Starbucks update

ok. So ran a 10km last weekend with my fun, fab friend Chantelle!

This is a mostly pictoral recap. We had a hoot! It was a lot of fun. I had a great time. But i just wnat to say...

WHAT?????? you ran outta COFFEE???????

Um Starbucks. You are the headline sponsor. I can understand no milk for cereal, or all the bars being eaten (hey you snooze you lose when it comes to a food station!) But no coffee? NO COFFEE??



Let's start at the beginning! It's pissing rain.
But the bus trip is fun.
So fun nothing is in focus!

As we all get off the buses, and it stops raining. Mostly.

But there are a LOT of women out, laughing having fun and waiting for the guest speaker...


Catriona Le May Doan!! 

A 2-time Olympic speed skating Champ!
She spoke for maybe 15 minutes, but she was amazing, inspiring and worth the $$!
She had us teary and cheering.
She had us ready to run, conquer the world!!!
What a way to start the day!

And so we start...

First we get PUMPED

About 8k in...

And so I finish in 68 minutes. Get my bracelet and massage! SIGH. So happy. And then I realize there is no coffee. HA!

Rubdown trumps getting coffee, I guess.

CrayCray

So This Saturday is = Insane!
Yup. Nutso.

At 9 am I am starting out with a lovely 10km with the STARBUCKS^® RUN FOR WOMEN™ .

And I even have the outfit ready!!! Natch.

 Once that is finished,  will get home, change and get in the car to drive west to do leg6 of Kananaskis 100 Mile Relay Race.

Sure, it's only 9.5 km. But it IS 9kms straight down the mountain trail/roadway. It is a 1200’ elevation loss. And as my teammate Neil says, "Hang the Eff on!!" Ooh good times, my friend!


Not sure what to wear...been thinkin' about that for a bit. But given our team name is ToyYoda...i figure a little Star Wars needs to come to play. 

I'm pretty sure this is THE outfit!

Oh yes. I have the SPIbelt, CEP socks, One More Mile shirts, Team Sparkle Skirts, Moving Comfort bras, and Injinji socks all laid out.

Then i jsut have to get the post run outfit ready. Gotta be prepared for variances in temperatures due to being in the mountains and some higher elevation. It may rain. It may snow. It might be cold!!! Funny thing, I like the race outfits better than the post race outfits.

Part of me is scared shitless --  this little jaunt borders on the bat shit crazy.
Um, holy crap 1200' elevation loss?????  I am running along the Highwood Pass - Canada HIGHEST paved road - there might even still be SNOW up there for Pete's sake!

But a WAAAAAY bigger part is so GD happy I can do this without blinking.

Last June, I had signed up for  a half marathon class. I had never ran more than 12km. And that was some hard work. But fast forward 12 months...I've run 8 half marathons. One marathon, and several 5km and 10km races in between (I should count them up sometime....hmmmmm).

Last June I would have wanted a nap after running 10km. I would NOT have entertained the thought getting in my car, driving a few hours west into the mountains to run another 10km. HA!

Now my fitness level is completely different. I am ready to go. Ready to have fun and feel fab.

Still part of me is intimidated. But honestly, I did just run a halfmara last Saturday. I am fit and ready to go. Downhill running reallly doesn't bother me.

Just normally i am not whipping down a mountainside.

Then again...i haven't run this route before. HA! holy crap it's gonna be one fast mother, innit?

Some of the boys last year ran that leg in 32 minutes. holy crap. I smell a PR comin'!

And the scenery is gonna ROCK!!!!!

Bring it! Cant wait to report back on how it all went.

xxoo

To the Market we Go!

It's been a while since I posted.

I've been recovering from the Marathon. Working. Applying to bunch of jobs. Trying to get my life back on track. And running. Running seems to be the one thing going right. And so I have neglected my blog.

The Millarville Half Marathon was Saturday, June 16th. I was ready. Feeling a tad nervous due to the fact that I had barely run (compared to what i was doing pre-marathon) but my bod needed a rest. So I did shorter runs. And jammed out of a couple longer (10-12km) runs when it pissed rain.

And then worried that maybe i had "lost my training" for a half in a few weeks. ha! Anyhoo the night before the race I left work, jogged (sort of a half-assed run) home, ate some spag, then got my running gear ready and jazzed up a halfmara run mix! BAM! bring on the 5 am wake up call. 

So I am up. And off to Millarville, a nice drive to the "country". Then i gotta pee. BAD. I still freak out and worry there is no way of peeing before the gun goes off. But I do. And its all good and I am READY!

This run is gonna be a nice 21.1 km point to point jaunt. Start in the town of Black Diamond and then through Turner Valley and through the lovely pastures that take us into the finish at the Millarville Farmers' Market. Woohoo.

And the gun goes off. and the first couple k are a bit rough. Not bad, not "glorious". I decide to run the first 5k outright, then see how i am doing time-wise. Trouble was that "doodie" the ipod decides not to work. oh well, I have my tunes. So I run. And 5km seem to go off pretty good. Not sure of pace, but I feel good. Just before the 5km mark I do slowdown for the water station. Then at the 6km mark (i think) I take my first walk break.

It goes well. The views are glorious. I don't feel too stressed, or taxed. Maybe I should go faster? But I hold back. What if I peter out too soon? And then kack it at the end. And so before I know it 10km is done. We've run through a couple towns, past a golf course, and on some great pathways off the highway! Very picturesque. And I am dying to ask what is the pace. I don't.

Then we hit the 11 and 12 km spots. Not bad. I slow a bit. Am prodded and pick up the pace again. AND...I do NOT have to pee. Bonus! Or use the portapotty. But as I pass it I wonder if I should have gone in. Bigger Bonus!

Now, this course was touted as being net downhill. With some rolling hills. And one email from the orgnaizers warned us of a big ol hill at about the 13-14 km mark. But, honestly, this race seemed to have a LOTof hills. Big LOOONG hills. The glory of running in the country was that you can see forever in some of these parts. (Especially at the TOP of the hills!)

AH! the beauty of the countryside in Alberta. LOVE IT!

Still, it was a hell of a mental test for me. I ran. I even ran up that damn hill! huzzzahhhh!!! What ws also grand, too was that there seemed to be water of Gatorade every 3km. So jsut when you thought, "UGH!" there was cheering coming from 'round the bend. These volunteers rocked!!


I think I did well. No. I did very well.

I took 6 minutes off my best half mara time. Thing is I didn't push enough the last little bit. I should have. But hey, finishing a few seconds over 2 hours and 25 seconds felt great. And I know i can beat that time. But I think what I loved best of all is how FAB I felt afterwards.

Part of me still thinks that I should have left more out there. Come in with the dry heaves. But I can do that another time. but....

Hot damn, i just ran my 6th half marathon of 2012. 

Yeh. I rock!!!

 But my foot hurts. My toe specifically. It's been bugging me since the 12km mark. So finally nearly an hour after I finish the race and get back to the car and take off the socks and shoes.


LOOKIT THAT HORRID MESS.

WTH is that disgusting bloody blister that is about to burst!

Well ain't that some badge of honour. Ummmm. This badge effing hurts.

 So I get home and soak my troubles away. SIGH.

And pop the beast of the blister. Much better.

Still, within 24 hours I lose the entire nail and have a nice rosy new flesh kinda toe.

Today (Tuesday) it finally stopped hurting!

I am thinking that pedicures are sooooo NOT happening this summer. Bugger.

I guess I can live with that! Bring on the next run!!!