Virtual Tulsa Run

The Tulsa Run was set to be on Halloween this year. When they announced the medal design, I was so excited about the race. I normally don't really care about medals but this one was so darn cool with the Halloween theme. I hadn't signed up yet when they had to switch to a virtual event, but I decided to go ahead and sign up anyway. Ty and I first ran the 15k in 2016 and we've done it every year since. Each year I've earned a 60/70 mug for running under 70 minutes in the 15k as a woman. It's a bit of a tradition and my goal is to earn a 70 mug for as long as I can. I decided since they weren't doing the mug this year due to no official results, I'd design my own mug on Etsy. I would have loved one with the awesome medal design, but I wasn't sure how to do that cheaply and dishwasher safe so I went with something pretty already designed on Etsy where I just added the words I wanted. Read about past races here: 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. 

All my race bling!

I didn't have much time to train for the Tulsa Run after taking some weeks easy after the Virtual Boston Marathon, but I felt confident I'd be able to get into 7:30 pace shape fairly easily since that's what I'd have to run to be under 70. I did a 6 mile tempo the week before the race in 7:17 pace even though it didn't go well and I felt a little rough. I was pretty sure I'd be able to run under 7:30 pace for 3 more miles but in the back of my head, I kept thinking back to my half-marathon I ran on July 4th that started out so well and then spiraled out of control for seemingly no reason. That made me a little nervous going into the race. I decided to go ahead and wear my bib because it was so cute! I'm glad I did because I saw other people run by wearing their bibs so we knew we were running the same race. I also passed one woman out running who cheered for me and the huge boost I got after that reminded me why races are so much more fun that virtual races! 

I decided to just run an out and back course on Riverside so I wouldn't have to worry about remembering where to turn or have to deal with traffic. I ran a mile warm up and then attempted to get my RaceJoy app to work so I could track my run and be included in the results. I couldn't get the app to work so I ended up putting my phone back in the car and just running without it. I planned to go out around 7:30 pace and then negative split the race. My first mile was 7:15 which was faster than planned but I felt great so I went with it. The 2nd mile took me up on a ridge by the water and the wind was fierce up there. I was glad I was running into the wind on the way out when I hit that section. My 2nd mile was 7:24 and I was just glad to still be under 7:30 with all the wind. My 3rd mile was 7:15 and I checked at the 5k to see where I was. I went through the first 5k in 22:47. My plan was to follow the same time goals as I did in 2017 when I was just shooting for sub-70. Hit the 5k mark in 23:00, the 10k mark in 46:00, and the 15k mark in 69:00. So I told myself in my head as a little mantra, "23, 46, 69," over and over. After the 5k mark I entertained myself by calculating what my time would be if I ran all my 5ks in 22:47. I ran out to 4.7 miles and then turned around. Mile 4 was 7:30 and I was really ready to turn around so the wind would be at my back! When I turned around I was confident I could make my next 5k faster than my first.

I went through miles 5 and 6 in 7:19 and 7:07. I checked my time at the 10k mark and I was at 45:30 so I went through the 2nd 5k in 22:43, just a smidge faster than my first 5k. I was excited as I calculated my likely finishing time between 1:08:15-1:08:30. I knew I could make my last 5k the fastest and maybe sneak under 1:08 even! My slowest Tulsa Run time was 1:07:39 in 2017, so it would be cool to be under 1:08, that way all my times would be between 1:05 and 1:07. Miles 7 and 8 were both 7:11 and I told myself to make mile 9 my fastest which meant running 7:07 or under. My legs were pretty tired and it was hard to push all by myself but I was able to hit mile 9 in 7:07. I was able to really pick it up once I hit 9 miles and when I looked down at 9.3 miles I was at 1:07:34. Since I was significantly under 1:08 and I normally don't hit right at 9.3 miles during the race, I decided to go ahead and run some extra. I was feeling good and not really paying attention so I ended up not stopping my watch until 9.36 for a finishing time of 1:07:54 and a finishing kick of 7:01 pace. I averaged 7:15 pace for the race and my last 5k was 22:09, much faster than my first two 5ks which was awesome!

I enjoy the more relaxed attitude I have training for a virtual race where if we are traveling or things don't work out, I'm okay with moving things around or even just skipping a tempo. Having virtual races to run helps keep me focused and motivated. But I sure do miss running actual races. Having people to run with and others around to cheer you on really makes a difference. Running this race made me realize how lucky I was my parents came out to support me in the Virtual Boston Marathon and dad and Ty rode portions of the race with me because it felt more like a race and I enjoyed having people on the course cheering for me. This Virtual Tulsa Run was really more of a tempo run that hurt more than usual other than seeing other people out running with their race bibs on!

