Watertown Strong 5K

So I will spare writing about every run I went on last week, because this week there were so many beautiful races out there (including obviously the Boston Marathon!!!!) . I am telling you if you are a runner in the area, you probably ran a race this weekend. This past weekend I ran the Watertown Strong 5k. It was an awesome event. It was good to see the community out and celebrating. It marked the one year anniversary of when Watertown and the surrounding was locked down because they where trying to find the brother responsible for what happened in Boston. What a better way to celebrate our freedom of all being outside for a race? Weather people were running it or cheering us on, it was just a great way of all coming together and being outside! :) They day was so beautiful too!

If you can see him in the crowd here... the Governor of Massachusetts was there and gave a speech... There were many guests, including the Governor, The Chief of Watertown Police, Jeff Bauman, and a Watertown High Schooler who sang of a very special songs she wrote... just an awesome event! NESN was even there and you can watch the video they did on it here. Jon is actually in it if you look closely!

Some pictures before the race... 

I love this photo... The Watertown Police men who ran all finished together... 

Lets go Jon!!!

My  Results.. 

According to my watch. 

Mile 1: 7:23 Min/Mile  

Mile 2: 7:58 Min/Mile

Mile 3: 8:00 Min/Mile 

Needless to say I got out way to fast and I need to learn to chill out my first mile. My goal for this race was to get all under 8 minute miles... I think I could have done it if I didn't use all my energy in the firs mile. You live and learn! 

Green Stride 10K Race Recap

Ah its been awhile...  This weekend was awesome. Well Saturday, the weather was so nice, and involved a 10K and some beach bars. Can't really go wrong with that!

First the boring stuff... I am still inside training on the treadmill so its not exactly interesting. Last week my workouts went as followed:

Sunday: Rest: Ug after I moved my long runs to Saturdays I been using Sunday as a rest day. This past Sunday I actually got my ass to the gym for a swim. I think I like this schedule for the next few weeks leading up to the half marathon. Long Run Saturday, Swim Sunday and then Yoga Monday.

Monday: Yoga:

Tuesday: 3.51 Miles including warm up and cool down in 34 minutes.... Climbed: 168 feet at an average of 9.59 pace.

Wednesday: 5.00 Mile run in 46:52 with an 9:22 pace. Climbed 671 feet and burned 434 Calories. (I been using the hill interval training on the treadmill a lot more. The trail for the half is suppose to be hilly, so I figured its good for me, also keeps things interesting...)

Thursday: Body Sculpt class + 3.51 Mile run in 34 minutes with a 9:43 pace, 260 feet climbed and 284 calories burned.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 10K Race!

This past weekend my friends Ann and Kensie and my boyfriend Jon signed up for the Green Stride 5K/10K St. Patty's Day race. It was so much fun!  Ann and Jon did the 5K race and Kensie and I did the 10K race. The course was really flat, pretty much no hills. However... the wind was nuts! The first half wasn't that bad and then when you turned the corner it was like hitting a wall.

Pre race... I need to learn how but my bib on straight! ha-ha

Ann got this picture... I thought it was pretty cool... 

I think as normal I got different times for on my watch then the race had. My watch was off about .20 miles the whole time. So when I finished I jogged out .20 miles so it would record as a 10K on garmin. Anyway here where the results on both... 

My splits on my watch were as following: 

Mile 1: 8:03 m

Mile 2: 8:06 m

Mile 3: 8:01 m

Mile 4: 7:51 m

Mile 5: 8:29 m

Mile 6: 8:08 m

Mile 7 (.20 miles): 8:40

I won first in my age group so I won something... $25 gift card for a pair of running shoes at Greater Boston Running Company. I will definitely have to check this out. I want to get fitted for a pair of new running shoes once I have maxed out the ones I have now.


Of course it was the St. Pattys day weekend so their was a bar crawl after for all the runners. Yum Yuengling.

              


Decided to climb the snow bank to get to the beach after...Ya!! Soon enough we will be back here in our bathingsuits.. soon enough!

This week I really hope to get a few shorter runs outside then 11 Miles on Saturday. I can't believe how close this race is! I am getting more excited than nervous though. After running 10 and feeling good and running the 10K this weekend I am confident I can finish.  My goal is to finish under 2 hours but I would like to get under 1:55. Not sure of that's possible... But always can try! 

Race Around Waltham: Piggy's 5K Event

I have only been updating when I have been running races- blah! I need to start writing on here more.  I want to start documenting all my workouts and good recipe ideas again! 

So first the probably last race recap until spring....Spring need to arrive quickly. I want to do another race on Thanksgiving weekend because that just sounds fun to me but I will be in NY with the boyfriend, and unfortunately there are none around him. BUT hopefully I will be able to take some nice runs outside on some new courses. 


Anyway- the last race I ran was part of the Race Around Waltham Series and it was the final of the series to benefit the Paul Logue Charitable Fun to raise money to give back to the members of the community in need. I am definitely doing it next year. I did not know Paul but the atmosphere around the race and the event was very special and moving.  

So many runners!

The Women in front of me here with the white shirt on had a Tufts Womens Healthcare 10K shirt on. I was really really hurting during this race... I had to stop a few times. Anyway... I saw her running next to me and it helped. I thought to myself we finished the Tufts 10K we can finish this!

Ya I Finished the Race! 

They printed out the race results as they came in and also texted the results to you pretty much as soon as you finished!! I loved this!!

I finished the race at 26.09 so I didn't PR but that's okay... just gives me goals for next year! 

