Rock the Vote

Today my friend Tonya from work invited me to go with her to early voting.  We left the office at about 10:45 (early lunch) and were in and out in about 30 minutes.

At first we were worried about finding a parking space, but we found one easily and got in line.  I didn't have my voter's registration card with me, but I was able to use my Drivers License with no problem.  I got my number to cast my vote for the candidates and also several propositions.  Super easy! 

I was super sad that they didn't have any "I Voted" stickers.  I would have rocked it. :/  Oh well.  I vote to vote, not for a sticker.  :)

I was looking at my registration card the other day and I have been registered to vote since July of 2000.   I was living in Philadelphia at the time and was able to vote in my first election which also was a presidential election year for the Bush vs. Gore election.  I have voted in each presidential election, and I have voted a few times in a non presidential election year.

Everyone, GO VOTE! :)

New GPS watch

Last year when I was training for my first half marathon my friend Andrea let me borrow her old Garmin Forerunner 201 when she bought the upgraded version.  I didn't use it as much as I should have because I didn't realize how helpful they were when you were on your run.

Fast forward to this training season.  In my running group the majority of the people have some sort of GPS watch and all I had was an app on my phone that only sometime worked.  The app would randomly say I was on mile 7 when I had barely done 3, or I would keep it in the pocket of my water belt and have to slow down to see what my pace was <--defeating the purpose.  So I looked at several watches online with different brands and models to determine which one I wanted.  All of them were $150+ and I didn't want to spend that much on one.  I only needed to know the distance, time, and pace so I didn't  need a super fancy one (like one with a heart rate monitor).

I heard that Nike had some sort of sports band that you could wear a chip in your shoe and it was only about $60.  I saw one at Luke's Locker but when I read about it online it had mixed reviews.  I didn't research it very well so it might be a great tool and it has a terrific price point if you don't need tons of options.

I kind of forgot about it for awhile then I remembered Andrea still had hers and I thought I might be able to purchase hers since she never uses it.  I emailed her and asked if I could buy it from her if she wasn't using it and she said yes!  A friend of hers was borrowing it, but I could buy it for $30 when she got it back from her.

It's an older model and it's really big on my wrist, but I don't care!  I am happy to pay $30 for a cheaper version of the same thing.  I am a simple girl.

I love my new watch!! I honestly do not think I would have gotten my two new PR's this past weekend without my new watch.  I could tell my pace the entire time and knew when I needed to step it up to have the sort of finish I wanted.  It has absolutely helped me with my training.

What GPS watch do you use?  How did you decide?

Self Defense Class

On Sunday I took a self defense class through Leisure Learning that I have always wanted to take.  The class itself lasted for 3 hours with a break halfway through and it was held in the Richmond area of Houston.  Since I am a woman and sometimes run by myself it's good to know how to protect yourself.  Plus, living in Houston (or actually anywhere!) it's good information to know.

The instructors name was some sort of name we couldn't pronounce so he said to call him R.A.  He told us his background on how he got into martial arts and that he is about to test for his Masters Black Belt (I think he said something about a 4th degree black belt).  After he told us about himself, he had us all go around the room to introduce ourselves and tell why we were taking the class.  The class was made up entirely of women (but guys sometimes take it) and we all had varying reason as to why we wanted to take the class.  For the most part it was all about safety and being in Houston at different places alone (like running, parking garages, college, work, the mall, etc).  One lady told a horrible story about someone was breaking into her house and she was hiding in her closet under clothes until the cops got there.  Scary!

We learned moves and techniques to help us defend ourselves.  He demonstrated the moves first with a volunteer then we all took turns practicing on each other.  He came around the room to make sure we were doing the techniques correctly and answered questions.

