2013 Race Calendar

First a run down of the week's workouts:

Sa- 5mi at 10:20/mile
Su - Shred level 3
M - 4mi at 10/mile
T - 3mi walk
W - 4mi at 9:30/mile, 9:00/mile, 9:30/mile, 9:00/mile, weights at the gym
R - 3mi at 10:30/mile
F - 3mi walk

I'll do 6mi tomorrow, but otherwise next week will be an easy week before I build up again before the Shamrock Shuffle.

Now for the fun part - here are the races I'm thinking about doing this year.  Except for the Syttende Mai and Twilight 10k, all of the are old favorites.

March 17 - Shamrock Shuffle 10k
April 27 - Crazylegs 8k
May 18 - Syttende Mai 10 miler OR May 25/26 Twilight 10k or Madison 1/2 Marathon
August 17 - Madison Mini Marathon
October - Literacy Network 10k
October 26/27 - Haunted Hustle 10k or 1/2 Marathon
Thanksgiving weekend - Berbee Derby 10k

Any locals planning to do any of these races?  Got a suggestion for a race I don't have on the list?

Running, running, run running, running

It's only been my first week as a (part time) working mom, but I've already had a major change in my thinking about working out.  Before pregnancy, baby, etc., I didn't feel like a workout "counted" unless I put in an entire hour - bonus points if I did more.  Now I'd 100 times prefer to do a quick (30 - 40 min) but hard   workout so I can go on with my day.

I went to the gym to do strength training twice this week during my lunch break, but I felt like that was even too much.  Not too much physically but too much in an "When I'm at work I want to focus on work so when I'm at home I can focus on home/Scott stuff" way.  I do think that strength training makes a huge difference in my running and helps keep me from being injured, but I also think that I can get that from one day in the gym (to do exercises like lat pull-downs, chest press and heavier squats that I really can't do at home) and one day doing Shred (or P90X or the like) at home.

I just want to do what I need to be in shape enough to enjoy running and doing some shorter races - no filler - nothing more.

Workout brain dump:

Sa- 5mi 10:30/mile

Su - Shred level 3

M - 4mi - 2mi at 10:30/mile, 2mi at 9:30/mile + weights

T - 3mi walk

W - 4mi at 9:30/mile + weights

R - 3mi at 10:30/mile

F - 3mi walk    

I haven't registered for it yet, but I'm ready to say that the Shamrock Shuffle 10k will be my first race back post-partum.  I've been doing a little race browsing - stay tuned for next week for my 2013 race calendar.

And now for something completely different (and cute)... dinosaur booties:

    

Here it goes again

OK Go - Here It Goes Again from OK Go on Vimeo.

You forgot how much you liked that video, didn't you?

Here's the rundown:
Sa - 4 mi at 10:30/mile
Su - P90X back and biceps DVD
M - 3 mi at 10:30/mile
T -  3 mi walk + Shred level 2
W - 3 mi at 9:30/mile (this was my "speed" day, although it was actually pretty easy)
R - 3 mi walk
F - Not sure exactly... Yoga?  Shred?  Just cleaning up the house with Scott in the carrier?  Not feeling super pumped to work out this morning.

Now that I'm feeling comfortable stringing together a few miles at a time, I'm trying to get the pace back up to what is normal for me (somewhere in the 9:00-9:20 min/mile range for an easy run).  It's tempting to go crazy adding in a bunch of miles, but I'm trying to keep things sane and NOT GET INJURED.

Since I'm already up to 4 mi and have about 8 weeks to go, I'm considering running the Shamrock Shuffle 10k again this year.  I've run this race every year we've lived in Madison except last year when I volunteered instead.  It's a tough course - there's a monster hill in the middle that you run over twice (out at back) - and I don't have any expectation of running even close to my normal pace, but I still think it would be a fun way to say, "Welcome back" to running.

In other news, while I was not junk food-free, I limited my consumption to a few treats and didn't spend the evenings mindlessly noshing on Hershey Kisses.  In what will be a surprise to no one who has ever heard a lecture on thermodynamics or watched an episode of The Biggest Loser, my weight dropped back down to 132 lbs this week and my pants are fitting better.  Woot.    

