Race Re-Cap - Ladysmith Cinnamon Bun Run

Despite my concerns that I was going into this race at a disadvantage it ended up going really well! I had my oatmeal at 6am and then at 8:00 I had a piece of toast with jam on it. I downed a couple glasses of water and 2 cups of coffee. I got the race in good time to settle in and get in the zone. Despite going there alone I ran into lots of people I knew running the race so that was nice. 

3 of my coworkers were there (Cinnamon buns will bring everyone out!) and few other random friends. I knew it was chilly out so I decided to really get into the cheesy warm up they do so that my legs wouldnt be so cold. Its a very non-competitive/fun race so when it came time to line up I went right to the front so I wouldnt be dodging walkers and jogging strollers. I realized that I was probably a little over caffeinated when I got to the start line and tried to take a selfie and my hands were shaking so bad!

 (blurry photo - too cold and hopped up!)

Apparently while I was waiting they made an announcement about not being allowed to wear headphones...which I didnt hear because well...I had my headphones in :) This is a predicted time race so no watches, heart-rate monitors or phones allowed. 

We started out and I could count 4 others that took off ahead of me. It was cold (3 degrees) but not too bad. I felt like I was dressed properly for the chill. I got to the bottom of the first big hill and turned to look and see if my running buddy was behind me. He was maybe 10 feet behind me so I gave him a wave and continued on. I'm really competitive and one of these races I know he is going to beat me but I'm going to make him work for it :) I put my head down and booked it up the hill. Its a steep one but once you make it to the top its flat for a bit and then a long stretch of downhill. I'm much better at down than up so on that stretch I ended up passing two of the other runners in my little group. I knew at that point there was only 2 people ahead of me. 

When we came to the half-way point one of them turned off as he was only doing the 5k. Down to 1 guy ahead of me and I couldnt even see him. It was weird running and seeing no one ahead. I remember thinking that I felt really good and I was trying to figure out if I felt good because I was running slower than usual or if I was just having a great race! Not having your paces available really messes with you!  

 After a couple blocks the route doubles back on itself and you pass all the other runners. Being the first female coming through for the 10k I got a lot of cheers and support. I will admit that I love that...its a great feeling and just amps you up even more. I got to the second run up the steep hill and my legs were definitely feeling it. I got about half way up and the third place guy who had been close behind me for a while pulled ahead. I actually panicked for a sec because he was all in black and I thought he was running buddy coming to take me down :) I put my head down and passed him and focused on getting a better lead on the down hill.

The next couple km's went by quickly and I was hoping I was doing as well as I felt. I love running a 10k right after a half. It feels so fast! With about 1km to go third place guy passed me again. This time I let him go ahead, but not too far. I knew my legs werent tired and I had a strong finish left in me. So I stayed behind him no more than 15feet and tried to decide when to make my move. I totally spent about 500m plotting when I was going to take some poor old man down...lol. I mentioned the competitive part right...? :)

We turned the corner and with about 200m I went for it. I passed him and sprinted towards the finish line. The race ends up a short hill and I just went flying up there. I crossed the line and he wasnt even close. I love this pic...neck craned to see my time :)

44:35 was my official time. First female, second over all and only 9 seconds off my PR. Pretty darn pleased with that one, on a hilly route, up a couple lbs, not knowing my paces and without even going for a PR. Gives me hope for a new personal best at Cobble Hill in January. The third place guy came over to shake my hand afterwards and say congrats on a great race. A woman I've never met also came over to tell me what an awesome finish that was. I love the high of finishing a good race. It makes me feel so pumped up and happy. Its worth the training and speed drills and meal planning and attempts to get to/stay at racing weight.

My running buddy also got a new PR so I was excited for him. Even with making a wrong turn and having to back track a bit! My other co-worker also came in under her goal so everyone did really well. Then we got to eat delicious the most amazing cinnamon buns! So freaking good!!

No prizes for the first finishers as its a predicted time race. So the top three winners finished 1.3,2.2 and 2.23 seconds off their guesstimates. I guessed 46mins so I ended up 97th in the prediction placing. But I dont mind that...I'll take being speedier than expected anytime :)

Race Morning

Today is race morning! Other than it being pretty darn cold out (1 degrees C in Ladysmith) I'm pretty excited. Last year it was -3 so I guess I cant complain :)

Thursday was the last run I did which was a decent 6 mile run. I think we went faster than intending because it was so cold and at one point started to snow a little. I was running in capris and not super impressed by that lol. 