Wordless Wednesday

A picture I found on Ty's phone from when we made caramel apples after our trip to the apple orchard. 

Another picture from Ty's phone.

We went through and cut pictures out of coloring books and magazines to make a letra Mm book.

Carter's amazing teachers put together pumpkin mania kits for the kids to pick up at school so they could still do pumpkin activities virtually!

Never thought when I was working with Carter on his letra m vocabulary words that when Elise was learning it two years later, this would be the most recognizable "mascara" for her to learn.

Playing Halloween Bingo but using Spanish words. It was great that there were so many Elise has already learned!

Carter working on his pumpkin mania school work.

Ready for Sweets and Treats on Spooky Street at The Gathering Place!

Enjoying a drive through trick or treating.

Reading for Mummy Pancakes from IHOP after The Gathering Place.

Halloween Tic Tac Toe

Ready or mummy dogs and orange Halloween Jell-O jigglers for dinner, we also had eyeballs (grapes) that aren't pictured.

Ready to trick or treat.

Visiting the neighbors.

Trying out new costumes I got half-price the day after Halloween.

$10 Elsa costume for the win!

$10 Anna costume for the win!

Day trip to visit Oma and Opa and we got to build a fire.

I ordered Lego Turkeys to use as decorations.

Carter was beyond sweet stopping to help Elise every time she needed help!

Halloween 2020

For years we have gone to my friend Elissa's house for Halloween. We have dinner together and then trick or treat together. We started doing it because we were friends through a Stay at Home Moms group and Carter was friends with her son. Her son hadn't trick or treated before so she wanted him to have an older friend to show him the ropes. As they've gotten older and started school they spend less time together and it's gotten to where they see each other a few times a year: at Halloween and for their birthday parties. This year her son wanted to invite friends from school for Halloween and it was going to be a bigger get together than we were comfortable with so we decided to do our own thing at home. We invited over my friend whose daughters are still in distance learning and have been really careful about their exposure level. I wanted to make it super fun since it was on a Saturday and we had a blast!

Carter made this sign for the front door and I thought it was so cute!

I ran my Virtual Tulsa Run 15k that morning and then came home and got things ready for the party. I had Halloween Bingo, Tic Tac Toe, and a bean bag toss set up. The kids never wanted to play bingo or the bean bag toss, but surprisingly the tic tac toe was a hit! I pre-made sugar cookie dough and the kids used Halloween cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Once they were cooled we decorated cookies. The kids spent a lot of time in the backyard and on the trampoline.

We decided we wouldn't do much trick or treating so I wanted to do some fun trick or treating things at home. I put candy inside Kleenexes and used pipe cleaners to hold them closed and make a loop to hang them from. Then I drew ghost faces on the Kleenexes and we had a ghost hunt. The kids had a lot of fun with that. Then we did trick or treating in the hallway. Niki, Ty, and I all went in a room and closed the door. The kids came and knocked on the door to trick or treat and we gave them candy. They kept rotating through until we were out of candy. They thought it was hilarious when Ty ran out of candy and gave them socks.

Going on a ghost hunt.

Carter used his mini Snickers to spell out Snickers.

For dinner we made mummy hot dogs. We had them with orange Jell-O jigglers Ty made the night before. The kids took turns cutting Halloween shapes out with cookie cutters. I also gave them grapes and called them eyeballs. They giggled over that. They decided they wanted to sit together at the kid tables so we pushed them together. After dinner our friends headed out to get their costumes on and do a little trick or treating at their family's houses and we did the same. Carter originally wanted to be Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes, using his stuffed tiger as Hobbes, but decided not to because he didn't think people would know who he was. Instead he switched to a Red Power Ranger costume we had from an after Halloween sale. Elise surprised me by choosing to be Cinderella. She wore the Cinderella costume I got at Goodwill years ago for $5! Cheap costumes for the win!

We went to a few of our neighbors who told us they had special goody bags for Carter and Elise on Halloween. Then we went over to Jeremy's house. He made them special spider cookies. After that we went to Thomas' house. He had a cooler full of candy and told the kids to take as much as they wanted. Elise carefully picked through and took a few pieces. Carter grabbed handfuls until his bag was full. Thomas poured some candy into Elise's bag. Carter told Thomas he had so much candy, he must've spent $100! Thomas said close, he spent about $70! We stopped off at one house on the way home that was decorated really cool. it was almost embarrassing for Carter to go up with his bag so full of candy he could hardly carry it! We were home and in bed before 9:00 which is great for Halloween. I wish every Halloween could be on a Saturday!

Trick or treating at Uncie Taco's house.