Back to training, and the CCC10K

Last weekend was my Dad's 60th birthday. We decided to celebrate by getting a cabin on the lake in Orange Beach. Best. Decision. EVER. We had a blast spending quality time with everyone in one place. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was awesome!

This pier was behind the cabin. How beautiful is this??

As we were already going to be down that way and had plenty of people to look after our kids, my sister Jacqueline and I decided to get in a long run. After all, we half a half marathon coming up quickly! We got up early Sunday morning and decided to hit the Backcountry Trail in Orange Beach. Our goal was 6 miles, and the trails there provided us plenty of opportunity.

 We even forced Tanners girlfriend Traci to join us. LOL. Here is a great shot of us before our run... looking fresh and ready.

Our course was awesome! The trails are paved and wide enough that the other runners and a few bikers were able to share the path with us. Two miles into our run we came to the bathrooms and water fountain. We got a sip of water and continued on our way. We were running along, swatting at the incescent yellow flies, when all of a sudden we spotted this:

Three little raccoons up a tree!!! How cute are they?!? The momma was up there too, and she came down as we stood there gawking at the babies. We decided not to wear out our welcome and carried on. Two miles later and we were back at the water fountain and the path back to the truck. We knew we only had two miles to go!! This guy was lurking just off the path. We didn't stay to look at him very long. LOL!

I was feeling really good on this run! I had no knee pain at all, and that was huge for me. I had not taped my knees and I did not even bring a brace with me. I was a little worried at first, but with each passing mile my fears eased. It also helped that I had the girls to talk to. Running with my sisters sure made the time pass quickly. 

Before we knew it, we made the last turn and picked up our pace to get to the parking lot...and the air conditioner in my truck! Our goal pace was 12 minute miles (our anticipated pace for the Wine and Dine in November) and we were quite pleased to have ran faster than planned.

It was a great run, and it made me think back to the last time I attempted 6 miles. Almost 6 months ago I participated in the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans. Sadly I was injured at this time and was relegated to walking the course. I had both knees taped up with KT Tape, and braced with knee braces. I was a mess. Hahaha! I had a blast though!! The course was great, and flat. I was excited to have my bestie Larisa and her husband Donald there with us. It definitely made for a fun trip. I can't wait to go back in 2014. This time I will be running!!! 

Here is a little more information about the upcoming 2014 race:

About the Crescent City Classic

The Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic is New Orleans’ (and the region’s) premier road race, and each year attracts over 20,000 runners. For 36 years, the CCC 10K has combined world-class competition, amateur participation and great fun for all participants.  The Classic is both physically challenging and a great New Orleans tradition!

The 2014 official Charity Partners include:

1.     American Cancer Society

2.     Covenant House

3.     Girls on the Run

4.     Hospice Associates Foundation

5.     LA SPCA

6.     New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation

7.     Leukemia & Lymphoma Society TEAM IN TRAINING

8.     The Kelly Gibson Foundation

9.     WWOZ 

10.   Youth Run NOLA

As Charity Partners, the select 10 organizations will be part of the “Run For It” Program, the Official Charity Program of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic. The “Run For It” Program is in its second year.  After successfully generating over $105,000 for local charity and nonprofits in 2013, the Crescent City Classic is hoping to raise $1 million through the “Run For It” Program to serve the Greater New Orleans area needs.

Here I am at the 2013 race with Ali, Larisa, Donald, Shannon, Mindy, and Paige. Larisa, Mindy, and Shannon are bloggers too. Check out Larisa's blog 0to26point2 and Mindy's blog Road Runner Girl These girls love a weekend race vacation as much as I do. I couldn't ask for better travel companions :)

Check out those medals! They actually have a spinning piece in the middle. Definitely worth running for!  

Did you know registration is already open for 2014? Mark your calendar!! It will be on April 19th at 8:00. The timing for this race is perfect! It falls right at the end of our Spring Break. What a way to end the break. Weekend in New Orleans :)

Who's up for a weekend trip to NOLA? It's sure to be a blast :)

Ironman Louisville

Last Sunday, August 25th, Ali competed in his first full Ironman event in Loiusville, Kentucky. Read his recap here :

I woke up Sunday morning at 4:30AM, ate a bagel and a banana, and made my way down to check on my bike at the transition area. I checked my tire pressure and made sure that i had everything I needed. Everything looked good, so I said goodbye to Melanie and took a light jog to the start of the swim.

