ET Full Moon Midnight Race!

Well, I feel like my running is really getting real again. Unfortunately, I just don't feel like I'm quite where I'd like to be with my training. I feel like my progress isn't as swift and hearty as I'd like it to be at this point. I feel like I'm not as fast as I'd like to be and I feel like I'm struggling on the long distances. I'm ok until about mile 9-10, after 10 though, it's been tough. My feet have been hurting after about 10 too. I'm hoping that my continuing to drop weight will help, but I'm just not sure I'll be ready for my full in October (Detroit International Marathon). I'm pretty sure I'll be good come December (Reggae Marathon), but October just seems really soon for me to still feel like I'm struggling. I don't know, maybe I'm fine and I just don't realize it. LOL. Time will tell, right?

So, I wanted to talk about the ET Full Moon Midnight race on August 29-30, 2015. This is the next race that I have coming up. This is another Race from Calico Racing, the same racing company that put on the Once in a Blue Moon race that I ran a couple of weeks ago. This race is pretty well known country-wide. It's a very unique race in that it's a midnight race! Here in Las Vegas, it's hard to put on races during the summer – this tends to be the opposite of what the rest of the country does – as our most popular race seasons are spring and fall. It's just so hot here in the summer, even if the race starts super early, you can't have long races because it just gets too hot too fast.

ET Race Photos 2010

2010 - Me on left with friends Patty and Melanie who also did the half - on the bus on the way there

2010 - At the marathon start, Black Mailbox area

2010 - It was my birthday so I wrote on my back in reflective tape!

2010 - This really gives you a sense of how remote the course is.  The RD gave me a birthday hat!  It was my 39th birthday and she also assigned me bib 39!

At the finish, about 4:00 am - 2010

Me at the Inn finish line with my medal! Birthday race 2010!

The ET race takes place out on Highway 375 in Rachel, NV, which is right next to Area 51. It is nicknamed the “ET Highway” because there are said to be an unusually large number of UFO sightings out there, so many that ET enthusiasts from around the world frequently go out there hoping to catch a glimpse of a UFO. The race includes 5k, 10k, half marathon, full marathon and 51k ultra distances. The route is a paved road, and the finish line is at the Little Ale'Inn in Rachel, which has also been on tv and is known worldwide as a place to visit for alien lovers. I've ran the half out there four times previous – 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. I didn't run it last year because I just didn't have the motivation and the drive, I guess I just didn't feel like it. But this year I've been running like a maniac for several months and I got the bug again, so I registered for the half again.

Even though I said in my opening that I felt like I was struggling, I did run 13 miles today (on the treadmill) so I know that I can complete the half distance. I do a ton of training on the treadmill because it's just too hot outside. The treadmill is convenient for me and is a controlled environment such that I can watch Netflix or baseball while I'm on it to pass the time. I know some people hate it and get bored to death but the boredom hasn't really ever been a factor for me. The gym CREEPERS however, are highly annoying to me. Today I was running and I always pick the mill at the end of the row so that there's only one spot next to me. It was Sunday and there were probably 60 open mills but of course this guy gets on the one right next to me. I HATE it when people do that. Why would you want to get on the one next to someone when there's a ton of open mills? I will never understand that.

So he gets on and starts running. He has headphones on, but he starts running and he's grunting and groaning as he's running. It was gross and obscene. Keep in mind that I had headphones on and they were turned up loud but I could still hear him “uuuhhhh” “uuuuhhhhh” “eeeehhhhh” as he was running. I kept flashing him the evil eye and then he started blowing his nose into his t-shirt! Not even in the sleeve or into a napkin or paper towel that he had with him to clean the thing, but into the NECK. Like he'd take his collar from below his chin and pull it up over his nose and blow into it. I could not have been more disgusted. I have some serious treadmill creeper stories but this was just absolutely despicable. WHY ME?!?!? Luckily he got off after about 45 mins or so, but I sure gave him a lot of stink eye. Some people are just so nasty and disrespectful. If you're gonna grunt and be gross, go do it on an empty treadmill, why do it next to me? And it's always guys too. I'm a girl running alone and it's always some gross dude that comes up next to me. I should've moved but I was like two hours into a three hour run and I was comfortable there. Note to self: ALWAYS disinfect machine before getting on it. No matter how clean it looks.

I know that supposedly the mill isn't as good for training as running outside since you aren't actually moving your body through space but I usually find that I'm faster at races than I am on the mill. I think it's because my body finds a more natural pace that ebbs and flows as needed when running outside instead of being forced into one consistent pace by the mill. I trained for my last marathon in 2013 almost completely on the mill – everything up to 16 miles – and I will probably do that this time as well. Usually in September I can start running outside again, and I am looking forward to that.

So back to the ET. Since it takes place out in Rachel, about 2.5 hours from Vegas, there are various options for getting there, but fortunately, the RD charters buses and as part of your registration, you can purchase round trip bus transportation. Some people drive themselves, some people stay out there – there are some camping and hotel options in Alamo, but that is still about 30 mins away from the race. There are limited rooms available at the Ale'Inn, but I can't imagine staying out there in nowheresville all night, lol. When I get done with the race, I'm ready to go home. The buses depart after the race back to Vegas on a rolling basis - as soon as a bus fills, it departs. So you may have to wait a few minutes for the bus to fill, but it's never been too long for me.

