Monday, Monday...

Happy Monday... From my version of Sunday. 😏 

Linking up with Erin at Her Heartland Soul for Weekend Snapshots!

Www.herheartlandsoul.com

My 3-day weekend has been MUCH needed and I'm certainly taking advantage of one more day off. Peter and I are currently in the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee enjoying the perks of my parents cabin.

I always say there are only two places I TRULY feel like I can relax--the beach and this place right here. I don't feel rushed, I don't mind not doing ANYTHING. Case in point, the last two nights Peter and I have rented from Redbox and enjoyed a few early/laid back nights in. 😊

Before getting here and being lazy bums on Saturday, I got up and ran my first 5k of the year that morning. It didn't start until 11am and at first, I was kind of annoyed at that because I have my entire routine down and it threw a slight wrench in that but it ended up working out really well--mainly because it was pretty awesome not being in a rush. That being said, it just gave me more time to be nervous. I typically don't get nervous for bigger races but man, 5k's? I'm a wreck. Ha. Anyone else?!?!

I spent my morning slowly getting ready and then headed over to the race around 10:15 or so in order to have plenty of time to get registered and get all of my things together. It's funny--with running, the only "real" piece of equipment you need are shoes but you'd never know that by watching a race. Ha. 

After I peed for the billionth time, stretched, and got in the "zone", it was go time. This was the second year I've ran this race and and when I say I've ran this course at LEAST 50 times, I mean it. I'm very familiar with it and could run it in my sleep. The first mile is pretty flat, second mile consists of LOTS of rolling hills, and third mile is made for racing--mostly flat and downhill. 

Like I said, this was my first 5k of the year (oddly enough) and so as far as expectations, I didn't really have any to be honest. My "A" goal was to get in under 22 minutes but with as much distance running as I've been doing lately, I wasn't sure if that was even a possibility. I've focused a lot on speed work in the last 2 1/2 months and have made a point to strengthen my core but still, you never really know until you get out there. 

When I was the first female to cross the line in 21:49, needless to say, I was pretty happy. It was 4 seconds off my PR and almost 10 seconds faster than my time from last year so I felt pretty great about it!

I was definitely GASSED when I finished but I definitely put it all out there on Saturday. I think if I was running on fresher legs, I MAYBE could have PR'd but I'm still pretty stoked with turning in a sub-22... Especially coming from someone who used to run a 5k in the 28-29 minute range! If I can do it, ANYONE can! 😊

It was a very well organized race and I thoroughly enjoyed getting a chance to catch up with all of my local running friends. 😊

Once the race was over, it was time for Peter and I to head out for our weekend getaway! We ended up getting to the cabin around 5, relaxed for an hour or so, and then headed to Mellow Mushroom for dinner. Believe it or not, this was my first time having pizza in 2015! What the heck have I been doing?!?! Needless to say, this very quickly turned into a "cheat" weekend and I have no regrets. Ha. 

After our pizza coma, we came back to the cabin and watched "The a Wedding Ringer" and then I hit the hay pretty early. 

Sunday I was up at the crack of dawn, of course but no complaints from me. That's my favorite time of day! It was a little rainy but I managed to get in a fun circuit workout over the course of the morning/my favorite Food Network shows. 😉 Lots of push-ups, dips, and squats plus some walking during rain breaks and a little jogging in place. 

Once Peter got up, we got ready and headed into town to explore. We ended up doing a "few" moonshine tastings and I totally felt it. Ha. We ended up sampling one moonshine with one of the guys from the show "Moonshiners" without even really knowing it, funnily enough. 

 

I tried sneaking a picture but wasn't too successful and I don't know his name anyway. Ha. 

After a recovery lunch, we did a little damage at the outlet malls and after briefly debating on where to get dinner, we decided to just grab something from the grocery and take it back to the cabin for another night in. And it was perfect. We rented "Wild" (awesome movie!) and enjoyed doing absolutely nothing. 

It was a much needed and well deserved weekend. I feel relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to tackle the world head on. We will be heading home here in a bit and although I wish we were staying a TAD bit longer, we've already made plans to come back again in June/July. 😊

Time to start packing and get on the road! We've got a mountain coaster to ride and an Amish grocery store to explore before we leave! 😉 

Have a wonderful Monday!