As I jogged the mile to the swim start I counted the number of bridges that I would have to swim under to give me some landmarks to identify on the swim. There were three major bridges so I knew that after swimming under them I’d be almost done.

I was at the swim start by 5:30AM but there was already over 1000 people in line. I would like to have been a little closer to the start but at least I wasn’t starting at the very back. I heard the starting gun go and the line started to move. Before long I was in the water and on my way. I felt good. I didn’t go all out, but I found my rhythm quickly as I swam around the Island. When we made our turn I glanced up and could see the bridges off in the distance. I was surprised how quickly I passed under the bridges to the finish and felt like I could have swam much farther. I was delighted as I came out of the water into the transition area.

Swim time: 1:19:26

Transition Time: 12:04

Then came the bike! 112 miles of what seemed like continuous hills! This course is deemed one of the hardest courses on the world Ironman circuit. I made sure I took the time to stop at the aid stations and get the proper nutrition I needed to get me through. The volunteers at the aid stations were amazing and would do things such as refill my water bottles on my bike. I saw Melanie and Larisa at mile 40 & 70 which kept my spirits high on the course. At 80 miles my quads were close to cramping from the heat and hills. I had to slow down significantly and stopped at the next aid station to stretch and rehydrate. Once back on the bike I knew I was within an hour and a half of the bike finish. My legs were doing better and I prayed that I wouldn’t get a puncture or anything that would mess me up this late on. Eventually, the finish line came and I went into the running transition area.

Bike time: 6:48:33

Transition Time: 11:21

Here I am at mile 40...

And again at 70!

I jogged out of the transition area and began my marathon run. I smiled at Melanie as I left but I knew I was in trouble. It was ridiculously hot 90+ degrees and my legs were destroyed from the hills. I remember questioning myself as to if I could finish. I just kept telling myself to keep moving until I arrived at mile 13. The famous mile 13 was the hardest part for me. I could see the finish line as it was a 2 lap course and I was completely exhausted. Then I saw Melanie and Larisa.

I stopped running and walked to the side to inform them that I was struggling. I did not want to run another 13 miles and the thought of running back away from the finish line was horrible! They told me I’d be fine, so off I went.  I began a new strategy to help me finish. There was an aid station at every mile marker so I decided to run between the aid stations and walk through each station. By mile 18 I was sick of Gatorade and gels and made the change to flat coke and bananas which seemed to help. When I made it to mile 20 my spirits were rejuvenated. I knew I could finish even if it meant walking 10k. I started to run faster and stronger passing people up along the way. As I passed mile 25 I could hear the roar of the finish line a mile away. Again, I picked up the pace and made my run to the finish. 

 I sprinted to the line and heard the announcer say; “Alastair Stevenson, YOU are and Ironman!!" I had never been so happy to be finished with a race in all my life and couldn’t believe I had actually made it.

Marathon time: 4:49:44

Overall time: 13:21:08

So happy to be done!! Thanks to the people at Swiftwick for providing me with some amazing socks and this running singlet. Those socks really kept great compression throughout the bike and run. I truly believe they helped keep me from cramping and allowed me to keep moving forward.

After the race, I swore I'd never do another full distance Ironman again. Melanie isn't so sure! 

Training, training, training...

Training, training, training...this is what our summer has been all about. Ali has been training like a crazy man for the upcoming Louisville Ironman.

                                 

 I cannot believe that he only has two weeks left until his big day!! Every day this summer he has ran, or biked, or swam, or done some combination of all three of these events. He amazes me with his endurance. In between that he is constantly doing sit-ups and push-ups, and using his arm and leg weights. Rarely does he sit still. Right now he is nursing a tender Achilles' tendon. I'm praying that it heals quickly. 

Here is what a typical training week for Ali has been like this summer...

Sunday: long run of 14 miles or more

Monday: easy run 6 miles, 30-60 minutes on spin bike, abs and core workout 

Tuesday: running speed workout, abs and core workout, easy swim 1 mile

Wednesday: tempo run, abs and core workout, 30-60 minutes on spin bike

Thursday: easy run, abs and core workout

Friday: long bike day 60-80 miles

Saturday: long swim 2 miles

Very rarely would he take a day off completely, and there were a few days where he doubled up his runs on the same day by doing an easy run and a track workout in the same day. Just last Saturday he met with his training buddies for a 40 mile bike ride, 1.2 mile swim, and a 3 mile run. I thought it was very thoughtful that they gave him a little "send-off" party afterwards. He truly has a wonderful group of supportive friends. 

