Tomorrow is the Big Day..

So this post is going to be short and to the point :) I have talked a lot about running and training from a couple different races coming up, but i have failed to mention that the first of those races is TOMORROw! That’s right folks tomorrow i will tackle the second 1/2 marathon of my lifetime (with many more to come). And to make it even better it is taking place in my hometown, on the same bike path route that i have been training on! Bring on the Bako 1/2!

I ran my first 1/2 marathon in last September and fell in love! Now i am hooked and while the hubs is away I have signed up for some races to keep my sanity while he is away! I am excited but also really nervous (which is dumb b/c i would be running this much or more on a normal saturday). I have increased my pace a lot and so i am really hoping to get a better PR this round. Last 1/2 I ran it in about a 10 min mile but the last few times that i have clocked it I have been at a 7:45-7:50 min mile pace. I hope i am able to keep it up. Also, on monday my knee started hurting and so i have been icing it and trying not to push it too hard! Hopefully it will hold up!

Well wish me luck! I will be posting a recap after :)

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Striping on the Bike Path

Well I am happy to say i am back running in the wonderful bako air (for those of you who don’t know bako is known for it’s horrible air quality)! Isn’t it sad that i prefer this to the nice crisp of slightly thin air to tahoe :)

Anyways, yesterday was my first run back so i decided (since i didn’t get as many miles in as i normally would last week) to jump back in with a 9 mile run. For the past month and a half it has been colder so i have layered appropriately (shorts, long-sleeved cold weather compression shirt, tank top, and jacket). By the way this is also what I wore in the frigid cold of Tahoe snow. Yesterday I didn’t even bother to look at the weather or walk outside to see what the conditions were really like. However, when i was walking out to my car a little voice in the back of my hard head was like “wow it’s kind of warm today”. Should have listened but instead i proceeded to get in my car and drive to the bike path to begin my run.

The first 1/2 actually felt really good and I kept looking at my Garmin amazed to be going at a 7:30 pace and not feeling that tired..yay for being able to breath! However, as I continued to run i couldn’t ignore the fact that i was getting warmer and warmer and sweating more than usual.

Why i thought I should wear the same amount of layers in 70 degree weather as i did in 30 degree weather is beyond me!

I stopped at every water fountain so i could quench my parched mouth but then i started to get paranoid of drinking too much water and sweating out too much sodium and potassium (thanks running nutrition books now you’ve got me paranoid)! I hate running with my water belt and i didn’t bring any gel packets so i just continued on.

By the time i reached mile 7 I was on the verge of overheating (yeah something the hubs never thought possible b/c according to him i never sweat and am always cold)! I either had to stop and walk the rest of the way or start shedding some layers!

Now i am a very modest person..like i hate my stomach, avoid flashing it at all costs, and will only wear a two piece swim suit if the hubs begs me and i know there won’t be that many people around! So needless to say, the layer that really needed to be shed was on the bottom of all my layers and the only thing between it and my nude upper half was my sports bra. Now i know many people run in sports bra’s and shorts and i always think nothing of it, but i totally don’t have the nerve or confidence when it comes to exposing my torso (and i’m envious of those of you who do)!

But desperate overheating times call for desperate throw-all-your-concerns-out- the-window measures. That’s right folks, i did it, i stripped down right then and there to my sports bra (and then as quickly as i could put back on the tank top and jacket)! I did happen to notice that i picked the spot that was the most populated, complete with numerous construction workers to flash my blinding white tummy! typical.

Don’t worry though, i made it back alive and a little cooler than before :) And no i did not take pictures because

1) i don’t run with my phone or any type of camera and

2) again that whole exposing the tummy thing :)

Today however, I was a little smarter and left that extra layer at home which made my 8 miles a lot more enjoyable.

Accidental Shoplifting Revealed

Well today was our last full day in Tahoe. Sadness. But I am also ready to go home and get back into the normal routine again (well at least normal for right now). In typical Ashley fashion, a trip wouldn’t be complete without shopping! I have to give a HUGE shout-out to my wonderful daddy who sacrificed his last afternoon to take his favorite daughter shopping (shhh don’t tell the sis)! So this afternoon we headed out on our shopping adventure.

Destination: The Summit in Reno, NV.

