A PR while running in costume

I have a new 10K PR!!  I even ran this new PR time while wearing a Statue of Liberty Costume!
Once again, I was leaving my house in the early hours of the morning.  
This is my friend and I before the race.  I'm on the left. 

Statues of Liberty ready to run

This was the Liberty Run.  Registration for this race includes a Statue of Liberty costume.  After the race, all of the Statues are gathered in a fenced area for the purpose of making a Guinness Book record of most people dressed as the Statue of Liberty.  This was done last year and was certified by Guinness and this year they wanted to break their own record! 
I ran the race with my friend, Erika.  We didn't even warm up; we just lined up when it was time:

lining up at the start

For running, we gathered our Liberty dresses up on one side and used a hair tie to hold them up.  I also wore my race # belt which helped me to control the thing while I was running!  I definitely wasn't a 65 minute pacer for this race!  This was tough!  The last two miles got really tough.  At one point, I fell behind Erika and she kept yelling to get caught up with her and somehow I did. 
We crossed the finish line with our torches raised high!

finishing

I looked at my Garmin after I pushed the button and it said, 53:40!!  I can't remember ever having a 10K time under 54 minutes!!  I'm pretty sure this is a PR for me!
Then we had the record breaking gathering.  They set up a timing mat at the entrance to a fenced area; as each person crosses the mat (with race bib still on) they are recorded.  The gathering has to be for 10 minutes.

Statues of Liberty as far as the eye can see!

After we exited the gathering area, Erika noticed the race results posted and so we went over there to see what our times were.  We both discovered that we were 2nd in our age groups!!  We got beer glasses!  the glasses are hard to see in the picture.  Our torches are in the glasses. 

Age group awards

Erika and I have run in prom dresses and Christmas lights and now Statue of Liberty costumes!  We were thinking of how we could use the costumes again for a Halloween race.  I was also thinking that I could wear it on New Years Eve in New York City in the Midnight Run! 
We are planning on doing the Red Carpet Run again this year and are making plans for what we're going to wear.
Tomorrow is 17 weeks out from the Chicago Marathon so it's only 1 more week until I will officially be training!  A few weeks later, Erika will start training for the New York Marathon. 
I'm exhausted tonight.  This early morning stuff is not for me!  Soon, I will be going to group long runs at 8am on Saturdays - oh joy! 

Runner Nerd
has a new PR

Spirit of the Marathon 2

I went to see Spirit of the Marathon 2 this evening.  I didn't dislike it but I like the first one a lot more.  The stories were good but it was harder to follow because I did not understand the language of some of the featured people.  I prefer to just watch a movie and not have to read the translation of what they are saying in another language.  Several times I missed something because I was looking at something on the screen that caught my eye and then the words were gone.  Also, the other way around; I'm reading the words and missing out on what's going on.  Maybe it's just me.  Last night I re-watched the first Spirit of the Marathon on Netflix; maybe that was a mistake!  In spite of being a bit disappointed with having to read so many translations, I am more excited than ever to get going with Chicago training! 

In order to go to the movie this evening, I had to miss the group track workout.  Today was hills!  Earlier in the day, I went to the usual high school track and ran a mile warm up on the paved trail that is right by the school then on over to the street where the big hill is.  I did 8 loops all by myself.  The climb up the hill is .3 mile and then we turn on another street which loops around and comes out close to where we start each hill repeat.  The complete loop is .6 mile: .3 uphill and .3 downhill.  This takes place in a neighborhood with little traffic.  When I was there at 1pm there was no traffic.  I never saw a car on the street until my last loop.  There is more traffic at 6:30 pm when people are home from work.  There were two houses where a lawn service was there mowing and working in the yards and I think I provided some entertainment to those people!!  I know they stared each time I passed by!  My total run was 7.1 miles.  It was tough but I felt good afterward! 
After the movie, I gave in to temptation and drove over to a place that I should stay far away from!!  It's a good thing that this place is not very close by and I'm in the area infrequently!  I went to Sugar Berry Frozen Yogurt; it's a self serve frozen yogurt place.  Oh my!!  I made sure to completely fill the bowl with several different flavors such as red velvet, cheesecake, vanilla, and birthday cake!  I topped it off with white chocolate and caramel!  I hope we do one of our longer routes tomorrow night at group run! 