I took Friday and Saturday off to rest for the race. It always feels a little weird not to run for 2 days in a row! I didnt have any drinks Friday night and limited it to 1 last night. Drank a lot of water and didnt restrict calories so my body should be feeling good to race. Not that I think much of that matters for a 10k, but its nice to feel really ready to go and not have tired legs from training all week. 

Have a little bit of a head cold...darn snotty kids. Also started my period just in time for race day. That part sucks about being a female runner/racer and dealing with the timing of that. The first two days your estrogen and testosterone are rock bottom and you lack iron. All three cause feelings of fatigue. Nothing like going into a race knowing your body is like "hey lets not race...lets lay in bed instead...you didnt get pregnant now I'm going to make you pay..."  

I've actually thought about going back on birth control so I can time it around races, but then I decided that was a little crazy :) I had to remind myself I am not professional athlete :) This is a hobby and I dont need to pump myself full of hormones just to minimize going into a race on a hormonal deficit a few times a year!  

Okay time to go get ready!

Happy Week

So thankfully "sad weekend" has morphed into happy week! Monday morning I went in to work and found out I get to keep my tech. Despite a busy day I got my weights done at morning break and ran 6 miles at lunch. I knew that would help my anxiety regarding my presentation that night. I even managed to sneak in a quick walk in the woods at afternoon break. 

(definitely need a new heart rate monitor...sigh)

That evening my presentation went really well. I felt really nervous the first few minutes but then settled in well. I was able to speak clearly and explain things well (I think). I spoke for about 40 mins and then had a question and answer period. What a relief to be done!!

Tuesday was dark, raining so hard and there was a wind warning in effect. I had initially thought about doing a speed drill but decided that just to even get out in that mess was hardcore enough. The run was great though and just made me feel that much happier that I got out and got it done. It reminded me of why I run. I had barely stopped running and couldnt stop smiling :)

Today was dress day at work....not like an actual "everyone has to wear dress" day, but just a day where I felt like looking nicer. But, regardless of attire I still got my strength routine done. Photo proof just for you Lucy... :)

(weights and push-ups)

This weekend is the Cinnamon Bun Race so I wanted to get at least one speed drill done before that. So today was a 10 mins warm-up, 7 intervals of 1 mins fast, with 2 mins recovery, and then cool down. We just went as fast as we could on the speed portions and had a couple of intervals that were sub 6 mins/mile! We ended up averaging 6:15 which wasnt bad for the first speed drill in a while! 

One more easy run tomorrow and then rest Friday and Saturday. 

Off Track Weekend

Its always so much better to write about when everything is going well, but I think its a bit cathartic to write about times your struggling as well. I felt so good to wake up Friday and not be hung over lol! I went to work feeling good, but as soon as I got there I got an email that I might lose my Rec Tech. I was really bummed and stressed. I had just agreed to a whole bunch of work based on having him around and looked like he was going to go to a different program area. Him and I work very well together and I didnt want to have to hire someone else, train them up and really I dont have time for that right now with a big project I have taken on. Also every email that came in seemed to be unhappy and piling on more work and more grumpy people. 

I was excited to get out for a run at lunch because that always de-stresses me and perks me up. I ran the Paper Chase race route with my running buddy at a nice leisurely pace. 

The run was good but I returned to the office with a serious case of the sads. This never happens to me, especially not post-run! I'm blaming being overtired still, overwhelmed and I honestly believe putting so much alcohol and junk in my system the week before had a negative impact not only on my physical health but on my mental health as well! 

I did not cope well with how I felt and ended up consuming a ridiculous amount of cake (seriously gross grocery store cake!) in attempts to cheer myself up. Oh and also a bowl of Kimchi, because why stop at just cake...lol. Then I just felt gross and sad...yay! I was trying to prepare for an hour long presentation I had to give Monday night but other work kept coming up. By the end of day I didnt really have it prepared and that stressed me out further. I am not a comfortable public speaker. I do it often enough as part of my job but I hate it and it gives me a knot in my stomach the few days before hand. I like to be very prepared for those kind of speeches as that helps me feel more calm about it. So having that unfinished did not help things. I felt on the verge of tears the whole car ride home. 

I got through dinner, got the kids to bed and bailed on the night. Crawled into bed by 8:30 cause I didnt want to deal with anything. So, yeah... Friday sucked! 

