Working It recap:: May 10-16

Where did the week go? I can't believe it's already Friday!!
Not that I'm complaining...

As you can see, I'm getting a bit more consistent! Yay!!

Strength training is definitely my weakest link, but I am getting some from the Sexy for Summer challenge, so I don't feel too terrible about it. It's definitely the first to get skipped, though, when I'm running late.

Date	Cardio	Sexy for Summer	Strength Training	Commute
Fri 5/10	3 mile Speed work (Treadmill)	70 squats 50 sec plank	300 Abs
Sat 5/11		70 squats (2) 30 sec plank 30 lunges		WEEKEND
Sun 5/12	6 mile run	REST	REST	WEEKEND
Mon 5/13		75 squats 55 sec plank		YAY!
Tue 5/14		80 squats 60 sec plank
Wed 5/15	4.5 miles Speed work	REST
Thu 5/16	Jump off Jiggle	90 squats 60 sec plank		YAY!

Remember last week when I mentioned that the worst section of my bike commute was getting repaved? Well, apparently I was wrong. While the road was closed for repaving, the section that was repaved was not the worst of it. *sigh*

This week, I wasn't feeling well on Tuesday, so I drove to work. On Wednesday, I was going out to dinner with a vendor and some co-workers. Since we were leaving right from work, I chose not to bike. Didn't want to get to the fancy restaurant all sweaty. ;-)

Also, since I was out to dinner until after 9pm last night, we skipped the Sexy for Summer challenge. I marked it as a REST day yesterday, because we decided to just shift the challenge to accommodate.

How were your workouts this week?
Which of your fitness goals is the easiest for you to skip (your weakest link)?
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Fitness Friday - First Week of May

Are you ready for the weekend? I sure am. :) It's been a long week.

DOMS + period + sore throat = Clarinda's down for the count.

I called in sick Wednesday. It was kind of nice to have a mid-week respite, but being sick wasn't so fun. :( Despite being sick, we are still on track for our Sexy for Summer challenge. whoo hoo!

In April, I tried doing a weekly review of my fitness goals, and, unfortunately, I wasn't very consistent. Sometimes, I just have difficulty blogging on Sundays. I want to be outside or lounging and spending time with Jeff.

So, for May, I decided to move my weekly reviews to Fridays. Of course, I didn't decide that until after last Friday, so here's a look at what I've done since May 1st.

Still not perfect, but there are a few less frowny faces out there.

Date	Cardio	Sexy for Summer	Arms	Commute
Wed 5/1		25 squats 20 sec plank		YAY!!
Thu 5/2		30 squats 25 sec plank		YAY!!
Fri 5/3		35 squats 30 sec plank
Sat 5/4	Race for the Cure 5K	40 squats 30 sec plank		7.4 mile bike to the race
Sun 5/5	8 mile run	REST	REST	WEEKEND
Mon 5/6	Indoor Cardio Crusher	45 squats 35 sec plank	Upper Body Blaster
Tue 5/7		50 squats 35 sec plank
Wed 5/8		60 squats 40 sec plank		called in sick
Thu 5/9	3 mile run	65 squats 45 sec plank	Triceps (dips, kickbacks, extensions)

I know, I know.

I didn't commute once this week. 

Partly, I was lazy. 

Partly, I was sick. 

Mostly, the crappiest section of my bike route is being re-paved this week. (yay!) With the re-paving, that section was closed, and I'd be forced to bike on roads with heavier traffic, so for safety sake, I chose to drive.

Any fun weekend plans? I'm doing a Girls Night with a few friends! I've been looking forward to it for a couple weeks now, so tonight can't get here fast enough.

And for fitness? Since I only ran once this week, I'd like to get in some speed work and maybe 9-10 miles. Not sure which to do on which day. What do you suggest?

Tuckered out Tuesday - I WILL

Ugh. I slept like crap last night. 

After a weekend of pushing it hard during a 5K on Saturday and then running 8 miles on Sunday, I started the week off on Monday with a tough cardio workout followed by some upper body work. Sounds great right?

Well, then DOMS set in. That damn DOMS! Ugh!!

Normally, I love the soreness that comes after a tough workout (or four). It's a nice reminder of a job well done. But last night the total body muscle soreness kept waking me up and then preventing me from falling back to sleep.

Oh, I can't entirely blame the DOMS. I also get my period and a nasty sore throat. Is it Friday yet? :(

I had planned on doing some speed work this morning. I was going to take control of my body and tell it who was really in charge, but the fitness center at my complex wasn't open at 6:15 - even though it was supposed to open at 5am.

SO FRUSTRATING!!

Now, I'm going to have to try and motivate myself to get it done after work. *fingers crossed*

Since my workout plans were thwarted this morning, I have a few minutes to share with you something very exciting!!

