Tag Archives: 5K

Fixating on Four Miles

Posted on by Run DMT
3

Falling back into my old ways, I arranged to meet Tiffany (my running partner) on Saturday morning for a 4 mile run.

 

“I can’t wait to see you–does this mean I will be making your blog again?”

 

Of course!  Would you expect anything less?

 

Not only did it feel great to be running again, but it was truly wonderful to be running with Tiffany again.  I know the feeling was mutual because Tiffany kindly said she didn’t mind how slow we went.  She was just glad to be running with me again and getting the miles in.  Now, that’s a true friend and running partner!

 

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve decided to participate in the Redefining Refuge 5K Fun Run and the Women’s 5K.  So for my training, I intend to run at least 4 miles each time.  Since I always seem to run more and go farther than 3.1 miles in a race due all my zig-zagging through the crowds, I want my body to be used to going the distance.

 

For the time being, I have two running goals: 1) Finish four miles under an hour.  2) Try and run at least three times a week.  Last week, I achieved goal #2.

 

Saturday, Oct. 9

4.40 miles

Calories 394

Ave Pace 15:15

Max Pace 9:37

Time 1:07:02

 

Despite the difficulties of running with a stroller and a crying a baby, I achieved goal #1 today. Although Baby Run DMT would probably disagree, I think a crying baby helped me move a bit faster.

 

Tuesday, Oct. 12

4 miles

Calories 365

Ave Pace 14:12

Max Pace 10:09

Time 56:44

 

Now, hopefully I can run at least two more times this week and achieve goal #2 too.

I’m a Mom on the Run Again!

Posted on by Run DMT
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Well, I’m more of a wogging (walking/jogging) mom again.  I was seven months pregnant the last time I ran and Wednesday was the first day I ran since the baby was born two months ago.  So, technically it’s been over 4 months since I last ran.

 

And it felt so good to hit the pavement again!

 

Since Baby Run DMT isn’t sitting up, I can’t dust off my jogging stroller just yet.  Therefore, I had to improvise and I ran with my UPPAbaby stroller with the bassinet attachment.  For not being a jogging stroller, I was really surprised how smooth it was to run with, although the hood of the bassinet caught the wind and slowed me down.  Well, I blame my pace on the wind. ;-)

 

I think Liam enjoyed all the bouncing while lying in the stroller because it reminded him of the jostling he felt in utero when I ran during my pregnancy.  Or maybe it was the fresh air?  Either way, he was quite content and cooed in his stroller while I ran. And I was content with the fact that I burned off enough calories equivalent to three Corona Lights.

 

Wednesday, Oct. 6

4 miles

Calories 321

Ave  Pace 17:10

Max Pace 10:28

Time 1:08:37

 

Thursday, Oct 7

4 miles

Calories 315

Ave Pace 15:53

Max Pace 10:26

Time 1:03:27

 

Thirty pounds and two months later after my pregnancy, I realized that I may need to invest in a new pair of running shoes.  With the extra baby weight, my balance is a little off and I believe my gait has changed which effects how my foot hits the ground because I had that all too familiar strange pain along the side of my foot again.  I tried to loosen my laces across the top of my foot throughout my run and tightened my shoes around my ankles but it didn’t seem to help.

 

While running, I also realized that I need to trim my toenails.  I can’t believe I forgot how uncomfortable long toenails can be.  It’s not like my toenails are Howard Hughes in length, but they could use a little filing.  At least, that’s what my running shoes reminded as my toenails kept hitting the meshy tops.  I guess I should have thought of it sooner since it’s been a few weeks since I had my toenails trimmed.  After all, the whites of my nail beds are such a stark contrast to the hot pink polish.  My gnarly toenails could have certainly used a trim.  And maybe a new color and bubbly foot spa and a massage as well.

 

Despite the weird foot pain and long toenails, it felt good to be out running again.  To keep me running, I’ve decided to register for two races in November: Women’s Running Magazine 5K and Redefining Refuge 5K Fun.

Keeping Up with the Bump

Posted on by Run DMT
21

My paces prior to Saturday’s Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K were up and down, but I felt confident that I could finish under 40 minutes.

 

The night before the race I slept horribly.  I haven’t had a decent night sleep in months, but Friday night seemed even worse than usual.  I don’t know if I was nervous about my prego performance at the race or about the weather.  The forecast predicted 85% chance of rain and 45 degree temperatures at 8:00 a.m.  Have I mentioned how much I hate running in the rain?

 

My running partner, Tiffany, couldn’t make the race, but my friends, Mike, Chrissy and her sister, Angie would all be there.

 

 

 

The rain came down in full force just as the first wave of runners began crossing the start line and bitter memories of last year’s Gasparilla marathon flashed into my mind.  Since I had no intention of running fast, I stayed in the back as the crowd slowly meandered to the start line.  By the time Chrissy and I crossed the start line, we were 7 minutes into the race.

 

 

 

 

Since I forgot to check the water station stops on the race map prior to race day, I carried a water bottle with me.  Even though the rain would keep me cool and hydrated, I wanted to keep fluids in my body.  Hopefully, my bladder would feel the same since I forgot to wear a panty liner.

 

My running plan was to run 1 mile and walk a bit.  Run another mile and walk a bit more and then finish the last mile running.  When I found a water station, it would be a welcomed break.

 

I did really well for my first mile. Too well. I actually caught myself running a 9:30 mm pace and forced myself to slow down (doctor’s orders).  I finished mile 1 in 11:28 even though the clock said otherwise.

 

 

 

For mile 2, some military men moved in and their chants caused the crowd to clear a path for them.  These service men had a decent pace going and I ran with them for the next mile, however, I don’t think they would be happy to know that they were running the speed of a pregnant mama.  LOL  But in all truthfulness, their chants highly motivated me and all the other runners pacing alongside the soldiers.

 

 

After mile 2, I spotted a water station and the soldiers and I parted our ways.  I guzzled three cups of water while enjoying the view of the bay and the home stretch.

 

 

 

The last mile went fast even though my pace was slow.  Isn’t funny how 3 miles seem like a warm-up after you are accustomed to running longer distances? But even at my slower than usual pre-pregnancy pace, I finished under 40 minutes.

 

 

 

Clock Time: 42:58

Chip Time: 36:01

Ave Pace: 11:32.6

Max Pace: 8:36 (according to my Garmin)

Overall Place: 5438 / 9650

Gender Place: 2593 / 5585

Div Place: 354 / 785

Age Grade: 42.1%

Run DMT Grade: 100% KICK A$$!

 


 

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Going for Gasparilla

Posted on by Run DMT
2

Late last Saturday evening, I bit the bullet and registered for the Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K.  Since I’ve been feeling pretty good and my bladder is still holding stong, I feel capable to run a 5K.  So why not go for the Gasparilla gold?  After all that little bit of runner bling will look so lovely resting on my big ol’ baby bump.

 

The weather has been ridiculously frigid by Florida standards since December which makes it awfully difficult for me to find any motivation to run.  We’ve also had a really wet winter and I hate running in the rain.  Plus, since becoming pregnant, my sleep pattern has been so out of whack that I can’t seem to summon the energy to run in the early morning (my favorite time of day).  So, all of these stupid excuses seem to get in the way of any running, but I needed to find some room for running with a race only weeks away.

 

For the past month, I’ve maintained my training with wogging (jogging/walking).  I’ve kept my pace around 11:00-11:30 mm and remarkably throughout my little wogs around the neighborhood, I haven’t had a constant urge to pee, which is pretty amazing for a running pregnant mama.  But since I never know when an unsuspecting cough or sneeze will strike, I think I will start wearing a panty liner to avoid wet wogs just to be safe.

 

On Tuesday, the sun was shining. Our temps began to warm up to normal highs for this time of year and the sun greeted me like an old friend.  With every step, I soaked up the sun’s rays and I found my mojo once again.

3.10 miles

Time 35:17

Ave Pace 11:22

Max Pace 8:23

 

Then, on Wednesday our temps dropped again and the rain returned, but an e-mail from Tiffany, my running partner, later that evening coerced me to run in the cold early morning on Thursday.

3.18 miles

Time 41:50

Ave Pace 13:11

Max Pace 9:29

 

I feel confident that I will wog my way to the finish in about 40 minutes and hopefully, I can keep my race adrenaline from forcing me to run too fast for my bladder’s sake.

Hal, My Hero

Posted on by Run DMT
19

BlogoversaryIn August 2008, I celebrated reaching 1000 hits with a Hal Higdon giveaway.  Since Hal Higdon’s MARATHON–The Ultimate Training Guide: The Third Edition was my very first giveaway, I decided to offer another autographed copy.

