Tackling Obstacles

I already had two races planned (Moster Dash 5k and Bison 50 relay) when a friends sent me a message last week. She had an extra entry to the Rugged Maniac 5k and was wondering if I would be interested.  Sure!  I changed to an earlier Bar Method class and give this obstacle race thing a try.  

So, the morning of the race I packed up my muddy shoes, some towels and my bathrobe and headed up to the only ski slopes in the Kansas City area.  That part will be important later.  As we got ready to start, I began to wonder what the heck I had gotten myself into.  Why can't I say no to a race?  Too late now.   Here goes nothing!  The highlights of the event included:  jumping over fire, getting stuck in mud and more opportunities for "that's what she said" jokes than I could count. I had a great time being completely miserable.  The downside was the bruises and the fact that my quads are just  becoming functional again, 3 days later. Running, well walking, up and down ski slopes was probably the hardest my legs have ever worked.  The rest of my weekend running was going to be interesting.  

The Monster Dash was all about having fun with my son. We ran as Sully and Mike from Monsters Inc.   He rocked his race and rode in the stroller for the 5k.  At one point he said "thanks for bringing me to this awesome race, Mommy". 

My legs were tired and I was pushing 50 pounds in the stroller, but I had a cheering squad with me the whole time. "You can do it Mommy!"  (Love this kid!). 

Sunday morning I was awake at 4:00 to meet my relay team for the Bison 50, from Topeka to Lawrence.  And that race deserves a post of its own.   

Dealing with Disappointment

This morning I was supposed to run the Kansas City Half Marathon. My outfit was laid out, meet-ups were planned and I was excited about the cooler weather forecasted.  But yesterday I so gracefully fell down the garage steps and landed on my right knee.  It hit the concrete pretty hard, but at the time I didn't think it was too bad.  Well, when my alarm went off this morning my knee was throbbing.  It wasn't the worst pain ever, but I wasn't sure running 13.1 miles of Kansas City hills would be a good plan.  I was torn. This was actually the third time I had fallen down in 3 weeks. All 3 times I bumped or twisted that knee.  So, I opted to stay home.  All day I have felt like a failure.  I know injuries happen.  I know there will be other races.  I need to learn to handle disappointment, and steps, with more grace.  The pity party ends here.  3 easy miles planned for tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to a 5k Saturday and relay next Sunday.
Happy Running and Watch Your Step!

Women Run the D:race report

10 months ago my running BFF moved to the Detroit area.  This was the person I started Couch to 5k with, ran my first half with and couldn't imagine running without.  So, of course I had to find a race to run to I could visit the Motor City.  I signed up for the inaugural Detroit Women's Half Marathon on September 22 and started counting the days until I would see my buddy.
I had the best intentions of training this summer, but I only managed one 8 mile run since the Hospital Hill Half June 1 and pretty sporadic short runs on weekdays throughout the summer.  My goal in Detroit was to enjoy the race and just finish.  I was excited to run in my gorgeous tutu that I won from Race Junkie a couple months ago but a little nervous about my lack of mileage.

Pre-race on beautiful Belle Isle

It was perfect running weather: a bit chilly at the start but felt great once I started running.  The location was BE-A-U-tiful!  the island is a city park on the Detroit River.  We could see Canada across the water! (next trip I'll need to visit Ontario) The island was the flattest thing I have ever run and I could feel that as the race progressed.  I definitely used the same muscles the entire 13.1 miles.  The course took us around Belle Isle 2 and 1/4 times.  Pros: I got free chocolate 3 times and I knew exactly what to expect terrain-wise after the first round.  Cons: I passed the same scenery 2 or 3 times and having the finish line in view more than once was a bit cruel.  The ultimate pro was passing my personal cheering squad 3 times and getting the extra encouragement.  

Feeling good and enjoying the scenery.

My final time was 3 hours and 7 minutes and change.  Not my best but not my worst.  But I felt good while running and really enjoyed the race.  The tutu was fun to run in and didn't interfere at all.  I'm already trying to figure out which tutu I'm going to order next. :)  

I can't wait to run this race again and I'm looking forward to my next half this Saturday: Kansas City Half.  No tutu for this race, but I have a Sparkle Skirt ready to hit the hills!

Post-race photo booth