So if you follow my twitter account (@V_T_B), you know that I have been hijacking internet from the local Kroger/Starbucks since my wireless card has yet to show up. I am actually right now at work taking over the wireless from my laptop (hey now, it’s after 5pm) before a client dinner!

I have been anxiously waiting to blog about our Saturday DetermiNation Fun Run. And boy was it great! We went to a new location where the Rapture wouldn’t get us, but apparently we were wrong. None of us brought an arsenal to protect us for what was about to happen next. Here we are, six runners just minding our own business and BAM! Out of nowhere this happens….

Check out the 8 Deerflies on my upper shoulders and 3 in hair!!

We were going to run 6 miles around the 3 mile trail…. so after running three miles with our legs and swimming three with our arms to swat away the Raptures coming to get us… we made a group decision to call in early to our safe haven. BREAKFAST TIME!! That’s a whole other story

zzzzzzzz

Cheerleader or Runner?

But before that~ we decided for a photo shoot. We called it “Can you find the morning runner??”

Giving Jerame a lift! Go DetermiNation!

What a great group of people I tell you! So fun and they put up with me talking about my runner’s toe and all my antics…. that’s not easy, you know! Ok, well time for some good fun. And back to the workout grind tomorrow. Had a killa migraine this morning. Tomorrow’s workout- not sure, either biking or intervals. Gonna throw in some swims soon too. Because Tommy and I have a bet that I won’t beat him in the “Swim the Farm” 1.2 mile race in July…. we’ll see Who’s the Boss??

I look super tiny at 4:45am….

So my internet card is broken…. like on it’s last leg, looks like its hanging by an electrical thread. So I am sitting in my local Starbucks that is housed in a Kroger, blogging. This is not all that bad; good people watching, good coffee, and the odd looks I get for a Thursday evening while all the mommies go past me with screaming kids as I sit smiling typing away!

So let me back up to Tuesday’s workout- it was speed day. Let me first preface this with: there is NOTHING about my body that says fast, except for my mouth. I am from New York originally, so I talk fast and hand gesture fast. Other than that, I can swim relatively fast compared to the average person but that’s all I got. Oh, I did win a baby bottle chugging contest at a baby shower once. That was fast. But in all seriousness… I am not a fast person. But it’s my goal to get quicker and to push myself. So Katie and I went to the Y track and extended trail for some speedwork. We did light jog warm-up and then 1 minute fast, 3 minute easy x 5…. the first one went great… then I had to pee (tmi??). As in, I won’t make it four more times without seriously embarrassing myself. Now I have not had this issue before as an elite athlete (ha!)….. so I was freakin’ out and probably scared the other women on the trail as I darted out of the woods back onto the trail to continue my run. Whew, much lighter and four sprint series and a cool-down jog, I felt great!!

Wednesday was my prescribed rest day. And it was glorious. I even met a celebrity! I like to think of him as the man that whisks me away on all my travel…. the one to treat me to tropical locales, whimsical destinations no one has taken me so far. Of course, I am talking about the real Travelocity Gnome!! And I should mention, he makes me pay for my travel. Or my actual in life man pay. Bummer. I wish this 1.5 ft man would foot the bill. But at least it’s discounted and he’s cute!

My mini-boyfriend

 
Thursday- Katie, Indie (Dog), and I did a 5k tempo pace. The first mile was good (holding at 11:14 mile), the last two miles kept at 12:30-45 pace. Not what I was going for, but we ran a full mile then walked a minute then ran a mile, walked a minute…. but the purpose of tempo is to keep the tempo. So I guess I did alright! I felt great afterwards so that is all that matters.

Later today, I ran back into my man the Gnome and ate taffy, little sammies, and tea (sweet garden party at a local museum). And had a nice dinner of Skinny Caramel Macchiato… not the best for the diet! Tomorrow is Hunter’s turn to get a little workout! 30 minute walk with my little man!

So I am going to sit in Kroger for a little longer and play a game of “How Many Aisle Clean-Ups in One Hour”… then go home and get ready to tackle Friday!! Have a great night y’all!!

See how long it is….

I woke up this morning eager to run my 6 miles (true 6miles) because I had some sweet gear to debut. Yesterday, while at Wally World picking up a pot for my garden I found this Danskin shirt! So I was wondering how I would like it since it was only $5!!! It was long and super soft.

I went out to out to the trail and met up with Laurie, Jerame, Katie, and Indie (her dog!). Now I am quite a jelly belly that her dog could even phathom running 6 miles…. as mine wouldn’t even budge this morning or make it 0.006 miles let alone 6 miles!

So we do a mini photo shoot before the run– lights, camera, run—

Katie & Indie

 
And off we ran…. if anyone follows me on twitter (v_t_b), I was complaining of Friday how I forgot my ipod. One of my twitter friends said that she tries to run sometimes without because her ipod has failed her on a few races before. Well I responded (in my head), “that sucks, mine has never done that”. Well folks, today was my day. Today was that day that I would have to channel my own inner rock band and run from within. It’s kinda of hard. I really like to run to rap music, yes, you can find that amusing… or you may not judging from the below photo. But I like to run to killer beats. I like to imagine myself ‘dropping it likes its hot’ like in the SunDrop commerical (ps-I think that’s gonna be my Halloween costume!!! AWESOME!).

Showing my Junk- ie Fuel Belt

Anyways, so Katie was gracious enough to slow her pace down and run with me and put her music on speaker and let me groove to the beat of Prince, Rhianna, and some other reggae stuff she had coming out of her smartphone. Nice how technology can be a lifesaver.

Laurie & Jerame

We get to the halfway point at 36:50, which is right on par for what I run a 5k in (hey, I never said you were following the blog of Ryan Hall!). And last week, I ran 5.5 miles in 1:13:50. So I want to get as close to that as possible (which would be awesome, since I am adding 1/2 mile). The last two miles were a struggle to keep pace, but Katie was a great motivator and I finished in 1:16:59 for a full 6 mile run. Kept my 4:1′s and a solid 12:30-12:45 mile pace going the mile time.

The new fuelbelt was great, much better than my old one with the single bottle. I just wish the small bottles were insulated like the camleback handheld! And the new shirt was awesome. It didn’t ride up and didn’t lose stretchiness with all the sweating. I always didn’t sweat myself through it! I may go back and get more in all the fun colors…. at $5 a pop, you just can’t stop!!!

Tomorrow’s workout: 10 mile bike ride in the morning and 11 miles at night with my fun friends with Sunset Bike Club Have a great Sunday, y’all. I sure will…. the fiance comes home today after being gone for nine day!!! yay for date night!!