Training for Helvetia

After work tomorrow I leave for Portland to run the Helvetia 1/2 marathon Saturday morning. Where have the past several weeks gone!? I signed up for Helvetia back in February and June 11th seemed so far away then.....time flys when you are having fun!

This will be my second year running Helvetia with Cassie, and I hope not the last. I already have a feeling that it will be a great weekend! I am really looking forward to my Helvetia burger after the race too...I can't remember the last time I had a hamburger-December??? January?????

Helvetia is a pretty challenging course- there are a lot of rolling hills! They seem never ending, but I have been running hills like crazy on all of my runs to try and be prepared. Luckily, it shouldn't be as hot as it was last year so I am hoping that I don't die on the course like I felt like I was going to last year. I have been tracking weather.com all week and it looks like Saturday will be a high somewhere between 65-70 degrees and partly cloudy. Perfect morning running weather.

After much thought over the last week I have decided against wearing my IPOD. I am hoping that this decision doesn't come back and bite me in the butt. I figure I need to really keep my pace in check and my music/IPOD might be distracting. I am also always in my "zone" and don't ever really pay that much attention to my music during a race like I would on a training run anyways. At Windermere I was so yucky and sweaty that the last couple of miles my ear buds wouldn't stay in place and it was annoying having to mess with them.

It has been almost 4 weeks since Windermere I am feeling fantastic. I have gotten in several solid runs and mixed up my cross training with class, spin, and TRX. I am pretty stubborn (SHOCKER!!!), but I am finding that by listening to Amy, I am actually making some great strides in my running. On my 10 mile run, I took 3 minutes off of my overall time and on a 5 mile tempo run I averaged a 7:04 pace (these runs were in the same week!!!). I don't think that I have ever ran a 5 mile tempo run that fast before. I was shocked, but mostly shocked that it felt awesome. Woo! Hoo! I am mildly obsessed with spin- it is incredibly addicting. I like to "compete" against myself to see how many miles I can get in. It is also some of the best cross training I have ever done.

I will admit that I have struggled a bit this last week. I only had 2 runs which felt weird- I have always struggled with tapering. On Monday I went to spin at 6 am and then I had a 5 mile tempo run after work. I was tired/crabby and it was cold outside, but I pushed through the run. I couldn't get my pace right so I was getting frustrated- first I was going too fast so I would slow and then I was going to slow. UGH! I finally got into a rhythm about mile 3 and pushed through with an average pace of 7:03. It was faster than the week before, but it didn't feel good because I was exhausted from running so late in the day and from spin class. If it hadn't started to rain on me I probably wouldn't have picked up the pace that last mile.

The last couple of weeks I have also been really focusing on what I eat. I was watching my food intake before, but now I am focused on eating a little more everyday 1300 calories or so and watching my % of fat, protein, and carbs more closely. I also have one day a week where I eat about 1500-1800 calories- that is usually on Saturday so that Cam and I can eat out. Currently I am trying to maintain my daily carb intake to 45%, protein to 30%, and fat to 25%. It took a couple of days to get into the swing of watching my %, but I think that I have gotten it down. I am finding that it helps to plan out my food the day before so that I can make sure that I am eating the correct amounts. I would usually plan out my lunch and snacks, but now I plan everything that I will eat the day before. I am telling you, this being healthy is time consuming- but so worth it.

After Helvetia I am just going to spend the summer focusing on getting stronger, faster and having solid runs to take me into CIM in December. I know that CIM is still months away, but I want to be as prepared as possible. I plan on running a couple more 1/2 marathons and some 10Ks prior to CIM. December will be here before I blink!

So much to be looking forward too in the coming months! :-)

--Tasha

Windermere!

The last couple of weeks have flown by! I had every intention of updating Healthy Diva, but I had way too much going on to even think about updating. It all started with selling my Jeep which escalated into this huge 2 week ordeal where that could have possibly gone wrong did (most of you have already heard the story). In the end I go the car I wanted and everyone, including the husband, is happy. On top of the car, I was busy at work etc. Bad excuse I know. Lets get to the fun stuff!

My last couple weeks of training went good and I felt great overall. I was pretty nervous for Windermere, but excited to be racing again. It has been how long????? The week seemed like it took twice as long as it should have to be over. I hate that!

