Monday, April 25, 2011

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.

16 comments:

  1. oh my word! I can't believe you twisted your ankle on that run!! You looked adorable though! Way to go.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A grade school buddy has the point of view that salads are for rabbits. That's all I can think about with that last picture of you with the bunny ears eating dinner with your fiance!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haha! Danny, I hadn't added the ham, cheesy potatoes, or corn to my plate yet when the picture was taken. This rabbit likes her carbs! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You looked so cute in your runner bunny outfit! Glad the ankle is holding up for you..close call!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice costume - I'm sure you got some good looks. :) Great job with the run.

    ReplyDelete
  6. How cute are you! You have the BEST virtual race outfits. So fun!! Congrats and HAPPY EASTER!

    ReplyDelete
  7. LOVE the confidence it took to wear a custom out for a run in your neighborhood. If I did that, I'm thinking one of my neighbors would have called the police to have me taken to the psych ward!!! You have such an amazing spirit - I'm so glad that I follow your blog.
    I'm VERY sorry to hear about your ankle - uggg! I rolled mine last week during my 10 miler - totally a huge bummer. Lots of ice and maybe some ibuprofen for the swelling. Take it easy, girl!!!!!
    Thanks for being such a bright light in the world!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You are too much running in that costume! You have more nerve than I do. Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That is awesome that you ran in your bunny outfit! :) I'm pretty sure I would have snapped a photo and then took it off like everyone else. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Adorable outfit! And I love that you named your Garmin The Red Dragon.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the outfit!! You should win for best dressed race either way.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You are the cutest bunny ever Richelle! Great job completing the 10k!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That is about the cutest running outfit I've ever seen! I can only imagine what people thought when they saw you running through the neighborhood. I bet you made a lot of people smile that day; nice job Richelle!

    Best wishes on the ankle too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love the cotton tail, that picture is so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You are a very fast ..... bunny!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, how cute are you? Nice job!

    ReplyDelete