I work out

The rundown:


Sa - 4mi!!!!!! I meant to do 2 x 1.5 mi, but I was feeling great, so I just kept going.
Su - Rest
M - 3mi walk (trying to not let myself get injured by doing too much too soon) + Shred level 1
T - 2mi run
W - Rest from running/walking but I did an upper body P90X workout (thx, Kerri)
R - 4 x 1 mi intervals
F - 3mi walk + upper body P90X workout (???)


All runs/walks were done on the treadmill.  It's not so bad when you have the appropriate entertainment.

I started watching How I Met Your Mother about a year ago (maybe more???) while I was using the treadmill and I'm about the finish the 7th season (the last season on Netflix).  It'll be the end of an era.  Any suggestions for another show with a lot of episodes that's fairly entertaining and easy to follow (sometimes it's hard to actually hear the dialogue)?

What else???

We've been doing pretty good about getting up in the morning.  Scott has been pretty reliable about getting up once after 3.5 - 4 hours so it's been working out to go to bed about 8 - 9 hours before we want to get up and working out after I give him his first morning feeding.

My weight was up slightly this week (133 lbs) but I actually blame it on starting to workout again.  I've noticed I usually lose a pound or so of water weight when I take a break from exercising so I'm not surprised it went the other way.  In a victory for self-control, I didn't eat any junk food yesterday.  YAY!

Well, the babe is stirring.  Gotta run!

Back in action

I had my postpartum check up today, and I'm cleared to start working out again*.  YAY!!!!!  I've been doing some walking (with a few jogging intervals thrown in there just to test the waters), but I've been very motivated to take it easy after the delivery.

I'm always amazed when I read or hear about another woman's great comeback to running after motherhood, but despite my own grand plans, I'm not sure that will happen for me.  I'm certainly not going to be in race shape anytime soon and probably not PR shape for a long time (I guess that's where the "after baby" PRs come in), but - after almost a year off of real training- I'm still excited to get back into it again.  I've updated my running tab to reflect the change.

*except for doing ab work - I'm supposed to wait another two weeks for that.

Working out in the 3rd trimester

To be honest, I'm using the term "working out" pretty loosely at this point.  My "fitness" routine at 35.5 weeks pregnant looks something like this: walk about 4 mi 3-4x per week, 30 min elliptical + 30 minutes using weight machines 1-2x per week, and yoga 1x per week.  What I do on any particular day has more to do with schedule considerations than anything else (Do I have a doctor's appointment first thing in the morning?  Then I'd better walk at home.  Early morning meeting?  Sometimes getting to the university really early and going to the gym is the most efficient use of time.)  Because I'm not doing anything strenuous at this point, I try to do something physical every day*.

Although I have a huge, HUGE respect for gals who run - at least a little bit - all the way up until they deliver, I'm happy with my decision to stop at 29 weeks.  I know it's going to make getting back in to shape later that much harder, but it was so uncomfortable that I think if I'd tried to continue, I'd have just made myself frustrated and miserable.  I'd also probably have done myself a favor going to the gym and doing the elliptical more to simulate the aerobic benefits of running, but most mornings it's so much easier to be able to just get up and walk from home so that's been my exercise default.  I will say that our new neighborhood is pretty hilly so I suppose I'm getting some benefit from that as well.

Working out at the university gym at 8 months pregnant does get you some interesting looks.  The senior fitness class is there in the early morning, and I've had a few of the older ladies ask me when I'm due, but for the most part people steer clear.  The funny thing is that - even though the campus gym is um... maybe "old school" is a good word - I'm actually kind of sad that my workouts there are numbered.  I spent a lot of winter mornings in there running hard and trying not to puke over the past four years.  However, baby care needs + actually having space for the treadmill  where it can be used without disturbing anyone means that having a gym membership really doesn't make sense anymore.  Hopefully I'll have time to clear out my locker and say goodbye before the baby is born, but if not, I've got some locker clean out back up so all my stuff doesn't get thrown away.  Who knows how much of my third trimester I have left to exercise?!  

