Cupid's Cup 5K Recap

I know this recap is late, but I need to catch up. On Sunday, February 7th I ran the Cupid's Cup 5K out at the Pinnacle Athletic Campus in Victor, NY. It is a newer athletic complex that offers a variety of sports, classes and programs for all ages.

This was a new race, and if you hadn't guessed, the race was a Valentine's Day themed race. The dynamic of the race was different as well. When participants registered, they were able to select their bib color based on their relationship status. Green for single runners, yellow for " it's complicated" runners, and red for those in relationships are who are married. They also allowed runners to change their bib color if necessary. With the idea that the single runners could mingle and maybe light spark.

Another interesting incentive for this race was that when registering (at least by January 29th) you received a Cupid's Cup with your registration (it was a cute coffee mug). I thought this was great because the last thing I need is another race t-shirt. Not that I don't like them, but I'm running out of drawer space.

I met some of my Team RWB buddies around 10:30 at the athletic campus, and can I just say it was a BEAUTIFUL day, and perfect running weather. I actually over-dressed for the race. We hung out inside the complex until it was about time for the race, and then we made our way to the start.

(Hanging out at the Kiss 106.7 booth)

(Eagles soaking up the February sun)

The race started right at 11, and thankfully the start was right at the top of a hill so we were not required to run up that. The race started on Phillips road, then almost immediately the course turned left onto Main Street/Fishers Road. We ran about  a mile on Main Street/Fishers, then we turned left onto Wangum Road. Runners were then met with a HUGE hill. I'm not going to lie, I walked the entire thing. I hadn't been running enough throughout the winter to charge the hill. We ran on Wangum for about 3/4 of a mile and then turned left onto Victor-Mendon Road. After about a half a mile on Victor-Mendon Road we turned left back onto Phillips road and ran back to the athletic campus where the race finished inside the complex on the turf.

(Course map: Source)

Given that I have not run as much this winter as I did last winter, I was slower than normal, and like I said, I walked the entire hill on Wangum Rd. I still finished the race in 37:24 (according to my apple watch), so I'll take it. Two of my RWB teammates finished before me, so one of them snapped pictures of us coming into the finish line.

(I look so serious, haha)

After all of my teammates finished the race we walked over to where the race sponsor had a refreshment spread. They offered fruit: Oranges and bananas, Bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese, and cookies and chocolate. We munched on a few snacks and chatted before making our depart to enjoy the rest of Superbowl Sunday. Overall, I really enjoyed this race. I would have to say the weather had a lot to do with that, it was unseasonably nice for a February run. I can definitely say I will consider running this race next year. Another pro was that the race only cost $22 if you registered by 2/5, and there was no online processing fee.

QOTD: Did you run any races in February? Any Valentine's Day themed races?

Time To Catch Up. What Are You Grateful For?

I realize it's been months since I've posted, so I figured it was time for an update. To say life has been busy is a bit of an understatement, but I can say that it's all been good.

First I'll start with this. It's been exactly 10 months since I was discharged from the hospital after my open heart surgery. I was discharged on April 28th, my parents wedding anniversary. Second, I wanted to just what to say how grateful I am that I was able to wake up this morning and enjoy a Yoga class, and that I was able to enjoy 2 runs outside this weekend.

(Saturdays morning run was a chilly 26 degrees)

(And then there was todays run, when it was 65 degrees)

We had a beautiful day here in Western New York today, and temperatures reached 65 degrees on my thermometer here at my house. I also went to a different yoga studio this morning just to check it out, but I'll post about that on a different post.

So, I started doing Crossfit at the end of last year. I'm still only going once a week, but it's something to get my body engaged a little more than yoga. I'm also still going to yoga (at least) once a week, and I do feel like I'm getting stronger. Not sure if I'm getting more flexible, but I know all these things take time.

Back to crossfit. Dan convinced me to sign up for my first Tough Mudder. It's also the day before my 30th birthday. I joked with him that he had better come visit me on my birthday when I'm in the hospital in a full body cast. I'm actually very nervous. I'm not a huge trail runner, and this is anywhere between 10-13 miles of trails with obstacles. This is where I need to start getting my butt in gear and get to crossfit more than once a week to build up some upper body strength if I'm going to be able to do some of the obstacles.

(Yeah, I'm probably going to die)

So, for now that's my big fitness goal for the year. I don't believe I'll be doing any half marathons. 5Ks and 10Ks are more my jam (at least for the time being), and I just can't see torturing myself if I'm not enjoying the distance. That's not to say I won't ever run a half marathon again, but for now, I'm good.

