A Valentine’s Day 5k (with a Giveaway!)

Hey everyone! It’s been a long time since my last post! Long story short: I’ve been sick. I still haven’t kicked my upper respiratory infection, but I am a million times better than I was last week. I have so much to fill you guys in on: a Justin Timberlake concert, a chocolate tour, and our Valentine’s Day celebrations. But today I want to talk about a race. After two weeks of no real movement besides going to work, coming home, and laying on the couch, I have been itching to move. We signed up for a Valentine’s Day 5k race months ago that I was really looking forward to. When Saturday rolled around and I didn’t feel like complete death I decided to do it.  Josh was less than excited about my decision as he thought it was a bad idea while I was trying to recover. He was completely right, but I was stubborn and insisted.

I mean how cute are the race shirts? I wanted one so badly! The race was the Kicks ‘n Kisses 5k in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was supposed to be 50 degrees on race day but was only 30 degrees when we raced. We were seriously under-prepared. I didn’t bring gloves and Josh only had sweatpants. I ended up running in my wool scarf and headband which I would not recommend, but it did keep me warm. I was rocking my new Reebok ZQuicks that I was sent to review. I got them in the mail the day I started feeling sick and have been wanting to try them out so badly since. I did something I normally never do and wore them for the first time on race day. They were amazing, and didn’t require any break in time. I’ll be blogging about them more next week but I am seriously happy with these shoes.

We ran the race with our good friends Joanna and Jeff. They were very sweet to not mind my coughing and sniffling on the car ride to Lincoln. I’m obsessed with Joanna’s chevron scarf. It’s so cute!

This race was really cool because it was put on by runners for runners. We were able to wait inside a heated building with tables before the race, it was chip timed, and they released runners in waves. The first wave was Cupid’s Chase, where single runners chased cupid (who was riding on a bike). The second wave was Duo Dash, where couples were tethered together and ran as a couple. There was a really good turnout to the race.

Joanna was so sweet to snap pictures of us finishing. I am just so glad we finished. This race humbled me. I’ve run a lot of 5ks, and before I got sick was working out six days a week. I knew running sick would be harder, but I had no idea how much harder. The course was a semi loop, so you run past the 3 mile marker at the beginning of the course. I was already worn out by that .1 mile. Josh was very sweet and tried talking to me about various sights along the course, but I just had to focus on breathing through the pain. I was determined not to walk, but my run was so slow that at some points Josh was walking alongside my run. We crossed the finish line at 37:33, my slowest by far, and I spent the next 20 minutes catching my breath between coughs.The experience of the race was fun, but the race itself was brutal. I know this sounds crazy, but I’m still really glad I did this race.

After I finally stopped my coughing fit (seriously, major props to Joanna, Jeff, and Josh for still sitting next to the super embarrassing girl) we decided to grab lunch. I’ve never eaten in Lincoln before, so I really appreciated our friend Molly recommended The Green Gateau. We had no idea what to expect, but new we were in for a treat as soon as we walked inside.

Hello veggie crepes of my dreams. These were seriously amazing. They were so filling, but so light and fluffy at the same time.

They also came with a chocolate espresso muffin. I couldn’t even handle how good it was. I have officially found my Lincoln restaurant of choice.

And with that, we drove back to Omaha and I went back to resting on the couch. I just want to side note here that I would never run through a serious illness. I’ve been to the Doctor twice since I got sick and it was confirmed that while what I have is loud and uncomfortable, it is nothing serious and just a rather persistent chest cold. I rested when I got home and woke up the next morning feeling slightly better than the day before, a sign that I’m recovering.

If you’re in the Nebraska/ Iowa area and are looking to run a really fun 5k, Color Me Rad is coming to Council Bluffs!! (5 minutes away from downtown Omaha at the MidAmerica Center.)

A color race has been on my bucket list for a long time. The premise is simple: wear all white, run a 5k, and get covered in colored cornstarch along the way. Everyone who has done one of these races has raved about it and I am so excited to get to participate in the Omaha/ Council Bluffs one on April 26th.

Early bird registration is $35 until February 28th. If you use the code ‘Kneehigh5’ at checkout between now and February 20th you save an additional $5 off at checkout.

The folks at Color Me Rad were so awesome to offer two free entries to a lucky Girl Gone Veggie reader. (Disclaimer: I was given two free race entries as well.) If you can get to Council Bluffs on April 26th, you are eligible to enter. I’d love to get crazy colorful together! (And I promise not to be a hot, sick mess like I was at this past race.)

To enter to win just answer my question of the day and specify you’d like to win. I’ll pick a winner next Monday. 🙂

Question of the Day: What is the coolest race you’ve ever run/ want to run?