Sweet Caroline....

Oh oh oh...Good times never seemed so good...

so good So Good SO GOOD!

Manchester Road Race and Thanksgiving SUCCESS! I'm so thankful for my family, we had 27 people together to eat, drink, and be merry! Everything was a little too yummy, but we all had a great time. Now, the Manchester Road Race Review!

Time: 48:19/10:11 pace

Highlights: 15,000 person cap, live bands playing "Sweet Caroline", bagpipers, and full on sound systems blaring the Rocky Theme. Crowd support is UNREAL. THOUSANDS of people line the streets. There is never quiet during this race!!! Also, running it with the love of my life was fun beyond fun! GOOD JOB HONEY!

Lowlights: The runners were SLOW. I'm going to try to qualify for seeding next year. 11:00/miles at the beginning because of the congestion combined with slow runners!!! However, that's what comes with the territory of a HUGE race in two lanes of road!!!

Verdict: LOVED IT as always, will totally do it again, and my next goal is to qualify for a pass into the "faster runners" corral! Congrats to all my friends and family who ran!!! Great job to all!!!

Thanksgiving was nice and smooth. Nothing crazy. This cold is hanging on for dear life, so lots of moping.

Thanksgiving Weekend Workout Review:

Thursday: 4.8 mile race, 20 minute walk (uphill) after Thanksgiving dinner!

Friday: Raining, cold, and no gym = shopping to burn calories ;-)

Saturday: 3.25 mies of STRAIGHT UP HILLS.

Sunday: 4 miles on the elliptical at levels 3, 4, and 5.

Little disappointed that I didn't do more today, but it's all I could stand. Still can't breath well. Looks like this week will be weights focused rather than cardio since coughing up a lung in the gym just isn't cool.

December, here I come.

On to the next one. On to the next one.

I started this week off strong

Can't. Wait. Despite. Rain. In. The. Forecast! Haha well that's not optimal racing conditions but I'll take it.

Week in Retrospect:

Sunday: 5.5 miles

Monday: 4 miles on the elliptical

Tuesday: Weight training

Wednesday: 3 miles on the treadmill that felt like CRAP

Thursday: scratchy throat/feeling nauseous from said scratchy throat. Double up on nasal spray.

Friday: Yoga at Yoga Club. Scratchy throat still present, but not gone :-(

Saturday: Rest day (supposedly)

So the first half of the week started out wicked strong, but now it's not looking so hot. I'm not feeling 100% which is unfortunate, and any sort of exercise that requires aerobic breathing is really uncomfortable. I feel the nasal spray is working but I don't want to push myself. Plus we had a fabulous fall festive party last night with some friends and I feel like chilling out today.

Tomorrow will be another story.

It's Thanksgiving week so I'm going to be on my A-game workout wise, no matter how I feel. It's not a week to complain about how much I ate or how I feel "fat", but rather to give thanks. I read this article about eating and exercising around the holidays, and it was a great reminder of a few things I already have put in to practice throughout the years:

• Eat breakfast on Thanksgiving - starvation leads to overeating, I go with cheerios and a banana.
• Walk after eating a big meal - I do this every year, rain or shine, after the turkey!
• Cross train/speed work - burns more calories (I usually torture myself with 2+ miles of hills!)

In my Yoga Club (with 4th and 5th graders), we talked about doing three things this next week to show that we are thankful for good health. We decided on:

1. Walk for 20 minutes Thanksgiving Day, or play at the park in the morning or afternoon.
2. Take food in little portions, go back for more if you're still hungry.
3. Practice some Yoga everyday.

What are you going to do this week of Thanksgiving?

I'm getting excited for the Manchester Road Race...

This is us last year. I am the crazy person waving in the pink shorts. The husband is slightly blocked by my said crazy hands in a Green Bay Packers shirt. It was his first year running it EVER, in fact, he claims it's further than he had ever run before...and has not surpassed it since ;-) And guess who hasn't trained at all for this year's race, for which the bib/packet has been on our table haunting us for a few weeks now?! Yup. And I guarantee he'll do better than me. That's just how this goes.
This is my dad and Annie Dog. He hasn't missed one of my races. I think he missed seeing me one time because he was on the wrong side of the street, therefore I was looking at the wrong side of the street for him ;-) 15,000 people is a lot to mill through for one 5'2" girl!!!

So I have run in SIX Manchester Road Races, measured at 4.78 miles, results featured below (And I had to go through some major archives for this junk!)

My years in numbers:

2009: 49:47

2008: 49:52

2007: 52:54

2006: Don't think I raced and I'm not sure why

2005: Broken toe = no Manchester Road Race that year :-(

2004: 54:26

2003: 51:47

2002: 62:49

Because there is 12,000+ signed up already, and the race caps at 15,000, there's not a lot of breathing room. There are also a lot of "non runners" that do the race, and crap out after the first mile where "Killer Hill" begins and goes on for one full mile (That hill is seriously a killer). So, I don't really run it for time. So, as for racing goals, there's only one you can have: ENJOY IT AND HAVE FUN!

My costume is tentatively a tshirt featuring "double rainbows", which will include "Double rainbow all the way" on the front, then "what does this mean?!" on the back. Haha. I think it's funny.

Please note that 2002 was gun time only, no chips. ;-) And my first race. Ever.

A race a day keeps the Dr. away...

So apparently this is my racing month! Below is a picture of my sisters and I at the JK5K, to support the cancer care and research wing at Connecticut Children's Hospital.

Time: 27:19/8:43 pace...A PR!!!
Highlights: Flat course, live band, Tim Hortons AND Starbucks coffee, Dunkin Donuts bagels/donuts, plenty of water, and a VERY scenic course.

Lowlights: Water was not at the finish line. But hey, at least there was water somewhere!

Verdict: GREAT RACE, amazing for a first time race, and the cause is worth running for.

Below is the picture of the 5k from this weekend, the Betel Run for Recovery 5k. This race benefits a charity that helps people who are recovering addicts. GREAT program that provides housing, jobs, and counseling.
Time: 29:06/9:23 pace...there were lots of hills ;-)

Highlights: The bottles pictured were included in the registration, the course was scenic and IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, plenty of water and post race snacks. Especially the yummy oranges.

Lowlights: Although the course was confusing (for people who had never run in Astoria Park), this race effectively positioned people and markers to help this potentionally confusing course.

Verdict: GREAT RACE, crowds were low because it was the first run for this race, but next year I'm sure more people will join!!!

And can I please just say this weather is SUPREME!? 60 degrees and sunny = my dream running weather!

Next race: Manchester Road Race Thanksgiving Day!