Diva Dash 5K Recap
Alternate title: 162.2. Woo!
Alternate alternate title: In which I run 2 freaking awesome miles, and then crash and burn spectacularly.
So, this morning I woke up bright and early to run my first 5K since October—the Diva Dash in Leawood, Kansas.
(Full disclosure: I received this race entry free in exchange for blogging about the event. All opinions are fully my own, though!)
It was about a 35 minute drive there from home, so I toasted an English muffin with a little cream cheese to eat in the car.
I didn’t QUITE comprehend how cold it was until I got out of my car for the race. The thermometer on the car read 22 degrees…and I later found out there were wind gusts of up to 17 mph to contend with as well.
I’m not a puss about the cold, but the wind made it really unbearable. I was wearing insulated running tights, a tech shirt, gloves, and a running jacket and was freezing within 30 seconds of getting out of my car!
Luckily, the race had nice tech shirts, so I threw the second one on under my jacket beforehand.
You know…I’m not a super feminist, but I’m not thrilled with the logo. I get that it’s a women’s race, but heels and shopping bags? Seems a wee bit stereotypical and just kind of rubs me the wrong way, especially when the race benefits an awesome charity, Girls on the Run, that is largely about teaching young girls self-confidence even if they don’t fit the mold. But…rant over.
Anyway, I didn’t get to enjoy the pre-race festivities and exhibits because I was too busy huddling in the nearby hotel lobby for warmth. It was packed!
Pretty soon we were shepherded out and the race began.
Mile one: Garmin split was 8:13, also known as the fastest mile I’ve ever run, ever. My legs felt good and my heart rate was fine, but I could tell the cold was possibly going to be a factor later in the race. Dude, I think, I can TOTALLY PR.
Mile two: Garmin split was 9:16, a really great split for me, especially since this was a hilly course. I lose feeling in my fingers and tears and snot begin streaming down my face from the wind. Feel the odd sensation I get before asthma attacks in cold weather—it’s kind of like my teeth hurts and my upper chest tightens. Realize I left my inhaler at home because hey, it’s just a 5K!
Mile three: Garmin split was 10 freakin’ 56. I took walk breaks. Wheels come off the bus. Snot and tears are frozen to my face, and this entire mile seemed like it was uphill. Running tights drawstring comes untied and I have major plumbers crack for the last half mile because my fingers are too numb to manipulate anything. Run as much as possible, walk when asthma attack feels imminent. 
Final time? A personal worst at 31:18. (Minus the one 5K I sandwiched in the middle of a 15 miler.)
I’m not that upset. The conditions were bad. My asthma freaks out in the cold…not a surprise there. I ran my fastest mile ever, and I think that under good conditions, I could have set a major PR.
Also, my new shoes felt great! So that’s good.
I think I’ll keep an eye out for another 5K in May or June, when the weather is warm, because I know I have it in me…I just have to find the right race.
I ran straight into my car and home for a cup of coffee and a hot shower.
And then I baked compost cookies.
I cobbled the recipe together using a few different sources. I was inspired by the Hangry Pants version, but also used part of the Martha Stewart Oatmeal Cookie recipe from her “Cookies’ cookbook.
I combined:
- 3 c. oats
- 1 1/4 c. flour
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. salt
And then creamed together in le Kitchen Aid:
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 c. brown sugar, packed
- 2 sticks butter
And then I added to the Kitchen Aid:
- 2 eggs
- 1 t. (roughly) vanilla
Then I had the Kitchen aid mix the dry and wet ingredients together, and added the fun stuff:
- roughly half a bag of mini Oreos, crushed
- roughly half a bag of pretzel Goldfish, crushed
- 3 crushed Heath bars
- 1 sleeve salted peanuts
- roughly 1 1/2 c. Honey Nut Cheerios, crushed
- 1 King Size Snickers bar, chopped
And dropped it on cookie sheets and baked at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.
The result?
Ugly but delicious. Perfect for sinking my teeth into post-race fail.
I also spent much of my afternoon loving up the adorable stray that is still hanging out in our yard.
Tim has named him Bubbles (aka Reginald Cousins).
He is a total sweetheart and will jump right in your lap and start purring.
We’ve been contacting no-kill shelters and rescues in Kansas City hoping to find someone to take him in, but no luck. 
I’d love to keep him, but…we really don’t need another cat right now.
Unfortunately, I am a total softie and started crying at the thought of him outside in the freezing weather all night. So…he’s now tucked away in our guest bathroom for the time being. If nothing else, we’ll call our vet on Monday morning and hope they can help.
Anyone in Kansas City interested in a very sweet orange tabby cat? E-mail me at thefitbride at gmail d0t com.
Anyhow. I got my hair cut this afternoon and got bangs!
I love them. I get an itch for a hair change once a year or so, and it was time!
I was going to make a pork tenderloin and cauliflower puree for dinner, but then I didn’t feel like cooking. So we went to Chipotle instead.
Now we’re watching Big Love on DVD and soon there will be ice cream and/or a beer.
Bangs—yay or nay? What should we do with the stray kitty? Ever crashed and burned in a race? Do you like cookies? Ahhh so much stuff in one post!
![](http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr324/bmb654/Untitled.jpg?t=1338087576")
Your bangs are presh and I just love your hair color! My hair is naturally wavy so I’m hesitant to re-try bangs. (I had AWFUL bangs as a child. They even earned me horrible nicknames.) I wish my hair looked as cute as yours does with bangs!
I say keep the little kitty cat. He obviously loves you guys already. If my parents lived near you, they’d probably take a third kitty.
