Rock 'n Roll Dallas 1/2 Marathon

Things I Liked:

• This was my second RnR event, and both were very efficiently run and well-organized, from the expo to the finish line-herding (snacks, photos, get out of the way, etc).
• Was glad to see Sweaty Bands at the expo because I saw them at the Mardi Gras RnR expo but didn't take advantage of getting a headband without having to pay for shipping and handling. I took advantage this time and got a nice band that I wore for the race - worked perfectly!
• I was distressed when I first read that they recommended you drive to the finish line and park, then take shuttles to the start line, but this turned out to be very easy. We left our downtown hotel, followed the directions they gave on their web site, and we dealt with no traffic and had no problems finding Fair Park. We parked easily, and the shuttles (dozens and dozens of school buses) were very well organized and got us to the Start Line quickly.
• The race started on time and there was plenty of course support. The corrals were well organized.
• I've seen some people complain about the medal compared to last year's, but seeing pictures of last year's medal, I like this year's a lot better. I think last year's was kind of ugly! Just me? I also liked the T-shirt. White shirts are better for me in the summer - a dark color is too hot!
• The finish line was very close to Barbecs, an awesome diner in east Dallas where I got two pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage for $6! We met up with a college friend of mine who lives in Dallas for the meal after the race, and it was great!
• I love that the professional race pictures are ready the next day! Impressive considering the volume of pictures I'm sure they take and the number of runners they're dealing with.

Things I Didn't Like:

• The weather, though obviously this was not the race's fault! It was a very warm day on Saturday, the day before the race, but that night a cold front came in and it was extremely cold Sunday morning! I luckily had brought a pair of running tights and a throwaway long-sleeved shirt just in case. Still, we got to the start line an hour before the race and it was torturous sitting there in the wind for that long. Of course, once the race started and we began running, we warmed up quickly and sweated a lot, even though the sun never came out and it was overcast the entire time!
• I think that there were a decent amount of porta-potties, but this was my first time having to stop during a race to go to one, and on the first attempt, I was about fourth in line waiting outside 5 porta-potties and I finally gave up and started running again because it was taking so long! Might have just been bad luck - about 2 miles later, I spotted two porta-potties with no lines and was in and out of it in less than 1 minute. But those two miles waiting to see another porta-potty were the longest two miles ever!
• The course was nice, but much of it went through residential areas, including the rich Highland Park. That was fine, but apparently bands and course support tables weren't allowed to set up in the neighborhoods so the time spent running through them was rather boring. I am just not that interested in looking at houses. I specifically remember mile 5 and mile 10 feeling like they lasted forever because we were running through residential areas and it was just so boring!
• Bret Michaels is not really my cup of tea (though it's a better selection than the headliner for RnR Mardi Gras - Bowling for Soup). We did not stick around for the concert.

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Everything is sore.

I woke up today quite sore from hot yoga yesterday, but I still trucked it to spinning class at the gym. I got the best night's sleep yet before a 5:45 a.m. class last night. Before the first two, I woke up several times, each time trying to figure out if I was actually going to get up and go or not. I think I slept better last night because I knew what to expect, for the first time.

Got there at 5:35 and an older lady informed me and another girl that the class didn't actually start until 6 (Even though the schedule says 5:45! Annoying.) So I went to the weights and did some triceps and glute/quad presses (Random, I know). Then went back into the spinning room and waited.

The instructor was different from Monday - an older guy, maybe late 40s or early 50s? Whereas on Monday it was a younger girl, probably late 20s/early 30s. He worked us HARD! There were 8 people to start and 4 quit before it was over. He had us riding standing up a LOT. I seem to recall Monday being much easier. I definitely sweated more today. It's good though, I bet I burned a lot more calories.

So I'm sore and walking gingerly - definitely need to take it easy until Sunday so I can rock the half-marathon. 2:10 is my first goal, 2:05 my secret dream, 2:00 or under if I have a transcendent experience and channel someone faster than me.

After two classes, I've determined I need one of these:

For real!

I won!

Yesterday I participated in what was billed as a 5K but what turned out to be a "4-mile challenge" at my husband's law school, and I was the first female finisher! Now, there were only about 50 people running and only about 7 of them were girls, so it's no big feat. But I won a $30 gift card to a local sporting goods store and since I've never won anything before (That I can recall), I'll take it! Heading into the fourth mile, I knew I was the first girl and looking behind me saw no one, so I slowed down quite a bit. My splits went something like this:

Mile 1 - 8:08
Mile 2 - 8:27
Mile 3: 8:39
Mile 4: 8:57
2.2 - 8:46
Average - 8:33

So my splits were hideous and I started way too fast, wearing myself out, but luckily it didn't matter. It was also an evening race after a day of work (for which I woke up extra early so that I could leave early to get ready for the race), so perhaps I would have had more energy if it had been in the morning.

This race was quite informal and disorganized - first the whole "oh wait, it's not really a 5K, it's 4 miles" thing, then we all just walked over to this intersection and someone yelled "Go!", then we had three motorcycle cops who were supposed to be blocking major intersections for us but they stayed with the frontrunners so us in the back didn't have their support, then there were allegedly going to be 2 water stations but there were actually zero, and there was no chip timing, just a guy with a stopwatch at the end telling you your time as you finished, and of course no mile markers. After the race, a girl came up to me and said, "Did you win for the girls?" and I said yes and she handed me the gift card. We did get nice technical t-shirts. So it was very casual, laid-back, and small. It worked out though.

This morning I once again had to fight the urge to stay in bed when my alarm clock went off at 5:10 a.m., but I got up and went to the gym to try out Hot Fusion Yoga. I thought this would be more like Bikram Yoga, but it wasn't really. It was tough!

