Corkscrews & Cadence: 5K

Showing posts with label 5K. Show all posts

9/15/2020

Crafted Energy

Wait, it's September already? Looks like it has been for like two weeks, I'm just super lazy with writing anything. Between working, trying to get my CEUs in order to keep my Medical Assistant certification, and race training, I guess I use up most of my time! Of course, when none of that is going on, I'm sleeping. Work hard, rest harder, am I right?

Speaking of training, how are things going? Much better than half training because the weather is finally cooling down, hence me being able to drink coffee outside without sweating. When I say cooling down, I mean it's just 105 instead of 115, but the mornings are crisp, in the mid-70s. I kicked off week three of 5K training yesterday. The knee seems to be cooperating about 85% of the time. The first week went well, just relaxed runs to get the body back into the game after a week off. Week two ended up swapping a run for biking due to knee annoyance. I had my first fartlek workout of this cycle today and it went exceptionally well. I told my coach last week that if this week ended up in shambles due to my knee being an a-hole again, I'm pulling the plug on running until 2021. *Knocks on wood* Really though, I'm hoping it works out. A girl can only do so many quad sets in a day.

So I have something new to write about today, at least from what I can recall. I don't think I've given a food product review before. Maybe I have? I didn't care to scroll back and check so we'll roll with it. Before I continue on, I will mention that because I am a Switch4Good Athlete, I received these bars for free.

I honestly had never heard of Crafted Energy before until they popped into my Inbox. Surprising since they're located right here in the heart of Arizona. A bar that's Vegan, Gluten Free, AND full of clean ingredients? Sign me up. I was very excited to give them a try.

I'm a total geek for cool packaging. Some say it's a total waste of money that the company spends on, which I suppose is true, but if you have unique packaging, I'm giving you bonus points. It comes with a type of graph outlining all of the different nutritional aspects of what they are achieving in their products as well as a little run down of each bar.

Crafted Energy has created bars for specific sports to support athletes in their endeavors. Kind of an interesting concept. I found it very unique because I've done all three activities. Boy, do I miss climbing, though.

As mentioned, they focus on specific sports. The sampler pack is one of each bar, all of which have their own unique flavor profile. I tried the Climber one first.

Pretty hefty in calories but that's a good thing when you're doing endurance sports.

Here is the list of ingredients for this bar, specifically. Talk about clean ingredients!

The texture and appearance reminded me of a Larabar, another one of my favorite brands. It was soft on the teeth but hearty enough to provide a good snack. You can really get a great flavor profile as well, especially the ginger.

I didn't capture anything from the other two bars but they were very enjoyable. The blueberry flavor in the cyclist bar reminded me of pie. I have to say though, the runner bar was my favorite. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a runner but I'm from Michigan and I think we have cherry flavor in our blood. Overall, I was super pleased. I'd definitely buy some in the future. If you are interested, you can get a sampler pack of your own by clicking here. It's $7.99 with free shipping! I do not get any kickback from the sales, I'm just simply here to spread word about a cool company who is doing something great.

I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend and we'll see you next time!

12/31/2019

Peace Out, 2019

I suppose we're overdue for an entry, eh? I mean, it is the last day of the year and it's been two weeks. I may or may not be still listening to Christmas music. Judge me, please.

So, my feed is filled with 'top 9' posts and people reaching milage milestones. Maybe you're one of the few that doesn't care about any of that. Please, step into my corner. Someone tweeted on my feed recently regarding this and said: "Just run or rest as you ought to in order to stay on the trajectory of adding fitness every day." Finally, my thoughts put into an actual proper sentence. If you hit a million goals, PRs, and ran 8 million miles in 2019, that's great! If you didn't hit a single mark, guess what? You're still improving whether you think you are or not. No one wrote a handbook on what's expected of someone to be classified as a "proper runner". You aren't required to sign up for x-amount of races, achieve one specific finish time, or run a set amount of miles. Run because you want to. Run because maybe it's a great form of therapy that comes at no charge other than maybe feeling sore. Run because maybe someone you know can't and you want to for them. Now, I'm not saying don't set any goals. They're a great way to have something to work toward. I'm saying if you do have goals and you don't make them, your life will still commence. You will wake up tomorrow into a new calendar year and it doesn't change a damn thing. Maybe make 2020 the year where you take a load off your shoulders and stop being hard on yourself when your performance lacks. I've been exceptionally more positive with myself since I've changed my tune but that doesn't mean I don't have doubts on myself ever. I just texted my coach and go-to for honest feedback a few days ago and told her this is the least prepared I think I've ever been for a race. You know what she said? "You have 6 weeks and a lot can happen!" Stop doubting and start doing.

