A Race That Ended With the Funniest Moment...Ever

Today was the big day.  It was Dave Ryan's 5K for Special Olympics...the day that Kali would run her first ever 5K.  My brother Jason was going to run it with us.  A few days ago, Kali's boyfriend Sean was talked into running it, too.  Yesterday, Lee finally decided to run it as his first 5K, as well.

Jason, Lee and I headed out this morning into the chilly, breezy air.  I had intended to run in short sleeves, but when I got there and couldn't warm up, I decided to keep my long-sleeve shirt on underneath.  We went and got Lee registered, got our bags and coffee and water and bagels and went up to the car to prepare before heading to meet Kali and Sean.

Jason, myself and Lee right before heading to meet Kali and Sean

After meeting up, we headed to the starting line.  Before we even started, the race was a big fail because my cat had apparently chewed through the wires of one of my headphones and so I was left with just one ear of music to listen to.  Lee flat out forgot his...nerd...  I wish I would have taken a photo of the people behind us.  It was super neat to be right at the front of the pack for the start, but also quite a bit intimidating.  Regardless, we stayed and jumped around to stay warm

A quick pre-race photo of us all (minus Lee, the cameraman)

After a quick few words from Dave, his son Carson sounded the horn and we were off.  Jason, Sean and I took off running with Lee and Kali right behind us.  I soon realized that there was NO WAY I was keeping up with Sean or Jason, and that attempting to do so would put my finishing the race in jeopardy, so I settled into my normal run pace and went with it.  I had people jogging past me the entire thing, but I sure felt like a winner for a few seconds.

The run was beautiful...if you have never been down by the river in St. Anthony Main or on the Stone Arch Bridge, you are missing out.

Here is the route for the 5K...ending by crossing the Stone Arch Bridge

After feeling like I wasn't going to finish the entire thing running, Sean and I met up magically and ran together for a good while.  While we didn't really chat, it was nice to have someone to run with for a while.  Steve and Lena from the Dave Ryan in the Morning Show were right by us for quite a while, talking about how good barefoot running is for you (which it really isn't).  It found some humor in this, which helped take my mind off feeling like I was dying.  By then, we were almost to the Stone Arch Bridge.  I knew if I could make it there, I could finish.

That damn bridge seemed to go on forever...but I punched it to the end of the bridge where my brother was waiting.  I thought I had finished, as the end of the bridge was supposed to be the finish.  He yelled at me to keep going, as the finish was about a block up the road.  He ran with me and I punched it again and finished.  The great news?  I shaved 18 seconds off of my first run's time!  My time was 33:10...about 10:15/mile.  I'm okay with the fact that it wasn't more.  It was pretty windy out there and I overheated a bit with the long-sleeved shirt on.

The funniest moment ever that happened at the end of my race?

Slightly Awkward and Gross Warning!!!

I peed myself a little...

Apparently, I had to pee pretty bad and my muscles thought they were all done functioning and working after the 33:10 of running.  I promptly waddled to the Jimmy Johnny, finished my tinkle, tidied myself up and went to wait for Kali and Lee.

 A while later, I saw Lee coming to the end of the bridge, so I hoped back on the course and finished with him.  A little while later, Kali comes running down the bridge and Sean and I hoped back in to finish with her.  I was super excited for both of them because a VERY short while ago, I was finishing my first 5K and I think it feels better to have people you like finish a race with you.

Both of these fine folks did a pimp job at running their first 5K.  They are both super awesome and deserve mad props!  You guys have worked hard for it and will get better and better!

WAY TO GO, KALI!

LEE, YOU ARE COOL!

After the race, we cooled down and I even won a door prize (door prize at an outdoor race...???).  Then, we took off for my motivation: breakfast at Al's!

I forgot to snap a photo of us all (because I suck), so I leave you with this photo of the three of us folks!

Jason, myself and Lee after finishing the race and before heading to Al's

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 9 Day 1

I have really been a running slacker, so I decided to suck it up and jump up to W9D1, which is the 30 minute run.  I forced myself and it went alright.  Here is the run breakdown for W9D1:

• 3 Minute Warm-Up Walk (should be 5 minutes)
• 30 Minute Run
• 5 Minute Cool-Down Walk
• Total: 38 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 30 Minutes
• Walk Time: 8 Minutes
• Distance: 3.28 Miles
• Run Pace: 10:45
• Overall Pace: 11:33

My run pace got a little better, which surprised me since I didn't feel like it went all that great.  I felt about the same as the last one.  Oh, well.  Just gotta keep going!

"Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming."

My 2nd ever 5k is on Saturday.  I will be running Dave Ryan's 5k for Special Olympics with Kali (props to her...it is her 1st 5k and she is going to rock it!), her boyfriend Sean (perhaps?) and my brother and Race for the Cure companion, Jason.  It shall be a good time, as the weather will be nice and brisk, and I vow to eat Al's Breakfast, afterward!!!

Ah...my true motivation comes out...

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 8 Day 1

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!

The State Fair did not do what I had hoped it would.  To be honest, I had hoped it would make me gain about 5 to 7 pounds and that I would be mad at myself and get  über motivated to get in gear again.

Not so much.

With all of the delightful foods at the Fair and spending eight days there (yes...I said eight), I gained about two pounds.

That is it.

I don't know if it was the fact that I was already eating better or I just got sick of food right away, but I didn't eat a whole lot this year.  On top of that, the State Fair is a LOT of walking.  I walked over six miles the first day alone.  Whether the walking mostly countered the caloric intake or what, I don't know.  I do know that I did NOT want to run tonight.  The motivation has yet to return.  I was going to go this morning, but just couldn't do it.  I made Lee promise to make me go tonight.  And he did...ugh...he was a nag.  But it worked to get me out there and it wasn't for a lack of revolting on my part.  I told him I was tired, that I had a headache, that I already went, that blah blah blah...but he still made me go.  And here is the run breakdown for W8D1:

• 5 Minute Warm-Up Walk
• 28 Minute Run
• 5 Minute Cool-Down Walk
• Total: 38 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 28 Minutes
• Walk Time: 10 Minutes
• Distance: 3.08 Miles
• Run Pace: 11:09
• Overall Pace: 12:19

I am shocked at how much better I did tonight, despite 12 days of the Fair in town and not running in over two weeks.  Maybe I just needed some time off...???  I actually set my app to run the W7D3, but then I would have ended up walking my cool down with some weird lady and her dogs, so I kept running...and knew that W8D1 was only 3 more minutes of running...and I did it!  I was .02 miles short of a 5k, but I still have a week to get there.  :)

Tomorrow is weigh-in day, so we will see how it goes!

XOXO

Excuse Me...What's My Motivation?

Haha...this commercial still makes me giggle.

"Excuse me...excuse me...what...what's my motivation?"

However, in all seriousness...

World...I have lost it.

My motivation, that is.

Here come my "I-Haven't-Been-Running-Consistently" excuses (and by that I mean I haven't run much at all lately):

My weekends have been busy.  Between driving to and spending time at the cabin (and dealing with Lilly's meltdown!), driving to and spending time in Milwaukee, and the awesomeness that is the Great Minnesota State Fair...this has left me with little time to run.  Add work and Lilly into the mix and there isn't much time left in the day.  I know I could get up earlier, but this leads me to my second excuse.

All of this running around here and there mixed in with being über busy at work has left me with little to no energy to do anything else.  I pretty much go get Lilly after work, head home for dinner and play time and hit the hay after Lilly does.  It is a struggle to get out of bed when I absolutely have to in the morning, let alone any earlier to run!

I've lost quite a bit of weight.  The attention I got at first...with people telling me that I look great and that it was awesome that I lose the weight...it was nice!  Now, I just feel weird about it.  After a former co-worker told me at the Fair (and I quote), "Yeah, I know Katie.  But you've lost a lot of...(awkward pause)...size."  Who honestly feels like that isn't weird to say to someone you haven't seen in over two year...and to a former colleague, no less?  I just have a hard time keeping on this journey, especially when I'm not really sure how to handle comments.

