Kerrymen Pub 5k

Not Racing.

Yesterday was pretty cool, it was the first time I have ever "raced" with the hubby at the Kerrymen Pub 5k. I have to put "race" in quotes because I chose not to race it yesterday, opting to keep my focus on the big picture (thank you Michelle Ford) which is my training schedule. 

What am I training for? A handful of Rev3 Half's and the big dance, Rev3 Cedar Point Full in Sept.

It was a pretty full week of training with a long bike with some strength work on Saturday and Sunday was a long run after the 5k. Sweet. Never done THAT before...but I do whatever Sharpie tells me to do (I'm submissive like that! ha...probably the only time in my life that I am).

Last year I went into this race to race and seeking a sub-22, which I missed by :25 seconds but walked away from that with a shiny new PR of 22:24. At the time, I was disappointed that I did not meet my goal and I did not appreciate the fact that I ran hard and gave it my all. This year I had initially wanted to chase that 21:xx minute clock again but realistically, this is not what my training is about right now. It really wasn't that important to me and that long run was important to me...so I made the decision to run the race and keep the focus on my training run.  

This is a pretty big event for a local 5k, about 1200 runners and a ton of people participate in the walk, Mary's Walk. The event is a fundraiser for Maine Cancer Fund and the race is in honor of a local woman, Mary Kerry, who died of cancer and this is the route she used to walk daily. This is the 15th year of the race and there were 3,000 people registered for the event!

We parked about a half mile away from the start and got out to warm up. It was rather cold for March (28*)  and there was a bitter cold wind but it was sunny! I really wanted to wear something cute, like a glittery green running skirt and knee socks but I don't have anything like...so I rocked my blue Rev3 gear with a smile (and three layers under it!).

Casey and I warmed up for a bit and then we found Marc, who was also running today. We ran a bit and lined up for the start. Then we found Jon, a friend of Casey's and one of the athletes I have been working with since the fall.

This race shuts down half of Route 1 through town and seeds the start by your run time (I love this!) but with that many people running there is always a delay to get moving.

Ready...set....GO!

 I started with Marc and Casey and the first mile was a very comfortable 7:20 and then you round the corner and head right into a wind and a slight incline for a bit. Round another corner and there is a water stop to the left and where I got jammed up...as I eased out to the right, a group of young runners blocked me. Around another corner and another slight incline...and WIND! My pace dropped to 7:40 for the second mile, around another corner and into the home stretch.

because it would not be a race without at tongue out pic, right??

running happy here, almost done!

I had been running with a local tri friend, Kim for a bit and I was just watching her run-so gazelle like! She's got these long, lean legs and she appeared to be just floating along...run, run, run. I had not seen Casey or Marc in a bit and I was just chugging along when I felt a tap on my shoulder at mile 2.5. It was Casey!! I smiled at him and we ran together for a bit and as we got a tad closer to the finish, with about a .25 mile to go, he took off...and then Marc ran past me, chasing after Casey and he was on a mission! I could tell he was out for blood and did NOT want Casey to finish before him. I just kept running, watch Casey just GO towards the finish with Marc going after him. I think I was smiling and laughing a bit but proud at the same time.

Marc on his way to a +1 min PR

Double PR!! Jon by 4+ mins and Casey by 1:30

Casey finished in 23:16 (smashing his previous 5k time by more than a minute and a half)

Marc finished in 23:24 (another awesome PR!! by over a minute!)

Me? I finished in 23:46 (I was predicting a 23:30 finish) 

Jon finished in 28:52 (the biggest PR of the day by more than 4 minutes!!)

I was so psyched to see the three of them get huge PR's!! One proud Coach for sure!

The wind was blowing and I was cold...it was time to get moving and get my training run done so it was time to say goodbye to everyone and get going.

Later on as I was checking out the official results. I had run today at a comfortably-hard effort that was more in line with how I would pace a 10k, I certainly did not put the pedal to the metal today...and as I checked the results I was a bit bummed. A "comfortably-hard" effort had placed me 8th in my age group! Now if I had pushed it today, could I have snagged an AG award?? Who knows...but would that have brought me any closer to my goals? Probably not...in addition to the 5k today, I got an additional easy 9 miles on the books and THAT is what is going to get me closer to my goals today.

