Run Run Santa Race Recap

This year I ran the Run Run Santa 1miler on Christmas Eve! If you live in Brevard County you should make this your new tradition.

Photo from Facebook

Rules were simple: run 1mile in the Santa suit they gave you! This is my kind of race! Even my mom came out to run!

This recap will be short as it was one mile. We started and before I knew it we were at the finish line! One mile races are kinda fun! 

This was the first year and it sold out! 500 Santas! Wonder how many there will be next year?

Did you know Santa drives a Porsche?!?!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Starting Over Sucks

I swear I've written a blog post about how I am starting over. 

Well here it is again. I'm starting over for like the 16th time!

This needs to be my new motto! Seriously starting over sucks.

I've been on two runs this week and they've sucked.

But yeah I've been on two runs this week! That is most I've run in one week in a very long time!

This is one of my favorite quotes. I do not know who said it. 

I do have a goal and I plan on achieving that goal. 

It'll take hard work, but I'm ready this time!

2016 Reindeer Run 5k Recap

For the last six years I've run the Reindeer Run 5k! The race is very close to my house and it's fun!

This was my first real run since The Space Coast Half, so I had no dreams of being speedy or breaking my PR. The plan was to just run.

First we will talk about the outfit. Now this was a tame outfit from the one I had originally planned on. The reason for the change was because it was suppose to be cold and I figured I'd be wearing a coat so why hide my "tacky Christmas outfit". 

I did wear my Pro Compression 2015/2016 Ugly Sweater Socks! #TwoPairDontCare

This is going to be a quick recap. I didn't start out too quick, which is what I usually do. Just tried to keep a steady pace. My first mile was my fastest mile in a very long time. I ran the entire time! When I saw the 3 mile marker I tried to go faster, which didn't work very well. Then after the first failed attempted at sprinting I tried again and sorta got a sprint. I finished with a time of 31:34. Not my fastest not my slowest. It's faster than the Turkey Trot and if I would just continue running I would get faster again. I still have a goal of breaking the two hour half marathon time.

Space Coast Half Marathon 2016

Another tradition I have is that I run the Space Coast Half Marathon. I ran it first in 2012, and I have decided as long as I live close, I will run this event. It is my absolute favorite half marathon. Honestly if I moved away I think I would always comeback and run.

This year I did not train. Not really a good idea, but nope I didn't train.

Pre race photo!

I love this race! However since the Big Bang Series started this race sells out in minutes. Which means lots of runners. The first mile of this race is usually me weaving and speeding up and slowing down to get around people. Soooooo since I had no time goal, I waited until almost all of the runners had started and jumped in the with the walkers. I did stop just after the start to give a friend a hug! I did a little weaving, but not much. Once I got on River Road I got on the sidewalk and started passing  people. It took me about .75 miles to catch up with the 3:00 hour pace group.

I really wanted to stay ahead of the 3:00 hour group and when I passed the 2:45 hour group I got excited! I really wanted to stay in front of them.

Selfie around mile 3

Mile 3, 6 and 8 I stopped to fuel. My low blood pressure has been bothering me so I talked with two different friends and I followed both of their advice. I carried sea salt in a ziplock bag, along with beef jerky and raisins. If you have followed along with my blog you know that I'm allergic to a lot of foods that most runners fuel with. GU's, blocks and even gatorade.

By the time I hit mile 8 I thought I was good. About 8.75 I was done. I walked the next quarter mile and decided to put both ear buds in and just run. Don't think just run. HA Well that lasted a little while then I needed to continue to take walk breaks.

At one point I got so mad at myself for not training. I had a job that was suppose to be part time from home. Well of course that changed. I ended up working almost full time and it was stressful. I am not someone who can run when they are stressed. The reason I got so mad at myself is because I worked for a 59 year old drama queen. My former boss likes drama in his life. Adding drama to his employees life is also something he likes to do. I knew this going into my job, and yet I let it affect me. As much as I liked my job, I'm so glad to be out of that bullshit.

The last 5k was a bitch. I even posted that as my Facebook status. I think the last 1/4 mile of the race is in a park. There are a ton of people cheering you on and it usually gives me this huge boost  of energy that I can usually kick it into high gear and go fast at the end, not this year. I gave it my all on the course.

The look on my face says it all

I've been undertrained for half marathon before, but never like this. I ran 5 miles in September and not many more after that, unless walking the dog counts!

At least I smiled at the end!

I still have a goal of running a half in under 2 hours. My goal is to do it next Space Coast.