Runner Nerd
ran, went to movie, ate frozen yogurt, had a great day

Pacing and meeting new friends

Today I paced another 10K at 65 minutes!  This time, I was all by myself.  I tried to set my Garmin to give me a split time every quarter mile, like I did before, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.  I don't know how I did it before and then put it back to miles the next day.
This race was a Hawaiian themed race called  Kona Run.  I had to leave the house at 4:45 am.  Why do I let myself get talked into these things??!!  (A fellow Thursday night running group member is on staff for this race and is in charge of putting together a team of pacers so that is how I got involved.)  
When I went to the start area with my 65 minute sign with the other pacers,  people started coming up to me asking me about pace and stuff.  I recognized one woman but had no idea why I thought she looked so familiar.  I hope she didn't notice me staring!  Something she said made me realize that I had read her blog recently!  She is "That Loud Redhead", AKA Stephanie!  She was running with her 11 year old son who really wanted to try to break 65 minutes; it was his 2nd 10K.  Another woman kind of looked familiar, too, but I had no idea why.  Later on, her and Stephanie were talking about running their first half marathons last week (6 days ago!) at the Dexter to Ann Arbor Half Marathon!  That's when it hit me, I had seen a comment that my sister had made on Facebook to someone who had run the half marathon and I was pretty sure that it was her so I asked her if she knew my sister and she did!  When she told me her maiden name, I did remember her from high school!  I had two runners who had run a half marathon 6 days ago!
I know we were right on target at 4 miles at 42 minutes.  (10:30 per mile x 4 miles)  We were a little fast for the 5th mile and when we were coming up on the 6 mile marker we were over a minute ahead.  My 11 yr old runner really hung in there the last mile.  I knew we were around 40 seconds ahead at 5 miles so I slowed a little and walked a few extra steps at the water stop right after the 5 mile point.  He really pushed through and when we were coming up on the 6 mile marker, he took right off!  He was very happy with his 1:03:something 10K PR!!  It was the highlight of my day! 
Somewhere along the way, I think around 4 miles, a car came barreling around the barricade at an intersection and proceeded to drive fast down the middle of a street full of runners as runners swerved right and left to avoid being plowed over.  I guess not everyone likes having the streets closed and a bunch of healthy, happy, athletic people running their races! 
After the race, several people who ran with my pace group gathered for a picture and somehow my phone/camera did not end up with a group picture so I am hoping to get one of the whole group from one of the others.
I also took a picture of "That Loud Redhead" and her son:

Stephanie and her son, the proud owner of a new 10K PR

 I also got a picture with my high school classmate and good friend of my sister, Pam:

I really like the shirt given for this race and, for the first time ever, I wore it to run the race in!  I've never done that before.  I know that I will wear this shirt a lot.  

Tomorrow it is 18 weeks out from the Chicago Marathon!!  Time to get a training plan picked out and get going!! 

Runner Nerd
very tired from getting up at 4 am.

Detroit Race for the Cure

Today was one of my favorite races.  It was the Detroit Race for the Cure.  The Detroit Race for the Cure is one of the largest Race for the Cure events in the country.  I believe I once read that it's the third largest behind Washington, DC and Phoenix, AZ.
They don't time this race, there are bibs with numbers and the first 100 women and 100 men get a medal at the finish line.  Back in the day, I was able to easily come in within the first 100 and get the medal but the last few years, I wasn't able to come close to it.  Now that I've lost the college weight gain and am back to running like I used to, I decided that I wanted to try for the medal this year.  I have been doing speedwork with the triathlon group from the Y.  My all time 5K PR, 23:39  is at this race.  I knew there was no way that I'd be able to run that fast right now but I figured that it would be my 50s PR!
When I got there, I picked up my bib and tshirt in front of the big Tiger in front of Comerica Park:

The Detroit Tiger decked out in a pink ribbon

They even let us use the restrooms inside the ball park! 

An empty Comerica Park

 After wandering a bit and taking my tshirt back to my car, I went to the starting area:

Start line

It was chilly and when I checked my jacket in gear check, I was cold and wishing that I had a long sleeve sihrt on but I did warm up for about 10 minutes which helped.  Just before the race started, the sun came out and it instantly felt warmer!  The race went well.  It got tough in the second mile but I tried to keep myself going.  I run the race for the cure in celebration of a gal who grew up down the road from us.  When my kids were babies and she was a teenager, she babysat for me.  In her early 30s, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been battling it for several years.  She is a survivor but still has problems.  I think of her and all she's gone through when it gets tough and I want to slow down.
The end results:

I got the medal!!

Did I mention that I got a medal?

My time was 24:30!!  I haven't run a 5K in the 24s in a long time!  My splits were:  7:39, 7:42, 7:45.  I can hardly believe that I kept it in the 7s! 
I picked up my jacket and wandered a bit after finishing the race.

Comerica Park

I saw this group of men in pink warming up for the race when I was warming up.  I spotted them just afterward and was able to sneak a picture!  How awesome that they are willing to get into the spirit of such an important cause!

Men in pink

 A UPS guy took my picture when I picked up my jacket.  (UPS is the gear check sponsor and gear is stored in UPS trucks)  I haven't been able to wear this skirt the last couple years because I had gained weight.  I am happy to say that it fits now!!  

Happy to be wearing this skirt

All too soon, it was time to head back to the Fox Theater parking garage and head home; another Detroit Race for the Cure is in the books!

Who's your Tiger??? 

It's a Jeep Thing

About a month ago, my diesel Jeep Liberty and I were invited to a Jeep party!  I wasn't sure about going to a Jeep party because I've heard of Jeep gatherings and, from what I understand, this is for those hard-core, tricked-out Mud-bogging, rock climbing Jeeps and their owners.  I was told that they wanted to have a diesel Liberty in attendance.  I decided to go.  It was fun and interesting.  Many of the attendees did not know that there was such a thing as a diesel Jeep.
Wayyyyyy back before I had kids, I had a 1976 Jeep Wrangler and I just loved that thing but it was the first thing to go when the first kid came along!  I drove mini vans for 16 years while my kids were growing up but always longed for the day when I would once again be driving a Jeep!

My diesel Jeep Liberty on the left with a few of the other Jeeps at the Jeep party

Since this Jeep party was held at a Jeep dealership, there was several brand new fancy schmancy Jeeps on display.   The new Jeep Wrangler has a retractable roof.  Instead of just a little sunroof, a major portion of the roof above the front seats slides back into the framework of the roof.  I would love that!!  Maybe someday!

After the Jeep party, I drove to my usual parking place in the big parking lot behind the clock tower building, changed into my running clothes and took off on a 6 mile run.  It was 50 degrees and sunny.  I had a really good run and felt good.  My legs were really tired Thursday night at running group from Wednesday's speedwork session.  My run today seemed to just fly by!  I could hardly believe it when Garmy beeped for mile 4 and then before I knew it, she beeped for mile 5!  I picked up the pace for my last mile and ran it in 8:36!  Next Saturday is the Detroit Race for the Cure.  I'm hoping for a really good 5K! 

Runner Nerd
proud Jeep owner

Best Ten Dollars I've Ever Spent

Mangos!!  I love mangos but they are a pain and a huge mess to cut up and eat.  I've watched Youtube videos of people very neatly cutting a mango but it never works for me and I usually think that the video was edited or something!
The other day, I was reading another blog called, "The Boring Runner", and he had bought a mango in the quest to eat more fruits but had no idea what to do with it.  In the comments to his post, someone posted a link to a handy-dandy mango cutter!  I never knew there was a kitchen tool for mangos.  The link was to Target's website and it also told me that my local store had them in stock!  Guess what I did the very next day!
This is the very best $10.00 that I've ever spent!!  (The mango cutter is actually $14.98 but I had $5.00 left on a gift card but I would have still been just as pleased had I spent $15.00!)

This is what it looks like:

Mango cutter and mango

You stand the mango on end so that the pitt inside will fit into the shape in the middle of the cutter and press down.

 Press it down all the way to the bottom.  It slides right over the pit.  Be careful not to squish the bottom of the mango, I did that once!  Just make sure you're pressing on the mango cutter and not on the mango itself, if that makes any sense.

almost there

 The result is the pitt in the cutter and two halves of mango.

two halves and a pitt

 There are two options for cutting the mango into pieces.  Cut a half into slices and peel the skin off as in the pieces on the right.  The other is to score the mango half in a criss-cross pattern and then turn the mango half inside out and the squares pop out and separate and you can cut them off of the skin.   

Two ways to cut up the mango

There is also some fruit on the ends of the pitt that you can cut off (or just bite off!).
I'm like a kid with a new toy!!  Since buying the mango cutter, I've eaten 4 mangos!  This thing has made cutting and eating a mango a much less messy process for me! 

