Race Review - The Chocoloate 5K

Yesterday was my husband's birthday.  We went out and enjoyed the evening then crashed at a hotel.  Then, after a night of restless sleep, we were up at 7am to get ready for our second race of our "15 in '15".  It was a cold morning - a whopping 10 degrees F.  However, I knew better than to bundle up to where I felt comfortable because once I started running, I would be too warm.

So we drove the 15 minutes to the race site.  It was at Teacher's Treasures Inc in Indianapolis.  The race was put on by +NR Road Racing .  Registration was easy and trouble free.  We had the option to have our race timed.  I chose to have mine timed; my husband did not.  So I attached my timing chip to my shoe and my bib to my clothes.

I always feel the need to use the restroom before a race - no matter if I used it merely moments prior.  The building had one unisex bathroom and everyone had the same idea.  The line was brutal and the race was about to start.  I opted to not use it.

We lined up and waited, most of us jumping to keep the blood flowing and to try to generate some sort of warmth.  The gentleman giving instructions for the race was hard to hear but we got the jist.  Before long - we were off.

I quickly weaved through the crowd and was soon in the clear.  I was at a good steady pace.  My feet soon grew quite cold as did my face.  However, once I got into the rhythm of the pavement, I soon forgot about them.  I was in the zone.  The race was easily marked with cones.  There was traffic but it was well directed.  There were numerous volunteers on the course for assistance as well as military personnel.

I had an app on my phone on that tells me my miles as I pass them and my pace.  It seemed I should have heard my first mile alert by then but nothing.  Shortly after, I was I like - "Dear Lord, I have had to reach a mile by now!"   I felt like my pace was slow but I kept going.

When I saw the water station, it was then that I knew my app must have not been working.  I grabbed a water to go, attempted to be cool and drink it while jogging, spilled most of it all over me, tossed the rest and pocketed the cup.

I kept plugging along and since this was a chocolate run, we were handed chocolate when we got our water.  My pace was steady and I wasn't fatigued but I kept thinking I have got to be close to two miles by now!  A few military were handing out more chocolate - score!

It was when I turned that last corner that I saw the finish line - already?  I thought for sure that I was moving slow and that I had only reached a mile.  I pushed hard and crossed the line.

I had no idea my time because I had my phone on "run" and not "race".  Grrrrrr.  So I would have to wait until the results were posted.  It wasn't long before they were.  I was amazed at my time!  I did exceptionally well and broke a personal record.  Holla'!

So the review of The Chocolate 5K in Indianapolis:
Terrain - pavement, moderate vehicle traffic but well directed, various city debris and rough patches Organization - very well done, registration was a breeze, course was clearly marked, NR Road Racing organized it, one water station on the course, chocolate handed out twice during the race, after the race- chocolate, water and a chocolate energy drink was available, tee shirt given, optional timing - therefore no awards given.
Cost - $30 before deadline; $35 after; $40 day of; teams of 4 $25
Time of Race - 9:00am
Overall - nice race, laid back, went to a good cause, no complaints other than hard to hear instructions
Award -  no awards given
My Time - 28.49

Race on, friends.
BeastModeActivated

My post-race face!

My husband crossing the finish line!

This is Getting Personal

I am competitive.  If there is a chance to win, I want to win.  I can't help it.  Even when my kids were little, we would play games and I wouldn't let them win.  It wasn't in my DNA to not give it my all. Perhaps that is harsh, but my kids were well aware of this.  Because of that, they tried their hardest to beat me in whatever it was. They would give it their all and that is always all I have ever asked of them.  So, you may think it was harsh but I consider it a life lesson learned.

With that being said, I push myself when I run.  I started running back in November so I haven't really had the privilege of running outside.  Therefore, the treadmill has gotten some wear this winter since the weather has been crap.

I only run a 3.1 - 5K distance.  I have no desire to run a 10K, a 13.1 (half marathon) or a full marathon (26 miles).  I can't say I will NEVER run them but 5K is the perfect distance for me.....for now.  *ahem*  Anyway, when I started, my time was over 40 minutes.  So I was determined to get under 35 minutes.  I did.  Then I said under 30.  I did that.  I was content with that.  Only running a couple months, turning 40 this year, just lost weight......under 30 was respectable, right?

I continued to run.....I refuse to go backwards therefore under 30 became my time.  Whether it was 29.59 or 29.10, as long as it was under 30, I was happy.  But I couldn't stay that way, oh no.....not me....

I wanted under 29 minutes.  I have been to a few races and people ran a 5K in 22 minutes, 25 minutes, etc.  There is no way I can accomplish that, in my opinion.  But I can overcome small obstacles and gloat in the small achievements.

Last night my time was 29.05 for 31.117.  If I had stopped it right at 3.1 (and not slowed down for a drink) I would have gotten under 29 minutes.  I will get there.  Then I will be content with that time.

Well, for awhile anyway.......

Always strive to be better today than you were yesterday.

BeastModeActivated

*note - we are running the Indianapolis Chocolate Run next weekend!!  Keep an eye out for a review!

Personal Record!

Sweat aka Liquid Awesome!

Nutrition Wednesday

Sometimes the best dishes come from accidents.  Today was no exception.

I threw some chicken breast in the crock pot.  I typically do this a lot.  I leave it in then shred it and put it in the refrigerator for easy grabbing throughout the week.

Honestly, I am getting sick of chicken.  So to look at that chicken in the crock pot, I was not looking forward to dinner.  Therefore, I looked to see what veggies I had.  Leaving the water (aka chicken broth) from the chicken in the crock pot, I shredded the chicken with two forks. Then, I grabbed a can of peas and a can of green beans and dumped them in (drained).  Looking in the freezer, I found a bag of grilled, frozen veggies (had potatoes, peppers, onions and zucchini in the bag) and dumped them in.  I then tossed in some brown rice. 

Let me tell you - delicious!!!  It was like a soup/stew.  I added some salt and pepper to mine and ate it with a serving of tortilla chips.

The soup itself was less than 250 calories a serving and the sodium was low (although I added some to mine!) and packed protein!

I will definitely remember this to make again....and the beauty - leftovers!

Fitness Wednesday - Consumer Review: FitBit

So I had this blog typed out and ready to post Wednesday....and I forgot!  So a day late but here it is!

I have wanted a FitBit for a little while now, but it wasn't a necessity.  I just thought they sounded cool.  So, I decided to take a couple for a test run, so to speak.

The first one I got was the FitBit Surge.

This one came at a hefty price - $267.00 with shipping.  The face of the Surge is rather large and bulky.  It kept getting caught on my shirt sleeve.  With that being said, I have to admit that I was not impressed.  I tested it for a week in various trials.  I ran on the treadmill with various settings and the calories burned was way off from what the treadmill was calculating.  I had even went online to calculate what I should be burning considering my height and weight and the FitBit was still off by 200 calories or more.  The same went for cardio workout.  The numbers just weren't correct.

When I synced my Surge to my phone, the time was never right.  I would run for 29 minutes and the Surge would sync it and it would say I ran 37 minutes even though the display clearly said 29.  The display would show 200 calories burned but when synced it would only sync 130 calories burned.  This proved quite frustrating.

The calculated daily steps were as accurate as any wearable device could be.  No complaints there.  The heart monitor kept not wanting to read.  I would do the suggested cleaning the sensor, make sure it wasn't too tight or too loose...and yet it still had trouble finding my heart rate.

I tested out the GPS and while it took several minutes to find a satellite, once it did the distance was calculated correctly.

The sleep tracker seemed to be working efficiently, no complaints there.

My overall thoughts - for the price and the boasting technology, I was not impressed.  It went back.

Next was the FitBit Charge HR.

There are some differences such as size, display, options and it has no GPS.  Even so, I am more pleased with the HR than the Surge.  While testing it out on the treadmill, the calories burned were much closer than the Surge had been.  I tested it out doing cardio and was pleased with the numbers.  They matched what I researched that my height and weight should burn.

The calculated steps were accurate.  No marketed pedometer is going to be 100% accurate but I feel this is close.  The size is comfortable.   And while it doesn't look as fancy or have as many "bells and whistles" as the Surge, I am pleased with the overall performance.  And for the cost ($150.00), I feel it is doing the job that I am paying for it to do.

Thankfully, I had the option to take them for a test run.  Had I not had that option and paid for the Surge, I would have been quite displeased with my purchase.

Nothing I wear is going to make me lose weight.  However, the FitBit keeps me on task.  It serves as a reminder that I need to be conscious of my daily activities and intake to remain on the healthy path.  It also lets me track my food and water intake so I can eliminate other apps that also do that.  It is convenient to have everything in one app.

Hopefully, that helps in some of your decision making processes.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask....I will do the best I can in answering them.

Peace.

Put your medal where your mouth is....

Did you have any clue that virtual racing was a real thing?  Yea....I didn't either.

But it is...and it is rapidly growing.  What is it, you ask?  It is where you register for a "race", whether it be 5k, 10k, marathon...that is entirely your choice, then you run it at your leisure either outside, on your treadmill or in an actual race.  Then you post your time and they send you a medal.  Pretty cool, huh?  Obviously, you could cheat and post a bogus time but then you would only be cheating yourself.

We discovered this by accident.  We ran a couple 5ks and realized we wanted something to show off all of our hard work.  So we began to research medals and stumbled across the virtual racing community.  Now we have bling for each race we have ran.

Then it dawned on us.  There is a market for medals.  There were thousands of others that wanted some bling for the sweat they left on their treadmill belt or the asphalt.  Therefore, we brainstormed and decided that we would tap into this market.  However, what makes us unique is that all our proceeds will go towards a cause or a ministry - such as cancer, autism, adoption, missions, just to name a few. 

This birthed Medal Mouth.  We have created an organization to offer medals to virtual runners.  Whether you run on your treadmill or a local 5k, it doesn't matter.  You can order some bling to showcase your hard work and determination.  It is in the baby stages right now but we are hoping to expand and offer more racing items in addition to medals.

So make sure you check out our facebook page and our website (links posted below).  Spread the word and know that every penny you spend goes towards a good cause. 

Peace.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/medalmouthbling
Wesbite - http://www.medalmouth.com/

Medal Mouth (all rights reserved)

Nutrition Wednesday

Today, I am showcasing a staple item I keep in my refrigerator.

Olive Oil Spray with Butter

This stuff is pretty amazing.  It is a no (yes, I said NO) calorie butter spray.  I have tried several on the market and this one has the best, richest flavor.

I use it on everything for example....
I air pop popcorn and spray it with Olivio and add some sea salt = low calorie snack!
I spray it on pancakes.
I spray it on corn on the cob.
I spray it on baked potatoes.
I spray it on toast.
I use it on ANYTHING I would normally use butter or margarine on (obviously I haven't tried it to bake with since it is a spray).

Great rich, buttery taste + no calories = a WIN! 

  

 
Keep an eye out on next week's "Nutrition Wednesday"....I will be blogging an in depth review of the Fitbit Surge and the Fitbit Charge HR.

Peace!