Saturday I woke up feeling a bit better. It was a busy family morning with skating lessons, and gymnastics. I arranged for a playdate for the kids so I could work on my presentation. It ended up taking 4hrs to put together so that took up the rest of the day. I didnt make the best food decisions on Saturday either. A muffin at Tim Hortons, half a bag of Pepperoncini chips... Once you eat crappy for a few days in a row its so hard to turn it around and get back on track even though you feel so much better when you do...so frustrating! Its like you feel bad and then your brain tells you to make yourself feel better by eating more bad food which then makes you feel bad again...brains can be jerks sometimes!

Sunday I finally got myself completely out of the funk I was in. I got up and got out for a long run. It was a bit of a mental battle as I didnt get my usual runners high and I forgot my gel. But I stuck it out and did the half-marathon distance.   

It was also Global Hug A Runner Day :)

(me and some of my racing peeps)

I got back on track food-wise and made healthy choices all day. Got the house cleaned, laundry done, groceries bought, made a big batch of soup for lunches for the week. Just felt like myself again. Getting a bit de-railed sucks. I know it happens and I try not to be too hard on myself. I just need to remember that cake is not a coping mechanism ;)

Party Like A Rockstar

Last week I went down to Victoria on Monday for my provincial meeting. I packed as many of my snacks and meals as I could so that I would only eat out for dinner. 

(my enormous cooler I use to pack all my meals when I travel)

I also packed a bunch of running gear because there is always a group of us that goes running in the morning. Rain or shine, no matter how much we have drank!

(everyday clothes vs. running gear, about equal suitcase space!)

The first night was pretty crazy. It was the buy-out for one of the staff that was retiring and 3 other staff were buying in. Meaning the alcohol was flowing freely all night. My co-workers know how to party, they are loud and hilarious and crude and I know way more than I need to know about most of them after these kind of nights!  The conversation started with discussions about porn and descended from there. By the time the shots came out we had moved on to diagrams...

We started at 5:30pm and left the bar at 11:30. We walked from downtown to the hotel and as soon as we got back I decided I wanted chips. This meant three of us staggered all the way back downtown to 7-11. We must have spent 20mins in 7-11 buying ridiculous junk food. I got my chips and got out of there and then remembered the most delicious thing in the world is peanut butter cups. I started shouting at my poor Rec Tech who went back to buy them for me...classy boss right here :) I got back to the hotel room and devoured them. I woke up the next morning and my boots were whipped off by the door, clothes strewn across the kitchen, a trail of peanut butter cup wrappers leading into the bedroom and then some random scarf on the bed that I found and wore home...geez! But for the record they were the best damn peanut butter cups I have ever eaten!!

I remember seeing 1:30am when I crawled into bed and then my alarm went off at 5:30. Because the sucker for punishment that I am, I refuse to call off a run.  I put my gear on and stumbled outside. The cold air felt good at least. 

(outside my hotel looking pretty hurtin)

I ran down to Swans which is just under a mile away and where I was meeting a couple other runners. I ended up getting there 15mins early and texted them to get there ass downstairs.  

(waiting for the others to show up...wondering why I'm doing this). 

We went down and ran along the water. We always run a similar route and it was actually nice. I was probably still a little drunk so the cool air and exercise sobered me up. I ended up actually doing almost 12k. Not bad on 4hrs of sleep and the most drinks that I have had since....well the last provincial meeting!

Plus this route has the most beautiful sunrise to watch so you cant beat that :)

I would like to say that I learned my lesson and reigned it in the next night but no such luck. I only see these folks once and year and thank god! I cannot handle that much alcohol. The next night was worse. One of our new staff bought at least 5 rounds of shots. I actually had to leave the bar because I couldnt take anymore and ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor with the spinnies. I havent had that since college! I'm sure my body was wondering what the heck I was doing to it.  This mom cannot party like she used to lol. I was so glad on Thursday to come home and recover. My bed felt so good that night!! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

Saturday I "slept in" till 6:15...lol. I am an early bird to the core. Kids or no kids I cannot sleep in. I dont ever set an alarm and am always up between 5:45 and 6ish. Last year on my birthday I partied till 2am...up at 6! Most of the time I like it but sometimes the idea of lounging in bed and sleeping in sounds appealing. But, I have the most energy in the morning, I open my eyes and immediately want to get up and have a coffee and start doing things. My eldest daughter is the same way and we have a rule that she cant get out of bed until 6am. That being said I turn into a lump about 7:30pm and like to be in bed by 9!  

