When “fun runs” Cross the Line

Every morning with my cup of coffee I log on and check my e-mail, read the news, and check out Facebook.

As I was scrolling along Facebook, I came across something that caught my eye–not because it was interesting of nature, but because it was appalling to me as a runner.

This is what I saw:

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An X-Rated 5K??!!

Seriously, at what point do fun runs cross the line?

I consider myself an old-school runner and was never into many of the fun runs when they first started coming out but I got the purpose behind them: get people moving. I promoted The Color Run because it’s a fun run that motivates people to do something they might have never done and not feel pressure about a time.

But this? I don’t know what to even call this. Call me conservative, but I have zero desire for a sexy, wild 5k filled with g-strings and honey mud tunnels. A dominatrix dungeon is just not appealing to me.

Maybe it is for some people and that’s who they’re targeting. I brought this up in my Healthy Mom’s group and while most agreed with me on its absurdity, some said that there are people this might be of interest to.

Because I think they knew people like me would question why, the website has a FAQs tab with an answer:
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Why Adult Themed?

Because mud runs are fun, healthy and pleasurable, and sex is fun, healthy and pleasurable, so we thought, why not join the two together? As well as having fun, our underlying message is to promote sex positivity. This is defined as:

an attitude towards human sexuality that regards all consensual sexual activities as fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, and encourages sexual pleasure and experimentation. The sex-positive movement is a social and philosophical movement that advocates these attitudes. The sex-positive movement advocates sex education and safer sex as part of its campaign. The movement makes no moral distinctions among types of sexual activities, regarding these choices as matters of personal preference.”

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I guess I just feel like sending this message could be done in different ways. I feel like themed runs like this are insulting to runners who have been doing the sport for a long time, have devoted hours, months, and years to something they take very serious.

I have trouble calling something like this an actual 5K.

–Tell me what you think. Are themed runs crossing the line?

–or, am I getting too worked up over this?

Travelin’ Pants/Blogs

My two buddies Salt and Julia from Here’s What’s Cooking tagged me on a fun blogger’s award. I like questionnaires probably as much as I like trivia games–which is A LOT. I think I just like questions 🙂

I’ve never seen the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants nor read the book, but several of my students have so I have a pretty good idea of what it’s about. In any case, I’m honored to be a part of this “sisterhood” of pretty awesome bloggers. Thanks Salt and Julia!!

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The Rules:

1. Post the logo on your blog.
2. Thank the person who nominated you.
3. Answer the questions.
4. Choose 10 or so other ladies who blog as your nominees.
5. Post the links to the nominees’ blogs and notify them on their blog.

Questions:

1. What is your favorite color?

Easy Peazy. PURPLE. For as long as I can remember, this has always been my favorite color. One big contributor? My mom. This is her favorite color too so I think since birth I’ve been hearing and seeing it’s awesomeness.

It’s also one of two colors of the Phoenix Suns. I’m a big basketball nut so it’s perfectly fitting that my home team has purple as one of its colors 🙂

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2. Favorite Animal?

This one is tougher. I’m not a pet person so I don’t have a great affinity for dogs or cats or fish. If I had to choose, which I do, I would choose….a cow! My daughter loves cow and loves saying “moooooo”. Her all-time favorite book is this one in Spanish–

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Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink:

Another easy one 🙂

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Facebook or Twitter?

Well I just joined Twitter for my blog page and am still trying to figure things out. I’d pick Facebook because while I personally don’t divulge too much, I actually like seeing what other people are up to. I’m constantly being shocked and entertained at how much and what people share. I also like it because of various groups I’m in. I’m still getting the hang of navigating and up-keeping my blog page on there but so far it’s been fun.

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Favorite Pattern?

I’m a solids kinda gal and prefer no patterns. If you were to peak into my closet, you’d see tons and tons of plain colored tops of different fabrics and lengths. I’ve got a gazillion solid purple tops, a gazillion solid black tops, a million solid brown tops–it’s a rarity that I’ll spice things up and get a printed top. If I had to choose my favorite solid? It was love at first sight ❤

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What is your passion?

There’s a few things I’m passionate about. First, is my family. I’m so crazy about my husband and my kids. I absolutely love spending time with them. Becoming a mom has been one of, if not, the most life changing experience for me and it’s exciting to have something new and something forever to be passionate about.

Second, I’m passionate about learning. I’m a teacher but not only do I love teaching, I love learning. I love learning from my students, from literature I read, from what’s happening in the world, from friends, from people I’ve never met in person, from my husband, from my kids. I love that I’m constantly learning; I love that knowledge is limitless.

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Okay, so I have to choose a few people. I’m new to the blogosphere and don’t many bloggers but I’ll choose a couple I’ve been enjoying recently.

Sara @ Run Sara Run

Anna @ Piper’s Run

Callie @ Eat And Run And Everything In Between

Sara @ Life Between The Miles

Have fun girls!!

Hope you’re having a great Wednesday!! Thanks for reading 🙂

Pre Race Jitters

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The P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll 1/2 marathon has been my Eleanor (catch that Gone in Sixty Seconds reference?)

I’ve ran it twice, the first being my first 1/2 ever and maybe because it wasn’t my best showing, I had forgotten my time and had to look it up! 2:42 at a 12:25/mile pace.

I registered again a few years later having done some more prep work but then discovered I was pregnant a couple of months before the race. I finished at 3:20 with a 15:17/mile pace (I was around 14 weeks).

I’m not ashamed of either time and don’t make any excuses for them; my times are what they are.

All I know is that I finally feel truly prepared for this 1/2. I’ve actually trained and have altered my diet and am mentally ready.

I have a pretty lofty goal this time around.

Okay, here it is.

I want to finish under 2 hours.

I totally get that this is considerably faster than my previous two halves. I’ve done a little math on what I’d have to pace to get that time and also considered the other possible times I might get. This is the range I’d like to be in with of course 2 hours being my main goal:

Time Pace
1:55 8:46/mile
2:00 9:09/mile
2:05 9:32/mile
2:10 9:55/mile
2:15 10:18/mile

It’s so crazy how big of a pace difference it is from 2:05 to 2:00. Like I totally feel I could do a 9:32/mile pace but 9:09 seems so daunting! I think back to my 15K a month ago; I ran those 9.3 miles in a 9:11/mile pace so I know I’ve come close but still….

I think with this particular race, what always has me a little nervous is this

Screenshot_2014-01-13-21-48-27-1 You see that? That thing that happens around mile 10? Yeah, near the END of the race?! It’s already going to be a challenge maintaining my goal pace but to have that to look forward to–well, that gives me the jitters. It helps (a little) that the very end is a decline but I’ll already be running on fumes by then anyway lol!

I’ve done hill work in my training. I know I’m about as ready as I can be for this. I think what’s left is to just trust what I’ve done. Believe that I can do it. I also know that if I don’t meet that goal time, I’m confident I will have improved from my previous two. And that’ll definitely be a win : )

Do you get nervous before a race?

Do you study/memorize the course and elevation map like a crazy person (me)?