Random Thoughts about Some Rain Delays, Another Boston Run, a Joggermom Marathon and an UnTrack Tuesday

When it rains, it pours. Boy, does that expression have some irony to it this week. My kids were sick last week and I thought Little Lion Man was feeling better, but now he has this nasty cough. I think it may be allergies, but I may take him to the doctor tomorrow if it doesn’t clear up.

Then, this morning a violent thunderstorm rolled through, so no speedwork. I attempted some slow and heavy weight-lifting instead. I really miss Body Pump and I can’t wait to join the YMCA to participate in that class again.

I guess it’s good that the rain made me miss my speedwork, because I feel like I’m stagnating with my sprints. Since I’m not getting any faster, I think I need to kick it up a notch with 4 x 800m sprints. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.

I’ve been doing well with my running, but I’ve really slacked off with my triathlon training. The weather has been all over the place with hot and cool days, so our community pool hasn’t had a chance to really warm up. I can’t remember the last time I rode my bike, so that’s never good. If the weather cooperates, I plan to ride 10 miles Thursday morning. I really need to get back into the swing of tri training because participating in Iron Girl Clermont in September, which will be here before I know it.

Iron Girl in Training_badge

Tomorrow starts the Joggermom Marathon. This will be my third year participating in the month long virtual marathon. Each week, there will be lots of prizes and weekly drawings, so if you want to join me, sign up here and 10% of your entry will go to the American Heart Association Heart, because as you know, heart disease is the number one killer in women.

Next week, the Florida Gulf Beaches Road Races added another race to their lineup to support the One Boston fund. The 2.62 Tampa Bay for Boston Memorial Run will happen on Wednesday, May 8. Chris Lauber organized an amazing Boston Run event and requested my friend, Marcia, to share her Boston Marathon experience. I can’t miss this one! I have to show my support my Marcia and Boston.

And speaking of races, registration for the Best Damn Race opens tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and I’m hoping to score a dollar entry again. It’s like the NYC marathon slogan says, “a dollar and a dream.”

Last Thursday, I met some friends to run a 6 mile tempo run. With all my PF issues, it hurts to run fast or maintain a race pace for too long. Since Heather and Jennifer G only wanted to run 4 miles, I ran one warm-up mile to the clubhouse, ran a good 4 miles tempo with them and then I ran one mile home. I guess the combination worked because I shave about 30 seconds off my 10K time, which is a good start. Hopefully, in time, my 10K will be under an hour again. I would love that!

6.2 miles
Time 10:01:55
Ave Pace 10:00
Max Pace 7:32

While playing nursemaid to my sick kids, I didn’t have the strength to run on Friday. Then, Saturday Allana and I volunteered at her Girl Scout Troop’s Run 4 Respect, so once again no running happened. I couldn’t let Sunday slip by without a run, but I was seriously exhausted. I wanted to run further than I did and ride my bike, but I only ran 3 miles and it wasn’t a great run. But then, at least I ran!

3.1 miles
Time 30:38
Ave Pace 9:58
Max Pace 7:27

Looks like my speedwork will be scrapped this week, because I’d like to attempt another tempo run on Thursday with my friends and then ride my bike later that morning after I drop Liam off at daycare. As for the rest of my workout plans this week, I will be trying out a new Kickboxing class with my friends tomorrow night. Hopefully, I won’t be too sore for a tempo run the next morning.

So, what’s your workout plan this week? Did the weather force you to skip speedwork this week too?

Psst…even if you miss your workouts, don’t miss out on this FRS giveaway.

Random Thoughts about Combating Fitness, Fat, Fatigue, Some New Shoes and Track Tuesday

Even with hubby out of town last week, still I managed to step up my fitness game. My friend, Jackie, teaches body combat and she invited me to try her Friday class. I love kick-boxing and martial arts aerobics so I knew I would love her class. It was definitely ab-kicking fun! My arms, shoulders and legs were sore for days! I love delayed on set pain!

Of course, to participate in Jackie’s Body Combat class, I had to take advantage of the YMCA child care, but Little Lion Man was not happy to be left there. I’ve never had to deal with anxiety separation before, but thank goodness he settled in soon after I left him. I was so worried about getting pulled in the middle of my jab, jab workout.

