Carried Away

It's GO time!

But for real though, it is.  It's that time of year when everything is happening, and I gotta buckle down and focus on...well everything.  

So here's what my calendar looks like for the next few days:

Tomorrow: Dodgeball Tournament and 5k Coordinator Duties

Friday, 03MAY: Dodgeball tournament

Saturday, 04MAY: Corporate Challenge 5k

Sunday, 05MAY: My baby wittle sister is home!!!

Friday, 10MAY: Classes Stop Day 

Saturday, 11MAY: ScoutChallenge Half Marathon

Thursday, 16MAY: FINALS

Friday, 17MAY: FINALS

Saturday, 18MAY: Corporate Challenge Half Marathon and Volleyball Tournament

ok, that's as far as I'm gonna go because it's starting to give me anxiety.  

Just gotta take day by day, and do my best.  

Frankly, I am really excited about the fun busy stuff it's icky busy stuff I left out that worries me. 

Me after my last lab of the semester, woooo!!! Soooo tired.

Training for the half marathons while body building is proving to be a difficult task.  It's all  the pursuit of a leaner hot bod, so at the end of the day it's worth it.  

Monday, I went running with my bff Stevi, who swore she'd never run and is now signed up for TWO 5ks and ran 3 miles with me on her first day out.  Some people are just naturals.  Not me though, I spent months gasping for air trying to make it a block without stopping.  I always get so excited when someone close to me starts running, and racing.  It's such a huge part of my life and being able to share it with people in my close circle is amazing.  Can't wait for our next run, I'm secretly just going to train her for a half marathon-she'll never know! JK Stevi, I won't....but maybe...just think about it....

Later that night, it was shoulder day.  Shoulder day is quickly becoming one my favorites.  

Our  Shoulder routine was:

Lat Cable rows 4 sets of 15 

Lateral Dumbell Raises 3 Sets of 15

Forward Dumbell rairses 3 Sets of 15

Wolverines (IDK what they are actually called) 4 Sets of 15

Shoulder Press 4 sets of 15

Trap Shrugs 4 Sets of 30

Shoulder raises 4 sets of 25

I was spent.  I worked out with Logan and Bob, and it's intimidating working out with dudes who can naturally lift heavy.  Pushing heavy weight isn't something natural to me, so it takes a lot and I am competitive so you can imagine what it looked like....

Yesterday, I did a late night chest day with Marysol.  So from one of my favorite days to my least favorite.  I have no chest muscles....whatsoever.  Chest day is brutal for me.  It's uncomfortable.  I have no motivation.  I very rarely feel like I am targeting correctly.  It's just hard.  Nevertheless, we did it.

Our Chest routine was:

Push Ups to warm up

Flat Bench free weight chest presses 4 sets of 15

Decline chest presses 4 sets of 15

Bench Press 3 sets of 10

Tricep Pull downs 3 sets of 15

Chest Flys 3 sets of 15

Tricep Push Downs 3 sets of 15

Decline free weight chess presses 3 sets of 15, 1 till burn out

Skull crushes 3 sets of 15

and I was spent.  Like I said I hate chest day.   But you can't just skip it.   

Can't have a strong body when you skip a whole muscle group.

My goals for this week have been to cut out sugar again (after Chicago I was fully back into), eat more greens and get in more cardio.  

With another run planned tonight, and two servings of greens today I'm on track.  Also, no sugar since Sunday so win.  

I even bought a cupcake and gave it away.  Weird right?

What are you goals this week?

What's your least favorite strength day?

Favorite cupcake flavor?

This post brought to you by: "Carried Away" by Passion Pit

Give Me Hugs and Lots of Kisses

Guess what I did today?!?!

Did you say win the lottery?  Because, although a good guess is wrong.  I ran.

 Obviously.

My sincere apologies for the lame-o photos, I took my camera with us out on the run and guess who forgot the memory card?  You're right, Goliath did.  Whattta dummie.

I thought about running all day, and prayed I got outta work early enough to see some daylight on my run.  Unfortunately, the sun was setting on my way home and by the time I geared up it was dark.  Goliath knew something was up the second I got home, and he ran circles around me, barked and stretched.  Which is something I should have done....hmpf.

