Earth Day 10K

I have completed my first 10K race. 

It was a harder course than I thought and I'm ashamed to say it: I walked.  For about 20 seconds (I had to readjust my stupid jacket that was tied around my waist - it had my cell phone in it and was bouncing all over the place - I solved that problem by shoving it down my shorts).

This course had a LOT of elevation change and Mile 4 had 2 freaking steep hills in a row.  BUT!  I plowed up and didn't walk.

Automatic PR of 59:58.  And I was pumped that I made it under an hour with those stupid hills.  Go me!  I even came in 6th in my age group and only 22nd overall.  I love small races!

I like that I look like I'm dying.

Salt Lake City 1/2 Marathon

This was my fourth appearance at the SLC1/2.  Four years ago, this was my very first race that I had ever done, and now I have a hard time missing it.  It's become a tradition of sorts with my family, but this year had the least amount of participation from Family B.  Just me, my sister and her husband, and my dad.

The night before the race, I had a hard time falling asleep.  I get really wound up about this race for some reason.  So I think that I got MAYBE 6 hours - which isn't too big of a deal, but I normally get over 8, plus I'm pregnant, so I like my sleep.

Anywho, when we get up to the starting area, we have about 15 minutes before the race would start, so we jumped in the CRAZY port-a-potty lines.  Good heavens, every year that I do this race, the support and planning just get worse and worse.  I keep telling myself that I'm not going to do it anymore because I'm so fed up with how much they charge as an entry fee - and then they have the WORST support of any race that I've participated in.  I mean, what kind of an idiot doesn't plan to have enough CUPS at water stations?!  It was absolutely ridiculous - plus they were short on port-a-potties at EVERY station along the route.  There were lines that were more than 20 people long.  I'm oretty sure those people lost MINUTES from their time.

So I'm in the Honey Bucket line when the gun goes off.  Usually, once this happens, 80% of the people ditch from line to start running - but this year that didn't happen.  I guess everyone is catching on to the fact that it is chip-timed and your time doesn't start with the gun.  So 11 minutes after the gun, I cross the start line and head out.

Miles 1-6, I kept up with my sister and we stayed right near a 9-minute mile.  The Mile 4 aid station had run out of cups when we came by and they had the coolers on their shoulders telling people to run under to get a drink.  Seriously??

Miles 7-11, nothing much to say but I still can't believe how many people we have to bob and weave around.  I lost my sister at the Mile 8 water station where I had to come to a complete stop and wait for at least 45 seconds while they filled up a cup for me.  Are you SERIOUS?!?  I wouldn't have waited, but I had just choked down my GU and NEEDED to get rid of the thickness in my mouth before I gagged on anyone.

Mile 12 was a steady incline that got progressively steeper.  I put my head down and told myself that I wouldn't walk like all of the wimps around me - but some people were running in front of me and then would stop and I had to hurry around them before I ran them over.

Mile 13 leveled out and my legs felt dead.  The last quarter mile of the race was good though because I saw my hubby and got pumped about having a new best time!

13.1 miles completed in 2:04:15!  2 minutes faster than my previous best that I had set 4 weeks earlier!  Hooray for me! 

I guess the baby likes to run.

Kill Me Now

Saturday's run was BAD.  And now I am NOT looking forward to the race this Saturday.  I'm actually kind of scared for it.


So, Saturday morning started with a yummy breakfast of eggs and toast.  The husband wanted to do a weight training DVD that we have, so we did that together and then we changed into our running gear and went out together.  Hubby only wanted to run 3 miles, so he did one lap of the lake with me (I kept up with him the whole time!) and then headed home.  I went for another lap and around 5.5 miles I started to suffer.  All of my energy was gone (used up in the first 4 miles, plus the 40 minute video full of squats and lunges).  Not the smartest move on my part, combining a long run with the weights, but I wanted to do both.  So I cut the third lap short and ended up running 8.5 miles, instead of the planned 10.  After the first 4 miles, my times got worse and worse as I did more and more walking.  My legs were dead and it was SO windy that my normal 10 minute-mile jog became a 12 minute shuffle.  BLAH.

This Saturday is probably my last half marathon for 2010.  It's kind of sad.  I really wanted to kill the course this year, but I know it isn't going to happen.  Oh well.  I still have a 10K and the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay to look forward to.  That 10K next week will be an automatic PR, no matter how slowly I go.


In pregnancy news, I have no symptoms to complain about.  I use the bathroom maybe a time or two more than normal during the day - but it isn't too big of a deal.  I always already going often from running and trying to drink plenty of water.  No nausea, no aversions to food (thank heaven!), and I haven't been tired... until Saturday.  I figure that's because I over did with the exercising, and now I'm still trying to catch up.

A-Okay

Do you like my little alien growing on the side?  It's special.

The doctor gave me the okay to keep running.  He said, "Pregnancy is not an illness or an injury, so keep running like normal, eating like normal and acting like normal."  And I plan to.  I know now is not the time to start training for a marathon or anything crazy, but I'm excited that he so heartily told me to keep doing what I am doing.  He is a runner himself and seemed pretty proud of the fact that I had already run 2 half marathons while knowing that I'm expecting.  I already love my doctor!

So tonight after work, I'll be running 4-5.  I'm excited for it!

Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

I haven't been running.  Is it because of an injury?  No.  Am I sick?  Not at all.  Burned out?  Maybe.  Pregnant?  Definitely.


Seriously... I am pregnant.  It's crazy and exciting for us, since we'd been trying for a year.  We found out the night before the Shamrock 1/2 marathon (and I'm 100% sure that THAT was the reason for my PR). 


Since the Riverton race, I haven't done anything.  I'm not having any pregnancy symptoms (that one episode of puking was NOT morning sickness, it was a result of taking a multi-vitamin on an extremely empty stomach), I'm not even tired... but I just have no motivation to run anymore.  I'm pretty sure it's because I know that I can't go as hard as I wanted to anymore. 


The few people that I've told that are runners have said that they were advised NOT to run much during their pregnancy, so maybe I'm just preparing myself for the worst case senerio.  I don't know what the deal is, but I'm hoping that after my first appointment on Wednesday that I will have answers and I will find my desire to run again.


Any suggestions for motivation?  Any advice on running during pregnancy?