As for races this year, I have run one 5K, it was the Cupids Cup 5K, and that was the weekend before Valentine's day. I will also post a recap of that race here in the next few days. I'm currently registered for a Shamrock 5K in March, I will be doing the Heart 5K in April, the Color Run and April and the Stroll for Strong kids in June. So, slowly but surely I'm filling my race calendar.

Aside from all of that, things have been going well. I haven't had any issues from a cardiac standpoint. I go back to see my cardiologist in April for a one year follow-up, and after that I should be back to my regular annual follow-ups. So far the year is off to a positive start.

QOTD: Do you have any fitness goals for the year?

Status Post 12 Weeks and runDisney Wine and Dine Training

Surgery was 12 weeks ago today, and honestly, it's really hard for me to believe. I figured it was time for an update on how things have been going since I posted about the Brighton 5K a few weeks ago (and maybe even further back).

So, I never mentioned this in any of my previous posts, but I've been back to work for 4 weeks now. I'm not going to lie, when I walked into work that Monday I broke down into tears to my supervisor because I wasn't sure how things were going to go. The previous week I had been battling awful sternal pain that would keep me awake at night. It was to the point where I felt as though I had just come out of my surgery, and I was honestly worried I had re-cracked my sternum or done something else. My first few days back were slow and gradual. I came home at night exhausted and pretty much kept my personal schedule to a minimum so I could go home and crash on the couch. At status post 8 weeks when I returned to work, I still wasn't feeling my best, and I ached constantly, especially when I woke up in the morning. I was stiff and sore, so I'd be popping Tylenol even before I crawled out of bed.

Over the past four weeks I've noticed a dramatic improvement from my first day back to work, and I rarely have any pain now. The NP's and PA's I work with even said to me that one day it would feel like a switch went off and I'd magically feel better, and they were right. I can't tell you exactly when I felt better, but I'm sure glad I do. My co-workers have been amazing too. If I need help moving a patient or lifting something, they're right there for me.

Now that I've been feeling better I've slowly starting getting back into my routine of running after work with my co-workers. Linda and I have been able to run 3 times now I think, and hopefully soon we'll be increasing our weekly runs. Everyone is so busy now that it's summer, finding one day a week to run after work with my co-workers can prove to be challenging. This past week when Linda and I went out for our run, we ran our usual 3 mile route and we ran it in just over 35 minutes. I was pleased with that time because it was probably the 8th time I've run since surgery, and it proves that I didn't lost a lot of my cardiovascular endurance. Not only that, but I've noticed over the past few runs how much better I'm starting to feel. My legs don't ache like they used to. I still do interval running, but during my walk intervals, I feel myself recovering much faster than I used to.

I've also started back at our weekly RWB runs. I've only been to 2 or 3 since my surgery, but our Wear the Eagle Wednesdays is one of my favorite nights of the week. Last week a lot of my teammates did a 4 mile run as part of a Team RWB virtual run. I was running late, so I met up with them. I ran at my own pace, and only ran 3 miles (I was not registered for the virtual run), then met up with everyone at the end so we could venture back to the park together. Nita had snacks ready for all of us at the end (orange slices, bananas, watermelon and brownies)! As per usual, we always take a group picture as proof that we ran.

(Such a great turnout that Wednesday!)

Then, of course, Nita and I had to get silly...

(Pretty Fly Eagles - with orange slices)

Aside from getting back into the swing of running with my friends and coworkers, runDisney's Wine and Dine half marathon training started last week, so it is definitely time to kick it up a notch. Currently the training schedule is light. 30 minutes twice a week with a distance run on the weekend. The weekend runs right now are between 2 and 3 miles, then after a few weeks it will start to pick up.

This past Saturday, I met Linda early in the morning to go for a bike ride. Unfortunately, our bike ride did not start out as planned. I was putting my bike together, and when I attached my front wheel, it acted as though the disc brake was active. It would not allow the tire to move backwards at all, and would move forwards with some resistance. So Linda and I loaded my bike back into my car and drove to the nearest (open) bike shop. The employees at the bike shop were wonderful and more than happy to make the adjustment my bike needed so I could get back on the road. We were in and out within minutes, and then back on schedule. Linda and I rode just over 9.5 miles, and then treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast at the Village Bakery (this has become somewhat of a tradition when biking together).

