Sole of the City 10k 2018 Recap

As I have mentioned in my last couple posts I currently have A LOT OF FEELINGS. In order to avoid having them take complete control of my life, I have focused on running again and figuring out ways to motivate myself. So I signed up for a 10k that I was in no way ready for which meant I needed to get ready so I didn’t make a complete fool of myself!

When I began running, 10ks quickly became my favorite race length and the Sole of the City 10k was the first 10k I ever ran (back in 2014, I can’t believe it has been so long!). It was only natural that I gravitated towards that race to be my motivator. Yay for races with special significance!

Before Sole of the City 2014. I had no idea what I was in for!

What made this race even more special is that I ran it with my sister and a close friend and for both of them it was their first 10ks! Nice to know my master plan of infecting those around me with the running bug is working!!

We started off the day with some fun pictures before finally making our way over to the starting line.

It always amazes me how huge this race is! The announcer said there were 4600 racers running it this past Saturday.

You guys that is A LOT of people!

I enjoy taking selfies in front of crowds of people!

The race started off great. For about the first two miles we all stuck together. With this being my first race in a while, I took the pace slow and then right before mile two I tripped and rolled my ankle, because of course I did.

What is it with me and ankles?!?!?

So we stopped and walked until we got to the second mile marker by which point I realized it was a false alarm, my ankle already felt better, and I was ready to go running again. It’s been a week since the race, and there is no residual injury so I’m grateful that didn’t turn into something worse.

The weather on Saturday was beautiful, but HOT. We knew it was only going to get hotter and we made a point to stay hydrated throughout the day and not skip any of the three water stations along the route.

Around mile four is when we all split off, or rather lost each other and just kept running, because as I mentioned above there were A LOT OF PEOPLE!

You guys, I was so proud of myself with this race. Other than the brief stop at mile two I ran the entire first five miles without stopping. At mile six I hit a wall, and the heat was getting to me so that last mile was a combination of running and walking. Still I was shocked when I found out my time at the end. I finished at 1:18:56. That isn’t my fastest 10k by a long shot but I’m so proud of it considering I only gave myself about a month to go from no running to a 10k race.

Overall, the race was great and well planned, my only complaint that they ran out of water bottles at the finish line. That may have been due to how hot it was and people taking more than one. Luckily my sister and I always bring water to races so it didn’t remain a problem for too long!

Also side note, who are these mystery people who save their racing bibs? I always mean to and then at the end they look like the picture below, and the only place that’s going is in the trash.

Are you training for any races soon? Or have you run any recently? Are you one of those special unicorns who saves racing bibs? Tell me your secrets, how do you keep them looking not a mess?

Arbutus Firecracker 10k Recap

My Fourth of July weekend started with the Arbutus Firecracker 10k which I wrote about briefly here. Leading up to the race I was a mixture of nervous and excited. I was excited to get out and run again after a brief hiatus, but I was nervous about how the race would go since I hadn’t trained at all.

To begin with, it was the first time I had done this race, it was a really fun and well put together race. I loved the shirt that I got for participating and had I been better prepared to run 6.2 miles it would have been the perfect way to kick off Independence Day. I definitely will be doing this race in years to come.

Having said that, the race was ROUGH. I hadn’t properly prepared and I was recovering from an injury. While I knew that I would have to stop and walk at times it didn’t make it any easier. Before I even started the race my ankle was hurting. The ankle I sprained is the same ankle that I broke back in 2005 and it loves to act up before and after storms. As luck would have it Maryland was having several storms up to the morning of the race.

I was able to run the first mile and a half pretty easily and I was feeling good, but I finally had to give in and walk. That’s when things started going downhill. Right before I reached the third mile marker all I really felt like doing was collapsing and crying. I don’t know if it was the exhaustion, the fact that my ankle was bothering me, the adrenaline pumping through me, or the fact that I simply didn’t want to keep running (or all of it combined) but I’ve never felt so emotional during a run before.

If the race had been a 5k I think it would have been perfect, unfortunately for me, I had to keep going. by the fifth mile my ankle was really acting up and I resigned myself to having to walk the rest of the race until the finish line, save a final push so I would at least cross the finish while running. I was convinced that with the amount of walking I did my time would be somewhere around 1:30 or 1:40. But when I crossed the finish line the timer read 1:14:33. I confess I did a double take. I figured I read it wrong and it actually said 2:14:33. I’m actually extremely happy with the time, it’s only a little slower than my regular time and the fact that I’m able to stay so close to it is a very good feeling.

I have to say, as difficult as the race was the only thing getting me through it was the encouragement throughout the race. For most of the race there were very few runners surrounding me so it’s easy to get discouraged. The race ran through the residential community of Arbutus and there were so many people in lawn chairs outside of their houses cheering on the runners as they went by. I don’t know that it was any more encouragement than I’ve gotten at other races, but I definitely needed it more than I have at other races.

After the race my boyfriend and I went to Baltimore to see the fireworks on a friend’s rooftop deck. I sat as long as possible (my legs were killing me!) and I enjoyed a slice of the key lime pie I made for the party as well as so much other food. It was delicious and so worth it. All in all I don’t know that I could have asked for a better fourth of July weekend!

How was your Fourth? Share it in the comments below!

Non Scale Victory Friday/Happy July Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July! It also happens to be a Friday, which means it’s also Non-Scale Victory Friday! I started the day off at the Arbutus Firecracker 10k. As a whole, I loved the race. It was so well organized and it was great running through the Arbutus community and seeing everyone in their yards cheering everyone on. I did not, however, love running a 10k after I have only run one week in the past month. It was ROUGH, but I’m glad I did it.

