Running is Cheaper Than Therapy

If you've been following my blog, you know that I injured my back the end of January. It was the weirdest thing, I didn't even know that I did it until after I had finished a 5 mile run on a treadmill of all places. I was laid up for about a week just icing it and trying to let it heal.

Saturday I felt pretty good so I decided to get an outdoor run in. I put on all my layers, had the hubs help me get the YakTrax on my running shoes and I was OFF! It felt amazing to get out there in the brisk winter air.

When I run, I think. I realized that for the whole last week with no running, I hadn't had a chance to organize my thoughts. I only wanted to test out my back, so I didn't push past 3.25 miles. (The freezing rain helped me to have some control with the distance too)

Sunday I had designated as my "long run" day. We got about 3-4" of snow overnight and while I could see that our road was not plowed, I thought that once I got to the main roads that would be the case. Once again I threw on all my layers, my YakTrax, & my Garmin watch. I cranked up my iPod and headed out.

Right away I took a couple of deep cleansing breaths, felt the snow crunching under my feet, and started out. Boy-oh-boy the joke was on me. I was hoping to do 5 miles, but ended up calling it a day at 4.25 because NOTHING was plowed. YakTrax are wonderful, but they are not snow shoes.

I really started to hit a wall at around 2 miles. I was having a hard time getting into a rhythm and like I mentioned before, I started to think.

This week was hard. REALLY hard. I didn't have my running as an outlet. I have a special needs son who got a new diagnosis and as I trudged through the snow I'm not sure if it was the weight of that diagnosis or my frustration with the poor road conditions that got me, but I started to cry. I couldn't stop the tears. It was one of those good, cleansing cries though, and it seemed to be over as quickly as it came on.

All I really know is that by the time I hit 3 miles I was feeling so much better in both body and spirit, and I was able to complete my run strong.

I'm gearing up for The Get Lucky 7K on March 19th, and while it's only 4.2 miles, I know I have a Half Marathon coming up in April. I'll be looking to start stretching out the distances in the next few weeks.

As Promised, Polar Dash Race Report

Let me start by saying that when I woke up New Year's Day and saw the forecast for the Twin Cities, I *might* have been rethinking this race. The race was at 11AM and the forecast said 9 degrees, 19 MPH wind out of the SW, and that it would feel like -12. YUCK!

I got ready in all my layers--a Nike dri-fit 1/4 zip mock neck shirt, a Columbia fleece hoodie, and my "Running Room" windbreaker to keep out that wind. I wore a pair of base-layer running tights under my Under Armour Cold Weather pants; 2 pairs of smart wool socks, a performance face mask and winter hat, fleece gloves, and my YakTrax for traction.

As we walked over to the race village I really wasn't shivering (believe it or not) the only areas that were chilly were my fingers and toes.





Needless to say with the temps that cold, we didn't arrive too early. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the starting line. There were lots of people jumping to try to warm up, and before we knew it, we were off!



It felt awesome to get the blood pumping and I was thankful for the YakTrax since we had lots of ice and snow to deal with! The first half of the race was uphill, and with the cold air that proved to be a challenge. I kept pulling my face mask down because I felt overheated, but the cold air proved to be tough to breathe in, so I'd pull the mask back up. Through the whole race I was comfortable. I was happy to reach the turn-around point because I knew that meant I'd be running downhill the whole way back. It felt great and I settled into a cruising pace. I ran without my Garmin watch so I only ran according to how I felt.

I knew when I crossed the starting line that the clock was over 2 minutes, so when I saw 30 as I crossed the finish I was pretty sure I had a PR--the hubs confirmed it for me later when we saw our results. 28:37!!!!

Here's the breakdown:
Average Pace: 9:13
Overall Place: 200 out of 972
Gender Place: 78 out of 614 women
Age Group Place: 20 out of 124 Females in the F30-34 Group
I passed 133 Runners in the overall category
I was passed by 29 runners in the overall category

I'll take it!

The added bonus for me was that I actually beat my husband. That NEVER happens; he's a lot faster than me. The difference is I've been running more lately, so I know not to get used to it. I will gloat for a little while though!



It was a great way to kick off 2011...I can't wait for the race season to get into full gear!

If you are in Minnesota I HIGHLY recommend Team Ortho's Events. I am a Monster Series Racer, which means I will be completing all 5 of their major races. Check them out! I promise you won't be disappointed

I LOVE YakTrax

I live in Minnesota. Basically from November until quite possibly APRIL (oh how I wish I was kidding) it looks like this:


It's safe to say we have A LOT of SNOW.

I like to run. A lot. I make no secret of this. The problem is I really REALLY dislike running on a treadmill. For me to go longer than 3 miles on a treadmill is like TORTURE. I get super bored and just check out. Lucky for me there's this nifty little invention called YakTrax.



They are rubber with steel coils that stretch over the bottom of your shoe to give you traction in ice and snow pack. I picked mine up for about $25 and they are worth every penny.

This is how they slip over the front of the shoe.

And this is the view from the back.

I'll admit, I was skeptical the first time I put them on but they SERIOUSLY work. I ran a 5K on New Year's Day and set a PR with them. They are AWESOME. The only time I've felt even a little bit of a slip with them is on glare ice because the coils have nothing to grip. Check them out! I promise you won't be disappointed. I use YakTrax Pro for running, there is a variety for walkers, too.