Week in Review (April 22 to April 28)

Tuesday - NOTHING. Me and A watched Full House reruns and ate some Easter candy. It was Great.
Wednesday - Lunch run on the treadmill in my building. 1.25 miles flat and 2.75 miles of hills. This was pretty terrible. Pace felt ok-ish, but my feet kept going numb. I haven't had that problem in a while, but it HURTS. Headed to the gym after work, 10 minutes on the bike before class. Then an hour in BodyPump. I really really really do not like this BodyPump release. The back track is just dumb.
Thursday - Total Body Toning and HIIT workout during lunch. I really like this one, with the exception of the jump squats at the end. Went to the gym after dinner and struggled through 3.75 miles at what should have been an "easy" pace. I spent half the time texting Heather how miserable I was and how my NYC training was going to be an epic fail. Horrible.
Friday - NOTHING.
Saturday - A's school hosted their annual 5k Firebird Family Fun Run!! This year, we all made it out. My dad walked, L ran with H for her first 5k, and I ran with A. The first part of the course was up a decent hill, but it was pretty much all downhill after the first mile. A paced mostly ok, and ran with a small handheld the whole time, which she ended up finished after about 2 miles. This was the best she run (attitude and pace-wise) in all the races we have done together. The course measured a tad short (but mapping on a city map should have been accurate for a 5k) - so I'm counting this as her new PR!

After the race, we rode our bikes back to the school for the bike rodeo, where we got both our bikes checked for safety issues, learned hand signals, etc. A pretty good tine, with the exception of all the kids :D Did some shopping in the afternoon, which led to this cool Lego set that A and I put together after dinner.

Sunday - Got up early to go to Heather's house (obviously not my BFF Heather, my run club friend Heather) for her annual post-race party for the Cherry Creak Sneak (a pretty big race that runs near her house). We didn't run, but we were happy to head over for some socialization, food and beer. The weather was pretty crappy (rainy and windy), so I was happy to skip the actual running part.

After lunch we took the kids to the rec center for swimming. After dinner, I started day 1 of my official NYC training program! Cross-train day, so I did Lower Body Toning - 56 minute butt and thigh tabata workout. I really like this one. 8 sets of flutterkicks is so hard!
Monday - Another cross-training day. During lunch I hit the elliptical for 20 minutes and did 8 minute abs. After dinner, I did an upper body tabata workout for an hour.

Weekly Miles Run - 10.85 (7.75 treadmill, 3.1 race) - lowest mileage week, um, pretty much ever. I have been struggling pretty much since I quit the streak with finding a good run workout and pace. I've been tired and just not into it. So, since this was the first week before I start "training," I decided not to push it and didn't run, because I didn't feel like it.
Weekly Cross Training - 10 minutes bike (plus maybe a few miles with A on Saturday that I didn't track/log), 20 minutes elliptical
Minutes of Strength - 218

Weekly Loss - 0.2 pounds

• I'm trying to watch, but trying not to obsess... how did this go so smoothly last year?
• Beer consumption was a bit up this weekend.
• Yogurtland consumption was down, I only went one time last week.
• Only one donut this week! (But I did have some delicious chocolate chip pumpkin bread)
• Thanks to a crazy sale at Target, it looks like I will be going back to the Lean Cuisine's at work for a while. 98 cents for a lunch is pretty unbeatable, although they aren't especially satisfying.

Everything Else 

• Brace yourself!! Last week, I sat down and created my TRAINING PROGRAM for NYC marathon! As I have said in passing, I would love to have a great race, and I'm going to be shooting for a ridiculously fast time for ME, and HOPEFULLY a marathon PR. My training is going to be based off the RLRF program that I have used in the fast - which means 1 day of speed work, 1 tempo run, and 1 long run, with 2-3 days of cross-training. I've nailed the first 2 days (no, I haven't done a run yet... the paces are pretty intimidating). Basically, I am doing the full 16 weeks of marathon training, and then to ease in the higher mileage, I'm doing 11ish weeks of a half marathon program - which really, is pretty much the same as the marathon program, with shorter long runs. Anyway, should be "fun."
• Work is still really busy, and I am still butting heads with the other legal assistant. I use the term "assistant" loosely, because I for REAL cannot figure out what she actually does all day. Every week she seems to be doing less and less, and I end up doing more as a result, which is obviously annoying.
• I have been trying to make an honest effort to get out of the house and socialize with people other than L at least once a week. So far, so good. I have another BBQ planned with my work friends this weekend, as we are supposed to have highs near 80!
• Annoyance of the week - tried to do the new iOS update for my phone, and for some reason, it made me restore my phone, which took OVER THREE HOURS. Grrrr.
• Nothing else, obviously.