 

Over the past couple of years, I’ve followed Hal’s plans meticulously.  He’s seen me through six 5Ks, three 10Ks, two marathons, two half-marathons, which all can be viewed here.  Hal has helped me tremendously and now he can help a Run DMT reader, too.

 

First, I have to explain how I came about receiving this autographed copy.  After searching halhigdon.com for his contact information, I decided to search the internet for how to contact Hal and Google revealed Hal’s Facebook account.  (Yes, Hal Higdon is on Facebook.)  For a brief moment, I wondered if I should add Hal as a friend, but I feared I would appear as though I was stalking him.  Besides did I really want Hal to know all of my status updates?  Denise is drinking heavily after a long day with the kids. 

 

After choosing to not add Hal as a friend, I decided to send him an e-mail requesting him to sponsor a giveaway for my blog and he graciously did!  (How cool is that?!  See why Hal is my hero?)  So, here it is: an autographed copy of MARATHON–The Ultimate Training Guide: The Third Edition!  To enter to win this book, simply add a comment below.  Contest ends Tuesday, August 4.  Good luck!

 

marathon-guide

 

For additional entries:

  •  Visit halhigdon.com and read his on-line training programs and other articles.  Share what you learned by adding a comment below.  You’ll get one entry for each little tidbit you share. 
  • Add Hal Higdon as your friend on Facebook.
  •  Follow @denisermt on Twitter.
  •  Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.  Add a new comment for each time you tweet: @denisermt Run DMT’s #blogoversary- Win MARATHON signed by Hal Higdon. http://tinyurl.com/m52rev

Fast(ing)

Posted on by Run DMT
4

This morning, I ran 3 miles.  Although I had to drag myself out of bed to run, once I got moving, I felt pretty good about my run. 

 

Isn’t funny how some days are good running days and other days you feel like you are dragging?  Some days you feel like a gazelle and other days you feel like a turtle and some days you’re just moving along.  But when you download your Garmin stats, there is no evidence of a struggle or any proof of a good pace or sometimes you’re just blown away that you managed to move faster than you thought. 

 

Well, today I felt fast and I’ve got the stats to prove it.  I incorporated ¼ sprints into today’s run and the results were comparable to my performances at the past few 5K races.

 3 miles

Time 27:17

Pace 9:05

 

After my sad performance last Saturday, today’s run helped boost my ego a bit.

Will Run for Beer, Part Two

Posted on by Run DMT
5

Somehow I missed the memo about National Running Day and I didn’t run yesterday.  My excuse: With the last day of school festivities, there was simply no time for running.  Not to worry, though!  I celebrated the National Running Day a day late by running 6 miles this morning at sunrise. 

 

 

Unfortunately, my time was TERRIBLE! 

Time: 58:11

Pace: 9:42

 

My excuse: I ate too many McDonald french fries and Sonic root beer floats.  I did not miss the memo about $2.49 Happy Meals and free Sonic root beer floats, which are definitely not running food.

 

Being a total slacker, I also missed the memo about the Juneathon, which is this pact where you work out every day for the month of June.  With a Moms of the Go beach weekend planned at the end of the month, I could certainly use a little motivation to tone up my tummy before stepping onto the beach in a bikini.  So, starting tomorrow, I in!

 

Tomorrow, I plan to run 3 miles and swim 16 laps before my DH leaves for work.  It’s a good plan, right?  Well, we’ll see.  I’m heading out to a local beer garden for a much-needed moms night out this evening and hopefully, I won’t consume too much beer to hinder my tri training in the morning.  The up-side: I will have trained for the beer drinking portion of next Friday’s tap house 5K.

 

Will Run for Beer

Posted on by Run DMT
6

Next Friday, I will be running in the Oldsmar Tap House 5K.  My 5K time has been slowly improving with today’s run being the fastest yet.  Have I mentioned that the first 30 finishers for the 5K get “das boot”?  Now, you know why I am so motivated to run fast these days! 

 

 

Before this morning’s run, I felt very light-headed and dizzy, which I know is allergy related.  I haven’t popped a Zyrtec in a while and I ran out of Nasacort some time last week.    Despite the dizziness, I still ran pretty well.

Distance: 3.0

Time: 27:17

Pace: 9:06

 

While running this morning, I crossed paths with another running neighbor who told me about a running club that meets at Starkey Park early Saturday mornings.  She told me that they really help keep her driven and focused.  I think I will check it out this Saturday.

