it's the Great Pumpkin 10k

i had alluded awhile back that i had an exciting opportunity

and now i get to share it with you!

i will be one of the official bloggers for the Great Pumpkin 10k

being held october 19th at the newly opened floyd's fork park

!!! - cue happy dance

i was putting the fall races on my calendar - and going through the websites to double check the dates

and i happened to see a shout out for local bloggers to write about their training for the 10k

and since i have a blog

and i write about my running and exercise

and i was planning to do the 10k

i jumped on the opportunity.

so welcome anyone who is new here

i thought it would be appropriate to do a meet and greet Q&A style - running edition

ready?

tell me who you are in a nutshell:  i am a 27 yo accountant living in louisville, ky.  i recently got married in key west oct 27th 2012.  i have two fur babies - a cat named Olivia and a dog named Woodford.  hobbies outside of running include knitting, baking, and going to louisville bats baseball games.   

why running?:  i fell in love with running in college when it helped me lose nearly 90 pounds along with healthy eating.  it became my zen time.  i didn't bust out a 5k right away - i progressed from walking laps in my living room while i was home from college summer of 2006 (i was too embarrassed to run outside), to using the elliptical when i got back to school in the fall.  the elliptical turned into a couple of miles on the treadmill.  and when i was home for the holidays - sans gym, i took to actually running outside.  it was liberating.  i could run anywhere.  and i could actually look at things other than a treadmill screen.

i believe this was spring semester 2006 before i came home and started losing weight - obviously that cheap ass vodka did nothing for my weight - which i believe was around 240  i also had trouble finding pictures of me from this time - thanks Tina for your awesome facebook that goes way too far back for my liking :)

and this picture is from fall semester 2007 - i hovered around 150-160 for the next few years.

what was your first race?:  after running for about a year i signed myself up for a race in the winter of 2007.  i don't know why i chose a winter race.  i think i had established i could run 3 miles at the time, and it just seemed appropriate.  i paid my money for the reindeer romp 4k that took place in cherokee park (i was home for winter break) - i drove myself down to packet pickup at fleet feet and never thought twice about being nervous.  so many friends and family who decide to do their first race always tell me their nervous.  i think i was just too proud of myself to care.  and then i woke up the next morning to buckets of sleet and snow.  wave 3 didn't mention the race being cancelled so my grandma drove me to the start line.  where i lined up.  i was nervous now.  and all these runners were just ready to run.  i felt so energized by the community.  and we were off.  and since i grew up in e-town, i had never been to cherokee park.  where i quickly learned it was nothing but up and down steep hills.  i finished.  i don't remember my time.  i know i wasn't last.  i had just ran through huge puddles of sleet with more sleet and snow pelting me in the face the entire time. i couldn't feel my feet.  i had completed my first ever race.  and i received my first ever running badge of bad ass.  i lost a toenail - thanks to the frigid wet conditions.  it grew back.  but has continued to fall off/shed every year since.

what is your favorite distance to run?: i love training for half marathons, but i love running 10ks.  i'm a slow runner, and 5ks just make me realize that even more.  i always start too fast, and never feel like i have enough time to figure out my 5k pace.  but a 10k?  it's just long enough to settle into a good pace.  the first 2 miles of any run are always my least favorite.  i'm fiddling with my headphones, my phone, my bra, etc - i'm also usually trying to wake up.  i just don't find my running groove until at least 3 miles in.  3 miles into a run i hit this state of nirvana where my legs and feet just feel like they're meant to be moving and carrying me through the streets.  and a 10k is just long enough to feel that inner peace before i start to hit a wall of needing food and water on a run.  anyone who says they don't like running, i just assume they haven't ran far enough yet.

most proud running accomplishment?:  this one is thanks to my running ignorance where i decided to just sign up for a half marathon on a whim in 2010.  i needed a new challenge and i had seen a few friends complete the derby mini a month or so prior.  i wanted to do that too - so i signed up for an all women's race in nashville.  the thought of nashville being hilly didn't even cross my mind.  i trained for about 4 months.  i finished my first half in 2hrs30min - i was gunning for closer to 2 hours, but those last 3 hills between miles 10-13 killed me.

