Virtual Success!! Pittsburgh Marathon Steel Challenge Achieved!

I received entry into the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews. 

So this weekend, finally, all my long planning paid off! Despite a one week delay (see here for details of why: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2020/05/change-of-plans_3.html) I completed my Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend Steel Challenge! My race weekend consisted of a 5K on Saturday and a Half Marathon on Sunday. And while I am still super bummed that I couldn't travel to Pittsburgh for my actual races, the Pittsburgh Marathon race team did an awesome job keeping participants pumped and excited through email and social media. Again, I hate that the race had to go virtual, but this was really one of the best virtual race experiences I have had. 

So here's how things went. First up on Saturday was the 5K. I decided that even though I was fresh off an injury, I was going to try to push my pace a bit for this one. I mapped out a nice flatish course from my house and took off running. I felt pretty good, so I pushed the pace a bit more. And while I am never able to recreate the excitement of a proper race day and the speed boosts that I can manage when trying to pass others, this was one of my fastest 5K times. My current 5K PR is from this past October of 24:18 and on Saturday I ran my 5K in 25:35. So I was pretty darn pleased with that time for sure! It was a bit cool, especially for May in SC which may have contributed a bit to my pace. Heck I wore long sleeves even! 

Next up, Sunday morning it was time for the Half Marathon. I didn't want to push hard again, not with my knee still being a bit out of sorts, so I decided to focus more on the miles than the time. My Half and Half Half Marathon Plan (see here for the planning: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-half-and-half-virtual-half.html) would be perfect for this since trail miles are always slower and more about the view than the pace. 

Best Aid Station EVER

First, I had to make arrangements for my aid station. Since half was to be on road and the other half on trail, I wanted to switch out my shoes. Luckily, right at the trail head is one of my favorite hangouts, The Grapevine Riverwalk. The Grapevine is used to hosting us crazy runners, especially on Sunday mornings where my Fast Feet Run Club has Sunday Funday runs at 7:30 am each Sunday on the Riverwalk Trail. Then after, we usually hang out for coffee, mimosas or whatever. So I sent a message to my friend and owner and explained my crazy plan and asked if she'd be cool with me stashing a bag with shoes and extra water there for a few hours. "No problem!" she said. So first thing Sunday morning, I dropped my gear and told Leslie, the Sunday morning bartender, I'd see her soon. 

I returned back home, grabbed my last minute gear (Aftershokz, Honey Stinger gels and a water bottle) and set off from my house towards The Grapevine. I was a bit nervous about crossing though the part of the Highway that leads onto the Interstate, but traffic was pretty light, so it was no problem. A short 5K later and I was back at The Grapevine for a quick shoe change and off towards the Founders Trail for the next 6.5 mile section. 

To get to the trail, I had to run up and over the Hwy 21 bridge over the Catawba River. I planned this intentionally since I was supposed to be doing this race in Pittsburgh and running over some of the awesome bridges there, I wanted to run over at least one bridge. It's not quite the West End Bridge over the Ohio River, but hey, it was the best that I could pull off in Rock Hill, SC. Once you cross the bridge, it is a quick hop over the guardrail to descend under the bridge to access the Founders Trail.

I love the Founders Trail. I haven't run in a few weeks because I was wanting to rest my knee but let me tell you, I grinned like a fool when I first stepped on to the trail. It was pretty cool out, and a bit early still so the trail was pretty empty. The trail is basically an out and back along the Catawba River with an option about 2 miles in to follow a loop into a quarry for an extra mile. I had my route planned for the Half Marathon distance so I just did the basic Carolina Thread Trail route. When I got to the turn around point at 3.25 miles in, I stopped on the rocks for a moment to soak in my surroundings and also to take one of my Honey Stinger gels. I could have sat out there all morning, but I was only halfway through my race. 

The Turn Around Spot. Can you blame me for lingering?

After my quick stop and refuel, I made my way back up the river trail and back over the bridge. Another quick stop at The Grapevine to change shoes and then just 3.5 miles back to my house to finish up. I was slowing down a bit, but feeling pretty good and finished the 13.1 miles pretty much right at my doorstep. The Half and Half Half Marathon was a rousing success! It was in no way my fastest, but it was one of my most fun!

Now all I have left to do is to wait for my awesome swag! Since I ran both races for the Steel Challenge, I will be getting 2 shirts, 3 medals and a pair of custom Pittsburgh Marathon Knockaround Sunglasses. 

These will be shipped out by the race as soon as it is safe enough to gather together a team to get everything out. Additionally, the Pittsburgh Marathon team has said that they hope to host a finisher party on location when they are able to. The hope is to set up a finish line for photo ops and a celebratory festival. I really hope that whenever that is scheduled for, that I can make it. I really hate that I missed out on a trip to Pittsburgh. 

Change of Plans

I received entry into the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews. 

