Athleta Irongirl 5k - Del Mar

Sunday, 6 November I had the privilege of running a 5k with some of the most awesome female runners out there!  For those unfamiliar with the Irongirl races, it's time to check them out!  These all-women events are amazing!  


First I'll start with the expo.  I went down on Saturday to pick up my race packet.  I was excited to wander around all of the different booths and score free stuff.  I got a 5 min massage from the Active Posture Chiropractic (and signed up for a Bodywork Package for only $20...it's normally $312!).  I had my first Active Release Technique treatment from Dr. Anna.  I also found some Rock Tape from Dr. Corey. 

Courtesy of Dr. Corey!

On race day, I drove down to Del Mar a bit early, as Dr. Corey was doing free pre-race taping and I wanted to have my feet taped.  It made a HUGE difference during my run!  Then I linked up with my friend Danielle Thomas and we headed over to the start. This was a relatively flat course.  They had awesome music and the air held the excitement of some first time runners!  Runners ranged from the speed demons to those who were out there for the first time.  Some women dressed up and they looked great!  

I hate photos of my running, so whenever I see a cameraman, I "pose"

Overall stats for the race:
7/56 in the F30-34 division
27/944 overall
Pace: 8:10
Overall time: 25:17


Congrats to all the finishers!  Keep getting out there and doing your thing!


Have you ever run an Irongirl Race?  What did you think of it?

Runner's Wish List

After looking at Beth's Chasing my Joy blog, we thought it would be fun to come up with our own "Runner's Wish List"!  Here are some of the things we have our eye on:

Women's Puma TP Seamless Jacket - It has THUMB HOLES!!!  We love this feature!

RSS Dry-As-A-Bone No-Show Socks - While socks may seem boring to some, we love new socks!  Seems like all the good ones we have get eaten by the "Dryer Monster"!

Women's Performance Shorts - Ok, to be honest, we aren't sure if these shorts are great for running, but if they give you HER waistline, we WANT them!

Saucony ProGrid Guide 5 - with all the hype on every other blog (read one here from SUAR) about the 8mm heel-to-toe offset, I'm dying to try these.  In fact, I've entered about 10 contests to win a pair...alas, no joy yet.  But I'm not giving up hope yet.  I'm loyal to Saucony and someday, I'll quit being such a cheapskate and actually but the "latest thing!"

When Jessica wears a beanie, she looks a bit strange...probably because she's hiding about 2 feet of hair wrapped in a bun under there:)  Here's a new concept - Athleta's new Base Miles Beanie features a cut out for your ponytail!  Genius.  I'm ordering one immediately, maybe even two so she can have one.  

Ok, so it's not a beanie in this shot, but you get the idea...second head, right?!

Much more stylish:)

From this point forward, we will refer to this as our "happier, healthier" wishlist.  When we were younger, we dubbed the bath products aisle with a similar name.  You know, things that you definitely don't need, but if you had would "probably" make you a more grounded, content human being?!  (And surely the things on this list would aid our quests for the next PR.)

What's on your "happier, healthier" wishlist?

Wowzer Wednesday - MILE POST's 10k PR

Last Saturday, I finished a great run - 5 miles in 39:46 (avg pace: 7:57 mph). I was thrilled. So excited that I just had to tweet about it. Right after I tweeted, I read a post from @mileposts that boasted her new 10k PR: 40:23!! Here I was, elated from what was probably my new 5 mile PR, and I see that Dorothy ran another mile in just about the same amount of time:)

This did not take away from my joy, but merely gave me more motivation to keep logging miles and incorporating speed work in hopes of one day catching this super fast lady! Read about her PR here. She absolutely rocked this race and did it with humility. She's a great role model in the world of running moms (and regular runners too). Thanks for the inspiration!

borrowed from Mile Posts

Is November Over Yet?!

Time for another update on the status of our goals:

Here's how we did this week (we share a Daily Mile account!)

Jennifer's Goals
1. Run 5 days a week. Done.  Ran 6 days this week.
2. Do speed work once a week.  Completed. In a parking lot without an accurate distance.  But there were multiple laps at a faster pace, so it's a start.
3. Go to bed by 10:30 every night!  Better this week.  For the most part, I've at least been IN the bed by 10:30 every night.  Unfortunately, I've also been bringing a book to bed with me.
4. Learn about fueling/nutrition for before/during longer runs.  Started browsing the Hammer Nutrition catalog that Jessica gave me.  I'm figuring out what options exist and trying to determine if I'm at a level where I really need them.
5. Eat sweets no more than three times a week.  Stupid holiday Oreo cookies!  I didn't buy them (my MIL did), but I sure am doing my part to empty the package.  Alas, I did some good runs last week, so I've turned a blind eye.

Borrowed from http://www.runningandstuff.com/

Jess' Goals
1.  Complete speed work once a week.  Does it count if it was on the bike?  My PF is flaring up pretty badly these days, so I've spent more time on the bike this week than hitting the road in my running shoes.
2.  Add two yoga workouts per week.  Totally failed here...
3.  35 miles per week.  Again, I'm including my cross training miles here, because of my feet being currently injured!
4.  Eliminate Monster energy drinks from my daily intake.  Still going strong here!  I haven't had any caffeine since 31 October!
5.  Find one new trail to run every week.  Ok, so no new trails (back to that whole not running thing), but I biked two new routes this week that I've never done before!
***Note: Being injured and taking time off of running really sucks....being injured for longer than I need to be because I didn't take any time off sucks worse!

How are you doing on your monthly goals?  Making progress?

San Diego Running Institute (Giveaway!!!)

For those lucky enough to live in Southern California, you know how huge the running community is here!  There are tons of groups for runners to join and stores that cater to runners needs.  One organization is the San Diego Running Institute.  SDRI is owned by Dr. Runco, who is a U.S. Navy and Gulf War Veteran, who is a Doctor of Chiropractic here in San Diego.  He also happens to be a phenomenal endurance athlete - he's completed six 50 mile ultramarathons and 14 marathons in 14 states.  He is currently training for the Quad Cities Marathon, Columbia River Gorge Marathon and the Valley of the Presidents 12 Hour Race.  In addition to the owner, the store is staffed by some amazing runners who are passionate about what they do: Paul Jesse, Dr. Dean Silvestre, Heather, and Emily!  

<------- Paul Jesse (who generously offered to sponsor our giveaway!)

Now I cannot mention SDRI without mentioning their official shop dog, Rio!  He's a huge fan of running and loves to socialize with the customers (he even helps them pick out shoes!).    


SDRI focuses on what runners actually NEED to perform, vice trying to sell them fancy gadgets that will make them look cool!  Their website has a wealth of information, so make sure you check it out!

Now on to the giveaway...which is why you are really reading this!!!  Paul Jesse, who helped organize the Dirt Devil Racing Series, has offered to give away an SDRI visor and a box of Nuun!  In order to enter, do any of the following things:

(1 entry per comment)
1) Follow our blog. - Leave a comment
2) Follow us on Twitter (@irunthere4iam). - Leave a comment
3) Like San Diego Running Institute on Facebook. - Leave a comment.
4) Follow SDRI on Twitter (@RunInstitute) - Leave a comment.
5) Tell us why you love Nuun!

IMPORTANT: If you post, please leave us a way to contact you - twitter name, e-mail address, blog site, etc.  That way we can let you know you WON!

Winner will be announced Wednesday, 23 November!!!!