Mission: serious wallet damage.

When we got to the outdoor shopping mall the first place that we had to go was the Verizon store. Why you ask? Well because for some unknown reason the battery on my phone has decided that it’s life needs to be rather short so it is only allowing me to talk for about 15 minutes before it decides to end it’s little life and my phone conversation! It has been getting worse so we decided, since there was a store there, to stop and see if anything could be done. They talked a lot of phone mumbo jumbo and i handed over my little darling phone with the promise that in approx. 30 minutes new software would be downloaded and my phone would hopefully be reborn.

Since my dad was totally engrossed in the different phones I left him to research his to his hearts content with a promise that i would return quickly (or maybe just i would return). I headed out to shop to my hearts content (thanks Gram for the “just in case” money)!

I hit the usual stores..Gap, Banana, New York in Company (which I don’t go into that much but they were having good sales), and American Eagle.

BTW..Gap has the best, and i do mean best, t-shirts that are currently only $10 so hurry and go there now (well after you finish reading this post and comment of course).

Anyways, it was a lot warmer in Reno that it was up at our cabin and since I was dressed for cabin weather I was defiantly heating up! Needless to say each time I tried on clothes I neglected to put all of my original clothing back on (good think i’m really into layering). So as my layers diminished the amount of clothes in my purse expanded (don’t worry i’m getting to the point)!

New York and Company was my last stop before I returned to my ever-loving-researching father. I found some really good deals and when i went in the dressing room I laid my purse down and then put the pile of clothes to try on on top of my purse. I narrowed it down to the choice pieces that were soon going to be joining their new sisters in my closet. I paid for the clothes and then as i was walking out the door the alarm (you know that beeping that happens when they forget to remove a sensor and then everyone stares at you like you are steeling..or ignores you). Well the girl came up and checked all of my purchases and we couldn’t find any sensors still on so she told me to just come back if i discovered one later and they would remove it.

I found my dad and after a quick stop to get the essential frozen yogurt that i require to survive we started to head back. Luckily I reached into my purse to get something and what did i find??? OMG!!

Apparently, one of the shirts that i had intended to try on at NY&C had ended up getting mixed up with the other clothes that i had shed and put in my purse. Yeah totally didn’t pay for it! OMG i totally just shoplifted on accident!

 courtesy of google images

So there i sat, holding the stolen shirt, while my dad is cracking up (he didn’t know he had raised such a criminal)! Well i had to return it..

I ran back into the store (and of course the beeping sensor thing went crazy) and tried to explain to the girl who had helped me before that i really didn’t mean to steal the shirt..really i didn’t (well maybe i shouldn’t have said “this shirt accidently dropped into my purse”). She just gave me a really confused look, took the shirt, and walked away! Well let’s just say i bolted out of there quick just in case she decided that she didn’t believe me and tried to call the cops.

That would have made a fun Valentines day adventure in jail!

Have a great weekend :)

Oh and don’t worry i won’t make this a habit!

Involuntary Mud run and Tahoe so far

We have been having a blast so far in Tahoe. For the most part it has been pretty chill (but isn’t that what vacation is for?)! A lot of hanging out, eating, some shopping and of course running! I have actually gotten in more running here than I had thought I would (although not as much as a normal week). Hey gotta make room for all that yummy food i’m devouring here :)

and yes that is yummy bread pudding from The Chocolate Bar..sooo good!!

Okay, sorry got a little distracted..but it’s such yummy goodness! I have been trying to get my run done in the morning (although it is pretty chilly) so that it doesn’t interrupt any plans for the day. Yesterday was really nice because although there was snow on the ground, the roads were fairly dry. Today, however was a different story! I knew this run would turn out interesting when i woke up and saw that it had snowed and rained during my slumber. The devoted runner i am though (or psycho runner) would not let that deter me. Today was a short run anyways (it was either going to be 3 or 4 miles, i figured i would decide when i got out there).

So I hit the slushy pavement in full force. I’m not going to lie it was a tough 4 miles..this altitude is a killer and I had to keep stopping to catch my breath (it was either that or throw up and i didn’t think the people on the street would appreciate that)! I was glad when the run was done. I didn’t realize it when I was running but I guess I brought a little of the outdoors home with me..

and yes about half way through the run i realized that a white jacket was probably not the best choice for this run!