ET Race Photos 2013

2013 with friend Kate before boarding the bus, she did the 10k

2013 finish at the Inn!

2013 glow in the dark medal!

The buses leave Vegas about 8:45 and you arrive at the “Black Mailbox” which is where the turn off for Area 51 is, about 11:15 or so. There are porta-potties and things there, the race volunteers hand out glow bracelets and glow necklaces to the participants and everyone basically huddles up and waits for the start of the full marathon. The full starts at 12:00 midnight and the route goes 20 miles to the Inn, then 3.1 miles past the Inn out and back to get the marathon distance. After the full starts, runners running all of the other distances get back on the buses and off they go 7 miles up the road to the half start. The half goes 13 miles straight to the Inn, turns left up the Inn driveway and finishes. The half starts at 12:30am. After the half starts, the 10k and 5k runners get bused to the Inn. The 10k runs the last 6 miles of the marathon course, 3.1 out and back past the Inn and the 5k does the same route but it's 1.5 out and back.

There are some great advantages to running out there – first off the elevation is about 4000-5000 feet (Vegas is about 2000) – so this higher altitude contributes to cooler temps. Plus running at night means cooler temps as well. The race is really out in the desert and since it's ran under the full moon, you get to see the moon rise over the mountains and it's really pretty. You get to see so many stars and many shooting stars since you don't have the light pollution that you have in Vegas. Since it is at night, everyone has to wear a headlamp or carry a flashlight and all runners are required to be reflective front and back. You can buy some reflective tape with your race registration or from a store but people also come up with some amazing ideas to make themselves visible – everything from glow sticks to lights to light up tutus to flashing lights – I've seen it all out there. It's really for safety but it adds to the ET ambiance – when you look ahead or behind you in the darkness all you see is a long line of disembodied bobbing lights. It's trippy and fun, a very unique experience.

ET Race Photos 2012

I did the race alone in 2012, a nice stranger took my yearly Inn photo

2012 medal

2012 Inn finish!

There are a few things that give me pause out there. I always tell people that I have a love/hate relationship with this race. It is a challenge for me, more mentally and psychologically than physically. When you're on the bus going out there, the bus climbs, climbs, climbs uphill and when you get out far enough you lose your cell service. The road is in an open range area so there are a few sections of the road that have cattle guards on them (grates to prevent the cattle from walking across and parking) and the runners are warned that you could actually run into a free range cow on the road (I've never seen one). Also, there are snakes especially that come out at night to lay on the heat of the road. I saw a small snake once (non-rattler) but people have sighted rattlers out there. I feel pretty confident being a back of the packer that the runners before me tend to scare off the snakes, but it's just something to be aware of. Now that I've seen a (HUGE) snake when I was out at Blue Moon I'm not so afraid and I'm pretty sure I could get around a snake ok. I just don't want to not be watching and step on one or right in the path of one, so I tend to look down and watch the road closely while running this one, which is why I think a headlamp is really effective. I try not to think about how far you'd be from medical care if something happened to you out there, but they always have an ambulance on standby and I always rationalize that even if you get bit by a rattler, it's probably not going to kill you immediately before you get to medical care. It'll probably hurt and really suck bad, but I think they'd just get you to medical as soon as they can. They do have volunteers who cruise up and down the route, and as far as I know they've never had any really bad things happen out there during the race so that gives me confidence in the whole process.

There is one pretty big hill on the route, it's from about miles 4.5 – 6 on the half route (11.5 – 13 on the full route) (course map).  Luckily once you crest it, it's a pretty gradual smooth downhill on the back half and when you get about 4-5 miles from the Inn, you can see its lights (they are the only building lights out there) and you know you're on the home stretch. You can bring a drop bag and leave it on your bus, all of the buses are numbered and when the buses get to the Inn, volunteers unload them and lay the bags on tarps with numbers the correspond to the bus numbers. This is good because I always pack for basically an overnight trip in my drop bag on this race. Things I bring include: fuel for before the race, glow stuff, food for after the race, a change of clothes, a sweatshirt (it can feel quite cold at the end when you're all sweaty and it's 3:30 am and 50 degrees F at 5000 feet), towels to dry off, water and whatever drinks I want, a neck pillow and sleep mask for the drive back and anything else I can think of.

One of the best things about the race is it's a straight line for the half, 13 miles and then a left turn at the Inn and a .1 mile run up the driveway for the finish line. The road is paved and the driveway is gravel. One year I completely bit it making that turn onto the gravel and got road rash and gravel in my knees and hands when I fell. The EMTs cleaned out my wounds and bandaged me up. When I asked them if they had a lot a patients that night they said that I was the only one! Calico always puts on such cool races, the race shirts are really cool, usually black tech shirts with aliens on them and the medals have been glow in the dark the past few years. There is also a breakfast at the Inn for all of the runners and a lot of the locals come out and hang out at the Inn at the finish. I highly recommend this race if you're looking for a unique experience. Lots of people dress up in alien garb and it's quite a sight to see.

