Weekly Training: 11/25-12/1

Well, I did it. I ran more than 5 miles post-marathon. Please give me a gold star. Or a piece of pumpkin pie because what better way to celebrate a 10K than eating SUGAR.

Just kidding ... maybe.

Like so many others, Mark and I found (with three of my cousins) ourselves at the start line of a Thanksgiving day race - the 104th annual Thanksgiving Day Race. I tell you what, those Cincinnatians sure are creative. As will be this recap.

About the race: One of the oldest and largest Thanksgiving races, the 10K features 14,000 runners and walkers plodding through downtown and northern Kentucky.

Course: The course was changed this year, featuring no turns in the first mile, a jaunt past Fountain Square, a downhill finish and a clear shot to the end, with no looping back (the last being one of my pet peeves) along Third Street. There was one water stop, in the same place as previous years, but with this change it was farther in the course - just after mile 4.

Pre-race: A hot mess. Traffic into downtown was backed up for a good mile, and we inched along for 20 minutes until reaching the exit. Another 10 were spent inching two blocks to find a parking garage as the free parking was gone or hard to get to. Mark and I still had to pick up bibs, which is the dumbest thing ever with 14,000 runners. We had to push through lots of people in the hopes of finding the table as there were no signs. With minutes to spare, we shivered as we pinned on our numbers and made our way to the start line. Our late arrival meant we were at the far back of the pack. This means two things: We waited 10 minutes to cross the starting line and were behind well-intentioned walkers.

Race: Mark had these funny ideas that we were going to push hard during this race but within a block I clued him. It was not going to happen. Not in 20-degree weather, not with the streets crowded with walkers. We spent three miles - THREE - trying to find an open space to run and get in a groove, though I'm not sure we ever did. Frustrated, I finally told Mark that we needed to give up on pace and any goal and have FUN. We needed to stop the cat and mouse game, run together and take in the gorgeous landscape of Cincinnati. So we did, or did our best. And then I got smoked by a 7-year-old at the end.

Happy Thanksgiving to me.

The week, in training:

Monday: 9 miles on trainer + heated yoga + 3.35-mile run
Tuesday: 4.16-mile run + 40-minute treadmill walk
Wednesday: Bodypump
Thursday: Thanksgiving Day 10K
Friday: Rest/shopping
Saturday: Bodypump + 11 miles on trainer
Sunday: 4.59-mile run

Showin' some Friday love

Pre-workout fuel: Too Healthy Pumpkin Muffin with peanut butter and a banana
Workout: Ran 4.25 miles in 36 minutes, 15 seconds; average pace, 8:32. "Biggest Loser: Power Sculpt" for 50 minutes followed.

Friday, Friday, Friday! Friday, Friday, Friday!

Come, on! Sing it with me!

Friday, Friday, Friday!

I sort of feel like I'm earning weekend today but that's OK. I'm going to breakfast with one of my favorite mamas (she's expecting twins!) tomorrow, and I'm fairly certain that Mark and I will go to the movies. We don't have any plans for Halloween, and I don't even think we're passing out candy (last year's effort = bust). It should be a calm, relaxing weekend.

Now, it's time to show Friday some lovin'!

Food. I like soup ... a lot - too much probably. We even have soup nights at the winter at Casa de Healthy Strides. Soup and sammies to warm the soul. Usually, though, my soup comes from a can and that can usually comes from Progresso. The brand is a bit more pricey than, say , Campbell's but it tastes better and is Weight Watchers-endorsed. The Vegetable Barley is my favorite but this week I took a HUGE risk and tried the New England Clam Chowder. You know what? I didn't spit it out. I actually kind of enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong - it's no where near as tasty as the clam chowder I had at a beachfront restaurant in Malibu. Then again, I'm only eating at my desk at work -- not on the deck, looking out at the Pacific.

Fitness. I'm thisclose to the conclusion of my October challenge. Yay! I have fulfilled my goal of strength training three times a week, and I hit my 83 miles on Sunday. Just one more run (a long one on Sunday), and I can call it D-O-N-E. Sort of. I'm already gearing up for November, and I ordered "Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training." I probably won't get to it next week, depending on when Amazon ships it, because I need to save my legs for the W.O.O.F. but I am looking forward to a shorter routine (just 30 minutes compared to "Biggest Loser" workouts of more than 45) and one that promises to beat Jillian Michaels in difficulty.

Life. Now this one's sort of fitness related, too, I hate to say. I was exchanging FB notes with my cousin about my status message proclaiming my registration for the 101st Annual Thanksgiving Day Race. You see, her brother had seen the update and decided that he wanted to do it, too. Of course, he then wanted her to do it. She was a bit uncertain - fearful we're all in better shape - but I assured her that I'd run with her and bribed her with finish-line bagels. I'm not sure if it was the support or the promise of bagels but I think she's in. Add in three other cousins who are already registered, and my family will be partying at the starting line.

Here I am excited about Thanksgiving and not giving a ... about Halloween. Do you have any great plans?