And, my love for cookies is epic.
Anna @ Doing Good & Living Well recently posted..Restaurant Eve
Love the bangs- seriously! Sleek cut!
Your bangs are beautiful!
Megan recently posted..FO- Simple Newborn Hat with a Touch of Lace
I love the bangs look!! Very chic.
Alaina recently posted..‘Til October
Congrats on the race! We all have off days, no worries.
I am a local reader, and tried to find you today, but had no luck. It sure was a brutal wind, definitely caused me some tears. Definitely fun to be out there with 500 ladies though
I love bangs. Unfortunately when I get them they grow out really fast and then kind of bug me. I usually end up trimming them myself, much to the dismay of my hair stylist. I’m a total softie for cats (any animals) as well. Good luck finding the perfect place for Bubbles.
Your hair is so cute! I love the bangs and the color.
LOVE THE HAIRCUT!!!! Did you color it too? The red is popping today. I need a haircut. I’m calling tomorrow.
Carolyn @Eat Well. Live Well. Be Well. recently posted..Alluette’s Cafe – Charleston
I didn’t! I actually have really bad roots right now and will be doing a box dye tomorrow. The box I’m doing is actually more brown than usual, but the red always shines through a bit anyway.
The bangs are very cute, you look great!
Also…”I’m not a feminist, but…”? Sometimes I think people who say that should maybe consider the fact that maybe they actually are feminists…
(And you’re right, too, the shirt is kinda patronizing.)
I was going to say the same thing about “I’m not a feminist, but. . .” !
The bangs look great — your hair always looks fabulous! Also, congrats on your fastest mile ever!
Good point! I don’t know why I typed that, I definitely am a feminist…I guess I meant to say that I’m not usually super-sensitive to those kinds of things, but for some reason, this irked me a little.
Ugh, I married a feminist? Time to go to Nevada for a divorce…
I love the bangs they look soooo good!
LOVE the new haircut. I just got a completly different cut too, yay for being adventurous!
The last time a stray cat hung around our house we ended up keeping him. It cost us $250 to have him fixed and checked and now he is one of the family. He brought us up to 3, and honestly once you have 2 cats 1 more isn’t a biggie. But it is up to you, YOU have to look after him, so do what is best for you
Cute bangs! They really suit you!
I wish I was nearby as I would snatch that sweet little Bubbles up! Oakley would love to have a kitteh friend. Sadly we are in Maine. Whether you keep him or find him a new home I’m keeping the wee lad in my thoughts!
I had the same reaction when I saw the logo on that shirt. It’s a little too stereotypically feminine to me. I get it. (Some) Women like shopping. Way to uphold those gender constructs.
Even with a crash and burn in mile three, that’s not a bad time. You’re hardcore for running a winter race!
Also your bangs are really cute! I used to have bangs and I like how they looked, but my hair grows too damn fast for me to keep them for long.
Abby recently posted..Really Chilly 5K
LOVE the bangs on you! I’ve tried them before, but I have a funny cow lick in the middle of my forehead that makes them not work so good. I would probably keep the kitty if I couldn’t find its owner, but I’m a softie like that. I major crashed and burned in a half last spring that resulted in me passing out and spending an hour or so in the med tent. Not cool. And I <3 cookies.
Great job on surviving the race…stick with thinking about your awesome first mile!
I LOVE the bangs! They are adorable! I am playing with the idea of getting bangs the next time I go about getting my 10 inches chopped for Locks of Love.
We will take the cute kitty…only we are in WI, bummer!
heidi @ runaroundaroo recently posted..Coincidence Probably not
I love the bangs, they are so cute on you!
As for Bubbles, I think that you should do what is best for you and your family, and if you think you can keep him, I say go for it. We weren’t planning on a third cat until he found us one day, and we’ve loved our cat-filled household since.
Great hair cut! Sorry about that last unfortunate, windy mile. Those are always so soul crushing. I’m sure you’ll kill the next 5k you run.
I love any cookies with Heath bar in them. Yum!
alison recently posted..Whew!
LOVE the bangs!!
Lauren @chigallauren recently posted..Salad Beasts and PB Treats
The bangs look fabulous!!! And I love the color.. is that natural or dye?
christina recently posted..Today was a good day!
How scary that your asthma nearly flared up and you didn’t have your inhaler. Glad everything turned out ok, even though the race got rough at the end. Great job on finishing in those conditions. Cute haircut!
Lisa@Cow Spots and Tales recently posted..Project- Share & Discover 2 – Be a Blessing
Totally loving the bangs on you! I don’t know about the cat. A stray dog showed up at our house and we just could not have another dog. The dog ended up going to a local vet.
Oh cookies.. I may have just taken some vanilla wafers out of the oven. Literally had to get up from typing this comment to take them out of the oven. Oh boy! I can hardly wait to eat one {or 5}!!
Jena recently posted..Practice makes perfect
Cute bangs! I like the style.
What a sweetie! I hope you end up keeping him. He’s adorable!
Several things:
1) Your bangs are awesome.
2) Your waist in that photo is so small! I can really tell a difference. Keep up the good work!
3) The cat is precious. If I lived in KC and was not so allergic, I’d help out.
4) Those cookies look delicious. Definitely going into my recipe folder.
Annie recently posted..Biggest Loser Rant – possible spoilers
Love the bangs (and the color)! And, I know this is old news, but since I don’t comment much… I love that you post the spark calorie counts. Seeing a healthy balance helps me!
shannon recently posted..I’m running WHAT