(Sun, biking and food = life is good.)

Aside from work, running and biking, life has slowly been getting back to normal for me. Team RWB has also be doing a New To Yoga class at a local yoga studio (which I will get to in another post after the class ends). The current leaders of our Team RWB chapter also asked me this past Tuesday if I would like to be the chapter's Running Director! I am so excited for this opportunity, and am looking forward to working with the rest of the chapter leaders on upcoming events. This weekend I have some stuff to do to finalize my position (lots of reading).

QOTD: What have you been doing to keep active this summer? Do you have any post run or bike rituals?

Brighton Chamber of Commerce 5K Recap

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! I had a great and very eventful weekend. I had a long weekend because my employer observed the 4th of July holiday on Friday, July 3rd. Saturday, July 4th I ran in the Brighton Chamber of Commerce 5K. This is the second time I have run this race, and I still enjoyed it as much as last year. Going into this race, I honestly did not have a goal in mind considering all that I've been through over the past three months. However, Friday, July 3rd marked 10 weeks from my heart surgery! I haven't been training, and I've been very lackadaisical with my running lately. More so because I'm still sore, and not feeling up to it. All of that is about to change though because Wine and Dine 1/2 training starts this week!

The Brighton 5K started at 8 am this past Saturday, and my running group wanted to meet for a group picture at 7:30. I met a few of my friends in the parking lot of the school around 7:15, and we walked down to the spot where we were supposed to meet up. As we waited for other members of our group to show up, we chatted about what our plans were for the day and the rest of the weekend. A few minutes after 7:30 and everyone who had responded to the race event was there and we were able to get our picture.

(Team RWB)

After we grabbed our photo we walked back to the school where the race was set to start. As we waited more and more of our friends began to show up.

(Mel, Nita and me)

Our friend Krista arrived with her baby, so we had to get another group shot with the newest Team RWB member!

Then we all made our way to the start and headed out. Like I said I had no real goal in mind, I just figured I would do what I could do, I just wanted to finish the race in 40 minutes. I started out just running and not even starting my timer, then eventually I started my timer and did 1:1 run/walk intervals. The race started off on S. Winton and had runners turn right onto Westfall road. I did my first mile in just over 11 minutes. From Westfall we turned onto Avalon Drive and weaved through the neighborhood until we made our way up to Elmwood Avenue.

Around mile 2, I started to get tired, so I changed my intervals to 1:2 run/walk, but looking at my time I was doing relatively well, and thought that maybe I could finish the race in 35:00. The race had us run about one block on Elmwood Avenue before turning right back into the neighborhood onto Bonnie Brae Avenue. Runners stayed on Bonnie Brae Avenue until we turned left onto Danbury Circle North. Danbury took runners back to S. Winton where we turned left and headed straight for the finish.

(Source: Yellow Jacket Racing)

When I turned onto S. Winton and headed towards the finish, I looked at my watch to see I was awfully close to 35:00, but I knew I wasn't going to make it. I continued to trudge along, soon I came up to the loop in front of the school, and I saw 3 of my teammates there cheering for me. Nita yelled out to me that she had a glass of water waiting for me (thank god). I finished, stopped my watch, and looked at my time, 36:03. Dangit, Hey, at least I tried. All in all, I'm really happy with that time considering I've really only run 5 times since my surgery in April. I walked back to where my teammates were cheering and watching the other runners come into the finish. Once all of our teammates had finished, a few of us decided to head down to the Starbucks on the corner to grab a well deserved iced coffee and breakfast sandwich.

QOTD: Did you run in a 4th of July event? What's your favorite 4th of July tradition?

All The Cool Kids Are Born With *Some Assembly Required: Part 1

My assembly (surgery) was a success, and I was discharged to the comfort of my home yesterday. I will get to that in another post - I'm going to have to break up the past few days over a couple posts. This post is a long one, and it only covers my first few days in the hospital.

Forewarning: There are some pictures of me in this post just after surgery.

So yes, if you read my last post, Friday was the big day! I had to be at the medical center at 5:45 to check in and get ready for my surgery. I was scheduled to be the first procedure of the day. I got checked in and called back almost immediately to get ready.

