Hyde Park Blast

Last week while I was home in Cincinnati visiting family and friends that I haven't seen since Thanksgiving, I ran in the Hyde Park Blast. I ran this event in 2007 before I moved away. Back then I was just a newbie runner with no clue what I was doing and very little miles being logged.

Since then I have been a running machine!

Ohio has been having a major heat wave with daily temperatures in the 100s! So with that in mind I set my goal for this race:

1. Finish 4 miles in under 40 minutes would be great.
2. Finish near my '07 time would be awesome.
3. I wasn't really expecting to better my time which was
    37:16 in 2007 - but it would be amazing if I did.

Registration and bib pickup was held outside Lululemon. When we arrived the store was already doing some demonstrations on their front porch and the square was coming alive as people checked out the booths.

We spent some time wandering around, finding the rest rooms, and enjoying the music.  

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Ten minutes before start time, we made our way to the starting line which was about a block north of the square. Since the road was completely closed for the event, there was plenty of room to stretch and hangout before the gun.

Race day essentials: Nike racer back,
Mizuno Wave Rider 15s and Simple Hydration Water Bottle

The four mile route took runners through the historic neighborhood and it was hilly.

The course support for this race was supreme. Not once did I worry about traffic or route direction. The organizers provided plenty of water support and (I think) added an extra stop because of the crazy temperatures. I brought my Simple Hydration Water Bottle, so that I could take water whenever I needed it and was able to cruise by the water tables all the way to the finish line.

After crossing the finish line runners were directed around the square where we received a much needed bottle of water, a free prize pair of earbuds, and a free beer. The post race food booths were also ready with doughnuts, scrambled eggs, frozen yogurt, and bananas. I also stopped by the Blast booth to grab a super cute T to go along with the race shirt all runners were given.

We weren't able to stay all day and enjoy the rest of the events, but I did get a notification of my results while we were having lunch. At first I saw that I had a 3 second PR, but then I realized it was nearly TWO MINUTES!! 

Have you ever run the same race more than once?

What is your race streak?

I've run a couple of races three times...

Fitness Friday: Home Runs

 
I've been spending the week in Cincinnati visiting with my family and friends. Tomorrow I will be running the Hyde Park Blast for the second time.

"The Hyde Park Blast was co-founded by Cheryl Koopman and Chad Sims, both Hyde Park residents, as a way for the community to have fun, be active and raise money for a good cause – the fight against cancer.

Since 2001, more than $260,000 has been donated to CancerFree Kids, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Cancer Support Community, The Cure Starts Now and Shemenski Foundation in addition to Give Back Cincinnati by the Blast."

This event lives up to its mission. 

It starts at 8AM with the 4-mile run/walk.

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Then throughout the day there are kids races, ice cream and footlong eating contests, 

as well as all kinds of FREE exercise demos and classes 

from race sponsors including Lululemon.

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The evening events include cycling races and the elite 5K run.

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The block party kicks off at 6PM with Cincinnati cover band The Gamut 

followed by national act Cowboy Mouth.

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The course has changed since I last ran this race, so I am hoping for a better time.

(they eliminated a nasty hill) 

No matter what, I'm sure I will be having a blast!

2007 - taken by my dad

Do you run races when you travel?

#TrainingTruths: Workouts & Skyline Chili Spaghetti

As you are reading today's post, I am hanging out in Cincinnati for the week with my family and friends. I haven't been home since Thanksgiving (when I ran this race) and I've missed everyone and everything. Today I'm going to a Reds game and then lots of running around.

Last week was the start of summer vacation in the middle of a heat wave and in addition to the PT sessions of ART and Graston, my training schedule has been a little all over the place. I ran four times for a weekly mileage total of 14 (it was supposed to be 17).

WORKOUTS:

#TrainingTruth: I liked running on my lunch break.

I've been reading about people who work out on their lunch breaks for years. Being a teacher, I have approximately 30 minutes to inhale eat my lunch. No time for anything else and barely enough time to use the rest room. Our last day of school exam schedule gave us an hour long lunch, so BRF and I headed out for a 4 mile run. We were trying to beat the heat that was descending on New Hampshire. I now understand why so many people opt to do their workouts at lunch rather than wait until the end of the day. I couldn't do this during the school year because there isn't enough time and I'd be pretty stinky if I had a class after lunch.

#TrainingTruth: I don't follow doctors orders very well.

For the past few weeks I've been attending PT to address the knots in my calf. My PT did not ask me to stop running (thank goodness), but he did ask me to keep the mileage low on each run and always take rest days between. I'm a terrible patient. I was feeling good, awesome in fact, so I did a 7 miler and then ran three days in a row. It shouldn't surprise me that the pain flared back up right before what might have been my last session. Lesson learned. I reduced my Saturday 8 miler to 4 and did not skip rest days anymore.

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FOOD:

#TrainingTruth: I eat pasta for pre-race meals, but I like to spice it up.

