Run this Mother 5K 2015

MacMama likes to find a good 5K to walk about every weekend. So, we were talking about events and she mentioned Run this Mother 5K on Mother's Day. I thought it sounded like a good idea, but I did have some trepidation because my last trail run at Eisenhower Park was lots of boulders and roots and I'm clumsy. I mentioned it to PowerBroker and she decided to do it also. None of us pre-registered. Sunday morning I picked up PowerBroker and Speedy Son and we headed to the park to register. We arrived early and they were still setting everything up, which was a surprise. We found the registration desk and signed up. Cash only. And women only, so Speedy Son couldn't actually run the race. We were given our shirts and we did a little shopping.

MacMama arrived and we hung out at the start line for awhile. It was nice to have vendors to keep us occupied, and it is a really pretty park. I was happy to have the chance to finally wear my INKnBURN Lace. For some reason, it felt right for a women's event. I have been recovering from the hip issues, so I wasn't sure how much I would run or walk. I knew MacMama would be walking. PowerBroker said she would stick with me no matter what even though her pace is much much faster these days. Her story is hers, but I have to tell you just how incredibly strong she is.

The race just didn't "feel" like a "race" and seemed a little disorganized, but it's small and local and that's a good thing. Eventually we started our run. The course kept us on a paved trail. It was pretty narrow, so a bit crowded at the beginning. But there were women of all sizes and paces so it eventually thinned out. The course took us up a nice hill and around a loop. We passed a water station and the 1-mile marker. I don't know why when we were coming back around the loop and down the hill that I thought that was 2 miles ... it wasn't. PowerBroker and I were on my run-walk-run pacing and MacMama was walking so we caught site of her on the out-n-back section. She looked happy. I felt hot. PowerBroker always pushes me just a little. She holds back for me and I try harder for her. We make a good match. When we got back to near the start ... we turned right instead of left ... away from the finish line. There was another section that looped up and around and back to the finish.

I admit ... it feels silly to me getting a flower at the finish line. But, maybe that's because I don't get flowers for Mother's Day. It was pretty we also got a medal. I won't complain. We found Speedy Son. He started the run before the official run with the plan to run the 5K. He got lost and ran about 5 miles. Still, beat us back.

We hung around and took a few fun pictures. Of course, our victory finish pic had to be done. We picked up the jewelry we bought and headed to the car. 

MacMama was shortly behind us, so we got to get in one final picture of our finish. All in all, it was a good day. The race was small, local, relaxed. Sure, I would do it again. Even with the mile 1 hill. 

Victorious ... sort of

 I always jump for joy in INKnBURN

I have to take pictures of flowers when they look this pretty

There were some complaints about the course being measured short. I am not going to complain, it makes my finishing time look all that much better. 

Spa Girl Tri San Antonio 2015

I have said it before and I stand by it ... Purpose.Race.Events puts on great events. Well organized and always with a purpose. I had signed up for my 5th SpaGirlTri and knew it would be fun, but I admit, I had a tough week and just wasn't feeling in the mood. I figured I would take things one step at a time. So ... Friday evening after work, I stopped by the JW Marriott to pick up amazing swag. I figured, even if I didn't race, then I would at least pick up my bag. I also picked up for Sorority Girl. I kept to myself. But, admit, the reversible bag is cool and we got to choose candle scents. I really like the personal touch.

Yes, I covered my saddle with a swim cap. It might rain

Then, I figured, well, I have my bag, I may as well rack my bike. The Musician pulled Vaderette off the ceiling rack and aired her tires. Vaderette parked next to Shak's steed for good luck. I said "hello" to Lynn's Litespeed on a nearby rack. Purpose.Race.Events was kind enough to allow TriMomSA to have reserved racks so we could be together. Sorority Girl called as she was racking her bike and realized, she didn't have a helmet, so I drove back to the JW for a third time to loan her a helmet and give her a spare swim cap. This is her first tri and she was following my training method ... train on race day!
Did I mention it had been a rough week? I stayed up too late, but did manage to lay out my gear for morning. I was excited to wear my new Betty Designs kit. Woke up with a slight hangover and no appetite, but decided to chug some coffee. The Musician drove me to the shuttle drop off and then it was "go" time. At first, I just kept to myself, but then the other TriMoms started to trickle in. It was nice to see Shak and Lynn and Carrie and Kim again. I met Heidi and Sebrina and Yuka (and a few others, but I'm terrible with names). Love you gals. So motivating.

 TMI here ... so feel free to skip ahead. I count on morning coffee to prepare me for races, but lately it hasn't kicked in on time. Today, perfect timing and I felt ready to race. After coffee did it's magic, I found Sorority Girl.

We hung out a bit, did a final check of transition and headed to the pool area. We hung out with TriMoms as announcements were made, a prayer was said, and the participants sang the national anthem. I think this is one of my favorite parts of Purpose.Race.Events events. The clouds looked ominous and I was nervous about a downpour. Sorority Girl was in a different swim wave and she headed out.

