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Journey to Wellness

~ Fighting for health in my life one run, meal, and choice at a time

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Tag Archives: Friends

Neon Dash 5k Race Recap

24 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by Caroline in Racing, Running

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Friends, Race, Racing, Running

This past Saturday evening Melissa (that’s the link to her neon dash race recap), Meg, and I ran the Neon Dask 5k. This is the first night race I’ve done, and I have lots of thoughts on it, so let’s get started.

Melissa went and picked up our packets on Friday, which was really nice of her (so I can’t speak to packet pick up on race evening). I was a bit disappointed in what the race gave to us- there were generic cotton tee-shirts that fit awkwardly and were not in any way ideal for running. So that’ll get tossed pretty quickly. The other thing they gave was this weird neon dash scarf thing that looked bad no matter what we did to it. So Melissa and I decided to just go with it and did cheer leader bows with it.

Neon Dash

Because we were feeling really weird about our whole outfit (there was LOTS of laughter as we were getting ready), we had to take a funny pic- ninja, cheerleader, ballerina.

We drove to the race site and started to deck ourselves out with glow bracelets and necklaces (Meg purchased these online- far cheaper than buying them at the race).

Neon Dash

Neon DashNice and Clean before the race start…

The race was originally supposed to start at 8:30, but a few days before the race we got an email saying they were starting at 9 instead. Around 8:50 we walked to the race start to get in line… and proceeded to stand there for half an hour before we started running (they let tiny groups go every few minutes… but never communicated that to us. We would’ve gotten in the starting shoot much earlier if we had known).

Neon DashLOVING the tutu action.

The first color station took almost a half mile to come to, and it was a powder station. Then it was almost another half a mile before the next color station. Then there were a few color stations really close together. I really wish they had been more spread out.

They had specifically said multiple times that walkers were to stay to the right, and runners to the left. That obviously didn’t happen, and it was a little annoying. I wasn’t expecting to run fast, as this isn’t a normal race, and I wanted to have fun at the color stations. However, it was really annoying to have to weave around really slow walkers.

There was water once on the course at mile 1.5, and I was looking forward to it. It was hot and humid, and going through powder stations had made my mouth extra dry. We got to the water station and there was a LONG long long line, so we decided it wasn’t worth it to wait the multiple minutes it would’ve taken to get a cup of water. When we passed we realized what the problem was: they were filling tiny cups with a water hose! SERIOUSLY. The entire thing was really inefficient, and I was not so pleased.

Neon Dash

Mid race

We continued on, enjoying the black light stations they had to take pictures at after the color stations along the race course. That part was fun. It would’ve been fun if they had music playing around the course too- it would’ve fit in with the black lights and neon vibe.

Neon DashPost-race!

Once the race finished, we went in search of water. Again, they were filling tiny cups with water that was not cold or refreshing. They had the Honest Tea company there with samples too. This was cold and refreshing, but only about 2 ounces too. So, at the end of the race, we were given about 4 ounces (MAYBE) of liquid, and that’s it. Not fantastic. The post race party was “meh”, so we headed out pretty quickly. French fries were calling our name.

We stopped my McDonald’s on the way to Melissa’s house (we spent the night there), where we stocked up on Fries and McChicken’s (it was after 11 pm at this point, and we had dinner at about 5 pm, so we were HUNGRY).

A few tips for you: Bring a towel for your car after the race is done. We were covered in liquid and powdered color, and it would’ve soaked the seats if we hadn’t brought towels with us. Bring snacks and drinks for the car on the way home, as you won’t be getting any during the race. If you’re going to bring your phone, put it in a plastic bag. My phone was in a bag, but the bag was covered in color by the end. It’s worth it to bring your phone so you can get fun pictures along the course! Line up early on in the starting shoot so that you’re not waiting around for 45 minutes after the official start time to actually run.

Pros for this race: It was pretty cheap. I paid 22 dollars I think, so of course I wasn’t expecting some of the race amenities that I was used to expecting. It was a fun environment and something different to do with friends! Running in a tutu was a blast…. and there might be more of it in my future 🙂

Cons for this race: It was REALLY unorganized. Our start time was later than expected, the water station was poorly managed (they should’ve had more tables set up, and maybe tiny water bottles or something to accommodate the crowds. Warm water from a hose was just not ok). More hydration post race would’ve been nice as well.