*Although it's getting to the point where regular activities of daily life like carrying laundry up the stairs, sweeping out the garage, and standing at work can feel strenuous.

Stretch

First things first - we didn't get any trick-or-treaters last night.  I was a little disappointed but not really surprised, and - glass half full - was able to console myself with a huge bowl of fun-sized Reese's pumpkins.

On a completely different topic, I don't remember where I found it, but here's an interesting video series geared toward runners showing ways to self-massage and stretch to promote recovery and eliminate the tightness that can turn into injury.  The guy in the videos sounds like foam roller dungeon-master who is 3 cups of espresso past the legal limit, but he seems to know what he's talking about.  I played around with doing some of the exercises last night, and they were that perfect combination of hurts so bad/so good.  Here's one about working out tightness in your calves and Achilles tendon.



Because I sit at a desk and type/use a mouse for way more hours of the day than I do anything physical, I actually have a lot more tightness in my upper back and shoulders than I do in my legs right now.  Curious to see what he had to say about upper body mobility, I went searching for shoulder exercise videos, and found this one:


Although it's geared toward weightlifting-type people, all the problems he's talking about are exactly what I call "computer shoulder" and are responsible for all of my illicit* Advil consumption.  We have a foam roller and a couple tennis balls at home, and I'm curious to try out some of the moves when I'm at home this evening.  One thing I miss about doing yoga more often is how much better my neck and shoulders felt when I was doing regular upper back and shoulder stretches.

Do you stretch?  Foam roll?  Often?  Love it?  Hate it?

*Advil is on the "no-no" list when you're pregnant, but I think it works waaaayyyy better than Tylenol for computer shoulder.

Variations on a theme

I remember way back in high school English class learning about the difference between "excited" and "anxious".  Even though the words are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings.  You are excited if you are anticipating something good and anxious if you are anticipating something bad.  Children are excited about Christmas; adults are anxious.  However, even though they seem almost opposite, it's possible (common, even?) to feel both emotions about the same future event.  

Last week I wrote about how I was worried about getting back into shape after I have the baby and wondering if I'd ever run competitively (with myself and the under 8 and over 80 set) again.  This week I'm going to embrace all the fall running/racing excitement and write about my dream running/racing plans for next year.  Even if it's (too) ambitious, there's nothing quite like mapping out a training plan or racing season.  It's like a blank canvas or empty notebook - so much possibility unmarred by reality.

Anyway... we'll assume for the sake of argument that the baby is born at the very end of December and that I get cleared to start exercising again a month later at the end of January and that I'm probably not going to do any more running (and I use the term loosely at this point) before the baby is born.  

Even though it would mean I'd only have 6 weeks to "train", I'm inclined to sign up for the Shamrock Shuffle 5k next March.  

[source]

Of course I have plenty of time to change my mind if it became obvious that was a terrible plan, but I'm slightly paranoid that I'm going to stop running now and just never start again after the baby is born unless I have some external motivation.  I certainly plan to keep walking at least a 5k several times a week up until the baby is born, so if nothing else I could walk the thing and have a very easy "baseline" to use to mark improvement.

The other option would be to wait and do Crazy Legs at the end of April.  That would give me about 3 months to train, which is certainly more realistic as far as actually getting back into some semblance of shape, but there are two reasons I'm not crazy about this race.  1. I've missed two Crazy Legs runs in the past because of travel for work, and I might go to that same conference again this year and 2. The weather is notoriously horrible on the day of Crazy Legs.  Like cold and/or monsoon-level rains.  Other than last year, when it was super hot, the weather for the Shamrock Shuffle is usually very nice.  

