WORN OUT!

Whew this week has been insane!

We had 9:30 p.m. Softball games BOTH Tuesday night AND Thursday night! Who made up those schedules anyway?!?! Wednesday night, I had church so I didn't get home till late. Needless to say, by Friday afternoon, I was trying everything I could to keep myself awake while driving home after work! I took an hour nap on Friday, then I was up again because we had Relay For Life with the American Cancer Society Friday night. It does last all night long into Saturday but I only stayed until after the Luminaria ceremony was over, then I left! So I got to bed around 10:30 p.m. last night and had to wake up at 4:45 a.m. today to meet up with my running group for our scheduled 10 mile run. Around mile 6, my left quad started bothering me (it has been for a little while) and my right hip started hurting. It's been since sometime in April that I did a really long run like this one so it's been a while. I wasn't sure how far I'd make it. Our 6 mile mark ended us at home base, then we were supposed to go out again for 4 more. Well, I should have listened to myself and gone ahead and stopped at 6 miles but I didn't. I really wanted to make it to 10. I had to stop and turn around at almost the 7th mile mark and go back. My hip was hurting too bad and the humidity was so awful I could hardly breathe. Oh well. I made it to 7 1/2 miles which is better than nothing I know but I still wanted to make it to 10. I came home, took a shower, watched some tv, ate breakfast, then I crashed! I woke up at 11:30 a.m.! Aaaah I hate sleeping that late! lol I guess I needed it! I've been trying to finish up my painting job the rest of the afternoon. Fun fun! One more coat on the hallway and it's done! Yay!


Check out this Zero Water Filter Giveaway!

Contraband Days 5 Miler!

This past Saturday was the Annual Contraband Days 5 Miler race. Our town has a festival called Contraband Days. It's a 2 week festival started around Jean Lafitte the pirate! Apparently, he buried treasure somewhere off the coast of our town.

Anyway, Saturday morning started off overcast and windy. It was warm but not humid like the week before and I knew this race would be "tolerable" weather wise!



My family! :0) Kayla ran this one with me, too!



Keeping with the Contraband Spirit, this Pirate ran the entire 5 miles dressed like a Pirate! Arrrrgh! lol



We got our numbers and got set to go! This year, they also included a timing chip for your ankle ... it strapped around your ankle and it was really strange!



My running group. We ran about a 0.8 mile warm up run before the race began! I think that really helped me get loose and warm!

Last year, I ran this in 56:something. My goal for this year was under 50 minutes.



These pirates fired guns to signal the start of the race. Oh my gracious they scared the daylights out of me!



This guy juggles the entire race every single year! He beat me last year, too! Maybe I should make that next year's goal...to beat the juggler! LOL

Beginning the race, the wind was at our backs. However, coming back along the lake...ugh..it was hitting us head on! It felt good but it was a pain in the butt!



There I come! Woohoo!

I finished in 48:08! YAY! I could hear my dad yelling "Pick it up Karen pick it up!" as I ran past. It was HARD but I did pick it up a little! Whew that race took a lot out of me!



There comes Kayla!



After the race, everyone enjoyed pizza and beer. I of course didn't have any beer but I still thought it was funny!!! :0)

The Gusher 5K

This past Saturday, Beaumont, TX held their first annual Marathon and Half Marathon! I really debated on running the half. I feel as if I'm prepared (we run long milage on Saturdays with the running group) so I could probably run one and be fine. Well, I decided against it because I figured it would be HOT...boy was I right! I also knew that with it being Beaumont's first, it might have a lot of kinks to work out....right again!

So anyway, we stayed the night at my brother and sister in law's house. Friday night was packet pick up for the race so we made our way to the host hotel to pick up our packet.





It was really crowded and very unorganized. Now, I went into this with an open mind knowing that it was their first. The tables were lined up in a long row. They had 3 different spots for 5K preregistered, Half preregistered and Marathon preregistered. Then they had spots for registration within the last two weeks...then there was a spot for new registration. All of these spots were there but guess what? There were no SIGNS or directions on who was supposed to be in what line!!! Aaaaaah! Can we say pure madness?!?!?



This is the chaotic line!!! Kayla and I finally figured out where to go and we got our bags.



Kayla and I with our Dry fit shirts! I've never gotten a dry fit for a 5K before! I've never gotten a race bag for a 5K before, either! Woohoo!!



Kayla got more in her bag than I did so I'm stealing her picture! LOL Sad thing about it all is that they also ran out of tshirts! Some people were NOT very happy!!!!







We took a few pictures, then we left to eat at Logan's! Perfect pre-race food! LOL I was kinda nervous...felt like I was running another half! I don't know why I felt that way, though!

So onto race morning. We got up at 5:45 a.m. to get ready. Race started at 8 a.m., plan was to leave at 6:30 a.m. cause it took about 30 mintues to get there. Well, at 6:30 a.m., my brother decides to COOK BREAKFAST for him and my husband! What the heck?! Hellooooo! We have to GO! So we stayed and waited for them to eat, then we finally got on the road by 6:50 a.m. or so.