Here are some other fun pics of our trip so far..

My fam minus the bro and my hubby (who we are missing very much)!

the Northstar resort..so nice!

my dad and sis enjoying the fire (which you can’t see)

The Northstar has all these little shops and looks like a cute village!

Don’t worry there will be more pics to come!

Wardrobe Malfunction..

I think I have become really spoiled running in Bako weather where, although I’m heavily layered on the upper half of my body, i am able to get away with shorts on the lower half. Not that i mind wearing pants or Capri's, but I have been having a hard to finding ones with pockets and my shorts have perfect pockets for my keys and running essentials (like Gu for the long runs). I hate to carry anything in my  hands and although i know i should be wearing a water belt on my longer runs, i keep forgetting/not wanting to wear one and just stopping at the water fountains along the Bike Path were i run. Anyways, getting off track here!!

I have been on a pretty heavy duty/no joke training plan for a marathon (even though i have two 1/2 marathons in the next two months and the full isn’t until july). I figure since i have the time right now I might as well take advantage of it and get my body used to running a lot of miles so when the hubbs comes back we can train together for the SF marathon in July!

One of the perks of living with the folks right now is getting to tag a long on their vacations :) This week we are in Tahoe! Now don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled to be here and loving the down time but i freaked out a bit when i realized that our vacation up in the snow might throw a wrench in my running plan for this week (not to mention the weekend after we get back i am running in the Bako 1/2 marathon)!

I packed my running gear like the good runner i am, hoping and praying that there will be a long enough stretch to run on where i wouldn’t be slipping and sliding everywhere (no gym here = no treadmill)! We got here Sunday so Monday was my first running day! We are right on a main road that looked like the prime candidate for my run so I geared up and put on some new capri’s that I scored the other day (and they have pockets) b/c i figured running in shorts in the snow would be a no go!

I hadn’t worn these before but I figured they would work great! As i headed out on the road i was more concerned about my heal hurting (stupid Achilles tendon) and i failed to notice right away the my newly acquired pants may have fit okay while standing but were really struggling to stay up once i was in motion. it never dawned on me that since i found them on clearance at kohls and had to buy a small instead of my usual xsmall that there might be a problem!

Yup i was that person! running on the main road of tahoe having to keep my hands on my waist band so as to not flash the entire town as i ran by with my bright blue panties underneath! I am sure i was a sight! I literally had to stop about every 10th of a mile or so and pull them up as far as i could in hopes that they would take longer to get to the critical “I must stop and pull them up right now before another involuntary show starts” ! Luckily, the stretch I was running was only about 1.2 miles one way so I was forced to repeat it several times to get in my mileage for the day, which allowed me to stop back at the resort and change into my beloved shorts! the second half of the run was  a lot more uneventful for both me and the rest of the town! Now i have dubbed those pants “yoga only workout pants”!

If i have learned one thing from this little wardrobe debacle, it is to always buy running pants with drawstrings on them for this reason!  No free shows here people :)

Oh and on a random side note…I was running along focused on my own issues and i look over and what do i see…a dead raccoon frozen in a pool of water..ewww! Mr. raccoon now haunts me in my dreams!

The return of Try’em out Tuesday..ZipFizz style

So I am officially bringing back Try’em out Tuesday! While I had let my blog fall to the waste side I also had let this little gem die out…so sorry faithful bloggers. But don’t worry I am bringing it back with a vengeance :) And for my first feature back I introducing what i refer to as my new “miracle product”! No joke folks…this is serious stuff!

*Warning: Since the hubby is gone my life revolves around running (basically i have no life besides that right now) so I am sorry if most of my posts reflect that..i promise I will try to throw in some other stuff too :) But for now consider yourself warned ..

Okay back to the Miracle product….ZipFizz!!

Now don’t write this off as just one more energy drink…I actually bought it as sports drink supplement in an effort to increase my potassium consumption so that I can run and not end up in the hospital! I was in my favorite and most dangerous place, Costco (well it is a tie between costco and target for the most dangerous factor) and I saw these cute little tubes of vitaminy goodness.