After Jon and I went home so he could watch Cuse loose.. jk Jon! :) Although they did... ha-ha their football team isn't that good. BUT they have a really good basketball team. 

Sometimes life calls for just pasta! So that's what I had for dinner. 

Then Jon and I headed over to the charity fund they were having for the foundation the race benefited..... had some drinks and then called it a night! I was in bed by 11:00 ha-ha! SO tired from the day!  

Trick or Treat Trot

Last weekend I ran in another 5k! It was in Waltham and a part of Run Around Waltham... which I think I want to try to get the jacket next year.

The 5k I ran this past weekend was really good. My goal was to finish under 27:30 and I finished in 25:10!! I also had to stop once to tie my shoe (when I was doing this I totally thought I was giving up my goal). 

Mile 1: 7:45 (real time) (8:00 minutes tying shoes)

Mile 2: 8.10

Mile 3: 8:28

Mile 4 : (27 seconds for .10 miles)

I finished 49th out of 25:10 made the top 5 out of my age group! 

Let me tell you though... the cold symptoms are still not completely gone which makes running rough! Its also dark now before I leave home to go to work and when I get home from work. I have to start running in the morning at the gym but its soooooooooooooo hard to get back in that routine! Especially with the Sox in the World Series. 

SO next week. Restarting workout schedule and working out in the morning on the treadmill... blah.

I think I am going to try to fit in one more 5k in November then maybe one in December for a Santa run if I can find a good one.... I am going to miss running outside and getting some sunshine at the same time. 

Tufts Healthcare Plan 10K for Women

Ah its been awhile! I been super busy at work and life in general. BUT this past Monday I completed my goal of the Tufts Healthcare Plan 10k for Women. The race was an amazing event.... and I am definitely coming back next year!

So it turns out that some Olympic Athletes and women travel around the world to run in this race. The women who won it was from Ethiopia and finished the 10K in 31.33... crazy right!



I Picked the 8:50 pace time.... it was good motivation! I loved these little bracelets!

Kensie and I waiting to run!

Lining up! 

So many people at the starting line! 

 And my official time! This was my net time so the time I ran over the two recording this.

It was just around what I wanted  to do, but I was hopping for better. I have been struggling with a cold which made the last week of training near impossible. (I ran 2 3.1 miles- one in my fastest 5K). It was more how much this cold has taken effect on my body, I was gagging at one point on my phlegm! YUCK!

I want to get one more 10K in before I do not have to run in snow. May be November 10th! Yikes! SO no slacking of training!

Silver Scorcher

Ah this weekend was so much fun! This was actually suppose to be one weekend where Jon and I had free of plans but a few weeks ago we decided to go up to NY to see his family and run in the 5K his hometown was holding.... It was a really really fun time.

We didn't leave till after work on Friday so we didn't end up getting to Jon's family house to 11:00....

 BUT we still managed to get up bright and early for the race! I found this sign fun "A-Z" is that really necessary?

 This was a map of the 5K course... there was a 5K and 10K

Part of the 5K you ran through the woods... which I was meh about! Running on the grass really slowed me down but it was probably a good thing because I was going to need an extra push at the end!

We got near the end of the race and I looked down at run keeper and we were at 27 minutes and at mile 2.85... our goal was to complete a 5K in under 30 minutes.... and we just really needed to push ourselves to get there.. 

 

AND.... WE DID IT! Jon and I finished the race in 29 minutes and 28 seconds with and average pace of 9:29... in which we completed our goal of finishing a 5K in under 30 minutes.  

According to Run Keeper these were our splits 

Mile 1: 9:49 

Mile 2: 9:44

Mile 3: 8:56 (I had to idea I had this in me!!)

Mile 4 (.10 miles) 7:32

Jon's brother Joe and his wife Sarah ran the race with us as well!!

After we finished we got to enjoy some pancakes.....

And watch some of the other runners come in. Shortly after we finished our race some of the 10K people started to come in! The first one ran it in 34:21 minutes/seconds... that is unbelievable....


After we got home and showered we headed back the festival... I wish I took pictures of the food because it was so good! They had a lot of good veggie options which I was excited about because last year there was not much for those who do not eat meat. I mean I eat chicken and turkey but post of the pasta samplings were all made with ground beef which I do not eat. BUT this time I had a sample of chicken and greens, tortellini in an oil tomato sauce and some eggplant parm... so so good!

 Jess (Jon's brother) and her Fiance!!

Jon's brother Joe and his wife Sarah... Joe is so serious here!

Best beer ever... and you can not buy it in Massachusetts! How sad!

We got to play with Enzo as well... how cute?

We revisited the festival at night as well... it was fun!

Then on Sunday we made the 4 hour drive back home.... that part is never fun!

Color Me Rad: My First 5K

This past weekend I ran my first 5K! It was a lot of fun. We ran Color Me Rad Boston. I was kind of disappointed because they did not time the event, but my up bracelet had us finishing 3.3 miles in 32 minutes. So whatever that means? I think we are going to run another in a few weekends when we fist Jons family up in NY.

BUT here are some pictures of the event.. :)

Some before pictures...                                  

                                     

 After!

We finished!!!

My some of my best friends participated as well! It was fun having them there.

My friend Jess came and visited me this past weekend. By the time she decided too visit it was to late to sign up for the race, but they had some room for volunteers so she did that, and she will be participating in Color Me Rad in Albany! 

After the race Jess and I went out to Boston and walked around Copley and Newbury Street. After we got back we were exhausted but  relaxed a little bit and we still made it out... 

I may have a cool video for you tomorrow... but right now I HAVE to go get ready for the gym tomorrow morning!