So today, May 3, I was supposed to run my Epic Half and Half Half Marathon as my Virtual Pittsburgh Half Marathon (see here for the master plan: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-half-and-half-virtual-half.html. And while I was still a bit disappointed that I would not be going to Pittsburgh and running the races live, I had done my best to change my expectations and make the weekend be something fun. And the Pittsburgh Marathon peeps had been pumping us up in emails and on socials, it was the best that it could be.

I had made my plans. I had done my training. I was ready to go. 

But then, my crap knee decided that it wasn't getting nearly enough attention so it decided to throw a tantrum of sorts. I've written about how bad my knees suck in the past. I'm a long-term sufferer of dodgy knees. The technical term for what my issues is actually Osteoarthritis, which I was diagnosed with about 15 years ago. Basically, I've got no cartilage left in my knees. I've done all kinds of things in the past to deal including various Kinesiology tape configurations, braces, and flat out denial. But about 2 weeks ago, something seemed seriously not right. My left knee would totally just kind of give out on me all together. And things were hurting, like a lot more than usual. I could barely run or bend or well, even stand great.

So, I made an appointment with an Ortho to get it checked out. Turns out, at least according to the doctor, your knee caps are supposed to be in the MIDDLE of your knee (see pic). Huh? Mine aren't, plus I've no real cartilage left so my knees are bone on bone. 

My Knee X-Ray

But this isn't a terribly new problem as that doesn't happen overnight so while this is a contributing factor to a lot of my pain, it's not what is causing my new issues. 

Doctor thinks there is a new tear to the meniscus on the left side which is causing the sudden weakness, knee failure and intense pain. It was too swollen to tell though so I was given a cortisone shot (OMG that hurts) under the knee cap on the left side. The surrounding tissue was so damaged he could barely get the shot in 😳.

But the real kicker is that I was benched from running the whole weekend, until Monday. Which means I had to miss my Pittsburgh Marathon Virtual Runs. I am super super disappointed about this turn of events, but there is a silver lining. Turns out, I have until May 15th to submit results, so I am hoping that if I am a good little patient and do my PT and keep icing and rest my knees a bit, then I will be in well enough shape to still do the Half and Half Half Marathon before the deadline. I really really really REALLY want to EARN that sweet bling. And my especially my sweet custom Steel City Knockaround Sunglasses (seriously, these things are SWEET!) 

So in the mean time, I've been taking some walks (allowed) and have done some upper body workouts that do not involve my knees in any way. I've been being a good girl, because while I am stubborn and can make some really terrible decisions (seriously, I'm amazing at getting involved into some crazy dumb situations), I know that if I don't play this right, I could lose even more running time, and I've got some Fall goals that I am not willing to compromise on.

So stay tuned. I may have to reduce my miles for a bit, and I may get a bit slower, but I am totally shooting for the long term. 

Just you wait. 

And be sure to check back before May 14th. Cause I'm doing this, even if I have to walk it!

Earth Day Recap - Knockaround Style

Disclaimer: I received a Knockaround Sunglasses to promote Plogging and Earth Day as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”

So yesterday was Earth Day, and I thought a great way to celebrate was to go on another plogging adventure. I had gone for a 6 mile run around my neighborhood and noticed a few places had trash again since my first plog 2 weeks ago. You can read about that here: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2020/04/plogging-around-neighborhood.html

After my run, I stopped back at my house to grab some bags, some gloves and this time, my little one. I was already wearing my awesome No Signal Knockarounds to protect my eyes from UV Rays. 

So we set up to tidy up. There was much less trash this time, but there was more at the playground than there had been before (it looked like someone had a picnic lunch and didn't bother to clean up) and there were some of the same offenders, like cigarette butts and straws scattered about. This time it went much more quickly as I walked one side of the street and my little walked the other. We were able to clean up the 1.7 miles of our neighborhood in about 40 minutes. And after, the streets were looking great again.

Later that evening, after getting cleaned up, the little and I again took to the outside to spend some quality time in the back yard. She's been working on climbing our tree out back and dared me to try it as well. Since there's nothing wrong with a bit of tree hugging, especially on Earth Day, I figured, why not and hopped up into the tree as best as I could. It was loads of fun. 

A special thank you to Knockaround and BibRave for issuing the Plogging challenge and motivating me to get out there and get cleaning! Also for challenging us to become tree huggers to celebrate Earth Day. I swear I am happiest, especially these days when I am outside. I think I must be partially solar powered.

If you are interested in getting a pair of Knockaround shades like mine, or one of their other cool designs (seriously, you can even custom design a pair, I have and they are on the way) check out their website here: https://knockaround.com/ and use discount code BibRaveKnocks4 for 20% off your entire order.

Plogging around the Neighborhood

Disclaimer: I received a Knockaround Sunglasses to promote Plogging and Earth Day as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”

So since I have been temporarily furloughed due to the ongoing Covid 19 Pandemic, I have had a bit of extra time on my hands, especially since last week was "Spring Break" for my daughter, so I didn't even have to do home school lessons with her. So, to fill the time, last week I went on a Plogging Adventure. 

What exactly is Plogging? 

It’s when you pick up trash while going for a walk/jog. And it’s a great way to keep active and also to help keep your neighborhood to be clean. And it is super easy to do, both for a group activity (you know, in different times) and by yourself. 

First, I gathered my supplies:

Bags, gloves and since I was doing it on a bright, sunny, beautiful day, a bottle of water and my Knockaround Sunglasses. I've been a Knockaround fan for awhile, and these new No Signal Special Edition Frames have quickly become my favorites. 

I set out, walking up each street in my neighborhood scanning for trash. I was really impressed to see that there was actually not too terribly much litter strewn about. Still, I was able to fill 2 bags full of trash in the 1.7 miles that span my neighborhood (I run it a lot, especially lately, so trust me, I know the exact mileage). 

It was a beautiful day out and I spent about 45 minutes or so collecting trash. Halfway through I dropped my first full bag off at my house, which is conveniently located on the middle street of the 154 house subdivision. 

Random Observations About What I Collected:

• Most frequent thing I collected: Cigarette butts. Some (not all) smokers seem to think that throwing their butts out the window is not littering. I am here to tell you that if you think that, you are WRONG!

• Largest thing I collected: A bag that was full with other trash just sitting on the side of the road.

• Most dangerous thing I collected: Broken glass, yikes!

• Most expensive thing I collected: An AirPods Charging Case! Technically, I didn't actually collect this. It looked a bit scratched up, but otherwise in good shape so I just placed it on the sidewalk right where I found it and left it hoping the owner would see it and claim it. I went for a walk a few hours later and it was gone, so hopefully it was reunited with the right person.

• Most surprising thing about my plogging: The neighborhood playground was a lot cleaner than I expected it to be. Go kids! Though I did find a hoodie that was left behind. Again, I didn't collect this, but laid it over the playground bench hoping for it to be reunited with it's owner. It's been a week and it is still there unfortunately. 

After I finished, I was so excited to check out my hard work, I went for a run right after on the same streets... twice plus a little for 4 miles! And it was awesome to see the streets looking so clean. I plan on doing a quick maintenance Plog once a month to keep everything looking nice and safe. 

A special thank you to Knockaround and BibRave for issuing the Plogging challenge and motivating me to get out there and get cleaning! And now I’m challenging you! See what you can accomplish out on a Plog this week, post your photos on either Insta or Twitter and tag me - I'm @runnerdgirl on both. Stay tuned for other ways that I will be celebrating Earth Day this month with BibRave and Knockaround! 


And happy PLOGGING!!

 

Catching Up

See, I'm still alive... 

I've been suffering from a terrible case of the "I'll Get To It Laters", especially where this blog is concerned. Nothing in particular has been keeping me away, just life in general has been busy. Such is the case when you work full time, have a family with a very active little and run a bazillion (okay, so more like 20-25) miles a week plus cross train 2-3 days. So basically, if it's not pressing, it's been getting overlooked lately. Ugh. 

So, this is going to be a real quick update of what I've been doing and what I am looking forward to in the near future. And hopefully I can get back to a better schedule for not only my blog, but being more organized in general. 

Basically, chaos has been ruling the day, but I'm making some plans to reign it back in. Hopefully. We'll see...

What I've Been Up To

Since we've past the first quarter of the year, let's take a quick backwards glance to my 2018 goals and see where things stand. 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles
• I'm right on track. Have hit my first 3 monthly mileage goals with a little extra
• Run 18 races
• On track. I've run 6 races so far and registered for 5 more currently with several others I am eyeing
• Place in 4 races
• On track here as well. I've placed in 2 races so far this year (more on this in a bit)
• 1200 Twitter followers
• So far so good. I broke the 1,000 follower mark last month and am at 1,034 currently
• 1000 Instagram followers 
• This one is going a bit slower. I'm closing in on 700 so still attainable
• Run 4 Half Marathons (Tobacco Rd., Kings Mtn, Run & Ride, Rock n Roll Savannah) with a new PR in at least 1
• I've run Tobacco Road and got a new huge PR and have registered for Kings Mountain (next month) and Rock N Roll Savannah (Join me in Nov and register with discount code "RNRBRP2018" for $15 off the full/half marathon). Run & Ride will not be held this year (boo) so I need to find another Fall Half to replace. Considering the Charlotte 13.1 in September or maybe the Myrtle Beach Mini in October.
• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Registered for Warrior Dash on June 2nd. Having our first training camp on Sat. 
• Renew as BibRave Pro
• This doesn't happen until Fall, but I've been trying to be a good little Pro 
• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Doing better than 2017, but missed my goal in March. 4 in Jan, 6 in Feb and just 3 in March. April is not progressing well either as this is my first post and it is half over, but I can still catch up
• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe. Training Journal)
• January I did great. Since then, not so well. Need to reset and start back up again

So I am basically on a pretty consistent track for meeting most of my 2018 goals. In addition, I have been consistently doing Burn Boot Camp with 2-3 camps per week, mainly focusing on the areas I need the most work (upper body and core). 

