Is it September already?

There's nothing like 6 month old race recaps, right?  While I'm sure reading about my 30 second run intervals has been fascinating, I think y'all probably would like some more interesting content and I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here.  But the Saints Back to Football 5K last September IS my standing 5K PR, so why not give y'all a recap?

There was no expo or anything, but we did run in to one of our favorite friends in New Orleans, George at packet pick up.

We went all out showing our support for the Saints.  Like I've mentioned in an earlier post, I've visited the Who Dat Nation and I'm not sure I want citizenship there, but we do like the team.

What attracted us to this race: A medal for a 5K (you know I love the bling!), and getting to finish on the 50 yard line of the Super Dome.  The down side to this race: running in NOLA in early September.  It was super hot and humid, even though we're used to the heat and humidity and had been training in it all summer long.  The lack of shade coming back up Poydras and around the Dome didn't help this at all.  There was little course support, with only 1 water stop and no sports drinks to replenish all that lost salt.  I know it was only a 5K, but it was SO hot they really needed one more water stop.  

Mark and I did our Galloway intervals from the start, and we picked up a friend along the way.  A man and woman were running together in the first mile.  She was an experienced runner, but this was his first race, and he was really struggling. When we told him we were doing the run/walk method, he announced loudly to his partner "I'm running with them!"  He stuck with us the whole way, and helping him along motivated me when I started to struggle with the heat. 

Oddest thing on course:  Passing the guy who was taking a walk break at mile 2.5 because he was also taking a smoke break.  Really!?

Even with the heat I broke 45 minutes to get a half PR of 44:16 (hey, I never claimed to be speedy!).  I really believe that I would've broken 40:00 had there been a second aid station, but oh well, I was still happy with my time, and it really was a fun race.

What I've Been Up To

On Monday I started Couch to 5K again.  It went pretty well.  On the plate for week 1 is 60 seconds running, 90 seconds of walking, for 20 minutes.  When I started back running a couple of weeks ago, I started with running 30 seconds and walking 1 minute, and I felt like I still had a lot in my legs, so moving up to 60 seconds running hasn't been so bad.  Before my injury I was wogging at anywhere from a 2:1 down to a 1:1 ratio.  This time I want to be able to run longer running segments, which will automatically increase my pace.  I don't want to ever have to spend a race looking over my shoulder for sweepers.  I want to relax and have fun at races, especially Disney ones.

At the recommendation of my PT and my husband, I got fitted for new shoes.

Oddly enough, they put me back into a stability shoe.  I'm going to run in these for a few weeks before I give any kind of judgement publicly.  On the downside, now I have 3 pairs of sad, lonely Newton Gravity's.  Anybody interested in a 2013 pair in Watermelon, size 7, with only 5 miles on them??

Mark and I have re-organized our weight program, so we are lifting more weight and more regularly.  I feel like part of the reason my foot broke was due to tightness in my arch and calf, so I'm trying to strengthen my core as much as I can before I start training for any distance, to take the pressure off my calves.  My hips and back don't seem to be hurting as much, but I'm not pulling double digit miles either.

And in non-running related news, this weekend Mark and I got to go see Sir Elton John, live and in person!  We rarely have good concerts in this neck of the woods, so we jumped on the tickets as soon as they went on Ticketmaster.  Our seats were in the nosebleed section way to the side of the stage, but they were still awesome seats.  Look, here's  crappy iphone proof! Elton's the sparkly fella behind the piano.

Race Bucket List

Since I'm starting to get back on my feet, I'm starting to think about races.  It was really tough a couple of weeks ago to see all the social media surrounding Disney World Marathon Weekend, knowing I had to give up on the 10K.  So I've been dreaming of what I want to do once I can.  In an ideal world, someday I'll do these races.

In no particular order:

Key West Half: Mark and I loved our visit to Key West a few years ago.  And who doesn't want a medal that doubles as a wine stopper!

Space Coast Half: I've always had a love of space, so to get to run in the shadow of where the shuttle used to be would be so exciting.  Spoiler alert:  the 2014 medal is just too good to pass up.  Mark and I registered.  I signed up before I was released to run.  Maybe not the smartest thing in the world.

Kentucky Derby Half:  Because I've always wanted to go to the Derby.  Running through Churchill Downs in a Derby hat is almost as good.

Disney Princess Half:  Although I'm a little disappointed in the medal for 2014.  Maybe 2015 will be better.

Disneyland Tinkerbell Half: My big dream is to run the Coast to Coast challenge, and I like the looks of the Tink course.  And they've moved the race to Mother's Day weekend.  2015 is starting to look optimistic...

Disneyland Half: Totally because of the ginormous D medal!

Rock n' Roll Las Vegas:  Vegas is one of Mark's and my favorite cities.  We honeymooned there.  I know this race has had some organizational problems in the past, but I'd risk it to run down the Strip at night.

Gasparilla Half: Because all of my race decisions are determined by the bling.  And I like flat courses.

Mississippi Blues Half: I've just heard this is a great race.  And I have friends in Jackson, so no hotel costs!

Oh yeah, and I want to become a Half Fanatic.

So what's on your race bucket list?  Any fantastic races I'm missing out on?  Post it here!

I Can Run, I Can Run, I Can Run!

I haven't been so giddy and excited since Christmas!  I thought this day would never come. Last week my foot was feeling tons better and I asked my PT (again) if I could start running.  She wanted me to bring my shoes to my next appointment (yesterday) so she could evaluate my form and stride, but also that I could start to run a little in the mean time if I felt up to it.  I didn't leave the office and immediately run 6 miles, but it was pretty close to that.

I waited until the next day and started on my recovery plan.  I'm planning to do as much as I can on softer surfaces, like the indoor track at the Y and the high school outdoor track.  Everything I've read says to start back slow, so I've put together a combination of Jeff Galloway and Couch to 5K plans to get my mileage back up and help improve my endurance at the same time.

Week 1: 25 minutes - run 15 seconds, walk 1-2 minutes x2
Week 2: 30-40 minutes - run 30 seconds, walk 1-2 minutes x 3
Weeks 3-11 - Couch to 5K plan

You can see I'm running for minutes, not miles right now.  I'm focusing on endurance and increasing my running intervals.  Since I don't have any races coming up on the calendar, this should put me in a good place for when I do start to train again.  I'm not gonna lie, though: it's tough not to see those weekly mileage totals where I'd like them to be.  But starting back at C25K was my plan all along, even before my injury.  I didn't have enough base built up to train for the races I did, which left me struggling and disappointed with myself.  I don't want to have to worry whether or not I'll be able to finish when I line up at the start line next time.

What do you think of my training plan?  Have any experience coming back from an injury and want to give me some advice?  Will my Sparkle Skirts help me recover faster?  Leave a comment!