Would I do it again? Yes, as long as it was as cheap as it was. I would’ve been really disappointed if it had been more expensive. This race could be awesome if it was just a little more organized. Really though, I just had a fun time running in a tutu with lots of glow stick bracelets and dancing in liquid and powder color- all things I don’t do in my normal life. Running it with Meg and Melissa was a blast too!

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Thankful Thursday

19 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by Caroline in General Living

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Friends, Thankful

I definitely need to write this post today. It’s not that I’m in a bad mood- today I’ve just felt pretty “meh”. The friend I spent the most time with the last 4 years moved to a different state on Sunday, and that’s been sad for me. It’s another little loss in a string of little losses for me over these past months, and while nothing has been huge or catastrophic, it’s been sad for me. Today is also the birthday of a friend who died 8 years ago, so that brings a bit of sadness with it as well. So, I definitely need my practice of gratitude more than anything right now! Here’s what I’m thankful for at the moment:

I’m thankful for a fun weekend with friends. Last weekend I ran the 5k foam fest, and then headed out to a fun weekend with friends. Spent Saturday day/evening/Sunday morning with a friend from grad school (going out to eat, seeing the Fault In Our Stars in the theater–i sobbed and thought it was a fantastic movie, watching Orange Is The New Black, and just catching up), and spent Sunday afternoon with Melissa and Meg at the pool. It was really wonderful and I definitely needed that. It was awesome. (Those bright orange sunglasses are from the Color Me Rad race I ran last September)

photo

I’m thankful for good books. I’ve been reading SO much lately, and I’ve been enjoying it so much. Last week was “Fault In Our Stars” (go read it AT ONCE!), and this week I’m reading “Gone Girl”.

Im thankful for my porch. I’ve been spending a few hours most days of the week sitting out on my porch writing, reading, and enjoying the sunshine and flowers. Most of the time (unless my very loud neighbors who love to scream are outside) it’s such a peaceful place to be, and I’m glad that I have it.

I’m thankful for the World Cup. I love huge sporting events that bring groups of people together, and I love the excitement of international competition. I filled out my bracket for it last week, so now I’m officially invested.

I’m thankful for fresh, cold water. It’s been in the 90s and HUMID this week, which means that I’m drinking far more water. I fill a few water bottles with water and keep them in the refrigerator so I consistently have really cold water to drink, and it’s so refreshing.

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you thankful for today? When you’re feeling a bit down, what’s one thing that helps you turn your day around?

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Thankful Thursday

12 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by Caroline in General Living

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Friends, Running, Thankful

Happy Thursday! This week has felt a little strange and off to me this week, I think mostly due to recovery (and a random out of state trip on Tuesday to help one of my friends move). Here’s what I’m thankful for at the moment:

I’m thankful I’ve had the convenience of a friend living a two minute and thirty second walk away from me.  Seriously, how convenient is that? We walk together on occasion, and watch TV or movies together almost every week. We went to grad school together back in the day, and it’s been really nice (and convenient) to have a friend so close. She’s moving three and a half hours away now for a new job, and I’m definitely feeling sad about that!

I’m thankful for another half marathon. For some reason it almost seems like that half didn’t happen last weekend- I wonder why? I’m thankful for the chance to get out and run again in a race setting- so fun (even when it’s tough)!

I’m thankful for fun with new friends! I have friends that are moving away, but I also have new friends too! I spent Saturday hanging out at the pool with these girls, and had a great time!

I’m thankful for fresh air. What a simple and beautiful thing, right? I love it!

I’m thankful for the rain that is watering my flowers. They are growing so quickly and they are beautiful and vibrant!! I love looking at them.

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?

Looking for more ways to connect?

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Indy Women’s Half Marathon Race Weekend

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by Caroline in General Living, Racing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Friends, Race, Racing

The entire race weekend for the Indy Women’s Half was lots of fun, so I thought I’d share a little about that. If you haven’t read my race recap yet, make sure to check it out too!