Last Wednesday, I visited Pura for spin. The Wednesday class is now a Heart Rate class, but I’m not quite how to make heads or tails of this information. Apparently, I need to stay in the higher range a little longer. In other words, I need to turn the gear a bit more to the right to get my heart rate going. (On a completely different subject, isn’t this shot amazing?! I took it with my DNA. Just a little Verizon Wireless plug there for you.)

I wanted to do a tempo run on Thursday, but that never happened. I didn’t realize hubby needed to leave for 5:30 and my body just didn’t want to get up and run at 4:00 a.m. Sometimes, you just have to let your body get some rest. Besides, I knew I would need to rest to tend to three kids on my own for a couple of days.

Saturday I ran 10 miles in the ‘hood, which was a tough run for me because my legs were cranky tired from Friday’s combat class. Plus, it was cold, much colder than they projected the overnight low to be. I was freezing! You would have thought the cold weather would make run faster! Nope. I’m like a cold-blooded creature. I move slower in cold weather.

10 miles
Time 1:54:07
Ave Pace 11:25
Max Pace

Sunday, my family and I visited to Busch Gardens, so no cycling adventure for me. Monday, I had another Moms Squad appearance on the news, so work-out yesterday either, but I did love my abs! I’m up to 200 hundred reps now and I actually noticed my love handles beginning to slowly melting away.

For today’s Track Tuesday, I did not want to get out of bed, but I knew my friends would kill me if I flaked. This is where running partners and accountability really does keeps you…well…accountable. As bad as I wanted to stay in bed, I didn’t want to let anyone down. So, I reluctantly got out of bed and finished today’s stupid sprints over with no matter how tired I felt. Plus, I really wanted to test out these new Virrata Saucony shoes. They’re so light and really perfect for speedwork.

I decided to use the interval training mode on my Garmin. I know what you’re wondering and no, I’ve never used it before today. I usually just manually record each lap. So, for the first time in Track Tuesday history and for the 5 years I’ve owned my Garmin, I actually used the interval setting and totally screwed it up. LOL But at least now I know how to use it!

1 mile
Time 10:12

Lap 1 – 0.24
Time 1:52
Ave Pace 7:32

Lap 2 – 0.25 (Ignore this lap. I hit the lap/pause button and screwed up the time.)
Time 3:05
Ave Pace 12:21

Lap 3 – 0.25
Time 1:49
Ave Pace 7:17

Lap 4 – 0.25
Time 1:45
Ave Pace 7:04

1.04 mile
Time 10:13

Total Distance 3.23

As for the rest of the week, I’ll do another spin class at Pura this week, probably a tempo run on Thursday, but I’m not sure about the rest of the week. I may rest since I have the Gasparilla Half Marathon on Sunday. I’m shooting for a 2:10 to beat my Frankenfooter Half Marathon time.

What work-outs do you have planned for this week? Do you use an interval setting on your watch or Garmin?

Random Thoughts about Being Back in the Saddle, New Fitness Adventures and Track Tuesday

You know, I truly love marathons, but I was glad to be finished training for them. Those were some long weeks, y’all! Towards the end of all that marathon training, I caught a nasty cold around the holidays which meant resting and recovering. Then, the marathons came and more two more weeks of resting and recovery.

All that illness, resting and marathon recovery really foiled my Janathon plans. Yep, I’m a Janathon flunkie. Oh well. There’s always the Junathon!

Sunday, after a full week off, I was ready to get moving again. With the marathons behind me, I plan to scale back the running to only three days a week to fit in other fitness activities, such as Sunday cycling at the trail.

That new fitness chapter began this past Sunday. I hadn’t been on the bike since September and of course, my rusty cycling legs needed some warming up. After a few miles into it, I felt good. Chrissy and I only did 10 miles, but it was a great start to kick off a commit to cycling again.

Yesterday, I had the morning off from the Mom Squad for what I’ve been calling “flu’d behavior”. Thankfully, I never caught the flu from my kids (neither did Little Lion Man or hubby), but we were still carriers and stayed away from others for the past week. So, with the morning off, I went for my first 5 mile run in I don’t know how long. Not because a training plan told me to do it, but because I just wanted to get out there and run. And you know what? It was the best freaking 5 miles in a long time!

