It’s hard to believe that it’s already the middle of December, and the new year is right around the corner! I don’t think I realized just how hectic life was until now, after pausing to realize how much has happened since the last time I checked in. I’ve been putting plenty of miles on my legs, and immersing myself in all sorts of running-related events, ideas, and items. Below is a quick summary of everything going on, with the promise of more details to come :)
PNC Turkey Trot 10K- Despite the enormous number of Thanksgiving day races every year, I’ve never actually run an official “Turkey Trot” until this year. As it so happens, the Delaware Running Company is the main sponsor for the PNC Bank Turkey trot 10K, and I was offered a comped registration (Thank you, Delaware Running Company and MS Society!), so I obviously had to run! I hope up at a decent hour on Thanksgiving day, and got ready to head out. The start of the race was in downtown Wilmington, and was only 4 miles from home, so I decided to run to the start. Luckily, it was a 9AM gun, so I didn’t need to get up ridiculously early. I arrived with plenty of time to spare, and got situated, and stretched a bit. This was a pretty big race, with somewhere near 2500 people running, so the crowds weren’t thin, but everything seemed really well-organized. I made my way to the start, and ended up near the front of the pack, which made me a tad nervous, but with such a big crowd, I knew it would be nice not to have to weave through too many people. I had no goals heading into the race, aside from going out and having fun on a beautiful day (temps were in the 40’s and quite comfortable). However, as happens pretty regularly, the racing bug bit me as the gun went off, and I took off hard. The first mile was all downhill, and I was flying, although not at full effort. Despite feeling like I had more speed, I hit the first mile in 6:15, which I knew was far too fast to maintain for the next 5 miles (my mile PR is 6:08 for perspective!). I pulled back a bit, and the route began climbing some decent hills along Brandywine Creek, which made slowing down even easier. I was still moving pretty well, and felt like handled the hills pretty well by the time I hit the turn around and anticipated getting the downhills back. I was still moving faster than I expected, although a sore left quad was causing me to hold back a bit as I made the push through the final 1.5 miles. I ultimately came through the finish line in 45:01, which was good enough for a rather sizable PR, and a nice speed-induced confidence boost! I definitely ran the 4 miles home a bit more gingerly, but it was a fantastic start to a laid back movie marathon Thanksgiving with the epicurean!
Rocky 50K Run– I had the opportunity to tackle this fat ass run on December 5th. The course traced Rocky’s route through Philadelphia in the second movie, and finished with a run up the iconic Art Museum steps. It was quite an eye-opening experience and you can expect a longer recap in a future post!
Upcoming gear reviews- I’ve had the chance to put several new pieces of running gear/technology to use over the past two months or so. Look for reviews of the Garmin Fenix 3, Stryd Running Power Meter, Racedots, and a few new pieces of apparel as well. This running gear junkie has been flying high lately!
Across the Years Part II– Although much of my running focus is currently on building strength and endurance to tackle the Georgia Death Race in March, I’ve also been building up time on my feet to go after my first 48 hour run. I’ll be returning to the Across the Years race, where I competed in the 24 hour run back in 2013. The combination of sleep deprivation, endurance, and nutrition over the course of 48 hours will create a challenge like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and I have been thinking about it quite a bit. More to come shortly on this unique experience!
Runner’s World Run Streak- I decided to participate in the #RWRunStreak again this year, and it’s been going very well. I technically started on November 22nd, and I haven’t missed a day yet. I’ve also added a #corestreak to the mix, and have been doing at least 5 minutes of core work (planks, side planks, boat pose, squats, push ups, etc.) every day. My eager and enthused mind is entertaining the notion of keeping both streaks going into the new year, so we’ll see how I’m feeling at the end of the month!
Last but not least, it’s worth mentioning that it’s the middle of December and I’m still working up a sweat in shorts and a short sleeve shirt. By all accounts, this is an unseasonably warm late fall for Delaware, but I’m still excited by the fact that the temps have been so mild, and look to be holding relatively steady for some time yet. We’ll no doubt get our dose of snow eventually, but I’m being very effectively reminded of why I’m excited to be living in a more temperate climate zone!
So, are you having a hectic late fall/ holiday season as well? How are you staying motivated? Have you given any thought to your 2016 race schedule yet? I’d love to hear what’s on your mind, and find out how YOU are #chasing42 :)