Trick-or-Treat Fun Run and...What's Next??

Wednesday night I made it over to our local Fleet Feet store in Decatur to join the Halloween trick-or-treat run with some friends.  We had no idea what to expect, but showed up in our running clothes/Halloween costumes with smiles on our faces :)  We were handed a pink slip of paper with a list of places we had to run to to get our treats.  Everyone kind of took off in their own small groups, so the three of us stuck together.  The "trick" part of this event was that no map was provided and we had to run around trying to find restaurants on our own!  Thankfully one of us had GPS on a cellphone (it wasn't me...have you SEEN my phone? Hello, 1998 called and it wants its phone back!) and the people we asked for directions along the way were helpful! 

We ran about 3.5 miles, and besides the little stops here and there, we were running the whole time.  It got dark fast, so I'm glad I brought my lights to put around my tutu (see picture below) :)

(from left to right) Me, the witch, Nikki, the domino, and Kimberly, the UGA Fairy

I liked running in a tutu with the lights...maybe I'll do that for all my evening runs now ;)

What's Next???

Something has come over me recently...earlier this week I began entertaining this idea of running a half marathon race sometime in the near future.  After being couped up in the house for a few days sick,  I just woke up with this urge to run and a desire to keep running farther.  Weird, I know.  For some reason I suddenly think that 13.1 miles doesn't sound so far to run.  Maybe it's because now I know more people who have completed Half Ironman and Ironman races and who are training for ultradistance races and who have run marathons and beyond.  Suddenly I have begun to think that maybe I can run a little further than a 10K (which is actually the furthest I've ever run! hahaha!)

 

I am not alone in this thinking or in this venture.  My trusty training buddy and friend has also been bitten with the same bug.  So...we are planning to run the Georgia Publix Half Marathon March 18th!  This will give us plenty of time to build up the distance in a smart way that will (God-willing) prevent injuries as well.  I know what issues I have when it comes to running (from my neck to my feet!) and also am aware of what I need to do to help keep me from getting injured.  That's why I MUST strength train, do core work to keep my back supported, and keep swimming a few times a week to keep my feet and ankles loose.  I have to be smart about my training if I want to succeed and cross that finish line!  Once I complete a half marathon, THEN I will feel comfortable signing up for a Half Ironman ;)  Baby steps!  Which reminds me...

Fall Activity Recap! (Help Mend Broken Hearts 5K & 24 Hours of Booty)

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing well!  Though I haven't been blogging as much since the end of my triathlon season, that doesn't mean I haven't been actively participating in events. I don't want you to think I've gotten lazy in my "off-season" :P

In October I joined a team for 24 hours of Booty--a cycling event put on by the LIVESTRONG foundation to help raise funds and awareness for local cancer initiatives.  We camped out at Stone Mountain Park and rode as much as we could in 24 hours. It was a lot of fun, even though the temp dropped to the low 40's at night and the cycling route was tough and hilly.  I met some really awesome people and was glad to be a part of such a great cause!  I ended up riding 80 miles--the furthest I've ever ridden in a 24 hour time period!  Prior to that, the furthest I'd gone was 40 miles on the Silver Comet Trail (which is FLAT the entire way).  If there's a 24 hours of booty event in your area, I highly recommend it ;) It is very well organized and you get to ride with some pretty amazing and inspiring people.

I'm in red, waving :)

Yesterday my family participated in a local 5k run/walk called Help Mend Broken Hearts.  It is held in memory of a little girl who passed away in 2007 from complications of a congenital heart defect.  All proceeds go towards research and treatment for congenital heart defects.  Because my niece is a survivor of a heart defect, I got my entire family involved and most of them were able to participate with me.  We also all sported the Ironheart Racing Team shirts :)  

It was a bit of a drive for us, so we were in the car by 6:15 and on our way.  It was FREEZING outside...almost literally...in the high 30's/low 40's!  Only my 11 year old nephew and I ran the 5k while the rest of the family walked pushing the 2 little ones on strollers. 

Since it was my nephew's first 5K, I strongly advised that he stay with me at least for the first mile so I could help him pace.  Being a typical 11 year old boy, at the sound of the word "GO!" he turned to me and said "See ya!" then took off going fast.  I just shook my head knowing that I would catch up with him eventually and that he would learn his lesson in pacing the hard way :)  Sure enough, at the halfway point I caught up to him, gave him a brief "I told you so" speech, and then encouraged him along.  The course was mostly flat and perfect for his first race.  The few inclines we did go up were easy to push through and we managed to stick together til the very end, crossing the finish line at the same time!  I was super proud of my nephew for finishing his first 5K in 30:18 and winning his age group :)  Oh, and this was a PR for me too!  Yippee!  :) 

After crossing the finish line my nephew looked at me exhausted and said "I never want to run that far again!"...but once he got his 1st place plaque he said "This is cool, I might run another one" :) 

Everyone seemed to have a really great time, despite the cold weather,and there were lots of prizes, food, COFFEE, and smiling faces.  It's so great to be surrounded by people at events like this who are genuinely good people wanting to make a difference and help others in whatever way they can. 

Fall is definitely filled with some fun running events, and I'm trying to take advantage of at least a few of them.  This week I'm looking forward to a Trick-or-treat fun run in downtown Decatur and hoping to score some awesome treats!  Is anyone else doing any Halloween themed races?  If so, what costumes are you running in?

I'm thinking of maybe this for Wednesday's run: