Monday, January 18, 2016

Weekly Wrap

January 11th-17th, 2016

I am joining the Weekly Wrap hosted by Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin. The Weekly Wrap is a blog link up where bloggers share their active lifestyle and other exciting things weekly. To find out more, click on the image below. Feel free to join in on the fun.

http://www.misssippipiddlin.com/weekly-wrap/
 
I am currently not training for any one specific race. I've registered for several half marathons over the next few months. I'm hoping to moon up in half fanatics by March 19th by completing 4 half's in 28 days.
 
I always have a hard time staying motivated in the winter months, so I'm hoping this challenge will give me something to work towards. My goal for the next few months is to run 20-25 miles per week and get back to incorporating long runs of 8-12 miles each weekend. Hopefully, I will stay healthy and injury free in the months ahead. I always seem to get sick this time of the year.
 
Monday, January 11th
 
I took a rest day for running. Monday was a busy day at school and I was exhausted by the end of the day. I came straight home and took an afternoon nap. I was going to be up late watching Alabama vs Clemson in the National Championship game.
 
The game was back and forth and a little nerve wrecking at times. Special teams made some great game changing plays with a successful onside kick and a kick off return for a touchdown by Kenyan Drake. OJ Howard had an awesome night scoring two touchdowns, his first ones since 2013. The whole team played as one unit and pulled off a big win. ROLL TIDE!
 
Bama celebrates their 16th National Championship
 
Tuesday, January 12th
 
I stayed up until midnight watching the trophy presentation and commentary from the National Championship game Monday night. I was too tired on Tuesday morning to run before school. I thought I might run after school, but that didn't happen. I always talk myself out of running by the end of the day.
 
On Tuesday, the Tuscaloosa Half Marathon announced a promo code: SWEET16 to save 16% off registration fees to celebrate Bama's 16th National Championship win. I've had this half on my radar, but I hadn't registered yet. Needless to say I registered Tuesday night and saved a total of $13. Can't wait to run Tuscaloosa on March 5th. That will be one of my four half's in 28 days.
 
Wednesday, January 13th
 
I ran three miles before school on Wednesday morning. I realized I'm sporting LSU colors with our Bama flag in the background. Oops, ROLL TIDE anyway!
  

Thursday January 14th
 
I ran another three miles before school on Thursday. Winter is definitely here with temps in the low 30's real feel in the 20's. I don't envy people running in snow, but I do love seeing running pics of people with icicle beards, eyebrows, and lashes this time of year. If you're running in snow, you amaze me! Kudos for getting out there day in and day out.
 



Friday, January 15th
 
It was pouring rain on Friday morning. My sinuses starting acting up earlier this week, and I didn't want to risk making things worse by running in the cold and rain. I slept in a little later since this was a teacher inservice day and we didn't have to go in until 8:00. We've had three four day weeks in a row due to holidays and teacher inservice days. I'm not complaining. Our breaks are few and far between after Spring Break in March.
 
Saturday, January 16th
 
I finally had an opportunity to play around with my Christmas present during my run on Saturday. I've got a lot to learn with my GoPro, but here's a halfway decent shot from Saturday's run.
 




Sunday, January 17th
 
I spent most of the morning tracking my friends who ran the Louisiana Marathon and Houston Marathon. My friend Mary PR'd the half in Louisiana and landed on Mars in half fanatics. Valerie finished her 4th full at Louisiana and ran a huge 13 minute PR. Lisa ran her second full marathon and ran an 11 minute PR in Houston. I was so excited for all of them.
 
I needed to do a long run since I'm running the Inaugural Big Beach Half Marathon in two weeks. I'm a little nervous to do my first inaugural half, but I'm already familiar with the course from previous races in the area. I just hope the water stations are well stocked and there are plenty of volunteers. I've heard too many horror stories about inaugural runs. This won't qualify for one of my four half's in 28 days. I originally registered for it when I was hoping to complete 6 half's in 6 consecutive months.
 



 
I spent Sunday afternoon blogging. I recapped the Cruising the Creekwalk 5K from last Saturday. You can read my recap here.
 
Did you watch the National Championship game?
 
Do you have a GoPro? If so, what tips could you offer a newbie like me? What photo editing app or program do you recommend?
 
Have you ever ran in an inaugural race? How was it?
 
 


39 comments:

  1. I so want a Go Pro! I've been having so much fun with my iPhone and all the cool filters out there.

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    1. You take great shots with your iPhone. I bet your GoPro pics would be amazing!

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  2. What a great week and a great goal of 4 halfs in 28 days. Good luck with running those.

