So i was definitely having a rut last week when it came to running. Everything was sore, I felt slow and run down, and the heat kept getting to me and making me feel sick (despite having been running in it for weeks now!) So I basically decided to tell Hal Higdon to lay off, and i blew off my long run and did a mud run instead!
It should be mentioned that i am generally not a huge fan of mud runs, mostly because i am an accident prone germ-aphobe. I still have scars from last falls warrior dash.....
But a co-worker invited me to run the Go Dirty Girl mud run with her, and this was an all women's mud run, so i decided to go for it!
I started out by waking up at 5 so that i could run 3 miles before the mud run, and at least have an impressive six miles for the day (ha!) It was so hot and muggy out at 5:30am i could not believe it. I have never been so happy to skip a long run.
Jenny and i had assembled outfits the night before -
I even made these shirts with my impressive design skills!
And we met up with another coworker who was running the race!
Obviously, we all have way too much energy that early in the morning.
The course was set up to be easier than warrior dash. They also very encouraging for women who didn't feel comfortable on any of the obstacles to just skip it. It was an untimed event, so i think it helped eliminate some of the competitive aggressiveness that sometimes pops up in obstacle courses.
The Breakdown:
I had a blast at this "race" I think its important for anyone wanting to do this to understand that it's not competitive in any way. Jenny and i ran the whole thing. Along with maybe four other people. Most people were walking. A lot of people were also cutting through the course. You also lose a lot of time at all the obstacles because there are women of all fitness levels participating. But thats why its fun! It was unfortunately in the 90's that day. We were in one of the first waves, thank god, but i was really impressed with the way they handled it. They had at least 6 "mud pits" to help cool us ladies down, as well as multiple sprinkler/spray stations. They also had more water stops on this course than the women's half marathon did. Seriously. It might have been overkill, but i truly appreciate their concern and effort at keeping everyone safe.
One really neat thing they did was they had a guy with an ipad at the finish line taking pictures, and then texting them to you. What a great idea! I love instant gratification!
After a thorough rinsing, i was able to grab my reward beer and wear the charm that all the ladies received!
It was really nice to blow off marathon training for a weekend and experience something new! Not to mention a reminder that running is something i do for fun!
Now that its July, i need to really buckle down and start training my butt off. I slacked off a lot in June...(although i still managed to pull off a PR marathon and half marathon! Not bad for slacking!)
I've been finding it really hard to train in the summer. The heat and humidity are a total buzzkill, and have significantly slowed me down, and there are way too many social distractions. You all better help me stay on track and train hard this month!!
This weekend, i got my welcome kit from Alyse and Jamie, making my status as a Sweat Pink Ambassador official! I got this sweet tank top, and a bunch of shoe laces to distribute to all my running buddies! They even have a bio for me on their website, as well as all the other Sweat Pink ladies! If you were ever curios about the inner workings of my mind, click Here.
I totally wore the tank all day on sunday while i went to potbellys and then proceeded to nap on the couch all afternoon did healthy things. It was a bit chilly out, so i wore a cardigan over it, and Matt pointed out that when you wear a sweater over the tank, it crops the text just so:
Eat Pi. Now there is a slogan i can stand behind!
My favorite part by far was a hand written note from Jamie and Alyse welcoming me as an ambassador, and apparently accusing me of having a sense of humor! Wha???? ME??? I am shocked, baffled, stunned, and flattered. I actually do put a fair amount of time into the blog, so its nice to think that someone was entertained by it, if only for a second.
It was a huge boost, because i have been feeling very unappreciated lately both at home and at work, so this just made me feel good, so i will stop my whining and keep being my fabulous self (although why anyone would consider me a role model is beyond me. Don't get drunk and sign up for marathons kids. Just don't.)
Aside from this note, i also got a little acknowledgement from home on how hard i work. Since Matt has been out of work, I yelled at him to do more around the house so i could have a break. I won't go into details (because most of them are being saved for FWP tomorrow, but he realized that working all day, running, blogging, doing all the laundry, cooking, etc is a LOT harder than it looks.)
So, as a sweat pink ambassador, it's my job to encourage you to get moving, look awesome, and just do the best that YOU can. I would say lead by example as well, but seriously, i just ate jelly beans for breakfast....do as i say, not as i do.
And, if anyone want's some awesome hot pink shoe laces, all you have to do is run with me :) (and maybe tell me i am awesome....)
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