So anyways today I only have one Non-Scale Victory; I finished the Arbutus Firecracker 10k! Trust me I had moments where I was doubting whether I’d be able to cross the finish line, I had to keep stopping and walking and at times just wanted to give up. Once I reached the 6 mile marker I thought there was no way that my time would be below 1:30 or 1:40, but it was! The race wasn’t timed but the timer at the finish line read 1:14:33 when I crossed. Not bad at all considering how many times I had to stop and walk, and it’s not far off from my best 10k time. So I’m pleased with my results, go me!

I’ll write more about the race in the next post but for now that’s it. I’m excited to go celebrate the Fourth with my boyfriend and some friends. I even made a key lime pie that I’m hoping is as delicious as it looks!

I hope everyone has a terrific Fourth and feel free to share your non-scale victories in the comments below!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

It’s (Almost) Race Time!

It’s been almost two weeks since I sprained my ankle in Baltimore on the run with my friend, and I have the Firecracker 10K in Arbutus, MD coming up tomorrow morning. To say I’m nervous would be an understatement.

After walking around with a brace on my foot all last week and taking a break from running to allow it to heal it finally felt better by Sunday. So on Monday evening I gave running a go. After work I dressed in my running clothes and went to the park. I decided that even though physically I could probably go at my normal pace, my ankle probably still couldn’t.

I decided my best bet would be to run a quarter mile and then walk a quarter mile for the 2.5 mile loop that I take. Well I’m glad I did! It was an easy workout, but by the time I finished my ankle had started slightly irritating me. I haven’t run since Monday, since I figured it still needed a little more time to heal.

I’m still excited to run/walk in the race tomorrow! I even painted my nails in celebration!

Realistically, I’ll probably end up walking about half of the race, and I’m more than okay with that. I’m going to listen to my body and all I’m going to worry about is having fun and making sure I don’t re-injure myself. Then it will be off to cookouts with friends and fireworks, sounds like a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July to me!

Racing, Wine, and Fun in the Sun!

It was a busy weekend! Like I mentioned in my previous post I ran the Zooma Annapolis 10k This was my first year running this race and my second 10k overall. I was nervous but definitely excited. A friend of mine had recommended the race previously this year and it didn’t take much convincing. The sell? It has great swag and free wine! Two of my favorite things and it didn’t disappoint.

The race went through downtown Annapolis, right by the water. It was the perfect weather and such a great course. I had been slacking on my running in the weeks prior so I was most happy that I was able to complete the course without stopping to walk. My time wasn’t anything spectacular, but I didn’t run any slower than I normally do so I was more than happy with my results.

Once I finished I enjoyed my post-race wine with friends and then got ready for some water fun! My boyfriend and I had some friends join us for jet skiing and it was just what I needed after my race. It was the perfect way to spend time with friends and welcome the start of summer!

Along with all the fun activities, I also had some very encouraging realizations throughout the day. The first was finding out that I need to go swimsuit shopping. I had brought two options to go jet skiing in and since last year both have become too big! I made do for Saturday, but I’m going to have to make my way to the store for a new swimsuit in the near future. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to shopping for one though, swimsuit shopping is like torture for me. I can’t be the only person who feels this way…

I also tried my hand at water skiing for the second time on Saturday. Last year was my first attempt. and while I enjoyed it, I was barely able to get out of the water. While I still wasn’t able to do very much in the way of actually skiing, I was able to get out of the water and ride for a half a second before crashing straight into the water extremely graceful like. More importantly, it was considerably easier to do than it had been last year! My boyfriend thinks since I’ve been working out consistently I’ve gotten stronger, which makes it easier to do and I agree. Now it’s just a matter of finding my balance, which could be hard. If there’s one thing I’m severely lacking in, it’s balance. I’ve been known to trip and fall while standing in place. Still it’s encouraging to see my progress in ways that don’t focus on the way I look.

As exhausting as Saturday was (I woke up at 5 am and didn’t fall asleep until 11!) it was the perfect way to usher in the summer months. I can’t wait to run in even more races and hopefully by August I’ll be water skiing like a pro!

Non Scale Victory Friday!

If you’ve never heard of a Non Scale Victory (or NSV for short), it’s basically exactly what it sounds like, healthy victories in your life that don’t have anything to do with the scale! As I was thinking about a way to track my progress on my blog this seemed like a no brainer. It’s the perfect way to keep track of all the positive outcomes that are a result of my lifestyle changes.

I’m going to devote Fridays to a reflection on the past week and to list out the various non-scale victories in my life. This isn’t just about me either, feel free to share your own NSVs in the comments below, I’d love to read about them! And so without further ado….

I threw away my scale! I already wrote about this here, but it’s worth repeating. Doing this and starting this blog is my first step of many towards a life of positive and healthy changes in my life.
When the thunder and lightning started up on Tuesday evening, ruining my running plans, I made the best of it and did a 40 minute Jillian Michaels workout video at home instead. My abs are still killing me!

While going through my summer wardrobe I found I can now wear shorts that I haven’t been able to fit into for years! I’m excited to rock my bright pink shorts this summer!

And lastly…

I’m running my second 10k tomorrow! I’ll be in Annapolis for the Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon and 10k. This is my first year running this race, and I’m very excited. You’ll be able to track my progress on twitter so make sure you’re following me @ScalesDown!

I’d say overall it was a pretty good week. Feel free to share your non-scale victories in the comments below!