Smoothies, Easter and the Marathon, Oh My!

Gavin and I had been talking about smoothies for a while, we were going to hold out and save for the Nutribullet... (Newest version retails $150) A friend of mine at work had just purchased an Oster with the sports bottle attachment and had nothing but good things to say about it. (Retails for about $30) Can you guess which miserly frugal way I decided to go?

And here you have it!

For the money, well worth it.

I also had a coupon at Bed, Bath and Beyond for 20% off my entire purchase, so I picked this bad boy up for around $23.  Don'cha Just Love a Bahgain??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With our 5K coming up, the one that I need want to beat my PR time, we moved our schedule around to run Sundays instead of Saturdays. Which meant that Easter Sunday was a run day.  With time constraints and getting off to a late start we hit a local rail trail and eeked out a quick 4 miles. 

I might have started out slow but I pushed it in the last couple miles. My Garmin has a virtual partner feature. You set up the time/pace you want to hit and it shows you how far behind or a head of the "runner" you are.  On all of my outside runs, I have never beat my VP, as I have said before I am not a speedy runner.  I set it up to pace me at 10:57 pace... like I said not speedy. 

Look what I did!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I fear I am burying the lead.  Gavin and I were watching the Boston Marathon last year. We decided that in solidarity to the city that we love we would go back for the same events this year. First the Red Sox game and then out to the streets where the Marathon goes by to watch the runners as they approach the finish line. 

What and amazing day it ended up being. The weather couldn't have been better for runners and spectators and the energy in the air was just all you could ask for on a Marathon Monday. 

Just about 1 Mile to go! 

Look who we met, Carlos!!! He was SOOO nice! 

Walking down the middle of Boylston while they wrap up the race.

Imprompto Red Sox Game

Sunday has become a day of rest, but just from working out.  We were trying to figure out what to do with ourselves on one of the most beautiful days we have had this year... it was still in the 40s but the sun was shining and we had to take advantage of it.

Come on spring!!! You have to come back eventually.

So we decided to hit up a Red Sox game!

I bundled up... 40 in the shade, in the wind tunnel that is the 3rd base pavilion level.

Let's not discuss how they were swept by the Brewers...

No matter what I do, getting up to hit the gym on Monday before work is a lost cause.  Starting to look like I should make Mondays my day off and going to the gym on Sundays. I also had minor dental work done yesterday which really threw me off my game. I could have gone to bed by 9:30 and passed out, but I made it through until 10 and it was lights out!

I don't know if it was the drinking Sunday or the dental work yesterday (which still hurts), but I was not on my game this morning when it came to my run.

The plan: 3 miles, then the 4th would be some tempo intervals 4x10th of a mile (.20 easy pace) for 4 total miles.
The reality: 3 miles, 1 tempo interval and 5 minutes creating negative splits to 3.7 mile total

Not really disappointed I still did a little bit of speed work. I can't hit it out of the park everyday.

Today: 3.7 Miles
MTD: 18.91 Miles

Tomorrow cross training - Elliptical and strenth

The Mindy-K Training Plan

So I found out about this a little too late, but I am coming up on my PR'd 5K. My hope is to beat my time from last year, running a sub 10 minute mile 5K would be my key to success.

Mindy Kaling, a Newton native has a little soft spot in my heart.  I personally think she is hilarious and she also recently put out there that she wanted to run a sub-30 minute 5K. Runners World stepped up to the plate to make her a training program. With only 2 weeks left before my 5K I might have to pick this up somewhere towards the end.

Cheers to some tempo runs in my future!

After that, then onto knock a few books off my reading list... (notice Half-Marathon is also included)

I Have Surprised Myself

Usually when the new year comes around and I hit the treadmill after the holidays I have to start right back at the beginning.  I can barely make a mile on my first run back.  This year after barely running during November - February, I have been able to do a slow 3 miles, which feels great! I have already started my 10K training program.

With my success on the treadmill this far I have not been gun shy about pulling the trigger on race sign ups. I have signed Gavin and I up for our 3rd annual Energize the Earth 5K in Beverly, MA (My PR course).  Also, since running the half in San Jose last year I have been debating on which half to run this year. The one that stands out the most from seeing friends run it last year on Facebook and since it was my backup if I couldn't make the California trip work, was Smuttynose Rockfest Half in Hampton, NH. Gavin and I are all signed up for him to run his first half. Everyone I know that ran it in the past said it is a great flat course. Tomorrow me and 5 other girls are going to enter the lottery for the Harpoon 5miler, last time I ran that was 2005... Oh, how things were different 9 years ago!