The weather in Spokane has been crap lately so I was really starting to get concerned about the rain/wind that was being forecasted. Luckily, it wasn't so bad. Little chilly/windy at the start, but it wasn't what I had imagined. Out on the course it got pretty warm and there was quite a wind in spots. Wish it would have been more of a tailwind, but I will take that over rain any day. I felt great running wise until about mile 5 when my feet really started to hurt. I made the mistake of wearing my Nike Frees (which I had been training in) which probably weren't the best option for running a 1/2. Once my feet started hurting then my legs started cramping. It was a good lesson learned and I went home and ordered a new pair of Brooks (I know those work great!!!)

Overall, I finished and was happy that I was even in shape enough to run a 1/2. Of course I wasn't thrilled I didn't get my PR, but then again I haven't raced in how long????? I was more happy that I was able to get an automatic qualifying time for the Houston 1/2 in January.

Saturday also marked the last day of my most recent session with Amy. Now that I have been training with her for 18 weeks I am starting to see some muscle definition. Who would have thought?! I still have pea shooters, but they have a touch more definition. :)

Our next official session doesn't start until June, but in the meantime we still get to workout on Tues & Thurs mornings. No more Saturday class for the summer....what am I going to do???? Angie came up with the brilliant idea to start a class running group for Mon & Wed mornings. Should be fun!

I can't say enough just how amazing Amy Black is. She has done so much for me physically & mentally- I can't even begin to describe how much I have transformed since January. I am only a couple of pounds away from where I need to maintain my weight. If you would have asked me in January if I thought I would weigh 125 lbs in May I would have laughed at you and said "NO WAY". My skinny clothes that I wore the summer Cam & I got married are falling off of me. If my wedding dress wasn't boxed up I would put it on- I bet it would be too big.  I am telling you, Amy Black is WONDER WOMAN!!!!!1

Next up on my schedule is the Helvetia 1/2 on June 11th. Last year I "wogged" it in 1hr 58min. This year it would be nice to run it at least 10 minutes faster, even though I would prefer 15 minutes faster. :) I will be wearing better shoes for it!

The rest of the summer I just plan on training for my 1/2 in October and start my marathon training for December. I am doing a 10K in July and will also be doing the Warrior Dash in September (yes I am stoked to get a viking helmet). Warrior Dash is a 5K, but like Cassie said, there probably isn't much running involved. I might have to sign up for the Pints to Pasta 10K for the next morning......

--Tasha

Bloomsday

This Sunday is the annual Bloomsday run in Spokane. It typically has over 45,000 runners trekking the 7.46 mile course. The course is not kind; Doomsday kills me every year. Every year except for this one. I always, literally, always complain about how much I hate running Bloomsday. I have ran it at least 6 times out of the 9 years I have lived in Spokane. This year I stuck to my guns and I didn't sign up. It feels liberating in a weird sort of way. My main reason for not signing up was because I don't like it and the second reason being that I want to have the freshest legs possible for my 1/2 marathon that takes place 2 weeks later. I don't feel like my fitness level is quite up to par to run a hard 12K followed closely by a 1/2 marathon. Especially since I haven't really raced in a year. People keep asking me if I am running Bloomsday and for the first time I can say "no" and be perfectly content with my answer. :)

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 8 down, 4 weeks to go

I am starting to get excited for Windermere!!! I keep dreaming that I will have an awesome day and an even more awesome race. Even with the amount of work I have been putting in at the club and running, my legs feel great. I feel awesome all around! :)

Monday: Much enjoyed day off.

Tuesday: Class in the morning and spin later than night. I am starting to get a lot better at spin and I LOVE it. Such a great workout to supplement running with.

Wednesday: Hill repeats, yuckie! I did 10 sets of the hill by SAC...in case you were wondering that equates to 4 miles of hills. Holy moly! I also ran a 2 mile warm up and 2 mile cool down. It was a bit chilly outside, but even at 5 AM it was light outside and quiet since everyone was still sleeping. :)

I was hoping to be done by 6 AM so that I could hit up TRX, but I wasn't so I rode the stationery bike for a while.

Thursday: Class

Friday: I had an 8 mile tempo run. It was awesome, awesome, and awesome. I ran it in a pace of 7:59 which was way faster than I felt I was going.

Saturday: I had class and then I went to Spin. It was a great way to start my day.

Sunday: I was really dreading my 12 mile run. The day was beautiful and I had a million things I needed to get done. I finally went out about 12:00 pm. It was much warmer than I was anticipating and my lack of drinking water the day before hit me pretty good. I felt really dehydrated and the last couple of miles my tummy hurt. I was a little anxious to figure out my overall pace, because I didn't feel like I ran great. My pace covering the 12 miles was 8:18--I WILL TAKE THAT!! Not bad considering how yucky I felt.