The rest of the TriMoms were all in the same wave and started together. It took some time for the time trial start to get into the water. I met a girl from TriForce named Susan. I have to find her, she was super cool and fun and I would like to hang with her in the future. Remember what I'm about to say here. I was telling Shak that I sometimes forget to hit the button on Trusty Garmin ... or I hit the wrong button during transitions ... so I had to be careful not to have operator error so I could keep track of my pacing.

Relaxed hands

Poor form crossing arms

Swim: We followed each other into the water for our 400 meter lazy river swim. With so many people in the water ahead of us, the current was nice. I kept what I thought was a steady pace, but only I can get lost in a lazy river. Mid-way through, I heard shouting and looked up to hear people pointing for me to go right, I went left. About this point, I realized, I needed to start Trusty Garmin. Fail. After the swim, it's about a quarter mile run to transition, so I blame my long swim time on the run to the bike, right? 09:36

T1:  I didn't completely take a picnic in transition and off we went. It's about a quarter mile from transition to bike mount, so I'll blame my time on the run to bike mount, and the walk from dismount to transition. 03:26

Bike:  The bike was actually a lot of fun. My bike computer had me at 15-18 mph most of the time, but a few times I was at 22-23 mph. What? No training? The course was different this year with only one hairpin turn (well, twice since it's two loops), but my skills are no better, so I was still super slow with the turns. I need to get past the fear. And, I made it up the big hill at the finish without walking. I was grateful that the headwinds were always on the downhills and we had tailwinds uphill. We did get a bit of a sprinkle here and there, but the clouds didn't open up. There were a lot of Betty's on the course and it was fun shouting to them. We recognize the unique skulls and butterflies. Badass and feminine all at once. I saw my new friend Susan as she passed me telling me she wasn't a strong biker. 39:25

T2 was again, relatively quick (by my standards) and I actually had a minute to talk to Shak. She's usually way ahead of me at this point, so I knew she was taking it really liesurely. That had been her plan, but I didn't believe her. It seems she was following my method. Go out. Have fun. Laugh at yourself. Take it easy. As we started to run, some of the final swimmers were coming out of the water. 2:27

Run: Then it was off on the run and as usual ... the sticks on the bottom half of my body didn't work right. They just don't know what to do or where to go. 1.1 mile downhill, then turn around and 1.1 mile uphill. Somewhere along the route, Pink Ninja took a few pictures of me running. I never saw her, but she said she shouted my name a dozen times. I say I was delirious, she says I was focused. So nice of her. Somewhere on the run, I realized, I had not been pushing the right buttons on Trusty Garmin. It said I was biking very slowly right about now. 27:36

But, finally the finish. This year, there were lots of cute young men on the course and handing out medals. That's a really nice touch. I found out later, they were a young Air Force unit. How come they didn't look like that when I was coming up through the ranks? 1:22:42


The medals are gorgeous...as usual.

I picked up lovely food and mimosas and met up with the TriMoms who had finished. This was Sebrina and Yuka's first tri!!! You girls ROCK!!!

Amazing women

What is this medal made of?

  We celebrated with a few pictures and Sebrina even did my "jump" with me.

 Sorority Girl was in the water at least a full hour after I was. I went back to transition and her bike wasn't there yet, so I headed out on the bike course on foot. Ran into her amazing husband and super cute kid waiting for her on the big hill. Met up with her at the bottom of the big hill and trotted back to transition as she rode. I tried to find Pink Ninja at the finish line waiting for her niece, but no luck so I chased down Sorority Girl to finish her run. Dang it, my sticks still don't work. She has actual legs instead of jello appendages.

As we came around to the finish, I headed off to let her bask in the glory of her first tri. Her little guy ran the finish with her. I am pretty proud of myself for helping her to get through her first half-mary and her first tri this year.

 I had a left-over mimosa ticket and had been given one by another racer, so I grabbed 2 more mimosas. Nothing like hair of the dog.

 

All my SpaGirl Medals

After a few more pics, I called The Musician to pick me up. Cleaned up transition and headed out on the bike. Met a lovely group of people from Austin and told them all about SpaGirl Bastrop and other great upcoming Purpose.Race.Events such as MasQ Half, Illuminations Half, and of course, Cocoa Women's, Missions Half, and of course Alamo 13.1. I hope to see them there.

Of course, I had to take at least one picture of a flower

Magic shorts

This is how INKnBURN shorts make me feel

Many years ago I watched a movie on a plane. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Four young women of different shapes and sizes all fit into the same pair of jeans ... at different times... and they all looked great and had amazing, life-changing experiences.

If you know me at all,  you know I am very self-conscious about my shape. It's been many different sizes and the result of previous sizes shows up in pretty unflattering ways. I started running at a different size than I am now. I have always run in compression shorts with a long-ish inseam, capris, tights. My thunder thighs, have turned into loose flappy thighs. My back-side is flat and, I swear, hangs down to my knees. Skirts with compression underneath are even better to cover the bum ... but never ever would I consider running shorts. I remember the first time I bought a running skirt, how hard I looked for one and how happy I was to find one. Now, skirts are all over the place. I wear several brands and aim for longer lengths and inseams. I admire those girls with the tight thin muscular legs and tight tiny bottoms in their itty bitty shorts. No way would I ever be able to pull that off. Just two words: Chub Rub. Shorts ride up on me. They don't cover the droopy bum. I don't have to say anything more about it.

