Thanksgiving Running, Gear Deals, & Butt Sweat Hearts

Over the weekend I got to run again!  I had taken 8 days off to let my knee heal more, and on Turkey Day I gave it another go.  I ended up going an easy 4 miles.  Progress!  If you missed what happened the rest of that day, you can see it here.

Anyway, it was stiff and not quite right, but much better than it had been last time.  So come Saturday, I decided to give it another go.  My RockTape came in the mail (which was exciting for me) so I taped up the leg, and met with my peeps at Project Run 214.

Some of the group!

Many of them are preparing for the Dallas Half and Full Marathon this coming weekend.  This was their last big training run.  I was supposed to go 12 miles, but told myself I’d take it easy breezy lemon squeezy.  I’d be very happy if I even made it to double digits.

Well, a funny thing happened.  I ended up running in the front with a gal who will be doing her first half come Sunday.  I hadn’t seen the training course, and of course, we got off track.  I didn’t want to cut out early and leave her, so we just kept going.  Ended up finishing over 13 miles on our make-shift route.  I was thrilled for her going that far for the first time, and happy that my knee held up!

The real test came the rest of the day, I didn’t want the knee to hurt me like it had after my earlier runs.  I’m glad to say that it didn’t the rest of the day!  I think the Arnica, rest, cross training, and other stuff I’m doing is helping!

My kind of PED’s.

When I woke the next day, it did hurt some, but not as bad as before.  I went to yoga, and that seemed to really help it.  It’s still not right, but it’s getting better.  Hopefully I can continue to run while it heals completely.

Anyway, it was also a big shopping weekend here in the States as companies roll out specials.  I was in luck because a new store in the RunOn chain opened near my house.  Besides the weekend specials, they also had grand opening deals.  Besides that they also gave gift cards if you brought in old pairs of shoes to recycle.  Besides that I had earned some cash in their rewards program.  All combined, I was able to score a pair of my Brooks Pure Flow 2 for a really really really good price (and they threw in a pair of Feetures socks, double score)!  Aaaand, they had free beer and snacks.  Triple score!

My butt sweat where I sat shows that I heart Brooks shoes.

Also this weekend, since Thanksgiving is now over, we set up the fake Christmas tree.

All our ornaments on the bottom half of the tree.

Another highlight came when the boy and I had our own brunch date at one of our fav Tex Mex joints.  Like me, he also likes to ham it up for the camera…

I wonder where he gets it from?

So pretty good times.

How bout you?  Get any good gear deals?  Is your crib decorated for the holidays?  How was you weekend?

Project 214 Relays Race Recap

Passing it to one of the Deuby Bros.

So this was really fun.  I hadn’t been in a relay race (with batons no less!) since high school track.  It was a 4 x 1 mile per each coed team, and knowing that I was only going 1 mile, meant I could push it some.  I have no idea what my time was as it wasn’t a timed event, and I started my watch when I ran a mile warm up, and let it go as I ran another mile after the race.  But it wasn’t about the time anyway, as it was meant to be a fun event…but who are we kidding?  As soon as the teams were chosen at random, we began forming our strategies as each team wanted to win the Top Golf gift cards (and bragging rights).

Our team did not win, but that’s fine by me, I was just having a good time racing with a team.  It was crazy to see how each leg of the relay was different and teams kept jockeying their positions depending on the leg.  And the race came down to a very tight finish.  And I already wrote that I ran a mile after the race, that was by design.  I ran the opening leg for our team because I wanted to be able to help pace our anchor, and that’s what I did.  But the cool thing was that I wasn’t alone.  Pretty much every team went out and helped their other members finish the race.  We had all four of our members on the course at the end.  Runners helping runners.

The extremely fast Bob Smeby must’ve been intimidated as he tried to push me at the start! Haha!

It was all for a good cause and the $5 entry fees collected went to the Plano Animal Shelter.  It also kicked off the Project 214 training program.  PR 214 is a very exciting new group.  The programs are flexible and customizable for each runner.  They also really want to make sure people stay healthy, so they have partnered with some gyms, doctors, personal trainers, nutritionists, yogis, chiropractors, etc etc etc who will be helping our members.  Also, they’ve got some group weekly workouts planned so that members keep it up during the weekdays and understand that it’s not all about the once a week weekend long run.  It’s a process people!  Anyways, there’s a lot involved and lots of cool perks for the members, but it’s just getting started, so look out!

Some of the relayers. It’s not a pose, I always stand like that.

Other than that, some people came out preferred to run a more casual workout.  They did, then helped cheer on the racers and vice versa.  After the race there were prizes handed out, music played, recovery “punch” served, dogs playing, soccer balls kicked, football balls thrown, and rugby balls rugbied.  One of the benefits to having it in a park!  Once the sun went down and the bugs came out, we went to the Rugby House Pub where they had reserved the back room for our group and provided specials all night.

Not photoshopped, I’m sure.

Overall it was a fun event, attractive course, and good times had by all.  There will be more in the future, so check back for updates!  Go team go!

Race Preview: Project 214 Relays

This is cool.  A new run training group called Project 214 in town is putting on this event in conjunction with Thursday Night Social Run and the City of Plano, TX.  The race itself is a 4 x 1 Mile Relay…but you don’t get to choose your team – all names will be drawn from a hat.  Registration is 5 bones and the money goes to the Plano Animal Shelter, I’m assuming so they can buy more bones.

I haven’t run just one mile in a race since high school.  I’m assuming I can still run it at the 5:04 time I ran it then.  Hahaha!  I have been doing track work tho and so I’m getting my speed back.  At yesterdays workout, my 400’s were down in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s.  Fastest I’ve gone since my mid 50’s in my high school days.  And it’s about 10-15 seconds faster than I was running them just a couple months ago.

That said, my legs are a little sore from said workout, and I’m about to go to the gym right before the race too to get in another workout.  We’ll see what kind of spring I’ll have.  It’s gotten hotter today than it’s been since Sunday when all the rain came through town.  That always takes a little out of me to.  But I’m optimistic!  Mostly I just want to have fun with it!

Winners get gift cards from Top Golf, which is always a fun time.  There’s also going to be music, some special guests, and a other surprises.  How do I know all this?  Well if you look on their website, I’m going to be one of the coaches, so I kind of have an in.  It’s going to be a really cool program.  We have some really great partnerships with doctors, nutritionists, yogis, trainers, stores, companies, chiropractors, etc. etc. etc.  We want to create well rounded runners who stay healthy through training.  Also, one advantage to being a small start up, we are able to customize the training plans to adjust for whenever their race is.  For example, my race is in January, so I’ll have to tweak my program from those training for the Dallas Marathon in December.  Nice.

If you see this and can come out, please do!  If you can’t, then come to the after party at Rugby House Pub where they’ve reserved the back room for us.  If you can’t and want to be involved somehow, just holla at me.

Peace and running grease!