This last week was a great week for me. Not only did I meet my goal weight, but I am now below my goal weight by almost 3 lbs. I had productive workouts and I am gaining a lot more self confidence.

On Sunday I went through my closet and got rid of all of my "fat" clothes...what a great feeling!!!

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 7 down, 5 weeks to go!

This last week has been a nice little refresher for my legs. Recovery weeks always make me feel like I am being lazy, but I know that my body needs the time off. Next week will be another high mileage week and before I know it, it will be time for Windermere!!!!

Monday: I enjoyed my day off. I baked cupcakes!

Tuesday: SJ class. I added to my collection of bruises and also moved up to using the 25 lb KB for more of our exercises. Tuesday night Cam and I went to spin. Have I mentioned how much I love spin? Thank you to AB and Cam for getting me to go and give it a try!

Wednesday: I had four 1/2 mile intervals which I opted to do on the treadmill so that I could better keep track of my speed/time. I started with a 1.5 mile warm up, ran 4 sets with 90 second recovery, and finished with a 1.5 mile cool down. After that I went to TRX.

Thursday: Class was fun because we did a special little Boston send off for Angie. With my Boston themed cupcakes of course!
I was planning on going to spin after work, but I just had to much stuff going on so I had to cancel. I was pretty disappointed.....

Friday: I had a 4 mile tempo run which I ran on the treadmill in 31min. I followed that with a 2 mile cool down and TRX. What a great way to start the day!!!!

Saturday: At class AB set up our obstacle course workout again. It was awesome and such a great workout. I was dying at the end. I couldn't wait to tear off my sweats, they were drenched! I can't wait for the next class like that.

Sunday: Easy 7 mile run. The weather was perfect (little on the chilly side), but it was a great day. I went running later in the afternoon which I typically don't do. I am looking forward to having Monday off and gearing up for my busy training week.

On a side note, with my parents in town over the weekend, I didn't log some of my meals. We ate out for lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. I made fairly good choices at the restaurants we went too so I didn't fall completely off of the bandwagon. It's back to the grind now!

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 6 down, 6 weeks to go!

What a crazy week! By the time Sunday rolled around I was thoroughly exhausted. I had some great workouts and I am now really starting to look forward to running in some races to see exactly where my fitness level is at. I struggled with my eating a bit this week. I upped my calories for a couple of days, but I don't think it was the right time for me to do so. I am hoping that this next week will be a good one for me.

Monday: I went to pilates for the first time in probably a year. I was hoping that it would help stretch out my legs from being crammed in a car all weekend. I was pretty stiff and figured that working on my flexibility would be a good thing. The class was interesting; definitely not my type of pilates. The instructor mostly used the stability ball and bands. Instead of stretching out my poor, tired muscles I think that I made them work even more. Attending this class probably wasn't the best idea, but I didn't want to just get up and leave in the middle of class. It is safe to say that I probably won't go back next week.

Tuesday: I got it handed to me in class with resistive running drills. That is another thing that never gets easier no matter how many times you run them. After work I went for a very slow and relaxing 2 miler around the top of Lincoln Park. Sometimes I just need those moments to clear my head and have some "me" time.

Wednesday: Oh boy. Wednesday was fun. I had every intention to do my hill workout in the morning, but when I woke up it was half raining, half snowing. I decided that staying in bed a wee bit longer would be nice. When I finally peeled myself out of my warm bed, I went to TRX class. This is another class that I hadn't attended since last fall. I like TRX because you use your own body weight to build strength and because you can make it as hard or as easy as you prefer. My little pea shooters were a little shaky when I left class.

After work I rushed home so I could get my hill workout completed. The weather still wasn't looking promising. I ran a 2.3 mile warm up and then completed 10 sets of hills. My hill running totaled 3.1 miles. I finished off with a 2.1 mile cool down bringing my total to 7.5 miles. I felt like I did great running on the hills so overall it was a good workout. The weather didn't really hold up; it rained, hailed, snowed and then the sun came out. I am so ready for summer!!!!

Thursday: Class was tough! I am upping my kettle bell weights so I have been struggling towards the end of each set. It's a good struggle, but it sure hurts. I am amazed that 12 weeks ago I was using a 15 lb KB and it was hard; now I am using a 25 lb KB.

