The Great Taco Run

After two months of arduous training (you know, a few trips out jogging each week), it was finally time for the highly anticipated Great Taco Run. I was very excited about this race, because while I am usually kind of nervous before races, I actually felt prepared this time. Thanks to my somewhat success two weeks earlier at the Tour des Fleurs and the fact that for the first time ever I actually made it to week 8 in my Couch-to-5k program, I was actually pretty confident and hopeful about how this race would turn out.

I prepped the night before by eating a bunch of tacos with my family (because it is called the Great Taco Run). Once I got home after dinner, I laid out my clothes for the next morning, along with all of the crap I'd need to bring with me (purse, race bib, granola bar, etc.), and actually got into bed pretty early. I tossed and turned for a long while before starting to finally drift off to sleep...

... and was shaken awake by an earthquake.

I'd never felt an earthquake before, so I was naturally very startled. It was all the more unsettling because I had been in that weird pre-sleep stage where I wasn't sure what had happened and thought I might be either under attack or insane (until I felt the after-shock, that is). But after that ordeal, it took me forever to fall asleep again.

As it turned out, the lack of sleep wasn't going to be my biggest problem during the race. The rain that morning proved to be a much bigger impediment. As Hannah, Jeff, Liz and I headed to the race, there were only a few sprinkles, but by the time we finished the 5k and were heading towards the post-race taco frenzy, it was raining much harder. It never poured down, but we were soaked through regardless. The rain itself didn't really bother me until my socks started to get wet - I cannot stand it when my feet get wet, except in very controlled situations (showers and swimming pools).

Unfortunately, the rain had slowed us down enough that by the time we made it to the post-race taco frenzy, they were almost entirely out of tacos. With only one booth still serving (that had a huge line and was just Taco Bueno) and both Hannah and I shivering because of how cold we were, we decided to leave and get a celebratory brunch. In keeping with the spirit of things, I ordered breakfast tacos.

Results:
Race time - 46:52

Because it was raining, I decided to leave my phone/camera in the car.
Instead, I thought I'd just steal this blurry picture off the internet of
two of the participants who were there dressed as tacos.

The 2012 Tour Des Fleurs 10k/20k

As you may recall, a little over a month ago, I re-embarked on a Couch-to-5k program that would get me ready for the Great Taco Run. Well, what better way to train for a 5k than by running a 10k?

What's that, you say? Running a 10k as part of my training for a 5k is a dumb plan? Well, I couldn't agree more... but I did it anyway! How could I pass up an opportunity to race on a lake-side course through an arboretum?! Can you imagine a prettier run?! More importantly, I got to register for free because my company is a corporate sponsor of the Arboretum! It really was a no-brainer. Obviously, I just had to sign up for the annual Tour Des Fleurs!

I knew that I wouldn't be able to run the whole thing, so rather than push myself too hard, I just used the race as further motivation to keep up with my fitness/training regimen.

Which is different from a fitness regiment, as pictured here
(and discussed in this cracked.com article).

On the night before, however, I felt that it was crucial to prepare as best as I could:
First, I drank lot of soda. Then, I helped my sister make cookies. I then ate a large steak, as most athletes do, and followed it up with a bunch of birthday sweets (for my brother-in-law's birthday). After dinner, I went home and began assembling a playlist to listen to during
the race, and did some hard core research on running 10k races. What kind of research? Well, I watched the episode of the New Girl where Zooey Deschanel ran a 10k, then the episode of Up All Night where they all ran a 10k, and because I wasn't finished assembling my playlist, ended the evening watching the race episode of the New Girl again. 

After that, I was terrified that my race would be like this...

Maya Rudolph and Megan Mullaly seem so unhappy.
Up All Night

or worse, like this...

Being dragged across a finish line while I shout "MY SHOES
ARE FILLED WITH BLOOD" is unfortunately the only way I
could probably have anything in common with Zooey Deschanel
... other than the bangs, of course.
The New Girl

Despite my nerves, I actually got a pretty good night's sleep (like, at least five hours or something), woke up early, and made it to the race with plenty of time to spare. There, I met up with my co-worker, Robert, and headed towards the starting line.