What's Beautiful? by UnderArmour




Run a sub 25-min 5k. do a pull-up. or three. I WILL.

I'm really, really excited about this! Are you working on a fitness goal? If so, you should totally join me! It could be something big or something small. Something specific and measurable or something more generic.

You can find out more by visiting the What's Beautiful website. It will suck you in. So many great, inspiring women gathered in one place to help and encourage each other.

TOGETHER, WE CAN ACHIEVE OUR DREAMS!

So, what are you waiting for? Join me!

Does DOMS ever keep you awake at night? How do you deal with it?
Are you ready to accept the What's Beautiful challenge?
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Race for the Cure 5K

This past Monday, I received an email at work asking people to sign up for Race for the Cure on Saturday.

Yes, please! Sign me up!!

The timing was perfect, of course, to count for my 5th #5bythe5th virtual race. Sweet!!

I somehow convinced Jeff to ride with me to the race, and then just walk around or hang out while I ran. I always forget how much he dislikes going to races with me - especially so early in the morning - but we managed to leave with plenty of time to bike downtown.

It was a beautiful morning, and we found a relatively quiet route to get to the race. Bonus that some of our route was also the race route, so the streets were already closed. :)

We found a great bike rack to lock up our bikes.

I loved this sign above the rack.

After getting our bikes all nice and secured, we headed toward the start line. Of course, I had to stop at the port-a-jane. :-)

These weren't nearly as nice as the Eco Commodes at RagnarZion, but they did flush and had plenty of hand sanitizer. Score!

The actual start line was still a few blocks away, so Jeff and I parted ways. He went to go wait by our bikes and the finish line, and I continued to the start.

There was also a 1-mile walk option, and I loved how they had separate starting shoots for the runners and the walkers.

Now the actual race was HARD for me. I didn't exactly set myself up for success. I hardly ate anything for dinner last night and stayed up WAY too late for how early I knew I'd have to get up. To top it all off, I didn't have much for breakfast either.

{TMI warning!} When the race started, I immediately knew I'd chosen the wrong bra. My boobs hurt with every step. Ugh! But then, I reminded myself that the pain/discomfort I was feeling would be mild compared to those who have had to suffer through breast cancer.

For some reason, this thought plus all the signs pinned to runners' backs of who they were running in honor of really made for an emotional start.

The first 5 or so minutes were a little agonizing. I felt like I was really pushing it. I started pacing with another runner until the first mile, and that helped a lot. She was going the perfect pace - until she stopped for some water.

So many times (yes, even before the first mile) I wanted to stop and walk for a bit, but kept telling myself it was only 3.1 miles. I COULD DO THIS!

I hit the split button on my watch as I passed the 1 mile marker. 8:47. Wow. I was impressed. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up that pace the entire time, but I just didn't want to walk.

I never ended up seeing the 2 mile marker, so I don't know what the rest of my splits were, but my overall time was 27:40. It's definitely not where I want to be, but I was able to push it at the end.

Now, it's definitely time to concentrate on some speed work. I mean I don't see how I'll possibly beat my goal of a sub-25 without some serious refocusing.

I was breathing so hard after crossing the finish line that it took a bit to pull myself together. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed to the finish line goodies.

I got a great Trader Joe's reusable bag, a fruit smoothie, orange, Fuji apple (my favorite), and a banana! So much yummy fruit. We walked around a bit, and Bahama Breeze was giving out cups of fruit as well. Whoo hoo!!

While I really loved getting all the fruit, I would have liked some bread or something salty. That's such a minor complaint, though. Overall, I was really impressed with the organization of the race. There were lots of water stops throughout the course. Though I did run through each of them, it was nice to know they were there for those who needed them. For as many people as were at the event, there wasn't really too much congestion. Yay!!

This race was a great start to my weekend. It kind of made for a lazy afternoon, but that's okay. Next week, I hit the treadmill or find an outdoor track to use, so I can ramp up my speed work. Wish me luck!!

What are you doing this weekend?
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Ragnar Zion - A few other things

The official results have been posted. Our team came in at 122 out of 168 teams!! Now, that may not seem all that great, but considering the injuries on the team + the inexperience most of us had running trails, I'm beyond happy with these results.

Here are my splits:

Loop	Time	Pace
Red	1:43:23	13:47
Yellow	1:25:43	20:54
Green	53:41	13:45

I'm really impressed with how consistent my pace was. Well, I'm considering it consistent since leg 1 and leg 3 had such close paces. Remember the yellow leg as the hardest, with crazy-ass hills, plus it was DARK!

While the overall experience was great, and the running didn't kill me, there were a few things I wish I hadn't forgotten.

Things I wish I hadn't forgotten...

