A life with pie: Running Events

Top Pot Donut Dash 2014

As promised, the next stop on the training event journey is checked off - the Top Pot Donut Dash 5K benefiting Childhaven. Complete with bone chilling wind off of Greenlake this morning. Note to self, remember a hat and gloves next year. Plenty of participants were taking shelter in the Starbucks across from the start line. Never happier to be greeted with my mocha & banana while prepping for the event start.

My running companions today were my friend Micaela & her daughter Katie. Such fun getting to experience the festivities and run with them. So much nicer when you meet up with someone at the starting line.

Training doesn't have me up to running a full 5K yet. My running workouts have worked up to 3 minute running sections (running 10 minutes out of a 30 minute session.) It's 200% longer than my first intervals and 18% more running time since week one. Trusting the slow and steady process will build up my stamina, endurance and speed over time. If I think too far ahead to November I become a little queazy. But that's 30 weeks and at least 150 workouts away! It's been rewarding and encouraging so far to feel and see progress each week.

Today's 5K was completed in almost 50 minutes. There were 3-4 good stretches of running in the mix. Truth be told my running speed is not too much faster than my fast walking gait. So satisfying to have almost my 10,000 steps and all 5 miles in by 10:15 am. And the donut reward at the end was worth it! Treated myself to a new cookbook Sweet by Valerie Gordon to peruse during my victory brunch of a scrumptous Salmon Omlette with Tzatziki at Vios Cafe.

Wonderful spring Sunday morn.

Stats:

Length - 5K, 3.1 miles

Time - 49.95 minutes

Pace - 16.01 minute mile

Postcards from the Donut Dash:

ready to hit the road

katie & micaela joining in the am

@ the start

working our way to the starting line

favorite costumed ladies of the day

donut costume contest

making our day to the prize - a free donut

we did it!

2nd walk/run event done - check!

Next up: Beat the Bridge 4K walk on May 18th for Juvenille Diabetes. Signed up for the walk as running 8K is still further down my path. Let me know if you want to join up!

Posted at 06:50 PM in Running Events | Permalink | Comments (0)

Training Update - April Goals

It's officially Spring! Some days the weather is cooperating for outdoor adventures. Yahoo!

This past week, I accomplished 2 training walk/runs. As there is lag time between my sessions, I keep starting over with the same one. On the bright side, it's not nearly as hard as my first attempts. Actually have enough breath to say hi to my fellow exercisers as they pass. Smiling even.

Signed up for my next event - Top Pot Donut Dash 5K on April 27th . A.K.A a walk/run around Greenlake with a free tasty donut at the end. The proceeds benefit Childhaven which is always a good thing. My friend and her daughter are going to join me for company. It should be alot fun.

Yes, I will admit that I am a procrastinator. I've it down to a science really. And I've been struggling getting full time on the exercise wagon without a concrete deadline I'm driving towards. Next week is always a better one to start on right? (just kidding)

Ask for inspiration and you shall receive it. In my inbox this week arrived an email with details on the Rock & Roll Las Vegas marathons that happens to be held on my birthday this year. The ideas and plans immediately started swirling around doing the 1/2 Marathon. You run down the strip at night so heat should not be a huge factor. And oh, how cool will that be!!! And if you havent' been to Vegas - it's FLAT! This is sounding better all the time. The course pace for the 1/2 marathon is 4 hours or 18.3 minute miles. My walking pace is not far off that to begin with.

After 32 weeks of training and consistently increasing speed/distance, I should be able to finish it in good fashion. Promises will not be made about running the whole thing, but finishing is achievable. And for the motivation piece of the puzzle, there isn't much slack timewise in the schedule. I'll need stick to the plan. The 0-10K app is 14 weeks long and the 10K to 21K app (1/2 marathon) is 12 weeks. That leaves 6 weeks in schedule that I can utilize for repeating weeks if the pace of progress is too fast and place extra cushion around the events I plan to participate in over the training schedule. Can you tell what I've been obsessing with this weekend?

On a side note, a mini goal has been to return to Vegas this year (it's 10 years since my wedding there). The goal is already going to be met in July with a trip down for the Nine Inch Nails/Soundgarden tour opening. But, I can't think of a more awesome way to start my 46th year than making new memories with a HUGE accomplishment in the place that housed my happiest memories to date. You are more than welcome to join (with or without the marathon part). I plan on there being one heck of a birthday celebration afterwards!

Viva Las Vegas!

Motivational Pic for the week:

thanks Pinterest for the pic from tennisfixation.com

Up next - Training Week 1

Posted at 07:22 PM in Running Events, Training | Permalink | Comments (2)

St Patty's Day Dash 2014

First goal achieved - participate in the St. Patty's Day Dash - one of the first big running events in Seattle each year. This one was the 30th annual. Among the supported charities was The Healing Center, which was a key support component in my journey through grief after Chuck's passing. And today was also Chuck's birthday. What better way to honor life and celebrate.

When I awoke this morning, it was pouring buckets. I freely admit that staying cozy in bed would have been a great Sunday option. Not as rewarding as sticking to the plan however and preserving through the weather. I've braved much worse conditions, for much longer, to cheer on my football teams. Time has come to cheer myself on.

What I didn't quite realize until I reviewed the course map last night was how much of my past with Chuck would be revisited this morning in route. Parking was close to my "single" apartment and I passed all our neighborhood milestones on my way to meeting up with my friend. The site of our first date, our coffee shop, the lounge were we had the exclusive talk... even the starting gate was in front of the Opera were I took him to celebrate his birthday during our dating year. Treading along very familiar ground.

The course treked up Aurora with the turn around at the exit onto Queen Anne by our married home. I could view the house from the road as we turned. This was the half way mark of the race. Seemed appropriate somehow. While none of us knows when our time here will be complete, in my heart it feels like "Us" (Chuck & I) was at the mid-point intersection of my life. Life certainly has gone in a vastly different direction than what we set a course for a decade ago. It's one of pieces I still struggle with, especially in the anniversary weeks of March, how much of my lifetime Chuck will be missing from.

And like all second halfs of a race there were moments of pushing forward, talks of plans & dreams for the future and happiness in the sprint across the finishline.

Thank you to my race partner Leigh. It was a pleasure to share the morning with you and to experience our first race together. Next year, bring on the green wigs and tutus!

As for me, I was able to run only about 6 minutes sprinkled throughout the course (which corresponded with my efforts training) and completed in a little over an hour. Not attempting to break any landspeed records. Now, I have my starting baseline and more incentive to push training harder for the upcoming events. Onward and upward!

Looking at Top Pot Donut Dash (5K) at the end of April for my next adventure. 6 weeks from now - goal is to triple my running time. According to my 0-5k app, that is an appropriate goal.

Postcards from the St Patty's Day Dash

new shoes, number and t-shirt