Saturday is focused on family things. Yesterday was laundry, skating lessons, gymnastics, groceries, errands, took the kids for frozen yogurt and then made skinnytaste stuffed peppers (yum!). It was go, go, go all day long! I'm trying to commit to keeping Saturday as a day for family stuff and not running, but that being said I had 30 mins while dinner baked and Tegan said she would like to go out for a little bit. 

My daughter likes to run for about a mile or two when we go out and I love spending that time with her. She does a sprint-walk interval and I'm amazed at how fast her sprint is. At one point I almost got panicky because I was going full-out and she was pulling ahead! Thankfully she cant sustain it for that long and I always catch up. I have no doubt that one day she will be faster than her momma though :) 

Today I woke up and wanted to get my normal Sunday long run in. It was pouring rain and windy as heck though. I checked the forecast and it didnt look like it was going to clear at all so I headed out. It was pretty miserable at first, every time the wind picked up (~25km/hr) the rain was whipping me in the face and it was hard to run more than 9mins/miles. 

I debated cutting it short but I can be a bit stubborn and I hate not finishing a run once I've set out. About 5 miles in I jumped into the bushes to go pee. I wasnt really paying attention and ended up scratching my legs all up and landing in a puddle that was up to my ankles! My shoes and socks were full of water and I had blood dripping down my legs, but that just makes me hardcore right? :) 

The weather and run got better as I went on though and I was able to get out for a decent stretch. 

Just did the math and that means I did 50k this weekend :)

Weigh-In and Running Gear

I think I'm going to try and get back on board with posting my weigh-ins for a bit of accountability. Last year around this time I really went off the rails. December is my birthday and Christmas which means lots of big dinners/desserts, family time and less running. I ended up weighing in at the end of December last year up 6lbs. Which doesnt sound like that big of a deal...I always expect a bit of weight gain around the holidays but for me racing season starts Jan 22nd with the Vancouver Island Race Series. 

This meant last January sucked as I busted my ass trying to lose the weight and by race day I was at 139 which is still higher than I would have liked. I find a notable difference in my paces when I hit about 3lbs gained. I'd like to do well in the race series this year and beat some of my previous PR's. This means I cant go crazy and eat all the foods in December...lol

By summer of 2016 I managed to drop another 8lbs or so. So now my weight varies between 130 and 134. 134 is my "crap I need to reign things in" number. For the record, I like the way I look at 134 it doesnt have much to do with that...its just, like always with me, about the running...

So here we go...current weight:  

Not too bad. This was after a good week, lots of running, no big indulgences. Next week will be tough. I head down to Victoria for a 3 day conference that is a total food and drink fest. It is always a bit of a shock to my system :) The upside being there are a couple runners there so we try to get up early and run in the mornings. The downside is that in no way accounts for the excessive alcohol consumption! Oh well I will pay the penance when I get back...

And by request...my current running gear stash :)

Pants - 1 pair that are lined, 1 not. I do not like to run in pants, it needs to be pretty cold for this. I find regardless of size or style they slide down when I run which drives me crazy. 

Capris - 4 pairs, if its above about 5 degrees they are my go-to. These I'm willing to spend good money on. I think I have bought them all at FrontRunners which means they were stupidly expensive. 

Shorts - 5 pairs - it has got to be damn cold for me not to race in shorts...I find them so much easier to run in. I also find even the cheap ones comfy. Its a constant joke among runners that the longer you run the shorter your shorts get! For me this has been so true...covers my ass cheeks - check, doesnt chafe - check, costs only $15 at Superstore...even better :)

 

Running Skirt - 1, kinda cute, but they have to have shorts under them anyway so its really just extra material for fashion sake I guess. 

Long Sleeves T's - 5, only 1 that I really love, the rest are race t-shirts. To me these are totally worth paying good money for. The one I wear the most was probably $90 at FrontRunners but the comfort and breathability (apparently not a real word but you get what I mean) are way above any of the cheaper material race day shirts you get. 

Short sleeve T's - 3, also only one that I like and two race t's, same deal as above also worth the money in my opinion

Tank Tops - 5, my preferred running shirt unless its really cold out. These I also dont mind buying cheap. I have a few $50 ones from FrontRunners and I think I prefer the $10 Walmart tank tops. There is minimal material so you dont need to worry that much about how they breath.