My goofy Husband and Brother ready to cheer us on! LOL

So we are driving to the race and I realize! HELLO Roads are going to be CLOSED! How are we going to get there?!? So we follow what we thought was the correct way and we were met with lots of road closures. So we do what we think is right...we stop and ask the cops how to get around. You know what kind of faces we were met with?? The kind that say "Uuuuuuuhhhh????" LOL So my brother somehow found a way around (he redeemed himself from the breakfast fiasco) and we made it to the race. Uh oh...what time is it?! 7:55 a.m.!!! Aaaaah the 5K was set to start at 8 a.m. OMG! Kayla and I both got out of the cars super fast and raaaaaaaaaan to the start. I wanted to get there early so I could stretch and run a warmup lap...but not like THAT! LOL



Us running! Haha!



Jason got the pink breast cancer vehicle in the picture! LOL

As we were running to the start line, we saw a group pass us by. I knew that the Half route only went around once so I freaked out cause I thought the 5K had started already! Well, we made it to the "start line" and there was a SWARM of people around. Thank goodness we didn't miss anything! The start time was delayed by about 15 minutes! Yay!





That meant we were able to take pictures before the race!







Our ROTE shirts! The MouseSKIRTears! It all started with a skirt! Hehe!



This is from Kayla's camera...you can see how hot/muggy it was out there! Her camera wouldn't de-fog!



They told everyone to line up on the RIGHT side for the 5K cause the Half and full people were coming through to continue their race. We found out later that the cops told the Half/Full people to take the 5K loop when they weren't supposed to! They were supposed to keep running straight. Boy were there some mad runners! One guy quit in the middle of running, he was so frustrated!

ANyway, so you see how well everyone listened about being on the RIGHT side. They just kind of flooded the area. And of course, Marathoners were running through. I would have been SO MAD if I were a Marathoner and all these people came in my way! Ugh!

So we started running and I was playing MAJOR weave in and out and in and out...reminded me of Disney!! I heard that there were over 2,000 people registered for this race. We think they overadvertised and under planned. With how hot and muggy it was, I knew I wouldn't PR which was fine with me. I got way BETTER than my goal the weekend before so I was ok with that. I'm glad that I ran the Courier Festival 5K though because I would have been mad had I banked on Beaumont being my race to PR in! The course was nice, and they had us run by the Oil Gusher (one of the reasons this race was called that). They had plenty of water stations but the water was HOT and ugh..yuck! By the 2.0 mile mark, the only WATER they had was POWERADE! They had RUN out of WATER in only an hour into the race! My heart went out to those poor marathoners! By the time they would have made it to that point, it would have been their 12 mile or 25 mile mark! NO WATER and in weather like that?!!? YIKES!!!!

I kept running and as I turned the corner, I saw the finish line. WHAT?! ALREADY??? I looked at my watch and it said 2.4 miles. I knew there was NO way that finish line was 0.7 miles away! No way! So sure enough, I crossed the line in a clock time of 26:something. Uh ok....guess what?! It was only a 2.7 mile course! Come to find out later, the cops (once again) told us the WRONG WAY TO GO! WHAT?!?? Wow... Oh well, guess what?! I "PR'D"!!!! Hahhaha My D-tag time said 25:35!!!! I can't believe it! I improved two whole minutes in just one week and all I did was run one day with my puppy and I played softball one day! Woohoo!

Ok kidding...all of that was sarcasm...lol I was slightly disappointed this race wasn't a full 5K but I'm glad I got a good workout!!



My brother waiting on us to come across the finish line!





Me crossing the finish line...



And here comes Kayla!

You know something else about this race? There was a lack of PORT-A-POTIES! HEllo people!!! So what was the first thing Kayla did after the race?!



She bee-lined it for the first portapottie she saw! This is her doing the POTTY DANCE! LOL



Kayla and I after the race



They had a Smoothie King booth out after the race giving away free samples! YUMMY!!!

Oh yeah, and do you like my rockin headband?! My SIL got it for me! Yay!



I think it took us a little while to realize what had just happened! So as we were on the way out, we did a happy dance cause we just "PR'D"! Hahhahaha



Of course, Jason had to join in the fun and he spit water at me. Thanks Jason!

So that's it for now! Until next weekend! Contraband Days 5 Mile race! Wooo!! WE have another softball game tonight, too. I hope I don't injure myself again! LOL

Broken? Not broken!!!

Sorry I haven't updated all week...it's been busy! I had Softball Practice Sunday, then I ran 2 miles on Wednesday with my doggie. Thursday night, we had our very first softball game and whew that was a workout! lol

I played Left Center and I felt like I was constantly moving around! I was SO SORE Friday and I regretted playing that hard because I had a 5K Saturday morning. That 5K deserves an entire post for itself so that will come later...lol.

Anyway, I thought I broke my finger during the softball game. I went to catch a ball and it bounced funny and it hit the tip of my right pointer finger before it went into my glove. OMG. I've been hit by softballs before and it stings a little while, then goes away. Not a big deal. THIS pain did not go away. Then the tip of my finger started to swell and turn purple. I couldn't bend it either. Well, we finished out the game (which we lost BAD...lol), then I came home and put ice on it. The next day, a coworker offered to X-Ray it for me because it looked bad (she called it my "E.T." finger) LOL.



Well, come to find out, it wasn't broken! Thank GOD! Now, 3 days later, it feels much better and I'm able to bend it! Yay!

More on yesterday's disastrous 5K later! :0)