Thursday, March 9, 2017

Running O' the Green 8k

This past Sunday I participated in the Running O' the Green 8k in Tinley Park. I have done this race a couple of times before but this time I would be running while entering my 5th month of pregnancy, so things were going to be a bit different.

First, I love doing this race for a couple of reasons (pretty much the same reason I love doing ALL of Tinley Park's races).

1.  The race provides an option when pre-registering of getting the race shirt or not. I generally opt not to get the race shirt as I always have tons (and they are unisex) so I only have to pay $16! Not bad!

2.  It's a local race and getting to the start is never more than a 10 minute drive! Plus, I can park right in the lot to the rec center where the race begins.

3. You can wait in the rec center before and after the race to stay warm if it's cold outside. Which includes indoor bathrooms!

4. Tinley Park races offer TONS of food. This time around...bagels, oranges, bananas, granola bars, cookies, mini cinnamon rolls, mini Jimmy Johns sandwiches. And they ever rolled in pizza after a small delay. Yes please! It's pretty hard to justify eating all of this after only an 8k but ... whatever.

5. I can guarantee several friends will do it (or get suckered into doing it) and it's always fun doing races with friends!

On to the race. Since I was clearly not trying to PR this race (or even come close), I decided to do a run/walk interval with my friends Becky and Jannelle. They were doing a 4 min run/1 min walk interval throughout and I thought that sounded just fine for me!  We all met up for a pre-race photo (obviously!).
This photo includes MANY of my most favorite run friends!
We headed outside to the start about 5 minutes before the race was going to begin.  I have to say, I was MOST nervous going into this race due to not having any bathrooms on course. Yes, I know it's "only" an 8k. Yes I know an 8k is "only" 4.97 miles. BUT...I'm pregnant and as soon as I start running these days, I need to use the bathroom. No a pre-race jog doesn't clear this up for me. So the thought of running 5 miles without a bathroom to hop into was totally stressing me out! Haha! #PregnantRunnerProblems.

Becky, Jannelle and I started our 4:1 interval and did it throughout the entire race. I thankfully did not have to use the bathroom. Well, I did but I was able to make it through. lol. Ok enough of the bathroom situation. You aren't here for that. I felt good throughout the run. Some of my runs have been rougher lately so I was glad that it was a good day.  I think the baby is a runner and enjoys it. Good because I'm putting you in a kids dash as soon as I can! Haha! Just kidding little one! ... maybe.

My friends rocked it out, as usual. A couple even brought home some first place bling!

The weather was a bit windy but when the wind calmed down, the temperatures were actually quite nice. The race generally runs through neighborhoods with the last half mile on the trail near the rec center. All in all, another great race put on by the Tinley Park District! I'm glad I live so close (and lived in Tinley until I got married).

Next race on my calendar...Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon in Lexington, KY. April 1st. Gulp. Ready or not, here I come! All in all, I feel fine when running. I'm just slower. I do lots of run/walks these days. My breathing is just a bit more difficult. So I should be good to go for this half.

And I purposely haven't been saying much (or anything) to the non-runner about even doing this half because they don't understand. And everyone has an opinion. As much as I'm always willing to hear advice and opinions, I don't need them from people that don't understand and just judge. I'm not doing anything that will harm the baby. I just need encouragement and positivity in my life right now.

I also checked and the half marathon says there are 7 locations for bathrooms throughout the course. This makes a pregnant runner very happy.

Keep on running friends!

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fun race. Bonus points for it being so close to home, inexpensive and indoor bathrooms! Sorry to hear about people judging. I say go for it and have fun. That's the most important thing! :)

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  2. Don't listen to anyone - you know what's right for your body, and that's all that matters! Happy Monday - stay warm this week!

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