I planned on testing the waters, but I intended on going for three solid miles.  With the new orthotics in toe, ha get it? pun INTENDED.  I prepared myself for the worst: excruciating pain, like at the marathon and hoped for the best: a pain-free-speedy-few miles. 

I got a hybrid.  My muscle memory was pretty solid, I expected to feel fatigue pretty early on and anticipated muscle failure.  Apparently, the cross training has kept my fitness pretty decent.  Unfortunately, my upper respirtory fitness was a whole 'notha story.  I am wheezy, probably from the cold, but man breathing was ROUGH.  Most importantly, my knee felt great until about a half mile in.  It hurts specifically more on the downhill, which is common for lower joint injuries, and the uphill was a breeze.  

For our first run back, we had pretty decent splits based on estimates because I didn't wear my garmin, as it hasn't been charged since...uhm...Chicago Half?  eek.

I can already tell I am going to have a little DOMs tomorrow, and

I AM SO EXCITED!

The husband and I went for our regular Wednesday sushi date, and I tried two new rolls:

Midnight Fantasy Roll, it's a mix of salmon and yellow tail with minced scallion

Alaskan Roll, salmon-avocado-cucumber in a rice wrapper

Food not pictured: Coffee, Chocolate Chip cliff bar, spinach salad with red peppers and banana peppers, apple and peanut butter

...and Today's Daily Picture:

Did you run today?

What is the hardest part of your workout?

What are some good gifts for runners?

This post brought to you by: "Yes"-LMFAO

Race Recap: Warrior Dash Kansas City

I want to preface this recap with one thing: I am a runner, I am a Kansas Citian.  I run local and support local.  Warrior Dash is not a local race and it supports nothing, so it kind of put a bad taste in my mouth as far as a capital-money-maker race, ahem $50 entry fee.

ANYWAY, Warrior Dash is kind of one those bucket list races.  You gotta do it, or one similar to it at least once.  Last night, it was my turn.  Along with Isaac and Bob, we tackled the 3.1 miles of trails and obstacles to become survivors or warriors, I guess.

Our wave was at 5PM, the whole day had been shaded by cloud cover and barely 80 degrees.  The morning waves were blessed with showers of rain.  Our heat, was literally a heat.  By 5PM, the sun was out in full fervor and the heat index over a 100 degrees.  Perfecto!  

My team arrived in the parking lot, begrudgingly paid the $10 to let our cars sit in a vacant lot of three hours and the lined up for the shuttle.  The school bus shuttles had been absolutely destroyed by previous dashers, the seats were filled with muddle butt prints, some fresh and some dried.  Unfortunate for our spectators, they too had to suffer the mud-butt.

I will give the dash this: Incredible organization.  It's not often that a race of this many entrants can do a same day packet pick up, gear check, etc so smoothly.  Everything was marked, organized and thoroughly coordinated.  

The corral for the start was an uphill battle, and by that I mean it was actually uphill and every seemed to be preparing for battle.  Everyone was so pumped, maybe it was my mood but I wasn't in to the hype.  We stood in the corral for like 20 minutes waiting for the fire/blow horn to go off.  While waiting I watched some girl make an absolute fool of herself attempting to dance to Usher.

By the time our wave was up, I was totally heat exhausted and kinda already feeling like it was vomit o'clock. We took off anyway. This is an appropriate time to mention that the last time I ran a race without any music was...never.  It's awkward as heck.  The first mile was silent, everyone heavily panting and trodding.  Weird.

In all honesty, I was slightly disappointed in the obstacles Kansas City was given:

1) Barricade Break Down: up and under some barricades

2) Teetering Traverse: Balance up and down narrow boards

3) A Balance Beam: Climb up a ladder, walk across a beam with monkey bars atop

4) Tire Field: Maneuver through a field of tires
5) Dead Man's Drop: Climb up a wall, flip over the other side and baseball slide down a wall

6) Tiny Wall with a rope: Climb out of a river and up a wall with a rope, obviously

7) Chaotic Cross Over: Go up a ladder, and cross laterally a bed of ropes

8) Hay Fever: Climb a 30 foot thing of hay

9) Cargo Climb: Climb a pyramid of cargo nets

10) Warrior Roast: Literally jump fire

11) Muddy Mayhem: crawl under barbed wire through thick soupy mud

So no huge wall to climb, or cars to jump.  Approaching the race, I was a little sad but during the race I changed my mind.  The trails were challenging enough to walk because of swamped out mud, but coupled with the head I was cooked.