Some of the things we learned were:
-Choke Holds (standing up and lying down)
-Weapon Situations
-Bear Hug-like holds
-Rape on the ground holds
-Blocking techniques
-Using your 'power center' (core) vs muscle
-What to do if someone is pulling you by your hand and you can't get away
-What to do if someone is picking you up and carrying you
-Use the first two knuckles (pointer and middle) on your handles to strike with and keep your fist and wrist in a straight line


The last thing we did was learn how to kick correctly.  Bring your knee up, then kick with the ball of your foot for better force.  We got to practice with the instructor (he was wearing a padded vest) he said my kick was really good.  I kicked him backwards a few feet and I felt horrible and apologized-I said I am sorry!  I am training for a marathon and my legs are powerful. :/

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend everyone to take this course.  You can take the course through Leisure Learning or you can contact the instructor to have private group sessions with him (like a work, church, family, friends, book club, etc) and he will come to you.  Loved it and would absolutely recommend him as an instructor.

How to contact:
Leisure Learning class description: Here
**I am not sure if he would want me to put his contact information on this blog so I didn't add it.  Contact him through Leisure Learning to set things up (but if you are the instructor you can email me and give me the ok to put your info online and I will add it to my blog!).

Two PR's, Two Days

Spoiler alert:  I got a new 5K PR!!!!!!!!!! (thank you, thank you, I will  accept my lavish gifts of diamonds, pearls, and tiaras by mail only.  And you can kiss my hand and ask for my autograph when you see  me next ;o) )

My running group Gotta Run of Katy runs sometimes at George Bush Park for our training runs.  The last Sunday of every month there is a free 5K that is put on by the Houston Wellness Project.  My previous PR for a 5K was 34:34 from a year ago and I really wanted to beat my time.  With Saturday's PR at a 10K, I was hoping to break my 5K time also.

Alain, our coach, sent an email for all of us to be at GBP at 6:30 to get in 3 miles before the race but I of course was 5 minutes late so I didn't hear the instructions he gave us so someone in the parking lot said go about 20 miles out and them come back, so I did.  I met up with our group at about 1.2 miles and was going to keep going til 1.5 miles,  but Alain told me to turn around so I would be on time for the Wellness 5K.

The race started at 8 am and was a simple out and back course.  There was a timer set up, but no timing chips so you had to look at the clock or have a watch on you.  Since I brought my new GPS watch with me I could keep track of my pace and I new if I wanted to hit under 30 minutes (which was my goal) I needed to run in the 9:20's.  For the majority of the run it was between 10:00-11:00 minute miles, but sometimes I saw 9 and 12 minute miles (one time I saw a 8:30ish mile! That didn't last long though-like a split second).  At the turn around point I was really, really, really hurting and really, really, really wanted to stop and walk/rest for 'just a bit,' but I knew that if I did that I wouldn't get a PR and I would never start running again or I would do a walk/run combo for the rest.  I resisted the urge to walk.

I kept looking at my watch for reassurance that I was doing great and that I would still PR.  I was so happy that I brought it with me, if not I would just be running along with no idea how fast I was going, and probably never would have PR'd.  When I got to the finish line a girl that was right behind me told me that she had tried to keep up with me and I thought it was so cool!  I have never been someone who people try and stay with because they are trying to pace me, I have always been one of the people trying to pace off someone else!

At the end of the race they give out awards (not sure what they were) and also had a door prize drawing.  I didn't win. :(

My official time was 31:55, a 2:39 minute PR!  What's even cooler was that I had run over 2 miles about 30 minutes before and ran a race the day before.  I wonder what my time would be if I hadn't done all that?  I have been shying away from 5K's this race season because I am focusing on longer distances and it tends to leads to greater chance of injury if you work on speed and distance at the same time.  Plus, after I finish a race I am done, I don't want to keep running 7 more miles when I just finished 3.  No, give me a race with 10 miles and race bling, then call it a day.

Next weekend is the Monster Mash and the Houston Half Marathon!  Look for recaps soon. :)

Toughest 10K Galveston Recap

Today I did race #2 of the Texas Bridge Series, the Toughest 10K Galveston.  The Texas Bridge Series is a three part race series where you can do 1, 2, or 3 races and get medals at each.  The medals this year have been great so far!  I heart nice race bling with glitter!