  

Sports Bra's - 7, mainly because I went through a spell of getting to Port Alberni and I had forgotten to bring one so I had to go to Walmart and buy one. Same as tank tops for me. I have $50 ones and $10 ones and dont notice much of a difference. 

Running Jacket - I only have one of these and its from the Marathon I ran. I really enjoy running in just a jacket and sports bra so this might be on the list of things to purchase soon... :) Plus the one I have is lined and I overheat quickly so I need something unlined (see all the rationalizations going on here...)

Accessories: 

An arm band for my iPhone that I love except when it got really hot in the summer it was annoying and so then I bought a flipbelt which worked better for me in the heat. 

I have a water belt for training runs over about 20km that holds two small water bottles with a little compartment for running gels or I have my camel bak which holds 40oz. 

I also have a running hat, gloves and ear warmer. All of which are great at the start of a run, but I never last with having them on. As soon as I warm up I want them off and then am usually stuck carrying them the rest of the way....

Lastly I'm still on the quest for the perfect running sock (and runners for that matter)! This has been a source of frustration. Running socks are expensive! I hate spending $20 on a pair and realize they slide down or give me blisters or are too small. I've worn out the heels in so many pairs! Its also annoying that you cant try them on in the store, although I guess I dont want someones gross foot fungus...

Hmmm....and they say running is a cheap sport!!

Busy Week!!

Tuesday I was in interviews all day and so I took it as a rest day. I came home to watch the election and self-medicated through the pain of a Trump victory by eating way too much Halloween candy...like about 10 of them and then a giant piece of cheese because why the hell not I was on a roll...

Wednesday I had to go to Powell River for work. I got to the ferry terminal with about 30 mins to spare before we were loading. I decided to get a quick run in to pass the time. Ran a little over 5km and made it back into my vehicle and my lane started moving about 60seconds later...cut it close on that one!

I had meetings all afternoon which finished about 3oclock and then I had a break before my 5:30 meeting. I decided to get a speed drill done which was a fairly easy one. Run 10k with the last 12 mins keeping my heart rate above 166. I got so nauseous during the run though. Every once in a while I have that happen and I cant figure out the cause, its brutal, just trying to make it back to the office without puking! Then as soon as I stop it goes away...so annoying!

When I got back to work it was after hours and I had to shower in these sketchy back of the warehouse bathrooms. I kept hearing these weird thumping sounds. Then the lights were on a timer that I didnt set for long enough so all of a sudden they went off and it was pitch black. I was trying to get out of the stall and forgot the door swings out instead of in so I was freaking out. I was naked and stuck and I couldnt see anything...lol. I finally calmed down and realized what was going on and successful escaped the bathroom, but it felt like the scene in some b-rated horror movie! I caught the last ferry home from Powell River and made it back to Nanaimo and into bed by midnight...ugh, long day!

Thursday I had to get up at 5am and was in the field in the morning. 5hrs of sleep is nowhere near enough for me but I think my tiredness had shifted into delirium as I felt alright.  I managed to make it back to Nanaimo in time to get out for a 10k trail run at lunch. Trails are always going to be a bit slower of a pace but its a nice break from the road running and speed days. The upside to working ridiculous long hours the day before is there is no guilt in taking a long lunch. 

Then today I woke up kid-free...woohoo! My aunt took the girls overnight which was awesome. One of my favorite places to go if I'm not pressed for time is Westwood Lake. I love the trails there and its a very happy place for me.  

It was raining lightly but I was in the woods most of the time so it didnt matter. I was feeling great! Lots of energy and no nausea thankfully!

I ran into a fairly conservative co-worker which was a little awkward as I was running in a sports bra, but he was rocking a pair of man-tights so I figure we were about equal :) My dad called me mid-run and asked if I could meet him back at home later, which was probably a good thing. Because I was having such a good run I probably would have done 5 laps which is 30km. Instead I cut it off at 4 so I could make it back and 24km is a little bit more reasonable...right? :)

Night running and personalized Nutella

Today was an early start to the day. My little one got up at 4am and I could not get her back down to sleep :( She's got a cold and cannot for the life of her figure out how to blow her nose so she keeps waking me up telling me her "nose is broken and she can hear the snots making noises inside". So I end up crawling into bed with her and whatever millions of toys she is sleeping with and trying to coax her back to sleep. Saturday night it took about an hour but I got her back down. Last night was a no go. I woke my husband up at 5:15 since it was his flex day and told him he needed to deal with her so I could lay down for about half an hour before work started...yuck!