Regardless, it was a super fun day and I am proud of my guys for crushing it out there!!

He Speaks: 5k's and Virrata

Hey Folks,

If you have been following Jen's blog for a while I am sure you have seen her post about Project X.

Let me introduce myself. I am Casey, otherwise known as Jen's husband and the subject in Project X.
For years, I had zero interest in this craziness of running (or any of that other stuff SHE does) but this fall I had a wake up call, an epiphany if you will. Now, I get it. I understand the hours of training, the quest to the finish line, the thrill that comes with challenging yourself and testing your limits. Now I am happily by her side and along for ride. I have my own journey and I am just happy that we can do this together!

Not only is Jen my wife, but she is also my Coach and has helped me shed 50lbs and go from a 40" pant size down to a 30! Jen is teaching me about the right way to train and race (and I think she picks on me the most out of all of her athletes).

When an opportunity came up to review a pair of men's running shoes from Saucony, I happily volunteered to be the guinea pig. I have been running in Saucony shoes since I started running and have been happy with the fit and comfort that the shoe provides. I started running in the Guide and recently tried the Fastwitch, a much lighter shoe. When I read the specs on the Virrata, I was very intrigued.

• very light and weighing in at 6.5 oz
• ZERO drop
• bright colors 

The bit of information that was of most interest to me was this-
Built on a 0mm offset, this shoe lets your feet do the work while providing plenty of protection from the road.

photo from saucony.com

I have been looking to gain more speed with my running and as I learned more about run mechanics and shoes (and still being a fairly new runner), it was important to me to have some cushion and protection yet a shoes that would allow me to run with the most efficient form.

I had a 5k coming up on the schedule and the Virrata arrived just in time, giving me a few days to get out and run before racing in a new shoe. The shoe immediately felt great-very comfortable like it had already been broken in to fit my foot. On my test run (5.6 miles) I could appreciate how light and springy they were! There was a sufficient amount of cushioning and I liked the way my feet just rolled along the road. I did notice a bit a calf tenderness after this first run but I was told by Jen that this was normal since I was moving into a more minimal shoe that I have been running in.

My second run in them was a short, easy run (Coach Jen had me on a mini-taper to get ready to race!) and they felt even better this second run. I had no other discomfort and liked the shoe even more.

Today was race day, it was a cold and windy day for sure. We got in some warm up miles before lining up and it was time to GO!

At the start line, we were all talking about new shoes and there was a guy next to me wearing the same exact Virrata's! We both agreed that we really, really liked this shoe!

At the race start, Im in blue (left, #946) running next to Jen in Rev3 blue (right, #947).
This was our first race running together!

My legs were warmed up and ready to run. Honestly, I could not even feel my shoes during the run they were so light and comfortable. I ran my way to 1 minute and 30 second PR today.

Thank you to Saucony for the chance to participate in this review.
Thank you Coach Jen for guiding me and being my cheerleader.



DISCLOSURE: All opinions expressed in this blog review are those of Casey and not Jen. The Saucony Virrata shoes were provided at no charge in exchange for Casey's honest evaluation of this running shoe.  All opinions expressed here are his own. 

Execution

As far as being coached as an athlete, I think I am pretty easy to deal with...

Coach gives me work.

I do work. 

Simple.
No excuses.
Just Do It.

As I mentioned last week, we {we as in Me + Sharpie} moved into a new phase of training this month and it is certainly keeping things challenging and interesting for sure. It was not until mid-week when I finally sat down and really got a good look at what was planned for my weekend. 
Not gonna lie, I was a little like "oh crap" this is gonna be a tough weekend. Saturday was more of a LONG training session vs. hard intensity and Sunday was just straight up "embrace the pain". Words like "hang tough" and "the pain lasts for a short period" echoed loudly in my Training Peaks block.
Back to back, long and hard.
Let's do this! 

I learned my lesson a few weeks ago when I was doing too much work/teaching AND training so I made sure to back off as much as I could in the days leading up to the weekend with my classes. When my Friday cycling class had a time trail scheduled, I just spun easy. I did nothing but lead in Boot Camp and went into the weekend as fresh as I could be. 

