Run Chat Hunt

Not sure if you've heard, but Run Chat is doing a scavenger hunt until the end of March.  I thought it would be fun to see how many of these I could get.  I managed to get to 5 photos already for 6 items, which is more than I expected!

Here we go, in the order I found them.

Day 1: It was just too darn windy for me to run outside (wind chill in the TEENS in March!), so I hit the treadmill.  Fortunately, my gym has the treadmills in a little green house overlooking a canal off the Charles River.  As you can see, my phone focused on the windows!  I didn't realize until today that I got a shot of the drawbridge at the end of the canal too.  So, that's 2 items: body of water and bridge (not covered)

Yes, I'm wearing an orange shirt.  How could you tell? :)

Then yesterday, I went out for a run around my neighborhood.  I took a picture of my "big hill".  I swear, they never look as bad in pictures!

It keeps going around that curve.

Of course, halfway up I saw a bunch of kids playing, including one of my scouts.  Now, you can't look weak in front of your scouts, so I had to power up the hill.  Which made it even more obvious I've been running on flat terrain recently!

Then I got back to my house, and guess what I saw! Of course, a car (in serious need of being washed) with running stickers.

Yep, that's my filthy car!

When I got inside my boys wanted to run around the block with me.  So, out we go and look what we find! I had already run past this house and didn't notice that all of the Christmas decorations were still up.  The 5 year old wondered if the Easter Bunny was going to be upset :)

Complete with red bows, white metal snowman and reindeer pulling a sleigh!

Then, my 5th photo.  I'll be honest: normally I love running along the Charles and I had every intention of taking another Boston Skyline at Sunrise photo.  It's flat, beautiful, well maintained and relatively safe.  But yesterday, running in the sunshine with my 2 boys, well, it was just pure joy!  I stopped and took this picture:

My Munchkins, on the first leg of our 1 mile run

Now, I realize it's technically not a place, but this was one of my favorite runs (the others being Color Me Rad Race that the whole family ran, and when my boys ran the last bit of a 5K with me that I came in last for my age group).  My favorite place to run is where ever these two decide to go for a run with Mommy.

I've got 6 of the items on the list, which is more than I was expecting.  I'll keep a look out for the remaining four, but I'm not terribly optimistic!  I really enjoyed this, it made me really look and absorb what's around me.

Running in the Dark

I know a lot of people say this, but I really hate the whole time change thing! I run at 6 in the morning, and it was just starting to get light again, then BAM! We're back to pre-dawn light. And it's a colder too :(

So, why have I been getting up 3-4 days per week for the last 2 weeks?  Other than the 5K in 5 weeks and the BAMR5K challenge. Well, I just found out I'm one of the Ambassadors for the Zooma Cape Cod Half Marathon!

I ran this race last year and LOVED it!  Heck, my training for last year's race was why I started this blog.  I have to admit, last year's race is where I felt like a "real" runner.  Yeah, I did the Princess Half, but it has such a Disney feel to it, that it's more about the "show" than the race. (I want to do it again, and stop and take pictures next time!)  Zooma is about experience.  It's about getting out there and doing something you never thought you could do.  I mean, look at their new Personal Best Program, where you get a bonus medal for PR'ing or doing a distance you haven't done before.  That's why I run and I think why a lot of women pick up running (and racing) as adults.  To challenge ourselves.

Plus, if I'm getting up at 4:30 am, I'm getting something shiny to show for it :)

Engineers Can't Count?

In my professional life, I'm an engineer.  I do lots of things with Math and lots of things with Schedules.   And I think I'm doing pretty darn well as an engineer.  So, you would think I could do some simple math and scheduling for my running life, right?  Yeah, not so much.

Back in January, I signed up for the BAA distance challenge.  It's a 5K, 10K and Half spread out from Spring (5K) to Fall (Half), and you get a personalize bib plus a bonus medal when you complete all 3 races.  I've been (to borrow a word from Another Mother Runner) "sputtering".  In Jan, I had more than doubled my December mileage (whoo!) but Feb was tough with the blizzard and my credit card expiring so I no longer have access to the gym (I did mention, I'm good with schedules, right?)

So I get an email from Dimity and Sarah about the AMR Virtual 5K on Mother's Day, with the "Finish It 5K" training plan starting on Monday March 4th.  Ok, great!  I can do this, get back into the swing of things.  I grab my iPhone and Kindle (one for the calendar, one for the plan) and start working out the 5-6 workouts per week I'll need (HINT: I'm scheduling 5, but it's one of the cross-training I'm bailing on. I just can't get up to 6/week!  I know it's mental, but hey, at least I'll be meeting my goal of 5).

And that's when I saw it.  The first Sunday of April Vacation.  The day before the Boston Marathon.  There, with the little red dot to designate "Family Activities".  April 14th 6:30 am - 9 am BAA 5K in Copley.  How are they pulling off 2 races in 2 days? Are they crazy?!

Wait. CRAP!  That's 1, 2, 3, 5, 6! 6 Weeks away!  It's a 5K.  I'm slow.  Ok, breathe, Nic, breathe.  You're doing 3 miles in a run now.  It's slow, but you're doing it.  Ok.  I can do this. The finish time will start with "3", but I can do this.

Wait! School Vacation.  DOUBLE CRAP! The couch!  We're supposed to be getting our living room, hallway and the boys' room floors redone that weekend.  I'm supposed to be with the boys at my Mother's house which is TWO hours away from BOSTON.  Ok, we can schedule this (because I've been so good about scheduling running related activities so far!)

Wait, when's the 10K.  June, ok, June is good.  That's 10 weeks after the 5K. Well, BAA really planned this well!  TLAM10K will kick off immediately after the 5K.  Ok, good.

So, my grand plan is:

• Kick off TLAM 5K Finish It on Monday, as part of the Virtual AMR 5K.  I will modify it a bit, instead of planning walk/runs, I'm doing my regular Run and take my 15 sec walk breaks as needed.
• Move Old Couch downstairs without getting injured or dropping the couch on Hubby
• On Week 5 of TLAM 5K Run the BAA 5K
• Kick off TLAM 10K (not sure if I'm aiming for Finish It or Own It... I've got 5 weeks to decide....said the "expert" scheduler...)
• Admire my new beautiful living room with FLOOR SPACE
• Run the Virtual AMR 5K Mother's Day Weekend (and the PawSox camp out ISN'T on Mother's Day this year! YES!)
• BAA 10K in June
• Maybe 5K by my mom's in August (hilly and humid, it's a great combo!)
• Zooma Cape Cod September
• BAA Half Columbus Day Weekend