 I love everything INKnBURN. I have been wearing their skirts becaues they are so beautiful. Hidden designs on the shorts underneath. My only issue was that they were just a wee bit short. The inseam hit at the thickest part of my thigh so it rolled up. Anything more than a few miles was not comfortable. Then, INKnBURN had a sale.  A Mystery Grab Bag of Bottoms. 4 shorts or skirts or combination for $100. I couldn't pass it up. I ordered my usual size and found 3 shorts and a skirt. So, I tried on the shorts and game over ... I am now a shorts runner...for the first time in my life.

I found that the original size fit well, but was a teeny tiny bit snugger than I prefer.

Red Denim...No longer available
This is the size I wear in regular jeans and in INKnBURN capris/tights/pants

So, I sized up and they were perfect.

Paeon...Limited Sizes still available
This is one size up from regular jeans. I feel most comfortable in these

Buuut, there was a pair I wanted really bad and they had it another size up, so I gave it a shot. Also perfect. Well, maybe a little loose in the back-side ...

Healing Mandala...No longer available
This is 2 sizes up from what I normally wear in jeans

What? I can wear three different sizes and they all are perfect? It's really INKnBURN Magic. Just like the capris, tights, and pants ... something about the shorts makes my butt look (can I say it?) good. Not flat and flabby. I think they are true to size, but it depends on how you like your fit. Snug? or Loose? Regardless of the fit, I haven't had any issues with the shorts riding up. NO CHUB RUB!!!

There are so many things to like about these shorts.

1. The fabric is made of magic. Light-weight. Feels like nothing. And it dries in a flat second. So ... sweat away and you won't feel soggy. Trudge through a river and you'll dry in an instant.

2. The designs!!! I don't need to say anymore. A picture is worth a thousand words. The colors are amazing and coordinate so well with all of the other designs for mixing or matching.

3. The shorts are a bit longer in back to cover the saggy butt. Bonus. No cheek hanging out.

4. The waistband is nice and wide. I wear it rolled up and it hits nicely on my hips and is really comfortable. You have the option of rolling it down if you want a lower-cut fit. And, of course, the styling details on the inside of the waistband are super fun, detailed, and coordinate with INKnBURN tops.

5. The liner is really comfortable. I hardly notice it's there. No seams rubbing in all the wrong places.It also stays put, no moving around, no wedgie.

6. There are two little pockets in front that are just the right size for a couple of gel packs and/or a set of keys. No big bulky items.

7. I love that they are made in the USA. I love supporting small business. The staff take pride in each piece they individually make, trim, and package. The pride in their product shows.

The only thing I have to say is that I think the "C" in DRY I.C.E stands for "crack" because there is something addictive about these shorts. I can't get enough!!!

Complaints? None really that I can think of. I have heard some rumblings that the company doesn't make larger sizes and the new designs are topping out at Size 12. I guess they didn't have sales volume in size 14, so they stopped making very much in that size. I do size up from what I wear in jeans and I am definitely sized up (1-2 sizes) compared to their capris/tights/and pants. The only other thing I have noticed is that the newest designs in shorts seem to fit a little snugger. Not like a full size smaller, but a hair smaller, like ... in between sizes. I ordered my "perfect" middle size, so I can't
really tell you if there is less of saggy butt in my top size. Of course, that could also be a reflection that my backside has gotten bigger rather than the shorts getting smaller. We won't talk about that possibility any further. I have heard other people say they think the newest designs are shorter, so maybe it's not just me.

So ... I can say, I've become a bit OBSESSED with INKnBURN shorts. The designs are gorgeous and I can wear them for distances without chafing issues. So, what's not to love? The old designs are amazing, but sadly, no longer available.

New Lust 

Classic Lust

Sunflower

Bloom

Leaf  'em in the Dust(I no longer have these)

Dragonfly

True Blue

Pink Ink

Dark Denim

Celtic Knot

Hollywood Dragon

AND NOW FOR THE NEWEST DESIGNS!!! 

If you love them ... which I do ... so I bought them ... you may want to order quickly. They make only one run of each design. When they are sold ... they are gone. You may be able to hunt them down at one of the limited local running stores that carries the brand, but no guarantees. There are limited sizes still available in Paeon and Run or Die (I don't have those ... I know, shocker!!). These three are new and most sizes should still be available. 

Lace is gorgeous. Almost like running in lingerie. Mine runs a hair snugger than old designs.

Dragon Flower has amazing vibrant colors and texture. I love the dragon on the fold down waistband. These also seem to fit me a hair snugger than older designs.

This could be my new favorite. Wildflower. I love the vibrant colors. I love the detail that makes them look like worn jeans. These fit exactly like older designs. Perfect sizing. I had considered asking for a size up before shipping, glad I didn't

I love the whimsy and detail of the designers at INKnBURN. Fish Tank for April Fool's. Get it? And the colors are amazing match with wildflowers.