Our Wisconsin Weekend & The Haunted Hustle 10K Race Recap

This past weekend, Harry and I hit up the state to our north, the land of beer, cheese, and Packers fans for the Haunted Hustle!

Saturday morning, we head out to a trail that was a few minutes away from our hotel for a shakeout run.  Wisconsin never disappoints when it comes to running/walking trails!

There was a Little Free Library at the trailhead, and I saw some pretty good reads in there!  Can you spy a Matt Fitzgerald book?:)

We took off and settled into a good pace.  It was actually quite warm at this point (ehhhh, 75*F or so).  I don't know about you, but it's been a little aggravating seeing so many gorgeous fall colors happening and no cool weather to pair it.:\

I.e.

I had one more mile on the agenda than Harry, so I took a different route after we hit his mileage.  This trail had planks the whole way.

Kinda beautiful.

Without hesitation, we hit up a pub in Madison for a burger...

...and fried cheeeese curds!<3

I need this sign in my life.

ohmygosh@my burger.  It was so stinkin' good.

Harry's was pretty legit, too.

Also, I love how we could care less about whether or not we offend people with our running smells... (we didn't really smell that badly, but still)

PACKET PICKUP!  It was a little expo with some local goods/love/sponsors and the essentials.

We hung out for the rest of the day, getting homework/work done and just relaxing.

Race day -- the Half Marathon began at 9:00am, and the 10K at 9:30am.  Ummmm, that's pretty awesome.  I was *really* worried that I was wearing the wrong apparel.  I had figured that it was going to be cooler (and that 75*F run the day before was messing with me).  It turned out that I was wearing the perfect gear for this day -- gloomy and drizzly, and 53*F at the start.

We made it out to the race site and everything was so neatly placed and organized.  The race announcer was entertaining, and of course, there were a ton of really awesome Halloween costumes being worn.  I've never worn a costume for a race, and I wasn't about to start on this day.  Maybe some other time...(?)

SNAPCHAT RACE SELFIE.

We took off right on time (yaaaaay!) and I started to gauge where I was at, pace-wise.  I didn't really have a plan for this; if anything at all, I figured it'd just be a long run.  Technically, I haven't run this distance in quite some time.  I'm *STILL* working on a base and trying to maintain it while staying healthy (we'll talk about that in the next post).  I realized I was running at an 8:40 pace at mile one, figured that felt kind of good, and decided to stick with it for at least the first half of the 10K.

I hit the 5K mark at 27:27 -- about an 8:42 pace.  I restarted my watch and started to take it easy.  Three+.1 quick miles was enough for me.

Though I didn't take it as easy as I thought I would.  This race claims to hold a fast, flat 5 and 10K -- mehhhhh I wouldn't call this "flat", but I also wouldn't call it "hilly".  It had many rollers, some gentle, some were a little harsh.  I honestly THOUGHT about slowing down, and really tried to.  For about a mile and a half, I was drafting one guy who probably thought I was a jerk.  I wasn't trying to be rude, dude...I just liked your pace!

I just eased back into my pace and enjoyed the scenery.  A lot of the race was on trails, which were littered with dead, crunchy leaves, and surrounded by beautiful colors and foliage.  The drizzling rain was still going, but it was off and on.  It felt nice, but not when it affected the surface of the little bridges on the trail -- they got extra slick.

A downpour started around mile 4 -- that was interesting.  I felt my left foot flip quickly (turnover) while going over one of the bridges and realized that I needed to move my gait forward to keep from falling.  A few puddles and a couple more miles later, and I was done.  The second half of the 10K left me at 28:03 -- not the biggest difference, but with a total time of 55:39 (just under a 9:00 pace), I was pretty pleased with myself.

The post-race party was a blast!  They had a ton of salty snack foods, bananas, oranges and water -- they were very generous with all of it.

I got back to the car and told Harry how the race went.  In true form, my husband pointed out that I still have that *grrrr* in me.  And he's right (don't tell him I said that, though).  I do have the *UMPH* in me -- the thing that pushes me to run until my heart feels like it's going to explode, to run through the feeling of my legs about to fall off (lol I know they won't), and my lungs slightly singeing.  I've been wondering where it went, but it's still there!<3

Now that I've found that little chunk that I feel has been missing, I'm looking forward to more purposeful training.  Before, I felt so *blah* with putting each foot forward.  I feel like I was --MAKING-- myself get out there, having to give myself pep talks, getting pep talks from my husband, and *WOO WOOs* from Windy (her version of a pep talk).