fun fact:  i met my to-be husband the very next day.  but barely.  i originally cancelled since i was EXHAUSTED after driving home

so while i do follow a training plan for most longer distances, my philosophy is to pretty much just throw caution to the wind and just go out there and do it.  who cares if you walk?  who cares what your time is?  and guess what - you may even gain enough courage to  meet your future husband!  or at the very least earn yourself an adult beverage.

best running advice?: get your friends and family involved.  it's one thing to be committed to your goals of running a 5k, 10k, half, full, or ultra marathon! but it's another to encourage and inspire the ones you love to start moving.  they may think you're crazy to get up on a saturday morning and run X many miles, but they will never understand until they are out there going after their own finish line.


now it's your turn!

i would love to get to know you - answer one (or more) of the questions above in the comments :)

also, since i will be blogging about my training - if anyone has any questions about training, running, toe nails, nervous jitters, etc - you can leave me a comment below or email me directly @ lovelaughwag@gmail.com

i want to encourage anyone who's interested in completing the 10k to sign up - and i know sometimes our fears and insecurities can get in the way - so there are no dumb questions.  i was just too ignorant to care when i signed up for my first race.


as one of the official bloggers for the Great Pumpkin 10k, i will be documenting my training plan leading up to the race.  in return, i have been graciously given a free race entry.

 

5 tips for staying healthy while traveling

i'm back!


dallas was nice


but i am so glad to be back home!


i feel all sorts of out of the loop


so behind on my blog reading


super behind on my sleep and sleep schedule


and i don't even want to talk about my messed up potty schedule.


i left off on friday when i had managed to get up and accidentally run 5 miles (instead of 4)


and on saturday evening i totally rocked out 8-10 miles.  i say 8-10 miles because my run keeper went a little crazy and i'm not exactly sure how far i went.


runkeeper actually said i completed 11 miles.


based on my time i think i did closer to 8.5 miles


based on google maps and the length of the trail i did 9.5


soooo.


the point is i got some quality running in

on a gorgeous paved trail at white rock lake


even though it was completely overcast and the sun was setting quickly.


i wanted to stop and take pictures of the beautiful views


but i was also trying to outrun the setting sun




it was so nice to be able to run a completely flat distance.

i'm always mowing down hills at home which makes me feel so slow

it was nice to have some miles under 10 minutes on this run - which really helped boost my ego.

anyways

i thought it would be fun to share some tips and tricks to sticking to healthy living while on business trips or vaction

i usually only travel once or twice a year for business - but typically it's for 3 or 4 nights

if it was only a night or two i probably wouldn't worry as much with sticking with my normal routine

but  taking almost a week off isn't acceptable if you're serious about training for an event or maintaining a healthy diet (eating out for a whole week can really set you back - especially when you try to regain normalcy again)

tip #1

go grocery shopping!  if you're on business, most hotel rooms will have a mini fridge - so use it!  if you're on vacation you could also save yourself some $'s by eating a meal in the room/condo once a day

pick up fresh fruit which will curb a sweet tooth or make a quick snack

i love to try new restaurants, but i cannot eat every meal out either

these little packets of peanut butter with a big apple is plenty for lunch

tip #2

plan on working out - whether you run, walk, lift - make sure you've got everything with you so you can't make an excuse not to!

obviously you can't pack heavy weights or your bike

but you can make sure you have proper clothes, shoes, headphones etc for working out in the hotel gym

tip #3

check with the hotel staff/co-workers/google to make sure you're in a safe area of town for running and/or seek out fun new running/walking spots

if you have to travel for work, at least you may get to see new parts of the country, and if your schedule affords you the time - check out local parks - which sure as hell beats a hotel gym

tip #4

don't forget to fuel properly!  i know i was drinking a lot more soda and eating way different foods than i was used to, so my water intake wasn't the best

but i made sure i had some options before and after my runs

tip #5

at the end of the day, you're away from home and family which can be a real bummer

i tried to stay positive and know that i would be home soon

i also was really proud of myself for sticking to my running schedule

so i think that deserves a treat!