Friday: I wanted to sleep in a bit, even if it was only an extra 30 minutes. I had pretty stressful week so pulling myself out of bed at 5:15 to go to a TRX class was brutal. Of course, it was AB's class so it was more than worth it! No matter what, it is always the best feeling in the world to begin your day with a workout.

Saturday: Class was a tough one! Since it was nice we got to go outside on the hill outside of SAC and do lunges with our KB's and do sprints. Ouch! I am finally getting better at lunges, but not when a hill is involved! I was a little sore by the time we were done. After class Cam and I went to AB's spin class. It was my first time, but Cam had been to a couple of classes before. I was pretty hesitant about going, but AB said that it would be great cross training for running. I was super nervous about going (I am such a dork!). The class was a lot of fun and was great. I can see how it can help my running. I will be attending a spinning class on a more regular basis now. I think that it will help me out a lot. Thanks AB! On the other hand, my gluteus maximus was quite sore after the class, especially Sunday morning. Ouchie!

Sunday: I woke up kind of sore (see note above) so I didn't go running until around 11:00 am. I wanted to do some stuff around the house and hope that my muscles would loosen up a bit. They finally started to feel better so I headed out for my 12 miler. The first couple of miles were pretty slooooow. It took me a while to get warmed up and find my rhythm. Once I got going, each mile was faster than the last. I hit my 10 mile mark in 1 hr. 27 min (same time I ran 10 miles the Sunday before) and I finished in 1 hr. 43 min. I don't remember what my 6 mile time was, but I know that my last half was a lot faster. I felt super strong by the end of my run and I could have kept going, but by then it had started to rain and I had a strawberry & Greek yogurt chocolate protein shake calling my name.....

This next week is a recovery week so I won't be running as many miles. I plan on going to TRX and maybe a couple of spin classes too. :)

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 5 down, 7 weeks to go!

I feel like I did okay this week training wise, but I also felt like I struggled a bit. I am not concerned about it because it is probably just mental. Even though I know that it is perfectly normal to have ups & downs when you are training for something.

Monday is my dedicated off day. It is nice to be able to sleep in an extra 2 hours before work and actually get ready in my own bathroom. I might start attending a TRX or Pilates class on Monday, but I am still on the fence. I think going to a group class is intimidating. Everyone stares at you and I am always worried that I will make myself look like an idiot.

Wednesday I had my hill workout. Lets just say that the hill worked me! I decided to run the hill in Lincoln Park instead of the hill by SAC for an extra challenge. The LP hill is a MONSTER! The good thing about my workout is that somewhere along the hill I lost a pound. I did a 2.20 mile warm up, ran 2.8 miles of hill repeats (10 sets in total), and then completed a 2.0 mile cool down.

The super cool thing about my workouts is that I finally got my Garmin heart rate monitor to work. Since I had never used it in the 2 years of owning my watch the battery was dead. It is a pretty awesome/amazing training tool. My only complaint is that it is hard to run and read what your heart rate is at the same time.

Friday was my tempo run. It was raining when I woke up and I had zero motivation to get drenched so I decided to sleep in a bit and then do some packing for our trip to Olympia. I got off work at 3:30 and headed straight to SAC to get my 7 miles in. I figured I could park there and run through Browne's Addition and then do a loop around Riverfront Park. I felt really sluggish in the beginning and was thinking that the run was not going to go well. I hit my 1 mile marker and glanced at my watch to see that I had just ran a 7:53 mile! I guess I wasn't being a slug after all! I decided to slow down about 20 seconds per mile so that I could complete my run without dying. The workout ended up going perfect even though I was tired from my long/stressful week. I took a couple of minutes off of my last 7 mile tempo which was 2 weeks prior.

On Saturday after class we left for our quick trip to Olympia. I was a little worried because not only did I have a 10 mile run on Sunday, but I was worried about what I would eat. I was good and packed some food with me for the way over. I made a sandwich, threw in some granola bars and strawberries w/Greek yogurt.
I also packed up my protein powder for after my run. I definitely like to be prepared!

We went to Anthony's for dinner, which didn't make me feel quite as paranoid about what to eat. I knew that I could get Salmon for dinner and that it would be good. I was proud of myself for passing on the rolls and my mashed potatoes.  My salmon and broccoli was amazing!

