We will be tacking the Grant Park Turkey Trot this Saturday for our first race together since that dreadful January day in Miami. Im struggling with a "plan" for this race. Im so much of a freaking planner that I like to go into races with some semblance of a goal, but ever since the Fox Valley Marathon and the injuries I've incurred, Ive been taking running lightly while I heal. While i'm confident my 5K PR (22:18) from last years "Hot to Trot" is in no danger of being broken, I do wonder what I am capable of for this Saturday. Had I not gotten the ITB and the Ankle issues, I would have been shooting for a mid 21 something. That's out of the question for sure.The 3 other 5Ks I've done this year were 23:34, 23:37. and 23:41. Pretty damn consistent! So i'm thinking of going for a 23:30 and see how that kind of pace feels.
I went for a run this Sunday and it was absolutely gorgeous out.The path is pretty empty this time of year post Chicago Marathon, which is a welcome change from the chaos that is the trail during the summer with all of the training groups.
It's really nice to not have to worry about passing a large herd of runners, or getting hit by a cyclist. I can just run and enjoy the moment. Since i'm not running a Thursday Turkey Trot, I plan on hitting the lakefront in the morning for a nice mind clearing run.
I will happily be rocking out my new leggings (on right) which I got from Target this weekend in Saturdays race. I had been obsessing over the $80 pair on the left from sweatybetty.com for a few days, but they didnt have my size. When I saw the knit pair in target for $20, my heart skipped a beat... I plan to wear running tights under them since they are not made of a spandex/athletic material. My legs will be happy and warm in their new tacky leggings :)
Finally, I made vegan chocolate pudding from scratch. And it turned out delicious. Thank you Kim for the recipe!
How do you make a "goal" for a race?
What are you looking forward to this week?
-Im definitely looking forward to spending time with my family and Tribu and also a 3.75 day workweek :)
----XAAR
those are some funky tights! are they running tights or more like leggings? happy early turkey day! may your holiday with your man, pup, and bestie be awesome. and rock it out at that 5k :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have an awesome week ahead of you! Excited to hear about your adventures. :) And those running tights are badass!
ReplyDeleteHave a great holiday and turkey trot!
ReplyDeleteYes, love that nearly empty trail. I will be down there on Thursday as well. I have opted out of the Turkey 5k in favor of a long run by the lake. As far as a goal for a race, I try to determine my fitness level before the race and then pick the fastest pace I think I can handle. It rarely turns out well if I try to run a faster pace than I have trained for. Then I try to run some negative splits and I always enjoy finishing strong! If I can do that, I am usually happy.
ReplyDeleteThats a great plan- which you achieved in your 10k. I'll try for a negative split in this 5k- if successful, it will be the first time i've ever been able to do that. I like the longer races more and find it difficult to pace myself for the shorter ones. Happy Turkey day to you!
Deletelove the tights, and Kim rocks!
ReplyDeleteKim is awesome :)
DeleteLove those tights lady,and your pics are always amazing. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteaww thanks :)
Deleteuuuummmmm, you call those leggings tacky?? Because i call them awesome. I am anticipating a personal worst for my 5k on thanksgiving, and i couldn't be more excited - wafflito will be running her first race with me! So i can totally blame my time on her, haha.
ReplyDeleteOoo, you are going to have such an awesome week! 30 side dishes, a 5K with Tribu! CB's clean bill of health! :) Yay!
ReplyDeleteMost races this year I've had no plans for. Which is kind of freeing. I feel like I should get back in to planning though.
Thanks for the shoutout. Now I really want to make that pudding! :)
I just made it again now. Yummmmmmm :)
DeleteHopefully the 5K goes well and your injuries subside. Chicago looks great right now.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how to make a goal race plan, I generally just run all out for every race and it works out however its going to work out lol
And if your gait is neutral and the shoe people allow you to try on Kinvara's, you should give them a shot. I loved them. I do like Newtons a lot, it almost feels like you are being propelled forward with each step. A crazy feeling.
Love the tights! They look somewhat Native American, so if you were going for a Thanksgiving-themed tight, you found the right pair :) I'm looking forward to mashed potatoes, ALL THE TURKEY, and beer. I stocked up on 6 tall bottles for two different dinners. ....Who am I kidding?! That's not going to be enough! :D Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteYes. Mashed potatoes, turkey and beer. Awesomeness all around.
DeleteHappy thanksgiving to you! Cheers!!
Love those fun leggings! Hope you have fun at your turkey trot! I am looking forward to three days of work and stuffing my face with all the food.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving week!!! And YAY for your Tribu, she sounds like the most loyal friend that anyone could ever ask for!!!
ReplyDeleteThose leggings ROCK. And despite the layoff to heal your injuries, I know you are going to do AWESOME at your Turkey Trot! I can't wait to hear how it goes!!!!!!! Your historical 5K times are absolutely incredible, by the way. (I dream of someday just being able to run a single sub-8:00 mile, and you whip them out like they are nothing!)
I'm convinced the leggings will either slow me down or make me faster :)
DeleteConsistency my dear friend, consistency. That's my secret to getting speedier. Oh and pushing the pace a bit here and there. I remember vividly a few years ago trying to break 9:00 miles and it being so difficult. Just keep at it and challenge yourself and your sub 8:00 will come. I promise. Good luck on your trot tomorrow!
Hope your Turkey Race goes good! You might surprise yourself! I love those leggings, I bet they look pretty awesome out running. and I bet it is nice to have the running trails quieter now. Hope CBs post op visit goes great! Is he back to running with you yet?
ReplyDelete