I ended up getting to Melissa‘s place around 11 am on Friday morning, which meant the weekend started early! We immediately headed downtown to the expo. Walking back and forth to the car gave us about 15 minutes of walking each way, and we were both so happy to at least let our legs move a bit; the taper crazies were really getting to us. We walked around the expo for about 20ish minutes (it was pretty small and wasn’t too crowded since we were there at about noon), and then headed back to the car.

expo on race weekend

Melissa is such a creative gift-giver (seriously- I wish I was half as good at buying gifts as she is!), and this was sitting waiting for me when I got to her place:

photo 1

After eating lunch (she ate pasta, I ate this awesome quinoa dish— we really just both wanted fried food), we headed out to the pool for a few hours. We finished the day with dinner (I ate my pasta then, along with some of those delicious doritos!), and we watched the first season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which was really funny (especially how much they talked about how they only wanted to do things that were “tasteful” and “classy”- this has now become a joke of ours), and really relaxing as well. We headed to bed around 9:30, and I ended up sleeping about six and a half hours– a record for the night before a race!

After the race, we headed off to Mexican food, and Meg met us there! I felt a little badly for her, as Melissa and I were both still feeling a bit off from the race (or really, the heat during the race). I got a migraine as we were leaving the race, and took some medicine in the car on the way to the restaurant. I almost passed out as we were leaving too–I was in rough shape. We went back to Melissa’s place, changed, and headed off the pool for a few hours again. I was wondering if it would be good being outside because it was warm, but the pool was nice and cool, and that helped to revive me and cool down my body temperature.

photo 3

We spent a few hours there talking, which was great! I wish we all lived closer so we could hang out more (but we ARE running a race in tutus together in a few weeks!). Overall the Friday and Saturday of race weekend were the most fun I’ve ever had around a race, and I think I’d like to spend every day post-race at a pool with friends!

Now it’s your turn to share! Are you a good gift giver? What’s your favorite way to rest after a race?

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Indianapolis Women’s Half Marathon 2014 Race Recap

08 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Caroline in Exercise, Half Marathon Training, Racing, Running

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

2014 Challenge, Exercise, Friends, Half Marathon, POTS, Race, Racing, Running

“In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.”- Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon Co-founder

On Saturday afternoon, Melissa and I were at the pool, and she (I think it was her anyways and not me- haha) mentioned that she had no idea how to really recap this race, and I immediately agreed. This was by far the most strange half marathon I’ve ever run, and it seriously can’t be compared to any other half marathon that I’ve run so far (this was half marathon #6). This was a totally different game, and one that I said on Wednesday last week might be totally different due to weather.

My alarm went off at 5, and I checked the weather (humidity at 94%-ugh), and ate my traditional pre-race meal: 12 ounces orange juice, 1 luna bar, and 1 medium sized banana. I got ready quickly and warmed up. Melissa accidently turned her alarm off, so I finally woke her up at 5:45 (we were planning to leave right around 6). She had gotten sick in the middle of the night- a great sign of the day to come. We hit the road and got to the corrals about 15 minutes before the start. We warmed up quickly and jumped in the corrals ready to go. Race start temperature was about 60 degrees with 92% humidity, but we knew the temperature was going to shoot up quickly. I took a salt packet about 30 minutes before the race, hoping that would help any cramping issues.

I need to mention again here that, because I have POTS, exercising in the heat is pretty difficult. I can’t cool myself appropriately, so anything over about 50-55 degrees is really warm for me. Going in I knew this was going to be the case, and Melissa and I decided that it was better to be safe than to put ourselves in a dangerous situation (she also doesn’t do well in the heat). Safety was the name of our game.

Indy Women's Half Marathon Race RecapAt the starting line

The first 5 miles flew by pretty quickly, and the temperature felt ok for us too. We started off doing a 2:1 run:walk ratio, and we decided to keep our pace equivalent to training runs until we felt like it wasn’t safe anymore. The first 5 miles we hit in the 11-11:25 range, and that felt awesome. At that point the sun had really come out strong and the temperature was rising. Melissa wasn’t feeling great, and somewhere in the 5-6 mile range my heart rate got out of control fast. We both walked for a good chunk of that mile- remember our motto? Safety first.

We hit the half way point and I was hurting from walking so quickly. When we walked, we were keeping about a 14:40 pace, which is far faster pace than I normally walk at. My right arch was hurting and my left piriformis was unhappy. I remember taking inventory of myself, looking at Melissa, and wondering how we were going to make it through the rest of the race. Running felt better than walking at this point, even though running wasn’t good for me.