Since I live on the West side of Houston now it takes me a lot longer to get to Galveston so I had to wake up super early (4:15 am) to be there on time.  Two of my other friends were going also so we carpooled together to the race.  We all had planned on meeting at 5:15 am, but we ended up leaving at 5:30 am and headed that direction.  The traffic was not bad at all until we got to the exit and then we sat in line for a good 30 minutes.  The race director had warned everyone in the parking situation would be difficult and for everyone to get there early so they can start the race on time.  We finally parked and had just enough time to use the restroom then head to the starting line for the prayer, a moment of silence, and then the National Anthem.  The announcer said that there were about 1,600 racers participating that day!!  My Uncle Roger and Aunt Laura also did the race with us, but I didn't see them before the race.

The course was a simple course that went through a small part of a neighborhood then over the Galveston Causeway to the other side, then a short loop and back over to the finish line.  The first mile or two or so I was doing about a 10:30ish minute mile (fast for me!) according to my watch and a few times I saw that it was about 9:07 (WTH?!!!!!).  <----I didn't stay at the pace for long though, LOL.  Once I got to the bridge my pace slowed down to about 11:30-12:30 minute miles while I was ascending the hill.  Once we were on the downhill I booked it to make up time. Kennisha was ahead of me somewhere, Aly was just behind me but I did not see them on the turn around.  I was ascending the bridge heading back over when I saw Roger, and then a bit later I saw Laura.  I took some sports beans and water at around mile 3 and headed back over to the other side of the bridge (why did Stephanie cross the road bridge?  To finish the race! hahaha). 

The entire time I was looking at my  new GPS watch (I will post an update about that) to try and figure out what time I would be finishing.  I was getting discouraged until about mile 4.5 when I realized I could finish with at least a 5 minute PR if I hurried up and went faster.  Somewhere between mile 4.5 and 5 I passed Kennisha and she ran up besides me and was like 'when did you pass me?' I wasn't exactly sure but I managed to say that I was on pace to get a 5 minute-ish PR if I ran fast enough (I was going pretty fast because I could barely talk).  I didn't stop at the last water station (I had my water belt so it was ok) because I didn't want to mess up my time.  I rounded the corner to where  I thought the finish line was, but apparently it was further.  According to my GPS watch I had already gone over 6.2 miles so the course ran a bit long (not sure what my time was exactly at 6.2 miles, but it would have been over a 5 minute PR).

As I was crossing the finish line and one of my water bottles came loose and fell on the course (it did that on the bridge also), once I crossed I wanted to go back over and get it, but I was afraid that it would mess up my timing chip so I walked around and picked it up.  Kennisha finished about 40 seconds behind me (a PR!), and Aly was about 10 minutes after us (another PR!). 

After we cross the finish line, got our medal, and removed our timing chip, we got into the food line and grabbed pizza, oreos, Rita's Water Ice (I had the Red Velvet flavor and it was awesome!), half a banana, and two mini cookies.  They had water, beer, and Muscle Milk to drink but I only had the water.  We headed to the sidelines of the finish line to cheer on Roger and Laura.  Roger finished first, then Laura came later (another PR!).  Once they all finished we took a few pictures and headed back to our cars.

Final time: 1:11:04, a 4:23 minute PR from my previous PR of 1:15.27 one month before. :)  

Aly, Kennisha and I went to the Strand area of Galveston and shopped at a craft show they had where I got the cutest new cross for my cross wall.  I need to make a post about my cross wall <--coming soon I guess!  Then we stopped in Friendswood to my favorite mexican restaurant on that side of town called Madres.  I had a stuffed avocado and tortilla soup.  Yummy!    Afterwards we headed back to our side of Houston so I could make it to my self defense class on time.

Weird Dream Last Night

So last night I had a weird dream and I thought I would tell you about it.  I am not a dream interpreter so I have no idea what it means but if anyone does feel free to let me know!

I was apparently back in college and I was in my professors office talking about how I completely forgot that I had a Biology class this semester and what can I do to make it up?  He said it was no big deal, that it happens all the time, and that I will just get an incomplete for the semester.  Then he proceeded to flirt with me, ask me out, and give me coupons for cookies at the cookie store on campus. 

I was thinking that I didn't want an incomplete because I would have to take it over again next semester. Then I figured that I could just take it at a community college and transfer it.  I calculated all of my classes (yes, in my head-I am super smart in my dream) and figured I would have to take it that summer instead putting me graduating in August.  I didn't want to graduate in August. Oh! LOL. 