My regularly scheduled training is back in full effect.:)
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Where was your last trip?  Road trip?


There are so many awesome Fall season shows on right now!  What's your fave?
ME:

Do you have any Fall or Winter races coming up?
(Ugh, that reminds me -- I gotta update that page!:)

Impress Yourself

I did Yoga Wednesday morning.  It was humbling.  How is that even possible?  #PlotTwist

The truth is, while being injured, I figured that any movement may have caused my injury, so I skipped most of those movements.  Yoga, swimming (yup, even swimming), running, and cycling (for the most part) were out of the picture, as per my podiatrist.  Even the elliptical was iffy.   I didn't get the green light to do anything for about six months (about four months longer than I had anticipated/was told when deciding on the path of recovery by the podiatrist).  I did jump on the bike after getting the go-ahead, and while my motivation was high, I felt weak.  Pretty weak.

It's not like we don't all go through this phase at varying times in our training.  We could see this as an "off" day, a tough workout, an "I don't wanna/I'll find any excuse not to...", an acclimation, etc.  Sometimes being taken back to the very beginning is just what we need.  I have the knowledge of being at square 10+, but the fitness level of (what I would consider, in comparison to my former fitness level) square one.

Silver lining:  I really know what it takes to get back to where I was.

My ultimate goal at this very moment is to get back into shape, the fit shape that I know.  I have bigger/crazier goals than this, ones that scare the crap out of me, but we can talk about those later.  I'm not even sure how they're going to come about, but they will.

So for the first time, I peeked through my old Instagram.  "I used to do that!", "I was so on!", "How did I do that?!" = all of the phrases that rolled through my brain as I looked at numbers, Yoga poses, and finish times.  I impressed myself; well, to be more specific, my current self was impressed with my former, fitter self. 

Do you ever do that?  It's kind of fun to look back on one great time, a beautiful finish, a perfect day, and realize that it was the BEST.  I even found inspirational quotes and memes that made me smile.  While I was trying to motivate others at the time, I didn't realize that I would eventually need them for myself. 

For example

#Pride and #Faith. From #RevRunWisdom

A post shared by Tiffany (@thechiathlete) on Jul 28, 2014 at 8:07am PDT

Well this is enough babble for one day.  Thanks for settling in while I work through my thoughts and feelers on all of this.  It takes a while for me to process things, especially when those things have affected me this much.  I get to run a pretty fun 10K this morning here in Madison, WI.  Here's to one run closer to my goals, and impressing myself once more.:)

@hauntedhustle 10K tomorrow morning! Looks to be a gorgeous day.🎃❤️🏃🏼‍♀️ #hauntedhustle #runhappy #brooksrunning #runWI . . . . #sweatpink #fitapproach #fitfluential #girlsgonesporty #running #10K #runchi #runchat #werunsocial

A post shared by Tiffany (@thechiathlete) on Oct 21, 2017 at 6:38pm PDT

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Tell me about a time you impressed yourself!  The more positive, awesome things, the better!


Training for today?  Long run?  Relaxing?


BIG PLANS FOR THIS WEEK?!  
Rocking it out = Definitely on my list!

Rock 'N' Roll Arizona 10K Recap

Let's rewind to nine days ago when I ran my first race in Arizona -- the Rock 'N' Roll AZ 10K!  Yeah, remember, I was supposed to run the mary?  And that went quickly to the 10K after being injured (two separate injuries!).  I was just happy to be there, no matter what distance I was racing.  This was such a beautifully organized race, flawless in nearly every way, and was like a giant party.

Race morning in one word ----------> GORGEOUS.  

I was clearly way more stoked than Harry -- he was running the half, and I was running the 10K.  I guess he knew I'd be getting some things before him, like:  Beer, chocolate milk, a massage, etc.  No wonder he's not his happy self in this photo.

It also might be because he loathes selfies.  MEH!

40*F, clear and sunny.  I'm not sure anyone could've asked for better race conditions, no matter which distance you were racing!  The half marathon and 10K started together, and split right around mile 2.5.  I really went into this race thinking that I'd just bust out six miles at a slower pace, but my splits were definitely saying something different.  My first mile was a 8:09 pace, and my second was an 8:04 (after I had told myself to slow down).  I guess I got hyper, happy feet?  I just told myself to keep the pace as long as I felt like it.*  The course had some lovely inclines, which I LOVE (hills suck, but they feel great on my hips!), and just as I was longing for some flat course, it came.