That takes care of the spring.  While there are races here throughout the summer, fall is where it's really at.  It's a little (maybe more than a little) ambitious, but I'd like to plan to do the Madison Mini Marathon again next August (which is still technically summer) as my first "real" race post baby.  It's a great race and course, but it is a half marathon at 8 months post-partum...  And I haven't run more than 5 miles since I became pregnant.  But on the other hand, I think holding out a tough but attainable goal is more motivating than frustrating.  I'm sure I won't PR, but at least it'll give me a reason to get my mileage back up.

The other two races I'd like to do are the Haunted Hustle half marathon in October and the Berbee Derby 10k in November.  So that's 4 races in a year - one to get me motivated to run again and three spread through the fall to work on my actual fitness.  Seems reasonable (says the woman who doesn't actually have a baby yet).  And I think they are genuinely the highlights of racing in the area.  I've run 3 Shamrock Shuffles and 4 Berbee Derbys and am truly sad that I had to miss both this year.  I've only done the Mini once and the Haunted Hustle once, but I thought they were both great events.  

Sooooo... there you go.  That's the excitement side of my feelings about running again next year.  

Congrats to everyone who ran Chicago/Twin Cities last week and good luck to those who are gearing up for the Haunted Hustle, New York, etc. later this fall!          

Running tab

As much as I want to show you lots of pictures from our Extreme Makeover: Home Edition weekend, there are still a few things that need to be finished up before the big reveal.  Plus my parents gave us a glider for the nursery which should arrive on Wednesday.  Once everything is assembled and displayed, I'll show pictures!

No official post today, but I finally finished and published the "Running" page for the blog.  Check it out!

Running Pop Quiz

From the Hungry Runner Girl:

1. FUEL: Shot Bloks, GU, Energy Chews, Candy or Other?

PowerBar Gel Vanilla or Raspberry Cream flavors.  I like that these have thinner consistency than other gels (which are more like eating toothpaste) and that you don't actually have to chew the contents.  I'm always paranoid I'm going to choke on energy chews or candy.  

  

2. Race Length: 5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon, Marathon, Ultra or Other?

10ks - 1/2 marathons are my favorite.  As much as I like the idea of running marathons, I've never actually enjoyed training for or racing them that much.  I haven't done that many 5ks, but maybe next year.

3. Workout Bottoms: Skirts, Running Shorts, Capris, Pants or Other?

All of the above (at different times).  Most of the (non-pregnant) time I wear Nike Tempo Track shorts, but I have a skirt for when it's really humid or raining, capris for when its a little cold, and tights and pants (which I have been known to wear at the same time) for when it's really cold.

Wear all the clothes!

4. Sports Drink: Gatorade, Powerade, Cytomax, you stick to water when you run or Other?

When it's super hot, I like Gatorade after I run.  I only carry water with me when I go because I don't want my Camelbak to taste like grape.

5. Running Temperatures: HEAT or COLD?

Neither, but cold I suppose.

To a point.

Not running weather.

6. Running Shoe Brands: Suacony, Mizuno, Nike, Brooks, Asics or Other?

Brooks all the way.

7. Pre-race meal: Oatmeal, Bagel, Banana, Eggs, Cereal or Other?

Oatmeal + berries + almond butter is always a winner.

8. Rest Days: 1x per week, 2x per week, never ever ever or Other?

Usually 1x per week.

9. Music: Have to have it or go without it?

I usually listen to music on long runs but never in races.  I always feel paranoid that I'm going to miss something.

10. #1 reason for running: stress-relief, endorphins, you love to race, so you can eat all the cupcakes you want, weight-loss, love running for social reasons or Other?

All of the above.  Just replace "cupcakes" with "ice cream".

If you're a runner, reply with your own answers or take the quiz on your blog.

Making it all work

I stole the title of this post from Janae at The Hungry Runner Girl, but this is a topic I've been thinking about a lot lately, and it's something that a number of my other favorite mom/runner/bloggers have written about.  It can be hard enough to get in good workouts between work, family, and TV social commitments... How do you keep fitness as part of your life (a priority, even) after you add a baby to the mix?

Right now my schedule is:

5:30am - Get out of bed.  I don't know if it's pregnancy or that it's staying dark out later, but it has been SO.HARD for me to get up in the morning.  Even with a reasonable bedtime.  Just FYI.