Week in Review (April 15 - April 21)

Tuesday - Treadmill during lunch. I attempted for REAL speed work for the first time in a billion years. This practically killed me. Did you know 8.2 mph actually feels like the speed of light?? 3.75 with overall pace around 11:00, which is awesome with walking intervals. Since I had skipped the gym on Monday, A begged to go. All I did was 30 minutes on the crossramp. Then, at home, was day two of the Fitness Blender challenge - Upper Body Superset. I have no notes on this one, but I'm assuming it was good. I like upper body workouts.
Wednesday - Day three of the Fitness Blender challenge was a HIIT video. I was NOT looking forward to it, as Heather said she almost died doing it. I did the video during lunch and for real thought I was going to have a heart attack. Not sure if HIIT is harder than speed work, but I'm tentatively saying YES. After work, EASY 7+ bike before BodyPump. Yes, I still went to BodyPump and I barely made it through.
Thursday - I tried to run during lunch. I made it one mile before I quit. Did you know my legs were BROKEN from all this cross/strength nonsense??? Ended up just walking another 1.5 walk with incline. After work, I went to "Ladies Night" - sponsored by my run club. Pearl Izumi was hosting and we got to see and try on clothing from the new summer lines. Some really nice stuff! We got goodie bags just for going, and I got a really nice pair of gloves (now that winter is mostly over). I got home and still had day 4 of the Fitness Blender challenge to go... there was an option for a cardio interval video or a stretching/yoga/pilates video. I chose the latter. I should incorporate this one into my cycle, it was a great video.
Friday - I got up early to do the final installment, day five of the Fitness Blender challenge. I was hoping I would have more time to recover for my double half marathon weekend. Total body toning & HIIT (OF COURSE). It was challenging, but not nearly as terrible as Wednesday's HIIT video.
Saturday - Beat the Heat half marathon. After the race we took the kids to the rec center for swimming. I went to bed at 8:00. Most exhausted I've ever felt.

Sunday - Westminster Trail half marathon.

Immediately after showering, we ran a few errands, and then A and I drove to Denver to meet up with friends for an Easter BBQ. The most fun EVER. Another extremely exhausting day - I was in bed around 8 again. LOL.

Monday - Even though I was DEAD, A didn't care and begged to go to the gym again. I suffered through 30 minutes on the elliptical (man, that is a horrid machine) and called it a night. I briefly thought about doing a video. Instead, I went to bed early. Again.

Weekly Miles Run - 30.95 (4.75 treadmill, 26.2 racing)
Weekly Cross Training - 7.2 miles on the bike, 1.5 miles walking, 30 minutes crossramp, 30 minutes elliptical
Minutes of Strength - 194

Weekly Gain - 0.8 pounds

• Gotta say, this one actually surprises me. Usually I can really track where I went wrong. I was pretty careful this week, and only one meal (Easter lunch), did I really not watch what I had. Stupid body.
• HOWEVER, I did go to Yogurtland three times? I guess I should cut back to one? (LAME).
• As for cooking, I did make something new this week - stir fry!! As for a recipe, I didn't use one. I just had a packet of sauce (about 60 calories per serving - 2 per package), some lean pork (about 3/4 of a pound), a big red pepper, a few carrots, snap peas. About 15 minutes on the stove, and ta da!! It's pretty tasty, and not very expensive. Makes enough for about 3 days of lunch for me, and a dinner for both me and A.