    I ran an inaugural 10k race in Hyde Park in London. It was very well organised and one I'd like to do again but it was quite small. I'd definitely do another inaugural race.

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    1. Thank you! Glad to hear your Inaugural race was a positive experience. Hopefully mine will be too.

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  3. Sounds like you have an exciting bunch of races coming up! I did watch the 'Bama game and I may have won a bet by choosing them to win. I got a GoPro almost a year ago and we used it on spring break last year but I've never used it for running pics. I need to try it!

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    1. I felt like Bama would come away with the win, but it was still a nerve wrecking game. I need to use my GoPro more often. Unfortunately, my runs before school are rushed so the weekend is the only opportunity I have to play with it.

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  4. What a fun goal to run 4 halfs in 28 days! Good luck! I ran the inaugural Rock'n'Roll Portland race and it wasn't bad. Water was well stocked and I didn't have any issues.

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    1. Thank you! I look forward to the months ahead. I remember your race in Portland. I didn't realize that was an inaugural race. Glad it was a great experience!

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  5. Inaugural races are interesting. I did a Wine Country Half in Loudoun County, VA which was kindof a mess. They didn't have traffic and parking figured out so the race started almost 30 minutes late (on a VERY hot day) because people were still trying to get to the venue. Needless to say they also did not have effective start corrals so all different paces were mixed together. It ended up being a good time but that really tested my patience!

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    1. Oh wow, that sounds like a mess! This should be a smaller race in Gulf Shores, AL so hopefully parking and traffic won't be an issue. I'm familiar with the venue which usually has plenty of parking for larger events in the area such as seafood festivals and concerts. I don't expect it to be perfect. I think all inaugural races have a few kinks. I'm looking forward to it. I love running at the beach!

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  6. I ran the inaugural Asheville Half Marathon in June 2014 and thought they did an amazing job. Actually the food spread post race was probably one of the best I have ever seen. Don't be too worried, especially since you know the course.

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    1. Thank you! Glad to hear your experience with an inaugural race went well. I'm excited to run this half. I love running in Gulf Shores where the race is held.

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  7. Glad to hear you had good experiences with inaugural races. I hope you can get to the bottom of what's going on with your foot. You've done great with your cycling and weight lifting, but I know you're eager to run pain free. Hopefully, the doctor will have answers on Wednesday.

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  8. Four half marathons in 28 days?! That's incredible. Can't wait to hear all about it! I ran several inaugural races in 2015, and they all went really well! I've heard a few...well, not horror stories, but less than stellar feedback - but I haven't had those experiences! *knock on wood* Trust your experience will be amazing!!

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    1. Thank you, Bradley! I'm excited for the months ahead. Glad to hear your experience with inaugural races went well.

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  9. I'd LOVE a GoPro! Truth be told, though, I kind of like the challenge of "roughing it" with just my iphone and coming up with decent pics without all the bells and whistles (#artgeek #minimalist #makingdo). I have done a few inaugural races, one of which was a half marathon...and it went well (other than the weather being less-than-desirable).

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    1. Your pictures turn out great with the iPhone. I think it has a better camera than the Samsung. I know it has a better selection of apps. Glad to hear you've had good experiences with inaugural races. I'm excited for this one.

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  10. Sounds like a good week. That GoPro pic looks great. Have fun playing with it! I have run a few inaugural races and they've been great. I think if you go into it knowing it's the first race and things may not be perfect, you're bound to be pleasantly surprised. Hope it's a good one!

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    1. Thank you! I'm excited for this race. Deep down I think it will be fine. I just wanted to hear what others experiences have been with inaugural races. Congrats on your recent 50 miler! What an amazing accomplishment!

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  11. Sounds like a good week! How cool to do 4 half's in 28 days, that is an awesome goal! Just have patience for the Inaugural run. From experience just be prepared for anything. I've ran two inaugural races and they tended to run later than specified. But it all depends on the specific race and how organized it was, how fast they can close the streets, etc.

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    1. Thanks, Sharon! That reminds me I read about your experience at Rock n Roll Brooklyn. This race will probably only attract 1000 runners and most of the course is on paved trails, so parking and closed roads shouldn't be an issue.

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  12. I would love to get a Go Pro but right now I don't have any tips for you. I love seeing some of the pics that runners post with it on IG! I have started using the snapseed app which has been fun to play around with. Great job with your training this week! That would be an awesome accomplishment to complete 4 marathons in 28 days!

