Color Run 2013

Saturday I participated in the Color Run with 2 current coworkers and two former coworkers.  If you are not familiar it is a 5K Run (or walk) where you have to wear a white shirt and people throw colored cornstarch all over you.

We waited like an hour before we hit the start line.  And the start line is not the one you easily see in the picture, it is in the distance!  I did good and didn't freak out over it being packed, since you know I have space issues.  The girls were awesome to put me in an open space if they saw me scrunching up. 

Standing outside of the color throw at the end of the run...

Standing inside of the color throw.  It got real nice and dusty.

I don't know who any of these people are I just like the colors. 

I got a pretty awesome video with colors being thrown too, only I don't know how to upload it from phone. 

Kiera wanted to go so very badly but I hadn't planned for her to go so I saved a couple packs of color to have a Mini Color Run in our backyard.  She had a blast getting all colorful and throwing it on me too. 

Tulsa Zoo Run 2012

Saturday morning I woke up after a horrible nights sleep.  I knew I wouldn't sleep well and I didn't.  I got up and took a quick shower and got dressed.  I was a a big ball of nerves and my stomach was not feeling well.  Jimmy kept asking what was wrong and nothing was really wrong besides me zoning out and getting into running mode.  We stopped at QT and got some drinks.  I was nauseous and choked down half of a power bar and a few sips of water to have something on my stomach. 

 

We got to the zoo and my parent's were there to cheer me on and also because Kiera was going to leave with them afterwards.  It was a brisk 38-40 degrees out.  I would later find out this was perfect running weather.

At the starting line everyone was excited and was ready to go.  I was ready for it to be over.  It didn't help at one point when I looked to my left and saw a lady that was probably 6'3" with her half mile long legs.  My short legs got slightly depressed then.  At least I remembered to pop some gum into my mouth before the race began which is a necessity for me during any run.

Once we crossed the start line I immediately realized it is so so much easier to run with other people.  It was a great distraction.  3 minutes in there was a man behind me that his watch was beeping and he told the lady he was coaching they could stop or keep running.  I though "Huh, it's been 3 minutes?"  She stopped, I kept going cause I was feeling good.  I remember 3 minutes being a long ways before.  

A while later I passed the 1 mile mark and I got hot so I took my coat off and wrapped it around my waist.  This is when I realized that this was a great temperature to run in.  Yeah my hands and nose were cold at first but that changed.  My nose was even running a little but I just wiped it on my shirt.  Then I hit the 2 mile mark, still running.  That was an exciting moment for me.  First time to run 2 miles continuously.  Then it started raining and sleeting.  I took my first walking break for about 30-45 seconds around a quarter mile later.  Within the last quarter mile I took a couple/few more 20 second breaks since it was UPHILL and the muscle on my left leg near my butt was really tensing up.

Here I am coming around one of the final corners to the finish line.  I even broke out a smile.  Kiera yells at me "Go Ashley Go!" 

Once I had the finish line in sight I picked up the pace as much as I could and had a finishing time of 38:59.  My goal was to run it under 40 minutes and I did just that! 

Afterwards Jimmy took me to get a coffee since that is what I wanted.  

He then took me to lunch at the White River Fish Market since I had never been there before.

We then went home and laid around in our pajamas for a few hours before going to his parents house.  We were both pooped.  Jimmy didn't sleep much the night before either and well you know my excuse.  I am currently very sore but really excited that I actually did it!  

I will definitely be doing another 5k, just not anytime soon!  Oh and I really have no desire to do anything longer than that.  I noticed I get bored, running, and running, and running.  I will just have to work on getting faster in the future 5k's!

Who can run a mile?

I can.

For the first time in my entire life, I ran 1 whole stinking mile WITHOUT stopping last night. 

Woo woo!

Saturday night I decided that I needed to try a different route than the one I usually go on because it would be more difficult for me to know where I was going and have my normal "stopping points".  I use this "Map my run" app on my phone that calculates where and how far I am going, how long it takes, and all this other fancy stuff.  Only I didn't time it right when I stopped in front of our house .22 before I hit 1 mile.  Bummer.  So last night I decided to try it again and and add some length to my run so hopefully I would stop close to my house.  That is my finish line and I just can't help it.  Sure enough that did the trick and ended just a little past our house.  

