Run for the zoo

Run for the Zoo – Post Race Recap

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Ready, set, START!

I had a GREAT weekend! It was nice to get away from my real life in Denver on a short road trip…even though it was only 2 days! My weekend started out great with seeing The Avengers in Imax 3d, my best friend got engaged, and I made my way down to New Mexico! It ended fantastic with a PR by 10 minutes!!! Yep, you read that right!!

Let me tell you about the Run for the Zoo itself first and you can also check out my Pre Race Review.  This ended up being one of my favorite races I have done so far! Held in Albuquerque, New Mexico the Run for the Zoo was an awesome race and the proceeds went to support the Albuquerque Bio Park Society which includes the zoo, the aquarium and the botanic gardens. I signed up for the 10k, but the event also offered a half marathon, 5k timed race and a 5k family run/walk. It seemed like a nicely organized race: lots of volunteers directing you toward wherever you needed to go, plenty of parking – free and pay (well, at least for our race – we walked to our car later and watched people circling to find a spot for the later races), and the all important – plenty of porto potties!  Everything was clearly marked and easy to find. We drove around the night before just to be sure we could find where the race started and where we were going to park, but then again, we were out-of-towners.

Finishers!

The course itself: AWESOME! It was very pretty. The 10k took you a short trip through the neighborhood then along the backside of the zoo where you literally ran right by the elephants! I thought that was sweet (but smelly)! Next, you turn to run on Tingley Drive which was very cute/pretty itself running along small little parks, ponds and by the Country Club. This part of the city was beautiful! After a couple turnarounds, you continue through the surrounding neighborhoods and end right in front of the zoo. The terrain was mostly asphalt with a little bit of gravel in the beginning. Also, it was pretty flat the whole way – not that I’m complaining. I really liked the course!

The RUN itself: Felt amazing! So, I already hinted that I set an awesome PR: My chip time was 51 minutes flat! You don’t know how ecstatic I am about this! OK, I know that the elevation is lower, but still! My previous PR for 10k was 1:01:19 during the Bolder Boulder last year. I ran this race in 51 minutes. That’s 10 minutes knocked off! That’s awesome to me! I feel very accomplished. This is the best I’ve ever felt running. No hip pain (phew), no soreness. I breathed heavily of course, but I never felt horrible…..maybe it was the altitude, or lack there of, but I don’t care! I’m so proud of my PR. I also took 4th out of 87 in my age group/gender; 36/536 for females; 163/986 total. My friend ran it with me and also did very well! I am running the Bolder Boulder 10k again this year in a couple of weeks, and I’m really curious to see how well I do. It will be a great comparison to see how much the lack of altitude really did contribute to my PR or if I’m just that much more in shape awesome!

The Zoo!

The Post Race: We had some race provided snacks (fruit, granola bars, bagels and gatorade) and well as a free Popsicle (my favorite snack) and the best part about this whole event…….. The zoo! We got free admission to the zoo and stretched our muscles post race by walking around and seeing all the animals. Great way to end the day, well, afternoon. We then hauled it 7 hours back home.

Overall, it was a great trip! It was a little too short for a vacation, but enough to sample Albuquerque. I got to taste some food, see parts of the town, and I even met up with fellow blogger Amy who writes Lavender Parking! We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a margarita. Now, back to the real world…….

UPDATES! 

Next weekend, I actually DON’T have a race! This will be the first weekend I have off after running races three weekends in a row. I’m tempted to last minute register for a Mother’s day race but haven’t decided yet. But I’m back at it for sure with the Rugged Maniac on May 19th.

Check out my Project page: I have two states colored in now!! hahaha

Question for my regular readers: I didn’t talk too much about my actually trip….for those of you who read my blog regularly, would you like to hear about the travel parts of it??? Or just the running stuff…let me know!

Run for the Zoo, Albuquerque, NM – Pre Race Review

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This Sunday I will cross off New Mexico for my completed states!  I am traveling to Albuquerque this weekend to complete the Run for the Zoo!

Two reasons I’m SUPER excited for this race:

1. It’s in another state (YAY)

2. It’s a run for a ZOO!! Isn’t that awesome!?

I am a huge animal fan. I mean, HUGE! I did, after all, major in Zoology in college and I currently am a vet tech. In all seriousness, I really do love animals. It’s my passion. I eventually want a real career involving animals especially something like conservation biology.

So, the proceeds for this race go to support the NM Biopark Society – so it supports the zoo, the aquarium and botanic gardens. And what better way to spend my race money on if it’s going to a zoo!?  Sounds perfect for me! I really do want to try to find all my races that go to some kind of good cause. I know that Amy from Lavender Parking will be there too!  Pretty exciting!

