Bootcamp Month 2, Week 3

A cold front has moved into Pensacola so our outdoor bootcamp classes got moved into the local church gym. I'm still really enjoying the classes and the variety they bring to my workout routines. I went to Monday night and Tuesday morning sessions before we started our Thanksgiving vacation trip to CO.
Monday was called FOF 40's:

We were inside so no sprints; instead we got to jump rope. I'm getting really good at jumping rope and actually enjoy it. The thrusters in this set were super tough by the last time through. I was definitely feeling my legs after this workout!
Tuesday morning we did 12 Rounds of Torture (think 12 Days of Christmas):

I made it the entire way through this board and then up to #4 before time was called. This was another fun one and no run (jump rope instead). The last two exercises were by far the worst. When we were done two of us got to put on these awesome suits...

Yea, those things were like a sauna. I didn't wear my shoes, and had no grip so I ended up getting knocked out of the "ring" every time. Sucked, but was fun just the same. Great way to end this month's workouts for me. No more until December.

Bootcamp, Month 2, week 2

This is probably the first time this has ever happened - two days on one board! I ran the marathon on Sunday, so I took Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off from bootcamp. Wednesday night I went to WOB and ran the 5k with Alyssa and Team RWB. I was not too thrilled on Thursday morning when I saw the board involved more running and resisted the urge to turn and run home.
On Thursday bootcamp, we did our normal warm-up and then knocked out a one mile run followed with 300 squats, 200 push-ups, 100 sit-ups. It was best to break those up so I did 9 sets of 30 squats, 20 push-ups, and 10 sit-ups. I ran out of time and couldn't get the last set in before we had to run one  more mile. Didn't get to finish my mile either since time was short (did 3 laps then he called us all in). I did hold the entire 90 second plank at the end of class though - that was a first!!!
On Friday it was super cold out and windy (I think it was around 29 degrees at 545 am) so we had bootcamp indoors. It was actually a pretty easy board - all abs. 20 ab exercises. He just yelled out the exercise and gave us a certain number of reps or time. The wall sits were the worst! My legs have had quite the beating this week.
I plan on going to the Monday class before we leave for vacation. I'd like to get Tuesday in as well, but that might be pushing it a bit. I'm still pleasantly surprised with how well I've recovered after the marathon. I was really expecting to hate running and not want to run again for a long time, instead I'm still really enjoying it!

Veteran's Memorial 5k

The Veteran's Memorial 5k Run was a great little event in Milton, FL. The race organizer asked if our team could provide runners for all the service flags. We managed to find someone for all the services and Tracy ran with the POW flag and I was going to run with the American flag. We had a brief mix-up at the start, but we just rolled with it. Michael was gracious enough to carry the American flag (still placed in the top 6) and I ended up running with the Marine Corps flag. I figured it was okay since my brother was a Marine, I just did it for him. I was pretty tired after having just completed the marathon the weekend before, but just kept pushing through...kept telling myself, this is for you Stew, I can do this, I won't let you down!
They captured a few really great photos from the air:

 

 

It really was a small race; maybe 50 people? It was still quite moving to see all the flags. 3 of the top 6 finishers were carrying flags! We started off at the airport and then ran on the original highway through Milton. It was all brick! It was very pretty, but hard to run on. I don't have any good shots of the actual highway we ran on. There were police escorts on horseback throughout too - they were neat to see.

They got a pretty good shot of me running with the flag:

My stats:
Time: 28:39 (with flag)
Place: 4/6 in age group
Overall: 16/36
We also managed to make it in the paper; that's always fun!

Hopefully they'll do this race again next year and we'll be able to get more people to come out and support our local veterans!

Pensacola Marathon

I. DID. IT!!!!! It's official, I'm a marathoner! I am so very, very proud of myself. I can't believe it!! 26.2 miles at one time. Just amazing. I have come so far since I started this blog and running. Just three years ago I started the C25K with a double jogging stroller and now I'm a marathoner!
I was so nervous the week leading into the marathon. I had trouble eating and actually had to force myself to eat several times. I was a huge bundle of nerves. I had some of my Team RWB teammates come over on Friday night and we chowed down on spaghetti, ate chocolate cake, drank some wine, and made a ton of motivational signs for the marathon. Arin, Alyssa, and Laurel did a great job at helping keep my mind off the upcoming race.
Saturday Chris and the kids went with me downtown to the expo to pick up my race packet. He bought me the pink 26.2 sticker for after the race and even found the pair of patriotic socks I'd been wanting. We drove the course one more time on the way home. It felt like a long way just driving it which probably didn't help my nerves any. When I got home I crossed off the last day on my training calendar and then laid out all my race stuff. The only thing missing was my trusty Garmin which hasn't been so trusty lately. It's been struggling to last longer then 90 minutes, so there was no way it would last the marathon.