(Last "selfie" with this broken heart of mine)

After I got ready, they took my vitals, asked me a bunch of questions and then brought my parents back. At that point they wheeled me over to the pre-surgical area. I spoke to the cardiac anesthesiologist, and the cardiac anesthesiology fellow, and then I sat there for a while as I watched one by one everyone leave for their procedures. We finally met with my surgeon one last time, went over everything, and made sure we were all in agreement. Then it was time for me to say my final goodbyes to my parents. I started crying, but thankfully, right after I said goodbye, the anesthesiologist gave me some "happy juice" and honestly, I only remember seconds after that. I don't even remember being rolled out of the pre-surgical area.

Remembering Through The Haze:

The next thing I remember is "kind of" waking up in the ICU. I still had my breathing tube in and I was fighting it. I also heard someone crying in the background saying they could not see me like this.

The next thing I remember is people yelling at me to breathe, that was before everything went black again. I remember being told that in order to get my breathing tube out, I needed to breathe without assistance for an hour. Since I could not talk, I remember one of the Attending's I work for stopping by to see how I was doing, and I was motioning to my mom to talk to him. She said she had already met him earlier in the day. I remember 2 of the mid-level providers that I work with stopping by, both of them had previously worked on the floor I was staying on, and they wanted to make sure I had the best possible care.

I also remember REALLY struggling and fighting the vent. My aunt said my hands and feet were outstretched, and she said she really hated seeing me so upset. I also remember motioning for the nurse to suction the vent because I honestly felt like I was going to choke (even though I know I won't), at the time, I wasn't able to tell myself that. I remember Angie coming in and leaving. Even though Angie was there the entire day with my family, she had tired to leave, but decided not to because I was still on the vent. So she sat back down in the waiting area. She ended up leaving before I was able to get off the vent, but I remember her leaving. I also remember my mom and Angie showing me 2 really cool pictures that the surgeon took of my heart during surgery. He had printed them out and given them to me! (I LOVE that kind of stuff, I can't wait to get a frame to put it in!)

I remember my uncle and cousin coming in, and me waving to them. I was finally with it enough to stay awake for the length of their stay and I was breathing on my own. The nurse came in and said he was just waiting for respiratory to come in and help remove the tube. I waited FOREVER. I'm not going to lie, I was getting REALLY annoyed. I also felt very warm, and I kept fanning myself. My cousin went out to the nurses station to see if they had a box fan for me, but they didn't. So instead, he took a sign off the wall and started fanning me. I was so thankful for that! Finally, the nurse and respiratory therapist came in and removed the tube. Oh thank god. It was very hard to speak, but at least I could squeak out a few words with my family who were there to see me. They also let me have some ice chips.

Finally (Somewhat) Coherent:

I didn't get my breathing tube out until around 7:30. Later, I found out that I had started to wake up during my surgery and I was told I was kicking my feet, so they had to give me more anesthesia to finish up. So, I assume that's why I had such a rough time getting off the vent. I was also told that they tried to let me breathe on my own about 4 times, but each time I would fall back asleep and stop breathing. My family left to let me get some rest (and I'm sure they were all exhausted as well). I slept a little longer and then I woke up and was pretty with it around 10 pm. At that point I felt nauseous from the ice chips. I decided to turn my phone on - I had multiple messages to respond to. Then, just as respiratory came into help me with my breathing exercises, I threw up all of the ice chips I ate. My nurse came in and gave me some more anti-nausea medication. That made me drowsy, and I napped again. Around midnight I woke up again, so I sent a selfie to my friends to let them know I was alive.

(Still swollen from surgery)

I slept on and off all night, so between naps I was watching either HGTV or ABC Family. When I woke up Saturday morning, Young and Hungry was on TV, so I watched most of the episode before drifting off again. My nurse came in and cleaned me up a bit, since I was still covered in Iodine from the operating room. I finally got my arterial line and catheter out around 10, then I had to lay flat for about 2 hours before they could get me out of bed and to the chair for the first time. Timing was perfect because I was able to eat something for the first time at noon!

(First meal! I'm still so swollen)

Angie dropped by for a visit after the heart walk. I was bummed I couldn't join my coworkers at the walk that morning, but they kept me updated with a lot of pictures! When Angie got there, mom went to grab a bite to eat and I sat there to catch up with Angie. She was filling me in on how Friday went for them out in the waiting room. Soon, my nurse came in and wanted me to get up and go for a walk.