Tonight is running group!  After running group, I'm heading to my niece's house so that I can be the nanny tomorrow while she is teaching a class.  At running group, I'm halfway to her house and I'd have to be on the road at 6:30 am to be there by 7:30 am so I might as well just go spend the night since I don't enjoy leaving my house at 6:30am!

Last week I had 33 miles!  That was even with 2 rest days, Monday and Friday.  On Tuesday, a friend and I ran 6 miles and then on Wednesday, the group workout was hills in two different places which ended up being 8 miles total.  On Saturday, I ran 10 miles on trails winding through 6 different parks.  I worked at my old job in the morning doing one of my old kid programs at a kids' health fair so I was in the Ann Arbor area.  After work, I drove over to Gallup and changed in the backseat of the car just like I used to all the time!  Gotta love tinted windows!  I started in Gallup Park and passed through the Arboretum, Riverside Park, Argo Park, Bandemer Park, and Furstenberg Park. It was a beautiful, sunny day; 64 degrees when I started and 66 when I finished, so not too hot but yet shorts weather! I even got a little sunburn on my face!!  I know that's not supposed to be a good thing but after a l-o-n-n-n-n-g, freezing winter, it's a welcome event!!  Saturday evening, I added up my miles for the week and ended up with.....29.9!  It was still light out when I discovered that and I almost went outside and ran to the neighbor's driveway, which is .1 mile!  Instead, I ran 3.1 miles on Sunday so I ended up with 33 miles even! 

It's only one month away from 18 weeks out from the Chicago Marathon! (June 9th is 18 weeks out).  I haven't chosen a training plan yet but some of them are 18 weeks and some are 16 weeks.  (June 23 is 16 weeks out)  It's getting close!!  I better choose a plan!

Runner Nerd
has a new toy

Every Hill is an Opportunity

I ran cross country and track in high school and college (the first time, right after graduating from high school).  Don't be too impressed, it was a teeny tiny Christian college, not MSU or U of M!!  I've heard all the sayings, such as:  "no pain, no gain", "every hill is an opportunity", etc etc.  "Every hill is an opportunity" was a favorite of my cross country coaches in both high school and college.   I guess I had all kinds of opportunities this afternoon!   Hills were on the agenda today instead of a track workout for the triathlon group I work out with on Wednesdays.  My total mileage for this workout was 8.2 miles.  1 mile easy on the paved trail then about another half mile to the street where we confused many residents by running back and forth over and over like a bunch of weirdos!  This street is a complete hill from one end to the other so we would run fast uphill to the highest point and then slow downhill, turn around and run fast up the hill and slow downhill, if that makes any sense.  We did 5 times so we ended up at the other end of the street and then jogged over to a park with a HUGE sledding hill and proceeded to entertain even more people by picking the steepest place on the hill and running up and down 5 times!  It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny and 80 degrees so there were a lot of people at the park.  There was even 2 other people running up and down the hill at a place where it wasn't quite as steep!  After the sledding hill fun, we returned to the street we came from and did 5 more laps.  My legs were spent!  It was a very slow jog back to our cars, approx. 1/2 mile.  We had a group of 5 tonight.  One guy was always way out ahead of the rest of us but I wasn't always the last one to the top of the hill! (most of the time but not every time)  I did not fall as far behind the others like I did last summer; I was only a few seconds behind!  The sledding hill was ridiculous and my pace for those repeats were in the 10s and 11s but for the repeats on the street, I was doing them in the 8:50 - 9:20 range and I'm super happy with that!!
This is from Garmin Connect:

Lots of hills/opportunities

 The green line is elevation.  The first set of repeats is messed up because I was hitting the start/stop button instead of the lap button so only the uphills were recorded.  I got it right after that. 
This crazy workout took about an hour and a half'; it was after 8pm when we finished.  It was 8:30 pm when I got home and I was starving! 
I'm working toward a decent 5K time on May 18th at the Detroit Race for the Cure.  I know I won't PR but, hopefully, I will PR for 5Ks in my 50s!  The 5K I'm running is the race where my current PR was run.   I'm convinced that it's the flattest 5K course in the world!  If pain = gain then I should have made some major gains this evening!!! 
Well, I am exhausted! (gee, I wonder why!)  I'm sore and I even used my foam roller.  My right foot is just a bit sore so I will wear my splint tonight.  (that's the plantar fasciitis foot from last year)

Runner Nerd
runs up many hills because every one is an opportunity