Because Robert is a much more experienced runner than I am, he was giving me some of the tips that he uses during races (pace myself, listen to music, hydrate, etc.). Then, we started talking about our goals for the race. His goal was to beat his time from last year. My goal was to not cry. Well, that's what I said, at least. My real goals were to run at least two of the miles (which is what Maddy and I did at my most successful race - the Hot Chocolate Run) and to finish in less than an hour and a half. 

After turning on my brand spankin' new playlist (which is pretty fantastic and includes such hits as "Josie and the Pussycats" by Josie and the Pussycats and "Snakes on a Plane" by Cobra Starship) and stashing my phone in my fanny pack (I'm pretty cool), I counted down with everyone else and started running.

As I crossed the start line and passed the drum-line from a nearby high school's marching band, I already felt tired and was just certain that this run was going to be terrible, but after a few minutes, everything got easier (maybe warming up actually is important)! I kept running, right past a trio that had set up and was playing music for us, with an aim of running the first mile without stopping. As I approached the mile marker, I realized that I still felt pretty great and decided to keep running. Before I knew it, I had run the first two miles without stopping (I'm kidding, I was painfully aware of how far I'd run without stopping the entire time -
but I did get two miles before slowing to a walk). Once I saw that Mile 2 marker, nothing could keep a smile off my face. I decided right then that even if I ended up not being able to run another step and had to crawl across the finish line, I would call this race a success.

I recovered pretty quickly while I was walking, but I didn't want to push myself too much, so I decided to walk the rest of the third mile. While doing that, I took the opportunity to live-tweet my progress (but since I don't actually have a Twitter account, this involved just texting Hannah), and took some blurry pictures with my phone!

Here are a bunch of runners ahead of me!

And here are the runners that were so far ahead of me that
they were already looping back!
 

I was very impressed with this lady who was participating
in an athletic wheel-chair. She must have arms of steel!
Her friend's mobile elliptical bike was pretty cool, too.

Then we hit this... why there is a traffic jam in the middle of
a 10k course, I have absolutely no idea.

Anyway, I had decided to start running again at the fourth mile, which, to my utter dismay, started halfway up a terribly steep hill. Once again, when I started running, it was very difficult. I didn't think I'd be able to go much farther before slowing to a walk, but much like at the beginning of the race, I was fine after a few minutes. So fine, in fact, that when I hit the start of the fifth mile (where I had planned on slowing to a walk again), I kept running and didn't slow down for another mile! That's four miles of running so far that day!

I will admit, though, that I was running at a very slow pace (roughly 12.5 minutes/mile), which meant that anyone who was running at all could pass me. Some people even went so far as to pass me at least ten times. It's actually kind of funny, Robert had told me that morning that one of his tricks it to pick someone out in the crowd and make it his goal to pass them. If he then slowed his pace and his target passed him back, he would redouble his efforts. I'm pretty sure that is what this one girl was doing to me, because it seemed like she was always either walking or passing me for about a mile and a half of the race. Don't worry, in the end, I finished ahead of her (maybe... I don't actually know).

I slowed to a walk again at mile 6. After recovering a bit, I heard music ahead through the trees. "It must be the finish line music," I thought to myself as I sped up to a run. Unfortunately, much like at the Firefly Run, I was tricked into thinking it was the home stretch. The music I heard was only that trio that I mentioned earlier playing a cover of the Kinks! But oh well, even though the finish line was considerably farther away than I had thought it was, I kept running until the end. Eventually, I reached the real finish line in under an hour and a half! And up the hill to the after party I went.

And what an after party it was! It'll never cease to amaze me how much unhealthy food they cram into fitness-themed after parties. I decided to partake in a complementary slice of pizza from the Pizza Hut booth...

This is what fitness looks like.

... and some froyo from the I Heart Yogurt tent.

The Arboretum is featuring a Chihuly exhibit
for a few months!

I then pocketed (or fanny-packed) a chocolate-chip cookie from Tiff's Treats, decided to forego the apples and bananas, and left to meet up with my friend Mark for a post-race brunch!

The Results: Way better than I expected!