(Going for my first stroll around the ICU)

We decided to take 2 laps because I was doing so well, then I got back in my chair. They were all joking that I must have set a record for speed around the unit because I as cruising right along. One of the Fellows I work with was out at the desk and he was cheering me on. We joked that he should go get me an ultrasound machine and I would do some portables. He then stopped in my room to see how I was doing before leaving the unit. He was amazed at how great I was doing so soon after surgery. Angie stayed for a few hours, and she also introduced me to the lead cardiac sonographer at the Medical Center. Angie was also able to catch up with my mom when she got back from getting a bite to eat.

Shortly after mom got back, my surgeon stopped by for a visit. He was in surgery all morning with an emergency. He took one look at me and said "Did we actually do open heart surgery on you yesterday?" He was really happy with how well I looked, I was sitting up, had been up walking, was talking and smiling. Angie had even made me laugh, which really hurt, but I didn't care. Laughter is the best medicine! We talked about my surgery and he told me how well it went. I also thanked him for giving me a couple pictures of my heart that he had taken during surgery, and I asked if he had more. (Haha, I'm such a nerd, I love things like that!) He must have been reading my mind when he gave the pictures to my mom, Angie and I had joked that we were going to try and get him to wear a Go Pro camera during surgery. He told me how important it was for me to get up and walk and work on my breathing exercises, and I told him I was but would continue.

After Angie left, I went for another few laps around the ICU, then slept in the chair for a bit. My aunt and uncle came by to visit me, they were going to go out for dinner with my parents that evening. Mom and dad went back to my house to feed our dogs while I sat and caught up with my aunt and uncle for a while. Once my mom and dad called them and said they were on their way to the restaurant, they headed out. I ate dinner, and then got back into bed to relax. The nurse was kind and closed the curtain and door for me so I could get some rest, and didn't come in to bother me unless I was awake. He came in to flush my IV's and give me my pain medication around 4 am, and lucky me, the 2 IV's I had in, BOTH blew! Not going to lie, that was excruciating! He took both out, and gave me an ice pack for my hand because it puffed up and hurt so much. After that he brought me a heat pack to soothe it. Then of course, I needed a new IV. Luckily he was able to find something and get a new one in, then draw my labs.

Sunday morning, I ordered breakfast, but I wasn't too hungry. I ate the yogurt and peaches that I had ordered. I also had text my friends that were running the Flower City Challenge to wish them luck. I was supposed to run the 5K that morning (when my surgery was still on Monday). The sun was out, but my parent said it was cold. My cousin sent me a picture of them at the race - I was happy they still went even though I couldn't. My surgeon came in to see how I was doing. He said I was still doing great, and that they were just waiting on a bed in the step down unit to open so I could move. He also increased the amount of walks or laps I had to do. I was supposed to do 3 on Saturday, and I did 4. Sunday he increased the amount of walks to 6.

While I was sitting there watching some television that morning, one of my friends from Team RWB stopped in to visit and drop off a card and some balloons. She works at the Medical Center, so she was able to sneak away quickly to drop them off. It was SO sweet of my team to think of me. She said she was able to see some of the half marathon runners from her patients rooms that morning. The card made me smile and the balloons brightened up my room (even though, technically, I was not allowed to have them in the ICU).

(Definitely brightened my day!)

That afternoon my aunt and 2 of my uncles stopped by to visit. As luck would have it, shortly after they came, I was moved to a private room on the step down unit. So they helped carry some of my belongings down to my new room. I used the cart they had in the ICU and walked myself down to my new room (that counted towards one of my 6 walks). The nurses got me settled in my room, and they were so kind to bring in some chairs for my family to sit. My family sat and visited for a while, and still remarked on how well I looked for only being two days post op.

My family left, and I relaxed and watched some TV and finished up my walks for the day. Nita, Mel and Matt all came to visit me that evening. Nita brought her medal from the half marathon that morning, and she told me about the race course and what not. Hopefully I'll be able to run it next year! I filled them in on everything that had been going on with me in the hospital (things that I hadn't already text them about), and we chatted for about and hour or so. Nita and Mel both had to laugh that I sent them the selfie at midnight the night after my surgery. It was great to see all of them, definitely made me smile to hear about their weekends and life outside the hospital.

I crawled into bed and put a movie on. Later that evening another one of the Fellows I work with stopped up for a few minutes to say hi and see how I was doing. We talked about what I remembered from coming out of surgery, especially with the breathing tube. He asked if I remembered starting to wake up during surgery (thankfully, no). I also told him about the really cool pictures that my surgeon gave me from surgery. We also chatted about work for a few minutes, and then he was off to save some lives and I was off to dreamland.