One week from today I will be running my first 5K of the year, Ras na hEirearnn.  It is my second year in a row running it. My time last year was 35:03 and although my training has been lacking this year, I want to beat my previous time. Last year was all about firsts, this year it is all about competing against myself.

Zombies, Run!

So one of the things that kept me busy this winter was binge eating watching. I managed to catch up on Walking Dead and love it! (Orange is the New Black and Chuck were also on the list) Netflix is really a productivity killer, but I am not sure I will ever give it up.

In previous years the changing of the calendar and the thought of spring really gave me that push to hit the gym after a long holiday season. The whole month of February was consumed with the move, knowing that my January was a wash, with the though, I will just start back when the move is over.

I have been working on trying to motivate myself and after my many hours sucked into the life of Rick Grimes and others, I wondered if I should look into those Zombie running apps the kids are talking about these days. I went over all the reviews and found Zombies, Run!  and while they are running a new years special I snatched up for the bargain price of $3.99 on iTunes.

After reading all the reviews I was planning for a few glitches, but it seems that they were all written so long ago that the creators/developers have worked out the bugs. So far so good, I don't use the GPS feature because I run with my iPod on a treadmill (for now) and not my phone. I have turned on the accelerometer and although it could use a little calibration I have no complaints.

The story is distracting and keeps my ADD brain entertained enough and it shuffles my songs in between the "transmissions from Abel Township". After your run you see all the things you have collected and you can build up the town. I am currently on season 1 episode 7 and definitely think I will stick with it for the long "run".

Today's Run: Random Hill Mode Treadmill - 30 minutes 2.64 miles, workout 2 of my 10K training program

Sunday FunDay's for Running

With a new pep in his step Gavin is volunteering to run with me outside! This weekend we parked in Cambridge and ran along the Charles River for a little change  of scenery and a relatively flat training ground.

I started out great and about 4 miles in I realized that the shorts I had chosen has very irritating seams. Not to get into too much detail, but I made it to 5 miles and change but had to cut the run short, walking back to the car was not great. Gavin of course kept running, I was so impressed for a guy that hasn't been out running in a while.

Running along the Charles is so nice, there was a great breeze and always something to look at, even if it is just to people watch.  There is no shortage of scenery, the Cambridge skyline on the first leg and the Boston Skyline on the second.  The other great thing about it at least the course we took, is there is rarely a need to stop for traffic.

It was nice having a running buddy.

Blogging Hiatis

It has been a while, but things got a little crazy in my life. I am not going to lie, my half training hasn’t been what it should have been.

There has been a lot more of this than running.

Of course when one of these opens down the street you have to check it out!

There was also a lot of this... 

Then feeling like this...

And who wants to run when you slept on the rock solid ground all night? (Should have packed the air mattress)

Camping at the beach... very nice, only wish the weather had been better.

I finally got the Garmin, splurging on the Forerunner 610 and so far my only concern/complaint is scratching the face. It keeps me off the treadmill, only problem has been finding a trail to run on.



Soon after the Garmin entered my life I figured out that Marathon Sports will honor a gift certificate without the physical piece of paper. IF only I had called before… wha whaaa...  These shoes make so much difference.  I have already noticed certain aches going away.

The people at Marathon Sports were super helpful, and they ask just the right questions to make sure you don't leave the store with something that doesn't seem right on your foot. It was a little tricky because after they figure out what support you need base on how you pronate and your support needs it is up to you to make sure you feel comfortable. I have been wearing New Balance for so long they just felt natural, but the cushion in the Asics and Saucony just made me feel like I was floating. I must have tried on 8 pairs of shoes. The best part, for those of you who are similarly large footed, they really didn't seem to have a problem with finding shoes in my size.  (I have gone to other stores where a 10.5 or 11, I have big feet, was just not easy to come by.) They also have a great return policy, make sure you get the most use out of the shoes as possible in the first 15 days and if you find that they are not the shoes for you, full refund.

I ended up with a pair of Saucony's so far so good.