Everything Else 

• I was venting with the ex-SIL the other day about my lack of dating/social life. Her response - well, you're bitchy all the time. Oh. I mean, I feel like I have always been sort of bitchy? I have been trying to reach out on Facebook and Twitter to see if anyone wants to hang out on the weekends for a beer or something, and sadly, all I get is the sound of crickets. WTF. Anyway /rant - this is just my life for now?
• Work is actually going fairly well. I have been REALLY busy, so it has actually been really tough to get on the Internet Machine and see what is going on in the rest of the world. Thankfully, Heather keeps me apprised of all the IMPORTANT things. For real, the days fly by as I have about three times the work that I used to, so I guess that is a good thing.
• Related: MY COMMUTE SUCKS. Especially the drive home. I cannot seem to find a good "back way" to get out of the city where I'm not sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. The office is only one mile further from my old office, and yet that ONE MILE actually does add another 10 minutes to my drive. Sigh.
• NOTHING ELSE.

Westminster Trail Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Sunday, April 20 (Easter)
Westminster, CO
Half Marathon #104
Colorado Half #40
Weather - SUNNY, warm

Since there are never races on Easter, we had to run the Westminster Trail half marathon, even though we had just run Beat the Heat the day before. Last year, there were issues with permits, weather or something, and the race ended up being rescheduled to the day of the Rock n' Roll. Needless to say, they probably didn't REALIZE it was Easter Sunday when the race was scheduled, and I'll bet it falls on a different day next year.

I've run a few races put on by the Endurance Race Series, and for the most part, they are pretty good. In the past, my biggest complaint has been shirts that are not gender specific. Imagine my surprise this race, when they ARE. Of course, the ladies shirt was long sleeve instead of short sleeves, but beggars can't be choosers!

The course is on Big Dry Creek, a place I have run many times. My dad was walking the 10k (up until an hour before the race, he was undecided on if he wanted to the half marathon or not, and decided to stick with 10k). We arrived about 45 minutes early, which was plenty of time to use the bathrooms twice.

It was SUNNY AND WARM. There were 4 aid stations on the out and back course, so I imagined we would have at least 7 stops, depending on where the last station was place. (7, if you were wondering, the last one was at the turnaround).

I was NOT looking forward to this race. I was still tired from my "active" week, and the hilly course at Beat the Heat had only made my legs MORE tired. Loose goals were to beat my time from yesterday and to beat a girl I recognized from yesterday's race.

I felt ok the first mile. Big Dry Creek is "mostly flat" with a few "hills" when you're coming out from an underpass. I had a fleeting hope of running the whole course. That lasted about 18 minutes. I was tired, struggling, and rather than push myself a few miles in, I took walk breaks. LOTS OF THEM.

Only section that resembles "single track"

And, as usual, the mountains look pretty

I knew I was tired going into it. I knew my legs weren't really going to cooperate. I was actually surprised at HOW little they were going to cooperate. You know what they say, once you walk, you can't stop! I walked almost every mile, and for longer than I should have. It was hot, I was tired, it was a nice day for a jog/walk though :D

The course was pretty much the same was the Redline Westminster course, and I'm sure the turnaround was at the same point. Then, of course, I started thinking about how miserable I was during that race, and wondered if I would even be able to beat THAT time.

The clouds finally came out with about a half mile to go, and I somehow managed to run into the finish. DEAD. I came *thisclose* to just walking across the line. Good to know I haven't quite gotten to THAT point yet.

Bib # 2085
Official Time - 2:21:39
Official Pace - 10:49
Overall Place - 77/103
Gender Place - 38/58
Division Place - 7/15 (woo hoo! top half AGAIN!)
Mile 1 - 10:00
Mile 2 - 10:56
Mile 3 - 11:30
Mile 4 - 10:45
Mile 5 - 11:18
Mile 6 - 10:47
Mile 7 - 11:06
Mile 8 - 11:07
Mile 9 - 11:29
Mile 10 - 11:36
Mile 11 - 11:17
Mile 12 - 11:30
Mile 12.77 - 10:48

As you can see, my Garmin measured the course VERY short again. And again, my sister's Garmin and her mapmyrun measured just fine. So clearly, the course was not actually over a quarter mile short, it's just my watch really sucks, and it sure would be nice if my Bia watch would show up one day...... (/rant)

I didn't see any water at the finish, but L insists it was there. (Speaking of, she ran yet another sub 2. MACHINE). There wasn't much left in terms of food and drink, but I did grab a bag of pop chips since I was STARVING.