I was able, with the help of Cam's aunt & uncle, to map out my run. It is always nice to run in a different area, but I wanted to make sure I knew exactly where I was going so that I didn't get lost! I got up at 6 am on Sunday morning so that I could get my run done before we had to head back to Spokane. It was gorgeous and so incredibly peaceful. I almost wished that I had ran with my cell phone so that I could have taken some pics along the way. I ran through downtown Olympia and then around Capitol Lake 3 times and then back. The way back was a bit more challenging because I had an intense hill that I had to run back up. I think that it looked worse then it actually was, but it sure was a steep one! By the time I got back to the house I had ran exactly 10 miles. The whole run felt awesome. It always feels great to get up early and go running because it sets a positive tone for the rest of my day and gives me an extra boost of energy. The awesome part about my run was that I took 3 minutes off my 10 mile time from my run 2 weeks ago. Just knowing that made me feel even better about where my training is going.

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 4 down, 8 weeks to go!

The last couple weeks of training have flown by. I am amazed at how much faster I am getting each week. Unfortunately since I have to do most of my workouts at 5 am before work I have been running on the treadmill a lot. It is boring, but at least I can really see my speed improving. A couple of weeks ago, my warm up was at a 6.0-6.5. Now I am warming up and cooling down comfortably at 6.8-7.0 for a couple of Smiles. My 5 mile tempo run for the week was done at speeds all above 7.0. I like the feeling of knowing that each week I am constantly improving.

My weekly workouts consisted of 3 classes with Amy, a hill workout, tempo run, and a long run. In class, I am making an extra effort to add more weights so that I can add some upper body strength by the end of this next session. I think I still have little pebble arm muscles. :)

My hill workout was tough! It took me a couple of days to fully recover. The hill by SAC doesn't look too steep until you run up and down it 8 times. I did a 2 mile warm up on the treadmill, ran 8 sets of hills, and finished with a 2 mile cool down on the treadmill.

I completed my long run on the Bloomsday course. I think the Bday course is one of those that it doesn't matter how many times you run, it never gets easier. It was a little chilly and windy on Sunday morning, but I felt pretty good once I got going. I finished the course in 1:01 which is fairly decent for this time of year and where my fitness is at. The stairs that we have been running in class have helped on hills immensely (thank you AB!). I ran an average of 20-30 seconds per mile faster than my 6 mile tempo run the week before so that is a huge improvement.

I have 8 weeks of training left and I am very excited to see where I am at when race day arrives. I know that I am just doing Windermere to see where my fitness level is at and to have some fun. My real training will begin after Windermere for my 1/2 in October and my marathon in December. At this rate I should have some good races in my future. :)

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 3 down, 9 weeks to go!

This week was a challenging, but great week for me. We had "Shock Week" from our class which definitely pushed my limits and added some extra soreness. I ran 6 extra miles that wasn't on my training plan because I felt good. I can actually blame those extra 6 miles on Maisy because she wanted to go for a run. :) I know that I need to stick with the training plan that Amy gave me so from this point forward I will just listen to her and not add my own miles to the schedule.

My running workouts were great. My tempo run felt really good on Friday. It was the first one that I had gotten to run outside and it was awesome. Hopefully I won't have to do anymore tempos on the treadmill for a while! On Sunday I had my long run of 10 miles. It was pretty chilly and windy and as I started out I began to think that my out and back idea wasn't the greatest. I hate starting out running against the wind. You feel like you are barely moving and when it's cold it hurts to breath. At mile 3, I felt like it was going to take me 2 hours to run the 10 miles. Luckily as soon as I got past the windy part everything starting to fall into place and I got my rhythm back. I was planning on finishing the run between 90 and 105 minutes, but I finished it in under 90 minutes. Woo hoo! I felt really good when I was done and I didn't feel sore or cramped up so that is extra bonus points! I have a feeling that my 1/2 marathon in October is going to be awesome!

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 2 down, 10 weeks to go!

Week 2 is done and in the books. It was a bit more challenging, but I felt really good about my workouts. My Wednesday TABATA workout went pretty good. I did 5 sets all between 8.1 and 8.5 on the treadmill. I was pretty beat when I was finished. TABATA is tough! Especially on a treadmill. I can't wait to be able to run them outside and actually get my recovery. It is only a 20 second recovery, but I will take whatever I can get!

I had a 7 mile tempo run on Friday that I felt pretty good about. I had to run it on the treadmill, which is never fun, but at least I had some good tunes to listen too. I am slowly gaining back some of my confidence towards running. I am still slow, but I can feel myself getting just a little faster every week.