5.67 miles
Time 56:07
Ave Pace 9:57
Max Pace 7:27

Speaking of the Mom Squad, last week Joe congratulated me on my achievements on the air. That totally caught me off guard.

On the subject of the television highlights, have you seen my television acting debut in the Best Damn Race commercial?

I’m really excited about the Best Damn Race 10K on Saturday! I’m hoping to finish around an hour but if I don’t, that’s o.k. because “I’m running to blog about it” anyway.

Today was the first Track Tuesday in weeks for me. After so many weeks off from Track Tuesday, my legs were fighting me every step of the way. There were some good sprints in the mix, though.

1 mile
Time 10:00

Lap 1 – 0.25
Time 1:50
Ave Pace 7:19

Lap 2 – 0.25
Time 2:04
Ave Pace 8:24

Lap 3 – 0.26
Time 1:55
Ave Pace 7:33

Lap 4 – 0.25
Time 2:02
Ave Pace 8:18

1.1 mile
Time 11:22
Ave Pace 10:21

As for the rest of the week, tomorrow I’m attending a media event to promote a new fitness class at Airheads. I’m not sure what to expect other than a lot of jumping guaranteed to burn 1000 calories. Sweet.

Then, later that day, I’m assisting with my girls’ Running Club. I only plan to run an easy two miles with Emmalynn and after jumping all morning, that’s probably all my legs will be able to handle.

Thursday will be another 6 miles and Friday, I’m trying out a new spin class at Pura cycling Studio as a peerFit Ambassador. See what I mean about a new fitness direction? And I am so excited about all these new fitness opportunities and adventures!

And speaking of new fitness adventures, have you signed up for Pretty Muddy
yet? The onetime $20 discount coupon code GIRLTIME expires 1/31. Come join me and my Mud Bloggin’ friends at the Pretty Muddy this November!

Psst…I also have an Iron Girl coupon code here.

It’s going to be a great fitness year!

Are you taking a new fitness direction this year? What are you fitness plans?

*Also linking up at*

Going for Iron Girl…Again

A couple of years ago, I had this brilliant idea of completing over 40 miles in a variety races before my 40^th birthday. I reached that goal with a few 5Ks and three half marathons, one being Iron Girl.

Back then, I still had some of the baby bulge left behind from baby number three. Although I wasn’t in the most tip-top fitness shape, I had the desire and drive to finish those races including the Iron Girl half marathon. Looking back, I wished I had trained harder, especially for the bridges I faced throughout the Iron Girl course.

This April, I get an Iron Girl do-over. Two years later, I’m in much better shape, more fit and stronger than I was for my first Iron Girl experience. I know those Clearwater bridges better now and I plan to train for them by alternating my weekly speedwork training with hill training. By doing so, I hope to shave at least 20 minutes off my time to finish closer to 2:10 rather than 2:34.

As I recently relearned, Iron Girl’s main mission is to empower women toward a healthy lifestyle. Since I began my running journey in 2007, I have truly felt the empowering effects of this sport with each training run and race. As runners, we constantly set goals for ourselves. We have some setbacks, but those small hurdles only make us stronger and essentially empower us.

As a runner blogger, I believe the stories of my journey and my struggles have made me appear human to my readers and with their encouraging comments and emails, I know I’ve grown stronger physically and mentally. Like my readers and so many other runners, I attempt to do the best I can do, because it’s so easy to skip a work-out, but every day I force myself to get out there and encourage myself to put one foot in front of the other.

That’s exactly how I’m going to take those Iron Girl bridges: one foot in front of the other. I’ll keep on climbing and I won’t let those bridges discourage me. When I approach those Clearwater bridges, I’m not going to cuss or fuss or let negative thoughts take over my mind. Rather, I’ll raise my fists over my head and go for victory in true Iron Girl Grace and style.

At Iron Girl this April, I’m finding my inner Grace, that inner Iron Girl Grace that lies in each of us. Won’t you join me and my fellow Tampa Bay Bloggers this April as we uncover our inner Iron Girl Grace?

