The Jelly Bean Virtual Race

On Saturday, I completed the Jelly Bean Virtual Race.

I wanted to challenge myself for this virtual race, as well as log a few miles for the Cool Kids Virtual Marathon.  So, I signed up to do the 10K.  My plan was to run the first half of it in my Sauconys, then walk the second half in my Nike Frees.

I had so much fun wearing a costume for my first virtual race that I decided to wear one for the Jelly Bean.

I found these socks on sale!

I bribed asked my roommate to take a few pictures before I headed out for my run in the 'hood.

I found the bunny ears in Target's dollar bin...

I even added a cotton ball to my butt for good measure!

"Little bunny Frou Frou RUNNING through the forest... er, neighborhood"

Some bloggers doing this race may have taken off their costumes for the run, but I decided to wear mine.  I got so many honks, smiles, stares, and flat-out "WTF?" looks from drivers and other runners, walkers (and their dogs!) that I couldn't help but smile.  Two kids even followed me for a couple blocks on their bikes.  They probably thought I was handing out candy.  Too bad I didn't have my Easter basket with me!  I think I lost my cotton ball tail after the first mile, and my bunny ears needed adjusting throughout the run, but oh well.  I had so much fun running in costume!

This was my first run with my new Garmin, which I have named The Red Dragon.  I'm still learning all its bells and whistles, but so far, I really like it and think it will be an excellent training tool for me.

Now, on to the running part...

I had a decent pace going for my first two miles, hovering around a 7:30/mile pace, listening to music on my iPod.  About the 5K mark, I must have stepped on a crack in the road because I rolled my left ankle.  Sharp pain slowed me to a walk and I hobbled a few steps before stopping briefly.  C'mon, I thought to myself, I've already recovered from one injury this year and I don't need a second one!  I started walking again to try to work out the pain and prayed, asking God to take away the pain so I could continue with my run.  After a minute or two of walking and praying, my ankle suddenly felt better and I was able to continue running.  I took a few walk breaks during the second half of the virtual race, mostly in areas where there weren't a lot of people around.  I never did switch shoes... I just wanted to continue.

I had a decent finishing time, but I probably only walked about a mile total of the 6.2 miles.

57:37... average pace of 9:12/mile... not a bad 10K time at all! 

I felt a little tired after the run... here's a pic in honor of Amanda at 5 Miles Past Empty:

Amanda does her signature pose so much better than I do!

I iced my left ankle (and both knees for preventative measures) at home and ate lunch, then took it easy the rest of the day.

Thanks to Jess over at Run With Jess for hosting the Jelly Bean!  I enjoyed this virtual race (ankle twisting notwithstanding) because I had the opportunity to make people smile. :)  I can't wait to start wearing costumes at local races!

--------------------------------
Easter Sunday, future hubs and I headed up to my hometown to visit my parents.  We met them at church, then we ate brunch back at home.  My mom is an awesome cook, but she certainly doesn't make a lot of low-calorie and low-fat food!  A nap followed, along with a short visit from my aunt, uncle and grandma.  Mom made supper before Mark and I headed back to the Cities.

Happy Easter (and Spring, finally) to you all!

Ankle update: I've been able to walk on my left ankle without much pain since the incident happened and I have no limp.  I doubt I broke anything; my ankle would be much worse off if I had.  There is still a little bit of swelling (there wasn't much to begin with), a dull ache from time to time, and the ankle's range of motion is slightly limited compared to my right ankle, but that's improving.  I took today off from any cardio activity (I did strength training with my personal trainer during my lunch break), but plan to run on Wednesday.  I've got another 9.6 miles left to complete for the virtual marathon through May 1.  I probably will be walking most of it, but that's fine.