Saturday was a long run then a long bike-the run was awesome! I got out with my training buddy Marc...and the hubby joined me for his first long run. 

We ran down by the beach and it was crazy how huge the waves were!! I'd never seen waves like that in the absence of a storm--this picture does not do it justice--they were 10 foot high at least!

Fortunes Rocks

Hubbs, Me and Marc

Right after the run, it was onto the bike for some aerobic work and build sets. My legs felt like garbage to start but after about 30 mins of cycling or so, I was in a groove and before I knew it, done!
Executed as directed. I made sure to spend a little time in my NormaTec recovery boots Saturday afternoon, ate really well and hydrated.

Sunday was the hard bike session and since there was so much to concentrate on, it really flew by. There was no way I could rely on my current trainer entertainment-watching Breaking Bad on Netflix-so it was music. Hard music. Some angry rock. Some inspirational songs. 
Boom...hill...done. Another hill, *smack* now YOU'RE my b!tch hill...on and on and DONE> 
Executed as directed.
And it wasn't that bad. I mean, I like to climb. I like those hurt sessions. This one hurt a little but not enough to leave a scar. 

The one thing that did hurt the most was how hungry I was when done. I had no patience for cooking and I wanted something not so good for me....the hubbs suggested Red Robin for burgers and once he said burgers, there was only one thing I wanted:

FIVE GUYS 

patiently waiting on burger goodness

 I chowed my burger and fries and then we walked around the Old Port for a bit, stopping into a little candy shop that had THE BEST pistachio fudge I've ever had. Ok, also the only pistachio fudge I've ever had but I am NOT a fudge fan and this was Fan-Freaking-Tastic. If you are ever in the Old Port in Portland ME, stop into The Old Port Candy Co.

The Pirate, The Hubbs and The Lola

This weekend's training session taught me 

not to underestimate myself 

or fear a workout. 

What lessons have you learned from training lately? 

Project X: Update

Ok, so it's been a while since I posted anything about PROJECT X

I am a visual person so here are some visuals. 

This picture was taken on August 26th 2012.
This weekend would prove to be a big turning point in Casey's life...

Let me zoom that in for you so you can see a little better...

Casey made a decision to try and see the other side of life and try new things. He started working out and making healthier choices.

He even ran his first 5k on Thanksgiving Day!

getting a pre-race pep talk from Lola

closing in on the finish of his first 5k in 24:56

Here he is in January...skating with Lola and looking quite different than he did a few months earlier.








This picture is from February. Casey is getting ready to go workout and is doing a little impromptu ballet session with Lola. 



And this picture is from today. 



For many years I tried to get Casey involved in my life and get out running and biking with me but he had no interest.

I know first hand that you cannot make anyone change--they must do it themselves. 

Today Casey joined me and my training buddy Marc on our long run

So now down nearly 50lbs and shrinking his pants from a 40 waist down to his high school size of a 30 waist, he has made remarkable improvements in such a short time. 
Next weekend, Casey will do his second 5k race and he is making plans to try all sorts of new things this coming summer like swimming, biking and running. He has his eyes set on several different distance running races and who knows...maybe triathlon will be in his future as well.

All I know is that it is nice getting to know this new version of the man I have been with for almost 14 years.

Congrats Casey on all you have achieved so far! We are very proud of you! 

Feed me!!

You asked, I deliver. 

I needed to get back on the clean eats bandwagon and made sure to spend some time doing prep work this weekend. I posted a pic on Facebook today of my gluten-free, sugar-free Tropical Muffin and everyone wants the recipe so here you go!

I cannot take credit for the original recipe, I found it on Chocolate Covered Katie  and give it my own  little tweaks!

TROPICAL BREAKFAST MUFFINS

5 cups Old Fashioned Oats

2 cups of smashed very ripe bananas

1/2 cup (packed) of crushed pinapple*

*I used canned, no sugar added

5 Stevia packets OR 5 tsp liquid sweetener such as pure maple/agave or honey

2 2/3 cups of water*

*I used 2/3 cups of the juices from the crushed pineapple and the rest water

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

optional add ins:

*I used what is starred

*shredded coconut, unsweetened

*flax meal

*raisins

*cinnamon

chocolate chips

walnuts

wheat germ

dried fruit

Preheat oven to 380* and line 24-25 muffin/cupcake tins with liners.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir well. In another bowl, combine your wet ingredients including banana and pineapple. Mix wet and dry well. Scoop into muffin tins and bake for about 22 mins. 

