Race Recap: 2014 Orange County Turkey Trot 5K

(source)

Yesterday I ran my fourth 5K! The Orange County Turkey Trot 5K had some issues -- it started late because there weren't enough porta-potties or people to check in morning-of registrants. I overheard that it was the first year of the race so it makes sense there would be kinks to iron out. All the volunteers and coordinators were very nice, too. It was a nice and flat out-and-back course with a medal at the end and lots of food and drinks, so I was happy with the race. And... I PR'd so I have nothing to complain about!

PR smiles

I was dreading the race the night before. My parents and I went to see Aziz Ansari (he was fantastic -- really funny and insightful -- and the tickets were only $35, thank you, Orange County!) and we didn't get home till 11:30 p.m., which is after my bedtime on a normal night, let alone the night before a race. I was so tempted to bag the race entirely since my legs felt a bit sore and I knew I was coming off not a lot of sleep. And in all honesty, I wondered if I could hit a similar pace to my July 2013 PR (7:59 avg) and didn't want to run the race at all if I'd be way off. 

But thankfully I didn't give in to my lazier/cowardly urges because the race went fantastically! I PR'd, I got to cheer my dad on through the finish line, and I had my mom and Mason there cheering.

The cheer squad

I hate having much in my stomach for short runs, so all I ate was a tiny end-piece of bread with some almond butter and honey at about 7 a.m., an hour before the start, and a salted caramel Gu right before the start.

The course was an out-and-back that took us around the Irvine Valley College campus. There were quite a few kids running and one of the top 15 was an 8 year-old boy who ran a 19:18! The little girl running a 7:30 pace in front of me was my inspiration for the first two miles.

Irvine Valley Campus includes some pretty farmland that we raced around.

I've written before about the mental side of running, and while I didn't initially want to be running, I just refused to let that affect me mentally once I started. (It helped that it was only a 5K.) I kept my mental game very positive the whole time and focused on the fact that Tuesday I had just run six 800m repeats at a 7:00 pace. I thought of this as a longer version of that workout and it helped me push the pace.

It was a gorgeous day for a 5K.

Splits
(1) 7:44
(2) 7:55 <-- always the hardest mile for me in 5Ks
(3) 7:28

Finish Time -- 23:49

(The race started without much warning so I didn't start my Garmin right away and only have 3 miles of splits.)

"Can't-talk-about-to-puke" snapshot

I nearly threw up after crossing the finish line so I think that's a pretty good sign I ran the last mile hard.

Gear

• Oiselle distance shorts
• My beloved Saucony Kinvara 4's
• Nike dri fit tank and sports bra
• Sparkly Soul thin headband
• Sunglasses I picked up for free from a Sweet'N Low booth two years ago and still feel guilty for wearing because Sweet'N Low is gross but they just work so well for running...

Mason had to be in every picture, obviously.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, Americans! Hope everyone had a great day filled with fun, food, family, and friends.

Weekly Workout Recap: Friendsgiving, Turkey Trotting, and an Awesome Uplift Deal!

Hi guys! 

Here are the workouts I got up to last week. I've come down with a nasty cold, so we'll see how this week looks. Between holidays last week and sickness this week, it probably won't be the best two weeks of workouts ever. But hey, that's the end of the year, right? 

Much more excitingly, I have an awesome Uplift Studios program to tell you about, and even better, a discount on the program! 

Workout Recap

Monday: 30 minutes lower body strength workout

Has anyone ever tried the "magic circle"? It's both evil (ow!) and wonderful (toning in tough to tone areas!). It's also super awkward to exercise with since basically you're squeezing it between your thighs. I wasn't thrilled when a few dudes walked into the gym while I was pulsing on this. Awkward.

Tuesday & Wednesday: Rest days (and by "rest" I mean crazy busy at work days).

Thursday: Second Annual @RxBethOnTheRun's Turkey Trot! 7.25 miles with Beth, Allison, Abby, Nicole, and Liz.

I printed out these bibs the night before. It's not official without a bib, right?

BRR it was "feels like 20 degrees" and we were all dying of frostbite. But so great to see Liz, down from Boston where she's doing her MBA, and continue the tradition of the Turkey Trot!

Luckily I had these "medals" saved from last year. I used gelt coins for the medal part, and the combination of gelt and a turkey seemed particularly appropriate this year because it was Thanksgivukkah!


Friday: 60 minutes lower body strength with Amanda

I was sore from this for roughly 4 days. We focused on hamstrings, glutes, and hips. She texted me the next day to see how I was feeling and I replied back, in all caps, that I was OMG SO SORE. Also that I was probably dying. In a good way.


Saturday: Rest day (unless journeying to Jersey City for Friendsgiving counts?)

Hana, my wonderful friend and office mate. She makes the long hours so much more fun!

The spread of delicious food. Huge thanks to my work friend Ben for hosting a fun night!

Also to Ben's cat, Tina, for providing endless entertainment. She tried to pilfer some turkey. Nope, she didn't get away with it, sadly. Also she wasn't the best thief since I was able to snag this picture of her nefarious attempts at thievery.


Sunday: 3 slow, painfully sore miles with Sourabh through a decidedly wintry Central Park

Ouch, these miles hurt. I could barely keep a 10:00 pace and Sourabh kept running ahead because he's working out and running these days and has gotten so fit! I'm a wee bit proud of him. Just a bit. I think he was probably ridiculously proud that he kept running faster than me, but just wait, Sourabh... A rematch will happen soon.


The Strengthen Up(lift) Team Challenge!

Y'all know that Uplift is one of my two favorite strength workouts in town, right? The instructors are kick-ass, the founders are incredibly awesome women, and they provide a gorgeous and welcoming space to work out or chill back. It's such a unique, special fitness space in the NYC exercise scene.

And now, they're adding an even cooler element -- a team challenge after the holidays!

Here's the deal:

• Teams of 4-6 women will compete to see which team can lose the greatest percentage of body fat during their 8-week challenge.
• Each team will have access to unlimited classes at Uplift and a Team Coach to help them plan their workouts and achieve their goals!
• Kick-off party at Uplift Studios on January 6, 2014. The challenge concludes on March 3, 2014, with a finale party in the studio, where final results will be tallied and winners will be announced.
• The winning team will receive $1,000 cash to divide amongst the team, and the second place team will receive $500. All participants will receive prizes from Uplift's amazing sponsors, which include Bliss Spa Products, BluePrint Juices, and Jack Rabbit sporting goods!

If you sign up before December 15, the cost for two months of unlimited classes is $450 -- but Jen's Best Life readers get a 10% discount, bringing the cost down to $405! 

Sign up by December 15 and get 10% off using the discount code STRENGTHENUPLIFT2014!

To sign up, go to Uplift's website, click on Buy, and select the Strengthen Uplift Challenge.

Have questions? Email info@upliftstudios.com for more details. 

P.S. In full disclosure, I am not doing this challenge. HOWEVER I would 100% be doing it and propose putting together a team if I didn't have the triple whammy of my plane ticket home to WA for Christmas (way to gouge over the holidays, airlines!), buying Christmas presents for friends and support staff at my firm, and student loan payments starting this month.