Then I left with my friend who was pregnant (I don't know) and as we were walking out the door the professor called out to us asking us out to a bar (it was like 2 pm) so we said no, and my pregnant friend said she couldn't drink because she was pregnant.

We proceeded to go to the cookie store for our free cookies with our coupons, realized they were expired, and tried to use them anyway.  We also wondered if our free cookie coupons were good for other treats that they had in the treat case, they looked better than the cookies of course. Let me tell you, this free cookie store was super crowded.  I was waiting in line for my cookie when my dream ended).

A few things here:

1.  I graduated college 5 and a 1/2 years ago.
2.  I didn't even take Biology, I took 2 semesters of Astronomy
3.  I  have had a dream several times that I forgot I had a Biology class (sometimes it is English class) and when I remembered I couldn't find the classroom.
4.  When you don't show up for 3/4 of the semester you get an F, not an incomplete (unless you drop it by the deadline).
5.  The coupons for free cookies were expired. :/ WTH Professor?  You can't give someone free coupons if they are expired!  That's just mean.
6.  It's even meaner that my dream ended right before I got my free cookie!  I have no idea if my dreaming self got a free cookie or not.  Since I try not to eat them in real life (at least while I am training for my marathon), I can't get one. :(


Like I said...WEIRD dream! 

Pitch Perfect

We went to see Pitch Perfect today at the theater and it was really funny.  Since I don't have t.v. at my house I don't see movie previews as much as I used too.  I was watching a YouTube video or something and I saw the preview and couldn't wait to see it.  (edited to add:  I do have A t.v. at my house, but I don't have it hooked up to cable or even one of those antenna boxes.  I can watch dvd's on it, but no t.v. shows).

(Source)

Since I moved on this side of town I haven't been to the movies yet so I looked on Fandango to see what theater was closest to me and what time the movie started.  Lucky me, the theater closest to me was a the mall (destiny?!) and I needed to buy a new pair of black heels for work so I stopped by Macy's on the way. 

The movie started at 12:55 pm and I hadn't ate lunch yet so I got a drink and cheese sticks (not healthy!) and found my seat.  There were literally about 5 other people in the entire theater with me so I found a seat at the top easily.

The movie is really funny and I laughed a lot of the time, although some things that were said were inappropriate.  I was singing along (not out loud) to most of the songs that they sang, and I really want to buy the soundtrack now!  I wish I could sing. :/  The movie is predictable but still worth seeing.

Go see it! 

Sweet 16

Last week I mentioned that I had a new PDR of 14 miles, this week however I upped it again to 16 miles.  That's right 16 long sweaty miles.

I woke up at 4:45 am so I could be on time in Katy at 5:30 AM to start the run.  I was about 2 minutes away when I saw this guy in the middle of the street on the phone and a black Mercedes stuck to a light pole.  I have always been taught if you see an accident or you pass a scene of an accident without police or an ambulance you need to stop and help.  I turned around to make sure the guy was OK and to see if I could help in any way.  It turns out that the guy was just running by (he was on a 21 mile training run also) and he saw the accident and stopped too.  The police were already on their way but I didn't want to leave until they got there just in case.  When the police got there they made the girl (who was no more than 25) get out of the car and she was drunk as a skunk.  She had been sitting in the passenger side of the vehicle and had no idea where she was or anything, she looked like she had been partying all night.  Oh, and did I mention that the Mercedes was brand new with paper tags?! WTH?  I despise drunk drivers!  Grr!!!  Anyway, once the cop got there we asked if we needed to stay since neither of us had seen anything, the cops took our info just in case but we were free to go.  I wished the guy good luck on his run and he wished me the same.

I was about 5 minutes late meeting with my group since I stopped to help, but they hadn't left the parking lot yet.  We all left at the same time, but the faster group pulled ahead and us slow pokes followed behind.  I stayed with the 10.5-11 minute mile group for about 5 miles, but when I stopped to take some GU and drink water they pulled away and I couldn't catch back up.  It was ok thought because I don't think I would have made it the entire 16 miles going that fast (that is fast for me!).  The 16 mile course we went on was a big loop all around the Cinco Ranch area, and also around the big lake off of Spring Green.