Total Race Time - 1:28:21
Place - 1268 out of 1393 (top 91.03%)
Total Time Spent Running - 1 hour and 2 minutes (previous record - 30 minutes)
Longest Time spent Running Continuously - 25 minutes (previous record - 15 minutes)
Total Distance Run - roughly 4.5 miles (previous record - 2 miles)
Farthest distance run continuously - 2 miles (previous record - just over 1 mile)

I may have come in the bottom 10%, but I'm pretty excited that I almost doubled all of my previous records for running.

The Aftermath:
Oh gee whiz! I was extremely sore Saturday evening (poor Teddy Westside had to deal with me complaining a lot)... then I slept most of Sunday! But all in all, I'm no worse for the wear, a little more prepared for my upcoming 5k.

Are you ever surprised by the sheer amount of junk food at fitness events? What do you do to prepare for races? Do you like my very stylish fanny-pack?

Bunnies!

I like to run at night for many reasons:

  

1. I dislike the sunlight. Not in the way that a vampire or emo kid dislikes the sunlight - I won't turn to ash, sparkle, or write bad poetry because of it - but in the way that a fair-skinned girl who gets overheated way too easily dislikes the sunlight. I like when the sunlight keeps things alive and well-lit, but not when it causes me to be even slightly (sunlightly?) uncomfortable.
2. The streets and sidewalks are less crowded. The vast majority of exercisers are out during the day, leaving me free to roam the night (again, not like a vampire).
3. It's usually my best bet at free-time. If I could ever get up early enough, I'd probably like morning running as well, but I don't. My mornings are usually spent over-sleeping, and I tend to overbook myself in the evenings. As a result, sometimes, the only time I can run at all is at night.
4. Bunnies.

In my neighborhood, there are so many bunnies, and I only see them when I'm running at night! My guess is that they're at least semi-nocturnal or something, but as I know absolutely nothing about animals, I'm probably making that up. Hannah would know, she knows a ton about animals. Google would also know, probably. I don't plan on consulting either and will continue to speculate wildly (I also assume that they have laser eyes and all are Wiccan).

They're so cute. With each bunny I see, my run improves exponentially (not my skill at running, just the running experience in general). I've seen some other animals, too (a possum and a rat!), but they're significantly less cute. Even the family of cats I come across regularly can't compare to bunnies.

My favorite part is that they'll see me coming and hop away to avoid me. But much like how cartoon characters never to veer off the tracks when trying to outrun a train, the bunnies will hop along the sidewalk right in front of me for a while not understanding why I'm following them... thus maximizing the duration of my bunny-watching. They're so cute.

Here are a bunch of pictures from the Google Image search I just did for bunnies! Yay!

And just because... here is one of a duckling!

Photo courtesy of my friend at Walquist Photography.
Check out her Facebook page!

UPDATE - Teddy Westside sent me this very relevant youtube clip that I think we all need to see.

So really, what's the deal with bunnies... are they nighttime creatures or are these encounters flukes?

"You're leveling up your bodies!"

I've made no secret of the fact that for the vast majority of my time on this planet, I have utterly despised running.

Udderly?

Over the past couple years, however, I've been trying my darnedest to change that (if you replace "trying my darnedest" with "occasionally starting then shortly thereafter quitting running programs"). With each attempt, I've noticed that in spite of myself, I'm actually improving as a runner. I may not be able to run as long or far as I could last March (when I could run almost twenty minutes at a time - a huge accomplishment for me), but at least I can finish my Week 4 run from my couch-to-5k program with relative ease. It wasn't long ago that merely jogging for a minute or two would leave me unable to breathe and riddled with stitches, so being able to run for 5 minutes at a time without whimpering, developing blisters, or getting that weird itchy leg syndrome* is kind of a big deal! In fact, since restarting my program a few weeks ago, the only obstacle/show stopper I've had to deal with has been the insect that flew into my eye mid-run last night (and people say my eye phobia is irrational... pshaw). Much to my surprise, I've been able to progress through the program rather quickly this time around, and have actually enjoyed going out for my late night jaunts (I only run late at night because the rest of the time I am either asleep or the earth is plagued with summer sunlight).