Thoughts:

• Three distances, with staggered starts. There are never a ton of people at these races, so congestion isn't usually an issue, but the staggered starts are nice.
• The races are priced competitively, usually around $60, and they don't jack up the price a ton right before. HOWEVER, they have been known to offer better prices and discounts the week of the event (better than early bird), if they don't have a lot of participants, which I find annoying.
• Plenty of aid stations, all were well stocked with water and electrolytes. There were no gels on the course, but at the back three aid stations they had bananas and cookies.
• Related: they offer a free race entry if you volunteer at one of their events! I was hoping to be able to do that, but the only one I'm not running is too far away, and on a Saturday, the same day of A's fun run at school. Next year.
• Nice medals (not sure if they were for all distances or just the half).
• FINALLY, gender specific shirts!!! This is huge for me, and I really appreciate it!
• Calling this race a "trail" is a big misleading. The first mile is paved, and then it is "un-paved" - more dirt and loose gravel. Certainly don't need trail shoes and is VERY non-technical.
• Overall, a good event, I would recommend and probably run again.
• Unrelated to the race itself? HOW AM I GOING TO SURVIVE WHEN SUMMER GETS HERE? I think it was 54 degrees when we finished, and I was salty and sweaty and it FELT like it was in the 70's or 80's. What.

Beat the Heat Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Saturday, April 19
Lakewood, CO
Half Marathon #103
Colorado Half #39
Weather - Cloudy, perfect

The Beat the Heat half marathon fit nicely into our schedule. Not too expensive and local, it was a no-brainer. My dad and the kids had actually volunteered at the race last year, while we were running in New Mexico. Years ago, I stopped reading elevation and course profiles. It never even occurred to me where this race would be taking place.

The night before, L and I are talking about where to park. Turns out, we will be going to Bear Creek Lake Park - aka, where the Bear Chase takes place every year. Oh. I wasn't expecting the race to be THERE.

Race Morning

Up at 6:15 to be out the door at 6:45 to drop off the kids with my parents. L had brought me an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts, which was a delicious why to hydrate in the morning. We dropped the kids off, and while we were chatting, we missed the exit and then got all turned around trying to find the start. Never mind that we have been there a half dozen times...

We arrive at the park and then the realization hits me. We are going to be running a pretty hilly course. Awesome. My legs were DEAD after doing the Fitness Blender 5-Day Challenge.

We barely had enough time to cycle through the bathroom line (twice), before heading to the start line. We got out of the bathroom with just enough time to hear the National Anthem (twice). And then off we went...

Initially, I thought I might run the whole course, walking only for the aid stations. Then, I got to about mile 1.5, with the start of the hills. JUST KIDDING. So. Much. Walking. My legs were tired, the climb up Mt. Carbon was pretty brutal. I was exhausted.

Mt. Carbon looming in the distance

Headed up the paved section of Mt. Carbon. It's dried out a TON since I ran Bear Chase in September

Looking over the golf course to downtown Denver - NO FILTER

After mile 3, the course flattened out a bit, and then we had a nice downhill. WHEEEE!!! Then, I realized there were mile markers on the other side of the path. WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO RUN ALL THIS IN REVERSE? NOOOOOOOOOO.

There was not a lot of flat, but a lot of steep ups and steep downs. I could not get into a good groove, and knowing that I had to run again tomorrow did not motivate me to push harder.

Between miles 8 and 9 -  nice view of the mountains

Mile 10 or 11  is when I really quit mentally. I would run for a minute or two, then walk. Run a minute or two, then walk. The flattest the course had been and I couldn't even force myself to run it. I passed a handful of people who were also struggling.

Death jog to the finish - around mile 11.5

I knew mile 12 had another decent hill, and of course I walked up that too. So cruel to have hills at the end of an already challenging race...

I saw L, my dad, and the kids at the finish, and A ran me in.

Probably not the best week to do a fitness challenge, as my legs were exhausted before I even started. I'm actually really pleased with the pace I managed to keep, the steep downhills allowed me to run a few really fast miles, which helped out the time.