since changing my eating habits, i can't go out and have several drinks or eat a big meal, even if it's on the company dime

but small indulgences are perfectly fine

if you keep your splurges small you'll feel less like a bloated blimp once arriving back home - and getting back in a regular routine will feel seamless.

rachel does dallas?

i'm in dallas!  whoop!

yesterday was spent in airports and on planes

and thanks to copious amounts of caffeine

i was ready to hit the ground running when i got here

or you know....travel in style in a big ass mini van

where we were told "hot bitches be driving mini vans now!"

i've always hated on a mini van

but let me tell you

i think i'm in love

bill - let's trade in the edge for a town and country!


anyways

we're in dallas for one of our plant's physical inventories

my boss and i travel really well together - we're both like minded

like...we both really like grocery shopping

mainly because we both try to stay healthy and we've learned to head to the grocery store once we get into town to pick up all our snacks

and this was like the coolest grocery store ever! 

dallas area - i'm totally jealous of your central market grocers!

aisles and aisles of  the freshest looking meats and produce

why yes, i did take pictures of the grocery store.

and my idea of seeing the city is going to the grocery.

whatever.

i picked up several goodies - which was super important since i plan on getting two training runs in!

annnnnd i totally killed my 4 miles this morning...and by killed, i mean i accidentally did 5

i suited up at 5:15 am - fanny pack and all - and headed out

annnnnd it was pitch black out - sidewalks everywhere - but next to zero street lights

what is up with that?

i mapped out my run last night

and thought i had it memorized

but i made a wrong turn

and ended up at an access road that was super busy

so i turned around and figured out where i made my mistake

but wasn't sure when i'd be at a halfway point

so i kept telling myself - "just one more song, and then turn around"

and i guess i listened to a few too many songs

and by the time i made it back to the hotel i had hit 5 miles

i'll take it

5 miles deserves a starbucks run - grande skinny caramel macchiato

and i've been stuffing my face with the largest apple i've ever seen covered in peanut butter

it's been a fairly easy trip thus far

and i'm getting pumped to run 10 miles tomorrow morning.

hopefully i don't get lost!

my wittle baby tat

morning ya'll


i'm linking up with allie @ tales with of a twenty something





and we're talking tattoos today!


i just have one

when i set out to run my first half marathon, some time in the process i said i would get a tattoo when i finished


i worked really hard to earn my first half marathon


and over the course of 4 months of training i had plenty of time to think about what kind of tattoo i would get


i decided i wanted a lotus flower, but nothing too big and nothing too colorful


i work in an office, and knew i wanted to keep it simple and not like a teardrop on my cheek


i decided since i had ran for this tattoo that getting it put on my foot would be a good spot and a good reminder of where my feet alone could take me


after searching the internets (this was before pinterest) i found this mandala like drawing


and i thought it would be cool to have the "ohm" symbol inserted in the middle - since running is my happy and calming place

so needless to say i ran the damn thing (in nashville) and took home the shirt and medal

(also, i met bill the day after this race)

a week later i was sitting at the tattoo place...parlor?

tattoo parlor?  is that what it's called?

i actually made an appointment, and felt super uncool when the guy was like, yeah, people usually just walk in

whoops.

i chose the guy to do my tattoo based on his artwork posted online

and the fact that his "name" is boomer

i feel like i needed a guy named "boomer" to do this.

and he was a lot of fun.

i actually got a pedicure before getting my tattoo because i wanted to have pretty feet in case the tattoo guy was hot.

i also watched youtube videos of people freaking out about getting tattoos and crying and screaming.

so i brought my little mermaid pillow with me just in case

but i was a little disappointed/surprised at how little the tattoo hurt

i was probably there for an hour or so

and while it didn't feel good, i definitely couldn't figure out why people thought this hurt

and i would think out of all places, my foot would be a sensitive area?