On Sunday I had my longer run which I felt went awesome. I almost felt like I was floating, everything was perfect. I ran one of my routes on the south hill that starts by Super 1 and goes down High Drive and through Comstock and Manito Park. It used to be one of my favorite running routes, but it has been over a year since I have ran it. The best thing about my Sunday run is that the weather is perfect! I am glad I went in the morning since it rained all afternoon.

I am looking forward to week 3!

--Tasha

Windermere 1/2 Marathon: Week 1 down, 11 weeks to go!

I just finished the first week of training for the Windermere half yesterday (Sunday). I have never trained for a 1/2 marathon before, even though I have ran quite a few of them. I am looking forward to seeing how I run, with some training under my belt. I don't plan to necessarily "race" Windermere, but I still want to have a decent time.

I was exhausted on Saturday. I made it a priority to get my butt out of bed early every single day of the week and get my workout done before work. Getting up at 4 am isn't easy and it definitely took a toll on my energy level. I have Skinny Jeans Fitness class on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6 am and on Saturday at 7 am. I would typically do my workout after work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. By leaving the workout until 6 pm it kind of puts a damper on being productive around the house or taking Tia & Maisy for a walk at night. It felt good to start my day off knowing that my workout was done.

A couple of my training runs I had to do on the treadmill because of the snow, but it wasn't too bad. I had a long run on Sunday (7 miles), that felt really good. It wasn't fast, but I also ran a hilly and challenging route. The last 1/2 of my run was much faster and I felt pretty strong and satisfied. I don't think I will have a problem adding more miles to my training. I almost felt like I should run a couple more miles, but then decided that eating breakfast sounded better. :)

--Tasha

Summer Races

I am very excited for this summer. For the first time in a year I have officially signed up for some races. The best part is that I get to run them with my best friend. I am excited to get back into the competition side of running and also even more excited to get to spend time with Cassie.

Bloomsday, May 1st **Still on the fence as to whether I will sign up**
Bloomsday

Windermere 1/2 Marathon, May 14th
Windermere

CityScape Adventures, June 4th in Portland
CityScape

Helvetia 1/2 Marathon, June 11th in Portland
Helvetia 1/2

Go Girl Trail Run, July 10th in Portland
Go Girl

Girlfriends 1/2 Marathon, October 16th in Vancouver, WA
Girlfriend's 1/2

I am still on the fence about signing up for Bloomsday. I really don't like running it, I actually hate running it for multiple reasons. I am going to think about this one before I officially sign up.....

I have never ran Windermere before, but I know from experience of running many long runs on the Centennial Trail that it is a pretty flat course. It should be a fun race to start off with. I have no expectations, other than finishing and having fun. I am still trying to get Cam to sign up, but so far I have made no progress so I am giving up.

CityScape Adventures is an Amazing Race themed race in Portland. I am so excited for it and so glad that Cass found it on active.com. My dream in life is to be on the Amazing Race someday, I love that show! The best part is that Cass and I are on a team so it should be a lot of fun.

Helvetia is a fun, but challengeing course. Last year I ran it for the first time, I was slightly out of shape having not really ran since Boston in April. It was a little warm, I was little dehydrated, and I was a lot out of shape! The course is mostly rolling hills with one out and back portion. The whole course was gorgeous, but I didn't really get to enjoy it last year because I was just hoping that I would finish! This year I would obviously like to beat my time from last year, I think it was 1 hr 56 min, but have fun. I am using it as more a training run, with my real 1/2 marathon race being in October.

Both Cass and I have never ran Go Girl before. It is a 10K trail run that is just for girls. I like that! It is only limited to 500 runners. I heard from a couple of runner friends who have done this race in the past and they said that it was super fun. The 10K will be a good gauge for me so see where my training is at. I am training for Windermere, but not all out. The real training begins after Windermere for my 1/2 in October.

I found the Girlfriends 1/2 on active.com. I started searching for a 1/2 marathon in the fall in or around Portland because I was disgusted that the Portland 1/2 was a $125.00. I thought that was way too much to be spending on a 1/2 marathon, especially in Portland. I thought it was a complete rip off and Cass agreed. We still wanted to do a 1/2 since we had planned on running Portland together. This course is supposed to be scenic and flat; the perfect course for me to actually race on. I am looking forward to training hard all summer and then having a good race. The countdown to October 16th has begun!

--Tasha