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    1. I just downloaded the Snapseed app. I saw Kelli @ www.kelliwrightracing.com used it recently to edit one of her photos. She takes great GoPro shots and is putting tips on her blog now. I'm hoping to do 4 *half* marathons in 28 days. I don't know if I'll ever attempt to do that many fulls in a short time frame. Have you seen the woman who's planning to run 7 fulls in 7 days on 7 continents? Wow!

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  13. I'm going to stalk this for all the GoPro tips and such! I have a knock off brand but haven't even played with it much. I wonder if the Tuscaloosa discount is still good? I'd love to know about races in your area since we're fairly close. I'm going to slowly build back up to a half marathon distance over the next 5 weeks. Then between the half's I have I'll just wing my long runs. Have a great week Debra and Congratulations on Bama's big win!!

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    1. I wish I had more time to play around with the GoPro, but most of my runs before school are so rushed. The only opportunity I really have is on the weekends. It never said how long that SWEET 16 code was good for, it just said for a limited time. It's worth a shot if you're interesting in doing Tuscaloosa again. I just hate the medal isn't "Bama" themed this year, but it still has a great history behind it. I'm really just winging these half's too. I'm not expecting great times, just completion of these races. I feel like I can get away with not following a plan for a half. The full is a different story.

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  14. It was COLD here today, low 30s which is cold for France. I need good running gloves, my hands were frozen. And it was the middle of the day. Kind of dreading my before work run on Thursday. It should warm up by the time the weekend comes around. Luckily because I have a long weekend run. Hope you are feeling better and what a great challenge for 4 halfs in such a short time period!

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    1. Low 30's is cold here too. I can't stand running in the cold. Gloves and fleece headbands or beanies make a big difference. I think the key is keeping your head and hands warm. Good luck getting your runs in this week. Hope your long run goes well.

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  15. I have a GoPro but have only used it for video, not photos. Mine is an older model and has no viewfinder. I think they added that later. Are you running any of the local half marathons? I mooned up last year. The next one (Mars) is going to be difficult. Congrats on your Cruising the Creekwalk win. I've only gotten certificates in years past (and nothing at all last year!). Thanks for linking with us Debra!

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    1. I just have the GoPro Hero+ LCD. The LCD screen definitely helps me get an idea of what I'm shooting. I just wish I had more time to play around with it. The 4 half's in 28 days will land me on Saturn. I will miss Jupiter by 5 days. I really want to do the back 2 back challenge next year with Mississippi Blues and First Light half. There weren't nearly as many runners at Cruising the Creekwalk this year. They had two other runs going on the same day. I think that helps my odds of getting my age group.

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  16. Good luck with that half marathon challenge. It sounds hard but fun! I'm with you on getting sick this time of year is the worst! I have been taking vitamin C twice a day, and have stayed well for a while now! :)

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    1. Thank you, Tara! I do my best to take my vitamins, but it's so hard to stay well when you're around sick kids all day at school. I'm constantly wiping snotty noses and reminding them to cover the mouths. I wouldn't trade it for the world though.

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  17. Wow! 4 halfs in 8 days- amazing goal! I am always happy when an SEC team wins the national championship even if it is not my SEC team! Have fun with the goPro I am kind of jealous :)

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    1. Thank you, Mary Beth! It's 4 half's in 28 days. Although 4 half's in 8 days would be pretty incredible. I'll pull for any other SEC team besides Auburn. Seems petty since they're from Bama too, I should support them. However, I was raised a die hard Bama fan and I firmly believe in rivalry over conference when it comes to Auburn.

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  18. Congratulations to all you Roll Tide fans! I didn't watch the game but I had a very good idea in advance who was going to come out on top. =) How cool that you got that fantastic discount to Tuscaloosa! What a great deal! Good luck on your 4 halfs in 8 days - you are going to knock them out of the park!

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    1. Thank you! I'm very excited to run Tuscaloosa this year. I knew it was worth the wait to register. I'm hoping to complete 4 half's in 28 days. 4 in 8 days is a little too ambitious for right now.

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  19. Cool GoPro picture! Those things seem to have a bit of a steep learning curve (or maybe it's just me) but people always get amazing pictures with them!

    I did watch the National Championship game. Congrats to Bama on the win! I guess technically I should have been pulling for Clemson, since they're ACC, but really I just wanted to see a good game.

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    1. Thank you, Meagan! I definitely have a lot to learn with the GoPro. I wish I had more time to play with it, but my runs before school are so rushed.

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    2. Thank you, Meagan! I definitely have a lot to learn with the GoPro. I wish I had more time to play with it, but my runs before school are so rushed.

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