  

Around 3/4 or so of the way through it was getting tough.  Behind my right knee near my calf was kinda hurting but then I got a little delusional and forgot about it.  My breathing wasn't so bad and my throat didn't feel like I swallowed a bucket of chalk like it did on Saturday.  I read one runners blog where she said that she chews gum to help keep her mouth and throat  moist during a long run and sure enough that worked.  Only I should have chewed it for a bit before running cause the sugary taste was too much for me, but once it died down it was quite pleasant.   

Some things about me running... 

I feel like a floppy mess but I think I have fairly decent form.

I don't have a long stride, thanks to the short legs I got.

I run on the balls of my feet, not my heels.

I am a mouth breather, but I am all the time whether I am running or not.

I don't like to listen to music.  I want to know if a car is about to run me over or if someone is coming up on me.  

I run on the sidewalk, not in the street, so hopefully my chances of being run over are less.

I think I make wincing faces once I get to the point I want to stop.

And it feels awesome to be able to run a mile. 

One mile. 

Running a 5K

Dear Ashley Jensen,

This email is your receipt for the registration listed below. Confirmation emails have been sent to each registrant.

Event ID	:	127
Event Title	:	43rd Annual Zoo Run
Category	:	5K
Fee	:	Early Registration

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you see what that says?? Do you? 5K Run. Oh Em Gee.  Has Ashley Jensen ever participated in a 5K event?  Yes, walking.  Running?  Oh hell no.  I guess I better get my booty into gear if I don't want to die after attempting this. 

Now I do not know if I will be able to run the entire thing but by golly you bet I am going to try.  

Maybe the people on the side lines will cheer me on.  

Maybe some continuous subliminal chanting will do the trick.

"You CAN do this.  Your legs are NOT going to fall off.  Your lungs are NOT collapsing." 

Or maybe thinking a song to my self will help.

"Just keep running, just keep running, running, running, running GASP GASP GASP!"

I am scared.  Super scared.  I don't know why.  Maybe because I know it is going to be so.freaking.hard and that I may cry half way through.  Sobbing and snotting and running.  Ok maybe not.  

I know what will help.  Some new running clothes.  Yeeees.  Cause let me tell you what isn't so great is my running pants being hemmed at the waist with safety pins since they are too big now.  Hellooo, that is what my sewing machine is for. 

But I am going to be a nervous wreck that morning.  And I have no idea what I should eat before this race, if I am even going to be able to.  Makes me wanna spew just thinking about it. 

At least I get a t shirt.

 Wish me luck, I am going to need it!

     

Running update

As I mentioned a while back I started running slash walking at the beginning of April.  I was doing great and then it got hot outside. Really really hot outside.  Like 113 degree muggy hot outside.  Like the air was so hot it practically just burned your skin.  Not just the sun but the AIR!!!

Seeing as I did not want to die from a heat stroke I stopped about a week or two into June.  Ugh, I know I know.  Not a good thing.  However it wasn't so bad since I didn't gain any weight and I kept off the 14 pounds I have lost!  Woo hoo!  Yes I have lost 14 lbs.  Feels awesome of course.  I still have 31 more pounds to lose but I will get there.  So now that body has gotten nice and comfortable where it is at I am going to shock it back into losing again since I started running slash walking last week.  Oh how I wish I never stopped because it is like starting over again.  Though I can still run longer than I could when I first started running so that is definitely an improvement.  Only running is not all that I am doing.

Remember this guy I got for free?  Probably not because I was only 1 month into blogging and had 3 consistent readers.  2 of which were my parents.  Anyway we finally got the bike fixed and tuned a couple months ago.  Yeah way to wait a year and a half to get going on that.  I think it ended up costing like $120, but everything was checked and tuned and now it works like a charm.  So after I get finished with my measly 1 mile run/walk I hop on the bike and zig zag my way through our massive neighborhood.  I am guessing it is 2 miles worth?  Towards the end of my ride I can't wait to get off the dang bike because the seat is meant for someone without a backside, which is not me.  This girl has some junk in her trunk.  So yeah, I need a cushier seat.