a few people at work tease me about it - saying it looks like a sheriff's badge - which is still pretty cool in my book

and i've also had SEVERAL people compliment me on my "henna tattoo" - i think maybe because it's a turquoise tattoo and not black they don't think it's real

so when i say, "it's a real tattoo" they give me a funny look and say "oh, it's so pretty though"

it'll be 3 years next wednesday since i got the tattoo

and i still love it

would i get another one?

i've thought about it

but i can't really imagine another place on my body that i would want one

so i'm ok with just the one.

do you have any tattoos? 

running is mental

running mojo

=

back!


well kind of

i made myself run last night, despite dreading it all day

i was starving when i got home

but knew if i ate dinner, running would be but a distant memory

so i laced up my shoes, grabbed a handful of candy corn/peanuts (the best running fuel EV-R)

and i was out the door

the sun was still up, but the humidity had dropped compared to the weekend

i had mapped 5 miles around the neighborhood next to my own (it's bigger) using mapmyrun (and i was super paranoid of running on the "real" roads with the evening traffic)

but had told myself "maybe just get 3 in.  or maybe 4.  you don't HAVE to do 5"

and then i got in my zone and just thought about:

fall plans

how awesome certain songs are and how the right lyrics can just inspire you to run harder

if it's too early to get mums and pumpkins

who i'm going to choose for my football survival league week 1 (!!!)

suddenly i hear "1 mile" announced over my speakers

and i thought "that wasn't so bad"

and told myself "if you make it to the clubhouse you can take a walk break" (the clubhouse was roughly another mile)

i made it to the clubhouse, but instead of a walk break i told myself to try and make it to the downhill portion of my run

and i was there in no time

i zoned out some more - watching kids ride their bikes

thinking about how nice it will be when long sleeves are necessary for runs

and before i knew it "3 miles" chimed in over my headphones

i could cut off a portion of my run and head back home and i'd be right at 4 miles

but i was feeling good

at 7 o'clock most of my run was in the shade with the sun going down

and with the humidity down i wasn't feeling miserably sweaty

and honestly, i felt really guilty for missing my 5 miler (my longer run during the week)

so i kept going

just a loop back around towards the clubhouse and up another street - i always count down the mailboxes on this street starting at 10, i count them down as i run past

i was then heading up the last major hill climb before coasting downhill

i told myself i could walk part-way up the hill

but by the time i was halfway up the hill i decided it was just as easy to run to the top than it was to stop

and then i would run a short distance past my own neighborhood, before turning around and going into my neighborhood

one last victory lap around the pool and i was done!

5 miles (technically 5.25 including my warm up) done and on the books

95% of training for longer distances is making yourself run those miles you don't feel like doing

i know from experience, yesterday's 5 miler isn't going to make that much of a difference physically when it comes to running on race day or when it comes to completing my long runs on the weekend

but it makes a world of a difference mentally

being able to zone out, come up with things to think about, bribing yourself to make it to the next "milestone/pitstop" is what training is all about

and because i was able to beat those thoughts of quitting, stopping, cutting it short, not doing it all

made me that much more proud for finishing yesterday

and so i ate 2 mini reese's cups

yay! :)

long weekend and workouts

oh hey

i wish i could say it's so nice to be back

but i was really getting used to this whole not working/long weekend thing

actually i did have to come into the office sunday morning

but it was just for a few hours

and not having to maneuver through traffic made it not so bad

so let's review last week's workouts and weekend fun?

ok.

monday: ran 3 miles
tuesday: ran 5 miles (before work!)
wednesday: ran 3 miles
thursday: off (yeah!)
friday: was SUPPOSED to run 4 miles.  but i just wanted to sleep in.  and i never made up those 4 miles...but for good reason...
saturday: ran 6 miles - but thought my feet were going to fall off

if i had done the 4 miles on friday i probably wouldn't have been able to do the 6 on saturday.  these poor shoes were all sorts of broken down - and the seams on the inside were rubbing my ankles/heel raw and i was also developing a nasty blister on my arch

i made it through the 6 miles, feeling great aside from painful feet

and despite the high humidity which had me looking like i had just stepped out of the shower...or wet my pants..

