Race Recap: Race For A Cause 8K

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Coco

I originally signed up for this event because my son’s lacrosse team is doing the one mile “fun run” to support an organization that one of the coaches is involved with. My friend and I thought we could cajole our boys into doing the Race For A Cause 8K, but they didn’t think that running 5 miles before a 2 hour lacrosse practice made much sense. Then we found out last week that my son has a stress fracture in his pelvis that he’s been trying to hide for a few months (because he didn’t want to miss the spring or summer lacrosse seasons), so he couldn’t participate at all. 🙁

Coming the week after the Army Ten Miler, I didn’t really have any goals for this event, and really approached it as a “fun” run. On the other hand, the promise of a flat course and a relatively short distance had me thinking that I could do pretty well.

That was until I let my son have some friends spend the night after a Saturday night concert. Although they left the event at 11:45, between parking lot gridlock and beltway construction they didn’t get home until nearly 1:00. By the time I set them up with some pizza, chips and soda, and made sure that they were settled in for the night, it was nearly 2:00 am!

It seems that lack of sleep does not affect my race day habit of waking up before my alarm, although I only beat it by a few minutes. I took a shower, got dressed, and laced up my new running shoes.

(Mizuno Wave Inspire 7)

I wished I had bought some bagels for breakfast, but I opted for my favorite oatmeal combination.

(No Starbucks Christmas Blend yet, but the Yukon Blend is pretty good!)

It was chilly, but after getting so warm at the Army Ten Miler last weekend there was no question that I was going to wear a short-sleeved t-shirt.

It ended up feeling like perfect running weather and only my hands were a bit cold at the start.

Any race is going to seem small after the 30,000-runner Army Ten Miler, but this one was very much a community event. There were lots of families and even kids under 12 were permitted to do the 8K. One nice thing about a small but well-organized event–no line at the porta-potties!

I lined up near the front, wanting to be sure I was ahead of the non-runners–like the teenagers in their jeans and sweatshirts! I was prepared for a fast, flat course, but heard someone warn that there is a long gradual incline after the turn-around point, so I kept that in mind as I ran.

The start was fast–once I got my Garmin going, I was clocking a 7:45 pace! I tried to assess how I was feeling and how hard I was working to decide whether I could maintain an 8:00 pace for 5 miles. I felt good with a sub-8:00 pace for the first mile, and used my Garmin to stay at that pace for mile 2. I did notice the incline after the turn-around point, but still finished that mile on target. I felt strong and mentally locked in a goal of a 40 minute finish time.

Mile 4 got harder, and then I had to hold on for mile 5. I started feeling pukey at mile 4.3, but I focused on keeping up with the runners who were right in front of me–including one of those young kids! I turned the last corner, and my body went into auto-sprint mode. I tried to remember to smile for the cameraman at the finish, and was definitely thrilled to see 8:17 on the race clock as I crossed the finish line!

My friend also had a great race, and another friend who was going to walk the “fun run” ended up run/walk-ing the 8K!

I got home 2 hours after I had left, and was able to shower and brew another pot of coffee before the boys even woke up.

Garmin Data
Total Distance: 4.98 miles (I started it a bit late)
Total Time: 39:55
Avg. Pace: 8:01 min/mile
Split Times: 7:57, 7:46, 8:01, 8:23, 7:59

Race Results
Chip Time: 40:10.7
37th/382 females, 4th in age group (missed 3rd by 0.7 seconds!)

Have you ever worn brand new shoes for a race?

Do you have a hard time being out-run by a kid? 

Posted in Fitness, Race Recaps | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Seeeking God’s Love

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Coco

I’m not Catholic, but I’ve always been fascinated by Catholicism, nuns, and the idea of joining a convent. My interest drew me into an article in my October issue of O magazine about a woman who joined a convent in 1977, at the age of 19: “In Search Of Sisterhood” by Mary Johnson.

In the article, Mary recounts her first days with the Missionaries of Charity, a convent associated with Mother Theresa. She writes about Sister Carmeline, the nun in charge of newcomers, and her efforts to teach the aspirants discipline and humility. She also writes about her first encounter with Mother Theresa, and how she was moved by her simple yet powerful message of love:

God loved the world so much that he gave his son, Jesus–the beginning of Christianity, the giving. And Jesus kept on saying, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ Every human being created in his image to love and be loved.

In one of the last stories in the article, Mary tells about the hot summer night when she took an icy shower, only to be scolded by Sister Carmeline for committing an unknown wrong:

You should be ashamed. . . .

Selfish, disobedient and immodest. . . .

Vain. . . .

Lazy and vain. . . .

Mary felt angry, wrongly accused, and wondered if she belonged. She took her doubts to God in prayer, and was answered by a feeling that God had “wrapped me in his love and washed me in peace.”

(Another Sister told her the next day that they are not supposed to take showers, but should fill one bucket with water and use that. )

While Mary made peace with the shower incident, it got under my skin. Mary was drawn to the convent by Mother Theresa’s message of love, and was met with anything but. I am sure that Sister Carmeline thought she was doing her job, and teaching important lessons, but I have to wonder if those lessons could have been taught with kindness rather than shame.

Then I wondered, when people come to my church, wanting to hear more about God’s love, how do we treat them?