What else, what else... Oh yeah...  
I HAVE A NEW 5K PR!! AND I PLACED FIRST AG AT A RACE!!!

Last weekend I ran the Come See Me Road Race 5K, which was a redemption race for me of sorts. Last year, I sucked at that race. I had been sick the day before and had a pretty poor showing. Insult to injury, I placed 4th. I hate 4th place. And I placed 4th in 4 races last year. This was one of them. And for 2018 I vowed that I would right the wrong of 4th places (so far I am 2 for 2 of placing in previous 4th place, so yay). 

Anyway, I have been really working on my speed work to hit a placing for this race and not only did I place, I placed 1st and hit a new PR by 1 min 15 sec! BOOM! I swear I almost teared up when I looked at the results screen.This race was the first 5K I ever ran 4 years ago so coming in 1st was extra special to me. 

Things I Loving

In addition to making gains on some goals, I've also had an opportunity to try out a few new awesome products. I'll be writing more about these things in upcoming blogs, but wanted to mention a few things I've been loving lately. Shout outs to the following:

FlipBelt Crops* - These are my new go to running tights. Love them. They have a huge built in front pocket with a key clip, plus a large back pocket with a zipper in the back. I can still carry everything I need with no bouncy belt flopping around behind me. Get your own pair at www.flipbelt.com and use discount code to promote is *"BIBRAVE" for 25% off. I will be posting a more detailed review of these before the end of the month, but spoiler alert: I've really been liking them! 

Under Armor HOVR Sonic shoes* - I cannot say enough good things about these shoes! I love them. I swear these are like secret weapon shoes. I have PRed the last 3 races that I have worn them!! Basically, what I've been doing is running the majority of my training runs in a heavier pair of shoes, and then busting out these bad boys for my long runs and on race day. They are so light I feel like I am flying when wearing them. Plus, their zero gravity design somehow leaves me feeling like I could practically run forever in them. I'm racking up the miles on my first pair and am getting another very soon. 

Avon's Anew Skinvincible Lotion - I'm terrible about using sunscreen while running and asked a friend who is an Avon rep for a good solution and she turned me on to this lotion with broad spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen in it. It's super light, has no smell and doesn't sweat off. I used it on my face for my last race and despite the fact my shoulders got super sunburnt, my face had no issue. And, she told me last night, it's on special this month, so yay! You can hit up my friend's Avon here - http://www.youravon.com/dwood7441 

Knockaround Sunglasses - As a BibRave Pro, I often get to try out some really cool products for free. Unfortunately I wasn't chosen to test out these awesome sunglasses, but they were so cute and so inexpensive, I decided to take advantage of their partnership with BibRave and use their discount code to buy my own pair. So far I'm loving them! Haven't had a chance to run in them yet, but they seem like they are going to stay in place with no issue. Get your own at http://www.knockaround.com and use code BIBRAVEKNOCKS for 20% off (1 use/person).

What I'm Looking Forward To

So what's on the horizon? Well, on May 5th, I have my next Half Marathon, Kings Mountain Half. It's a pretty low key event and honestly, my goal is pretty much just to beat last year's time. I mean, the race has the word MOUNTAIN in the name, so this is not a PR race. I placed 3rd AG last year, so it would be nice to at least do that again this year, but really, this is a race I just hope to do okay at. The course has changed from last year, so who knows what the elevation profile will be like this year. Last year, there was a huge sucky hill at mile 11.5. Hoping that bad boy won't  be on this year's route. 

BibRave and Buff, What an Amazing Combo! 

Also, I'll be working on a campaign with BibRave and Buff in May and June where I get to try out a few amazing Buff products and take them on some exciting adventures. I've been like a kid in a candy store picking out my items and will finalize my order this week. Can't wait to show you what I'm getting and what amazing activities I have in store. Here's a hint, Warrior Dash Training is about to get pretty intense! Excited and a bit scared all at the same time! #livemorenow

So that is about it for right now. I promise I will be better at checking in here. Maybe in May I will do some kind of blog challenge to make it more of a habit. Habit setting is definitely something I need to get better at. 

What about you? What have you been up to? Life getting in your way too? Let me know and we can commiserate together. 

(“Disclaimer: I received my FlipBelt Crops and HOVR Sonic shoes to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”)