First let’s take a look at what ZipFizz really is according to zipfizz.com:

“Zipfizz is an all-natural, great tasting energy drink-mix powder
that delivers a powerful charge of micronutrients to the body's fuel system. It contains no ephedra or other artificial stimulants. Most people experience an immediate, revitalizing burst of energy after taking Zipfizz.

Zipfizz is healthy energy in a tube! Give your body a rush of
vitamins, minerals and key amino acids to protect the immune
system. Zipfizz has created an advanced formula that provides a significant amount of vitamins, fewer calories, lower carbohydrates, superior taste, variety and unique packaging! Simply put, it's different because it's good for you!

Use Zipfizz as a morning or afternoon pick-me-up, or enhance
your training by taking it before, during, or after a hard workout.
Because Zipfizz contains no sugar, users will experience an
increased energy level for up to 4 - 6 hours with out the sudden
"crash" associated with other energy drinks.”

Sounds good right…well does it deliver??

I have to admit, i was a little nervous in trying this because i am not one for energy drinks. But since I was still feeling really weird after running (which scared me some) and I was having a hard time keeping my electrolytes in balance I decided to give it a go. Oh and don’t worry i researched it as much as i could first to make sure there wasn’t some unknown death warrant that was hiding in this drink. So about 45 minutes before my morning run I took a leap into the zipfizz world! I chose the orange flavor and yes it was fizzy but not horrible. I was talking to the hubbs via webcam while drinking it and he said i seemed rather zippy :)

That day I was running 10 miles and folks believe me when i say this stuff is legit!! For the first 3-4 miles i kept thinking that i must be going really slow because it was really easy and i wasn’t getting tired at all, but then i would look at my garmin (my baby..oh how i love you) and my pace would be about a 7:30ish. I really couldn’t believe how good i was feeling ..but it wasn’t like some caffeine buzz that i was all jittery or something, more like I felt alive and could breath and run and not get tired. I have to say though, that after about 5-6 miles the effect lessen and i do start getting fatigued but not anymore than usual.

The two real clinchers that sealed the deal were:

1. I felt really good after the run, a lot better than i had been and I didn’t feel tingly at all (which i had been with the whole electrolyte thing) and

2. I dropped a minute from my time. yay!!

Please note that I drank a lot of water with this stuff too which is important so that you don’t get dehydrated.

I have used this stuff every time before i have ran the last week and i am in love! I give it an A++. My time for my runs have gotten a lot better and i have felt really good. It can be a little pricey but I got a box of 30 at costco for about $28. I only use one a day if i am running so they will last for a little bit and I do believe they are worth the money!! If you are looking for good sports supplement or a way to feel energized without the jitters I would totally recommend this!

P.S. if you have anything that you have been eyeing or dying to try but are afraid to try it yourself..let me know i would be glad to check it out!

 

Hitting the big 40

That’s right folks…it hit 40 this week..40 miles that is!! Whoo hoo!! This is a goal I have been trying to hit for the last three weeks, so it was a pretty big deal for me!

It seems like this goal has lasted forever, or that I wasn’t going to accomplish it because each week something happened to make me cut back my miles. The first week it was horrible storms and last week it was a little potassium problem! However, this week I finally made it!

I was also supper excited because as I started out my 6 miles today, the final leg and the only thing looming between me the the 40 mile goal, I was feeling rather tired and unmotivated to go fast. I took a deep breath and told myself I was not going to worry about my time…I would just run at a comfortable pace and be fine with that. As i hit the pavement (literally) it took me all of 30 seconds to start looking at my pace and trying to go faster/stay consistent..haha i’m pathetic! anyways, I was really excited when i was able to end my run, feeling really good, with my best time yet…6 miles in 45:30 with my garmin showing an average pace of 7:34! The best part about it was that I really didn’t feel like I was dying or even going super fast…i’m really excited to continue seeing how much I can increase my pace! Now I have to tackle 16 miles on saturday (the furthest distance to date)!

On a side note…I have stated to notice my regulars on the bike path (like the old man with the Huge beard that wears a camel back and walks freaking forever…or the guy who sings at the top of his lungs while walking) but it has freaked me out lately as i run by people and then hear them say..”oh there she is”…or … “that’s the girl..”! So weird..maybe i run like Phoebe on friends or something! 

Hopefully i will survive to write another post!