My major source of motivation was Lilly.  I wanted to make sure I could keep up with her and not be just a big, fat tub-o-goo.  I'm able to chase her and play and I'm not really a big, fat tub-o-goo anymore.  So, mission accomplished, right?

Maybe I just need to wait until the Fair is over and work settles down a bit.  Maybe things will fall back into place and I'll get back on my running horse again.  Maybe I'm just destined to be a lump-of-turd!

I really still want to be a runner.  I want to always crave a good run.  I want that runner's high.  I just need a new source of motivation.

So here is my big question:

What is your motivation?

*~* The Great Minnesota State Fair *~*

Since tomorrow is the start of the Great Minnesota Get Together and this is a "healthy-living" type blog, I figure that I would have to include some of the calorie counts of the delicious foods I will be ingesting in the next few days:

• Corn Dog - 350 Calories each
• Cheese Curds - 1,140 Calories per 7 oz container
• Mini Donuts - 720 Calories per bag of 12
• Foot-Long Hot Dog - 540 Calories each
• Roasted Corn on the Cob (with butter) - 200 Calories
• Cotton Candy - 320 Calories per cone

Okay, so compiling a bunch was the idea, but four different website have had four different things listed as the highest calorie count with everything being way off from the other.  I'm leaving it at this...

...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 7 Day 2

*Hangs head in shame*

Yes, I do realize that my blogs being so far apart implies that I have not been keeping up my runs.  Well, I wish I could say implied, but truly, that is the reality.  This month has been hectic (to say the least) and with being out of town and just being worn out from work, I have lost my motivation to run.  I pulled my ass out of bed this morning at 5 a.m. and, despite being quite tired, I made myself run.  Here is the run breakdown for W7D2:

• 4 Minute Warm-Up Walk (should be 5)
• 25 Minute Run
• 2 Minute Cool-Down Walk (should be 5)
• Total: 31 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 25 Minutes
• Walk Time: 6 Minutes
• Distance: 2.42 Miles
• Run Pace: 12:08
• Overall Pace: 12:47

I am well aware how terrible those stats are, but I'm okay with it.  I haven't run in a week (urgh...awful), but that doesn't matter.  Around the 5 minute mark of my run, I got some terrible side pain.  It was a bit like stitches, but more under my rib.  It was the worst running pain I've ever had.  I could barely breathe, but I forced myself to "run" (what was really more like swinging my arms like I was running, but kind of only hop stepping) until I got off the highway, but then I just kept pushing myself and finished.  I also got scared by my own shadow on the bushes and trees in the dark.  I thought it was someone coming to kidnap me...seriously.  I was all set to book it back home!

Anywoo, I am pleased to say that despite my culinary weekend road trip to Milwaukee with my sister, I am back down to where I was with weight loss (I had gained a few pounds, but I think it was water retention from all of the sodium I ingested).  I know that the next 12 days with most likely not provide me the same fate...

THE GREAT MINNESOTA STATE FAIR STARTS TOMORROW!!!

That brings lots of delightful food and fun.  And walking.  Walking around the fair counter-balances the Sweet-Salty-Battered-DeepFried-Delights On-A-Stick, right?  An ode to the State Fair...tonight!

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 7 Day 1

Due to some commotion on our trip (and being up until midnight with a screaming child), I did not get my run in on Friday.  I was super excited to run somewhere new, too!  Oh, well.  As for today, today's run went...meh.  Here is the run breakdown for W7D1:

• 3 Minute Warm-Up Walk (should be 5)
• 25 Minute Run
• 4 Minute Cool-Down Walk (should be 5)
• Total: 32 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 25 Minutes
• Walk Time: 7 Minutes
• Distance: 2.62 Miles
• Run Pace: 11:28
• Overall Pace: 12:14

I tried a slightly different route today, which kind of threw me off.  I didn't do so hot, as my pacing was, apparently, awful.  Oh, well.  I'll get there!

I've been eating like crap the last few days.  I've tried, but it has been stressful and I am a BIG TIME stress eater.  I told you this month would be trouble...

XOXO Keep it up!