What I'm trying to say, is that I no longer find running unbearable.

But for years, I avoided running (along with most other exercise) at all costs. Like Robert Brockway says in his cracked.com article 4 Stunning Revelations An Idiot Has About Running, "the only way I was running anywhere was if there was a lion behind me and an ice cream truck in front of me."

Actually, a lot of his article rang true with me. That's actually the only reason that I decided to post about running again today... I just really wanted to share the hilarity of this article. I've included a few of his gems below

Re: being teased in school for not being as athletic in gym class as the others:
"Exercise was forever cemented in my mind as 'that weird thing pretty people do with their limbs sometimes'"

Re: wearing fitness attire for the first time:
"Legs [are] capable of extending beyond 15 degrees," and "non-running shoes are like clumsy foot prisons"

Re: runner's high:
"Runner's aren't all lying scumbags!"

Re: seeing improvement:
"I'm going to phrase it in the most awkward, nerdy and embarrassing way that I can think of, so as to make you feel as bad about yourselves as possible: You're leveling up your bodies" ... "And don't worry: any day now, I'll be in good enough shape to beat myself up for that analogy."

I really like this article because not only has it been one of the very few fitness-related ones I've seen on cracked.com, but it's very relate-able for those of us who are still in the very beginning stages of the running cycle. Go check it out!


*Note: the itchy leg syndrome I refer to is that itchy feeling you can get when running or walking after long periods of inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle - it's caused by the capillaries in our muscles expanding to meet the demand for increased blood flow. Thanks, Google!



UPDATE:

After uploading this post, Teddy Westside was kind enough to send me this comic from xkcd.com that fits quite nicely. See it for yourself here!

"I haven't had the patience for RPGs in a long time."

Running, revisited, and my plans to eat copious amounts of tacos

Good news everybody, I've started running again! And no, you aren't experiencing deja vu; I just make this claim frequently (such as here and here).

After the Hot Chocolate Run, I kind of stopped my running regimen. Granted, I still did 3 races after that (The Color Run, the Firefly Run, and the Warrior Dash (which I promise I will recap some day)), but each with less and less training (and less and less success). In fact, until last night, I had only even attempted to go running thrice since April. My first attempt, which was in May, was actually moderately successful. I tired out, but I didn't give up. Also, I got to explore the neighborhood near my then-new apartment! My second attempt, during the heat of the day in June, resulted in me just walking the entire path and almost passing out from dehydration (well, dehydration and being a drama queen). My third attempt was somehow even less successful, in that I didn't even make it out the front door (I'm trying to set a record for the most links to other equally uninteresting blog posts). And that was that. I was done with running. It was too hot outside and I was far too lazy to keep it up.

Earlier this week, however, I got an e-mail about an upcoming 5k, and while that one looked really boring and just all around awful (why would you have a race that celebrates how ridiculously hot it is outside?), it got me thinking about other 5ks that might be coming up. Finally, after some light googling, I came across one that was too alluring to pass up: the Great Taco Run.

I think their logo could only be better if the taco were
sweating hot sauce.

Just in time for National Taco Day (which I guess is a thing), the Great Taco Run takes place at the end of September. This should give me enough time to reboot my Couch-to-5k program so that I will have a fighting chance of not embarrassing myself. I mean, not embarrassing myself with how poorly I run. I do, however, plan on embarrassing myself with how many tacos (as prepared by a slew of local vendors) I will eat immediately after the race. 9am is the perfect time for tacos, right? Wrong. Every time is the perfect time for tacos.

Anyhoo, on Tuesday, I realized that with the race a mere 7.5 weeks away, it was time to get crackin'. I needed a plan. The Couch-to-5k program is supposed to last 8 weeks, so it wouldn't be that far off target. However, I am going to be out of town and unable to run at all for a few days this week, so I needed to stream line the process. In order to figure this out, I was going to need ingenuity, cunning, and most importantly, ORGANIZATION!

If Twilight Sparkle, inept at everything non-magic as she is,
was able to save the Winter Wrap-Up with nothing more than
a clipboard and her checklist, surely I could figure out a way
to cram an 8 week training program into 6.5 weeks, right?