Our group leader Alain was at miles 4.5, 8, and 16 to make sure we didn't need anything.  Around mile 3 I got sprayed by a water sprinkler, and when I say sprayed I mean SOAKED!  It felt good since I was getting hot by mile 3, but I literally had to ring out the water from my shirt. haha. When I saw Alain at Mile 5 he gave me a Snickers mini bar (Halloween fun size) for extra energy, and also I had one (or two!) at mile 8.  Also at mile 8 there was a water station set up so I could refill my water belt. I thought Alain had said he would be at the gas station on Cinco Ranch also, but he just went back to the parking lot where we started (it was one big 16 mile loop). 

Around mile 13 I wasn't sure when we turn left, the map he gave us didn't have a street name but with the help of another runner (not in our group) and a random bicyclist I was pretty sure I made the correct turn (but even if I didn't, I didn't care...I wanted to be done!).  I made it to mile 15 and Alain was waiting for me in the parking lot to give me my keys back.  He said he would wait for me to finish my last mile around the lake, but I told him to go ahead and leave and I could finish the last mile by myself since he probably had stuff to do and I was the last one to finish (a lot of our group was only doing 12 miles and the faster 16 mile people had already gotten done).

When I saw Alain at mile 5 he said that when he made the schedule he accidentally put today's run as a 16 mile run, but it should have been 12.  I figured since I had already psyched myself up to do 16 miles that I should go ahead and finish what I came to do.  I don't know what I am going to do when I have to do another 10 miles on top of that 16!  16 almost killed me!  I was soooo tired the last 3 miles.

Afterwards I drank some chocolate milk, ate some nuts and pretzels, then headed home to shower.  I got out of my car and was walking very slowly and I thought 'I don't think that even if I wanted to I could walk faster' but then I thought, 'Well, if a zombie acpolypse happened I could probably go a bit faster.'  Luckily though, there were no zombies and I made it inside safely to take a shower.  I needed to go to my parents house in Spring that day, but I took about a 45 minute nap first then headed out that direction.  The rest of the day I spent in Spring hanging out with my family and resting.  I did end up taking another 2 hour nap at my parents house this afternoon.  So tired.

Sweet 16 baby!!  Let's give it a few weeks before I do that again!

Essential Running Gear

I am no expert on running, but this is a list of items that I love and must have when running.  At first when I was running I would just lace up my tennis shoes and have at it, but as I started increasing my distance and running more often during the week is when I started purchasing more and more items.  I personally am always on a budget so if you are like me you want to know which equipment is best to purchase as you go along and increase distance, this is the list for you.

In order of importance (in my opinion):

1.        Running shoes-I had heard that everyone should purchase good running shoes when they first get into running, but I thought they were so expensive (average $125). I finally broke down and purchased them and they were worth it. First of all, when they fitted me for shoes they noticed that I walk on the outside of my feet (under pronate) and were able to find a shoe that helps fix that problem.  I didn’t really notice much of a difference until I wore my old tennis shoes (which were bought because they were pink) at the Beachpalooza 5K.  I put them on and they were heavy and made me feel like I walked funny.  Absolutely worth the $125 spent.

2.       Wicking socks-I HATE blisters and wicking socks help bring the moisture (sweat!) away from your feet to prevent blisters (you can still get blisters, but they are fewer).  I bought my first set at Kohl’s for $9 (pair of 6).  I have seen them at Kohl’s, Wal-Mart, Target, and sometimes even Ross.

3.       Wicking outfit-Wicking shirt (such as dri-fit) and pants are good to have.  I sweat a lot so the shirts help bring the moisture away and prevent chafing.  I also like to wear Capri pants and not shorts because of chafing between the thighs.  I am cheap when it comes to clothes in general, and workout clothes are not exception, I purchase most of my clothes on clearance or at discount stores like Ross or Marshall’s.  The same shirt at a running store or Academy for $30 costs $12 at Ross or Marshall’s (check Marshall’s first since they have a bigger selection).