  • Do we make them feel welcome by explaining our kneel-sit-stand customs, or do we leave them to figure out things on their own–even if that means they might kneel while we all stand, or vice-versa?
  • Do we make sure that their children have age-appropriate activity sheets, or do we let them get bored and squirmy and then glare and them for being disruptive?
  • Do we greet them after the service and invite them to coffee hour, or do we let them drift off on their own, maybe wondering if they have any reason to come back?

Our church usually errs on the side of being too friendly to visitors, but this article–and my reaction to it–reminded me to try to treat every encounter as an opportunity to demonstrate the love and kindness that keeps drawing me in.

Have you been welcomed with kindness in a new situation?

Have you felt lost or alone in a crowd of others who belonged?

Posted in My Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday Short Run

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Coco

I usually do a long run on Saturdays, but tomorrow I am doing the Race For A Cause 8K, so I kept my run short today. I really should have made today a rest day, but I couldn’t bear the thought of starting my weekend without a run, especially since I only ran once this week and don’t have any plans for today.

I set my alarm for 6:00 so I could get out for a sunrise run, but my warm bed was more enticing than the cold darkness I could see out my bedroom window. I dozed until 6:45, when the lightening sky finally convinced me that it was time to get up.

I got dressed (long sleeve tech shirt, shorts), grabbed some water, my Garmin and my iPod, and headed out the door. I walked 1/3 mile to my starting point and hit “start” on my Garmin at 7:09.

I had decided to do a new variation of my weekday route, heading left at the exit from my neighborhood instead of going right, and taking a new hilly out-and-back spur. This area probaly isn’t any less safe than my usual route, but since I am less familiar with it, I prefer to do it when the sun is up! 

I already was at 2.5 miles when I completed the spur, so I decided to take a more direct route back than I originally had planned. I added another spur in the other direction before I turned around and started retracing my steps.

It was a great run. My piriformis made its presence known as I started up the first steep hill, but it stayed pretty quiet. I tried to keep my pace easy, but it felt so good to be out in the glorious weather (50F) I know I wasn’t holding back. Still, I was surprised by how fast my split times were, since my run never felt hard–even on the hills.

Garmin Data
Total Distance: 4.75 miles
Total Time: 44:08
Avg. Pace: 9:17 min/mile
Split Times: 9:26, 9:13, 9:30, 9:10, 9:04

Do you always take a rest day before a race?

Do you exercise right after you wake up, or do you start your day with coffee first?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Bachelorette Weekend

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Coco

This weekend my husband is off on his annual camping trip with “the guys.” That means I get to enjoy a “bachelorette” weekend at home. I still have to work on Friday and provide adult supervision for our son all weekend, so I can’t go too wild, but there are a few things I look forward to when my husband goes out of town.

  • watching “reality” shows on TLC, movies on Lifetime, and maybe even “Cops”
  • having the whole bed–and the covers–to myself
  • knowing that no one else will drink the last cup of coffee
  • guilt-free time with girlfriends

Are there simple things you look forward to when you have the house to yourself?

Posted in Life | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Product Review: MiO Liquid Water Enhancer

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Coco

Have you seen the cute little MiO bottles at your grocery store and wondered what they were? MiO liquid water enhancer is a new product from Kraft Foods. As it turns out, MiO was the sole beverage sponsor of the Army Ten-Miler. Although I couldn’t make it to the Expo to get samples, I was given two different flavors for a product review: Fruit Punch and Sweet Tea. (Other flavors include Berry Pomegranate, Strawberry Watermelon, Mango Peach, Fruit Punch, and Peach Tea.)

I didn’t check out the MiO website before I tried it out, but it validates my first impressions. I thought the shape of the bottle was reminiscent of the old food coloring bottles we used to dye Easter eggs, and the squeeze-to-dispense feature reinforced that connection. I chose the Fruit Punch flavor first, and I’m sure the bright red color would look lovely on an Easter egg! I figured out from the website that the cool color effect is no accident–check it out and tell me what you think.

One neat feature of this product is that you control the amount of MiO you add to your water, so you can make a drink that has more or less flavor.  Also, because it’s a liquid, it’s very easy to blend your drink. I added a full squeeze for my first drink and it tasted strong, but not overpowering. While I usually drink plain water, I found that I sucked down the MiO quite easily. 🙂

Here are some nutrition facts you might be interested in:

  • Caffeine-free
  • Calorie-free per 8 fluid ounce serving
  • 0g Carbohydrates and considered a free exchange
  • Sugar-free
  • Free of artificial flavors
  • Kosher
  • Gluten-free
  • Sweetened with sucralose

The MiO website tells you up-front that it may contain certain preservatives and artificial colorings–like the Red 40 that made my Fruit Punch so eye-catching! So, this may not be a product for those of you who avoid all things artificial, but it is a fun product and a cool way to “enhance” your water.

I’ll admit that while I am trying to eat mostly “whole” foods, I still am intrigued by new technologies. There’s a reason I got a B.S. in Chemistry and enjoy my career as a patent attorney. (The MiO label has a “patent pending” notation, but I couldn’t figure out which of the many Kraft Foods patent applications might relate to this product.)

**FTC Notice** I received free samples of MiO to review. My opinion of the product is based on my own experience.  

Have you tried MiO?

Do you like to try new hi-tech food and beverage products?

Posted in Food, Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments