Richmond Marathon Training - Week 2

Despite a bum ankle and one heck of a summer cold, week 2 turned out to be ok.

4 runs for 20 miles, one cross-training session on the elliptal (Friday's 7), and 2 rest days.

I'm counting Saturday as a training session even though I really  shouldn't. It was actually the Color me Rad 5k - a completely fun run during which you run through color stations where giddy volunteers hurl colored cornstarch powder or liquid at you with the aim to make you as messy as possible.

The "race" was also Marcey & I's July run. I felt like complete and utter crap when I arrived that morning. My cold, which had been much better, had returned with a vengeance the night before and planted itself right in my head and my stomach was pretty unhappy with me for what could possibly be the worst pre-race meal ever... half a pizza and a very large double rum and Coke. (I had a bad day at work on Friday, ok??)

Luckily, Marcey and the race made me feel a lot better. Here are some fun photos:

Me, before and after, front view



Before and after backside

Marcey, before and after, backside

Before and after front

It was a fun time, even for this OCD girl who usually absolutely hates getting any speck of dirt on her outfit. I think calling this a 5k "race" of any sort is a stretch though. Marcey and I completed with a casual walk/jog, trying to get as much color as we could as we passed through the stations. There were no mile markers, no timing chips, and no watches (unless you wanted to ruin your watch). We have no idea how long it took us or truly how far we went.

And it didn't matter!! It was just for fun!

We saw people in the parking lot stretching like pros and we even saw a woman taking a goo. At that moment, M and I looked at each other and said the same thing, "What the HECK is she DOING?!?!"

First sign that you take yourself too seriously as a runner, for real.

Lighten up folks. Have some fun. You don't need a freakin' goo for a fun run 5k that isn't even timed. I won't even allow you a goo until you're running 10+.

Now on to week 3, which is my first drop back week. My long run will be only 6 miles, which will hopefully feel like a piece of cake after Sunday's 9 miler. Tonight I did my first 3 of the week around the track at the Y. My first mile was 8:30, so I decided to see if I could do some splits for the next two. Mile 2 was an 8:15 and I really stepped on the gas for mile 3, which came in at 7:45. BAM.