ET Race Photos 2011

2011 Race wounds!

2011 Finish at the Inn

2011 Finish at the Inn with my friend Kim who did the 10k

So, wish me luck, this will be the first half I've ran maybe since October of 2014? After the race I should have a race recap with my 2015 photos!  My running took a break for the first half of this year, but now it's back with a vengeance. My friend Irene will be out there with me doing the 10k, and this will be her first 10k so wish her luck too! Even though I feel that I am not exactly where I'd like to be, I think I'm in a much better position that I was in 6 months ago and I'm still moving forward. I have to look at my progress and not chide myself for not having reached perfection. I am down 31.8 lbs since February and I'm well on my way to having my amazing running body back. But more than that, I have two marathons that I'm registered for and it looks like I won't be panicking and dropping down to the halfs on either one. The feeling of crossing that marathon finish line is like nothing in the world – it gives you the belief that anything is possible and everyone needs to feel that at least once in their lives :)

Stay tuned for a BIG post tomorrow and for more info on my upcoming races and updates on my training!

One life!

Race Review - Calico Racing's Once in a Blue Moon - "Shoot the Moon"!

It's been a while since I've blogged, but I'm going to work on blogging more frequently.  A lot has happened since I've last posted, including getting married!  I also ran my first ever full marathon, but I've been out of the running game since then.  I decided earlier this year to get back on the running horse and to start working on getting my act together AGAIN!  I've successfully gotten rid of 30 lbs since February and I hope to keep going with that trend.  I'd say I have another 30-40 lbs to lose as of right now.  Hopefully with the help of Weight Watchers and running I will be able to do so and finally hit that WW Lifetime!

So last night I ran a race, well three races actually!  I ran the Calico Racing "Once in a Blue Moon" race.  Calico is a really great local racing company here in Las Vegas.  Joyce, the RD, takes great pains to make her races successful.  She runs a lot of races out in nature here in Vegas as opposed to a lot of the big urban races (Rock n Roll).  Her shirts and medals are always top notch and I like the high quality and the smaller races that she puts on.  She did an inaugural Blue Moon race back in 2012 - which I ran - and this this the first Blue Moon race she's had since then.  A Blue Moon (two full moons in month) only comes a long every few years, and the next one isn't slated to occur until 2018!  The first Blue Moon race was a timed race per distance - you could either run for one hour, three hours, or I think five hours?  The object was to run as far as you could in that time frame.  It was in interesting concept and I did enjoy the race, but it was the only time I've ever done a race like that (once in a Blue Moon - it was the opportunity to do a different kind of race).  The race last night was another type of Blue Moon race where we got to do a race type that we've never done before.

This year's race consisted of three 5k's - a 6:00 pm race "Moondance", a 7:45 pm race "Bad Moon Rising" and a 9:15 pm race "Dark Side of the Moon".  Participants could register for one or two of the races, or try to do all three and "Shoot the Moon".  Since I am up to running 6-7 miles consistently for my marathon training (more on that later), I definitely wanted to "Shoot the Moon".  I figured if I was too tired, I'd quit after two, but I wanted to go for the full shebang!

My friend Irene likes to walk 5k's and she has done some events in the past.  She is also going to do the 10k when I run the ET Full Moon 1/2 marathon out at Area 51 in a few weeks (more on that later).  She decided to come out to walk the 6:00pm 5k, along with another couple that she knows.  We also ran into two ladies that we have seen around at other events in town, so the night ended up being a pretty social one!

The race was held at Sunset Park, which is a nice local park that has running/biking trails.  The entire course was a paved trail.  Since the sun was setting and the moon was rising during the races, participants were encouraged to wear a head lamp because the trail was not lit for the most part.

The 6:00pm "Moondance" race started off with the sun shining.  It was humid, especially for Vegas, and there were clouds in the air and lightning in the distance.  It actually made it a little nicer in my opinion because without the clouds the sun would have been brutal.  It was about 105 degrees F, and I was very sweaty and heated up at about the 1/2 mile point, but I played my music and ran my race and had a nice respectable finishing time (for me) of 39:29.  I was VERY hot and thirsty when I finished.  I went to my car, where I'd packed a bag with supplies, toweled off, slammed a bottle of water, ate some Shot Blocks and walked over to the pavilion where there was food service and awards.  Calico Racing always has a great food service and this race didn't disappoint.  There was quite an extensive assortment of food - salty and carby snacks.  I had a small piece of bread and walked back to the finish line to see Irene finish.  After she finished, she left with her friends (they were going for dinner) and I got ready for my second race.

As the 7:45pm "Bad Moon Rising" race started, the sun was going down and the moon was rising.  I got out my headlamp, because we were told we'd need it about halfway through.  I started running and was warmed up at about the 3/4 mile mark and off I went into my groove again.  The races were all on the same route and the route was a funky not quite loop, not quite out and back type, more like a lollipop with two loops, but since I had ran it once, I knew what to expect for number two.  The sun set and I did turn my light on and I was keeping pace pretty much with my first race.  I kept thinking it would be great if I ran the whole thing and didn't have to walk - so that was what I did.  At about mile 2.5, the guy in front of me veered from the right way over to the left side of the trail.  I couldn't figure out why he did, until I got a couple of steps further and saw a big old SNAKE slithering across the path.  Nothing like desert running!  I don't think it was a rattler, I was since told it was probably a gopher snake, but it was about 3 feet long and slithering across the path.  I gave it a wide berth and went on to finish race #2 in 41:12.  Again, after finishing I toweled off and slammed some more water, ate some more Shot Blocks and downed a protein bar.  I then rested up a bit and prepped for #3.