the above is the sweat trail made by me ringing out my headband.

instead of making myself make up those 4 miles i missed i decided it was better to let me feet heal.

and luckily -

these bad boys showed up on my doorstep about 2 hours after my 6 miler.

non-running weekend fun included:

jail breaking a bottle of wine whose cork tried to keep us from the sweet nectar below

the beginning of really pretty knitting pattern (a shawl to be)

heading out to a cookout ( 2, to be exact over the weekend)

getting out the fall decorations!

(this is my favorite time of year!)

finding this painting i made last fall

adding to our chalk wall

(bill is pretty talented!)

now, before i show you my chalk creation (which, i already added to instagram) i totally made fun of this last week at old time pottery

because this is not a misspelling i'm used to seeing

i've seen "pun'kin" but not pumkin

it even looks like there's extra space between pumkin and patch - where another letter would have helped fill in

ahem

look what i did.

in my defense - i was trying my hand at different fonts and copying from a chalk print i saw online

so as soon as i get home tonight i am FIXING this.

thank you, emily, for pointing this out.

i feel so stoopid.

i think even woodford knew it was spelled wrong.

anyways.

did anyone else bust out their fall candles and decor this weekend?

am i crazy?

workouts and weekend

collective sigh


annnnnnd we're back


let's recap last week's workouts and the weekend, shall we?


monday - i was SUPPOSED to do 3 miles but had some serious tummy issues.  i walked with bill and woodford instead.  (i had the same issues this morning but sucked it up and ran without shitting myself)

tuesday- ran 4 miles like a boss

wednesday -  ran 3 miles

thursday - rest day!  walked woodford (should have made up those 3 miles, but didn't)

friday - ran 3 miles

saturday - knocked out a solid 5 miles.  the farthest i've ran in probably 9 months.  it felt good too!  i typically run the same route or stay in the neighborhoods for my 3 mile runs, but force myself out on the "real" roads for anything further to keep myself occupied and also work on hills.  the out and back 5 miler i like to do consists of SEVERAL hills.  3 tough hills out to the 1.5 mile mark and then there's a long uphill steep climb to the turn around point.  to get through the first 3 miles i promised myself i could take a walk break on that midway hill climb.  somehow i was distracted enough that i just kept chugging along - and before i knew it - i was at the turnaround point without walking.  after that point i play a couple of mental games to get myself through.  i count down the 3 hills on my way back and once i get to the last uphill climb i keep picking a focus point to "run to" and once i reach it i pick another, and so on - until i'm on top of the hill and ready to coast down!

and, of course, pictures or it doesn't count!


the rest of my saturday was spent working on a little something for two bebes

sunday - rest day!  amen!

it was bill's company's picnic at huber's farm and winery - so we headed out, but not before stopping for a soda and scratch off

 $60 on a $2 scratch off - had me feeling like a big baller...

but actually, i need to buy new running shoes...i guess the running gods were looking down on me and knew how badly my shoes were worn

so at the farm, we had lunch and set off for some u-pick adventures

and feeling like i had a fat wallet -

i told bill to pick ALL the apples!

gala and jonathan apples were 2 of the varieties ready for pickin'

so those were the two we loaded up on

$12 worth of apples and i was ready to call it quits

because there was a sign for peach ice cream and it was hot out

i shared with bill so i wouldn't have to feel as guilty about my indulgence

we were ready to call it an afternoon, but i wanted to make a quick stop by an art festival that i knew was happening not far down the road

and by art festival i meant wine garden.

we headed home because we had this little guy to get back to

 and because i couldn't wait to do SOMETHING with some of the apples purchased

i fried them up in butter and sugar like any proper southerner would.

so perhaps i undid all my hard work on saturday for my indulgences on sunday - but it was worth it!

back on track today and counting my calories!