To encourage you to join us in the Iron Girl journey, all Run DMT readers can get 10% off an entry with coupon code TBBLOGGERS13. Hurry! The code expires 2/28.

Learn more about Iron Girl and register for an Iron Girl event near you here.

Like Iron Girl on Facebook and follow Iron Girl on Twitter @IronGirl hashtag #IronGirlTBB.

“In the spirit of Iron Girl, it is important to empower, encourage and support women of all athletic abilities. The women of the Tampa Bay Bloggers share that belief. We ask our readers to share this vision by following the women of the Tampa Bay Bloggers as they embark on their Iron Girl journey.”

Asha of The Dansha Diaries – 5K

Beth of Discom-BOB-ulated Running - 5K

Callie of The Wanna Be Athlete

Caroline of My Fascinating Life – 5K

Chrissy of Loving Life – half marathon

Denise of Run DMT – half marathon

Heather of 321 Fit Life – half marathon

Holly of Ask the Fit Coach

Jen of Putting on My Girl Panties and Just Doin It – half marathon

Jenny of Metamorfit – 5K mother/daughter team

Jessica of Cuban Running Crisis - half marathon

Jessica of Life with My Loves – 5K

Jina of Behold the Turtle - half marathon

Katie of A Full Plate – 5K

Katrina of Sneakers and Fingerpaints

Kelly of Shape Daily

Liza of Addicted to Savings

Margarita of Cardio Cupcake

Marisa of Fit Kids Playground

Meghan of Little Girl in the Big World – half marathon

Mindy of Mindy’s Fitness Journey - half marathon

Nicole of Healthy Girl Adventures

Rachel of A Mom with Minions and Opinions

Rachel of Runner’s Tales

Raffi of Running Betty

Rebecca ofFit Runnin Momma – half marathon

Rebecca of Rebecca Roams – half marathon

Steph of Kitchen KM – 5K

Tori of In Love and Peanut Butter – half marathon

Xiomora of Parkesdale – half marathon

{Marathon} Madness

I did it.

We did it.

Chrissy and I finished the Disney Marathon under 6 hours (5:31:46).

It was brutally hot and the last mile was the worst. I hit my wall at mile 25, but I wiped away the tears and pushed through it. Of course, not before we stopped for one last photo in front of Spaceship Earth with only a quarter mile left to run.

We started this journey together and we finished together.

And we’ll do it all again next Sunday at the Clear water Marathon to join the ranks of Marathon Maniacs.

And I’ll be ready for two more big ass bottles of champagne.

(Stay tuned for a full Disney marathonrace recap later this week.)

Visit Xmas Dolly and Jade Louise Designs for more Music Monday.

Soup du Jour Vlog Hop 1-10-13

soupdujour_blogbutton If I look tired in this vlog, it’s because I recorded it on Monday morning after an evening of binge drinking. I was definitely feeling a bit rough.

Three days later, after drinking lots of water and omitting alcoholic beverages out of my diet this week, I feel much better and lighter. I feel refreshed and ready for the Disney marathon on Sunday!

Psssst….While you’re here, don’t pass up on a chance to win three pairs of Feetures! socks! Contest ends tonight at midnight. Enter here.

We Come Running

This Sunday, my running partners (Chrissy, Maribel, Marie, Daffodil, Larisa) and I face the moment we’re trained for over months. We’ve had our share ups and downs. We’ve juggled jobs, families, illness, allergies, asthma, and injuries. Now we put our bodies physically and mentally to the test.

A few of us are running 26.2 miles just for fun.

Others are running for a PR.

Me?

I’m running 26.2 miles purely due to peer pressure. I don’t want to miss out on all the fun and photo opportunities.

I can’t wait. That’s right. I can’t wait to run 5 hours just to pose with Mickey, Minnie and all the princesses. I’ve done it before and that’s another reason why I’m willing to do it again. It’s a magical experience from start to finish.

And if I could be totally honest, the 20^th anniversary edition of the Walt Disney Marathon is really cool.

Some prefer to sit on the couch or in a movie theater for 12 hours watching a marathon on the big screen or television.

I prefer to experience a marathon in action.

Some of us prefer to come running.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Visit Xmas Dolly and Jade Louise Designs for more Music Monday.