If I go to yoga/ the gym...
5:30 - 6:15am - Do the morning routine stuff.  Make sure all my clothes and lunch stuff is packed.
6:15am - Travel.
6:30 - 7:30am -  Exercise.
7:30 - 8:00am - Shower/change/get to work.

If I walk at home...
5:45 - 7am - Walk.
7 - 7:45am - Shower, eat, get ready for work.
8:00am - Arrive at work.

So if I add in all the new things that will need to happen with the baby, I'm envisioning my schedule being:

4:30am - Get up, do morning routine stuff, feed baby/pump
5:00- 6:00am - Work out.  All workouts will be done at home either on the treadmill, with the weights we have, or around the neighborhood (once it gets warm enough).
6:00-7:30am - Shower, get myself fed and ready, get the baby fed and ready.
7:30 - 8:15am - Take baby to daycare.  Drive to work.

Which is honestly more than a little daunting when I think about it.  I've gotten up at 4:30am on a regular basis before, and my personal experience is that it is MUCH harder than getting up at 5:30am.  It's hard to get to bed early enough to get a reasonable amount of sleep (and that's without a baby), and it really feels like waking up in the middle of the night.  Plus it's hard to get your body and brain to MOVE to get in a good workout at 5am (and that's without a baby).  And I'll have a baby who will have needs (FOOD!!!!  NOW!!!!!) that only I can fulfill in the middle of the night, which will make it even harder to get up.

From what I've read, there are a few "tried and true" ways to make running work after you have a baby:

1. Suck it up and deal.  You are going to be tired whether you get up at 4:30am or 5:30am.  Might as well get in a workout.
2. Moderate your expectations.  Some days a workout is just not going to happen or it may have to be shorter than you'd like.  Even though it's a lot less fun, losing the baby weight will be more about fewer Cadbury Eggs taken in than sweat out.

While some moms claim that switching to later workouts after the baby is in bed is the only way they could balance their schedules, I'm leaning very much against that option for a few reasons.  One, morning is my high energy time.  Evening much less so.  I'm waaaayyy more unmotivated to work out at 5pm than 5am.  Two, we've talked about it, and Daniel is going to take baby duty in the morning so I can work out, and I'm going to take baby duty in the evening so he can still work out.  Three, it's so much easier for other commitments to get in the way of evening workouts.  Again, no one is going to schedule a meeting at 5am, but there are plenty at 5pm.

Any other suggestions?  Things that work(ed) for you to balance fitness with a new baby?  Any non-caffeine stimulants you'd recommend for those tough days?  






  

Are You Faster Than A Politician?

Runners line up on my right for high-5s
[source]

See how you stack up against the real and imaginary marathon PR times of famous politicians.

Running at 26 weeks

So you know how I said I was going to stop running for the rest of pregnancy?  Well, that lasted almost two whole weeks.  The spot that had been bothering me before felt like it was 100% better, and I just couldn't stand the idea of "giving up" on running so early into pregnancy.  I guess two weeks away from the third trimester isn't super early, but I still (probably) have 3.5 months of pregnancy left + recovery time after delivery, and a 4.5 month break is a really long break, even if I'm doing other exercise*.

Anyway, yesterday I got on the treadmill at the gym and decided to test things out to see if I could still make the magic happen.  And it did, sort of.  I jogged for 10 minutes and then did 4 minutes of jogging followed by 1 minute of walking until I finished 3 miles.  3 miles in 33 minutes has to be an all-time record for slowness for me, but this run also earned a place in the annals of most uncomfortable runs.  If I could dedicate a song to this run it would be:

I don't know why this surprises me, but it really felt like I was running with a cantaloupe in a bag suspended from the front of me except that bag was my skin and every time the cantaloupe would bounce it would land on my bladder.  So yeah... there was a lot of pressure pushing down on things.  BUT, I didn't feel any actual "I think something might be wrong" pain, so I'm hoping to be able to stick with jog/walking for at least a few more weeks.