Little by little I was losing my connections. I no longer had to wear oxygen, or a blood pressure cuff around the clock. However, I was still on continuous telemetry, and had my chest tubes. I still had to rely on the nurse to be in there to get me out of my bed or chair, to walk me to the bathroom, and they still had to help me with my walks. I can honestly say, you don't know pain until you've had your sternum sawed in half, and chest cracked, and then you either cough, vomit, sneeze or laugh. But, I had to admit, I felt pretty good, and every one's positive comments were very encouraging.

Enjoy Every Moment: You Never Know When Things Might Change

After my presentation last week, I set a new goal (or plan) for the next 2 weeks - to pack as much fun and friends into 2 weeks as humanly possible (without getting sick). I wanted to spend as much time with my friends and family as I could, and enjoy the time I had left before my surgery.

Monday evening was my first weeknight not working on my presentation in weeks. It was a little strange to be honest. I did a little cleaning, some laundry, and finally went grocery shopping (which was something I was neglecting). Tuesday, I went for a run after work with Linda, as always it was nice to get out with her and catch up! We have our usual 3 mile loop that we do. Once I got home that evening, I actually did relax. I may have even fallen asleep on the couch at like 7:30, I think the weekend was finally catching up with me.

Wednesday was our weekly Team RWB run. I met up with Nita at our teams usual spot, and our friend Ashley also made it out with her adorable daughter. We walked up to the reservoir and started our intervals as we all caught up. I asked the ladies how our friends baby shower was as I was unable to attend since it was the same day as my presentation. They filled me in, and I filled them in on my weekend. After our run Nita and I went out to dinner at Red Robin (Yumm)! I had been looking forward to that for days! It was great to get out and catch up with Nita, we usually see each other at least once a week, and it had been a few weeks since we had seen each other.

(Enjoying the sun at our weekly Team RWB run!)

Thursday and Friday I decided to relax and clean. My parents were coming up on Saturday, so I wanted to make sure things were in order for the weekend. We had a long list of things we wanted to get done around the house. Friday I also received an email that season 4 of Baby Daddy was now on Netflix, so I basically binged on that Friday night as well. 

Saturday morning I went out to Dryer Road Park with a friend to try out some of the mountain biking trails. I bought my bike last fall and had yet to get out on it. Well, you should have seen me trying to get my bike into the back of my car, that was an adventure in itself!

The picture does not depict how ridiculous it looked in my car. I had to bungee cord the trunk down to the bike and the latch of the trunk, so the lid wouldn't fly up when I was driving to the park. You can see how the truck is still ajar in the pic. Any way, I made it to the park just fine, and we headed to the trails. I should also note that I have also never been to an actual park with trails. I have been on the canal path, and out to Black Creek Park to ride, that's it. How quickly I realized how out of shape I actually am (Note to self: more cross training). We went down and around a few trails before we realized at the bottom of one of the trails we had to turn around and go back up. Oh crap. So, basically I pushed my bike all the way back up the trail to the clearing.

By the time we did that, my heart rate was sky high and I was breathing pretty heavily, so I asked to sit in the grass for a few minutes to recover. While sitting there, I had mentioned this was one of the reasons why my cardiologist wanted me to have surgery. Along with needing the valve, and repairing the rest of my congenital defect; my heart rate jumps up rather quickly, even with the amount of running I do. My cardiologist had mentioned that was one thing about my metabolic stress test that he didn't particularly like. I'm trying to make a mental note of how I feel when I do these things pre-surgery, so I can compare how much different (and hopefully better) I feel after surgery. I recovered, and we were off again. We headed back towards the parking area, and packed up for the day. My friend so kindly showed me how to take the front tire off my bike so it would fit in my car. {Epiphany!}

There is SO much I do not know about mountain biking, but it's still all so new to me, so I have a lot to learn. I enjoyed getting out in the sun to ride my bike, even though I felt like I was holding my friend back. They could have covered more ground without me trailing behind. Still, I was thankful for all the tips and tricks. I headed home and waited for my parents to arrive. We didn't do a whole lot of house work on Saturday because they didn't get there until the afternoon, but we went to the mall and went out to a nice dinner at Bonefish Grill.

Sunday morning we got up and I made us all waffles, and then we got right to work. We covered a lot of ground on Sunday. My dad put up my blinds in the living room windows, patched some holes in the living room and bathroom, he helped me move the TV stands that I have. We put up 4 shelves in the living room. I mowed my lawn and put down weed killer, then my dad sprayed a moss killer, put down fertilizer, planted flowers and mulched for me. Needless to say, by the time they left Sunday evening I was exhausted.