In just a few days we will start packing him for the trip up to Kentucky. We will start stocking up on his race day nutrition and deciding what items to include in his transition bags. It is quite possible that I am more nervous than he is!! I have been reading other blogs and googling like a mad woman. Hahaha! I am super excited that my best friend Larisa will be flying up there with me to cheer Ali on along the course. 

Meanwhile this summer I have slowly gotten back into a running groove as well. My sister and I are signed up for our first Run Disney event!! 

               

We will be running the Wine and Dine half in November. I am super excited for this race. It has given me the motivation I needed to get back to running after my horrible knee issues over the last year. I have slowly started over from scratch with my training. This summer my goal was to wean myself off of my "crutches"...KT Pro Tape and my knee braces. After the Pensacola Double Bridge in February, my training came to a screeching halt. I had to sit out of the Rock and Roll New Orleans half, and I walked the Crescent City Classic 10K. I started going to see Dr. Justin at Eastern Shore Chiropractic every week so he could work his healing magic. I also took some time off...like a LOT of time off. I didn't run again, comfortably, until our trip to England at the end of June. By the middle of July I decided to try running a mile with no tape and/or brace, and it felt GOOD! I slowly added more distance over the next couple weeks and was soon able to run 3.1 and feel great. Then I decided to go all out today. 5 miles, over a bridge (I had avoided all hills up to this point). 

My sister and I got up at 5, and were out the door at 5:40. We parked up at the Golden Nugget in Biloxi. We made a great choice in starting there. 

We began our run watching a beautiful sunrise!!

The bridge was pretty empty at this point as well. There were a few walkers, but not many runners yet. There was a nice cooling breeze coming off the water, and that made the humidity more bearable. 

Once we crossed the bridge we took a right and ran along the water. I was glad to see FLAT ground. In the back of my mind I knew I had to run back over the steep bridge. 

Looking back, we got some awesome views of the bridge we ran over. Look how long it looks!

At mile 2.5 we came to this pier. We paused the Garmin's and decided to walk to the end and catch our breath. 

This guy was sitting at the end! 

After our short break we ran back to the bridge and found this cool area right next to it. We took a minute to enjoy the murals and walk along the path under the bridge.

And then we were on our way once again!! Once we got back on the bridge we knew we were on the home stretch. Each step was closer to finished. By this point there were a LOT of people starting out their runs, and we were grateful that we were finishing ours. It was HOT! I was glad my sister was with me to keep me going the full distance. 

Before we knew it, we were done :) Running with a partner is so much better than running solo. I was grateful for the company today. We left the Golden Nugget planning our next long run after our Ironman trip. My goal for my next long run is 6 miles. Until then, I'll squeeze in a few 3-4 milers and get in my regular workouts on my elliptical and the spin bike we borrowed from Larisa. 

Summer is over for teachers this week, and that means early mornings and late nights for the Stevenson family. My goal is to stay consistent with my workouts (4-5 days a week), and not slack off. Well, I'm off to ice my knees and watch a movie with my boys. 

Question: How do you fit in training around your work schedule? What events are you training for?

Road ID

This summer Ali and I were glued to the Tour de France. We looked forward to watching the race each day and made bets with each other about who would be in the sprint finishes. We *hope* to be able to catch a few legs of the race next year if we are able to return to England next summer. Fingers crossed we are able to pull that off!! Haha!

During the Tour, we kept seeing advertisements for a product called Road ID. 

I did a little looking into this company, and found this little blurb under a link in the Road ID app (available for iPhones). I'll explain more about the app later, but for now check out the reason behind this company:

Sounds good right?!? One thing I worry about most while Ali is out doing his Iron Man training is that he will get hurt or sick and I won't know. What if he crashes his bike, or falls while running, or cramps up while swimming? Especially if he is unable to talk or call me? What about if, heaven forbid, he is unresponsive and he isn't carrying his cell (or it is damaged to the point it can't be used)? These thoughts send chills right through me. How will I be notified? 

Well, I went online and ordered him a bracelet just like this one...

I was able to personalize it with his information in a matter of minutes. It was super easy!!! I was cheaper than I thought it would be too...right at $20. I found a coupon online that covered the shipping :) The bracelet arrived in just a few days, and fits him perfectly. I ordered him the black one, like the one above, but there were several other colors to choose from. 

Now when Ali is out training I don't worry that I won't be alerted if something should happen to him. 

As if this wasn't enough, we looked into the Road ID app. I downloaded it onto my iPhone, and decided to test it out.