Bib # - 989
Official Time - 2:22:28
Official Pace - 10:53
Overall Place - 81/123
Gender Place - 35/68
Division Place - 14/28 (woo hoo! top half!)
Garmin Time - 2:22:28
Garmin Pace - 10:58
Mile 1 - 9:32
Mile 2 - 11:36
Mile 3 - 12:05
Mile 4 - 9:22
Mile 5 - 10:13
Mile 6 - 10:29
Mile 7 - 11:34
Mile 8 - 10:54
Mile 9 - 12:58
Mile 10 - 9:39
Mile 11 - 11:17
Mile 12 - 11:37
Mile 13 - 11:19

So the course measured short for me, again. 12.99 miles. L's Garmin measured just over 13.1 and her phone measured 13.3 or something. So, in addition to losing battery life, it apparently is not really accurate with GPS anymore either. Awesome.

We were actually at the finish area when they were doing the raffle, and I ACTUALLY WON!! I got a $30 gift certificate to Moe's BBQ. We ended up going right after the race. Turns out, it was delicious, and $30 was enough food for me, L and the kids AND a margarita for me. Cost me nothing out of pocket. Hurray!!

Thoughts:

• Very well organized, well marked course
• Gender specific shirts!!
• Medal for all distances.
• 9 well-stocked aid stations. There were Clif gels in multiple flavors at most of them.
• Friendly volunteers.
• Good post-race food! There was chocolate milk, Powerade, burritos and bagels. I'm sure there was more, but we didn't stick around.
• I have run a handful of races put on by All-Out and they do a great job. The races are not very expensive, and I never leave a race feeling like I didn't get my money's worth. Maybe, if I'm not busy next year, I'll rematch after NOT doing a fitness challenge?

Week in Review (April 8 - April 14)

Tuesday - 35 minute walk on the treadmill during my lunch break. 2.3ish miles of hills, tested out the ankle with an easy jog the last 5 minutes. After work, I did the video Heather talked me into trying... 1000 Calorie Workout Video: 94 Minute Insane HIIT & Bodyweight Workout: Attempt at Your Own Risk. Well, the name alone should tell you that I almost DIED doing this video. I was literally screaming and weeping at the computer, begging it to have mercy. (PS - Heather quit this one, lol)
Wednesday - Another hill interval walk with some light jogging at 2-3% for about 8 minutes of it. 2.2 miles in 32 minutes. After work, 4 miles in 15 minutes on the bike, and then BodyPump. DEAD from yesterday's video. I barely survived.
Thursday - Hill program run during lunch. Ended up being more of a speed workout at the end, running at 6.0 with 1% incline. 4+ miles with average pace around 11:30, which included a decent amount of walking at the higher inclines. Had planned on the gym, but was so exhausted that I skipped. OH WELL.
Friday - Nada. It was my two year anniversary at work, so I got Thai food with coworkers during lunch instead.
Saturday - 1.5ish "easy" miles with 6 minutes at 2%. Then did another mile of hills, walked half and jogged EASY the second half. In the afternoon, A and I attended a tea party with her Girl Scout troop. The girls really had a blast dressing up, but didn't like the tea so much.

Sunday - Race for Open Space half marathon.

Also did the Upper Body 5x5x5 Pulse Workout - this one is just ok. A was supposed to go to a birthday party in the afternoon, but it was cancelled because of the impending weather and poor road conditions. I found out later that the mom took "some" of the kids that had RSVP'd to Dave and Busters. A was not one of those kids. Without going into it too much, I'm pretty upset with how it was all handled.
Monday - Forgot my clothes so I couldn't do anything during lunch. Skipped the gym and did a new Butt & Thigh video.

Weekly Miles Run - 18.73 (13.1 racing, 5.63 treadmill). I thought maybe my ankle was bothering me, so I took it a bit easy on the running.
Weekly Cross Training - 5.5 miles of hill/walking/easy jogging, 4 miles on the bike.
Minutes of Strength - 217 minutes

Weekly Loss - 1.0 pounds

• I didn't really eat the best AGAIN over the weekend, but it could have been worse. I contained most of the crazy to Saturday. I really have to get this under control. It's really a non-issue during the week.
• I've added beer back into my diet, let's see if that staves off my ravenous appetite.

