Move It Monday

Here we are!  The last Monday on November.  Where in the world has the time gone?  Life gets crazy and then all of a sudden I'm thinking "wow, Thanksgiving is THIS Thursday!"

There are a few great things about that:

1.  I work 2 days this week.  

2.  I will take photos at the Gasping Gobbler Thursday morning for Maine Running Photos. 

3.  I get a lot more time to RUN on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday....  Yippee!!!  

4.  Thanksgiving is always tasty and fun!  

Welcome to running with a hat, jacket and gloves every single time.  Well, when I run outside.  

My eye is on the prize - Maine Coast Marathon.  

If you are planning on that race - my good running friend, Carrie has a code to save you some $$$.  

My plan:

1.  Strength train 3x a week  (so far so good!)

2.  Keep my running base solid (averaging 40 miles/week right now) 

3.  Keep my long runs in the plan (last week 11 miles, this week 10 miles, next weekend 12 miles)

4.  Keep eating in check....  well, sorta.  Chips and pizza are the death of me!   But I have not gained weight.  So, that's a huge plus.  Yes.  It is.  

5.  Yoga.  Ooops.  Fell off the wagon again.  Getting back on.   

Have you tried read this book yet?  It's pretty awesome!

I forgot to report on a 5k I ran a couple of weeks ago...so here's the report. 

SugarRush 5k Report

 I love local 5ks.  They are so much fun.  I was sorta up in the air about doing it.  But then decided I wasn't going to do it.  So I ran a speedy 8 miles the day before.  The morning on the race - Ward was gone on a long run, I had new Spandits at my house waiting to be raced in - so I looked at Izzy and said "let's run a race!"   

new running things always come after I get home from a run....  :(  

Who am I?  Running a 5k the day after an 8 miler?  I don't usually do that.  So my thought was - just run for fun since my legs were tired and I was pushing a nearly 55 lb, nearly 6 year old girl in a jogging stroller.  We're probably nearly the end of our racing in the jogger career anyway - so we may as well squeeze in as many as possible, right?   

Remembering how people get all cranky when a stroller runner lines up in the beginning, I wanted to be polite so I started in the back.  I mean far back.  WAAAY back.  Behind the walkers.  So when the race started - I had to dodge the walkers.  This part bugs me.  I wasn't told to start in the back - but so many people comment that strollers need to go in the back.  I seriously couldn't stay back there because I was barely moving.  After I passed like - 90% of the runners/walkers...I finally got my groove on.

oops!  I'm so sorry.  Not really.  It felt awesome to kick butt with a stroller.  

Ward gave me a piece of advice..... USE the stroller to my advantage going down hill because it's going to kick my ass going up hill.  He was completely right!   

Those uphills were horrid.  But the downhills were rather scary.  Plus we took the brakes off the jogger a few years back...so they were doubly scary!   Anyway, I held strong and huffed and puffed..... for about 2 miles.  I started to loose some steam.  Then I saw a little "out and back" part.... that's when I saw the front runner...then the first woman...then the second woman....and then....  OH CRAP!  I'M THE THIRD WOMAN!"  

I looked behind me and there were a few woman on my tail.   Ugh.  I better push.  So push I did.  Like a crazy person.... up those last few hills ... which were complete torture and left my legs screaming at me.  I came around the last corner....and there it was.  The finish line.  Izzy and I held strong and stormed into the finish line chute.  And got stuck.  They made the chute sooooo narrow, we got stuck (it's not like I had a double jogger or anything!).  So the guy started yelling at me ... but I couldn't get anyway.  Finally he picked up the tape along the side and grabbed the stroller and pulled it under.  This park irked me quite a bit.  It was rather embarrassing to be yelled at by the timer and to be holding up the line behind me.  

But ..... that was easily gotten over when Izzy and I found out were indeed the 3rd (and 4th overall women) and lucky for us, the overall winner was in my age group...so we won 1st in age group.  The prize was our choice of homemade pie.  I let my running parter pick it out - Pumpkin Pie of course, for the win!  

Also.... if you haven't entered them yet - here's your chance!  I have THREE great giveaways going on right now.  

Hands Free Hipster - ends tonight at midnight!  (11/24) 

You Saw Me Vest - 11/28 

& I have a free shipping code runningwiththegirls9

FRS - ends 11/29

Happy Move It Monday!  How do you plan on moving it today?  I'm going to get in 3 miles today after school before heading back to school for a parent's meeting for indoor track!  (I'm helping out with coaching!)

How do you keep motivated throughout the winter?  For me - I keep signing up for races!  I'll be registering myself and Ward for the MidWinter Classic this morning!  10 miles in February.   Always cold.  But such a blast!

Here I am am racing Carrie to the finish last year.... in Spandits.  Of course!  You need some too.

Courtesy of Maine Running Photos