Hashtag 250 Steps + More {A Three Things Thursday Post}

A very enthusiastic mall walker.

At best, that's what I look like. At worst? I would describe my movements as those belonging to a deranged extra in a new production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

1. I recently discovered a new feature on my FitBit app. Underneath the miles for the day and above my active minutes, is a unisex person in tree pose with "X of 9 hours with 250+." The idea is to motivate me to walk at least 250 steps an hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It doesn't matter if I run 6 miles at 5 a.m. or teach back-to-back classes beginning at 5:15 p.m. It matters whether I get my ass off my chair and walk around the office.

And let me tell you, it's easier said than done.

I have a desk job. I sit at a computer, talk on the phone and type on a keyboard. The people with whom I interact most are within 15 feet. Especially now that I'm done pumping (!!!!!!!!!), I have very few reasons to get up and move outside of using the bathroom and getting a diet soda from the cafeteria.

So it's no surprise that last week I did not once make the goal of 250 steps each hour for 9 hours. the best I did was 8 out of 9 (twice) and the worst was 3 out of 9. Seriously, how sad is that?

Now that I see the goal on my app, though, I'm making an effort to get off my rump. I've determined that 250 steps is a walk down the steps, a stop at the cafeteria for water, then up the stairs and back to my desk. I try to go three-quarters past the hour. If I forget, I sometimes walk in place at my desk. Hence, the mall walker reference.

2. More photos from Saturday's race were posted on the Facebook page for the Fort Wayne Running Club.

This photo is about a mile, mile and a half into the race. I am in the backward trucker hat in the pink shirt. It was windy but nice enough as I debated the merits of passing one of the gals who usually beats me at most races.

This photo is between mile 3 and 4. No longer able to keep my Nuun hat on, I took it off and held it – which basically pulled out my side braid-pony combo. Is it not crazy the difference 15 minutes makes?

3. One of the highlights of my week has been gaining access to the private locker room at the downtown YMCA. The facilities are available to members at an additional cost but, as an employee, I get them for free. There's a lounge area with cable TV, hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, a sauna and hot tub. There's free towels, too, and locker rental available.

This morning, after hitting up the treadmill again (OMG, I am really starting to hate you April showers/torrential rain/ridiculous wind), I was glad that I was in the space alone because, seriously, I looked like a hot mess.

No pretty selfie, here! My hair was half out of the elastic, my head band was barely on and my face was red. And good thing there's not smell-o-reading!

I took a shower, dried my hair and listened to a Vox from my friend like I was at home – except I had more room and no one tore back the curtain asking for dessert or wanting to be held.

I really don't like to rely too much on the treadmill but I could get used to this!

Bonus: I plan to hit up the whirlpool next week before Carmel to help relax the muscles.

Nutri-Run 20K {A Race Recap}

"Thanks everyone for coming out for a very tough Nutri-Run this year. Thanks to the volunteers, the sponsors Three Rivers Running Company and the Fort Wayne Running Club, and to all the runners who ran in some of the toughest conditions I've ever seen. I'll stick to my guns when I say if you survived this race with a good time, then you will be mentally and physically tougher for any other race you do for the rest of the year."

They're off at the Nutri-Run!  Good luck everyone!
Posted by Fort Wayne Running Club on Saturday, April 2, 2016

Affirmation. Validation. Hope. The words from the race director, via Facebook, about Saturday's race were all of those things. I had survived the 20K ... with a good time (an eight-and-a-half minute PR) ... and, most importantly, a good attitude.

But that doesn't mean it was easy.

There were sustained winds of 25 mph, gusts of 40 mph, temperatures in the low 30s and various forms of precipitation. The course is hilly for the first 2.5 miles and then turns onto country roads where the vast openness offer no protection from the elements.

No matter the conditions, the Nutri-Run – first and foremost –was a training run for the half marathon in Carmel (April 16). My plan called for a long run with 4 miles at race pace. No matter the conditions, taking it easy on the front half and picking it up for the second was my goal.

Man, I make Victoria's Secret Knockout leggings look sexy ... not. {Photo courtesy Fort Wayne Running Club}

At 11 a.m., the horn went off and we were off. The field was small, and it's easy to get caught up with the faster group. I repeated to myself, "Don't blow Carmel. Don't blow Carmel," as I tried to rein in the pace.

But the first mile beeped at 8:52 – a good 20 to 40 seconds than I was shooting for.

As if the universe was speaking to me, a fellow runner mentioned that she and her friend were going along at a faster clip than planned. Her friend asked about the pace plan and she said, "9 to 9:30." "Perfect," I thought. I could stick with them.

I cruised down the declines and stayed steady on the inclines, trying to stay conservative. The second mile clicked by in 9:10. Now that's a tad better, I thought.

It was about this time when I noticed the wind picking up. I had to turn my Nuun trucker hat backward to keep the gusts from catching on the bill and pulling it up off my head. I nearly tossed it at the aid station around mile 2.5, almost wondering if one of the friendly volunteers would hold it for me, but I thought better of it. I grabbed a drink and kept trucking.

That was until we made the turn. The turn out of the affluent neighborhood and onto the country road. The turn into the wind with nothing to block its attack.

My trucker hat would no longer stay on, though I so badly needed it to. While the wind was challenging, the rain/sleet/snow began around mile 3. Droplets of freezing precipitation pelted me in the face at 40 mph. I did my best to tuck in and keep going. But I went from a 9:12 pace for mile 3 to a 9:41 and 9:32 (miles 4 and 5, respectively) without changing my effort.

"I didn't train in the snow," one runner said as I came up next to her. "I didn't train in the wind either."

I felt bad. No one wants to train in that weather much less race in it. It's hard not to bemoan the conditions. But as her words reverberated in my head, I was reminded of two things: 1) I had trained in weather like this; and 2) I could control how I reacted to it.

Two years ago, I hadn't. The race was also in cold, windy conditions, and it was miserable for all 12.4 miles. I was miserable for all 12.4 miles. And I let the race beat me, walking a lot of the back half and falling farther and farther behind my friends. I decided right then that I would not let the event nor the weather defeat me again.

(Previous recaps: Nutri-Run 2015 - volunteer; Nutri-Run 2014 - 2:00:33; Nutri-Run 2012 - 2:00:05)

And so I passed the runner. Not out of malice or competition but because I knew I could be better than the day. I also knew that I just had to make it to the turnaround. The wind would be at my back, mostly, and I would have one focus – the goal pace miles. My split for mile 6 – 9:16 – reflected that attitude.

Miles 7-9: 8:40, 8:35, 8:52

At the 10K mark, we turned around and the wind did improve. It still came in from the west (I was running north) but I didn't feel like I had to fight it. I picked up the pace and focused on picking off runners. I was probably the creepiest person ever because I would come right up behind someone, pull back slightly and judge whether I could pass them. If I thought she would catch up to me, I fell back. Otherwise, I pulled ahead.

Just after the eight mile beeped in, we turned east and the wind was at our back. I grabbed a cup of water from the aid station, commented on my friend's not-so-sexy boot and picked up the pace to make up for the short walk break.

Miles 10-12.4: 8:41, 8:59, 9:01 and 8:56 pace for last bit

Once I finished mile 9, I knew that I needed to keep a strong effort for one more mile and then it was just a 2.4-mile jog to the finish. Knowing that I could back off was just the boost, mentally, as I tried to keep my stride strong and steady.

And when I was finished with that last goal pace mile, I was elated. Not because I had nailed it, which I had, but because I had gotten through the hardest parts of the race without cracking mentally. I had resolve and grit – two things that have been challenging for me.

A photo posted by Kimberly (@healthystrides) on Apr 2, 2016 at 11:29am PDT

As a sweet reward, my effort garnered me second place in my age group. I had no expectation of this going in – it's usually a competitive field at this race – but I thought I might have a chance when I saw the women in front of me heading toward the turn around. My prize? A pineapple.

Hello, celebratory pina colada!

Now, it's time to take a step back and let the work set in for Carmel. The Nutri-Run was a huge confidence boost, and I'm hoping I can take the lessons and apply them there.

Carmel Half Marathon Training {Week 4}

I am going to let you in on a secret – one that might surprise you.

I don't want to PR the half marathon.

It sounds weird, right? Many times we go into a training cycle with the hope of getting stronger, faster and nailing a certain time. I want to do those things, of course. I want to get stronger. I want to get faster. And, when I toe the line in Carmel on April 16, I want a certain time. I want to run 1:59.

My PR, though, is 1:54:12. I ran that time 5.5 years ago and came within 1:30 of it in September 2014, when I was 12 weeks pregnant with Si. It was hard work to get that fast (relatively) – I ran 30+ miles a week, my log full of long tempos and intervals. I felt pushed to the limit and like I was breaking barriers. I set PRs in the 5K and 10K that helped me believe a half marathon best was possible. It was a type of training that I was ready for, and it was the only way I could tackle it.

Now, life with two kids, I'm not ready for that and as such, I haven't expected super great things with my running. I've been plugging away albeit picking up a challenge here and there along the way. So color me surprised when I crossed the mats at a local, low-key 5K on Saturday in a time of 25:17 – two seconds off my PR.

Later that night, Mark told me that I was definitely going to PR in Carmel. I wanted to shrug him off but part of me wondered if it would be wrong to call him a nut job and ignore him.

The race was part of a long run sandwich – log miles before the start, run the race and then keep going until you hit your mileage goal. The plan called for 12 miles with the mid-4 at race pace (9:00-9:09), making the long run sandwich an ideal option.

The first 5 miles went great. I ran with the girls for four, hitting about 10 minutes/mile for the first three and then picking it up to 8:50 for miles 4 and 5. I felt good and loose by the time I hit the start and told myself that I just had to run two more fast miles and then I could jog it into the finish. My running partner, Karen, was also participating and thought she'd like to be around 8:30 pace for the race. I figured that I'd keep her in my sights and chug away.

Which is what I did. Except, she ran more like 8:05 and I averaged 8:09 (officially).

I'm not going to give you a blow-by-blow of the race – don't even think I could if I wanted to – but a few notes. It was hard, and I definitely was working. However, I know that there were 3 seconds that could have easily been shaved. The park is known for its hills, and I nearly called "trail hill" on the second go-around. It was windy, and I definitely tried to draft off some of the high school guys who weren't keen on letting me pass them any way.

The course, two loops at a local park, and I know I finished the first lap in less than 12:30. According to my Soleus, my splits were actually pretty consistent between 7:55 and 8:05. But as with most GPS devices, it had me finishing the 5K distance in 24:4X and finishing the race around 3.2 miles. To break 25 in the 5K is a definite goal for the year, and it was rad to think I'm close.

I'm not getting ahead of myself, mind you. I'm going to continue training for Carmel as I have. Goal pace will be 9:00 to 9:09 and training paces will be based on that. But, I'm not going to hold myself back either.

The week, in running:

Tuesday: 5.2 miles, tempo
Thursday: 5.1 miles, hilly
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 12 miles total