At this time, there were some announcements to stay hydrated and have salt or salt tabs because there were complaints of people not feeling well, feeling dizzy and light headed.  It was probably ~100 degrees F and I know some people aren't used to running in the heat.  I felt fine, my feet were getting tired but I was feeling confident that I'd be good to go for #3.

It was dark at the start of the 9:15pm "Dark Side of the Moon" race, and I took off running the course for a third time.  I was warmed up at about the 1/2 mile mark and everything was going great.  No snakes this time, the temp felt a little cooler and I just ran my pace.  I got through the first 2.5 miles without a problem and then I did stop for a short walk break.  Hey it was my 9th mile of the night and my feet were tired, I was ready to be done!  Even with the walk break, I managed to finish #3 in 42:43.  So I slowed down a bit through each consecutive race, but I think I did pretty well for myself, considering that I was getting more tired and had more mileage each time.  When I finished, I got my Blue Moon medal and when I looked up, the clouds had parted and the moon had come out.  It was a really nice ending to a really cool series of races.

Me with my medal and the Blue Moon over my shoulder

I really liked this race a lot.  I liked having the 3 5k's with about a 45 minute break in between.  It allowed me time to eat, drink, rest and recover and get ready mentally and physically to do it again.  I liked it better than the previous race that Calico did for the Blue Moon with the hour times.  I'd do a race like this again.  If I had any suggestions, it would have been to add a 4th 5k!  Also, everyone got the same medal, no matter how many races you did.  It would have been nice to have a special "Shoot the Moon" medal, but honestly I was very happy with everything and nothing detracted from my enjoyment of the race.

Please ignore how sweaty and blown out I look in my photo - it was about 95 degrees at the very finish!  Great race though, I'll surely race again under the next Blue Moon!

2013 - A Work in Progress

I'm really not a great blogger.  I do this mostly for myself and I don't expect thousands of pageviews, making myself a brand, popularity and sponsorships.  But maybe just maybe I could post more than once a year, ha!

So I didn't reach my WW goal in 2012 and while I did run every day starting with the 1st, I only ran every day for 69 days.  Now I'm into 2013 and working on it all again.  This is my THIRD year of not eating meat.  My New Year's resolution for 2011 was to not eat meat.  With the exception of a piece of andouille sausage in my jambalaya after my New Orleans Jazz 1/2 Marathon in October of 2011, I was meat free for the entire year.  I was meat free all of 2012 with the exception of two Jack in the Box tacos one drunken evening when Tonia was here.

Tonia was here and we went to LA to go to Dolly Couture to pick out my wedding dress.  Ah yes, my sweetie proposed on July 8th of 2012 and we are getting married on May 11th, 2013.  Most of the broad strokes are in place.  Some of the smaller details are still in the works, but I am looking forward to the event, to the honeymoon, to being married to my sweetie and to the possibility of having a little Scottie or two (yikes!).

In the mean time, my WW is going well.  I've been fully recommitted for about three weeks now.  I would still like to lose about 30 lbs.  But hey, never give up and slow and steady wins the race!!!!  I'd like to hit lifetime before I get pregnant and have to go off of WW.  And I'd like to look good for my wedding.  So, WW it is.  Also, my running has been on hiatus due to what I believe is plantar fasciitis.  My heel started hurting Thanksgiving weekend after a Turkey Trot, a 3 miles run, and two two hour Zumbathons and it hasn't stopped hurting since.  I've been doing Booty Blast, limited Zumba and some mild elliptical and treadmill, but my running has been pretty curbed.

So, I'm still a work in progress.  I'd like to see that Lifetime so I can say at some point that I am a Lifetime member of WW.  My outlook has changed a bit though and I don't feel so much like it's a race to a finish line as it is just a constant work in progress.  It's something that you have to think about and work on and be committed to every single day.  It doesn't come easy, it's just something you always have to work on.  You can take the weight off by sheer force, but then it will just come back.  The goal is for all of this stuff to become ingrained and become a habit.  I guess it's like quitting smoking.  Years later there are days when you still want a cigarette.  I have to remember to consciously eat right and exercise and if I make a mistake, just go right back.

Maybe I will always be a work in progress, but I guess that's ok.

New Year's Resolution

Happy 2012!!!!

I have resolved this year to run at least one mile a day every day for the next 100 days.

Today I ran for two miles and then did a 4 minute Tabata workout. (alternating running with mountain climbers).

We will see if this gets easier.  Day one is done. 

I'm also getting to my Weight Watchers goal this year.  I am super inspired by their new BELIEVE ad campaign.  "If you want it, you got it.  You gotta believe."

If you haven't seen the commercial, check it out and check out WW Success Story Suzi Storm.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StHhd1DBN_g&feature=share

Cirque du Soleil 5k

Yay!  Another official 5k race is on the books!

This race was called "Run Away with Cirque du Soleil" and it was at the Springs Preserve which is kind of an outdoor garden, nature, conservation center here in town.  The race was to raise money and awareness for One Drop which is an organization dedicated to ensuring that everyone has clean and safe water.  The chairman for the charity is the founder of Cirque du Soleil.  They said today that a child in the world dies every 20 seconds due to not having access to clean water. 

So I got up at 6:30 and I was about to put on my cute new running skirt and t shirt and lo and behold I let the dogs out and it was 52 and cloudy and overcast and windy (NO SUN) outside - in other words, it was COLD.  So I got out my compression pants and I had to search for a long sleeved running shirt.  Luckily I found my Full Moon Extraterrestrial Midnight marathon shirt from when I did that race last year and I was set to go.  I tried to wake Scott up but that wasn't happening, so off I went alone!  This isn't a problem for me except that when I'm alone I don't have a photographer.  I didn't want to run with my camera so I left it in the car but for the future, I am going to just have to learn to do so, especially if I want to be a blogger.  Not that anyone reads this anyway.

Here I am in the mirror before I left the house:

I think my hips are looking a little slimmer, but that could just be wishful thinking on my part!


So off I went.  When I got there I left everything in my car except for my car key and my iPod.  It was pretty darn cold.  Actually it wasn't sooo horrible except for my fingers and I really wished that I had brought gloves.  But alas, Starbucks was there so I had a small cup of Pike's.  I told the Starbucks girl "bless your little hearts for bringing coffee".  lol.  There were about 20 Cirque characters gadding about for photos while we were waiting and they were on stage talking about the charity.

There was a lot of waiting and they did this thing where thy had the parachute sheet from the bed scene in Love and they had painted it with the One Drop logo and they took it and stretched it over the whole crowd, so we sat under it, which was nice because it was warmer under there due to the wind being blocked.

We had a warm up and Mayor Oscar Goodman came out and spoke for a few minutes.  This was the 10th annual race, and the first time they affiliated with a charity and didn't have to use the Springs Preserve as the charity.  And off we went to the starting line.

Cirque characters at the starting line, I'm way back there somewhere

Mayor Goodman shot the starter pistol and off we went.  The run itself was pretty easy and I warmed up quickly once I started moving.  I was moving along pretty fast until after the turn around and I had to run INTO the wind.  Ack.

I still made decent time overall and my time was a mere 30 seconds longer than my six tunnels run.  Which I think was amazing considering that I was running into the wind for half the race.  And I got sad because before I knew it, it was over...

So, here's my overalls....

I finished 38 out of 73 in my age group (women 35-39)

I finished 484 out of 827 overall.

Chip time: 32:56

Pace: 10:35

Honestly, I just wanted to finish in less than 35 minutes, so I did good.  Someday I will get my 5k pace under a 10 minute mile.  Someday.

When I finished I got my picture taken with some Cirque characters:

Look at those pearly whites - got the teeth whitened yesterday and they are looking good!

That was my favorite part of the whole experience :)

They had all sorts of events after the race, they had a Cirque band play, they had circus stuff for kids, like a tightrope walk and balancing on balls.  They had these high schoolers with big like 10 foot kite butterflys, they had Whole Foods there with fruit and a big piano with bubble mix in it and all the kids were blowing big bubbles.  It was just a fun event overall and I was sad that no one else went with me - not because I was alone but because it was just such a good time and I thought that other people would have appreciated it and had a good time.

I stayed for the raffles and awards (I didn't win anything) and then I was off to my car where I blasted the heat and went HOME.  Overall, a great time, I am glad I went.  I have my sights set on a 8k next which is about a 5 mile race.  Wish me luck!

Run Away with Cirque du Soleil

Ok, so I am doing another 5k tomorrow!

Cirque du Soleil 5k

Running is becoming a bit of an addiction for me.  While I am running I like parts of it, and parts of it are hard, but I crave it and I am so elated when I finish!  This race should be fun, it's at the Springs Preserve, Mayor Oscar Goodman is going to be there and different Cirque cast members.  Should make for some good photo ops!  Recap tomorrow!

Also, I was down THREE lbs at my weigh in on Tuesday, so i believe that I am WELL on my way to goal again (sooo happy!).  As of Tuesday, I was exactly 8.2 lbs from goal (go me!).  Again, I should have got a small race shirt today instead of a medium.  When will I ever learn?  I am wearing a shirt today that I haven't worn before because it's been too small.  I have actually gotten smaller on the top, all of my shirts are big, even though I haven't lost but three lbs in the past two months, my body has redistricted a bit and my top half is smaller.

I went to the dentist today for the first time in many years...they were super nice and I got my teeth whitened with Zoom! whitening.  Wait until I get my happy smiling race finishing pictures tomorrow so you can see me happy white teeth, woo woo!  Best get your sunglasses out now!

Gotta finish my laundry and wind down to get to bed early to rest up for my race tomorrow, wish me luck!  I don't have any goals for this race except to finish at 35 minutes or less.  We'll see if that happens.

