Cherry Blossom 10-Miler - I did it!

Hello everyone! As the title indicates I finished the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. Yay! I know I did not write many blogs about my training, granted I haven't been blogging much in general, but the main reason why you didn't hear much about it was because I was really scared. I was scared I wouldn't be able to finish. In the weeks nearing the race I was getting really discouraged with my training and the fact that my sister and Justin were so much faster than me. As my sister says, "If there is no evidence, it didn't happen." In other words, if I stopped blogging about the race and ended up chickening out and doing the 5k instead of the 10-miler then no one would know any better (except me). 

However, I continued to train and with Justin's encouragement I started to feel more confident. Despite not having run ten miles before the race (my longest run was about seven miles), the Cherry Blossom course is mostly flat which makes it a relatively easier run.

Anyway, here is quick synopsis of my very first race!

5:10 AM - Justin wakes me up after only a few hours of sleep. We were both up watching the UK-UConn Final Four game that ended around midnight. A tough Kentucky loss and a whole lot of nerves probably resulted in us not getting much sleep.

5:45 AM - Head to the metro. Breakfast consists of a granola bar and a banana. By this point I am banana-ed out. I have been eating them everyday for the past week. The metro garage already has a lot of cars parked there for race. Seeing the metro train fill up with runners was pretty cool.

6:45 AM - Get off at the Smithsonian metro stop and follow the crowds to bag check/port-o-potties/corral starts. Man, there are a lot of people here! **Sorry I don't have any pictures pre-race, my stomach was churning and I wasn't thinking of taking pictures at the time, maybe next time!**

7:00 AM - Get in line at the port-o-potties. Lines are crazy long and I can't believe that some of the people whose heats are about to start are still in line. Some people get fed up and leave the line while others like myself (me, Justin and Jill are in the last in the last corral) wait it out.

7:40 AM - Where the heck is Justin? While Jill and I were in line he went to go to bag check-in. Our corral is supposed to start in 15-minutes. Eek.

7:50 AM - We find Justin in a port-o-potty line and while waiting for for him I guzzle down a GU gel and attempt to stretch. I hear the announcer call for the Purple Corral (that's us!) to line up so we start heading over.

7:55 AM - The horn sounds and the purple herd corral starts. I put in my headphones (yes, I know it's against the rules, but I'm a rebel and couldn't imagine running without music), start my RunKeeper app and start running!

After that I kind of lost track of time, I was just so focused on running and the scenery. The scenery was gorgeous. What a great tour of DC! You could see various different DC landmarks (i.e. Washington Monument, Reagan National Airport, Georgetown,etc.), but my favorite part of the race was the stretch towards Hain's Point when you were running down cherry blossom tree lined streets. Runners were stopping to take pictures, but again I couldn't bear to stop so I kept trucking along. Come to think of it, I ran most of the course and only walked a bit when I the hill that was right before the finish line.

A proof pic with the Cherry Blossoms - Don't mind the heavy breathing look on my face >.<

A more enthusiastic pic of Jill

Below are a few pictures that I took after the race. Here is a pic of Justin and I in front of the Washington Monument after munching on our post-race muffin and banana (again!). 

Here I am in front a lone cherry blossom tree, medal and all. Not as pretty as the bunches I saw on the run, but it'll do.

Overall, the Cherry Blossom 10-miler was an amazing experience that was worth all the blood, sweat, tears, and stress. I would definitely recommend it as a good beginners long distance road race with a relatively flat terrain and scenic views.

Training Tuesday: (Nike) Free as a Bird

As I mentioned in this post, my sisters, Justin, and I are training for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler.  I am almost done with the couch to 5k program that I started earlier this month. From there I’ll move on to the New Balance training program the Cherry Blossom folks recommend.  Now, I know nothing about training, but I figure every Tuesday I could fill you in on my progress in my training for a long distance race from a newbie perspective.  So, if I don’t fall too far behind in my blog posts, “Training Tuesday” will be in effect! J

Before starting this running regimen, I had been using  super cushiony Sauconys, with super supportive insoles for all of my gym activities—weight training, aerobics classes, exercise machines, etc.  However, I think they might have been too supportive and cushiony because as soon as I attempted to run/jog in them, my knees started to hurt. 