My camera. I figured I would just use my phone. Unfortunately, it died early on and, since we were camping, charging was a bit difficult. Thus, no pictures. #bloggerfail

Sunscreen on my face or chest. Yeah, I slathered it on my arms and legs, but forgot about my face and my chest peeking through my v-neck tee.

My eyeglasses. I took out my contacts Friday night, only to discover that I'd neglected to put my glasses into their case. Instead, I'd only packed an empty case. Thankfully, one of my awesome teammates safely guided me to the Eco Commode in the middle of the dark, dark night.

A warm hat. Thankfully, I'd remembered at least some warm clothes and a pair of gloves, but a hat would have been very nice to have.

Nail clippers. I think every single one of my nails broke, and I had to rip them off to prevent further, more painful, breakage. Yes, I did give myself a manicure Sunday afternoon.

A knee brace. As you know, I irritated my knee (perhaps my IT band, causing the knee pain) in the first leg, and a brace may have helped between legs.

It was difficult to face going back to work today. I'd have much rather been running another Ragnar Trail relay!! :-)
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How did it get to be May already?

I think I say this every year, but this year really seems to be flying by. I can't believe it's already May. Well, I still have at least one more post about Ragnar (if you missed the first two, you can read them here and here), but first let me recap April and see about setting some goals for May.

I attempted two challenges in April - 50 at 50 and Amazing Arms and Abs. I did really great the first couple of weeks, but then the challenges stopped taking top priority. I tried to make a comeback for the last week, but didn't finish out nearly as strong as I would have liked.

I also hoped to run 3x each week and bike at least 3x to work each week. I failed miserably at both of these. Other than my 3 legs of RagnarZion, I think I only ran THREE TIMES the ENTIRE MONTH OF APRIL (all in the first week)!! How can I call myself a runner?! As for the biking, I didn't do too much better. *sigh* I drove waaaaayyyyy more often than I'd have liked. Sad.

So, yeah, April was kind of a huge bust.

How am I doing on my overall 2013 goals? Well, they've gotten pretty lame, too.

Run Faster. No progress on this, since I didn't run much at all during April nor really did any speedwork.
Eat Healthier. I don't think I tried any new recipes in April - certainly nothing very healthy.
Train Harder. See above.
Read More. Zero Books in April.
Serve More. Just CharityMiles on the few runs/bike rides I did.

HERE'S TO A NEW BEGINNING IN MAY!!

Here's to kicking May's ass and TAKING CONTROL!!

I'm going to try out two challenges again this month - one for eating, one for strength.

First up, I signed up for the Eat Healthy Challenge on Challenge Loop. It doesn't seem very structured - basically just try to make healthier eating choices and share on the challenge page or on Twitter/Instagram using the #eathealthychallenge hashtag.

From the challenge rules:

With this challenge, we will try to eat healthier each day. Activity ideas include: sharing a great recipe, trying a new food, sharing photos of your healthy meal(s) of the day. Get creative! If you are already a healthy eater, share what you are doing with us.

Without much structure, I'm not sure how well I'll do, but I willing to at least give it a shot. :)

Next up, I'll be doing the Sexy for Summer Challenge with H(EDGE)S Fitness. It's basically a plank and squat challenge, increasing intensity each day. I even convinced +Jeff to join me! This morning we cranked out 25 squats and a 20 sec plank, and by the end (if all goes well) we'll work ourselves up to 200 squats and a 120 sec plank. Seems intimidating, but hopefully *fingers crossed* we stick to it. That would definitely be brag worthy - at least to me.

I'm going to try again at the running 3x each week - with some kind of speed work one day, 3-6 miles another, and 8-12 miles on weekends. I also signed up for Race for the Cure on this coming Saturday, which I'll likely do as part of the 5 by the 5th Virtual Race series.

I'll keep the same biking challenge as well - biking a minimum of 3x each week. It's already been getting up into the high 90s, so hopefully with the rising temperatures, I'll be able to stick with this. I might just have to leave a bit earlier and, of course, make sure I have plenty of water.

Well, time to get ready for work, so I have time to start May off right by biking into work. Wish me luck!! :)

What challenges are you doing for May?
How was your April?
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Ragnar Zion - The Running

Yesterday, I focused on the overall experience of Ragnar Zion.

Now, let's talk about the running. Before I get into the details, let me just say. Trail running is HARD! Probably even harder considering I did zero training on trails on top of the fact that I hadn't run period in about three weeks.

Warning: This is kind of lengthy.

Here's a look at the overall course map.

Click for a larger view

Every runner runs each of the legs. The order you run them in depends on which number runner you are. I was runner #6, so I ran Red, Yellow, then Green.

I was really excited to run them in this order, because then I'd be saving the easiest loop for last when I would be the most tired. Yay! :-)

The Red Loop
This was the longest loop, but relatively flat compared to the other two loops. It took you on service roads and paths that were like narrow, little trenches.

I really had to pee when I went to the exchange for the pass off. Luckily, he wasn't in yet, so I asked the volunteer where the nearest port-a-potty was. I ran there, peed, and ran back with plenty of time. Unfortunately, I was WAY out of breath by the time I got back to the transition tent. I winded myself going to the port-a-potty, how am I going to survive 7+ miles?

I took off around 7:20 p.m. The first mile was a kind of pure, agonizing hell. I was having trouble breathing, and I couldn't find my rhythm. I think I even had to walk now and then. Probably around mile 2.5 I really started to feel good. I felt confident and sure-footed and felt like I was running at a pretty decent pace. Around mile 3, there was a water stop set up. Even though I was running with a Camelbak, I still stopped for a little cold refreshment.

The loop met up at the water stop again around mile 5. By this time, it was starting to get dark, so I strapped on my headlamp.

The view off the side of the trail - just before sunset.

The rest of the loop went all right. I mean it was definitely tough and definitely dark and I was definitely ready to be finished when I got back to the transition tent, but when it was all over, I thought it was a great run. :) I think it took me about 1h 45min for this 7.5 mile loop. That may seem very slow, but remember this was trail running. In fact, I finished about 10 or so minutes before my team expected me. Luckily I didn't have to wait that long to pass off the baton.

The Yellow Loop
This was by far the most challenging loop. Just look at that elevation profile. I basically climbed a mountain. IN THE DARK! I started this loop around 4 or so in the morning. Wellllll before sunrise. I didn't mind doing the hardest loop in the dark. More of an excuse to go slow. :-)

Unfortunately, I upset my right knee a bit during my first leg. It was irritated for most of my rest between legs, so I didn't really have high hopes for this leg. Sore knee + dark + crazy-ass hills = SLOW run. I have no idea how long it took me, but slightly longer than expected.

I think I'm just about the weirdest runner because I hate running downhill. I'd much rather deal with the exhaustion of running/walking uphill. In fact, I really think I might actually be able to get up a hill faster than I can get down one. Running downhill just plain hurts me. Either my knees or shins or both.

Needless to say, this loop was mostly walked. Both downhill and uphill.

But it was the dark. Yeah, I totally blame the dark. :)

After my run, and the sun came up, I hit up one of the massage tents. He thought it was probably some IT band irritation that was causing my knee pain and, in addition to great massage and stretching, he gave me some tips to stretch on my own and prepare for my final leg. He also taped my knee to help provide additional relief.

The Yellow Loop - courtesy of one of my teammates

The Green Loop
Oh, how I was looking forward to this leg. It was going to be the easiest. It was going to be sunny and WARM. Oh yes!

And then the first mile and a half was pure hell. All downhill. My knee was absolutely killing me. Shots of pain with nearly every fricking downhill step. Agony. I had to go so slow.

But every time the trail flattened out or went to a slight uphill, I tried to give it my all. I knew I had a LOT of time to make up after my super slow downhill start.

All-in-all, this loop still took me around 50 min, I think, but I finished super strong. I was running so hard that I didn't even notice my teammates on the side of the trail. I was booking it. Crossing into the transition tent, I really had to fight back the tears. Hardcore. It look awhile for me to catch my breath and make my way back to my team while we waited for our last two runners.

Since our team was running a bit late, they let us run the final three loops simultaneously. We were all very grateful to be finished. Unfortunately, I've got no pictures of us finishing yet. Hopefully one of my teammates will post one soon, and I'll share it then.

Before I go, I need to share one more tidbit about the running.

Trail markers - courtesy of one of my teammates

Seeing these signs was bittersweet. On one hand, it meant only 1/2 mile to go. On the other, it was a hellacious 1/2 mile of crazy uphill switchbacks. Every loop ended the same. Enduring this. 3 times.

It was called Pure Evil, Hell's Gate, Recurring Nightmare, Deja Vu, Devil's Escalator. None of which really do it justice. Even some of the elites had to walk up this section. At least that's what I tell myself.

Oh, sweet, sweet finish line - courtesy of one of my teammates

Each leg had its own challenges, and there were definitely times when I didn't want to continue and really had to push myself. During the Green Trail I really had to give myself a pep talk. Mostly because I wanted it to be my strongest, and I was so tempted to walk.

I ran all three loops without music or a watch mostly because my phone was dead pretty much the whole time, so I could just relax and really enjoy the running. I'm kind of bummed that so much of my running was in the dark. I think I would have like enjoying the scenery a bit more. Of course, that might have just frustrated me more that I didn't pack a camera.

Now that all is said and done, I'm so happy I got to join Hot on the Trails at Ragnar Zion! I really challenged myself and that just plain feels good!
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