Everything Else 

• Work has been really busy, which is a nice change.
• Weather is being schizophrenic. 70's at the end of the week, snow and teens on the weekend. Ready for warmer temperatures, but I hope we actually have a spring this year.
• Other than that... NOTHING. Boring week over here.

Race for Open Space (Race Recap)

Sunday, April 13
Denver, CO
Half Marathon #102
Colorado #38
Weather - low 30's, WINDY, rain/snow pellets

There were multiple races this weekend, but with it's incredibly inexpensive $43.40 price tag, the 2nd annual Race for Open Space was the winner.

The forecast was not looking spectacular for Sunday. Which was unfortunate, since we had just experienced a handful of beautiful spring days in the 70's. The night before, the weather was supposed to be rain turning to snow, with a chance of up to 8" of snow accumulation. SPECTACULAR.

I got up at 6:15, allowing extra time to get ready and be out the door by 6:45. I was ready in plenty of time, and stuck with my outfit choice, as it just looked wet outside, although I grabbed my INKnBURN ambassador windbreaker on my way out the door.

L and I had raced on the Sand Creek trail a few times, so we knew the general vicinity of the start, and found it with little trouble. We were parked by about 10 after 7, walked up the hill to get our packets, noting that the wind had really picked up, and the "rain" was starting to turn into icy pellets. FUN!!!!

Packet pick up was easy and we hit the port-o-potties with no line on the way back to the car. We cranked the heat and sat in the car until about 12 minutes before the 8:00 start and then used the bathroom one last time.

I was not looking forward to this. It was cold and windy. I started out towards the back and hoped for the best. The first part of the course was a bit downhill and I was trying to get my groove without starting out too fast, which happens almost every race. And it happened this time too, even though my first mile didn't click by at a super fast pace. I stopped and took this picture about a mile in:

The course was actually really pretty, and a lot of it was on crushed dirt and NOT pavement. However, with all the moisture, it was a bit slick and muddy in places. I was really pretty cold the first few miles, and then I started to warm up. The rain/ice/snow pellets were actually not that bad, but I could have done without the wind.

The course was a series of out and backs and random loops, and most of it was on a section I had not run before, so that was nice. I ended up finding a comfortable pace, which meant I was shadowing a poor woman for 9-10 miles. I took this picture around mile 3 or 4:

Not much to say about the race itself. Once I got past the early miles, it seemed a bit easier to run and I was able to maintain a bit faster pace. The course was pretty, the weather was not.

I saw L a few times on the out-and-back sections, she even kept her throwaway sweatshirt on the entire race, which as you know, means it was cold.

However, I did warm up a bit and spent a few miles mid race with my jacket tied around my waist. I was still wearing a long sleeve shirt with an INKnBURN tech tee over it. I was comfortable until about mile 12 when the wind REALLY picked back up again.

My legs felt pretty good until I was 11-12 miles and then every little hill felt like a lot of work. I briefly passed the woman I had been shadowing, and then my legs reminded me that I'm not really in shape to be running "that fast."

I did more walking at the end than I would have liked, but considering all that, I was pleased when I glanced at my watch heading into the finish and saw that I would be well under 2:20. Thanks again to L for waiting around in the freezing cold to get this picture of me crossing the line:

Bib #650
Official Time - 2:17:28
Official Pace - 10:30
Overall Place - 80/113
Gender Place - 44/72
Division Place - 14/23
Garmin Time - 2:17:26
Garmin Distance - 12.97 (I lost satellite around mile 2)
Garmin Pace - 10:36
Mile 1 - 10:20
Mile 2 - 11:39
Mile 3 - 11:00
Mile 4 - 10:59
Mile 5 - 10:23
Mile 6 - 10:28
Mile 7 - 10:14
Mile 8 - 9:48
Mile 9 - 10:39
Mile 10 - 10:05
Mile 11 - 10:28
Mile 12 - 10:59
Mile 13 - 10:42

 Thoughts:

• Inexpensive. I only registered 2 months in advance, so I don't even think this was "early bird" pricing.
• Very well organized. There were three distances and the course was clearly marked for all. Bibs and signage were color coordinated, which made things very easy to understand.
• Related: LOVED the course. I have run parts of this in July, when everything is brown and dead (as the course is fairly exposed). Even though it was cold and rainy/icy/snowy, I could see some signs of spring and it was fairly colorful and pretty.
• Aid stations were about every two miles. With the weather being cold, that was fine. I did not carry my own water. There were plenty of volunteers. Complaints about the aid stations - Styrofoam cups (??) and no electrolyte drinks that I saw at any aid station. Also, they did not give out gels on the course, so I was glad I had brought two of my own (that I took around miles 4 and 9).
• Related: Plenty of port-o-potties along the course, although I surprisingly did not have to use one, it was nice to know that they were there.
• Related: SUPER awesome volunteers. I was really surprised that SO MANY were out there during the horrible weather. I bet there were at least 4-5 at every aid station, and they were peppy and cheerful. LOVED THAT!!
• Race shirt is unisex cotton. Will never wear. Would love option to save a few bucks and skip if it is not a gender specific tech tee.
• Cute medal.
• They aren't up yet (and I will edit when they are), but Running Guru always provides free race pictures, so that is a nice perk as well. I saw photographers at a few points along the course, will be interesting to see if I managed to keep my eyes open. (Did you notice that I wasn't wearing sunglasses for the first time, pretty much EVER? Too wet, I felt like they would really annoy me).
• I would recommend this race for sure! If you aren't ready for a half, there were also options for a 10k and 5k.

Week in Review (April 1 - April 7)

Tuesday - Upper body tabata and finally some abs.
Wednesday - Bike for 15 minutes and BodyPump. We had a sub that had a hard time giving instructions, so it was a bit hard to follow. She was using older tracks, so at least I was familiar with most of them.
Thursday -  Another good run at the gym, managed another 6+ miles. It was sweltering hot and I actually ran in just a sports bra and capris. Lots of flab flopping around, but between the lack of air circulation and the giant lights, it is REALLY HOT in the gym.
Friday - Checked out the new gym in my building. I didn't have workout clothes, so I just used the bike for a half hour, even though I was wearing pencil skirts and tights. I have a feeling the other girls that were in there were talking about me after I left.
Saturday - Intended on a long run. Then, didn't. 4ish miles, then a hurried trip to Dunkin', where I tried the jamocha almond fudge iced coffee. THAT was delicious. I then spent about 5 hours at a horse show with A and her Girl Scout troop. After a quick dinner, we went to a friend's birthday party in the mountains, where I consumed a second dinner and a ton of snacks and desserts. LONG day.

Sunday - Um, no exercise. Met up with Jessa and her son to see the new Muppet movie, which was cute. Lunch of a giant spicy burger, mac & cheese and beer. Went to Jessa's house for the remainder of the afternoon. Dinner, Yogurtland, homework, bed. Where did the weekend go?
Monday - Went to the gym during lunch and did the butt and thigh "drop it like a squat" video. Tried running after work and apparently I have something weird going on with my right ankle. It feels... "tight" and "off" - almost like it needs to crack or something? I barely got in two miles and could tell my gait was getting weird, so I stopped.

Weekly Miles Run - 12.55 (All treadmill, and my lowest week... um forever. Even the week after my 100 I ran more than that. So, there's that).
Weekly Cross Training - 2 rides on the bike, 9+ miles and 45 minutes total. Also some walking, which I'm not counting, but it was there.
Minutes of Strength - 156

Weekly Gain - 2.8 pounds

• I know, I know. I don't know what it is, other than I have lost all self-control. Not even pictured are the piece(s) of cheesecake I had on Saturday night, mucho beer and tons of other things I cannot remember. I have got to get this under control. Highest weight since the second week of June (week six of #NotEatingAllTheThings)

