On Tuesdays, I Run 4 Tacos! Also on Saturdays!

Happy Taco Tuesday! I have a taco-themed post for you today, but full disclosure: I ate these tacos on Saturday. Also had tacos today, but they're not in this post.

On Saturday morning, Paul and I ran a couple of virtual races! A few weeks into the pandemic, after all the in-person races were cancelled, the internet exploded with virtual races. At first, I wasn't so sure I'd be terribly excited about a race without a start line/finish line, post-race beer, etc.

But desperate times call for desperate measures, and so we signed up for a few virtual races. We ran the Marathon Training Academy Social Distancing Half Marathon back on June 8, and then we started getting Facebook ads from this company called I Run 4 Movement. They had so many fun race themes, so we signed up for a few. Here's how it works: You pay a small registration fee (these were $35), and they ship you a race bib, a tank or tee, and an awesome medal. And then it's just on the honor system. You can run the "race" any time, and it's up to you to make sure you run the distance you signed up for.

I Run 4 Movement had lots food and drink themes, which I love, so I picked a taco run and a doughnut run, mostly because I could give myself a fun, themed post-run celebration. I did my I Run 4 Tacos 10K race on Saturday, and Paul did the Run to the Future 5K (a Back to the Future theme). The tagline on his medal sash and shirt said "Just don't set it for 2020." Ha!

By the way, you can't tell in this picture, but my Goodr sunglasses have tiny tacos all over them! We ran our "races" through Overton Park, so we could stay in the shade because it's HOT in Memphis these days! I love running in the heat, but shade is always best. 

Y'all, I set a new 10K PR!!!!!!!!!! Since my races were cancelled, I've refocused my running goals for 2020 to work on my speed. For all of June, I did a training plan (through Can't Stop Endurance Training) to improve my mile time, and in July, I signed up for a training plan to work on my 5K time. All that speed work is paying off! And I shaved about three minutes off my previous best 10K time.

Paul didn't fare so well. He did a 5K, so I ran two 1.5-ish mile loops while he waited in the car, and then he joined me for the last 2 1.5-ish mile loops. He was struggling in the heat and having some back pain, so I smoked him and finished several minutes ahead of him. That never happens, so it made me feel good! He was still glad to be done when he was, and we had some fun taking finish line pics with our homemade finish line in the park.

After our runs, we headed home to shower, and then I rewarded myself with some Vegan Beef & Refried Pumpkin Tacos and a Cayman Jack margarita beer! I have to say, this was way better than any finish line meal I've ever had a real race.

Taco close-up!! Inside is seasoned Pure Farmland vegan beef crumbles, refried pumpkin (from The Low Carb Vegetarian Cookbook), mushrooms, peppers, onions, avocado, Daiya cheese, tomato, lettuce, and cashew sour cream. 

After our races, we had another fun adventure on Saturday! But I'll save that for tomorrow's post!