I grabbed a calendar and starting marking down all the training runs I planned on doing in the next two months. The resulting schedule showed me finishing up the program about a week before the Great Taco Run. The secret to how I was able to trim off so much time? Skipping integral parts entirely. I started the program last night with the designated Week 2 - Day 1 run, bypassing Week 1 altogether, because it's what a rebel does.

Self portrait, basically.

The run itself went well. Although it only involved 2 minutes of running at a time, I was still somewhat challenged after not running for so long. It would have been disheartening, except that when I thought back to where I was about a year and a half ago, when I had barely run at all ever, I was able to see how much I've improved. Before, I wouldn't have been able to run those two minutes without gasping for air, clutching my sides, and giving up (with an extra serving of giving up). Also, because I accidentally got caught up in some TV shows for too long after work yesterday, I happened to not go running until it was already cool and nice outside. It was a win-win!

I've planned to do my Week 2-Day 2 run tonight after my kickboxing class, so let's hope my legs still function afterwards.

Does anyone want to take bets on how many tacos my friends and I will eat? Since it'll be in the morning, do you think they'll have breakfast tacos? Isn't it weird that this will be the first 5k I've signed up for without Maddy (who moved out of state a month or so ago)? Do you like how I felt it necessary to link to the same previous blog post in two separate locations?

Sweet Dreams are Made of These

On Wednesday, for the first time in recent memory, I had absolutely nothing to do (other than work, of course). I didn't have to pack or move anything (now that I'm finally all moved into my new apartment). I didn't have any classes. I didn't even have guilt of not going to optional classes because my kickboxing gym was closed for the evening. I didn't agree to any social engagements or make any plans with my family. I didn't have any errands to run (well, any that I had any intention of doing). I had even washed all of my dishes and whatnot during lunch so there wasn't that hanging over my head.

I had an entire evening to do whatever I wanted. Perfect opportunity to finally go running again, right?

There are a ton (literally 2,000 pounds) of running trails in my new neighborhood that I've been wanting to explore, but I haven't yet had the time or motivation to get out and do so. On Wednesday, however, when I got home from work, I was excited. Everything was in place: it was still light out, it wasn't blisteringly hot outside, and I had had a healthy lunch (a
homemade breakfast taco) so I didn't feel too gross to run.

I was feeling a bit peckish, so I grabbed a bowl of cheerios (because I decided to supplant every meal that day with different breakfast foods, apparently), started hydrating, and changed into my running attire. I sat down on the couch to put on my running shoes, and...

Whomp whomp!

... woke up 2 hours later when Hannah called (to see if I wanted to go running, actually).

But it was okay. I figured it was still light out and had probably cooled off even more. Despite my unanticipated nap, I could salvage this run. Still seated on the couch, I reached for my water bottle and...

Cue another sad trombone sound

... woke up and hour and a half later when Teddy Westside texted me about Star Trek.
 
By the third time I woke up (from a text about how great Data's daughter is), it was almost midnight and pouring down rain outside. Since I definitely couldn't go running then, I just moved from my couch to my bed and went back to sleep (still in my running gear - although, I did have the forethought to take off my sneakers).

I started to lament the fact that I had wasted an entire evening when I realized that sleeping on the couch was probably exactly how I needed to spend it.

As someone who tends to overbook myself, I sacrifice sleep more than anything else. Why choose between a late night party and an early morning breakfast the next day when I can just not sleep and do both? I really need to finish packing up my apartment tonight but my parents want me to come over for a long dinner? Sure! I'll just go pack after dinner even though it means I'll be up until the wee hours of the morning (side note: the drunks at my old apartment who were up at 4am last Friday were surprisingly willing (and weirdly insistent) to help me move heavy boxes to my car). My nephew's birthday party is tomorrow morning and I forgot that I was in charge of decorations? No problem, after I get back to my place at midnight, I'll start cutting out those mustache straws. It should only take a few hours, right?

Don't worry; they turned out great.