After tapping the icon I was prompted to start an eCrumb (electronic crumb)...think about leaving a trail of crumbs. I selected the length of time I wanted to exercise, my type of activity, and the person I wanted notified about this activity. For this example I chose Ali. The good thing is that the people who you send notifications to DO NOT need to download the app. This is great because this app is only for i-devices, and Ali cannot get this app for his phone yet. 

Once I started the eCrumb, Ali got a text message alerting him that I was running and provided him with a link to follow my route in real time!! How was able to "see" my run. How awesome is that? This made me feel safer about running solo as he knew exactly where I was. A great feature of this app is that it alerts your followers if you stop for more than 5 minutes. If I fall and sprain an ankle, Ali will be notified that my activity has stopped and he will know where to come get me. Likewise, he can now take my phone on his long bike rides and I'll be able to monitor his progress. Talk about peace of mind!!

Yet another great aspect of this app is that it allows you to set a lock screen. What if you are hurt and cannot unlock your phone for the people helping you? Now you don't need to! This information will be on you lock screen for emergency personel to see easily. In the "emergency details" section you can put anything. Heart condition, allergy, diabetic, special condition? You can let people know even if you cannot respond. 

Needless to say, we are very pleased with the Road ID bracelet and the app. I am thinking of purchasing a bracelet for myself and our two boys as well. There are a few different styles that are sure to please us all. If you have an active individual in you life, this product may be for you :)

Why not check out the Road ID site and see if they may have something for you? Just click here...http://roadid.com/invite/468DH

QUESTION: Do you have any Road ID products? Have you tried the app?

The Color Run

Last year I joined this lovely group of ladies in New Orleans. We planned this great girls weekend around a new and exciting race we had heard about. Not ones to turn down a fun "race-cation" as we call them (race+vacation...get it??) we packed up as much white clothing as we could and hit the road. Why white? Because.....

We were heading to run the "Happiest 5K on the Planet"!!! 

We were signed up to run The Color Run!!! If you haven't heard about The Color Run, there is a lot of great information here: http://thecolorrun.com/about/. The Color Run™ is a unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness, individuality, and giving back to the community.

I had such a great time in New Orleans, and I am super excited to participate again closer to home. The Color Run will be in Mobile, Alabama on October 12, 2013! 

Basically, this race is a good time!! At packet pick-up you get an awesome shirt, bib number, and a packet of awesome colored powder. Why do you need colored powder?? Well, for this of course:

And this...

And that is only part of it!! The Color Run is the perfect opportunity to get a group of friends together for colorful fun. You may run solo, or sign up with 3 other people to form a team.  This isnt a relay race, but a race to be run together. This race is ideal for walkers, beginner runners, children, experienced runners, and anyone else you can think of. It is a 5K without the time pressure of a regular road race. There are no time clocks!! You can run through the course or walk with your friends. There is no wrong way to Color Run. Isn't that great?!?

Periodically (at each kilometer) throughout the course you will be doused with colored cornstarch powder. You will see these 4 stations ahead of time as the color rises into the skyline. Each station offers a new color to paint your body and clothes. The fun continues at the finish line with a gigantic “Color Festival,” using more colored powder to create happiness and lasting memories, not to mention millions of vivid color combinations. Trust me, this is the best post-5k party on the planet!

Want to see this in action? Check out this video showing what a blast The Color Run is!! http://youtu.be/4EERSfHiqT8

Now doesn't this make you want to participate in a Color Run?? Good news:  You can!!! There are tons of locations you can choose from. Check out this we page to see which location is closest to you http://thecolorrun.com/locations/. 

Want even more great news? Check out the picture below for a code to get $5 off of your registration (for any race that isn't sold out already). If you and your friends register in a team of 4 or more it is automatically $5 cheaper, you can then also use the promo code on top of that and save $10.00!! If you make a team, be sure to get your creative juices flowing to come up with a colorful team name. Hurry and sign up though, as these runs tend to sell out! 

With only two rules, the idea is easy to follow: Wear white at the starting line and finish plastered in color! 

Here is a photo of my group after we finished the 5K. We were about to be blasted with even more color at the after party! Remember I told you that a color packet is in you bib bag? Well, this is the time to use it. 

And another look at how colorful I was afterwards. I had such a great time!! I am ready for my next Color Run! This time my husband and children will be joining me at the Color Run in Mobile on October 12th. My boys are super excited about getting color bombed! Why don't you use the discount code provided above and sign up too? The course will go through downtown Mobile. Check out the course map here: http://thecolorrun.com/mobile/ . It makes for a great, active family fun day.