2/3rds Done-Galveston Toughest 10K Recap

Saturday was the Toughest 10K Galveston race that is the 2nd race of the Texas Bridge Series races.  It was not as bad as the first race, but it was not a walk in the park.  When will I learn that I actually need to train for races? Oh right, I thought these races would encourage me to train...nope!

I stayed at my Uncle's house in Pearland the night before the race so that my aunt Laura and I could get up early and head out to get the best parking spot.   We all stayed up way to late into the night talking and I hardly got any sleep.  I need my sleep or I am a crab (did you see what I did there...crab. Galveston...not funny?)


Anyway we got to the race and were able to park with ease.  The race itself was uneventful except I wasn't feeling it.  I really wanted the 4th medal though so I pushed on.  The things I will do for race medals.  I thought I liked the Kemah race better, but I really liked the Galveston one better.  I remember not really liking this race, but I liked it a whole lot more than Kemah this time around.  I think it was Kemah was just too hot in September.

I did 2 minutes faster (whoo hoo) than I did in Kemah, which is weird because I felt like I walked a lot more this time.  Who knows!

A few friends from church were running the race too and we took a picture.  . We were supposed to all wear our medals to church today, but my eye is a bit infected...I'm hoping it isn't pink eye.

After the race our plan was to go to the Farmer's Market, get lunch and then have mimosas on the beach but we got to the Farmer's Market area and apparently it is on Sunday and not Saturday. I"m not sure how we both missed that on the website, but we did.  We went to the Galveston Greek Festival instead!

The tickets were only $3 and then you paid for whatever food/dessert/drink/souvenir you wanted. Laura got the plate dinner and I got some sides mixed together.  I thought the grape leaf things I got were just rice filled but apparently they had some sort of meat, I think lamb.  I didn't want to waste it, so I ate it.  I know, it's not plant based but it was one time and I hate wasting food.

We watched some dancers do a little number and listened to a band for a bit before heading home.  We had mimosas when we got back to Roger's and I took a nap on the couch before heading home.

Fun day, fun weekend!  How was yours?

Texas Bridge Series Kick-off Party

Last night I went to the Running Alliance Sports, Texas Bridge Series Kick-off party at On the Run Clear Lake.  The event started at 6 pm and included a group run with borrowed shoes, giveaways (socks!), raffles, and more.  I got there about 5:45 pm and it was already packed. 

I tried on some Asaics shoes that they were letting everyone borrow for the group run, but I knew I wanted to get fitted for shoes that night with one of the staff.  There were a few vendors there including Feetures socks!

 

New socks!! 

I received a raffle ticket because I was signed up for the Texas Bridge Series already.  It turns out that the raffle ticket was an awesome because I won a free Nathan’s waterbottle!!!!

Since the place was packed, I waited until they did a group run and the majority of the people were gone before I got fitted for shoes.  When you are just starting to run, always, always, always get fitted for shoes because you can really hurt yourself without the proper shoe.  I used to just go by how cute the colors were, but I learned my lesson.  It’s free and it doesn’t take long. 

They had me try on 3 pairs of shoes to see which one fit the best.  My shoe fitter (didn’t get her name!) said that you shouldn’t feel the shoe at all.   The first pair I could feel the left part on my back heel and she said those won’t work because they are too far back.  The 2^nd pair weren’t wide enough so those were out too.  The third pair (I’m like Goldie Locks) I could not feel at all but I wasn’t too crazy about the color (gray) but she said they come in LIME GREEN!!

Hopefully you know me well enough to know the deep down significance of lime green in my life.

After I got my shoes I headed over to the social at Sherlock’s Pub that was happening across the street.  My aunt Laura was supposed to come with me (she’s signed up for the race too) but she ended up doing something else that night so I was on my own.  I can talk to anyone and promptly made 6 new friends to hang out with that didn’t come with anyone else either.  I tend to get a big group of singles together when I go places.  I enjoy talking and I’m not going to let the fact that I’m alone keep me from doing that! Haha.  The rest of the night was spent talking about running and trying to win raffles.  Someone else in my new friend group won a free pair of shoes from On the Run!