Gathering all my gear helped calm my nerves. I did the mandatory post to facebook and then logged off to unwind. I forced down some rice and chicken for dinner and then I made myself some sleepy time tea before getting to bed. Chris was so helpful with getting the kids cleaned up and in bed so that I could relax and destress.
I contribute the majority of my success on race morning to the support of Chris and the kids. They got up with me on race morning, dropped me off at the start, and then randomly popped up along the course for the next 26.2 miles. It was so wonderful having them along for my journey. It made my heart skip a beat and brought a huge smile to my face every time I spotted them along the course.
They dropped me off at the start around 540ish (race started at 630). It turned out to be a little warmer then I was expecting so I left the arm warmers in the car, but kept my throw-away gloves. I ran into some of the mom's from my playdate group before the start (Michelle, Lisa, and Jennifer). We didn't train together, but we followed each others progress online. I'm so glad we snagged a picture together at the start because we actually ended up running a lot of the race together.

Stan wanted to run the entire race with the American flag and asked if anyone wanted to run along with him to help get it done. Kelsey, Katie, and I offered to run along with him. Unfortunately, they ended up going out faster then me and I was never able to catch them. I'm sure this turned out for the best since it was my first marathon and their pace plus the added weight of the flag would've surely made the race turn out completely different for me. After watching them complete the marathon and now finishing one myself my goal for next year (because yes I want to do it again) is to run the whole thing with the American flag.

My goal from the start was to join the 5 hour pace group and try my best to stick with them. In the beginning it would be to keep me at a slower pace and in the end it would help keep me going. I did the first mile with them, but as we came up on the first hill I pulled ahead and stayed ahead for quite some time. I ran into Michelle, Jennifer, and Lisa around mile 3 and we stayed together for probably the next 10-15 miles.
I saw Chris and the kids for the first time around mile 5. They were waiting for me at the top of a steady climb.

 They were giving high 5's to the runners!

He drove past me a little bit later honking the horn with the kids cheering and waving flags - it was so awesome! I passed the 10k mark at 1:10 (11:22 pace) which was great! That meant I was successful at keeping those first few miles at a reasonable pace and not too fast.
I saw Chris and the kids for the second time around mile 11.5. He got some photos of me running with Michelle and Jennifer. We were still smiling at this point of the race.

 

We ended up losing Jennifer around mile 14. She started having a side stitch and leg cramps. Michelle and I were still feeling strong so we pressed on. I passed the half way point around 2:28 and was still feeling really strong. I had just gotten done telling Michelle that I was starting to get hungry when I came up on my running Coach Michael's beer aid station. He was there with Charlie and they were cheering and hollering. He had a pb and honey sandwich for me!!! It was so awesome. I gobbled up two quick bites then pushed on. I was getting close to the 12th avenue hill (mile 17). I was so happy when I saw Chris and the kids at the top of it!!
Katelynn ran down it and gave me a huge hug...

Then we jog/walked to the top.

She kept asking me, "Aren't we going to run Mom?!?"

 

I drank some stuff at aid station 18 that I thought was Nuun, but it didn't taste like Nuun, it tasted like Gatorade and I can't do Gatorade when I run. I ended up feeling super sick for the next several miles. I've never felt like that while running. I really wanted to take another Gu too, but I was worried that it would push me over the edge and I'd get sick and not be able to finish, so I just kept sipping on water.
Chris caught up with me right sometime in mile 18. I was still feeling okay in this first photo.

This is at mile 19 and I was just starting to feel crummy from that crap I drank. Jamie, the 5 hour pacer, had just passed me. He is just in front of me in the yellow tank top holding the pacer sign in this picture.

Mile 19, 20, and 21 all seemed extremely far apart. I never felt like I wanted to give up, I just felt like it was taking forever to reach aid stations and people. That stretch along Palafox was long and quiet. This is also the stretch when I realized how hot the race suddenly seemed. The sun was just beating on me. No shade for the rest of the race. Chris and the kids drove past me and he knew something was wrong. He drove really slow and then went ahead of me and pulled over.

 You can see the expressions on my face, I was less then thrilled.

I just kept telling myself that it was okay to walk, that I needed to enjoy this moment, don't dwell on the heat or the fact that the pacer (and Michelle) was now in front of me instead of behind.

Then just like that - Look! The kids and Chris! And this time they are waving flags and cheering and jumping up and down shouting, "Go Mommy!" Oh, I feel good. I love them so much. I can do this! I see the church, it's all downhill from there. I've run this loop lots of times. I am doing this! I can do this!!

Alright, I'm off and running again!!

I ran into downtown Palafox, caught up to Michelle, chatted with her for a bit, and pushed on. Grabbed two bites of a banana at mile 23 and no longer felt like I was going to be sick. I'm nearly there! Only a 5k to go! I so got this!!
At mile 24 I heard someone calling my name. I looked up and it was Kristy. Smile, she said. Okay, I can do that. I've got this!! 2.2 more miles to go!!!

Just past mile 25 I saw someone in a blue Team RWB shirt coming towards me with a flag. Is that Bill? What in the world is he doing? Why, he was coming to help get me to the finish. You couldn't ask for a better teammate! With only a mile to go I found Chris and the kids. Chris handed me an American flag and we all took it to the finish - Bill, Katelynn, Denver, Chris, and me. All one team.

Passed my girls Victoria, Alyssa, and Arin at a motivation station with only half a mile to go...