And I don't mean any of this sarcastically. This is genuinely the philosophy I approach things with. If I ever have to pick and choose between things, sleep is always the first thing to go. It's kind of like Liv Tyler in Empire Records, but without the drugs (also probably without most other aspects of Liv Tyler in Empire Records)*.  

It's how I operated in middle school - Why go to sleep at a reasonable time if I could stay up and watch Late Night with Conan O' Brien with my big sister?

It's how I operated in high school - There's no need to quit any of my extracurriculars; if I don't sleep, I can go to practice, get all my homework done, make the cookies for the bake sale, and finish the ad posters for all four of my clubs that will be at the club fair tomorrow! (or occasionally: Sleep? No thanks. Sleeping would mean I'd have to take a break from the new Harry Potter book!)

It's how I operated in college - Well, my big paper is due in the morning, so I'll work on that until 5am, then spend the next few hours before class decorating and cleaning the apartment for our Halloween party tomorrow night. (This one was Kirsten's favorite, because she was amused that she woke up at 7am to find me hanging streamers and watching Twilight while I visibly twitched from exhaustion. It was my favorite because by the time the party started,  I was so tired that I kept forgetting where I put my drink and thus avoided drinking too much.) 

And, it's how I operate now.

Happy Endings: "Did you make [these candied walnuts] yourself?" "Couldn't have been
easier. You just crack 'em, hole 'em, toast 'em, brush 'em with a little bit of olive oil, then rub
'em with cayenne pepper, some turmeric, and some cinnamon sugar, and you put 'em in the
oven for a quick roast, flipping them every five minutes for... an hour an a half."
"Are you crying?" "A little bit. I am just so tired." **

But even with a steady stream of caffeine running through my system at any given time, this lack of sleep eventually catches up with me. And when it finally does, what happens?

I was sitting on a box while coloring.

Hannah and I were very good at studying.

Caitlin and I had sat down for what was supposed to be a brief lunch when touring Brussels.

My sister and I were pretty lively during a retreat. I guess it runs in the family.

I fall asleep anywhere and everywhere, frequently without much warning. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing. It's how I fell asleep during a live production of the Lion King in London (that'll learn me to not let myself get over jet lag) and how I fell asleep while swimming (that one was a little scary).

And every time that happens, I learn nothing. Despite all the research showing that a "lack of sleep is one of the main reasons we get overstressed" and that getting enough sleep is necessary for both weight loss and a healthy life in general, I never make sleep a priority. Once I've caught up on my sleep (or at least gotten enough that I can function like a normal person again), I start the cycle over again.

How long will I go this time before another bout of pseudo-narcolepsy?

What are your sleep habits like? Do you like how my link to research is just a link to another
blogger that has basically the same problem as me (don't worry, her blog links to actual research)? Does anyone else think it's a little weird that people keep taking pictures of me sleeping (because believe me, this is a very small sampling)?

*I realize that the blog I link to, The Great Fitness Experiment, also references Liv Tyler in Empire Records. This is purely coincidental.

**I couldn't help but think of this last Saturday when Regina Falange suggested that we all go bowling the next day. I involuntarily cried a little bit when attempting to calmly state that I would rather not because I would be busy packing up my apartment. I was just so tired.

Glow the Distance - the 2012 Firefly Run

I will always have soft spot in my heart for the Firefly Run. Taking place last June, it was the first running event I ever voluntarily participated in and might have been the first time I ever felt good about running. I had trained for it (sort of), prepared for it (by making light up tutus with my friends), and beat a couple personal records (like running for 6 minutes without whimpering). I had a genuinely (Jenny-uinely?) good time running with some of my closest friends and left feeling good about myself and what I could accomplish. It gave me the confidence to keep running (albeit sparsely) and the encouragement I needed to sign up for even more races! Since then, I've participated in the Hot Chocolate Run, the Color Run, the Warrior Dash, and, of course, the 3rd Annual Firefly Run!

Why did they use a phoenix for the logo?