We all finished in under an hour, an attempted to wash off in the same time.

All in all, I had a really good time with my friends. I am also really proud of what they were able to accomplish since December when we decided to do this.  It was an incredibly fun and challenging course.  If I can get over the fact that is it a money-making-monster, I may do it again.  

HAVE YOU EVER DONE THE WARRIOR DASH OR A MUD RUN SIMILAR?

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE?

WILL YOU EVER DO IT AGAIN, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE ONE DO YOU WANT TO?

Everyday I'm Shuffling

I NEED to talk to you about something important....

Are you listening?

It's about something that could and will change your life.

It's called: DOING LIFE.

Ok, cheesy introductions aside.  Last week, I met up with a bunch of local Kansas Citians and the Do Life Tour to run a 5k around the giant phallic symbol that is the Liberty Memorial. 

How is that NOT a penis? Seriously. Come on.

Now, if you are familiar with the Do Life Tour and Movement please go to paragraph B, if not please read paragraph A.   (look I even color coded it for you)

Paragraph A: The Do Life Movement was started by Ben at BenDoesLife.com.  The name kind of explains it self right?  You're not dumb right?  It's about getting off your butt, and doing life.  Ben's story is beyond the description of inspiring, he's lost something like 120 lbs.  He's using his energy, and charisma to motivate others throughout  the grand ol'e US of A to get up, get out there and get ta doin'


This is their mission statement: 

Do Life is the idea that life doesn't have to be ordinary or inconsequential.  The idea that, through running, racing, and doing these things together, we can find and spread happiness.

what up creeper tongue

Paragraph B: High five you know what Do Life is all about!

Go GIRL Go!

Anyway, Goliath and I ventured down to Liberty Memorial last Wednesday for the grassroots 5k and we met really sweet peeps like Malaya, Paul and a Mom-Son racing team! Since it was a bloggin' event there were lots of photos taken, lots of words spoken and advice shared.

All in all is was an incredibly inspiring event to be a part of, and I hope the rest of Ben's tour goes off without a hitch!!  It's not often someone has an opportunity to touch so many people's lives.

To read more about Ben and the Do Life Movement please check out their website or like them on facebook, and DEFINITELY hit them up when they are in your area!

HOW DO YOU "DO LIFE"?
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PICKED ACTIVITY OVER BEING LAZY?
WHO INSPIRES YOU TO DO MORE?

Race Recap: Rock the Crossroads 5k

So in case you don't remember last year's epic sufferfest, the bottom line was: it was hot, humid and hilly. 

This year no different, except I was missing my bestie Megan to suffer with.

I roped my friend Isaac into running it, as we are doing the Warrior Dash in July together.  So he wanted to get a road race under his belt before he mudded it up later this month.  It was 90-some-odd degrees at 7:30PM which was gun time.  I promised him most races aren't this hot, warned him about the hills and went over some racing protocols.

I'm standing on the curb

Before too long, it was gun time and we were off.  Isaac is at LEAST a foot taller than me, so I was really worried about being able to keep up with him.  We stuck together for the first half of the race.  It's really thick through the first half mile, like any other race.  Some reason there were  A LOT of walkers who lined up toward the front.  From what I could tell at packet pick up, we had a lot of first timers and that is probably why.  There was a lot of darting around people and weaving in and out just to get near people in the same pace.

There was an aid station at 0.75ish with sprinklers, and water.  Amazing!  It was a nice refreshing cool down, and amazing addition from last year.  Last year, there was one aid staion and no sprinklers.  This year TWO stations both with SPRINKLERS, brilliant!

This is my friend's dad, he is stinky.

