Valatie Veteran's Day 5K race report.

I had planned to run a 10K on Long Island this past Saturday. But superstorm Sandy made a mess of the island so the race was canceled. And we ended up canceling our trip, which was a good move. One of my brothers-in-law, his wife, and their young son were displaced by the storm, and will be for probably the rest of this year. So, they popped up this weekend for a visit and to get a little break.

In between canceling our trip and making the new plans, I signed up for a small local 5K. And I talked Bridget in to running it as well. So, even though my BIL, Glenn, and his family were here, I still managed to get in a race.

I'm thrilled that I did.

Bridget and I got to the Valatie Veteran's Day 5K about a half hour before the race started, picked up our shirts and our bibs and booked it back to the car because it was so much colder than we had expected. We sat around for a little while and then I decided to take off for a quick warm-up and she met up with our friend Karen who was also running the race.

After meeting back up, we went to the starting line and with a loud, "On your mark. Get set. Runners go!" we were off.

I wanted to run a strong race and I hoped to finish under 23 minutes, if not close to my PR.

My first mile was conservative. I ran in a pack for that first mile, slowly passing all of the runners in that pack. Then the sun came out and the course turned on to a really pretty country road and I was running mostly alone. I could see a pack ahead of me and part of me wanted to try to close the gap, but the other (smarter) part of me decided I needed to heed my own advice and run my own race.

That's what I did. I picked up the pace a smidge over the second mile and then, in the third mile, poured it on. With about a half mile to go, I started to feel like I was going to get a PR.

And then, right around mile 3, I came to the hill. Not a long hill, but a steepish hill and just something that, honestly, I didn't want to run up at the end of a 5K in which I'd been pushing my pace.

But I did.

And I finished strong.

Coming in to the finish line.

22:18 and a new PR!

My old PR, set in August, was 22:42. Yup, on Saturday I smashed that old record!

Man, I was psyched. After finishing, I grabbed a water and a banana and went back to cheer for Karen and Bridget. I somehow missed Karen crossing the line, but I saw Bridget, who also set a new PR of 25:58! Yay!

What makes my performance so good, to me, is that I felt strong the entire way and ran negative splits, well, except for the last bit. Check it out:

Mile 1: 7:20
Mile 2: 7:10
Mile 3: 6:58
Last .1: 8:05 pace (yeah, the hill got me!)

Overall pace: 7:11

Pretty cool. Like I said, it was a small race -- only 135 people. I ended up finishing 15th overall, 5th female, and 1st in my age group. Not too shabby.

I was very pleased. Very, very pleased. The rest of the weekend was terrific too!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all had a great weekend!

~ Felice

Put a hat on it.

Over the summer, the nice folks at Jack Rabbit Caps sent me a customized hat for review. I've worn the hat several times but I failed to get around to reviewing it.

It's a shame because the hat is great.

Check out the fun customization:

The Happy Runner. That's me!

The hat is very soft and it fits well. It even has a back ponytail hole, which is a nice addition for me since I always wear my hair in ponytails when I run. I like that the hat didn't slip or move around when I ran. I also like that it is light so I didn't feel overheated when I wore it.

And, of course, I love that it had "The Happy Runner" embroidered on the side. I mean, how cool is that?

Very cool.

You can get your own customized hat by visiting their web site (HERE). The regular, moisture-wicking caps go for $24.99, or $29.99 with customization. They also have wool caps that go for $29.99 ($35.99 with customization). And there are several fun colors to choose from. Oh, and shipping is free!

Best thing? Jack Rabbit Caps are made right here in the USA. Go, Jack Rabbit Caps!

Now, the question: Would I buy this with my own money? I'll tell you what. I don't spend a lot on myself but I would put this on my Christmas/birthday/Mother's Day gift list. Hey, that's a good idea! Put a Jack Rabbit Cap on your gift wish list!

Are you a hat wearer? Have you tried Jack Rabbit Caps? 

What's your favorite hat?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Felice

Review disclosure: I was sent a hat for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Seven.

Each month since my marathon in May, I've run fewer and fewer miles. Check it out:

June: 100
July: 94.1
August: 80.8
September: 81.6
October: 57.4

57.4?!?! And that included a half-marathon?

Yikes.

The even greater yikes is the impact that this downward mileage trend has made on my life. My mileage reduction has resulted in a weight increase. Of 7 pounds. Seven pounds since the marathon.

What the what!?!?

This was me, the day before the marathon. Those jeans fit perfectly back then. Perfectly.
If I'm honest, they're a bit snug right about now. Not cool.

Clearly, I have been eating as if I am still running 30 miles a week, not the puny mileage I've actually been doing. I need to get that in check. After all, I'm not that young anymore so pounds gained now could easily become pounds that never go away. I'd like to shake of these 7 now, please.

And, really? I blame giving-in-to-temptation for the gain. Halloween candy? Hand it over. Toddler didn't finish his lunch? I will. No one is eating that last half of English muffin? With all that butter on it? Fine, I'll eat it.

Yeah, no more of that.

Conveniently, there are about 7 weeks between now and the end of the year. I'm pretty sure I can manage to drop these 7 extra pounds by then. And that's my goal. Clean up my eating habits, get my mileage back up, lose the extra 7.

Think I can do it? 

I'll let you know.

~ Felice

October recap.

October was another roller coaster-style month for me. The highs included a new PR at the Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon. The lows included my fall and resulting sprained ankle at the Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon.

Yes, it was quite the day.

After the race, I had to rest the ankle to allow it to heal. I actually think that the forced rest was a good thing for me. Although my monthly mileage was pretty low, I stayed active and did a lot of cross-training. And, my ankle healed. It took a while but I'd say it is completely back to normal now. Yay!

Here's how October shaped up for me:

Running (miles): 57.4
Races: 1 -- the Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon where I set a new PR (1:46:59)
Cross training (sessions): lots -- at least two a week
Planks: tried for one a day, ended up with 23

Not half bad. I'd like to see my mileage get back up a bit for November but I'm not going to go crazy. I'll just take the month as it comes. This whole not training for any races thing is kinda nice!

Have a good day, everyone. Happy election day!

~ Felice