 

For the past couple of Saturdays, I have been running 3 miles and swimming ¼ mile to train for the Faces of Courage triathlon in August (formerly known as Babes and Bums).  My swim time was terrible, but my run time was pretty good.

Distance: 3.26

Time: 30:01

Pace:  9:12

However, I haven’t hopped on my bike yet due to scheduling conflicts with my hubby’s work schedule.  Once our schedules jives, I’ll be spinning my wheels again.

 

So, if I meet with the running club this Saturday, I may be switching my long Sunday run to Saturdays and my triathlon training (swim and run) to Sundays.  Unfortunately, I still don’t know what day I will be cycling.

Morning Glory

Posted on by Run DMT
8

My running seems to be picking up a bit these days in more ways than one.  For one, I’ve gotten over that lazy slump and now I’m back on track. 

 

My weird toe/foot pain has gone away, as long as I remember to keep my laces loose.

 

Waking up before the crack of dawn once again, I get the luxury of enjoying early morning runs while watching the sunrise.  And since our Tampa Bay weather pattern has fallen into its usual pattern of afternoon showers, it leaves mostly means clear mornings for my early morning runs.

 

Moving past these few set backs and getting back into my regular running routine, my pace has improved as a result.  I’m back to my normal pace again despite all the heat, humidity, allergy and asthma attacks.  It feels good to be back in the game!  I believe I may actually do well at the Oldsmar Tap House 5K in a couple weeks.  I was nervous there for awhile.

 

Wednesday night, I had some killer headaches, which were either caused by my allergies or the anticipated arrival of my Aunt Flo.  Determined to run 6 miles, I went to bed at a reasonable time and awoke with an unusual zest Thurdsday morning only to discover the menstrual cramps were kicking.  Aunt Flo was on her way and obviously, allergies did not cause my migraines.  However, the cramps did not crumble my ambition to run 6 miles.

 

Many women keep track of their Aunt Flo’s arrival, but I’m not one of those women.  I don’t mark a calendar and I don’t have a clue as to when I’m ovulating.  And for me, each menstrual cycle brings different symptoms.  Hence, my confusion about the migraines I experienced. 

 

Some women are very in tune with their bodies.  I also listen to my body, but I always ignore what it tells me.  As you can imagine, I listen to my body as well as I listen to my husband.  They are equally ignored.

 

On occasion, I suppose I should listen to my husband and perhaps, my body too.  Thursday morning was precisely the moment when I should have listened.  Before stepping out the door for my run, I ignored the cramps and other signs of Aunt Flo’s arrival.  As a result, I was not prepared for her arrival.

 

One of my marathon fears includes losing all control of my bowels during a race.  I don’t want to be this guy.  I don’t care how fast he can run.

 

 

Well, no woman wants to be this gal either. 

 

 

About a mile into my run, Aunt Flo arrived and she made quite the grand entrance.  Thankfully, no evident leakage occurred but I do believe Aunt Flo encouraged me to run faster.

 

6 miles

Time: 57:37

Pace: 9:36

 

Stats of other runs this week:

 

Saturday, 5/23- 3 miles

Time: 29:06

Pace: 9:40

 

Sunday, 5/24 – 6 miles

Time: 1:06:24 – I blame this time on my running partners.  ;-)

Pace: 11:03

 

Wednesday, 5/27 – 3 miles

Time: 28:50

Pace: 9:37

Goofy for Gasparilla, Part 6

Posted on by Run DMT
8

Over the weekend, Tiffany and I met for our long run on Saturday instead of Sunday.  I planned to run 10 miles, but towards the end of the run, I felt I could go further.  I ran 12 miles easy. :-)

 

By Florida standards, it was a very cold morning.  At 6:30 a.m., frost still covered the ground as the temperature sat a frigid 36 degrees.  Although we were freezing during our run, it was a great run.  I took it easy at about a 10 minute pace.  It was just the run I needed to boost my confidence for Sunday’s marathon.  I feel ready.

 

Also during our run, we enjoyed the view of a hot air balloon launching in the distance.  We need to run on Saturdays more often!

 

 

I hope to run a few light runs this week, but I will be taking it easy.  I noticed my BFF Hal suggests a 2 mile run the day before the race and funny enough, I am still considering running in the 5k on Saturday since so many of my friends are running in the race.  I will decide Friday morning at the expo if I will run in the 5K or not.