Overall I am really excited about running again, though I hate it at the same time.  Good thing my lower legs are stronger and the shin splints are gone.  Shin splints = no bueno.  But during those couple months of not working out I noticed a change in my attitude that I didn't like.  So I am back on track and working my way back up!  Or down if you are talking about weight! 

9 down 36 to go

Sometime during the first week of April I started running/walking and cutting back my food portions and trying not to eat a lot of crap and sweets.  I am tired of feeling like a fatty and don't want to tell Kiera I can't run around with her because I am out of shape (since we don't talk about being fat or skinny).  

I decided I would loosely try out the couch to 5k program to pace my self and get into running but the problem is that I have never been a runner.  In high school when I was on the swim team swimming for 3+ hours a day for 3 years and in weight lifting as a class, I could barely finish one lap around the track.    I was in pretty bad shape endurance wise when I started and was dying around the 30 second - 1 minute mark. Kiera has been going with me since the beginning and she used made me look pathetic.  That isn't the case now since I can run longer than she can.  But she really enjoys it and I occasionally go by myself, which is saying something when you exercise alone!  I also found my breathing pattern which I think was the biggest thing to figure out, oh and how exactly to run.  I land on the balls of my feet and man has it given my non existent calves a work out.  And my shins, oh the insides of my shins!  Slowly but surely they are getting stronger and hurt a little less every time but they are getting there!

Alas, my efforts have paid off because I have lost 9 pounds.  That is not a fluctuation in weight for me that is pure weigh loss.  Only I have 36 pounds more to go.  People always say "36 pounds from where?"  Oh trust me its there.  I just so happen to carry my weight very well and evenly all over my body, not all in my legs or all in my stomach, its everywhere.  But my weight has stayed the same for about a week, since I took a little running break to let my problem of a right shin to heal, so I am back on track er the road, I mean sidewalk.

I do have a little goal though.  I plan on participating in the Zoo Run this October.  

 Am I going to do the 5k?  Oh no no no.  My goal is to do the fun run.  Yes the 1 mile fun run.  Seeing as I have NEVER ran a continuous mile in the 32 years of my existence I should be good to do the 1 mile since I have now 5 months to prepare.  And who knows maybe by then I will be able to run 3 miles but I highly doubt it.  I know what my body is telling me and it ain't happening so far.  Maybe I will get to where I can run a fast 1 mile! 

Too bad I don't have any runner friends to participate with me.  Unless there is someone out there that wants to?  Anybody?

R is for Running

So I am quite amazed at this whole running thing that seems to be going on everywhere.  The couch to 5K, all the stickers that say 13.1 or 26.2 and in one case 70.3 (which ended up being the Iron man triathlon) seem to be everywhere I look.  I have never been a great runner.  Even when I was in high school in excellent physical condition swimming for 3 hours every day along with lifting weights at practice AND as a class at school, I could hardly run an entire mile when I had to.  Throw me in a pool and I can swim for quite a while.  Even at the river you will find me swimming vs. riding in the boat. 

But running is not my strength.  I do enjoy it though.  Probably because no matter how horrible you feel while doing running or doing any other type of exercise, once you stop you just feel good.  All those endorphins are pumping through your body, you know that you need exercise, your burning off those calories that like to hang around and party it up in your fat cells.  Go away fat! GO!

So as I mentioned something about being back on track to losing weight yesterday I finally just sucked it up and am going for it...again.  I also mentioned something about it MONTHS ago but crap happened ie. work and life in general, and just didn't follow through with watching what I was eating and such.  I just didn't care.  I didn't gain any weight but I wasn't losing any.  Until this last week.   I just cut my portions waaaay back, and have not been drinking pop, or eating a bunch of crap.  2 lbs down 43 more to go!  Plus Kiera and I go on a walk (bike ride for her) almost every night.  Until last night.

Kiera decided that she didn't want to ride her bike but walk with me.  Only she didn't want to walk she wanted to run.  Guess who ran also??  ME!  There is nothing like having your 4 year old daughter set your pace and keep you going.  I knew that I would be able to run as long as I had someone to chase.  I also do this if she gets going fast enough on her bike, then I can run to keep up.  But last night we ended up running half a mile all together!  How awesome is that?  Super awesome if you ask me.  

Now I just have to keep it up!  I can do it!