Season’s Heatings! {Holiday Halfathon Recap}

When I registered for the Holiday Halfathon earlier in the year, I had no intention to aim for a PR. With these plantar fasciitis feet, my PR days are gone, however, I expected to beat my time from three years ago. Since I was pregnant, I could totally redeem that time even with bad heels.

Being a stunner runner, my attire is crucial next to the training. Chrissy, Maribel and I wanted to match, so we decided on homemade tutus with striped furry stockings and a red wicking running shirt. I added a little sequined clip-on Santa hat to my ensemble to finish my sporty Santa Baby look.

Lots of our Strider friends were also at this race as well as many of my runner blogger friends, Katrina of Sneakers and Fingerpaints and Beth of Discom-BOB-ulated Running. Everybody looked so festive in their holiday attire.

About 4 miles into the race, I was dying from a heat stroke. Usually, December races are cooler, but with the warmer weather, overcast and humidity, it felt like we were running in a Santa sauna. I haven’t exposed my post-pregnancy belly in a sports bra in public, but I didn’t care. I stripped off that shirt faster than a Catholic school girl at a frat party and then, I rolled down my cute striped socks.

Although Chrissy had been suffering from a sinus infection, she looked like a rock star out there. She showed those bridges that she was the boss and she smiled the whole time.

The bridges were another reason I didn’t anticipate a PR. I didn’t even want to push myself on that course. I just wanted to finish better than I did three years ago.

Between the bridges and the heat, I needed to walk a large portion of the course. Another runner on the course ridiculed Chrissy and I every time we walked the course. John teased us about our tutus and socks having superpowers, but I don’t think so. Those furry striped socks were my kryptonite!

Eventually, Chrissy and I caught up to Marie who was struggling due to a nasty bronchial infection. Poor thing! You know speedy little Marie is not up to par if she’s pacing with me.

Even with all the bridges, that last mile had to be the toughest for me. We ran for a short distance on a sidewalk and then final half mile led us along a sandy, soft uneven trail covered with pine needles. It was difficult to judge my footing and I stumbled a few times. I decided to walk the trail and then I ran the last stretch to the finish line. I suppose my tutu did give me some superpowers because I saved a sprint just for John. I finished a few seconds before him and I beat my time from three years ago by nearly 30 minutes!

13.1 miles
Gun Time 2:26:55
Chip Time 2:26:36
Ave Pace 11:13

We lost Maribel early in the race, but after we crossed the finish line, we all ran back to meet her. The week prior to the race, her knee had been giving her a lot of grief and now, Maribel was really hurting. When she spotted us, her spirits lifted and she sprinted the final stretch of her first half marathon. Once past the finish line, we all cried in a huddled, blubbering mess for Maribel and everyone’s accomplishments and then we helped poor Maribel hobble over to the picnic tables to ice her knee.

Poor sick speedy Marie could barely talk.

I just wanted ~~JM’s cookie cake~~ beer.

At the post-race party, I found Jina of Behold the Turtle and we posed for a quick photo. I loved her reindeer shirt! As you can see, I was still so hot after the race and I was looking real hot in my white, very see through sports bra. Yep, I’m a classy act. Thank goodness for Cliff Shots covering my ta-tas like pasties!

I am so making Santa’s naughty list this year.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Random Thoughts about a Crazy World, Crazy Love, the Mom Squad, the Miles and Track Tuesday

Thirteen years ago, I was teaching at an elementary school is a migrant community. After the Columbine shooting, my school district put lockdown drills into place. We practiced those drills along with fire drills and tornado drills.

Sometime after that, the lockdown drill became a reality when a person ran through our school’s soccer field wielding a gun and shots were fired. We (the teachers) had to turn off our lights and hide with our students in our classrooms. We had to be brave for our students. We had to protect them and these students came from horrible homes and probably saw this type of thing regularly. School was their safe place, but not that day.

As an educator, I can’t even imagine how the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School felt that fateful Friday last week. I can’t even imagine what went through their minds as they tried to be brave and protect their students who thought school was their safe place. As parent, I just want to hold my babies and never let go.

God bless the teachers, the survivors and the families as they deal with their loss. Hopefully, schools can be safe places again and maybe the powers that be will make common sense gun control as common place as lockdowns.