We worked out the whole body, using a body bar and weights for upper body, did lots of lunges, squats, etc, and did ab work. I wore shorts because I thought with "hot yoga" they'd turn up the temperature and it'd get really sweaty, but they didn't and all the other girls were in yoga pants. So I felt self-conscious about that the whole time. There were two guys there, and all together there were about 10 of us.

It was a really good workout, and normally it's $5 each time but the instructor told us first-timers we could do this first time for free to see how we liked it. It was really hard and I prefer running, spinning, and doing weights on my own, but we'll see. I'm going to try out normal yoga next week and probably Pilates as well. I do want to do one of those regularly along with running, spinning, and weights.

I be up in the gym just workin on my fitness

Yes, that's a Fergie quote. I have now hit the gym three times since signing up a week ago, and it would be more if I didn't have to train for a half-marathon. And since my patience for the treadmill hovers around zero, that running must take place outside.

So this was my Thursday and weekend in a nutshell:

Thursday - hit the gym after work, doing 2 miles on the elliptical, 2 miles running on the treadmill, upper and lower body weights, and abs. Friday I took the day off from working out, Saturday I ran 3 miles at an 8:37 pace to help prepare for a 5K I'm doing tomorrow night, and then on Sunday, my husband and I set out for what was supposed to be a 14-mile training run for our half marathon.

My husband has always, always been the one to push me to go further or harder when out running, so it was disconcerting for me to see him struggling at the tail end of our run. At about 10 miles, he was just dripping sweat, he said his feet felt numb, and he was gassed. He hasn't really trained properly, running long distances of 8 and 10 miles once each before attempting the 14-miler. It was also really hot outside, which didn't help.

We ended up deciding to just do 13.1 miles so he could complete the half-marathon distance, and I was definitely feeling a lot better than him at the end. I could have kept going and completed the 14 miles, but we stick together. I know it was weird for him too. He thinks the numb feet thing might have something to do with the way he runs because he's flat-footed. If he wants to train again for a half or even full marathon in the future, he (and me too) will need to go get fitted and find shoes that will help him run more comfortably. Our plan for the race is for him to wear a hat if it's real sunny and hot (Though it shouldn't be as hot because our run was at 11 a.m. and the race will be at 8. Earlier = cooler). He will also stop to take stretch breaks if his feet start to feel that way again.

On Monday, I got up at 5:15 a.m. so I could make it to the gym for a 5:45 a.m. spin class! It was so hard to get up, but I had fun at the class, got in some upper body weights and a mile on the treadmill, and felt fabulous for the rest of the day. I loved going through the day knowing I'd already worked out and didn't have to do it after work, and I also loved the no traffic and plentiful parking at the gym early in the morning. I think I will incorporate early morning classes and gym visits into my week from now on.

Today I plan to rest, but if it feels nice this evening I might get my husband to go for a 2-3 mile run. Tomorrow night is the 5K. I am thinking of trying hot yoga Thursday morning and go to another spin class Friday morning. Friday afternoon we travel. Half-marathon is in Dallas on Sunday. Can't wait!

So hungry!

I have been extra hungry lately. I ate lunch twice today. I don't know what the deal is! Besides PMS. Which I get to blame everything on every 4 weeks, so that's convenient.

Today's consumption:

Breakfast =
peanut butter and banana slices on 2 pieces of bread

Snack 1 =
Luna protein bar

Lunch 1 =
Lean Pocket
Apple
Banana

Lunch 2 =
Smart Ones mini pizzas

Snack 2 =
Athenos greek yogurt with strawberry topping

I hope I can get over this case of the munchies asap! I will just have to be more disciplined... and stop relying on Lean Pockets for lunch. They have almost 300 calories but keep me full for about 1 hour.

The gym was great yesterday. I approached the treadmill with trepidation, but I did 4 miles on it and liked it OK. I sweated A LOT. Like as much as I would have had I run outside. Was weird. I tried out the different machines for upper and lower body, and did ab work. Was there for about an hour and a half. Can't wait to try a class.

Joined a gym.

I joined a gym yesterday. I hadn't felt much need for a gym in the past year, as I started running more, losing weight and feeling great. But I realize I've become what Runner's World calls a "marshmallow runner." I'm soft. No matter how much I run, my legs aren't as strong as I want them to be and my arms are still flabby and I'm just not solid. I need the benefits provided by cross-training so I can become a better runner. I want to have access to a treadmill on the days when it's storming outside and I can't go running, or this summer when it's 100 degrees outside and I feel like going running might give me heatstroke.

I want to take advantage of the classes they offer, including Hot Yoga, Spinning, Pilates, Zumba...

It is $50 a month which is a bit steep, but I can make it worth the money by going often, taking advantage of their services, and finding enjoyment and success with it.

I hope to see my running times and speed get better thanks to the cross and strength training I will receive at the gym.

Right now I think my plan is to go to the gym at least 3-4 times a week, and run outside three times a week. I'll run on the treadmill at the gym the rest of the time to get in my mileage goal. In a perfect world, my weeks will look something like this:

Monday: 
Work
Run outside

Tuesday: 
Work
Gym: treadmill 30 minutes, spinning class at 6, upper body workout

Wednesday:
Work
Gym: Pilates 5:30 p.m., lower body workout

Thursday: 
Work
Run outside

Friday: 
Work
Rest

Saturday: 
Gym: Yoga, 11 a.m.
Upper body workout
Run outside

Sunday:

Gym: lower body workout
Running outside

In other news, this gym fee is going to cut seriously into my shopping budget. I'll have to save up for something I want instead of buying on a whim. This is a good thing.