This event features all different milage of races. I am signed up for the 10k. I debated between that and doing the half marathon but I’m glad I went with the lower milage because of my hip hurting. (I have not gone to the doctor yet; and I probably didn’t do it any favors by playing soccer and rock climbing the day after my race – I couldn’t help myself! – but I did take two days off from running monday and tuesday, and finally went for a slow 4 mile run Wednesday. No hip pain! So we’ll see about this weekend). I took a look at the course map, and it looks like part of it follows a river, so I bet it might be a very pretty run.

I am really excited to get a another state knocked down for my project. I’ve been to New Mexico only once before when I was a kid…but I barely remember it. I don’t honestly even remember the city I was at right now. But I know it wasn’t Albuquerque. I love to travel to new places, so this is super fun for me, even if I’m only going to be gone 2 days!  HAHA! Me and my fellow running friend will be driving down from Denver early Saturday morning. She is also a science/animal nerd like myself (she even works with me!) and we’re both super excited to tour the Albuquerque zoo after the race – I’m pretty sure we even get in free!

My goals for this race:

1. Make it through with no hip pain! Maybe not too realistic, but until I get to a doc, it has been worrying me.

2. Run under 60 min. My PR for 10k is last year at the Bolder Boulder. I ran it in 1:01:19. I only need to knock of 1 minute and 19 seconds! I can do this!

3. Enjoy the new place! It’s a fun thing for me, and I really do want to take in the views while I run!

From reading everyone’s post this week, it sounds like a lot of you have races this weekend! Good luck on all them!

Quarter Life Crisis

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Today is my 25th birthday. I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. I know it’s not that old, but I really don’t like the age 25. I feel like anything under that and you’re still considered “young.” Under 25, it’s ok to not have the career you want, be married/have kids or to not be living where you want to be….but as soon as you turn 25, and you don’t have those things, you instantly become lame. That’s the only description I have for it.  Although, I have no desire to have kids or be married any time soon or maybe ever! BUT, I do have a lot going for me! lol. And running is always a constant in my life!

I think this project must be my quarter life crisis.  I got a crazy whim/idea and just went with it!  If this is what I come up with for my quarter life crisis…I can’t even imagine what I’ll do when I turn 50 *shudder*

For my B-day this year, I got to spend time with my mom on Wednesday. We went to a delicious Greek restaurant, saw The Lorax (super cute!) and ate delicious white chocolate, raspberry cheesecake!!!! mmmmm….I’m a big fan of cheesecake! She also got me BEAUTIFUL (real) diamond earrings! My friend at work brought me a TON of easter candy…my favorite candy holiday. My boss brought me a cake! It’s like these people think I like sugar or something!?! My actually b-day day isn’t that exciting because I work at night, but I did a little bit of exercising this morning (I have a physical fitness test for a job I REALLY want) and I think I’m going to treat myself to sushi later before work. But this weekend I plan on celebrating at the bars with friends…. but enough about that stuff….

People think I like sugar……ok ok… I LOVE sugar…….no no, I’m ADDICTED to sugar…..here’s my birthday treats, so far!

I honestly don’t know where I was going with this post, but here’s the things I’d like to get accomplished before my next bday:

1. Knock out a bunch of states for Racing the States

2. Do a full marathon

3. Start training for a triathlon…maybe start with a sprint triathlon.

4. Take the GRE!!

5. Apply to grad schools/get in/go OR find a career that actually uses my major

6. Stay fit..at my current weight…with wiggle room….I’d like to stay around what I weigh, but I’d also like to gain more muscle tone..so that might actually weigh more but look smaller.

7. MOVE! either states or just out of the place I live now!

8. Keep up with this blog.

I think all of these things are doable. I’ll just have to check back in a year to this post to see if I accomplished them!

UPDATES!!!!

My first Racing The States race is in 9 days!!!! The Horsetooth Half is approaching! With my runs the last couple of days, I do feel confident again that I can do it.

I registered for the Bolder Boulder yesterday…supposed to be America’s Best 10k…I’ve done it the last two years…and it is pretty fun! It’s on May 28th.

OH YEAH! My favorite news! I’m doing the Rugged Maniac with a good friend May 19th!!! I’m soooo excited for this! The only race/obstacle course I’ve done was the Tough Mudder (which I’m wearing my Tough Mudder shirt right now! hahaha) and that was 10 miles..so I should have this in the bag!

Other states: The Run for the Zoo in New Mexico is coming up in less than a month! I’m getting geared up for that. I’m doing the 10k though. And I found my Montana race!! I’ll be doing the Missoula Mile.  I know, I know, it’s only a mile..but I happened to already have to be in Missoula that weekend…so I thought It was perfect!