After doing a little research on the Internet, I discovered the barefoot running phenomenon.  It’s basically when someone runs barefoot or with as little cushion as possible.  The lack or lessening of cushion/padding is supposed to strengthen your feet, ankles, and calves, thereby decreasing the impact on your knees.  (Sorry if none of this makes any sense, it’s all pretty new to me as well, but I’ll leave some expert links at the end of my post so you can learn more about it.)

Since running barefoot (especially in the dead of winter) is out of the question, and I would probably be made fun of relentlessly if I wore these, I asked Justin to get me a pair of Nike Frees for Christmas.  They got pretty good reviews and I’ve been using them ever since.  They take a little getting used to at first (some minor shin splints, wobbly ankles at first), but so far I like them!  I hope they are able to carry me throughout my training, and as of course you can be sure I’ll be keeping you posted on my progress!

This is the pair I got from Lady Foot Locker

For some really great info on barefoot running click here: 

Runners World

Born to Run

It's a Family Affair / We've Won the (Running) Lottery

If you know me and my workout habits, you would know that I have an utter dislike of running.  I know it is one of the best workouts for burning calories and getting fit.  They say it’s one of the easiest things to do, but I can’t get past all the impact and breathlessness.  I can elliptical to my heart’s content and do aerobics classes until kingdom come, but I do not run.

When Justin and I went down to Louisville for Thanksgiving, his sister suggested that Justin and I, along with her, her husband, Justin’s brother, and his wife all run the Kentucky Derby Mini-Marathon.  Don’t let the word “mini” fool you.  The word “mini”, in this context, doesn’t refer to anything cute or bite-sized (e.g.:  fun size Snickers), but instead refers to a half marathon in all its 13.1 miles of glory. 

Logistically, I am not sure we could even do it.  The mini marathon is scheduled for the weekend before the Kentucky Derby  (April 30, 2011), and the Kentucky Derby is the first weekend of May.  We had been planning on going to Derby, considering that we didn’t go last year.  We would either have to go to Kentucky two separate weekends in a row OR take an entire week’s leave to attend both. 

Like this mountain, I will have to overcome my dislike of running...lol

We told her that we’d have to think about it, to which she sweetly responded, “Your registration fee will by my Christmas gift for the both of you.”  Uhhhm…thanks?  But of course she wouldn’t lead us blindly into something we’ve never done before.  She suggested that we run a ten miler prior to this daunting race, and it just so happened that the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in Washington, D.C. was scheduled right before the mini marathon.   I’ve heard of this race so many times, since it is during the peak of the cherry blossom season in the first week of April.  Because this race is immensely popular, you must be selected at random, via a lottery, in order to participate.

After Justin and I returned home, I seriously started thinking about the 10-miler.  I started thinking about how I should change my negative view of running and how I needed to get out of my unhealthy and inactive rut (which approximately started after the wedding; getting too comfortable I suppose L).  My sisters also had mentioned to me that they had similar health and fitness goals to mine, but couldn’t find the time and/or motivation.  Justin has never run a race before, but always encourages the both of us to be fit.  It dawned on me since misery loves company that we should run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler together!  After all, if we do the Kentucky Derby Mini-Marathon as a family, we should prepare for it as a family, too! I then registered Justin, my two sisters, and myself for the Cherry Blossom 10-miler.  We found out a few days later that we had been picked.  My sisters were less than enthused and Justin seemed indifferent.  On the other hand, I was excited because now I get to go shopping for some cold weather running gear (hahaha…I know I’m such a poser, but I have to dress appropriately, right?)!  All joking aside, this is the first race that all of us will run, which means training should have started yesterday.  We need to get in shape!  Training for any race is serious business and I hope we’ll be able to pull through with as little problems as possible.  Since this marks the beginning of our race-running journey, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on all of our progress.  Wish us luck!  J