We got seperated around mile 1.3,  which is also the biggest-longest hill in the race.  Same as last year, half mile incline that is brutal.  It picks people off their run, left and right.  I am pleased to announce that unlike last year, I kept a 8and under pace the entire way.  I trotted through the aid station at the top, and turned right for a nice relief from the incline.

I made an effort to thank every single volunteer and officer along the course, super awesome for them to be out there in this heat. 

I was on point for a PR, which was kinda impressing me.  At 2.5 I was still under 20 minutes, and I wasn't really shooting for a PR so I slowed down and turned around to see if I could find Isaac so we could finish together.  We never ending up crossing paths until the finish line.

I finished in 28:31, 13th out of 51 in my division.  I could have easily beat my time from last year, possibly set a PR, but I wasn't really looking for that on Saturday.  I had ran earlier in the day, and that was my real satisfaction. 

All in all, it was a great race.  Amazing post-race snacks (SHOT BLOCKS!) and water.  Great organization.  Good crowd. Challenging course!  I love it!

CONGRATS TO ISAAC FOR FINISHING HIS FIRST ROAD RACE!!

Race Recap: Kansas City Corporate Challenge 5k

Do you know what Corporate Challenge is?  Does your company do it?

What Corporate Challenge boils down to is several differnt athletic events that companies compete against and earn their company points.  It raises money for a good cause, and gives your company bragging rights.  This is my first year participating, and what I thought was going to be some good wholesome sporting fun turned out to be this major competive intense thing.  I signed up for a million events: Dodgeball, Volleyball, 5k, Distance Medley, 800 meter, 1600 meter, Softball, Triathlon, Swimming and Tug-of-War.

May 7th was the KCCC 5k.  Now, I've done my fair share of races but I was not prepared for this.  Unlike most 5ks or races: every participant had to check in the morning of, there was a male heat and female heat, and it was not very, um punctual?  I had to park about a mile away and walk to the start, when I arrived at 7:00 am for my 8:00 am guntime (yeah, that's right I was an hour early for a race!!) I immediately got in line for check in.  I stood in line for 45 minutes waiting and waiting to sign in and get packet.  So yes, by the time I was able to check in and my team as well (who were allowed to cutsie since they preferred teams to check in together and I was up first) it was 7:45 and gun time was in 15 minutes.  The men who were suppose to start at 7:30, still had not gone at this point which was worrysome since the females couldn't start until all male participants were off the course. 

So needlessly long story, females didn't get to go until close to 9am and the sun was out and it was hot.  I was not dressed properly for such heat since I was required to wear our cotton KCCC shirts-and mine stank from dodgeball the night before.

I will take this time to briefly mention, I had been playing KCCC Dodgeball untl 9pm the night before and then had to go home to make two dozen cupcakes for the Bridal Shower I was hosting the next day, and assemble 50 graduation invites for my sister.  So I didn't make it to bed until close to 3:30am.

So finally gun time came around, and we were off.  The first half mile was entirely downhill, and I flew.  I was totally determined to place to get PRA more points because top eight in each division gets more points.  I ran the first mile in 6:30, and that was a huge mistake.  As I was flying down this hill, it suddenly dawned on me that this was an out and back course and I am going to have run UP this hill during the chute.  I really tried to slow myself down, but once I get going it's way too hard for me to slow down.

That is to say until I come to an asscent of 500 feet.  Then I slowed waaayyyy down...to a crawl.  The second I slowed the blood flow in my leg bricked.  My left hip flexor had been bothering me since the OZ and it was definitely pissed now.  I saw my team mates pass me, and I knew my hopes of being the 1st PRA female was down the drizzain.

So my hopes went from division winner to division finisher. Like always.  Super challenging course.  I finished in 28 and change.  I placed 4th in my division.  Then I left.

Invest Your Love

Saturday was the Fall Girls on the Run 5k, I signed up to volunteer. I
swear if I don't run this as a coach, I will always be volunteering.
If y'all don't know what GOTR is google it or look up the Spring 5k
recap in the blog history.