I'll be honest, despite the soft spot in my heart, when March 31 (race day) came around, I was less than excited. I had probably done less training and prep for this race than any other running event I've been in (with the exception of the Warrior Dash, but more on that later). I had only been running once since the Color Run, which took place over a month before the Firefly Run. Rather than try to get a full night of sleep, I had stayed out until 4 in the morning the previous night and got up four hours later to attend an Easter egg hunt with my sister and nephew (it was super cute watching the little one-year-old try to figure out how to pick up eggs and put them in a basket). Instead of eating nutritious meals that would be a good source of energy during the race, I ate half a pizza, passed out on my couch, and woke up only when Hannah called to say that she was running late but was on her way to my place so we could ride to the event together. Once we got to the starting area, however, I was pumped and raring to go (I think the plethora of glow sticks we brought with us had something to do with that). Once we waved to the helicopter flying overhead (slow news day, apparently) and finished the countdown, we were off!

Hannah and I ran the first 1.25 miles (roughly - I'm bad at judging distances) before we started walking. We then started running again at the start of the third mile. After about 6 minutes, we broke into a walk again (because that first mile really took it out of me). As we approached the finish line (or so we thought), we started running again. Unfortunately, we had been bamboozled into thinking the race was almost over. Had we studied the course map (does anyone actually do that?), we would have known that the course was going to take us near the finish, only to curve and loop around (like a conniving jerk). Regardless, we kept running until the end to collect our participant bracelets and complimentary bottles of water.

This year, we decided to skip most of the after-party and just head back to my place. This proved to be a good idea because it took us forever to find my car (we might have accidentally re-walked a good portion of the course trying to find the parking garage - it's confusing when the start and finish areas for a race are in different locations).

I forgot my camera, so here is a picture of a bunch of
strangers that I stole from the Firefly Run website.

Even though I trained very little for this race, I think it went very well. In fact, I found it rather promising and encouraging. Up until then, it had always been my lungs that forced me to slow down and stop running. At the Firefly Run, however, it was my legs that were having problems keeping up. Rather than worry that my legs are getting weaker, I'm just going to
assume that my lungs are finally getting stronger, which is awesome.

Results: Time spent running: 24:03 (last year - 12:00ish)
Total race time: 43:14 (last year - 51:00ish)
Placement: 3431 (Hannah) and 3433 (Me) out of 4945 - top 70% (last year - barely top 90%)


Do you ever study course maps before a race so that curves don't come as so much of a surprise? Isn't it upsetting that we saw people who were running the 10k course passing us by the end? Wouldn't "glow the distance" have been a way better motto than "chase the night and win"?

Color Me Happy and Month Old Recaps

If you knew anything about me, you would know that I'm typically very good at finding opportunities to look like an idiot in public. Usually, this is involuntary and cannot be helped. Occasionally, however, I put myself in these situations willingly and with enthusiasm. Such was the case last month when I participated in the Color Run.

Maddy, Hannah, and me before the race

The Color Run, benefiting the American Heart Association, is a 5k that focuses much less on running and much more on being silly (so right up my alley). At each kilometer, runners go through color zones where volunteers throw fistfuls of color powder at passersby. In addition, everyone receives a packet of color with their registration (with the opportunity to purchase more) for use in the Finish Line Color Explosions (I was originally given a red packet, which I successfully traded with a friend for a pink one, because as we all know, pink is way better).

It worked well for me that the Color Run put very little emphasis on actually running, because between running the Hot Chocolate Run eight days before and helping Maddy pack up for her move into Hannah's duplex, I was pretty exhausted. It didn't bother me that everyone started cutting corners (at one point, everyone disregarded the confusingly spaced cones altogether and bypassed part of the route), and I didn't mind that it wasn't event a timed event [I did try timing it myself - according to my watch, we finished the race in 48:12 (that's making the unlikely assumption that I managed to start and stop the timer accurately)]. In fact, I think that everyone was a little relieved that it was a very informal event. Otherwise, keeping seven of us together for a 3.1 mile run would have been a little difficult.

Team: Color Me Happy
From left to right: Liz, Maddy, Hannah, Brian,
Jenny (me), Jeff, and Lauren

  

After making it through the treacherous course (of even pavement), we rewarded ourselves with a delicious and colorful brunch at Ozona's!

I want this picture of Maddy's hand to become next year's ad.

