Weekend ReCUP!

Happy Sunday!

I had a GREAT weekend, and I hope you did too! This weekend was one of those where you just feel very fortunate for all that you have and for those that surround you.

There’s lot to catch up on, so let’s get to the ReCUP…

Friday

I was in Ocala all day for work, and left there a little later than I had hoped for, so by time I made it to the (Gasparilla) expo, I had like 10 minutes to browse. Luckily, Mandy was nice enough to pick up my bib and goodies!

I had a very important date, and was not going to be late. Meb and Shalane were in town for the race festivities, and were the guests of honor for a dinner benefitting Moffitt Cancer Center.

It was such an incredible experience getting to meet both of them. They are both super nice and down to earth.

As we were standing in line to get Meb’s autograph, I look over and it’s Mr. Bart Yasso! As if I wasn’t already starstruck enough…

Bart and I go way back… to November 2015 when I did his shakeout run and he commented on my Instagram photo. 😉

The dinner itself was quite tasty, and I was in great company, so it made for a pretty remarkable evening.

Saturday

I slept in a bit and then headed over to my parents house to say hi to Smokey and to get in a shakeout run. I opted for 3 miles; I got a bit of a late start, so it was a warmer part of the day. As soon as I got back, I dipped my legs in the nice and cool pool.

I relaxed as much as I could, before our Spaghetti Warehouse dinner reservation. It was an awesome dinner with some great running buddies. The Boy and I split the ultimate feast for two. I always enjoy that option!

Back home, I got Flat Amanda all prepped and ready to go before doing a last minute foam roll session.

Sunday

For not being a Disney race, I felt the race had a very early start time (6:00), but at this time of year the weather can be unpredictable.

I’ll do a full race recap later in the week, but I will say that the corrals were nowhere near as congested as the Gasparilla 5k I did last year.

Going into the race I had a few goals in mind. 1) To have fun and finish with a smile, 2) to run a 2:20, 3) to run a 2:30.

I don’t like to put too much pressure on myself time-wise. Not yet at least. But, I wanted a 2:20, would have been happy with a 2:30, and really needed it to be under 2:45.

It was a great race, and I felt strong throughout the duration of it.

I finished in 2:26 and could not be more happy with it!

As soon as I finished though my belly started to hurt and cramp up. And, it stayed like that for a few hours. I tried eating breakfast, but it wasn’t the easiest thing to do.

I felt a bit better after I napped, but I couldn’t seem to get comfy. I actually feel like I am more sore after this race than I was my last (full) marathon. Crazy how that works out!

The Gasparilla Half got me to 200 miles for the year.

The Boy and I went out for dinner to celebrate my Beastmode-ness. Smokey Bones nachos, pulled pork sandwich, and warm donuts. I’ll resume all nutrition tomorrow. 😉

With a 3:30 AM wake-up call, I’m pooped and am off to bed. Have a great night!

Question of the day

What was the high and low of your weekend?

 

Increased mileage; lack of energy

Good morning and happy Friday!

I am so ready for the weekend! 

This is really just a pop-in post. With my increased mileage these past couple weeks, I have noticed my energy levels continue to diminish. 

It’s frustrating and I need to nip the issue in the butt ASAP. 

I’ve been having some decent training days this week, but was forced to give up my one rest day last week. I won’t be making that mistake again. And then I skipped speedwork last night. 

I missed running with the training group because my afternoon appointment took a little longer than expected. But by time I got home and had dinner, there was no energy to get back out there and do it solo.

The struggle is real. Definitely real. 

I just wanted to pop in and say hey, and see what struggles you’re dealing with in your training. 

Happy running! 

Weekend ReCUP

Happy Sunday!

All I wanted this weekend was a nice, quiet, relaxing weekend. And, I feel like I got one!

Let’s get to the ReCUP…

Friday night

I needed to log some miles (5 to be exact), and didn’t want to do it late since my Saturday longrun was going to be early the next morning. So, as soon as I got home from work, the Boy and I headed over to the gym.