It's an amazing organization, that I really wish I had the time to be
more involved with. For now, I will just have to be a course monitor
twice a year. It was wicked cold, the wind was absolutely frigid. If I
hadn't promised to be there I would not have been outside, let alone
running in it. More than half of those girls looked absolutely
miserable. Lucky for me, the runners had to pass through my
intersection three times. The evolution of misery as the miles passed
was such a beautiful metaphor. On their third pass, they were in the
finish chute-and seeing them realize "hay! It's over and it wasn't
THAT bad!" was totally legendary. Why? Because no matter how many
races you do, no matter how good you get: you always feel that way in
the chute.

Baby, We Were Born to Run

Wellst obviously, it's Monday which means yesterday was Sunday and that means the before was Saturday which means: I had a race. Get it? Because Saturday...no? Ok never mind. Wellst, the 5k on Saturday was my favorite 5k of the year. Why? You're gonna have to read on to find out.

Saturday was the first ever Strutt with Your Mutt 5k in Kansas City. SWYM has always been a 3k walk through historic brookside with your pup to raise money for Wayside Waifs, KC's largest no-kill shelter. This year they decided to add a 5k portion that you could run with your dog. UHM-Hi, have you met us? We signed up instantly. When we showed up on Saturday, Goliath was in absolute heaven. There were booths with treats, hundreds of other dogs and people who didn't mind he jumped up to say 'hello!'

Upon arrival, he was in awe.

It was the first time for the 5k, and it became pretty clear this wasn't mean to be a very competitive 5k. There were no bib numbers, no chip timing (just a running clock) and oh we were running with our dogs. I noticed none of the local elite runners were there which kinda got my gears turning. We lined up at the mini-start, which doubled as the finish line.

They made a few announcements, and we were off. They actually started the race a few minutes early! Woah. So the first quarter mile was really thick. People were bumping into each other, dogs were darting back and forth-it was pretty chaotic. There were a lot more people running without dogs that I had expected, and they had the people sans pups line up toward the front. That made no sense to me, I would think that an event to benefit dogs where you run the dogs-the dogs would take priority. Am I right?

When I say it was thick, I mean it. It took us a while to break away from the big pack, but Goliath was a maneuvering rock star. He steered and I was along for the ride. Maybe it was instinct, but he darted around people and found the optimal and efficient routes. By the halfway mark which was also an aid station, I started to realize I could see the leader. I stopped and let Goliath get a drink, but he wasn't willing to waste anytime. The aid station volunteers told me to get to it because I was the second girl the pass. UHM EXCUSE ME?!

Yes, that is his tongue!

After that news, we got tunnel vision. We turned right and another right, and there they were the only people in front of me. I counted them all and the took a picture. Only eight people in front of me, and only two of them had dogs.

zomg! COUNT THEM!

With the leaders in view, we got entirely too motivated. It felt like we were running 7s, but it was really 8s. I just wasn't use to running balls to the wall like that, but Goliath was. I'm sure the look on my face was priceless, most likely absolute terror. I felt like my heart was maxing out. One of the blockade officers laughed as we ran by, he said "Hey that's not fair! He's pulling you!" Listen bud, you wanna try to keep up with Goliath?? Be my guest. There was a pretty decent hill, and I passed one of gentlemen in front me. Unfortunately, my shoe came untied with less than a quarter mile to go. Panicked I had an internal dilemma, and decided to tie it even though it might have meant someone passing me. Luckily, there wasn't anyone near enough. We sprinted across the finish line and looked down at my garmin for the first time since the start, then the DJ says "Look at her checking her time! That's what it takes to be top 10!" balls. top 10. I came in 8th overall, and I was the 2nd female. Goliath was the 2nd canine.

I told someone a long time ago that I would win a local race one of these days, this just proved to me that I could. I won't cheapen this victory, so don't roll your eyes at the race design or number of runners. No matter how you spin it and try to lessen this, I came in 8th overall and 2nd female overall. You can't argue that.

This blogpost brought you by FLASHCAKES! The chocolately treat guaranteed to make you a super fast speed racer! Want a box of your own? Comment us: tell us one SPEEDY fact about yourself-it can anything, and be sure to include your email address. One person will selected randomly....and yes this is Part V of 12DoGA and yes they are bad for you :)

Mileage: 3.35 (it was actually long!)
Time: 24:18