Six Tunnels to Hoover Dam 5K RUN

YAY! I did it!  I RAN in a 5K RACE!!!!!!!!

I have walked several races (Rock n' Roll Las Vegas 1/2 marathon, Catch the Rabbit 1/2 marathon, ET Full moon midnight 1/2 marathon, Mardi Gras 10K, Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60 mile walk), but this is the first event where I actually RAN the entire thing!

So, I got up yesterday morning and I didn't shower even though Scott said I should.  I ate a bowl of oatmeal made with Lite Silk Soymilk and a banana.  I put on my compression pants, running socks, my Adidas Supernovas, sports bra and my bright green shirt that we had made from the Vegas 1/2 marathons.  Of course, that shirt is an XL and I am a Small to medium now, so it was kinda bagging:

 

But since it was a St. Paddy's run, we were encouraged to wear green and I wanted to wear it since it has my name on it and everything, so off we went.  Scott very generously went along since I asked him to please take pictures of me at the finish. We went to the Hacienda hotel/casino in Boulder City almost the whole way to the dam - Arizona, that is.  I couldn't believe the crazy parking and how many people were there, it was really nuts, I didn't think I was going to get a spot.  I finally found something, we walked through the casino for one last bathroom break and I decided to tie a knot in the back of my shirt to tighten it up so it wasn't flapping in the breeze.  I put on my iPod and got my Garmin set to record my pace and distance, I got my sunglasses and gave Scott my phone (that was a toughie - I had really wanted to carry it!) and I was ready to go:

a couple of pics just outside the Hacienda:

 

I've already posted these on Facebook and I received tons of comments, people saying how great I looked - that I looked STRONG and LEAN and SKINNY!  WOO WOO!  I just think that I look HAPPY, which might be just as much an accomplishment for me as being all of those other things. 

Since I gave Scott my phone and camera, I couldn't get any pics of the actual race, so I started walking down to the trailhead.  He was going to hang out at the casino for about 1/2 hour and then come down.  I had told him that if I run my fastest 5k ever, I will be done in 35 minutes.  I have been running 11 - 11.5 minute miles on my neighborhood runs and my fastest one ever was 35 minutes.  I figured being on gravel and being in a crowd with a bunch of people that my time might be as long as 45 minutes, so I told him no shorter than 35 and probably no longer than 45.  The info about the race had said it was about 1/2 mile to the start and OMG, it was down a trail that was made of dirt and down a cliff, yikes!  I had said to someone behind me "just what I need is to break my leg five minutes before the race", lol.  So I got down to the start about one minute before the 1/2 marathon was about to start.  They started at the tunnel at the trailhead.  This course is neat as you run along what used to be a train track that was built to take supplies to the dam.  They actually blasted tunnels through the rock for the tracks, to get supplies through.  The tracks are long gone, but the tunnels are there and it's kind neat to run through them - you get cooled down and some shade.  

These are some pics of the tunnels from last year when I did the Catch the Rabbit race - it was on this same trail, just so you can get an idea of what the tunnels look like:

So, the 1/2 marathon started and then they lined us up.  I got in the back of the pack, since that is where I am used to started and besides I figured that I was a slow runner and I would be in the back of the pack.  So off we went, they had bagpipers standing on the top of the first tunnel where we started, I started my Garmin and I was on my way.  I was happy that I had started in the back, as it wasn't too crowded but I did take off around tons of walkers.  I kept thinking that was me before and to look how far I had come.  It was sunny and warm but not too horribly hot and I kept passing people and looking at my Garmin and thinking that my pace was too fast and that I needed to slow down.  I was afraid I was going to not have any energy left for the end but I was feeling good and I kept on going.  There was a water station at about .75 and I slowed down and drank a water and then before I knew it, I was at the 1.5 mile mark, and the turn around.  

So I remember thinking that I was halfway done and I needed to slow down, but my feet wanted to keep going, so off we went.  I did stop at the water again and I passed lots of people, but I was doing great.  I saw the sign for one mile to go and I thought wow, I only have about ten minutes left, and ran a bit more, turned the corner, and there was the finish line.  I actually got choked up just for a split second but then I got really happy because I knew that I was going to do it!  I started looking around for Scott and I didn't see him, and I was smiling really big as I ran the last 1/4 mile and before I knew it, I was done!  The announcer said, good run ladies and someone handed me a medal.  My MEDAL!  YAY!  The medal is one of my main motivations.  I LOVE GETTING MEDALS!  I felt like I earned this one so much more than other races where I walked and got a finisher's medal - I RAN for this one - I was so happy.  I looked around for Scott and didn't see him anywhere and I stopped my Garmin and it said 32:34 - wow!  That put me at a 10:33 mile???  I had beat my fastest 5k by 2.5 minutes!  YAY!  and that was just my Garmin, not my official time.

So, I finally hear Scott and he says, "sweetie, you finished too fast, I saw you coming around the corner toward the finish line and I wasn't even down there yet"  then he said, "look up and look at all of these people that you beat!"  I looked up and there were a bunch of people finishing behind me - I'm not worried about racing against any of them, I just wanted to race with myself - but I felt validated as a runner.  So I asked him to take my picture at the finish line:

and just like that, it was over...I had to go and pick up my Bountiful Basket so I had to take off...