*I wouldn't do this for a half or full marathon.  I'm not a positive split runner, nor do I believe that it's a true race strategy for longer distances.

Because I was running the 10K, I took my phone along with me and attempted to get some pretty shots along the course.  Not too shabs for going at an ~8:00 pace.

But really?  I think it was my new iPhone's fantastic camera.  Amazing sights, nonetheless.  Harry said that the half marathon course was equally as hilly, with equally amazing views.

I haven't done a ton of 10Ks.  In fact, I've only done three before this one.  Three stand-alone 10Ks.  So yeah, this was a PR, and by about three minutes.  One of my goals this year is to run sub-50:00 10K, which I've been capable of for a while now, but to have it on record, I guess.  This one ended up being 50:19, and I was barely trained for running at that pace for six miles.  I was pleased with myself, knowing that I'll get to my goal this year.  Thanks for the PR, RnR.

There were several items at the finish line, ranging from water and bananas, to chocolate protein shakes and granola bars.  RnR had something for everyone, that's for sure.

I LOVED this stuff!  I usually have to walk past most people holding out chocolate milk at the end of races, because I'm lactose intolerant (for some things; cheese and small amounts of ice cream or froyo don't bother me, but milk will wreck me!).  I shook my head and told the kind people "no, I can't have that..." as I walked past them after this race, and a man said "It's lactose-free!".

WELL, BOY HOWDY.  The best part was that it was refreshing and delicious.

Bloggie friends, meet my new Bestie, Tate, from Keystone Body Therapies.  These guys had a big tent with about 10+ tables out there on race day.  Everything was clean and the therapists were very knowledgeable, friendly, efficient, and attentive.  BFF Tate worked on my hammie, as I had indicated that it was (still) a weird spot for me.

One great thing about finishing in the 10K was NO WAIT getting a massage.  That felt pretty awesome after a glorified speedwork session.

Side note:  This is the only *non-extremely-creepy* selfie I took.  It's a little creepy, though.

I grabbed some of their info., just in case any peeps from AZ need an amazing massage crew.

After Harry finished his half, we walked around a bit, checked out the garb and events going on at the after-party, and then head back to the hotel.

Another great thing about this race was how easily they made it for anyone to get to and fro using public transportation.  Harry and I got to the expo and the race (start and finish) on the light rail.

My report, compliments of the Rock 'N' Roll series:

Nice data collection, guys!  This was basically available the afternoon after the race.

Harry and I had such a blast, we're seriously considering going back again next year.  We love AZ -- we have friends and family there, so they made it extra terrific.:)
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Have you run any Rock 'N' Roll events?  Which one?


Are you looking to PR a distance, or several distances, this year?  Which one(s)?


Are you a Data Runner -- The more numbers the better?
-I honestly like to keep things simple, but I don't mind a few more digits in various categories.

ZOOMA News!

So recently about two weeks ago, I found out that I had been selected to be a 2014 Chicago Ambassador for ZOOMA!  I feel so honored!  I can't believe I haven't even been in this city for a year (coming up mid-May), and I have already made an impression on the right people!  That makes my heart smile.  :)

What does this mean for me?  I get to hang out with a bunch of really remarkable ladies who all run for different and fantastic reasons.  I get to inspire and motivate local women to run and stay fit on every level!  I get the chance encourage and promote health and wellness through running and any other means that anyone I come across is up for!  ME ME ME!  Haha...I kid.  I'm just stoked that I'm blessed with this platform!  I have so many opportunities to make so many training friendships and networking possibilities, it's unreal.

What does this mean for you?  WELL.

My Chicago followers and friends are more than welcome to use my code

CAMB14

to get 10% off the 2014 Chicago ZOOMA 10K or Half Marathon on August 9th, 2014!  The swag bag alone looks legit, y'all!

This code is good through August 6th, so get thinkin' about which distance you'd like to tackle.  For me, the half marathon will be my first summer race...ever.  There are very few summer races (half marathons, anyway) in Texas, for obvious reasons.  I'm stoked about this one, since it's on the Lakefront, as well as pretty early in the day, where the temps should be relatively comfy.

So get thinkin', Lincoln!  Please contact me via twitter or e-mail me at Tiffany@thechiathlete.com if you have any questions!