and incline....nothing has helped.  To top it all off this last weekend I was sick and didn't feel up to running out in the cold.  Terrible excuse...I know.  I need to find my focus, force myself to stay on and complete my run.  I am going to try setting a time goal rather than a mileage goal.  Maybe that will help????  Wish me luck!

Red Kisses,

Krissy