The first week was a success, I packed quite a bit in there. Monday night I went out to dinner with some of the ladies from work. My coworker set up a really nice dinner for us at a place called Ember Grill since it is my last week at work. We had a great time and the food was phenomenal!! I can't wait to go back again.

(With the ladies at Ember)

(The aftermath of our dinner, haha)

This week was supposed to be much of the same packed with family and friends, that is until I received a call from Pediatric Cardio-thoracic surgery yesterday...

Johnny's Running O' The Green Race Recap

Saturday, March 14th, I ran the Johnny's Running O' The Green for the 2nd time. This race is a 5 mile run held on the Saturday before St. Patrick's day when the city holds its other festivities, and the race is sponsored by Johnny's Pub.

This year both Nita and Mel ran the race, so I offered to pick Mel up and drive down to the start. This worked out well as we both needed to leave shortly after the race ended. Nita met us at the Blue Cross Arena as she was going to be at a friends downtown for the day. Mel and I found a spot in the parking lot next to the arena and text Nita to let her know we had parked. While we waited to hear from Nita we sat in my car hiding from the cold and the rain.

(Hiding from the rain)

Once Nita text us, we ventured over to the arena to meet her and the rest of our Team RWB buds.

(Group pic before the race)

Nita and I decided to run the race together, and we agreed on a 1 minute run to 30 second walk interval which we later switched to a 1 minute run to 45 second walk interval. 

I like this race because it's a out and back course in downtown Rochester. It starts at the Blue Cross Arena and travels down Exchange street. Runners turn left and run across the Ford Street bridge then veer right onto Wilson Boulevard. The course travels along Wilson Boulevard for about 3 miles (1.5 miles out and 1.5 miles back). Wilson Boulevard travels along the edge of the University of Rochester campus and the Genesee River. Once runners have looped back down Wilson Boulevard, they once again veer left and cross the Ford Street bridge. Finally turn right back onto Exchange and head to the finish at the Blue Cross Arena.

(Map of the course. Source)

Once Nita and I had reached around 1.5 miles to 2 miles into the race, runners were starting to make their way back toward the finish. Nita and I cheered for the first few runners that passed by, and between our conversation we cheered for others. We also cheered for friends and teammates that we saw pass by on their way back to the finish. We saw our teammate Ashley running back toward us and we high-fived her and we ran past. We also had a random runner come up from behind us and yell "Yeah, Team RWB!" and he gave us both fist bumps!

We finally made it out to the halfway point where we turned around. We grabbed a small cup of water and kept going. At this point the runners had dispersed enough that we weren't uncomfortable and weaving in and out of people anymore. At this point I checked my watch and I noticed we were ahead of our last years time, so I was hopeful we'd keep with the pace!

On our way back down Wilson, another runner came up from behind us and started talking to us about our team RWB shirts. He said he had interviewed a few people who run for Team RWB on his radio show. We chatted with him for a few minutes and then he was off. We made out way up to the Lululemon staff who were out cheering. They had a table with gatorade and beer. Nita and I both grabbed a small cup of Gatorade and pressed on. It was lemon-lime (not my favorite), but still a nice gesture.

We finally made it up to the Ford Street bridge, as we crossed I told Nita what our current time was. We were both excited because we knew we were going to PR from our time from last year. I told Nita we should try for under an hour, but no matter what we'd still have the PR. She agreed. We pressed on, continuing our intervals. We finally made it to the home stretch and our teammates were all there cheering for us as we made our way to the finish line!

(Coming up on the finish!)

As I crossed the finish line, I stopped my watch and looked at my final time. 59:25, we had done it, we finished in under and hour!! Ashley and a few of our other teammates were right there at the finish. I gave Ashley a hug, and we congratulated each other. Nita grabbed us both waters, and we hung out a chatted for a few minutes with our friends.

(Photo Cred: Victoria Freile)

Nita and made our way into the Blue Cross Arena to find Mel. Inside we found more of our teammates, and we hung out for a few more minutes.

(I look like I might be dying here, haha)

Mel and I decided to head out after this picture was taken. She and I both had plans for the day that we needed to get to.