Also thirteen years ago, I married my best friend. It’s been a crazy, mad wild ride but I wouldn’t change one day of it, especially since my husband still has a few surprises up his sleeve. He bought me this mirror from IKEA that I’d been eyeing for the longest time and wrote a message on it that says, “Denise, Happy Anniversary. You are beautiful and I love you. xxxx ♥ ♥”

His present is…er…um….on backorder. Yep, that’s it!

Speaking of surprises, my husband pulled a doozy on me yesterday. He high jacked my email and contacted Joe of 10 News to ask if he would to announce our anniversary on the air during our Moms Squad segment. Watch it here and check out my totally surprised expression at the end.

On the subject of the Mom Squad, Joe has asked Marisa, Jenny and me to be his regular team every week, so we are officially The Mom Squad, which of course means we need our own coffee mugs since we’re part talk show television. Plus, if I was holding a coffee mug, it would keep me from speaking with my hands. Here’s last week segment.

I’m really struggling mentally with my marathon training. I’m just so tired lately and as a result, my training is suffering. Then, the Holiday Half didn’t go so well, but at least I beat my time from 3 years ago which shouldn’t been hard to do since I was pregnant then. (More about the Holiday Half tomorrow!)

I had a really tough time recovering after the half marathon. On Sunday I woke up with this horrible Charlie horse in my thigh I know it’s a direct result from not fueling properly after the race. Other than a few beers, I didn’t drink any of my usual recovery drinks such as chocolate milk or coconut and I didn’t eat for hours after the race. Stupid move, I know and I definitely paid for it in the middle of the night.

Since my Mondays are Mom Squad days, I’ve also had to readjust my whole marathon training schedule. But given the whole Charlie horse episode, I also decided against speedwork last week and just went for an easy 3 mile run.

3.1 miles
Time 31:25
Ave Pace 10:08
Max Pace 8:08

And that was the last time I ran last week, except for my 20 miler on Saturday. Again, not my proudest marathon training moment, but it happens. Last week was a really tough week for me emotionally and my training suffered. I honestly considered postponing my 20 miler until the following week, but my running partners talked me into it. Sometimes peer pressure does have its benefits.

So, I ran I went into my 20 miler with only 3 miles recorded that week and I was dreading it. I feared the worst and I warned my running partners that I would be all piss and vinegar and cussing up a storm.

After 5 miles, I had this weird pain in the top of my foot, like my shoelaces were too tight. I tried to loosen them but things still hurt. Overall it wasn’t my best, but we finished just under 4 hours and I could walk afterwards. 20 miles in the books! And even with all those weird foot pains, I found the energy to do a 5-10-15-20 dance with my running partners.

20 miles
Time 3:56: 35
Ave Pace 11:50
Max Pace 8:07

Today, I decided against speedwork but elected to do a 4 mile tempo run. I even threw some sprints in at the end.

4.25 miles
Time 40:46
Ave Pace 9:36
Max Pace 6:47 (0.25 sprint – 7:33)

According to variety of plans I’m following to make up my hybrid plan, this week is a step-back week to 12. I like the sound of that distance.

What’s you running plans for the week? Got some sprints to share? What other work-outs are you doing?

I am excited to announce a new Track Tuesday co-host! Meghan of runMeganrun will be joining me on the track for weekly speedwork. The “rules” are still the same, so link up and play along with us.

To join our Track Tuesday linky party, do your speed work (at least 4 quarter mile sprints) on Tuesday or any day you that works best for you, blog about your times and remember to add our cool Track Tuesday button to your post. Then, link up your post at either runMeganrun or Run DMT to share Track Tuesday Speed Work Sessions. To show support for our other virtual running partners on the Track Tuesday Team, be sure to visit the other blogs listed in the linky party. Give them a virtual high-five and leave some comment love too.

*Also linking up at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Random Thoughts about a Dirty Girl, Feeling like Alice, a New Challenge and Track Tuesday

It seems people like reading about ~~me being dirty~~ my mud run recaps. After reading my Pretty Muddy recap, Dirty Girl Mud Run approached me and a few other Tampa Bay Bloggers to race and review how Dirty Girl does a mud run.