I kept some out and froze some too. I found that when hot/warm, they stuck to the muffin liner (of course I could not wait to try one!) but once they cool, the liner comes right off. 

 These are fabulous with almond butter for breakfast--Quick, easy and clean! Thanks Katie!! 

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And then there is today's lunch. I swear, I consumed this sammy with a bunch of tomatoes in less than 2 mins post swim. 

This is actually my secret post workout nosh that has become a favorite of mine and I crave them after a good training session!

Ok, this sounds a little crazy but it's so good. I usually just use whatever veggies I have on hand but there is always some

red lettuce
spinach
sriracha sauce
sour pickles-not DILL, sour!
hummus

Today's creation was on an oatmeal and flax pita bread with

cracked chili pepper hummus
a layer of spinach and lettuce topped with sriracha
layer some sprouts 
then sliced avocado
shredded carrots
sliced sour pickles
a schmear of hummus

there is something magical about the combo of sour pickle and hot sriacha sauce. The avocado and hummus just give it a creamy balance (and some good fats/proteins!) 

What's your go-to post workout snack or meal??

Be sure to check out Cook Train Eat Race for great recipes. I will be sharing one of my favorite recipes soon on his Recovery Meal Blog Carnival! 

Monday MishMash

Happy Monday.

My to-do list for last week was very long and there were plenty of things on that list that I did not get completed...blogging was one of those things. So what's been going on? Here is a mish-mash of happenings:

1) Spring Booty Buster Challenge from Run To The Finish
I have done Amanda's Holiday challenges before and they are fun! I build up quite the little 4-pack just before the trip to Florida and I want that sucker back! I am using this challenge to keep a focus in keeping the diet clean! I have no issues getting the work (aka training) done...plus, I am hoping this will keep me updating my blog more even while life is super busy!

Want to join in the Spring Booty Buster Challenge too? Registration is open until Wednesday...tons of cool prizes to win so check it out and join in on the fun!

Today was awesome! Lots of clean eats, getting in my water. A one hour run with hill repeats and core work :) 

2) Lessons Learned
Last week was a recovery week and I took full advantage of it-resting and napping when I could. The previous two weeks were crazy! Not only with my own training but lots of work hours and I was also covering cycling classes for a co-worker on vacation for two weeks which equated to an additional 6 hours on the bike each week on top of my regular training schedule. If there is one thing I have a problem with it's taking rest days and pulling back-even when I am teaching. By the end of the two weeks ...I was FRIED. Done. TOAST.



3) Training
I am entering yet another new phase of training and I am really excited to see what this training block is going to bring. It's all about strength right now...yeeehaw! My favorite.
I am thoroughly enjoying working with Sharpie as my Coach and I am learning a ton from her. It is so different than what I have done in the past so it's always fresh and exciting. I swear...I only race so I have an excuse to train my tail off. With Rev3 Knoxville and Quassy right around the corner, I need these legs strong for those hills...


4) Project X
Have you seen the Project X tab up there? Well...on the roller coaster of life there are ups and downs.
Things have taken a dramatic turn in my life since the Fall and I am happy to see that things are come full circle to a good place. I am excited to share some Project X updates coming soon!!!!

Also...this week I have some fun stuff coming your way!

Have a great day!!

Wordless Wednesday: SNOWRUNNING

Weekend Snow Runs in Maine

Saturday:

A light snow and it was quite nice...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~

Sunday's LONG run was a different story

More snow

Fortunes Rocks Beach covered in ice and snow

...and did I mention, 40mph winds??

ice-crusted eyebrows! eeek

Be safe! Thanks Donna 

snow day fuel

 The wind was so brutal, I was running wearing

a neoprene face mask-a definite first for me. 

Between the Atlantic Ocean and "The Pool" you could literally lean into the winds here
it was  pretty strong and blew us around quite a bit. 

Training buddy, Marc

I swear, this is the first time this boy has worn pants!
He's usually in shorts

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What are some extreme conditions you have subjected yourself to during training?

Do you prefer hot or cold training weather?