Every time I see these photos of that last half mile my heart just swells. It was a wonderful way to finish my first marathon. I walked a little, ran a little, cried a little, and crossed that finish line in 5:14:45!

 

 

 

My favorite photo from the entire day:

And just like that I'm a marathoner!! I chugged a chocolate milk, ate a banana, and then got some hugs from my girls...

Then Chris drove me to the Gulf and I climbed in up to my hips and just let the cold, gentle waves wash over my tired legs. We went home and I soaked in an epsom salt bath, put on my compression leg sleeves, put my feet up and marveled at all I had just accomplished. I stressed all week about all the horror stories I had heard about people running marathons. I had wondered if my longest run at 15 miles would be enough. In the end I was so thankful that I had all my toenails, no foot issues, no chafing, nothing was wrong with me other then some tired legs. Every time I stood up on Monday I was reminded about what I had just accomplished. By Tuesday I was walking in the parade and doing our Team RWB WOD with Warriors (that included sprints, squats, and box jumps) with no pain, just soreness. Today, three days after my marathon my legs feel great. What an absolutely wonderful experience. I am so proud of myself and all that I have accomplished. I can not thank my husband and children, my running Coach Michael, and my Team RWB family enough!

Bootcamp Month 2, Week 1

For the month of November I changed things up with my schedule. I opted to do the FLEX option which allows me to do 8 classes during the month. I did two the first week and I'll do two the second week. That leaves me 4 more classes that I unfortunately won't be able to do with the group because of our trip to CO. However they do supply you with additional workouts you can do, so I'm going to take them along and have Chris and his family do them with me.
With the beginning of the month comes fitness assessments. Here are my results from the first month:

It shows a one pound weight loss, but according to my scale at home I'm back in the 150's and officially lost those 5-6 pounds that I've been holding onto since we moved here. I could not be happier with my results!! I'm still surprised when I see photos of myself. In my mind I'm a lot bigger...

I really am enjoying the bootcamp classes. I've noticed an increased level in my energy and mood. The first two classes for the month were:
Day 1

That is not a 50 mile run - HA! It's half a mile. We did the half mile run and 50 pushups, then a half mile run and 50 burpees, then a half mile run and 50 situps, etc. I think there was a recovery period before each run and the 50 reps of an exercise *might* have been timed. I do remember getting the whole way through the board and then requesting to start from the bottom up instead of at the top again. I made it half way through the squats (or was it dips...) before the workout for the day was over. I asked to start from the bottom because we had Burpee-palooza the Friday before and I didn't want to do more burpees; I also promised to use the 15 lb medicine ball for the russian twists since he let me do it the opposite way.
Day 2:

Another running workout, but at least the exercises with it were mostly upper body. I was actually glad that during the week leading up to the marathon the workouts had running in them. It's been super dark at the evening workouts so instead of "flying" down the field we "flew" around the track for one speedy lap. It was a timed workout. Each set was 5 minutes long - 20 seconds, 10 second break for 4 minutes then 30 seconds and 30 seconds followed with a speedy lap and recover.
Wednesday night was my weekly run with Team RWB. I ran the 5k with Alyssa. It was so good to be back and running with the group again - I missed them while Chris was on nights. We ran the route pretty quickly - 3.2 miles in 30 minutes (9:16 pace). My only issue was my left knee started to feel funny, so I decided to not do bootcamp or run until the marathon; I didn't need to aggravate it any.

Week 4 of Bootcamp - End of First Month

I need to work on getting my weekly posts done in a more timely fashion; makes it easier to remember the workouts. Last week was the end of Month One. I feel stronger and have managed to get back down into the 150's (159) which also means that I busted right through that plateau and have lost the 5 lbs I've been sitting on since moving here. I've been doing really well with tracking my food and logging all my workouts and I think that's made all the difference. I ate Halloween candy (probably a little too much), but thankfully it didn't seem to mess me up any.
I don't remember the workouts from last week and I only remembered to take two pictures. This one is probably from Monday. I don't even remember if I made it the whole way through the board. The numbers on the board are distances on the field, I think. Anyway, here is the board.

I took a picture of this one because it was ridiculous! Burpee-Palooza! I never even knew there were that many types of burpees!! I did them all, with a partner. We finished the board and then did 2 more sets. Tough workout, but excellent workout! I felt super awesome after finishing this board!!

I am doing the bootcamp class this month too, but it's a FLEX plan so I am only doing 8 classes. I did it this way because of 1) the marathon and 2) we're going to CO for two weeks. Thankfully Chris is back on days too so I get to "sleep-in" and do the evening classes.
My marathon is in a few days. All my runs lately have all been short and fast. I am beyond nervous about the marathon and have been trying really hard not to think about it or how unprepared I feel for it. I will be spending some time over the next day or two searching for positive motivational thoughts to help keep me going when those miles start to get tough. It's going to be a challenge, but honestly I feel like all the work I've put in this past month has made me a lot stronger. August and September tried really hard to beat me up and knock me down, but I've been fighting back and have had a very strong October. I can see the finish line!!!