One thing that *should* help is some new maternity wear additions.  A very sweet friend who just had a beautiful baby girl loaned me some of her maternity wear including two belly support bands.  Please please please ignore the giant mess in the back of the photos.  We are still in the process of figuring out where things should go in our new apartment.

This one is an interesting Santa suspenders get up.  It's a little too big right now, but I can see it working in the future (yes, you wear it under your clothes).

The other one was more like a weightlifting belt.

I think this is the one I'm going to try running with first.  It's fully adjustable so it fits now and it (along with the other one) can go in the washing machine so I don't to worry about getting them sweaty.

The shirt is also a new purchase from Road Runner Sports.  I'd been wearing medium tank tops to work out in since the first trimester, but they were quickly becoming waaaayyyy too short.  This is a large, and it's so much more comfortable.  And I figure it won't hurt to have one or two baggy workout shirts after I'm done giving birth.  

So yeah, while I'm certainly not going to be running the Chicago Marathon this fall, I am glad that it looks like my running life is going to be extended a little longer into pregnancy.


*Which I'm not really... some elliptical, some walking, some yoga, some monkeying around with weight machines... but I get winded just walking up stairs so the intensity level is very low.

Welcome to the neighborhood

The good news is that I got out and explored our new neighborhood on foot for the first time early this morning.  I think I've found a nice 4 mile loop that's well lit and well traveled by joggers and walkers.  It's hilly, and there are lots of connecting streets that I can turn down to keep things interesting.

The bad news is that I think my running days are over.  Some part or parts that keep my left leg attached to my torso are really painful - not so much while I'm running - but during the rest of the day after I run.  It happened for the first time two Saturdays ago, and I took a whole week off hoping it would get better (the elliptical and walking don't bother it).   Sadly when I ran last Saturday before we moved the same thing happened.  At the end of the day I was gimping around and my leg HURT.

It's disappointing because I'd hoped to make it way farther along in pregnancy before I had to give up running, and I'd thought that it would be a slower decline rather than a sudden end.  I plan to keep up walking and doing the elliptical and lifting weights and going to yoga, but I know stopping now is going to make it EVEN harder to get back in shape after the baby is born.  But on the other hand, I'm afraid if I don't stop I'm going to get injured, and that's not going to help anything either.

On the other hand, I made it to 24 weeks, which isn't too shabby either.

On the other other hand, there's still lots of exercise to be had climbing stairs, putting things away now that our furniture is here.

Good morning

After record high temperatures all summer, I think we hit a record low last night.  It was cold enough over night that I did the "wake up shivering and run around and shut all the windows at 3am" dance, and the Weather Channel reported that it was 47 degrees when I woke up to run.  Not that I'm complaining.  You couldn't ask for much nicer weather for a run, which was good for me during my wimpy 5-miler and good for the people running the Madison Mini Marathon this morning.  The only thing worth saying about my run is that a giant... not a tiny gnat... but a GIANT bug nearly flew into my mouth.

GIANT [source]

Fortunately/unfortunately it got caught in my lips (gross) and I was able to stop and spit it out before it actually got into my mouth and I (gag) might have swallowed it.

I went out to cheer on a friend and her sister who were running the Mini.

YAY! Kerri and Lacey.  Way to go!

I'm so happy for all the runners that the weather has cooperated so nicely.  Especially after the both the Madison and Green Bay Marathons were so hot this spring that they had to be canceled - in whole or in part.  And after Mini runners were soaked by heavy rain last year.  It was fun to cheer everyone on, although I feel like I'm more exhausted from standing and clapping for 45 minutes than some of the runners will be after they finish the race.  

I'm thinking/ hoping that maybe maybe maybe I'll be able to run this race (here's my race report from 2010) next year (the above statement about how out of shape I am currently aside and provided I can request the same weather).  If not, I have my eye on the Haunted Hustle, which is actually my favorite half marathon in town (race report from 2011).  In other local running news, it was announced yesterday that the Madison Marathon will be moved to November in 2013 and the dreaded "run to the airport and run back" course might be changed.  I doubt that training for a marathon is in the cards for me for next year, but I think it's a good idea that they moved the race.  Even though it might be cold and snowy in November, that would be less unpleasant than being baked alive on John Nolen Dr.    

I am thankful for

1. Saint Toasti, who kept my feet warm at the Berbee Derby this morning

Best.  Thing.  Ever.

and for Kerri, who gave me the hook up with the exclusive Team in Training indoor waiting area so I could     pee in warmth and comfort before the race started.

2. The ability to get out and run a 10k, even if it wasn't as fast as I would have liked.  At least the 6 miles I ran should balance out the entire box of toffee I'm currently nomming.

3. Vegetables served with brown sugar and cinnamon.  I'd eat way more vegetables if they all came with brown sugar and cinnamon.

4. The fact that Daniel took care of disassembling the chicken.  I don't like it when my meat looks too much like an actual animal.

  

5. The democratic process.

Signed the petition first thing this morning!

6. I don't have to go to work tomorrow!!!!!!  Let the epic laziness begin!

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

WIWW

Now that the temperature has dropped another 10 degrees, it's time for a new installment of What I Wore Wednesday.

This is a 20 - 30 degree outfit that I wore to run about 6 miles a couple weekends ago.  From top to bottom, I'm wearing a fleece headband, a long sleeved tech shirt under a thicker long sleeved shirt, heavier gloves, fleece-lined tights, regular socks and shoes.  

If you are looking for tights (I transition to wearing tights sometime in the 20-30 degree range depending on the wind chill factor) I highly recommend the Sugoi SubZero tight.  Yes, they are pricey, but I bought this pair 3 years ago, and I've worn them MANY times each winter.  Fleece-lined tights are the way to go not only because they are warmer, they are thicker which makes them less revealing (I know some people don't like tights for that reason).  Despite the name, I would wear an additional pair of athletic pants over these if I were going to run when it's around 0 (about the lower limit of my comfort zone).

Happy pre-Thanksgiving.  Safe travels to all.  Wish me good luck getting stuff done at work so I can take Friday off!  

WIW...T

Oops.  I forgot this yesterday.

Early morning temperatures are still hanging out in the 30s.  Still wearing capris, one short sleeved shirt, one long sleeved shirt, headband, and gloves (not pictured- I don't have skin-colored gloves).

The only reason I bothered posting this picture is to prove to the Greater Internet that I have more than one long sleeved shirt.

Do you own a lot of running/workout clothes?  Do you ever re-wear things?  

At this point, I've accumulated a lot of running garb, so I don't re-wear bottoms or undershirts, but I will re-wear a long sleeved shirt or jacket sometimes.

A nice surprise all around

So the Haunted Hustle was an all around success!

Executive summary: The race was well organized, the course was great, and I finished in 1:50:22- not a PR, but a good time for me.

The long version: As I said yesterday, I went into the race with low expectations.  I got dressed and donned my "Halloween costume".

See... I'm a fork... In the road... A fork in the road.  *Cue the drums*

      
I was not going to hold the thing for the entire race, so I tucked it into my waist band and hoped for the best.

I got to the race start right at 7:30 when then marathoners took off.  I did all the necessary pre-race rituals, reluctantly packed up my warm outer clothes, and stood around checking out the costumes and freezing for 20 minutes.  There were lots of your typical devils and angels and cats, a few angry birds, a very realistic looking Flo from the Progressive ads,

and a guy who was wearing only a tiger print Speedo with a tail stuck to the back.

We lined up at about 10 till 8, and I tucked in with the 1:50 pace group.  Local Team in Training celebrity Dan Tyler sang the national anthem, and we were off.

The first mile was flat through the parking lot and shopping area where the race started.  My fingers and toes were numb, but it felt good to get moving.  The fork bit the dust.

Miles 2 and 3 wound through the neighborhoods in Middleton.  This was the hilliest part of the race, but it was actually not that bad.  There's one infamous mega hill, and we avoided it (thank you, race director).  All the runners were squeezed onto the shoulder of the road, and I kept getting pushed back away from the 1:50 group.  There was a long downhill at the end of mile 3, and I was able to catch and pass the 1:50 pace group.  I heard the pacer say the rest of the course was basically flat, and I was feeling good, so I decided to pull away.

At mile 4.5, we entered the Pheasant Branch Conservancy.  It was wooded, and the course was very gently rolling.  Up a little, down a little.  There were a lot of boardwalk bridges that made for a nice scene but  were still a bit slick from the morning frost even though the race organizers salted them.  We ran on mostly asphalt but there was some crushed limestone trail mixed in, too.

Right before the mile 6 we hit the first "haunted" section of the course where local Team in Training Celebrity (of national anthem fame) Dan Tyler chased runners with a chainsaw.  Miles 7, 8, and 9 blend together in my mind.  Even though I looked at a course map before the race, I wasn't sure where we were and when we would start to turn back toward the finish line.  I was surprised when right after mile 9, we were back where we'd seen chainsaw guy.

Mile 10 was back along the original course, but, at mile 11, rather than going back through the neighborhoods, we did a short out and back under the belt line.  This was the hardest part of the race for me because I was starting to fatigue and it's hard to watch people running back past you but not be able to see the turn around.  I knew I was slowing down after the turn around because that's when the 1:50 group finally caught and passed me.  I was okay with that, though, because I knew the 1:50 group leader was actually trying to pace for 1:49:30, and I had a little extra time.  We wound through the parking lot of the shopping center where the race started and FINALLY I saw the finish line.  I managed to pick up the pace a bit right at the end and finished in 1:50:22, according to the official results.

Even though I didn't get a PR and probably didn't push myself as hard as I could have, I was happy with my results and felt like I did as well as I could have expected.  All things considered I give the Haunted Hustle two thumbs up.  It's definitely a better race than the Madison half and I think it's on par with the Madison Mini.

If only athletic endeavors had gone better for the Badgers and the Gators yesterday.  Both teams managed to clutch defeat from the hands of victory in last minute, crappy losses to teams they shouldn't have lost to.  We watched the first half of the Badger game at Buffalo Wild Wings for a friends' birthday, and left at half time, confident of at least one victory.

But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Now it's time to get ready to re-enter the real world tomorrow.  I've got all the stuff for my *real* Halloween costume now, and I'm excited to put it together.

Are you going to dress as anything for Halloween?  





    

Oh dear

T minus two hours until the start of the Haunted Hustle half marathon.

Registering for this race seemed like such a good idea at the time...  I'd come off a break from training, I'd done some good workouts, and I was ready for fall racing season to start.  Fast forward to now, and, well, I'm ambivalent.  Which is not exactly the way you want to feel two hours before race time.

Or maybe that's fine.

Unlike my last race where I expected some kind of miraculous PR despite the fact that it was hot and I was sick (must have been the NyQuil), this time I kind of don't care.  Actually, I never really don't care.  I've never been able to do a race "easy, just for fun", but I have no great expectations for the outcome, and I'm at peace with that.  My plan is to start out not too slow and not too fast and then keep that up for the remainder of the race.  Actually, I think I'm going to line up with the 1:50 pace group and see what happens.  1:50 is an ambitious goal, but knowing myself and knowing I tend to go out too fast, I think as long as I don't go out faster than the 1:50 group, I'll probably be okay.  

I'm still dubious, but- despite the fact that this race does loops through Middleton- not exactly the most scenic course in the Madison area- it got rave reviews from friends who ran it in its inaugural year last year.  It's also very small.  There are only 300 runners in the marathon field (and one is RDM, good luck, Jamie!).  Runners are encouraged to wear costumes and all the water stops have themes.  I'm not one to go all out for Halloween, but my mom came up with a cute idea for something that would be easy to run with.  Here's a hint:

I'm still not 100% sure how I'm going to attach it to myself, but I'll figure that out when I get dressed in a minute!

Have you ever done a race "just for fun"?  Raced in a costume?  Any guesses what mine is?