It was a great evening and I’m really excited about the races.  Hopefully my new kicks are just what the doctor ordered and my foot will be ok.  Wish me luck!

 

This year's medals!

p.s.  If you want to sign up for the races you have until July 31^st (which is THIS WEEKEND) to sign up before the price increase.  $130 for three race, four medals, and tons of race swag is an AMAZING PRICE!!  Snag it now. 

This year's 4th medal if you complete ALL THREE of the races.

1st Day of Training

So, I started my training last night for my out of retirement 10K and it hurt!  I haven't been running at all for the past 3 years so to run last night hurt.  I went to Memorial Park and did the three mile loop.  I did a walk/run combo of running every two light posts and walking the 3rd, repeat. I have to get back into the swing of running and working my mileage back up.

Follow me on insta!

  I used to park close to the clubhouse area but now I park a bit down the road.  The weather had a nice breeze to it since it looks like it was about to rain, so it wasn't unbearably hot outside.  I stopped about a quarter of a mile in to stretch (should have stretched at my car) and did some leg swings stretches that I learned while marathon training.  I also did some calf raises to stretch out my foot.

I started back and my left hip area started to hurt so I did some more stretching.  I do not want any injuries this time around and I know that me being so heavy these days does not help when it comes to injuries.  

At about my 2.5 my left foot started to hurt SO BAD!  I was afraid of hurting it like I did the last time (which was partly the reason for retirement) but it was the left foot instead of the right food from last time.

I went ahead and finished the 3 miles by just walking.  I really didn't have a choice because I had to make it to my car!   I passed the time by making a new friend and talking about running/weight loss.

Last time I hardly ever stretched, I ate horribly, never did cross training, and I over did my training with too many miles. I don't know that I realized it at the time but over 3 years of retirement, you realize these things!  

I got home and used my tiger tail (available on Amazon) for all over my legs.  I even used it on my foot a little bit but that is a really weird angle!

I think I am going to wait until I buy some new running shoes before I train anymore.  I am using some old ones that don't have too much mileage on them, but still aren't helping my foot.  There is a kick-off party at On the Run in the Webster area next Thursday and I think I will go to that to buy some.  (I think I read somewhere that there will be a discount for anyone who goes...but I could be making that up! ha).  Plus there are door prizes and I love door prizes!

I think I will buy a set of tennis balls to roll my foot on after each race.  I might bring one to work too so I can roll my foot while sitting at my desk working.  I miss running (there, I said it) so I want this to work out.  I REALLY miss the weight loss that I had with it.  I mentioned on my birthday post that I am afraid to lose weight and then gain it all back again OR only being able to lose it by doing tons of miles while training for a marathon.  I think if I just eat correctly (almost 4 months!), be active, and have a positive attitude about weight loss, I can get to where I was and then some.  Look at how skinny I was!  I will get there again, but this time without hurting myself via mileage.  

Yikes!

I have officially come out of my "running retirement" for at least one race, Toughest 10K Kemah. I will possibly sign up for the other races in the series, the Galveston 10K and LaPorte by the Bay Half Marathon depending on how this one goes.

The races are part of the Texas Bridge Series and if you complete all three races (same year), you get a 4th medal for free!!  I have done this race twice (#1 and #2) before and did the other races in the series as well (once for Galveston  #1 and twice for LaPorte, #1 and #2).  Or go to my Running page here to see all of my race recaps.


I LOVE all of the Running Alliance Sport races because they have the best medals and other race swag/perks.  Free beer!  Customized bibs!  Glitter and sometimes moveable parts on race medals!  Tech t-shirts in race packets!  Free parking!!  Etc!

The race registration is only $35 (that is CHEAP considering what all you get) until July 31st.


If you are interested (but maybe scared!), please consider just pulling the registration trigger and joining me.  I will help you AND as a bonus, any of my friends who join me that day will get a special present from me the day of the race.  (Don't ask me what it is, I don't know yet. haha).  I will need you to comment on FB (if we're friends) or email me steph53282 at yahoo.com to tell me you registered because of this post. (I don't get anything special because of it, I just want to see my friends get healthy and have fun).

Let's get our "healthy on" together!

For the story of how I started running, click here.