So we went and got the basket and went home and I wore my medal for the entire day:

even when we went out for my victory dinner at Red Robin....

I was eager to see my official time and rank and when I got home and checked the website...


Out of 54 finishers in my age group, I finished at # 11 !!!!!!!!

11 ANYA SANKO              LAS VEGAS NV         39 F     33:56   32:22 10:25

NO WAY!!!!! 

That 32:22 is my chip time for the race and the 10:25 is my mile pace....Little did I know, 

apparently that would be in the top 20ish% :)

I finished 191 overall out of 421, putting me well into the top half (top 45% actually) overall!

That means there were over 200 people that came in behind me.  I really have no idea how this occurred.

What I do know, is I did it, I finished and I did good and I am happy. 

YAY!

RUNNING a 5K tomorrow - OFFICIALLY!!!!!!

I am running the 6 tunnels to Hoover Dam 5K tomorrow!!! Yay and Yikes!!!!!

Have I mentioned how I have always hated running and how I could never do it and how ASTONISHED I am that I actually CAN run?  I mean, I am pretty slow and I know I'm awkward and I probably look really weird doing it, but I am RUNNING now!  So weird.

As far back as elementary school I wanted to run, but after two minutes my chest would be heaving and I would be gasping for air and feeling like I was going to die.  I never understood how people became runners.  I don't really understand how -I- became a runner.  However, I really feel like I have to amp up my exercise to get 10-15 lbs off and the way that most people do it is by running.

When I started my WW journey ten years ago, I never thought I actually would be able to get the whole way to goal.  140 lbs seemed so far away and I never thought I could get that small.  I thought that maybe I could do 170 or 160.  But you know, here I am at 150, down 67 lbs from my all time high of 217 and I reaaaaaaaaallllly want to be 140.  I just feel like my body is used to all of the exercise and activity that I have integrated into my life and that's it's used to the vegs and the natural foods.  That was one of the good things I think about the old WW Momentum program was that when you lost more weight, the number of points that you got per day would decrease.  Maybe they need to do that again???? I have been 150 +/- 2 lbs for three months.  I think running and boot camp will help immensely.

So, tomorrow I go to Boulder City and RUN a 5k.  Last year in February of 2010 I walked a 10K and almost died.  I walked a 1/2 marathon in April on this same 6 tunnels course that I am doing tomorrow.  I feel like this is going to be an amazing day for me tomorrow and that it could be potentially life-changing.  I sure hope that I can run the entire thing.  I ran 2.5 miles yesterday and I was dying so I decided to take today off and rest to be fabulous for tomorrow.

Here I am in my cool 6 Tunnels 5K t shirt that I picked up today in my race packet

my nerdiness knows no bounds, this is what I ran in yesterday, YIKES

going to work on Thursday.  Not the greatest picture but the pants make me look skinny!

But anyway for tomorrow, I have my compression pants, my race shirt, my Adidas Supernovas, my race number, my Garmin, my iPod and my camera.  I am ready to run 3.1!  Wish me luck!  recap will come tomorrow!

I may get past this plateau yet

So, here's my dilemma.

I stayed the SAME at my weigh in last night.  I have been the same weight for at least the last three months +/- 2 lbs. At least I'm maintaining, but the problem is I am NOT at my goal. I knew the last ten pounds would be tough and I knew that to really get that fit, I would have to amp it up, but I really didn't expect this. sigh.

I read an article today about plateaus and I have been trying to find it to post here, but I have been unsuccessful. Basically the suggestions were: add weight training 3x a week, drink more water, track what you eat and change your exercise.

So, other than the fact that I have been very lax with the program over the past few months, those suggestions are REALLY applicable to me. I have been working out continuously for well over a year, but I always do the same workout: cardio/Zumba. So it is time to switch it up and add some Body Pump for weights. This means I have to cut out a Zumba, or two but I think I'll survive. I remember when I first started Zumba, it was my goal to be able to make it the whole way through certain instructors' classes, especially the really high energy ones. I still sweat at Zumba, but I believe that my body has gotten used to doing it regularly and that it takes less energy (fewer calories) to move my smaller bootie and smaller hips around so I burn fewer calories per class than I used to. So, time to ramp. When you do weight training and you have a higher muscle mass, you burn you burn more calories so, weights it is. I have to come up with a new gym schedule. I will miss Zumba, but I think this will be good for me to shake it up and ramp it up. I also don't drink NEARLY enough water, so that's going up too.

So last night I went to Zumba with my friend Cheryl, she is a breast cancer survivor, and she had a double mastectomy over a year ago and she is starting reconstructive surgery on Monday. So, this was her last Zumba for a while, because she is having a series of surgeries. She is such a strong and brave woman. Oh yeah, and I met her at Weight Watchers. I will miss her at Zumba, she is so funny, she cracks me up. She also writes music and sings and acts and all kinds of stuff in addition to her day job as a Valet driver. I love the characters in this town! She'll probably never see this, but good karma is coming your way from me, my girl, and I know that your surgeries will be successful and that you will be great! I am thinking of you.

pre-workout (not sweaty)

post-workout (sweaty) with Cheryl (isn't she fabulous?)