Everything Else 

• Our office move is finally done. What a stressful week. Pretty much everything is unpacked, we have some issues with a lot less storage space, but so far, I like the new building.
• Related: Our building has a gym, which is nice. I will likely go a few times a week, just to get out of the office.
• I'm not super crazy about the commute, as it is further and I have to actually drive into Denver. Lots of traffic, one-way streets and random construction. No fun.
• The LEAST fun has been dealing with the parking at my new garage. Prior to the move (around March 20), I prepaid for the month of April in a lot a few blocks away. First day, my pass doesn't work. I find out that the pass that was sent to me was from the old management company and even though they were never owning/operating the lot on/after April 1, they billed me and sent me a pass that was never going to open the garage door. Long story short, 8 days later, I finally have access to my garage but the new owners claim I owe them money. That's been fun.
• Related: the new assistant has apparently done NOTHING since she got hired, and I have spent the last week trying to get HER caught up.
• Related: the new managing Partners have offered me a raise. The two terms are that I now worked for one of the managing Partners, as well as the three named Partners. One of the named Partners is VERY high maintenance, so I'm concerned about that. Also, raise does not go into effect until June. But... second raise in just a few months, so that is good.
• Related: As a result of the reorganization and the addition of some new duties, I have been SLAMMED at work for the last few weeks. I barely have time to even text or check email. Not sure if that will last, but it is nice not watching the clock all day.

Week in Review (Mar 25 - March 31)

Tuesday - I may or may not have called in late for work so I could go for a run with L. With the kids gone, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get off the treadmill again. It was COLD out, mid 20's, and my left hip was SORE from when I fell on my trail run. I had to walk a bit in the early miles, but knocked out 5 miles and was only an hour late to work. I didn't miss anything anyway.

Wednesday - Before work I did the toned, lean arms video again. I am still so weak. How is this possible? So far, I think I actually like the really long arm tabata video the best, but obviously, I was on limited time. After work, I ran the Green Mountain loop again. After my fall on the trail run, I was already sore. This was a bit of a struggle and MUCH slower and windier and colder than when I ran it Monday. Also, a lot more bikes, so I was jumping off the trail a TON.

Thursday - A was supposed to be back earlier in the day, so I skipped the gym and did the lower body butt and thigh tabata video while I was waiting for her. Due to poor road conditions, they didn't get in until after 9:00.

Friday - My first for REAL complete rest day since... October. The last day of packing/preparing for our big office move, and I was busy all day. I also ate a ton of candy. Stress eating!!

Saturday - Got up and went to the gym to run on the treadmill. I had planned on an "easy hour" - but I was still just lethargic and sore and tired, so I ran 3ish miles and called it quits. Sat in the sauna. Spent the day running errands and grocery shopping. After dinner, upper body tabata video.

Sunday - Took the kids to see Frozen at the cheapo movie theater. Yes, we know it is on video, and yes, we own it. It costs $2.50 for TWO people to see movies there! In the afternoon, I took the kids roller skating - they had FREE passes for spring break. I did the brutal butt and thigh video and finally some abs.

Monday - Moving IN to the new office at work. I still had to park in my lot by the old building, and it was 1.3 miles of walking each way. In the wind. (No, it was not uphill both ways). Had an amazing 6+ mile run on the treadmill at the gym.

Weekly Miles Run - 21.4 (trails - 13.4, road - 5.3, treadmill - 9.4)

Weekly Cross Training - Nada

Minutes of Strength - 139

Weekly Gain - 1.6 pounds

• I am sucking majorly at #NotEatingAllTheThings Round 2. I ate probably a half dozen donuts, mini cheesecakes, went out to eat a few times, pizza, etc... eating way off track all weekend. If I'm going to bother, I need to buckle down and take this more seriously. 
• I have gained back close to half of what I lost last/spring summer. I'd hate for all the new clothes I got last year to not fit or be tight and unflattering.
• I did buy beer for the first time in about 6 weeks, and it was tasty and delicious (I still have 3 left).
• No cooking this week, except roasting some sweet potatoes. A wanted a "break" and I for real can't eat that many leftovers of the same thing.

Not pictured are the hundreds of donuts and treats I consumed. I was too involved with stuffing my face.

Everything Else

• Moving. The. Office. Just as un-fun as it sounds. I did a lot of packing (not just my own stuff) and of course, unpacking as well. For real, if/when I move again, I am taking nothing but my clothes. Everything else can go!

• And other than the fact that I didn't get to spend spring break with A, things are same ol' same ol'. At least she got to enjoy some nature and warmer weather!