I had interviews all day for work and so I knew I wasnt going to be able to get my lunch hour run in. I thought I would take a rest day but when I woke up there was an email saying our last interview of the day had cancelled. I packed my running gear thinking I could maybe get an hour in the end of day. We ended up going late though and by the time I got out all I had time for was a quick walk in the woods, which was still nice though. 

I got home and the kids were disasters since they got up so early. Hanna almost fell asleep in her dinner! So I ended up putting them to bed pretty early. I made a batch of Skinnytaste BBQ chicken chili and put it in the slow cooker and realized it was still pretty early. 

(sleepy girl!)

So I did something I very rarely do and got out for an evening run. I'm not sure I have ever run in the evening in the dark! I wore a blinking arm band and went around my neighborhood a bit.  There's a hill nearby so I did 4 repeats and then a quick loop around the school, then back for 2 more repeats. I told myself I would feel better if I got out for 30 mins and I really did. I'm so all or nothing and sometimes I think there's no point in going out unless I'm doing at least 5 miles. But I did a little over 3 miles and was having a really good time. Then I got tired and hungry and headed back home :) 30 mins is better than nothing especially on a day where I spent most of it sitting in one room. 

  

 (am I really doing this? Oh ok this is fun)

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Hanna sleeps through the night tonight! Another day of interviews tomorrow...blah. Also you want to know whats awesome...when you go grocery shopping and think "Hey PB is on sale I should stock up and buy 4" then the very next week you go to the store and completely forget you did that the week before and do it all over again...

Thankfully we eat a lot of Peanut Butter cause we are stocked... :)

Also my daughter couldnt wait to point this out to me...

Nutella is my krytopnite. I do not keep it in the house as I have in the past had zero control when it was around. But, the idea of having a jar of it with my name on it I find very appealing! I cant tell if it would make me want to eat it slower because I would want to have the jar around longer. Or, if I would want to eat it more because not only is it Nutella but it is now basically calling my name...  

Endorphins beat Practicality

Saturday I begrudgingly took as a rest day. It was a busy day with kids activities including skating lessons, gymnastics and a playdate/sleepover. I did manage to sneak out and get a much needed haircut though! Its crazy when you have kids and you get really excited to get a hair cut just for some "me time" lol. 

(yay I can see again!)

The only exercise I got in was a quick walk in the woods with my kids. The "Gnome Home" walk at the Morrell Sanctuary. My kids do not appreciate walking in the woods unless they are looking for fairy or gnome homes and even then it can be a tough sell!

(My 7 year old took this pic and it makes me smile...I'm well aware that I am not dressed very appropriately for walking in the woods!)

Today I got up and was excited to get out for a long run. I wasnt sure how long I was going to go for or how fast. I just thought I would play it by ear and see how I felt. I very rarely run without a plan so this was kind of liberating. It was dark and windy and looked like rain when I was getting ready to head out so I dug out my lined running pants and jacket. I downloaded some new tunes and hit the road. It felt really great to get out and just relax...is that a bit of an oxymoron to go running to relax? 

I got out about 4 miles though and it got really warm. The sun came out and was beating down and it was at least 12 degrees. The lined pants do not breath and I was totally overheating. I reached a point where I couldnt take it anymore and decided to ditch the coat to cool down. I always feel a little judged as a woman running in a sports bra and it probably seemed extra crazy since it was November!  At that moment though the Ariana Grande song "Side to Side" came on and I cant stand Nicki Minaj but she sings a line in that song about "I give zero fucks..." and so it seemed a fitting mantra as I was trucking along.  It felt so good to cool down and I was able to keep up my pace.  

(Sports bra, arm band and heart rate monitor...Jess giving no fucks...lol)

At mile 7 I was averaging about 8 min/miles and could feel my left knee get a little bit twingy. So I slowed it down a bit and headed home. I finished just under 10 miles and did the math realizing that that was about 15.6km.  Tuesday morning I was cleared to run and posted this conversation I had with my PT:

I lasted 5 days before I completely disregarded her advice and ran 15k! 5 days!! How ridiculous is that...man I suck!! Endorphins beat practicality every time! Honestly though it felt amazing...fingers crossed I didnt push it too far. I do have a rest day planned for tomorrow as my work schedule is full so hopefully that helps as well. 

Also I still dont trust those heart rate readings. I may need to look into a new HRM....grrr.