This was my second time running this race, and I absolutely love it! Here's why:

Pros:

Course: The out and back course is quick and easy. Again, I enjoy this because I'm not a fast runner, but it allows me to cheer for other runners, teammates and friends as they pass by and make their way back to the finish line. There's really not much change in elevation, just very small changes. Enough to make you feel it, but not make you cringe.

Distance: This is a 5 mile race which I personally like. Don't get me wrong, I love 5K's, but the longer distance makes me feel like I've accomplished more first thing in the morning.

Price: The race in inexpensive (though I'm sure that depends on who you ask). I paid less than $30.00, and that includes the Eventbrite online processing fee.

Swag: Registration for the race also includes a long sleeve cotton tee (which I love bopping around the house in, or wearing on my treadmill in the winter as my basement is freeing).

(I really liked this years shirt design)

Post Race Refreshments: I didn't partake in since I had to get home, but I think there were bagels, fruit, coffee and juice. There may have been more, but I didn't investigate.

Cons:

Processing Fee: This is just something we as runners have to get used to when registering for a race online. I believe all websites that offer race registration (Eventbrite, Active, Etc) all charge a processing fee. It's just annoying.

This was the first race of my running season, and I love that this one is my first one, even though my running season is going to have a bite taken out of it with my heart surgery this spring. If you live in or around the Rochester area, I highly suggest running this race in the future. I'm already looking forward to next year!

QOTD: Do you have a race local to your area that you like to run to kick off your running season?

Throwback Thursday: It's A Wonderful Run Recap

I figured since it's Thursday, and I never posted this recap I would use it as a Throwback Thursday. I realize this post is over a month late, but it's been a bit crazy with the holidays and what not. Saturday, December 13th I ran the It's a Wonderful Run 5K for the third year in a row. This year was much different than last year weather wise, but just as fun!

The race is an evening race that starts around 4:45 pm in Seneca Falls, NY. Seneca Falls is rumored to be the town that inspired Bedford Falls in the movie "It's A Wonderful Life." For the past 3 years, Nita and I have run this race, and dressed up in our Christmas best. This year the weather was a little warmer, but rained the entire time.

Nita met me at my grandmothers house so we could all get ready and then ride into to Seneca Falls together. Earlier that day, my dad and I had run to the outlet mall, and as luck would have it I purchased a pair of running capris at Under Armour that were on sale. As I was getting all my running stuff around, I had realized that I left my running tights on my bed at home. So I threw the running capris on under my red and white tutu. Not really the best as it was still chilly out, but I survived.

My dad dropped us off a few blocks away from the start so we didn't have to worry about parking as the race had close to 4,000 runners. We waited by the Bridge street bridge for the race to start, and while we waited we ran into some of our running friends.

(Yay, friends!)

(Trying to stay warm before the start)

After saying hi and chatting for a bit, our friends made their way a little closer to the starting line. Nita, mom and I hung back. Knowing there were close to 4,000 runners with a mass start, I was in no way expecting a fast time or PR. This race was all about having fun!

Speaking of fun... Race selfie time!

(Had to show off the holiday Minnie Ears!)

We finally put our phones away, and it was minutes from the race starting. Once we started it seemed like forever until we actually crossed the timing mat. Nita and I decided to run a 1-to-1 interval. It took awhile to get settled into a rhythm due to the fact that people who were slower started in front of us, so we were constantly weaving through a sea of people. I'd say we were weaving in and out of people for a good mile and a half.

The course lead us through areas of downtown, then out to the high school and back into town where we ran down main street and finished at the community center just shy of where we started on the bridge.

(Course Map: source)

This race is always such a blast because it's during Seneca Falls' It's a Wonderful Life Festival, and the houses that are along the course are always decked out in Christmas decorations. The residents come out and cheer on the runners, and many of them have music playing, fires going in their front yards, and even offer drinks and snacks.

Nita and I finished the race just shy of 40:00, but considering all the people and the weaving we did, I can deal with that. I still, however, decided to get up early the next morning for a redemption run...

(Missed my goal by 1 minute, oh well)

I like to do this race every year for the fact that it's just a lot of fun. It's a huge race, so if you go with the goal of setting a PR, then it's not the race for you. I'm not saying it's not possible, but you had better be at the front when the race starts. It's just nice to see everyone decked out in holiday garb, and the costume ideas they come up with. The race swag also includes a nice long sleeve tech shirt.

(The bib was pretty fun this year too!)

QOTD: Are there certain races you have to run each year? Is it because of the course, the swag or the fun?