Have you ever participated in any of these color events? Do you also suffer from looking ridiculous in public? Do you also think it strange that they hosted a color-themed event on a Sunday? I mean, it wouldn't be a problem except that there was no way I would have been able to get all the residual color out of my skin/hair before work the next morning.

Will Run for Chocolate: the Hot Chocolate Race and Guilt-Free Fondue

Saturday morning, I woke up at 6am, surprisingly excited. Despite the sudden drop in temperature (it had gone from 70 degrees to 25 degrees in the matter of a couple days), I was raring to go! I got up, ate a breakfast of delicious applesauce (applesauce is always so good when it's chilled), and got dressed in pants, two pairs of knee socks, a tank top, a long sleeve shirt, two jackets, a fuzzy ear piece and gloves (yet, I still felt like I needed more layers). After checking the map and the weather one more time with Maddy (I had stayed on her couch the night before, because I live way too far away for such an early morning commute), we got into her car and headed to Fair Park, where we would be running in the Hot Chocolate 5k.

In spite of terrible logistics regarding traffic conduction and parking, we made it into our corral and waited our turn to start the race. The music selection at the start line was pretty great and the crowd was enthusiastic. Everything was perfect (notwithstanding the fact that I could barely feel parts of my legs and face due to the low temperatures). After a few unsuccessful attempts at starting line pictures and a brief countdown from the announcer, we were off!

Maddy and I attempted navigating through the crowds without getting separated from one another, which had the lovely side effect of forcing us to pace ourselves (even if the pace was a little slower than usual), and everything was going along swimmingly. Almost a mile in, we even ran into (haha! ran!) a few of our friends from kickball! More accurately, they ran up to us (and tickled us, like the athletic jerks they are). Unfortunately, it was just enough distraction that I totally didn't notice the gaping chasm right in front of me (or tiny pothole, whatever) and fell (good thing my cat like reflexes kept me from toppling over completely and enabled me to recover in what I can only assume was an extremely graceful way).

We got through the first mile before slowing to a walk. Seeing as running a mile straight was my goal for the race, I was pretty stoked (albeit tired and somehow overheated and super cold at the same time). We walked the rest of the second mile and took the opportunity to catch our breath, stow away some of our extraneous layers, and re-tie our shoes.

When thanking Maddy for her support,
she simply said "You got me to the race,
so I got you through the race."
Hooray for prepositions!

We started running again at the 2 mile mark and attempted to finish the race without breaking! As we approached the 3 mile mark, however, I had decided that I'd had enough. Gasping for air and complaining of stomach pains, I slowed to a saunter and told Maddy to go on without me. She would have none of that though, and kept shouting encouragement at me until I rejoined her a moment later. We crossed the 3 mile mark then the finish line (at 3.1 miles), and it felt so good (except that I was still gasping for air and wanted nothing more than to sit down... which we then did).

After recovering for a bit, we made our way into the after party where we were handed the most beautiful tray I've ever seen. Well, the tray itself was plastic and boring, but ON the tray were fruit slices, marshmallows, a Rice Krispies treat and a cup of chocolate fondue. It might possibly have been the most delicious chocolate fondue I've ever tasted. However, since chocolate doesn't usually hit the spot at 9am, we left and made our way to a celebratory breakfast. It was the best day.


How did we do? Great!
We ran for 23:40 total and completed the race in 40:55. That's almost 10 minutes faster than last year's Firefly Run! Also, we came in 2985 and 2986 out of 4214, putting us in the top 71%.

I hope we can do as well this Sunday at the Color Run!


What motivates you when you want to give up? Is it strange that the coldest day of the season thus far was the morning of our race, and less than a week later I'm back to wearing short sleeves out? Why do they insist on handing out the grossest flavor of Gatorade at the hydration stations when there are so many delicious options out there?

When taking this picture, all I could think of was that Halloween
episode of the Big Bang Theory, when they all happened to show up
as the Flash. It was suggested that rather than change, they all walk
in a line all night to make it look like it was one Flash going really fast.
I think Maddy, that 2 dimensional stick figure, and I acheive the same effect.