At mile 7 we hit a water station and there was no line at the port-a-potty. SCORE! I hopped in and went quickly- a first for me at any race. It was worth it though (one thing I will say is that I feel like I was hydrating well throughout the race. I drank water and powerade at every station the first half, and also carried gatorade in my handheld water bottle). Melissa told me to run ahead and she’d catch up, so I grabbed the powerade at the station and walked along, eating my race fuel (cran-razz shot bloks. I also had margarita shot bloks at mile 3.8 and 10ish). I also took half a salt packet at mile 7, not because I was cramping, but because I was sweating and losing so much salt, and didn’t want to cramp at the end.

Right after mile 7 was a huge hill, and I definitely walked up it. Melissa caught up at the top, and told me that she threw up again. I felt so bad for her, and even though she told me to run ahead, I refused. We signed up together, and we were going to run it together! And honestly, I didn’t know how I was going to make it through the 2nd half without her next to me anyways.

Honestly, those last miles went by in a blur, and I felt like they went by pretty quickly too. We walked a lot, and ran as we could. Neither of us felt fantastic. The second half of the course I only took powerade at the stations because the water was too warm to be refreshing at all, and I couldn’t stomach the thought of it. Right around mile 9 I looked as far ahead of me and behind me as I could, and every single person I saw was walking. That’s when I realized how tough this weather really was.

Somewhere around mile 9 we set a goal for ourselves- we would come in before my slowest half marathon time (set at my first half marathon at the Indy mini), and that pushed us to run just a bit more. Right about mile 12 I suddenly started to shiver a bit, and said “Oh my gosh Melissa, I’m getting goose bumps.” At this point it was still high humidity about almost 77 degrees, and I shouldn’t have been shivering at all, so this was clearly a sign that my body wasn’t doing well. Honestly, if I had more than a mile left I would’ve been pretty concerned, but I felt ok continuing on, knowing that it would all be over in about 10 minutes.

Right around mile 12.5 we ran past some of Melissa’s co-workers who brought out ice cold water bottles for us. I handed off my hand held, and it felt absolutely amazing to hold something that was so cold. Once we saw the finish line Melissa told me to run ahead so I could make sure that I was under my slowest time. I ended up crossing the finish line about 20 seconds before her, but both of us ended with a time of 2:55. It’s certainly a far cry from my half marathon PR, but as I said, this race can’t even be compared to my other races.

I felt more emotional crossing that finish line than in any finish except for first half marathon- I guess because my body felt pretty off at that point. Men who were in the military were passing out the medals, and we also got roses (along with the standard banana, nuts, water, etc…).

Racing half marathon

Melissa and I took a few pictures, and then headed back to stretch.

photo 2 Indy Women's Half Marathon

Honestly- I wasn’t at all disappointed in our time. This race was really tough for both of us, and in many ways I had to push myself much more than in other races. I ran a relatively safe race with POTS (minus when my body started to hit heat exhaustion), and was able to finish strong in that last mile. I had fun for a good portion of the race, and this race was another example of proving that I am stronger than I thought I was, and my diagnosis doesn’t have to hold me back completely. I think that long distance summer races are just something that I can’t really do because of POTS, and that’s ok. Honestly, looking at the big picture, the time doesn’t matter to me. Me pushing myself, being safe, growing, learning, and just being able to run is what’s most important. I’m so thankful that I can run, even in the tough, hot, and disgusting races. I’m thankful for this race, safety in running, and for the lessons learned through it.

Overall the race was organized well. The course was fine- nothing special. There were plenty of aid stations with water and powerade. I wish the water had been kept cooler, as it was just gross and not refreshing the 2nd half of the race. The volunteers were really encouraging, but there was minimal spectators cheering on the side of the road.

I’m interested to see how I view this race in a few months, but right now I’m not disappointed at all. Despite having to drop our pace, we didn’t quit, and that was huge for us. More on the expo and post race fun later this week!

Check out Melissa’s recap of the race too!

For more information on POTS, click here. For other race recaps, click here. To see how this race compares to the Monumental Half Marathon, the Indianapolis Mini Marathon, and the Carmel Half Marathon, click here. For more information on my Bioskin calf sleeves, click here. 

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