Alright, reflection time. Queue the music. 2019 has been eventful! Let's start with the non-running related things. We settled in on our first full year living in Arizona. I still wouldn't trade it for anything. We survived our first summer with 115-120 degree days. I graduated from college (again). We went to Disneyland and it literally was a dream come true just like the commercial makes it out to be. I became a certified Registered Health Information Administrator. Don't ask me to explain it because I can't in normal terms. We flew back to Michigan twice on unwilling occasions and spent a weekend in Vegas. My dad survived his first major surgery and was benign of cancer. I finally bit the bullet and got my wisdom teeth out at the age of 31. Seriously, why did it take me so long? I dove into adopting a vegetarian lifestyle and more recently transitioned into trying to be more vegan. Lots of car shows, museum visits, new restaurant finds, and art shows. We did some great hikes and I peed out in nature for the first time. Bet you wanted to know that. I learned to crochet and I don't completely suck at it like I did at knitting. Brittany Runs a Marathon, Downton Abbey, and Star Wars were seen. Oh yeah, and Game of Thrones ended which still really sucks.

Shall we move on to running now? I started the year slow, coming off of injury from the fall. I trained for a 5K in February and an attempt at a PR. I failed. I joined the club of having a hydration vest (Osprey Dyna 15) and it literally was a huge game-changer. I don't know how I ran with a belt before. I went on my first proper trail run. Like, one with actual inclines and declines. Not just a flat gravel path like Michigan has. I joined Team Nuun, Honey Stinger, Squirrel's Nut Butter, and became an ambassador for the Mesa Marathon. I started training for a half marathon PR attempt and ended up with major knee issues putting me out for almost two months. I started physical therapy (still in it) and am so blessed to have the best team of therapists helping me become stronger and build my endurance. After being a faithful Saucony shoe owner for years, I switched sides to Hoka One One. The Clifton 6 has been my lifesaver not only for my feet but just overall everything. I learned that my actual foot size was smaller than I thought and my overpronation wasn't as bad as previously suspected. I deferred my fall race plans in favor of putting my marathon on the front lines instead and I'm glad I did, despite having serious FOMO. I spectated my first ultra race (Javelina Jundred) and boy, did that light a fire under me. Having Kaci Lickteig within an arm's length and talking with Catra Corbett are memories I'll never forget. Just typing that sentence gave me goosebumps. Lots of highs and lots of lows but the most important turn of events was mental. I finally let go of trying to fight for faster speeds and personal records and just run because I love the idea of reaching for the stars. My training has become so much more positive and I look forward to setting out. I can't wait to run this upcoming marathon with no expectations but to just finish and have fun.

2020 brings a lot of the unknown. Do I have races in mind? Yes. Of friggin' course I do. The Mesa Marathon will be my last road race for a long time unless someone tugs my arm to join them in a fun run. I've enjoyed my miles on the road but the trail is calling and I'm answering on the first ring. I encourage you to try something new and out of the ordinary. Maybe you want to do that aerial silk stuff. I saw a woman do that in Vegas and it was mind-blowing not to mention her back muscles were amazing. Maybe you want to learn how to cook more meals as opposed to eating out. Maybe ride your bike to work or learn to stand up paddleboard. I don't know. The possibilities are endless when you open up your mind more instead of having tunnel vision.

Shall we raise a glass? Whether it's an adult beverage, coffee, tea, or whatever you like; cheers. We'll see you next year.

1/29/2019

A Clean Slate

Today is day one. You're probably wondering, "well, day one of what exactly?" but we'll get into that in just a bit. If you aren't familiar with who I am, I suggest you check out "The Girl Behind the Glass" for a short biography. It's interesting, promise! This post will be pretty long to get things started but you'll get a little history of what the past year has brought and what's to come for 2019. You might want to open some wine before you start. May I suggest a Rosé to make it feel like summer?

Running has become one of my passions. It's taken me quite some time to deem myself a 'runner'. I always thought I'd have to show some sort of accomplishment or win all of the competitions. Hell, I didn't even like running until around 2013. It's brought out the best in me and the worst. I don't think I've ever hit such highs and lows from an activity that just requires you to put one foot in front of the other. But to hit highs, we have to start with the lows. I had been blessed for quite some time with not having to deal with injuries. I've always had a pronation issue since I was a kid but the good folks over at Hanson's fitted me with Saucony Guide's and I never looked at another shoe ever again (thanks, guys!). The 'no injury' train would quickly come to a stop February-March of 2018. After developing some pain in my right hip, stubborn-me decided to seek help. Some X-rays and an MRI later, it was discovered I had partially torn my hip-flexor tendon. "No running for at least 4 weeks and then we'll start you on physical therapy". I'm sorry Doc, what? You said no running? Christ on a cracker; how am I suppose to live with that diagnosis. But, guess what? I did what I needed to do. I started physical therapy and thanks to my trainer, I came back strong. Toward the start of my running again, I received news that I was chosen from the waitlist to run Bayshore in Traverse City that upcoming Memorial Weekend. Despite being probably the hottest weather I have ever raced in, I ended up with a 6-minute PR half marathon. Might I add that it was amazing to run a race with so many of my fellow Michigan Volée sister birds? Heads up, wings out!

Fast forward about two weeks after that, I was gearing up to start training for my first marathon. Even before I ran Bayshore, I had only had one-half marathon under my belt before I decided to tackle the full 26.2-mile distance. Crazy? Probably. Unachievable? Not even close. I was going to finish that race whether it took me 6 hours or if I had to walk across the line. I followed Hanson's Beginner Marathon training plan to start. When my first track workout came, it was literally the worst run I had ever had. Speedwork has never been my strong suit. I threw in the towel that evening and decided to just focus on finishing. Luckily, they make a plan for that too. It took 18 weeks, 5-6 days/week of running. Shout out to my husband who is the best support biker ever. Only husbands of marathon trainers can probably take the harsh words we tell them during training just to tell them how much we love them after.

I became a marathoner on 10/21/2018. I crossed the finish at 4:38. I cried and then ate half a pizza and drank two beers. Who knows how many times I said, "I can't believe I just did that" but it was the best high I had ever had. But the injury train came back into town. This time, it didn't wait long. It must have tried to pick me up and take me away around mile 20 when I came to a halt due to the sharpest pain I had ever felt in my right exterior foot. I could barely walk Sunday night and Monday, well, I was better off lying on the floor. Being thankful again to know such good people, I paid the University of Michigan another visit and left with a diagnosis of a stress fracture. This time? No running for two months. Naturally, I was upset. But I finished the race! I probably ran 6 miles of it with the fracture but I got my medal and I was part of the 1% (or is it 4%, I can't remember). I was put in a boot for a month. I was cleared to run Christmas day. Inbetween that time, we moved to Arizona and left the cold winters behind. Oh, and you bet your ass I ran on Christmas. It may have only been one mile but that mile was the most exciting mile ever.

Detroit Free Press Marathon Finisher, 2018

So, you made it to the important part: what are you doing this year? Thanks for being so patient. This year, we start from the bottom. We treat this as if we've never done this before. We approach it the right way: healthy and strong. Today, I began training for a 5K (Mountain 2 Fountain). I honestly laugh even typing "training for a 5K" because I've never actually have had to train for one. I just ran a marathon 3-ish months ago; why do I need to train for a 5K? I didn't run for two months straight. I'm not about to dive head first into a pit of more injuries. I do have plans for other things this year but we'll get to that later on as time progresses.

Sometimes you have to start from the beginning to build a solid foundation; to reshape yourself; to become strong as fuck; to set personal records; to learn why you love this. I have partnered with Kristen Griffin (Find Your Stride Coaching) to aid in this journey because lord knows, I'm lost without a plan. She's honestly amazing and when we talked, it really got me amped up about what's to come. Will we PR this race? I don't know. Will we finish? Damn right we will. The next five weeks will be about how this training goes, what the end result will be, and everything in between. Oh, and we'll talk about wine too; because it's delicious. I might sneak some beer in there as well.