Of course, I jumped on the chance to do it and the TBB girls and I already picked our team name: Mud Bloggin’. But, I have to admit. I’m a little nervous about this one. I know. I know. I said that about the last one, however, I’m not scared of the mud, you see. That ain’t nothing. (Spoken like a Dirty Girl gone pro-mud runner.) I’m nervous about my heels and my reoccurring plantar fasciitis flare-ups.

Dirty Girl Mud Run happens in Tampa on February 9^th. That’s less than a month after the Disney Marathon and a week after the Best Damn Race 10K. It also happens to be two weeks before my second marathon in Ft. Lauderdale.

Now you see why I’m nervous. That’s a heavy race load in one month. The upside: The money I saved on registering for this race can be used to buy a new pair of shoes just for mud runs (because the girlie mud runs seem to be my thing).

And there’s another bonus to choosing to do a Dirty Girl Mud Run. Much like Pretty Muddy, I can choose not to do certain obstacles. I can give my plantar fasciitis feet a pass. And that my friends, is how Run DMT plans to be a Dirty Girl.

If you want to join me in the Dirty Girl Mud Run, all Run DMT readers that register will receive 20% off with the code FLBLOGGUEST. This code also works for the Jacksonville and Miami events too.

Anyone who registers for the Miami, Jacksonville or Tampa Dirty Girl Mud Run between Dec. 5^th and Dec. 24^th 11:59pm will automatically be entered to win a gym membership of her choice valued up to $500.

Speaking of obstacles, my running partners, Chrissy and Daffodil, prepared a good one for me this weekend. During our 18 mile run, we took a shortcut to the trail, a worn path parted through shrubs with a slight incline. I felt like Alice following the White Rabbit as we slipped through the rabbit hole trying not to break an ankle. It’s all part of my mud run training.

For this week’s 18, we ran through Chrissy’s neighborhood and on the trail and it was a welcomed change. After we finished Chrissy, had a fabulous runner’s tailgate for us. Apparently, I’ve set the standard.

These 18 miles were much better than the last and I shaved 9 minutes off my last 18 miler. Plus, I felt great! We kept a nice steady pace around 10:15-10:30, walked occasionally and my heels didn’t bother me one bit. Isn’t that awesome?!

Sun, 12/2
18.1 miles
Time 3:21: 22
Ave Pace 11:07
Max Pace 8:30

Last week was a perfect running week for me and I believe there are two reasons for the lack of pain. Every time I ran, I wore the Feetures! PF sleeves which I still LOVE. Last week, I also ran A LOT. I ran all the miles necessary to meet hit a comfortable, no strain 18 miles. For me, the key is to run 4-5 times a week and my mid-week should be half the distance of my long run.

My feet are all better and now my Garmin is giving me grief. Some is wrong with the charging base and it doesn’t always charge properly. I swear I did ten miles on Wednesday, but my Garmin died around 5.2 miles. I just doubled the total.

Wed, 11/28
10 miles
Time 1:39:18
(Garmin died at 5.2 – 54:59)
Ave Pace 10:34
Max Pace 8:41

Thurs, 11/29
5 miles
Time 49:51
Ave Pace 9:58
Max Pace 8:20

On my rest days (Friday and Saturday), I finished off the #Thanks4Planks challenge and on December 1, we unwrapped a new challenge: #fitgift. Basically, you do something every day during December. You can read more about it and join the December fitness challenge here.

Today is Track Tuesday which means speedwork. Here’s how my sprints unfolded today.

1 mile
9:55

Lap 1 – 0.25
Time 1:48
Ave Pace 7:15

Lap 2 – 0.25
Time 1:54.48
Ave Pace 7:39

Lap 3 – 0.25
Time 1:54.15
Ave Pace 7:34

Lap 4 – 0.25
Time 1:56.95
Ave Pace 7:46

1.1 mile
Time 10:34
Ave Pace 9:37

The rest of the week will be light running week as I have the Holiday Half on Sunday. Friday and Saturday will be rest days, but I’ll do something to keep up with #fitgift challenge.

What’s you running plans for the week? Got some sprints to share? What other work-outs are you doing?

*Also linking up at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Run DMT

I'm a mom on the run!

Tag Archives: training

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