Race Report: Spokane Bloomsday 12k

This year was my third year running Spokane Bloomsday. Bloomsday is a 12k run which takes place the first week of May every year. Approximately 40 to 60 thousand people participate. It is not an easy course by any means. It features a tiring hill late in mile two into mile three. Then there is the famous Doomsday Hill at mile five.

This year I felt pretty good the morning of the race. I wasn't nervous. It just felt like any other race to me. The weather was gorgeous. I was able to walk to the start in a tank and three quarter length tights. What I hadn't anticipated for was the sun. H and I didn't pack any sunscreen (my husband did the race this year too). My shoulders and chest got very burnt.

I had to start in the Orange group this year (the starts are staggered by color code, based on expected finish time). My husband had signed me up and I don't know what time her put but I was pissed I was in the Orange group all along. H and his friend were two colors ahead of me. Another friend was in the one group ahead of me. Here are a list of comments I heard from people in the orange group:

"Let's just run the first mile then we can walk"
"I wonder if people will be handing out popsicles"
"It's hot, can we go home now"

There were many more. I had to pass a ton of walkers and even a lady on crutches. My goal was to catch up to my friend in the Green waive (the waive ahead of me). I was able to at mile six, despite a bathroom break at mile four. The course was as I remembered, except the first hill always seems more wicked than previous years. It is probably because Doomsday takes the lime light. Here are my splits:

Mile 1  10:15
Mile 2  10:25
Mile 3  11:45
Mile 4  11:17
Mile 5  12:15
Mile 6  11:57
Mile 7  11:30
Mile 8  5:33 (10:43 pace)

My average pace per mile was 11:18. I'd post my time up Doomsday but I walked it. I tried to run it the first year and it completely wiped me out for the last 2.5 miles. With the heat this year by mile 5 I was starting to feel very dehydrated, so I wanted to take my time and walk through the water stations drinking every last drop. My final time was 1:26:18.

2013 Seahawks 12k

This is now my third time running this race. In 2010 I ran the 12k and in 2011 when I was pregnant I ran the 5k. Each year the race has grown in popularity. This year there were about four thousand runners.

The course runs a long Lake Washington. The half way point/turn around is at the Seahawks training facility (for the 12k). Seahawks players hand out water to the runners as they go buy. The course is pretty flat with a couple rolling hills.

I hadn't trained well going into this race. My longest run had been miserable Easter Day 7.5 miler in which I probably walked about two miles of it. Around mile four I began to get really tired, but then I saw my friend Phil running back (his mile six) in first place! That gave me the energy to run the next two miles. Miles six was tough, but I knew I could get through since at that point we were almost done. Here's my mile splits:

Mile 1   10:34
Mile 2   10:37
Mile 3   10:28
Mile 4   10:18 (thanks Phil!)
Mile 5   11:05
Mile 6   11:04
Mile 7   10:45
Mile 8   9:44

You can see by my splits, the distance I have been running on most of my weekend runs (four to five miles). I definitely petered out at mile five. My final time 1:21:33, a 10:40 pace. Not even close to a PR, but I will take it.

We had a lot of fun. I hope to do it again next year, maybe with the Super Bowl winning Seahawks.

10,000 Push-up Challenge Update

We're over a quarter of the way through the 100 days. While I haven't been counting the days exactly, I do look forward every day when my push ups are complete.

I fell behind a couple weeks ago when I got sick and couldn't do my push ups. There were also a couple days where I simply forgot to do them. I'm almost caught up at this point. Just 90 push ups behind pace.

I still can't do a normal push up. I have been doing modified girl push ups though. I start with doing a push up on my knees, then as I push up extend all the way out into a plan position. When I go back down I am on my knees again. I can do this if I only do ten push ups at a time instead of twenty.

I am almost relieved I still have so much time left in the challenge. It can't be impossible for me to do a real push up. I already feel more confident belting them out. Hopefully that will just continue.

New Shoes!

Asics discontinued my shoes again, so after doing some research I settled on these. The fit and feel like my GT 2170's with a slightly bigger cushion in the heal (and a bigger price tag). I've worn them on two runs already and they feel great. I know it shouldn't matter, but they are pretty too :) .

Race Results: 2013 Valentine's Day Dash

This is my third year now participating in Valentine's Day Dash. It all started by me craving a race to participate in after the winter off from race season. I figured a nice easy (and fun!) 5k around Seattle's Green Lake was a good way to kick off. February is also birthday month for one of my favorite running partner's and me. I was able to sucker her in by offering to pay her race fee as her birthday present. :)

This year my race partner bought us matching I love dawgs purple t-shirts to show our Valentine's Day and University of Washington pride. Our goal for the race was a 9:30 pace. I choose this based on the fact I run a 10:15 pace on my everyday runs. Our other goal was to not stop for a bathroom break during the race (unlike what happened last year). That was easily fixed though.

Here are our splits:

Mile 1  -  9:36
Mile 2  -  9:42
Mile 3  -  9:50
Race to the finish:  8:45

Final time 30:07, 9:43 pace. We didn't make my goal, but I had nothing left at the end. With that I know I ran my hardest.

Of course after the race with finished our annual tradition of eating a fruit omelet at one of my favorite greasy spoon breakfast places. This year I opted for a biscuit over my usual english muffin. It was a great choice.

10,000 push up challenge

February 1st marked the beginning of my participation in the 10,000 push up challenge. It's 100 push ups over 100 days. It can be broken up any way we want. All at once, or spread out through out the day. I am really hoping at the end of this I can do a real push up. That's right, I am still doing girly push ups on my knees.

One of my friends is a professional trainer. She invited me to the contest. I have already been trying to work on my push ups because after nine months of crossfit you'd think I could do a real push up, but it is just not happening. Plus if we do push ups in our daily work out, I can count them in my total for the day :) .

I'm already looking forward for the 100 days to be over and we're only three days in. Friday was the first day. My arms felt like they were going to fall off after doing 100 push ups and the snatch set we did in crossfit. Saturday, my arms were still tired from Friday. Today my arms were still tired from Saturday. I know I can make it though. This first couple weeks will be the toughest (I keep telling myself). Luckily my husband is doing it with me too, which always helps. I do get annoyed when he does extra, he wrote a little plus 30 on the check off sheet we have on the first day. Way to be an overachiever.

My strategy changes by what's going on during the day. If I work I break them up through out the day. Ten here, ten there. I don't want to have to bust out 100 push ups before bed. On my days off I have been cramming them in all at once. Mostly due to time constraints. My daughter doesn't help. She tries to climb underneath us as we are doing them, forcing us to hold a plank in the middle of a set. She's probably doing this on purpose knowing both my husband and I need to work on our ab strength.

So far so good. Only 97 more days to go.

Product Review: Nike Pro Hyperwarm Half Zip Top

My mom got me some Zella work out pants for Christmas. I tried them on and wasn't a fan of the shape and feel, so I exchanged it for a Nike 'Pro Hyperwarm' half zip top. I love my zip overs for crossfit this time of year since it is so freezing in the gym, but this treasure turned out to be great for winter running! It has a light fleece lining in the inside to help keep warm during those near/below freezing runs.

Now it is my got to 2nd layer for winter running, when it isn't raining. It fits perfectly over my Lululemon Racerback tanks. I wish I had a pair of the matching running tights to keep my legs warm. For now the top will have to do.