VIP locker room!  I bought the membership as my reward when I lost 40 lbs!

So, last night I signed up for a 5k for this Saturday, YIKES!

So I figured I'd better run.....

pre-run

post run, no worse for the wear.  Scott said I looked like I was gonna collapse, lol.  He better not be saying that when he's photographing me cross the finish line on Saturday!

it's posted on the previous blog entry, but I wanted to prove to myself that I actually could DO a 5k before I tried to run it on Saturday....so I did exactly a 5k (3.1 miles)...

I have actually finished races before.  Last year I took up walking and I did three half marathons, a 10k and the breast cancer 3 Day 60 mile walk (20 miles a day for three straight days, camping in a tent at night).  I have medals from all three halfs and the 10k, but never from an event that I actually RAN.   SO this week - I run.  Wish me luck!

Rock and Roll announced yesterday it's Vegas 1/2 marathon and marathon are going to be ran on the Strip at NIGHT!!! SO, I'm tempted....

And I already signed up for THIS - MY DREAM RACE!!! But don't tell anyone, shhhhh... I haven't told a few key players yet....

I ran a 5K!!!

I ran, I ran so far away....

Ok, so I am as sick as a dog, as my mom used to say, but I am hoping that I am on the upswing, finally!

I actually called into work on Wednesday (loser) because I felt terrible and I just couldn't make it in.  Tuesday night I went to my favorite Zumba - Alison teaches it and my friend Cheryl from WW came along.  Afterward I started feeling bad, Scott said I was hobbling around like an old lady.  Yeah, I woke up at 3am and my throat was on FIRE.  I sounded like a frog when I talked, so yeah I called in.  I actually like my job, so I hate calling in, plus I feel like a loser and like they think that you are faking no matter how sick you are.  I did work Thursday and Friday was my regular day off (I have every other Friday off - yay rotating 9's!).  But I loafed all weekend and haven't worked out since TUESDAY.  Ugh, so unacceptable.  I have no idea how I am going to get these last 10-15 lbs off, get fit, and get HOT without working out.  So, hoping that my nose would quit running for 45 minutes, I decided to go for a run today.  I have been running on the treadmill - well, I won't lie, I ran three times on the treadmill two weeks ago.  I am hoping to build up to be able to run a full 1/2 marathon, but we'll see.  So, I had run 2-3 miles on the treadmill no problem so I figured I would run three miles today.  OUTSIDE.  For the first time ever.

So I donned my compression pants and my cool "one more mile" shirt, as well as my Adidas Supernovas...

My shirt says on the front, "if it weren't for me, you'd have nobody to pass", and on the back, "if you can read this, I'm not last".  Their shirts are the best for us slow runners, at least we can make fun of ourselves.  Note to self, get more shirts from them...So then I asked Scott if I looked like a runner.  Yes, really it's all about the vanity, lol.  I thought that maybe just maybe I may have looked kinda cool, but when I look at this photo, I realize that I really just look like a dork.

So I put on my iPod, held my iPhone to use the Nike+ gps (even though I had already mapped the route with my car and I knew the exact mileage) (Garmin coming in soon, yay!) and off I went.  I decided to do a full 3 mile distance, but that the first and last 1/2 mile would be the warm up and cool down, so I really would only be running for 2 miles.  So I started walking.  The first thing I noticed was that my compression pants were falling down.  wth?  I just bought these like three weeks ago and they are supposed to be super tight to hold everything in and keep it from jiggling.  well, yeah, falling down and they are a medium.  seriously, could I need a small?  I am afraid of buying a small anything, but that's a topic for another time.  A year ago I was an XL in everything, it's very surreal....But I walked the 1/2 mile, and ran the 2 miles, almost died, then walked the last 1/2 mile.

Really, it was hard for me to run today.  I don't recommend running while sick, I reaaaalllly don't, I was breathing way too hard and struggling, but at least I got my little workout in today.  So according to the Nike+, I ran 2.14 miles in 24 mins, 42 sec, for an average pace of 11'30" per mile.  I know that as far as runners go, that is hellaciously slow, but I will take it.  The fastest I ever ran on the treadmill was a 14 minute mile, I started off at 15 minute miles, so I am really ok with this.  I'll get better and faster as time goes on.

I really feel like in order to continue this journey and lose these last pounds before goal that I have to amp up my exercise and I think that running is the way to do it.  I have been inspired by two bloggers: Sheryl (bitchcakes) and Suzi and they both started running to amp up their fitness.  Hell, they actually inspired me to start blogging - high fives to the young and hip WW chicks, this is not your mother's WW any more!  Both of these two ladies are at goal and they both have been photographed as WW success stories.  I hope to be there someday.  I hope to become a WW leader as well.  Setting my sights high, yes, yes...

Here I am after the run with a bit of a red face but not too worse for the wear:

Well, maybe I'm a little worse for the wear but I'm sick give me a break.

Tomorrow work (got some weird meeting in the morning) and then I am working on an almost impossible project (ack). Then hopefully Zumba and maybe Yoga depending on how I feel overall.

I want to get better so I can go to Boot Camp!