I’m sure you are all aware that I do not care for treadmill running UNLESS I am reading a great running-related book. And, the treadmill has to have a “shelf” at eye level for me to rest my Kindle. Well…

We get to the gym, I get everything situated, and go to turn on my Kindle when the dead battery indicator pops up. OMG! I wish I had a picture of the Boy’s face at that moment because he look terrified. 😉

I spent the next few minutes trying to find something to watch on the treadmill TV. Finally, I did. It’s still not the same for me, but I was able to get some miles in.

After I started running, it just didn’t feel right. I felt like my body was putting in more work and effort than it should have been for the (slow) pace I was running. I had to keep decreasing the speed to find comfort. I just wasn’t feeling it, at 3.7 miles I’d had enough.

We were starving by time we left the gym, and quickly headed home to make some tasty black bean burgers for dinner.

I ended the night on a high note with some foam rolling and The Office!

Saturday

Hello crappy weather! It was rainy, windy, and just plain cold. Had it not been for Mandy, I would have stayed in my bed and pushed it off another day.

The group run was out at Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail at the Ben T Davis Beach entrance. This was my first time running out there; it’s not a terribly favored spot among runners because the only bathroom is at the start and there are ZERO water stops along the trail. The view was amazing though!

But, as soon as we started, we were asking ourselves “why?!”. The wind was horrible, and when the on again/off again rain was off, you could still feel the ocean water being sprayed on you. Oh, and the temp was in the mid-40’s (not including the wind chill).

At about 3 miles in you come to a pretty steep bridge, which normally I would find fun. But, today not so much! I was worried Mandy was going to blow away, so I grabbed her hand and didn’t let go. 🙂

At the end of the bridge, we decided to turn around and head back. We were just over 3.5 miles at that time (12 scheduled). 3.5 UGLY, SLOW miles. It was much nicer run on the way back, but that’s not saying much. With the wind at our backs, we could feel it propelling us forward. And, not in a good way. My IT Bands were having none of this!

It was at this time, that I attempted to take off my poncho (because of the rain). Thanks wind!

After our valiant effort of a long run, we were ready for some post-run grub. IHOP was the most convenient option. I had all the coffee, and an all-you-can-eat pancake combo. Not meat-free, but super yummy!

Later in the day, I went with my parents to Spring Hill to spend time with some family (some that live in FL, and some visiting from IL and CA). We met at Gator’s Dockside for a late lunch, and it was here that I finally realized how hard vegetarians have it when going out to eat.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a vegetarian. I am, however, working towards a meat-free lifestyle, in hopes of one day making the jump to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Everything on the menu had meat, asides from like a side caesar salad. I opted for the buffalo chicken wrap.

Yes, I enjoyed the wrap, but it kind of upset me how few meat-free options there are. I LOVE going out to eat, but may have to rethink that the more I pursue meat-free options.

We left Spring Hill just in time to catch the Gasparilla parade fireworks from the interstate. That wasn’t planned, just coincidence.

The Boy and I had a relaxing evening in doing absolutely nothing. I just love that!

Sunday

I set no alarm clock, and slept in until 10:30. Once up, I made a big batch of quinoa with mixed berries to enjoy for breakfast today and the rest of the week. The recipe can be found here.

And then I got ready to log some miles. I really wanted to hit a specific goal by the end of this week, and today was my last chance to do it.

I headed over to Bayshore for a nice 10-mile run. It did not start out well; I went out way too fast, and then was quickly paying for it. My left leg tightened up and I was worried I was going to have to give up. I was able to push through (thanks to a running buddy’s encouraging words), and knew if I could just make it to mile 4, I could do all 10. For some reason, my sweet spot is mile 4. That’s just when it starts to feel good!

I slowed my pace, put on a podcast (Thank you Running Lifestyle Podcast!!!), and just soaked in the beautiful scenery.

Eventually the miles started to fly by, and before I knew it…

I was done!

And, even more exciting, I reached my goal!

100 miles done in January with a week still to go.

My Sunday night clearly calls for some recovery. Foam rolling, icing my knees, and elevating my legs. If you need me, I’ll be on the couch! 😉

Question of the day

What was the high and low of your weekend?

***Congrats to Heather @ SLO Lucky Runs for winning the signed Bill Rodgers book giveaway.***