Every runner knows that pasta is a great meal for loading up on carbs before a big race. It's also a quick, easy meal to make when life gets hectic. I like to make traditional pasta, but even more I like to make it Cincinnati style. To make it, all I need is to get my hands on some Skyline Chili (I stock up when I'm home or ask my family to mail me some), cook some spaghetti, and add some cheese.

If you don't have access to Skyline Chili, you can follow this recipe that my aunt recommend to me in case I ever run out:

Ingredients:

•   1 quart cold water

•   2 lbs ground beef

•   2 cups crushed tomato

•   2 yellow onions, diced

•   4 garlic cloves, minced

•   1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

•   1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

•   1/4 cup chili powder

•   1 tsp cayenne

•   1 tsp ground cumin

•   2 tbsp cider vinegar

•   1 whole bay leaf

•   1/4 tsp ground cloves

•   1 tsp cinnamon

•   1 1/2 tsp salt

•   cooked spaghetti to serve chili over

Preparation:

1. Add beef and water to a 4-quart pot. Bring to a simmer while stirring until the ground beef is in very small pieces. Simmer for 30 minutes and add all the rest of the ingredients. 

2. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 3 hours. Add water as needed if the chili becomes to thick. 


3. Refrigerated the chili overnight, and the next day remove the layer of fat from top before reheating and serving.

Don't forget to check out WIAW recipes also!

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to asses ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:

1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments

I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!

Fitness Friday: Summer Fun Runs

I have run lots of traditional road races: 5Ks to half marathons. With the exception of this one, they are always what you expect. This summer I am trying something new and signed up for a couple of fun runs.

The LoziLu is a women's only 5K trail run with exciting obstacles and a fun post-race party. Now even though it's a "mud run" this event is all about the girlie-girl in all of us.

"Beyond the perfect mud run and a whole heap of fun, your registration provides you a super sweet stainless steel LoziLu water bottle, a stylish LoziLu Sweaty Band, fabulous fun, snacks, beverages, an adult beverage*, bonding with the girls, stickers, free event photos, and a DJ hosted party to shake your groove thang. LoziLu is kind of a sweet deal for all day entertainment."

I signed up to run this race with a team of NH bloggers led by Heather who aptly named us Team Bad Ass Blogger Babes! I really hope we win the largest team award because I hear the prize is WINE!

After covering myself in mud, I'm going to cover myself in color. Color Me Rad is 5K event in which your white shirt becomes a canvas of color as you are bombed with blue, green, pink, purple, and yellow corn starch.

At the finish line you'll be greeted by "the royal rumble of color. Every 15 – 20 minutes everyone will grab handfuls of color and pummel each other until you're black and blue (from corn starch – no real bruising will occur). There will be music, food, and sponsors welcoming you across the finish line with open arms."

I'm running this as part of Team FitFluential and even though I have a feeling there's not going to be a huge amount of actual running going on, I think it's going to be a crazy fun run!

Don't forget to use PROMO code CCAMB8 when you register for ZOOMA Cape Cod. It gets you $10 off the half or $5 off the 10K. There is a price increase tomorrow.

What new things are you planning this summer?  

#TrainingTruths: Workouts and Rachel Ray

Last week was a busy week with school, graduation, a faculty party, and trip to MA for a family shindig. I was only able to complete 2/3 of my scheduled training runs for a weekly total of 12 miles and I had to get creative to make that happen!

Workouts:

#TrainingTruth: I really like the feeling of a PR!

On Saturday I had 7 miles on schedule, but I also had a 5K that didn't start until 10 AM. In order to get in my mileage for the day, I chose to run 4 miles before the race. I've never done that before, but we were leaving after the race to drive 2.5 hours to MA. I had to go before.

My goal for the 5K was to do at least as well as last year, and I thought this might be a struggle because of the pre-race run. After crossing the finish line of the non-chip timed race, it dawned on me that I might have done better than last year...by a lot.

Later that evening I checked the results and discovered that not only did I beat my time from last year, but also my PR from SIX YEARS AGO! I am really starting to like the feeling of becoming a better runner!

#TrainingTruth: I'm a little nervous about running in the summer heat.

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As we make our way through the month of June in New England, the temperature has been steadily climbing. We've already had some really warm days, and I find myself struggling with breathing and maintaining my energy. I don't know much about how to run in the heat and I want all of my runs to be productive, so I've got some researching to do.

Food:

#TrainingTruth: I could eat parm-crusted haddock daily!

In an effort to try to eat healthy and because we love fish, we have been trying new recipes. Rachel Ray has a great recipe for tilapia, but we modified it for one of our favorite fish, haddock. It's a process to make, but it's so delicious!

You can find the original recipe in her book rachel ray's look + cook on page 136 or on the Rachel Ray Show website. And more delicious recipes can be found here.

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to asses ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:

1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments of the weekly post
4. Link up below

I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!