4.       Sports bra-absolute must!  Even after my breast reduction I still am a member of the BTC so I am always looking for a good sports bra.  I have looked everywhere and found one I really like at Walmart.  I have heard that Lululemon has awesome ones, but I am still to big (working on getting smaller) to fit in theirs.  Again, don’t get cotton sports bras because of chafing.

5.       Spi-belt-Oh, how I love thee Spi-Belt!  The spi belt clips into place and fits in the small of my back perfectly (some people keep it in the front, but I like the back).  It looks really small, but the pocket expands to fit my phone (smart phone), DL, debit card, and keys perfectly.  Love, love, love it.  I only wear it on shorter runs though because I need water and my water belt has pockets.

6.       Anti Chafe Stick-Texas is hot and I sweat a whole lot!  I put that stuff everywhere and it works beautifully.  It goes on like a deodorant stick and is handy to keep in your gym bag.  When you sweat a lot you would be surprised all the places you chafe!

7.       Water belt-I personally hate carrying stuff in my hands when I run so I opted for a water belt.  Water/Hydration is important so it should always be carried with you.  The water belt is #7, but water is #0.  Always have water, just the water belt itself is secondary if you are on a budget.

8.       Nutrition-Gu, Sport Beans, Picky Bars, Gu Chomps, Clif Bars, Lara Bars, etc.  Tried them all.  You really (in my opinion) only need them if you are going to be running an hour or more.  I would say if you are going to do anything over a 10K is when you need a food supplement.  When training for something make sure you test out different forms of nutrition to see how your body reacts to them, don’t try something new on race day.

9.       Nuun-Like I said, I sweat a lot and I need a way to add the salt back into my body.  I used to like Gatorade but it has A LOT of calories so I went looking for a substitute.  Enter: Nuun.  It comes in little dissolvable tabs (with a ton of flavors) that you just pop into your water bottle, wait 2 minutes, and then drink.  Super good.

10.   Compression sleeves-I got these a few weeks ago and I love them!  I can absolutely tell a difference when I wear them after a run and when I do not.  My legs feel as though they heel faster and are not as sore the next day. I got mine in lime green from CEP Compression.  My running stores said they were the best brand to get.

Things that I have heard about, but have not tried:

1.        Foam roller

2.       Tiger tail

These are just my suggestions, but is there anything else that you would suggest to new runners?

Open letter to owners of luxury cars

Normally I try not to post stuff like this on my blog, but today people deserve it!  After this rant, I will go back to my regularly scheduled posts about running and my life, but today dumb people are going to get a talkin’ to.

I am also talking to the owner of the Black Mercedes SUV that almost ran me off the road this morning on my way to work.  

Begin Rant:

Dear Drivers of Luxury Vehicles,

Let’s have a chat.  I have wanted to say this for a long time, but I have kept my mouth shut to keep the peace.  Today, not so much.  I am going to just let it out.

Paying $50K+ for a vehicle does not mean you own the road, you just own a piece of medal (or fiberglass) on wheels.  However, it does make you an idiot for paying that much for something that DEPRECIATES in value.   The road belongs to ALL of us.  I don’t pay taxes and tolls for you to not pay attention where you are going and take me out when you cross over 4 lanes.  It does not mean you can almost run the other vehicles off the road because you decide you are better than the rest of us with our Toyota, Chevy’s, Honda, and Hyundai’s.  Even if you think you ‘deserve’ to drive a nice vehicle you don’t deserve to treat the rest of us like crap and be a bad driver and almost hit us.  It doesn’t work that way. 

It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman; learn to freakin’ drive your car!  Just because you might be able to afford to pay for my stuff when you decide to hit it, doesn’t mean that you should continue to drive like a bat out of hell.  No!  If you must, take a driver’s education course, they aren’t that expensive!  You obviously can afford one because you paid a ton of money for your car.  Oh what?  You don’t have time because you are busy working to pay for your car?  Well, the rest of us would appreciate it if you would take the course because it would get you off the road for 3 hours and we could get some peace on the road.

So please, the next time you climb behind the wheel of your all leather vehicle of death please remember that the rest of us would like to live a long and prosperous life and we do not appreciate being run off the road.

Sincerely,

Stephanie (and the rest of us ‘regular’ car drivers)

End Rant.