A Case of the Runs

My Transcendent Moments as a Runner

2012-01-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

In Amby Burfoot’s book The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life, there is a chapter titled “The Transcendent Moments of a Runner” which captivated me. He described his six favorite “precious” and “emotional” moments, including running at sunrise, the first race, runner’s high/runner’s “mellow,” cresting heartbreak hill, running with a partner, and slapping hands with kids at the side of the road.

Reading through this chapter, my mind became consumed with my personal experience as a runner. I have had many “transcendent” moments and I reveled at how precious they were to me, even though some of them may not have made it into the pages of this book. But of course, how could they? Certainly runners share many similarities, but within that realm of similarities, there exists much variation. In fact, two people can be running side by side on the same course, at the same time of day, wearing the same shoes and still, they will have two very unique experiences. If we were all exactly the same, think of the boredom that would ensue. So, in appreciation of our differences, here are my favorite “transcendent moments as a runner.”

Runner’s “Mellow” or When My Body Creates Cannabinoids

Burfoot distinguishes between the great but rarely-occurring “runner’s high” and the frequently-occurring “mellowness” that runner’s feel post-run. While I have experienced the runner’s high a few times in my life as a runner, the happiness that I feel after almost every run is so special to me because it is a constant reward for my physical labor. I do not have to wait for everything to magically “fall into place” to feel good—it just happens after most runs, even the easy runs! I do notice that after long runs, however, I feel more than happy. I feel euphoric. I find myself returning home with a probably annoyingly-giddy attitude, though my Husband never seems to mind.

This happiness, or euphoria is our body’s natural response to exercise. I recently read an article that cited a study which found that it may not be endorphins that cause our good feeling post-workout, but instead it is our body creating cannabinoids (yes, like cannibus) to make us feel “high.” Go, body!

Running with Buddies

The people with which I run are more than just “training partners,” they are my buddies. Something special happens when you run with someone else—it’s as if you are immediately bonded for life. The time I spend running with “buddies” is so special to me for so many reasons, but most important to me is the “realness” that exists. When you run with another person, you can’t be fake. You can’t hide beneath your running clothes. It is impossible to lie about your distance or speed. The makeup is off. You get sweaty. You get winded—sometimes you feel like you can’t take another step. And at some point, one of you is going to hack, spit, blow a snot rocket, fart or maybe even vomit. So sure, you might have a best friend that knows all of the intimate details of your life but I bet your best friend has never seen you blow a snot rocket.

Running buddies see the real you and keep coming back for more. There is only one explanation for this—bonding (or insanity). When you run with another person, you are doing more than just training for your next race. Running buddies tell jokes, give advice, share food and water and in some cases, running buddies may even BE your best friend, or at least act like one once a week. Think about it—a group run is perhaps one of very few moments during the week when you are with another living, breathing human being and there is no TV or any other distraction. Your focus is on your running and on each other and when you make it to the end of the run, you have each other to thank.

Trail Running

The very nature of trail running (pun intended) is transcendent. There is something almost magical about running in nature and enjoying the surrounding beauty, so much so that I often find myself forgetting that I am running harder than I ever do on pavement. From the sweet smell of wet leaves to the joyful view of a sun dappled tree canopy, there is much to appreciate when you are running trails.

One of my favorite trails takes me from an open field with a gravel path to a multi-track packed dirt path with lots of leaves and roots, and eventually into a totally shaded area with a single-track path of soft pine needles. There can be no boredom with trail running—from the changing seasons to the various natural areas, not to mention the wildlife, one can encounter on a single run—nature ensures this. There is only the glory of a challenging run in a beautiful environment, which is why I never feel better than I feel both during and after completing a good, hard run through the woods, around the lake or on a mountain.

Achieving Personal Greatness

Notice I did not title this section “Achieving a PR.” Achieving our personal best—whatever is most important to you as an individual—is often much greater than simply running as fast as you have ever run before. In fact, I believe achieving our smallest goals can be even more significant than meeting those massive ones. Of course, runners are always hoping to improve our speed, our distance, our form or our strength. And on those occasions when our training pays off and we achieve a hard fought goal, it is no doubt one of the most gratifying moments we can have. But I would argue that it isn’t those large “bests” that get runners to lace up their shoes and sacrifice day after day—it is the motivation to achieve those smaller, individualized goals.

When I look at my overall running career, what makes me most proud aren’t just the fastest race times or the longest distances I’ve run, but instead the challenging runs in a downpour, conquering the massive hills at my favorite park with fierce determination, and leaving everything on the track where I do my speedwork. These are the battles that we face daily. When you achieve a weight loss goal or successfully complete a killer workout, you have fought against your biggest enemy—yourself—and won. It is amazing to feel self-pride and it is perhaps what keeps us motivated to keep pushing ourselves to become the best version of ourselves. Nothing is more important than that.

Conquering THE Race

Most runners enter races at some point in their life and we “race” for a variety of reasons—to win, to PR, to prove something to ourselves, to motivate ourselves in training, or maybe because someone signed you up unwillingly! And if you race, then you know what I mean by “conquering THE race.” It’s the most meaningful or the most memorable race that you’ve run. It could be your first race or the one you did last weekend. It’s the race where you challenged yourself and succeeded by finishing, or maybe the race that you received your first age group award, or ran for your favorite cause. It can be a 5K or a marathon because it’s not the distance that matters to you as much as it’s what finishing meant to you. You proved something to yourself—YOU DID IT!

I have two of these significant races—my first half marathon, the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini-Marathon in 2009 and my first trail race, the Otter Creek Trail Race in 2011. Finishing the Mini-Marathon was emotional for me because I was running to raise money for Kosair Children’s Hospital and I was so touched by the individual stories of the children and their families that were helped by the Hospital. Also, finishing this race was a huge personal achievement. Though I had been running for more than 10 years at that time, I never imagined that I was capable of actually running the half marathon distance. It was proof to myself that I did have discipline, dedication and endurance, and that was and still is important to me.

My first trail race was another huge personal achievement and the most exciting race in which I have ever participated. I am passionate about trail running and to actually run in a trail race was the pinnacle of my running career.

Whatever your Race is, it will always have significance to you—and not just as a runner. And when you remember it, you’ll always feel the same rush that you felt when you finished it.

Hangover Classic 10 Miler – 1.1.12

2012-01-01T18:36:00.008-05:00

Let me preface this race report by saying that I have wanted to do this race since 2009 but have been unable to because of a horrendous work schedule. Since the Summer, ter having my baby and deciding not to hurry back to work, I knew that I would finally be able to do this race. Needless to say, I was very excited this morning!

When I awoke, the temperature was a very mild 57 degrees. I checked the forecast and found that by the time I would finish the race, it was going to be 42 degrees. I dressed in thin running tights, a singlet and a thin jacket but threw arm warmers, gloves, extra shirts and another jacket in my bag and decided I’d figure out my wardrobe once I arrived. After my one mile warmup, however, I decided that what I had on would work best. The wind was incredible this morning and had everyone chilled, even with the mild temperature. I ran down to the river, just for fun and I have never seen it so rough. I knew that the wind was going to be trouble!

Let me back track—I forgot to pick up my packet during the week so I had to grab it this morning. Only thing is, I had no idea where to go once I arrived at the American Turner building. There were signs everywhere that read “New Years Party, 3^rd Floor!” What I—and tons of other runners—failed to realize was that those signs were for us! I picked up my packet, said hello to a few familiar faces and grabbed a cup of the blackest, strongest (and best!) coffee I have ever had outside of my house.

For my warm-up, I ran to Cox Park and back. It was during this time that I realized that I wasn’t really in the mood to run. I feel this relatively often during warm-ups but don’t let it bother me because I find that I typically get into a good zone after I start the race. I figured this time would be no different. I also confirmed my suspicions that the wind was going to be very annoying and I hoped that we would have it at our backs the majority of the time. Hope all you want, sometimes you don’t get what you want.

My goal for the race was to finish in 2 hours—slow to you, yes, but not for me right now. My plan was to run relatively slowly for the first 5 miles and then try to speed it up just a tad for the last 5. Miles 1 and 2 seemed to drag on and on. I got a brief adrenaline rush at the start of mile 2, which was at the Water Tower, when a truck driver hopped out of his cab and proceeded to yell at the officers blocking traffic. They responded with their own yelling, “GET BACK IN YOUR TRUCK, GET BACK IN YOUR TRUCK, NOW!” Was I going to see my first arrest during a race? Running the Water Tower loop was nice but I still felt unmotivated to do this race!

Through mile 6, I felt pretty low, mentally. The only bright spot was the volunteers who were incredible and the police officers who were super friendly. I noted that I finished the 5 miles in 1:01 and figured I could, in fact, reach my goal if I could keep going just a tad faster for the next 5 miles. During races, I rarely question why I'm actually there. But today, I did many times. I found the course to be very boring and not scenic enough--which is probably why I prefer trail running. I talked with another runner about why we didn't want to be doing what we were doing and how we wanted to go home and drink mimosas. Fortunately, just before mile 6, my wonderful Mom made her first appearance. It means so much to see someone out there cheering for you. And on this course, especially for someone slow like me, that was even more important because I felt very lonely at times. It was good to get a hug!

By mile 7, I was running on fumes and decided it was time to have a chat with myself--physically, not just mentally, I was breaking down. I reminded myself over and over that I COULD do this because I had just done it the previous week with our running group. I was so thankful for them while I ran today, because without them, I know that I wouldn’t have finished at my goal time. I wanted to walk so badly but I knew that I was cutting it close and had to keep pushing through the pain and I was in pain. I reminded myself that if I was able to give birth naturally, I could keep running for a couple of miles. Around 9.5, I was ready to give it up but I saw Craig Dooley, the photographer so I pretended I had some strength left! SMILE!

At the finish, my Garmin read 10.11 miles in almost 2:01. I did it, at least! It didn’t feel good, but I did it! The wind was brutal and battered us almost the entire race. It was unpleasant and it made me never want to do this race again!

Here are my splits, which averaged 11:53 for the race:

Mile 1 - 11:42

Mile 2 - 12:17

Mile 3 - 11:51

Mile 4 - 12:24 (I walked the first .25 of this to refuel and hydrate)

Mile 5 - 12:11

Mile 6 - 11:35

Mile 7 - 12:01

Mile 8 - 11:32

Mile 9 - 11:48

Mile 10 - 11:34

Final .11 - 10:57/mi

Again, I realize most of you think this is incredibly slow but it sure feels good to see my average pace for a 10 MILE RACE at the sub-12:00 mark. I can see that I'm making improvements and of course, it's exciting.

Big thank you to Todd and Cynthia Heady for what they do, the volunteers who were the best I've ever seen, and the police who did a remarkable job and were friendly!

Here are a couple of pictures my Mom snapped at the Finish:

And here I am shooting hoops after I cooled down. Someone commented that I had a lot of energy to have just run 10 miles. I did, I don't know where it came from!

Otter Creek 8 (9) Miler - December 17, 2011

2011-12-18T19:44:00.007-05:00

For the brief version, scroll to the bottom!

It was a typical cold December morning and about 300 of us gathered together around a fire, awaiting instructions for the Otter Creek Trail Race. Standing on the outer edge of the group with my buddy Rachel, I struggled to hear the race director but it was difficult with all of the excited chatter that surrounded us. My mind was racing even before my body could begin to—this was my first trail race and I was a special blend of excited and nervous! After completing 24 road races in the last three years, I could tell at this moment that THIS race was going to be different. The people were different, the vibe was different. I wanted to jump up and down because I could FEEL the difference and I loved it.

Fact: if you fuel up 15 minutes before a race, the race will not begin on time. The start time was 8:30 for this race but we didn’t actually start until 8:48. We had a short paved portion to run before reaching the trail and I was so happy to be moving—everything on me was frozen. I intentionally hugged the back of the pack. My goal was to run a conservative race early and get a feel for this trail and how the race is run and if it felt right later, I could pick up the intensity. There was a lot of stop and go early in the race and a lot of people were annoyed by this. I didn’t care at all—I knew I had 8 miles to go and I was in no hurry. It didn’t take long before the field spread and everyone settled into their comfort zone.

We found ourselves running through a beautiful white pine forest and if I hadn’t already loved trail running, I would have fallen for it at this moment.

Despite having such warm and tingly feelings, I was noticing the silence of my Garmin (where WAS that mile alert, anyway?) and I felt like I had run more than a mile so I checked—1.55 miles. I was a little surprised at the time and started to worry that I had gone out too fast, even though I felt alright. I decided to keep plowing ahead at the same speed, knowing that if I needed to walk at any point, I could. Trail runners aren’t as stubborn about that as road runners. We know that power-hiking, especially on steep uphill portions, will get you to the finish just as fast or faster than running—and it gives you a chance to enjoy the scenery a little, as well.

Between miles 2 and 3, I pass a man that I will encounter quite a bit during the race. We chat as I trot by and discover he is running the marathon. He seemed to be in his late 50’s or early 60’s if I had to guess and told me he had turned his ankle too many times on the course already and he wasn’t going to risk injury because he had another marathon to do in Springfield, Illinois the next day! I wished him luck and ran ahead…more on him later.

Soon after mile 3, everyone was well spread out but I could still hear people ahead and behind me. I could tell we were nearing Otter Creek because the trails and surrounding areas were either slick or pooling water in places. I come to one of only two switchbacks that I remember—and it wasn’t nearly as bad as the ones I’m used to running. I look down the trail a bit and I see two cute gals precariously circumnavigating a stretch of trail. I think, “Uh oh, must be pretty dangerous up there” and feel myself tense up, sensing impending danger. When I reach them, I quickly survey and realize it’s just a long muddy patch. I tell them I’m going to go on and pass them and just walk through the mud. As I pass, I hear, “Are you K-dot-Ash?” I turned around, almost stunned! It’s KarenC and M! I was very excited to meet them and they were even nicer than I expected! We run and talk for awhile but I realize it’s time for me to fuel up so I tell them to pass me. As they head on, and I eat my Fig Newmans (which were incredibly cold, by the way), I realize it’s pretty quiet around me. I enjoy the solitude, even while feeling a bit lonely. I also notice that I was starting to feel chilly again—a big signal that it was time to run again.

One thing that I was warned about prior to this race is how easy it is to get lost when trail racing. When you are trail running alone or with a buddy, you are more aware of your surroundings. But in a racing environment, it’s easy to just zone out and follow the person (or people) in your lead. One of my goals for this race was to be very observant and stay aware of the trail markings so as not to get lost. Halfway through mile 3, I made note of a flag and not more than 60 seconds later, I see the group in front of me piling up at the Creek. Before I reach them, I survey the area and attempt to locate the next orange flag but I have no luck. I reach them and some folks behind me appear as well and we all try to find our way back on course. I stop my Garmin during this time and forget to turn it back on after we see the steep climb to get back on course. I don’t notice this, however, until I’ve run more than a third of a mile.

After getting off course, there was a group of 5-7 runners that stayed together, sometimes playing “cat and mouse.” Included in this group was the man I met earlier—the marathoner, “Al.” He apparently does lots of back-to-back races and was a really nice guy. I looked him up after the race and it turns out he either looks a lot younger than he is or I’m a really bad judge of age—he was in his early 70’s!

Besides being a bit tired, I was probably paying more attention to the conversation than my footing and I found myself losing balance and about to stumble—but NO! I caught myself and felt like a superhero in slow motion! I was very proud of my save and happily took my next step to be on my merry way. And then “BAM!” There half my body lay in the mud. I recovered clumsily and fought the urge to look around to see if anyone saw me.

Beyond mile 5, we were told to follow the course to the “Blue Hole,” where there was an aid station. The two runners that had been behind me most of the race went on without taking this part of the course—this peeved me but I was too worried about finding a bathroom to care for long. I passed a runner who was leaving the area to head back to the course and she informed me that there were no bathrooms. Bummer. I ended up leaving a “donation” for Otter Creek. I also filled my bottle with a little HEED and some water, tightened up my laces and went on my way, but not before seeing Rachel, KarenC and M again!

The trail became multi-track here and again, I found myself alone. I felt decent after the break and tried to keep up the pace, but this didn’t last long. The course became littered with many more hills as we approached the Ohio River. Some hills I felt good enough to power up, others I was forced to hike. A little over 6 miles in, I was totally spent and had completely hit the wall, physically and mentally. Still alone, I decided to pop a GU and keep plowing up the looong hill. My heart was beating so hard that I could hear each “thump” pulsing throughout my body. This portion presented a 376 foot elevation gain and despite the exhaustion I felt, I was aware of my beautiful surroundings and felt it necessary to take a few pictures.

Nearing mile 7, we were met with breathtaking views of the bend of the Ohio River. I remembered hiking this several years ago, but somehow, I appreciated the view a bit more today.

Here was also where I was passed for the first and only time by a runner who had completed the loop once already. I was surprised that this was the only runner to do so. Moments later, I approached the runners that had “cheated” and skipped the Blue Hole. I thought “Ha! That’s what you get!” I looked at my Garmin, realized I had about a mile left (I thought!) and decided now was the time to run trails the way I like to run trails. I took off, zig zagged and had a blast. I was on auto-pilot. I wasn’t thinking about my next step, I was just landing them and I felt amazing. This was my fastest mile of the race and the fastest mile I’ve run on trails in over a year.

I continued on and saw two women who looked exhausted. As I passed them, they asked if I knew how far we were. I told them about my Garmin mishap but estimated we were a little over 8 miles. I had no idea how much further we’d have to go but I kept powering ahead, knowing the finish had to be near. I caught a view of a tent (another aid station) and the volunteer told me if I was running the 8 that I needed to hang a left to finish. LEFT! It was pavement again and boy, that felt strange. I ran past the parking area and saw what I believed to be my Mom’s car but I hadn’t expected her to show up. I kept running in and saw her standing at the last turn. She told me that they asked her to direct the runners to the finish because the volunteer hadn’t shown up! Approaching the finish, I saw my time was nearing 2:09 and I was so happy! My secret goal was to finish 8 miles in 2:00, and I had done that!

The finish was great! Lots of positivity and excitement, even for a slow runner like myself. I was impressed that I didn’t even have to bend over to get my chip—they removed it for me! I was amazed at how much energy I still had, although my legs were aching. But I wanted to get back to Rachel! I waited a few minutes with Mom, cheered KarenC in and then decided to run back up to the aid station to see if I could see Rachel. I caught a glimpse of her turquoise jacket and saw that she was with M, too! They looked great and we ran into the finish and grabbed some beans and rice and some yummy brownies, courtesy of Rachel!

SUMMARY

How I felt about this race:

It freakin’ rocked! All I could think of during the race was “why has it taken me three years to do this,” and “when’s my next trail race?”

Surprises:

I heard several people comment that they didn’t want to get their shoes dirty. Really? It’s a TRAIL RACE!

I only said “shit” once. That’s usually my word choice when I trip or fall.

I didn’t think I’d only get “looped” once. I figured several more runners would pass me.

I didn’t get nearly as dirty as I expected.

Though I am accustomed to running faster in road races than on training runs, I didn’t expect that to hold true for a trail race.

What I learned:

When you are running with 200-300 other people and stay at the back of the pack, you won’t see any wildlife. Not even a squirrel.

All of the rumors were TRUE about trail races. The people kick ass, the vibe is laid back but energetic and it truly was the most fun I’ve ever had racing, hands down.

Challenging Myself to Become Stronger

2011-11-10T21:37:00.005-05:00

Since my pregnancy, I've had to come to terms with the changes my body has undergone. But contrary to what you may be thinking, it's not my weight that is my biggest concern. No, as a runner, I have more important things to consider. Loose pelvic ligaments and a weak core are my biggest threats right now and these are things that I'm working hard on improving--not just for my running health, but also for my general well-being.

I've been doing core workouts pretty religiously and have seen some relatively fast improvements, but unfortunately, I'm still not in the shape I was pre-pregnancy. I also began the 100 Push Ups Program again and look forward to reaping the benefits from that. Earlier this week, I found something that piqued my interest. Okay, I didn't find it, per se, another runner shared it with the community at Run the Ville. Anyhow, I'm referring to the 100 Up, 30 Day Challenge. This is a challenge to do the exercise for 30 days in an effort to discover if there is any impact on your running form. At first, I wrote it off as pointless but then I actually started paying attention. One big thing happened to change my mind and helped me decide to actually participate in the challenge--I practiced the exercise as I saw it on the video. After doing it, I FELT it. In my mind, even if it didn't impact my running form at all, the exercise itself was going to help me strengthen my core and hip flexors. Actually, I'm a little afraid of doing the challenge because I have a feeling I'll be quite sore...but a little soreness never stopped me!

The challenge begins on Friday, November 11, 2011--join me! I plan on doing my 100 Ups just before a run as a sort of warmup, or on my scheduled days off, whenever the baby says I can! I'll keep you posted about how it goes for me!

Oh, and just to be safe, here's a link to some common hip flexor stretches and the pigeon pose--this is where I'm feeling tight after doing just a few practice "Up" exercises!

Home Run 10K Race Report

2011-10-30T18:04:00.002-04:00

Another beautiful run through Bernheim Forest! This year's Home Run race--which benefits the Home of the Innocents, a local non-profit agency that provides all types of assistance to children and families in need--was even more meaningful than in years past. It feels great to support such a wonderful organization for the last few years (even beyond race day). Additionally, Bernheim holds a very dear place in my heart and makes a beautiful race course, especially during this season. Also, I have always had an appreciation for the participants in general, who are always friendly and a great group of people to run alongside. But this year, all of those wonderful reasons for loving the Home Run race received an addition--this was my first race since having my baby 3 months ago and the first non-pregnant race I've done since this same race last year. It just felt good to be back at it and doing it on my own terms. As much as I loved being pregnant and having a constant "buddy" with me during all of my training runs and races, it felt good to be an independent being again. Today was my postpartum rite of passage!

Racing, much like my training runs, requires much more preparation and time management now that I'm a Mother, and especially a nursing Mother. There's no longer any "getting up and going" anywhere, especially a run. So I woke up and did my "running Mother" routine and dressed in my Halloween costume, which I adapted a bit to make it suitable for running. I dressed as the "Sun Drop girl," and I will post a picture from the race as soon as DM gets me a copy! Now, the Sun Drop girl has a very confident, yet silly personality and looks like this (not the Planter's Nut):

I got dressed in the outfit (running tights instead of leggings and blue running shorts instead of denim, of course) and got everything ready to go. Just as I was about to leave, I looked at myself in the mirror and I felt a knot in my stomach. Was I really going to go to the race like this? I felt so ridiculous--"what if nobody there has seen the commercial? What if they don't get it?" I had a talk with myself and decided that I didn't care what anyone thought (lie) and hopped in the car!

The ride there was smooth and quick but once I got off of the expressway, I saw nothing but brake lights and lots of them. Traffic was backed up at the entrance to Bernheim Forest--this is something I have never seen before. In previous years, I assume I arrived at the race much earlier. Today, I was about 20 minutes later than normal and there was a marked difference. But once past the entrance, things went pretty quickly and I was able to park. Taking a step out of my car proved to be a scary experience because, even though I had "pep talked" myself, I was still feeling a bit nervous about my outfit. My boost of confidence came as I was walking past the incoming stream of vehicles and people in the cars were looking at me and laughing--not the kind of laughter that evokes pity, but the kind that a comedian gets when he tells a funny joke. I knew that at least some people would recognize me and get a kick out of it.

After grabbing my bib and surveying the crowd of people for faces I recognized, I had a decision to make. I had 9 minutes until the start and I could either warm up or go to the bathroom. I decided I'd rather have cold muscles than a full bladder. The running gods were on my side (I'm sure it was the Sun Drop outfit) and after I used the bathroom, I made it to the start line where they informed us that there had been a problem and they were going to postpone the race by 5 minutes. So I got a short warmup in after all!

When you are alone at the start, there's not a lot to do but listen to other people talk. And there were some fun conversations this morning ranging from "I don't really feel the need to match when I workout" to "I can't believe she brought her child here." I also tied and re-tied my shoes about 4 times. They just weren't feeling right.

Finally, it was time to go and I started my Garmin as I crossed the start. I made a big decision and one that I've never made before. I decided to conserve energy and not "bob and weave" through the walkers and slower runners (surprisingly, there were quite a few people running slower than me...WTF?). I moved to the left and joined a stream of runners, who fortunately, weren't running all that fast, and I stayed steady and slow. I knew that the worst part of this 10K was the first 5K and I wanted to make it through without losing steam. At the first turn, I saw my Mom standing there waiting! I was surprised to see here there because I thought there was no way she could have made it in time! I "dropped it like it was hot" for her and took the first turn. After soldiering up the first few hills, I was surprised (and a little worried) to see that I had just run my first mile in under 12 minutes. During my test run the week before on the same course, I had run that first mile in over 13 minutes. Yikes.

Near the end of the second mile, I looked ahead and saw a runner of the shorter variety wearing orange--my favorite color. I thought it might have been Lenore but couldn't tell from so far behind. I saw a woman struggling and I told her to not give up. We talked for a several yards and I gave her a few more encouraging words before heading off. As I got closer to the person I thought was Lenore, I began yelling her name and realized she had earbuds in! The lady running beside her tapped her (and probably scared her to death!) to get her attention for me! She was having a shoe lace problem and by that time, I was beginning to notice that I wasn't feeling so chipper anymore. Walk breaks were going to be my friend this race.

As I neared mile 3, I could see my Mom on the big hill waiting for me. I "dropped it" again for her and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a big red stroller coming at me. It was my wonderful Husband and my little guy! That absolutely made my DAY! I stopped to give them a kiss and declined a can of Sun Drop that my husband offered and continued on, ready to tackle the mostly uphill portion of the next mile and a half.

During the next 3 miles, Lenore and I played a fun game of "Leapfrogspankdatoosh." Really, without her being there, I'm not sure how I would have performed. I also got excited for her because she told me she didn't have high expectations for her finish time but I knew she was doing better than she thought!

There came a point on this long, mostly uphill road where I thought it would never end. Where the EFF was the turnaround? Had they already packed everything up and gone home? Did someone trip over a tree branch, crash into the cone and knock it down the hill? During my training run the week before, I intentionally went much farther up the road so that I would be prepared mentally and physically for this moment. Turns out, that preparation did no good. The only thing that kept me from giving up and turning back early was the nice volunteer that told me that I didn't have much longer until the turnaround. And she wasn't one of those lousy liar types--you know what I'm talking about. The person that yells, "Hey, you're almost done" when you actually have 23 miles to go. I want to hurt those people!

I see the turnaround, and there's another nice volunteer who gave me encouraging words and finally--time to fly. (Okay, 11:00 minute miles are not flying, but give me a break!) All (or mostly) downhill from there. I was fatigued but I tried to push as good as I could.

As I neared the 6 mile mark, I saw all of the faster runners and 5K'ers in their cars, heading home! I could be one of them soon! I made the last turn and I hear Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell: Drop it Like it's Hot blaring at the finish. My adrenaline shot through the roof--what a coincidence!! Then I heard my name and almost immediately, I see my Husband, Son and my Mom there smiling and cheering. I paused in front of the DJ booth and "dropped it" once more and I got lots of cheers. Last year, people were cheering as I came into the finish but I was saddened to learn that it wasn't for me, but for the mentally challenged youth that was about to pass me. Turns out, if you are in your thirties and a slow-as-molasses runner and you want to get cheers at the finish line of a race, you should dress in a costume and have some awesome family members there to back you up with suitable song requests. Best finish ever!

My goal was 1:15 and my Garmin read 1:12:32--chip time was a minute slower and I have no idea how. I'll record my chip time as official but I'm going to go with my Garmin time!

Here are my splits in case you're interested, and even if you aren't:

1-11:57

2-11:59

3-11:56

4-11:54

5-11:45

6-11:19

0.2-12:07/mile

Obviously, the final 0.2 was a little slow due to the "dropping!"

Great time as always and how amazing it was to finish the race and be able to hug my baby boy!

Becoming a Beginner Again: Tips for Safe and Fun Trail Running

2011-10-05T12:02:00.000-04:00

Running through Iroquois Park last week, I noticed that the tree-covered view wasn’t as green as it had been the week before. Yellow leaves sprinkle the trees and even the ground, which signals the approach of cooler temperatures. This pleases me greatly. I love Autumn and all that it has to offer. The Autumn sun shines down upon us with a smile, it seems. And it shines right through the crisp, fresh Autumn air. Beyond the special smell of the air, one’s nose might be fortunate enough to pick up the scent of burning wood from a fireplace in the area. And fleece, what a wonderful fabric. Of course there’s hot cocoa, which my Husband loves. But one of my very favorite things to do during the Fall Season is to run trails. There is no better time to take to trails than right now!

Trail running is a great sport at any time of the year but during the Fall, it can be a much more enjoyable experience. In our area, there is generally less rainfall than Spring, the temperatures are much more comfortable than in Summer, and there’s no concern for ice and snow, as in Winter. Plus, there are fewer bugs (ticks are my main reason for avoiding certain trails in the Summer in our area) and it is a beautiful time to enjoy a solid workout in a great environment.

Running and hiking have been passions of mine for a very long time, and trail running is the perfect marriage of the two. If you are a runner who enjoys hiking, the transition into trail running will be easier than if you’ve never hiked. Hikers understand the differences in terrain and navigation and in some cases, weather fluctuations. If you are a road runner and that is all you know, you may find that the following tips will have you better prepared for your first steps off of the concrete and onto the dirt, mud, gravel, bark or grass.

LOCATION

Since this is your first trail run, look for short, non-technical (smooth, flat) trails. Avoid big elevation changes and extremely rocky or rooted trails for now—your lungs and legs might not be ready for such a challenge. If possible, find an easy trail that is 1-2 miles in length (or even a grassy area) and become one with that trail. Notice how different the surface feels. Pay attention to your surroundings and really enjoy the environment. Starting on a short trail will help you make an informed decision about whether or not you ever run trails again.

GEAR

Make the same apparel choices that you would make for a typical run. Wearing weather-appropriate, breathable clothing that does not restrict movement is the smart choice. As you become more comfortable with trails in general or trails in a specific area, you may find that you will have to make adjustments to your clothing choices. But for now, stick with what you know.

Perhaps most importantly, you will need a good pair of shoes. If this is your first attempt at running trails, it is not necessary to purchase a new pair of trail runners. I think it is important, however, that you wear a sturdy pair of running shoes (that can get dirty!) with good tread. When and if you decide that trail running suits you and that it is something you plan to continue, trail shoes are a wise investment—if not a necessity. In general, trail running shoes are different from road running shoes in that they are made to provide more protection for your foot and better grip for the non-smooth surfaces. If you decide to invest in a pair, look for shoes that are similar to your road running shoes (support shoes if you are a pronator, for example). Also, consider what terrain you will be running. If you expect to run trails that are extremely rocky, you will need a shoe that has tread with more lugs, or less open space.

EASY DOES IT

Remember when you first started running and everyone kept telling you to “start slow?” You are going to have to do that again. Forget any time and performance expectations for now—running trails will almost certainly add seconds—even minutes—to your pace per mile. Because of the surface and possible elevation changes, covering a single mile will not only take longer, but it will probably feel MUCH more difficult. Go slow and take it easy. After all, trail running, even though it seems hardcore, is naturally more laid back.

PAY ATTENTION

It is very important to be aware and observant while running roads—after all, there are speeding cars, cyclists late for work, kids running after kick balls, and unleashed, rabid dogs. However, it’s even more important to be aware of your surroundings while running trails. While the obstacles won’t be as big as the ones out in the city (unless you intend to go head to head with a Grizzly), there are far more of them in a smaller area. A single rock can put an end to your trail run in an instant. So pay attention to where you are stepping. Try to scan the area several feet in front of you as you run, while still appreciating the beautiful scenery that surrounds you. And use the environment to your advantage. For example, use embedded tree roots upon a steep hill as a natural staircase to keep you from sliding on slick dirt.

Also, while it’s VERY tempting to hurdle yourself over tree trunks or streams, do NOT do this. Your legs might be more tired than you realize and you could easily take a hard fall by not clearing the obstacle. My advice to beginners is to WALK when you reach these types of obstacles. Once you are more familiar with the trail and more comfortable with your performance, you may be able to blaze through and really have fun speeding over tree trunks—but for now, play it smart.

Pay attention to your running form, as well. Fatigue will set in much earlier on trails but you still need the clarity of mind to focus on pumping your elbows and lifting your legs. If you do not, you will almost certainly trip if you are lucky and fall if you are not.

BE SAFE

I advise anyone--especially while running-- to be aware of their surroundings and to be prepared for anything, but in some ways, the primal nature (and mystery, to some) of trail running makes this advice even more important to heed. Sure, watch out for unsavory people, but be cautious about wildlife, getting lost, dehydration and/or getting injured. Your first move should be to let someone know where you will be and the duration of your run. Tell a friend or family member, or the ranger at the visitor center.

Some runners prefer to carry absolutely nothing and for those folks, I suggest that you at least carry your cell phone. Just be aware that you might not have a signal in some areas. For the runners that carry everything, just bring a few essentials. If you are the type of person that gets lost easily (or even if you do not) bring a map of the trail. Depending on the weather, the length of your run and your hydration/energy needs, you may consider bringing water and a small snack. You never know when your 30 minute trail run will turn into a 2 hour adventure! And if you’re injury-prone, you might want to bring a small first aid kit for your car.

Watch out for poison ivy or other plants that could cause skin irritation. Try to avoid overgrown trails if possible. Also, insect repellent is a must, especially in the summer.

BE CORNY

It is totally acceptable to pretend that you are an early human running through the wilderness after your family’s dinner, a wild boar. You could also pretend that you are living right inside of a Bob Ross painting. Or perhaps you would rather imagine you are the focal point of one of the “Rave Run” photographs from Runners World. Just have fun.

How Running Prepared Me for the Biggest Marathon of My Life

2011-09-28T04:00:00.008-04:00

Since my first run at age 17, I have progressed greatly as a runner, of course, but more importantly, I have faced and overcome many challenges that have greatly improved the quality of my character. Running has given me more confidence and revealed within me a previously undiscovered inner strength. However, when I took those first steps in 1997, I never could have imagined that it would prepare me for the most important "marathon" of my life--natural labor and childbirth.

Although this marathon involved absolutely no running, running actually helped prepare me for this most spectacular event, which shares many similarities to the 26.2 mile footrace. Sure, there was no planned start time, no finish line, and no other competitive participants, but just as in running, a laboring woman must have endurance, focus and discipline to be successful.

Training: This is one of the most important aspects of any race, but especially the marathon distance. Most marathons require a fair amount of training--at least a few months. I "trained" for almost 9 months, making sure I took care of my body and ate nutritiously, just like a runner should!

I made the decision to ATTEMPT a natural birth during my sixth month of pregnancy, so I only had about 3 months of training in that area!

Packing the Bag: No Body Glide or GU in my hospital bag, but I did pack a Runnersworld Magazine and LOTS of other stuff--99% of which I didn't even end up using during the labor process.

I opened my eyes three times after my hospital arrival. I was too busy breathing through each contraction to even think about my fully loaded iPod, my aromatherapy lotion or the next Sudoku puzzle.

Race Day: Sure, I had no idea when this marathon would begin, but it had to start sometime. Start the clock!

I was in labor for about 16 hours--4 of which were at the hospital--and that's about how long it would probably take me to actually run a marathon. LOL

Hitting the Wall: It happens to the best of us. You reach a point where you think you just can't go anymore. During labor, it was at this point that I asked for an epidural. However, just like in running, you have to keep pushing through the discomfort...and that's what I managed to do--without the epidural.

Lack of Confidence: This is the mental aspect of hitting the wall. I think most runners reach a point during their race where they not only question their training, but themselves. (Will I reach my time goal? Am I going to have to stop and walk? Is that nagging injury starting to bother me? Why am I doing this to myself?)

When I reached 6-7cm dilation, my confidence wavered and I felt like I was not going to be able to continue laboring naturally. Not only was I in pain, but I had no idea how much longer labor would last and I desperately wanted to have strength and energy at the end to do the pushing.

Crowd Support: This is EXTREMELY important during any point of the race, but ESPECIALLY when you've hit the wall. Fortunately, I had a great nursing staff and an even more fantastic Husband and Mother to provide all of the mental, emotional and physical support that I could have ever needed to make it through the most difficult part of this event.

When I lacked confidence, my charge nurse was there to give me advice and positive reinforcement. My Husband provided non-stop support and gave me the courage to keep going!

Nearing the Finish: Something happens to a runner when she knows the finish is near. She has a feeling of pride that she has made it so far, and of course, she feels euphoria because it's almost over. Somehow, a runner nearing the finish usually finds that extra "kick" to speed up and look good (read: not dead) while crossing the finish. When the nurse told me I was 9 1/2 cm dilated, I knew that I had actually made it and luckily, didn't have far to go.

When the nurse told me I was almost fully dilated, I happily said, "Oh sh*t!" I was so excited--but the real turning point was at one point, I actually opened my eyes to look around and the population of a small village entered my room. It was then that I realized that I truly was nearing the finish and that alone gave me a little extra strength to make it.

Crossing the Finish: The first thing a runner does when he crosses the finish line is check the time! And no matter how long it took or how the race went, he feels great pride, as he should!

After only a few pushes, my little boy had entered the world and was lying on my chest. And of course, I was proud of myself, and happy to have him in my arms--but I wanted to know what time it was!

Race Swag: When you finish a race, there's usually some really good food and drink, and probably a finisher's medal! My finisher's medal was my healthy, precious son--no medal can top that!

The rest of my stay in the hospital allowed me some pretty good food, too. I think my favorite was the Hot Brown--not too shabby! Take a hint, race organizers!

Recovery: This, along with training, is the most important aspect of any race. It's important to take the time to rest your body from the stress of training and racing. A little rest does wonders for your mind, too. After pregnancy, recovery is super important and it takes a very long time.

Nobody warns pregnant women about the difficulties she will face during her recovery period. If every waking moment (and there are a LOT of waking moments) is devoted to this dependent baby, when will she have time to take care of herself? She must. I did the best that I could to follow all of my doctor's orders whenever I had time--and if I didn't have time, I tried to create time because it's just THAT important!

When I learned I was pregnant, I was fearful of the unknowns. In many ways, it was like my first race as a runner. I had a lot of doubts but with all of my research, planning and preparation, I learned that I could do it. Even if it wasn't fast, I most definitely could do it. Thanks to challenges like that, and realizing that I had been able to overcome most, if not all of them, I was able to have much more confidence that I could be strong and overcome in labor, too.

Now, the only thing that is left is to actually RUN a marathon. During my pregnancy, I determined that if I could successfully have a natural childbirth, I could run a marathon. And you know what, I KNOW that's true. But I still have to prove it.

Walk, run, or waddle--who cares!

2011-07-16T15:14:00.000-04:00

Full disclosure: for a very long time, I looked at run/walking as a lame activity. It was something a person did when they didn't feel like pushing themselves. Or maybe they were trying to be something they weren't yet. (I said "yet!") And yeah, I've run/walked many times (even before pregnancy) and I still had the same thoughts about it. In an earlier post from December 28, 2010, I discuss my feelings on walking during a "run:"

I've been following that advice for a little over two weeks now and it's amazing how much more PHYSICALLY enjoyable my workouts have been. Yes, I'm still facing many MENTAL hurdles out there. I find myself wanting to scream to other runners and walkers that pass me, "I'm PREGNANT! That's why I have water in 17 degree temps and that's why I'm so sloooooow!" It's hard for me to get used to this whole having-to-stop-and-walk-when-I-get-short-of-breath thing. I'm so accustomed to pushing past the discomfort and making myself better and faster. Hills? No problem. I would race up them as fast as I could so that I would get stronger. Not anymore. Hills? No problem. Walk it, girl!

Do I still feel that way? Maybe a little bit--but it's the runner in me. I have a hard time letting go of the notion that runner's run, period. End of story. The ironic thing is that there are runner's out there that look at my fastest running pace and would probably laugh. Honestly, there are walkers out there that could outpace me. And I think they rock. But I'm hard on myself--and that's not a bad thing. It's what keeps me progressing.

At the beginning of this post, I warned you that I was going to be honest, so please try not to fault me for my silly little thoughts. Besides, I've matured. Perhaps this will help--having been forced into run/walking during the last several months, I've discovered the strength in it. Strength to not care (as much) what people think of me when I'm out there. Strength to care more for the growing baby boy inside of me than for myself. Strength to continue tough workouts by sprinkling in a balanced, solid activity like walking. How can that be lame? Walking has increased the duration of my running "life" during pregnancy, just as it can increase the health, strength and duration of actual life. So now, instead of feeling like walking during my run is weakness, I am thankful to have walking as an option. And I'm just as proud of myself!

Keeping Moving!

2011-06-30T18:58:00.002-04:00

It's been quite a (hot) summer for me so far and the bigger I get, the more difficult it is to run! Fortunately, my last day of work was Friday so I've been working out first thing in the morning! With temperatures in the high 60's to 70's and high humidity, it's still a little uncomfortable but bearable and just what I need to continue to get out and do this for me and Baby!

Today, I took my Chassis, my dog, for a hike at Bernheim Forest to celebrate her birthday! She loves trails (like me!) and we had a blast! Nowadays, a simple hike can leave me feeling pretty sore and lately, running has been a chore. I do what I can, when I can. And more importantly, I try not to feel guilty. After all, as good as exercise is for me, listening to my body and doing only as much as I can is even better for me--and for him! :)

So for now, the goal is lots of long walks and run/walks--just to stay strong and have endurance for the big day...and it's approaching! 41 days and counting!

Happy Waddling, everyone!!

Too hot to run outside!

2011-06-10T14:45:00.003-04:00

It's been HOT! Now, if you're into 95 degrees and humid, this is for you. But if you're like me, this is 20 degrees too much. Running NEVER sounds like fun to me in this heat but even less so now that I'm pg. It's just too hard on the body. I'm trying to be creative, though, by finding other activities that keep me comfortable. I ran on a treadmill for the first time in years just a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't as bad as I remembered, but I would get sick of it quickly. Yesterday, I ran in the pool. That was a lot of fun! And just last weekend, DH and I were on our "Babymoon (a trip, similar to a Honeymoon, that couples take before the birth of their baby)" and our hotel's fitness center had a Natural Runner.

This was a cool machine, but it was beastly. It boasts of a "biomechanically correct stride pattern to minimize joint and muscle strain." The two ramps you see above both have "skates," so as you move your legs, you simulate running, but without the impact.

I thought this would be fun but it wasn't at all. It hurt. I last all of 1:xx my first attempt and I wanted to call a fireman to put out the flames in my quads. I eventually conquered a full 5 minutes on this thing, and while I was extremely wobbly afterwards, I lived to tell about it. Now I want one! I know I said I hated it but really, what better way to stay or get in shape than to do something that hands your ass to you? :)

Happy Running, guys and gals!

Run Throo the Zoo 5K Race Report

2011-05-14T17:39:00.003-04:00

Today was another great Throo the Zoo 5K! This is my fourth time doing this event and it's always a fun, no pressure time, but this year, the changes on the course made the race much more pleasurable. Sure, there was still a lot of weaving in and out between strollers and walkers at the start BUT there was room to do so! In the last few years, the congestion has been unbearable, and just when you feel like you found an opening, you were headed right back into a narrow path that forced people into a slow walk. That's all changed and the new course that includes Poplar Level was great!

Some of the highlights of today's race:

The smells! I'm running into the back portion of the zoo and the strong smell of grilled food hits my nose! I think, "Mmmm, that smells fantastic!" And before I could even finish the thought, the smell of animal poo also hits my nose! What a let down! On a positive note, I smelled lots of refreshing honeysuckle along the way!

A mother taunting her son (he was about 7 or 8 years old). "You're not going to let a GIRL beat you, are you? And your MOM? You're going to have to go tell all of your friends that your MOM beat you today!" Needless to say, after he saw me laughing, he took off running again! LOL

Seeing my own mom at a couple of places along the course! She came out to support me and take pregnant running pictures!

The little guy that was really having a tough time but kept plugging away. I tried to talk him through it and he really had a strong determination. I hope he did well and finished strong. I know he had it in him!

I finished under 45 minutes, which was really all I wanted. Clock time was 42:48, but technically, I was probably sub-42:00. I'm surprised I was even THAT fast because my heart rate monitor felt like it was beeping incessantly on this hilly course!

At 27 1/2 weeks pregnant, this was Little One's fifth official race! He's been quite active today and I feel like recovery will be easy enough. I'm sore but it's nothing a little stretching and rest can't cure!

It was nice to see some friends at the end of the race, too! I just felt bad that I had to leave them so abruptly to utilize the facilities--but what can you expect from an overly-hydrated pregnant runner? LOL

Happy Running everyone!

Update!

2011-04-16T15:50:00.005-04:00

I'm still running! I get out anytime I feel good enough to do so, and now, if a mile sounds like the most I can manage, I do a mile and I don't feel guilty about it! Most of my runs, however, are in the 2-4 mile range.

On Thursday, DH and I went to Swag's (my favorite LRS) and visited the Brooks Run Happy Tour. The Arcade of Oddities was twisted and fun, featuring concept shoes like my favorite, the running dress shoe!

This morning's run was in the rain and it was a feel-good run! I'm not feeling too uncomfortable as far as bouncing or stability is concerned, but I do get round ligament pain around halfway into the run. It's manageable but uncomfortable. The good thing is that it does go away relatively quickly after I stretch out and rest.

My pregnant running goal is still to keep this thing going as long as possible. I'm running conservatively to make sure that I CAN continue. I sure hope the Little Boy enjoys it! :)

Boobs, Bump and Gear...

2011-03-22T18:50:00.003-04:00

First, whenever I look at the picture I have on this page, I think "wow, I don't look like that now!" LOL I can't wait to get a little bigger and post a picture of me running with my big prego belly! I'm thinking about planning a photo shoot--I want LOTS of pregnant belly running pictures!!

Despite feeling a little tired and having some round ligament discomfort all day at work, I decided to get out and get moving a little after work. I knew I didn't have a lot to give so I told myself, "Go out and do 20 minutes, girl! You can do that!" And I did a little more than 20 minutes. But it was rough out there. It was the warmest day this year by far--not sure of the exact temp but it had to be in the lower to mid 80's. I ended up doing a lot more walking than normal just to feel comfortable but even when I walked, I pushed it hard. My butt could feel it!

So some things have changed now that I'm a little further along in the pregnancy--tomorrow I will be at 20 weeks! It's amazing and I'm so very excited! But it's hard to get used to all of the changes that my body has gone through. First of all, my breasts are HEAVY. I have NEVER had this problem in my life. I've always been on the smaller side up that way and to have these --things--up there that I've never had before is a new and dreadful experience. They bounce more, they hang more, they just ARE more. Weird.

The belly bump--it's like I'm carrying a fanny pack with a 5 pound weight in there or something. I find myself wanting to hold it from the bottom while I run. And at this stage in my pregnancy, I think I still look like I had *too many donuts and beer* and it's all just settling in up front. Perhaps by six months, I may look truly pregnant. But then I'll just feel like I have a bigger dumbbell hanging out in my fanny pack. I really need to look into buying a support belt for my workouts.

And for the most recent change with which I've been dealing--my running wardrobe is failing me. I've always had just enough of the right kinds of running clothes, and I've been happy with that fact. Now, though, I can't quite enjoy much of what I own. First of all, the things that DO fit just aren't flattering anymore! But the truth is, some of it just doesn't fit well enough to wear anymore. I've been shopping online for maternity running gear and I've discovered two things about it. One--if it's reasonably priced, it's cotton. COME ON! Two--if it's not cotton, it's not reasonably priced. What is the deal, people? Why is there not a line of reasonably priced, decent looking running gear made out of a wicking fabric for PREGNANT WOMEN?

I'm getting irritable and it's NOT because I'm pregnant! I had my run today, so I'm good!

Happy Running, folks!

Tough 2 Miler

2011-03-07T18:41:00.002-05:00

Today was the first day I've run since last Saturday--and while it was nice to get out, it was a pretty horrendous 2 miler. I don't know what the issue was but I do know that everyone has bad days, pregnancy causes more bad running days for me, and I've gained almost 5 pounds in 7 days. So I guess it all makes sense now. LOL

I'm glad I got out there today even though it was a rough one--but I wanted to share even these experiences. As amazing as pregnancy is, and as good as I've been feeling lately, there are still tough days! We're only human!

Happy Running!

Annoyed Pregnant Lady Rant

2011-02-26T19:49:00.003-05:00

Guess what? I am pregnant and I still run.

*gasp*

Are you going to call the police on me because my running is "putting the baby at risk for shaken baby syndrome?"

Do you think I'm a terrible mother because I'm out there running and being healthy instead of eating Twinkies and Doritos? I bet you think I should stay home because of my "delicate condition."

Is my running "obsessive exercise behavior" that I should avoid and perhaps see a psychologist about?

These are all things I've recently read and angrily re-read. Are you serious? Many people who know that I'm a runner and recently found out that I'm pregnant have asked me one important question, "Are you still running?" And everytime I answer, I do so with an emphatic "Yes, of course!" And about 60% of those people look at me with shock and disapproval. I'm sure they are thinking all of the things that I've read about us crazy, mean, selfish running expectant mothers.

Here's the deal. I am pregnant, not disabled. I run safely, not with risk. I hydrate more than ever before. My diet has become even more healthy and I eat plenty, just not too much. I'm a healthy woman who happens to be pregnant and so far, I have a low risk pregnancy. My doctors have told me to keep doing what I have always done--and that includes running. I've decreased my intensity and listen to my body before I even go out to run, and even more when I'm out running. My body knows how to run because it has for almost 14 years (even more if you count my childhood!) and my body knows how to grow a baby because it's a natural, amazing and normal thing. So guess what? My body knows how to run with a growing baby inside.

And my baby will not have shaken baby syndrome because I run. Ever heard of implantation and amniotic fluid? Look them up.

Lots of women run for multiple reasons--not just to lose weight. Some of us run to maintain a healthy weight, keep our hearts strong and healthy, and for overall mental well-being. Running doesn't mean I'm a weight-obsessed, selfish, bad person. It means I want to continue to live a healthy life for myself and my baby.

While I understand that running is definitely not an activity that everyone enjoys, it is something that I enjoy. And I have enjoyed running for many, many years. If that's what my body knows, my body can handle it now that I'm pregnant because my body handled it well before I was pregnant. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, do not let negative, uninformed and ill-informed people have any effect on you and your doctor's decision. Only you and your doctor will know what's best for you and your baby, and that should be your only concern. Be confident in your decisions and be in touch with your baby and your body.

Polar Bear Grand Prix Recap

2011-02-12T16:32:00.003-05:00

Today was last leg of the Polar Bear Grand Prix racing series--the Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler. Prior to that, there was the Reindeer Romp 4K (which had to be rescheduled twice due to weather conditions) and the Frostbite 5K. These are always a fun series of short distance races, and they always help keep me motivated through the coldest months to keep running!

As a reminder, I wasn't aware that I was pregnant when I registered for the series, but I couldn't have asked for a better racing series to have signed up for--the distances have been quite manageable for me during the early part of my pregnancy. I cringe when I think that I could have registered for the Triple Crown and/or the KDF Mini-Marathon without knowing I was pregnant! Luckily, I was in the perfect running shape prior to becoming pregnant to complete the Polar Bear Grand Prix!

Each of the three races were very similar in our execution--my wonderful Husband ran all three with me to keep me company and keep my speed in check, though I did have my HR monitor during all three races. The series is a lot of fun and to add to the enjoyment, I will be able to tell our child that it ran and won at least the last two races--my belly popped quite a bit for those and we're assuming the baby crossed the finish line first!

Though these are absolutely nothing to brag about, here are my very slow and pregnant finish times, with average pace included in parentheses:

Frostbite 5K - 42:51 (14:17/mile)

Reindeer Romp 4K - 33:59 (13:40/mile)

Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler - 53:55 (13:28/mile)

As you can see, I did set some PR's--PR's for slowest race times!

On a positive note, though, there are two good things to come out of those races. First, I got out there and did something healthy and fun for me, Hubby and baby and second, if you look at my average pace for each race, I got progressively faster. That means I'm learning how to be a better pregnant runner, huh?

Happy Running everyone!

First Trail Run as a Prego!

2011-01-29T15:07:00.005-05:00

Since being pregnant, running has become a totally different sport for me. No more care and concern for times, no competitive racing, no worries about increasing distance. This more laid back approach, which is what my body is telling me it needs right now (and also what the doctor ordered), has been difficult to get used to. Quite frankly, it's been a little boring. But I keep getting out there because I know how important this is to me and my growing baby.

To switch things up, though, I decided to go for a trail run today. This is the first time I've hit the trails since being pregnant--I was honestly a little apprehensive about hitting the trails because of the uneven footing and hilly terrain on some of my favorite trails. I figured, though, that I needed a change of scenery, literally and figuratively.

I ended up at Jefferson Memorial Forest, which is one of my favorite places to trail run. There are trails of varying distances and terrain which really make it more exciting. And with the opening of the semi-new Yost Ridge Trail, they really opened up the possibilities for increased distance and adventure, if you desire. And that's where I started. The trail begins with a gradual incline that doesn't let up for several hundred feet or more--it's always a good place to warmup before your workout. About 1 mile in (I may be off on the distance a little) there's a fork in the trail where you can either go left to the Paul Yost area of the Forest or right toward the Horine reservation area. However, each of the times I've been on this trail in the past, the trail to Yost was not complete and therefore not open. This morning it was! So I excitedly ran the trail to the Yost area and met a huge friend--a beastly Pyrenees! She was very interested in me and decided that I needed a running buddy. She stayed with me for about 2 miles, even as I ran over to the Mitchell Hill Lake trail at the Horine side. She made me feel very guilty for not bringing my own dog out, but I was also grateful that I had not because I don't know how these two would have gotten along!

All in all, I had a great, safe and fun run. But trail running is SO MUCH harder now. Talk about having to take walking breaks--and lots of them--to keep my heart rate in the appropriate range. But it was definitely worth it. It was just great to get out and get into something different--I bet the LO was bouncing around a lot and probably wonders WTF I was doing!

Happy Running, folks!

First Race as an (almost) Family!

2011-01-15T12:59:00.004-05:00

Today was the second leg of the Polar Bear Grand Prix winter racing series, the Frostbite 5K. The first leg was postponed and then cancelled due to snow and icy conditions on the race course, so it was good to finally get out there with everybody! And while it wasn't the first race since I found out the good news, it was the first race where I actually KNEW about the little plum/lime within--and DH ran with us!

The race went a lot better than I expected--I wasn't feeling well at all before the start. We made it in and parked, got our bib and waited in a short line for the THREE port-o-pots! I quipped that maybe they could have used the money that they aren't refunding us from the first race to spring for more port-o-pots. That, at least, would have been nice.

After a half-mile warm up (that's about all I had in me this morning), me and DH lined up and the race started right on time. Smooth start but I forgot about the seemingly never-ending hill that greets you at the start of the race. Almost instantly, my HR alert was beeping so I had to walk up the entire hill.

The first mile went well, despite what I thought was a tough start on the hill--14:00. The second mile was also pretty fast for my recent times as a Prego--13:40. By the end of the 5K, we rolled in at 42:30 by my Garmin. I felt GREAT. I wasn't even breathing hard!! LOL It's the first race I've EVER run where I crossed the finish and didn't feel like I had even been running.

Obviously, this was my slowest 5K ever, but it was one of the most fun. I had my DH at my side, and we just took it easy breezy! And it WAS breezy!!!!

Hope everybody had a great Saturday morning! Happy Running!

Running for Two

2010-12-28T12:59:00.003-05:00

Running has become quite a different activity for me lately! It's not about pace and distance goals anymore--it's now about getting out there and feeling good and making sure I DON'T push too hard. I hope the Little One appreciates my decrease in intensity!

I've only told family and literally a handful of close friends about the news because we're still so very early in but I am interested in documenting my running experiences throughout pregnancy and I figured now was as good a time as any to start.

Today I went out for a 5K and just took it easy. No heart rate monitor because, with the Holiday and lots of home re-organization, I've somehow lost my Garmin. I've got the monitor, just not the Garmin! I ran a hilly course so I just walked fast up hills and coasted down comfortably. I've been relying on the age old advice--run as hard as you can while being able to hold a conversation.

I've been following that advice for a little over two weeks now and it's amazing how much more PHYSICALLY enjoyable my workouts have been. Yes, I'm still facing many MENTAL hurdles out there. I find myself wanting to scream to other runners and walkers that pass me, "I'm PREGNANT! That's why I have water in 17 degree temps and that's why I'm so sloooooow!" It's hard for me to get used to this whole having-to-stop-and-walk-when-I-get-short-of-breath thing. I'm so accustomed to pushing past the discomfort and making myself better and faster. Hills? No problem. I would race up them as fast as I could so that I would get stronger. Not anymore. Hills? No problem. Walk it, girl!

I'm being very conservative until I see my doctor, which means I've decreased my weekly mileage by about 30% and my pace--I can't even talk about it. It's still hard to believe. My resting heart rate has jumped by about 15 bpm so as you can imagine, it doesn't take as much to get it up there when I'm running. That means I've had to slow way down--by 2-3 minutes per mile. It's unreal!

I'm convinced I'll keep running throughout and part of me even hopes it gets better, easier as time goes on. I'm just happy to have 30 minutes to an hour of no nausea or fatigue! Running is still the only time where I just feel GOOD!

Happy Running!

Back at it...

2010-10-27T19:21:00.002-04:00

I thought that it might be time for an update! I'm getting back into the swing of things now that the weather has cooled and my hiking expeditions have slowed!

Had a crazy run yesterday--5.2 miles of negative splits, rain, doubt and eventually, a little speed to get me going. That run got me thinking about the future a lot, and I have a lot of little goals I've been working on in my head for the past 24 hours. I may expand on them at a later time, but I think I may need to work through them all first!

First things first, anyway! NEW SHOES!

After my race on Saturday (Home Run 5K at Bernheim Forest, time goal was sub 34:00 and OT was 33:50!), I went with Mom to Swag's and bought two new pairs. I needed them badly!

First, my regular road running shoe--the Mizuno Wave Inspire. These are the 6:

And I'm very excited for my first pair of Brooks--the Cascadia 4. Can't wait to hit the trails in these babies!

So, in case you're wondering where I'm at in my running life right now, here are some notables:

*Long run is currently at the 6 mile mark. I intend to stay there until it feels comfortable and recovery is a breeze, and then I'll start bumping it up again.

*Back to speedwork once a week, either in the form of a tempo run or intervals. I'll take a break on that until December, when I'll start back at it again. But for now, my goal is to get my speed up a little more so that I run a decent race on Thanksgiving morning--there's lots of cooking to do!

*Recovery has become even more important for me, so I spend a considerable amount of time rolling and stretching. My knees have been taking a beating at work and when I sprinkle in some heavy training, my body let's me know it. I feel so much better when I spend 20-30 minutes a day working out all of the aches and stiffness!

Happy Running everybody!

Shoe Review--Adidas Kanadia Trail 2

2010-05-21T22:18:00.003-04:00

I was a little apprehensive to purchase this shoe--my first try with Adidas trail runners was the Supernova Riot and I wasn't really that impressed. They did their job but I never felt ONE with them. I decided to give these a try, though and I'm very glad I did.

The first thing I noticed about these was how light they felt in my hand. They're just a few ounces lighter than my previous pair of Adidas trail runners but it's a noticeable change on my feet--and very welcomed. The mesh upper comfortably hugs your foot and the non-slip lining is great when you're bounding around a rocky trail or moderately hilly trail (doesn't work so well on extremely steep portions, but I don't think any shoe is foolproof in that area).

I've had these shoes out on gravel, grass, mud, and mulch and I felt pretty confident in all of those. The only concern I've had was on muddy, wet terrain where the shoe had a hard time getting any traction on the uneven edge of a cliff. Scary time, but honestly, I attribute that to runner error, and not to a problem with the shoe's soundness.

[b]Two things impress me the most with these shoes[/b]--their superb ability to react to the ever-changing terrain on the trails I frequent (coupled with my occasional aggressive bounding and leaping) and their ability to shed mud from the outsole. That's always a major problem I have--mud and dirt will compact into your tread and you're left without any traction. This shoe does not have that problem. Sure, mud still finds it's way to your tread but not at all at a bothersome level.

I highly recommend this shoe if you're looking for a new trail shoe. No slipping, no hot spots, nothing. Just a solid trail running shoe that is unbelievably comfortable on my foot.

I'll let you know how durable they are after a solid period of trail running.

2010 Throo the Zoo 5K Race Report

2010-05-08T16:26:00.003-04:00

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound? Today, I finally discovered what I personally think the answer is. Now, as a warning, everything I say from this point forward involves me sharing personal feelings and opinions. It’s not me trying to whine or gripe (though others today might disagree!) Instead, I am venting a frustration I have and sharing my learning experience for future races with you, people who may at least understand my frustration, even if you do not agree.

Today was the Throo the Zoo 5K at the Louisville Zoo. It was my third time running this race and each year, I definitely have a blast. It’s a unique course in that you run through the Zoo and are amongst the animals. And it’s a lot of fun to stay after and enjoy the free admission to the Zoo. It’s actually the one time each year that I visit the Zoo and get up close to the animals. Plus, each year we have more people join us, which only adds to the fun. The first year, it was just me and my husband (we weren’t married yet!). Last year, we walked it with both of our Mothers! (We still weren’t married yet, but we were newly engaged!) And this year, my Father-in-Law and Brother-in-Law joined the four of us! It’s such a fun time, and because of that I will continue to do this race annually—just with a changed mentality.

Also, I want to shout out the awesome barefoot runner I talked to before the race. Everyone was saying “Hey look at him, he has no shoes!” That has to get annoying, but I imagine someone who barefoot runs probably has a pretty thick skin (no pun intended!!) already. I stopped to talk to him because it’s something I am moderately interested in. He was what I would consider an experienced barefoot runner—with two years’ experience. He was open and friendly, and as far as I could tell, ran a great race. Highlight? Seeing him bounce into a pool of mud and get his feet wet. It was so innocent and fun! Observation? He had nice feet.

Okay, moving on. Three major problems existed with this year’s race. The flawed course design (which isn’t a new issue, but it’s usually easily overlooked), incorrect course distance and terribly designed finisher’s chute (I believe it’s possible that the chute problem was the main reason for the distance problem, so combine the last two problems if you wish.)

First of all, the start needs to be moved. It moves participants through a VERY narrow portion at a very early stage in the race. And we all know what that means—bobbing and weaving through walkers, strollers and groups of people oblivious to the world around them. Narrow passageways are fine on courses, but give everyone a chance to spread out before forcing us onto these early in the race when we are already dealing with congestion.

Second, my Garmin read 3.02 at the “finish line.” Anyone with a Garmin knows that if you want to run 5 miles on Friday, run until the Garmin reads something like 5.15. LOL Could my Garmin be off? Sure. But by my finish time, I know it wasn’t. The course was short, which many will overlook. After all, what does 0.10 really matter? Well, for me, it matters. It’s 160 meters. It’s 528 feet. And for me, it takes well over one minute to run that. That’s a pretty significant, if you ask me. Now, I wasn’t running a PR today. So why does it matter? Maybe it doesn’t. But it was frustrating.

Last but probably most annoying, the finisher’s chute issue. Have you ever run all out during a training run or a race—almost as fast as you can—and then stopped immediately. No walking, just STOPPED? Well, I did today. It sucks. It doesn’t feel good. Then, they proceeded to create two separate chutes just behind me, splitting me and my husband up. We walk a step or two, then stop. Walk a step or two and then stop again. This went on for the length of the chute and THEN they had two people taking our bib tags at the end. Unbelievable. So guess what? Even though my husband and I finished AT THE SAME TIME, he is recorded as coming in over 140 people behind me. Again, unbelievable. If you are going to take bib tags as a point of reference for the place of finishers, then do so BEFORE splitting the chute into two.

Of course, I’m probably in the minority of people out there today. Most people probably didn’t notice, probably didn’t care. And maybe I shouldn’t either. But I do. This is the one thing in life that I have CHOSEN to do for myself because I LOVE it. I love almost everything about it. So I care about almost everything about it. Why wouldn’t I want to run a well organized and well executed race? Of course I would!

So the answer to my opening question, does a tree that falls in the forest make a sound? Who cares? The forest isn't even certified! So it doesn't matter to me, and it won't matter to any other runners or walkers who even remotely cared about their race time or the distance of the course. Did I have fun during the race though? I sure did, and that’s the saving grace of the Throo the Zoo 5K race. It’s fun. Though I learned nothing new today, I did discover my personal feelings about running a non-certified (albeit USATF-sanctioned) race. If I intend to, I will do it for fun and only for fun. In other words, I won’t be paying attention to the falling tree. I’ll just be looking at all of flowers instead.

Race Report - 2010 KDF Mini Marathon!

2010-04-29T15:18:00.001-04:00

Muscles < Lungs, 1 wall < 2 walls

2010-04-10T14:17:00.004-04:00

Today has been fantastic!! This morning was perfect weather for me (okay not perfect, but close.) Got started just before 7:30 on Scenic Loop at Cherokee Park. I planned on doing the full loop once to start and then take off to Seneca park. But I saw a trailhead in a place I've NEVER seen before, so I took it! I ended up on that trail 3 times before the morning ended! Lots of fun!

What I saw today:

More trailheads than I've ever noticed!
A pretty orange tabby cat, who stared at me lovingly as I ran by on a trail.
More runners on Beargrass Road than I've ever before seen...
A woman who looked at me with a puzzled face when I didn't move because SHE was going the wrong way. (I know I'm mean!)
A cyclist who said "Thanks" when I didn't move out of his way because pedestrians have the right of way.
That same cyclists partner who rode behind him, saying, "Sorry." LOL
A dead mouse. It looked flat as a pancake but was totally intact.
Lots of people asking for directions!
My legs screaming, if I could see that.

My legs did NOT have enough stamina today. My breathing was perfect...I only felt out of breath a few times during tough trail conditions or a big uphill but it never lasted long. But my poor legs...they felt like so heavy and achy by mile 7, which is WAY too early for that. I'm going to assume it was the heavy trail running I did to start the run. The first 6 miles were mostly on trails and I guess they just aren't ready for that right now. It sure was more fun though! Trail running is a dream for me!

Running to Seneca took some work because I was already exhausted--actually ready to turn back to the car and call it a day. But when I got there, I stopped, ate half of a Luna bar, hydrated and stretched my tired legs out. I felt fresh and ready to go again for another 3 -4 miles. Then I hit the second wall. OUCH! The last 2 miles were GRUELING. My legs would not move. I finished the 13.1 miles in 3:06. The thing I'm proud of is that I have consistently stuck to the RWR intervals. It's difficult but I do it!

I didn't mention that today, I ran/walked at a 2:00/1:40 ratio, just to test it out. I actually don't blame that change for my poor last half performance, I really think it was the trails. But I do think I'll go back to the 2:2 ratio for the race.

Getting close...and I'm getting excited!

Happy Running!

Feeling Stronger...finally!

2010-04-03T18:08:00.002-04:00

After 8 months of not being able to run, I was well aware that getting back into it would be tough. But there was a part of me (that I never shared with anyone, it was my deep, dark secret) that thought I would be able to run 10 miles in a week or two without looking back. I realize that if any of you ever thought of me as rational, you are now reconsidering that opinion of me...

It's just that I reached my running peak a week or two before the KDF Mini last year and just like we think we're 21 forever, I thought I could run and run strong forever--even when I haven't been running for 8 months. *sigh*

So anyway, it's been a tough struggle. I started getting back into it by running as long as I could and that was just a complete slap in the face--YOU MEAN I CAN ONLY RUN ONE-HALF MILE? YOU'RE KIDDING! Eventually, I realized that the only was I was going to progress was to "break down" and walk during my runs, just to get that mileage in. So after some time it got easier. I could run a mile again!

Then came Galloway. I thought, "Hey, I'm doing the Mini in a few months, and I remember reading something about the Run-Walk-Run method and its success for injury-free marathon running. I should check into it for my Half!" So I did. And that's where I really started seeing the progress.

I finished 12 miles today and while I was running, the thing that I noticed most was my strength on hills. I owe that entirely to Iroquois Park. It just feels good to see that I am capable again, even if I'm run/walking. And also, today it was hard for me NOT to run. I wanted to run so much more than I did! That was a fantastic feeling, knowing that I COULD do it, but being patient and wise enough to not push it! I just feel happy knowing that I'm on my way back, and I totally stand behind the Galloway RWR method--I'm seeing the times I put up and I'm impressed!

After the Mini, my goal is to do a 5K and feel strong and fast!!!!! Can't wait to get to work on that!!!

My favorite workout, hands down

2010-04-02T10:58:00.002-04:00

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1243489102?bclid=1497991481&bctid=1368763974

Random Thoughts from the Weekend

2010-03-22T10:11:00.002-04:00

This weekend was the second leg of the Louisville Triple Crown of Running, the Rodes City Run 10K! I am not running the TC but I did want to go out and support my friends! So I got up early on Saturday and drove down to the Highlands with my signs to cheer early in the morning. What I learned was that it's NOT EASY to find people that you know when they are running by you. I saw thousands of faces, and a few people I knew but only one of the people I was actually looking for!!! Go figure!

I did have fun running a 2 miler down there through some of the neighborhoods I've never been to, so that was a plus!

Yesterday morning, before the sun came up, I started on the last day of the first week of my HM training program. Because I've been injured, I am trying to slowly come back into the game and get my mileage up in a safer way, so I've been using the Galloway method. For my long run yesterday, I used a 2:2 ratio and finished the 10 miles up in 2:14, including my stops for fuel and bathroom breaks. I was hoping to finish in under 2 hours but as long as I stay healthy, I'll get closer to that mark when the Mini gets here. I'm getting SO excited and it's really exciting to use a new training method. I just feel like I'm experimenting and I can't wait to see the results!

Today, I'm going to do a slow walk with the dog to loosen up the legs and get ready for my run tomorrow!! Happy Running everyone!

Help!!!

2010-01-06T17:44:00.003-05:00

So I'm getting better...but I'm not even close to 100%. Bronchitis is no good for someone who WANTS to exercise--my lungs just can't handle it yet. I tried yesterday and it didn't go so well. I felt fine during it but after I was done, I was in some discomfort!

I'm excited! I (and RuntheVille.com) am raising money for Kosair Children's Hospital again this year and I really want us to do well! We set a pretty high bar for ourselves last year so I'm hoping we can meet last year's achievement, at a minimum! I know you guys probably have your own charities and other things that you'd like to spend your money on but if you have even an extra $5 that you can donate to help the hospital--which does so very much for community's kids--please do it! It would be soooo greatly appreciated! Think about it!

Just for Kids Fundraising Page!

Can't wait to get out there and WALK! See you out there soon I hope. :)

Hi there guys and gals...

2010-01-03T17:18:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's been awhile. I hate to say it but I just haven't been running. Or walking--at least not for exercise. This hamstring injury has been the death of my relationship with anything physical. And it's left me broken-hearted. I'm also sick right now but I'm getting better, I think. I started on my multivitamin two weeks ago and went out for a walk with the dog early one morning, enjoyed Christmas and next thing I know, I'm sick. Go figure.

Just took my weight, waist and hip measurements and apparently, my waist measured at 35 inches exactly--which apparently is the lowest zone of "she's fat and her health is in danger." So that was a wake up call today. Time to get healthy, start walking to get back on track and see some progress.

I won't stop eating what I love though...no way. :)

By the way, I've really missed you guys! Hang in there with me, if you can! I've got some catching up to do with you all!

I'm wondering how...

2009-08-23T01:08:00.000-04:00

I can look like Debbie Dunn. WOW!

I am not being lazy right now...

2009-08-20T15:51:00.002-04:00

It's been far too long, yes, I know! Just been healing up from my injury and slowly adding mileage. Funny how quickly your body LOSES fitness, and at the same time, how quickly it can regain it. I am not pushing myself at all--I refuse to push so hard that I don't allow myself healing time and I definitely don't want to be down for so long again. It's been torture. Since I began running a few miles a week, I have been much happier. Nothing, not even P90X gave me the same feeling as a good run did. Totally different beast, it is.

So I'm coming back--slow as molasses. But I AM returning and loving it. I went out on Tuesday and had the most horrendous run. Before leaving the house, I vowed to do 4 miles. No problem, I thought. I get out there and my elbow started sweating. Yes, my ELBOW! So I said, "Hey, do 3, that's a respectable number." Everything was dripping and drenched and I felt horrible. I knocked out 2 miles. I felt like a chump. No typo there. CHUMP.

Everything is great, FYI. Wedding planning, happy with running again, just living life and hoping for the best every day! How are YOU doing?

Downdate (as opposed to an update)...

2009-05-20T15:58:00.005-04:00

I have been a little quiet recently, I realize that. It's not that I don't WANT to update you guys, it's just that I don't really have anything exciting or special to report. In fact, I've been pretty bummed and down since the KDF Mini-Marathon.

I know what you're thinking--I've got those Post-Race Blues. You know, the Blues when you finish your BIG RACE and you look around and say, "Now what?" And you get all anxious because nothing will ever compare to that feeling of accomplishment you just experienced. Or something like that.

Well, if that's what you were thinking, you're wrong. The night before the Mini, I hurt myself. I have been calling it a hamstring tear. I have not had it professionally evaluated but I gave it my best guess. I don't need to hear about how I should go see the doctor. I've heard it before.

So I ran with that injury during the Half Marathon. I was in severe pain for the last 4 miles or so, but I pushed through. I stayed off of it for about two weeks after--no running. I was okay with that because I had planned a pretty substantial rest period after the race anyway. But I got the bug to start running again and I felt no pain so I went for it. 2.5 miles in, I was in pain again. So now, I'm going on one month of *pretty much* no running and I'm SO frustrated. I WANT to run.

I was supposed to be training for my 10K in June but I haven't even been able to start because of this injury. I'm just bummed.

I've been cycling and doing P90X, plus a lot of strength training and plyometrics but those activities don't make me feel the way (the GREAT way) I feel when I run. I MISS IT.

I figured that I better start planning something for myself so that I don't get stuck in a RUT and do myself a huge injustice. This is hard for me because THIS round of planning requires wisdom, patience, determination and honesty.

1. Wisdom--to know the difference between the things I can do and the things I cannot do. (Sounds sort of like the Serenity Prayer, huh?)

2. Patience--in allowing my body to heal and in training when I DO start running again.

3. Determination--to fight through the laziness and stay focused on a target goal since I don't have a race urgently waiting for me around the corner.

4. Honesty--with myself. I can't conquer the world. I HAVE to heal. I WON'T be as good when I start running again as I was when I stopped. I WILL have to work hard. I WON'T be able to keep up with my running buddies. I MIGHT get down on myself. I will probably feel alone for awhile. I WILL get better. Everything WILL be great, in time.

So now, I have to create some goals and make a plan. That'll be the next entry--just wait!

Trail Running with My Other Buddy...

2009-05-02T21:55:00.008-04:00

Chassis and I went to Bernheim today for some official trail running! This wasn't her first time out on the trails but it was her first time trail running with me. We had a blast! We entered the park, and the attendant at the entrance booth smiled and said "You guys have fun!" That's right, mister, we're two hot chics looking for some hot trails!!!

I took her to the Zen Garden first, which is a favorite of mine. (I'm going to post a couple of pictures but they aren't from today's visit--just some of my own stock photos from previous visits there!)

She was amazed at the sound of a frog croaking continuously. It was here that I also taught her to overcome her fears! I crossed to the other side of the pond and she froze in fear and cowered! I talked her through it, trying to make her feel comfortable enough to just let go and trust herself and she DID IT!!!! It wasn't graceful but she did it and she did it twice!

We then headed over to Knob Top Trail, which is a RIDICULOUSLY hilly trail and if you take it in the direction that we did today, you go uphill most of the time. LOL We had a blast running through there. She tried to run in front of me a couple of times but I was NOT going to let her pass me, not a chance! So I made sure to keep the lead throughout the trail.

From the exit of Knob Top Trail, which is where we entered for today's run:

From Knob Top Trail, we ran over to Two Ponds Loop:

Beyond the bridge, she saw a goose and was quite interested by him. He was NOT happy that we were there and he was very vocal about his feelings--not a typical male, if you ask me. LOL After torturing him for awhile, we exited onto the main road. We followed along the loop and stopped near the Sun and Shade Loop to rest up. I didn't want to push her too hard today but she was having so much fun! (Still no water at the fountains...wondering if they'll ever turn it back on?)

After we reached the parking lot, I grabbed some treats and water and we walked back over to the Zen Gardens and to Lake Nevin. We sat together on the bench and admired the lake and all its beauty! (If you look closely on the left of the picture below, amongst the trees, you'll find the bench on which Chassis and I rested today!)

Total run was just about 3 miles but we had a ball and I really wanted to test out my leg. There's still discomfort but at short easy runs, I think I'll be okay. I'll just need to allow proper recovery even between the easy runs for now!

Happy Running everybody!

Shifting gears--literally.

2009-04-29T19:41:00.003-04:00

Mid week update!!

Hamstring is feeling better. I still don't have full range of motion but I'm feeling 85% better from Saturday. As much as I hate having the rest from running, I'm using this time as a much needed mental and physical break from running.

Of course, I don't want to lose my fitness level so I've been cycling. Today I did a tempo ride of 7.4 miles. It was actually a great ride--a little tough at certain portions but I'm really starting to love it. I have to buy a pair of gloves though, my palms were getting a little callused after the ride and that's only at 7 miles--I'll have to make plans to pick up a pair. Any good discount cycling sites? I've checked Nashbar, not bad there. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

I've got a 5K approaching on May 9 so I'll be focusing on that next week, making sure that my hamstring is in tip top shape. I would love to bring that race home in under 30 minutes but without recent speedwork and consistent long runs, I wonder if I'll manage that again. We'll see. :)

I hope everyone is fully recovered from the racing during the past weekend! Run strong!

The Morning After

2009-04-26T21:11:00.004-04:00

Woke up early today and got Joey, his parents and my mom together for an early morning breakfast at the Bristol on the Ohio River. It was spectacular. The food was good (the service was questionable), the view was great and the weather was perfect. A cinnamon cappucino, an omelette and some home fries later, we all took off to walk down at the Falls of the Ohio. A FUN MORNING.

Here's where we sat:

Joey and I took our bikes out this afternoon and I put in 5.07 miles. I was hoping it would loosen my legs up a bit and it did just that. Felt great. Even my injured leg felt good for an hour or two but now it's stiffening up again. Other than my injured leg, the only thing that is even bothering me from yesterday are my shoulders. They are so tight and sore.

Today was the perfect day after a wonderful Race Day. I missed my running buddies though--wish we could have had some fun before OUR weekend came to an end. There's always next weekend, though.

Now I'm excited about the potential that lies ahead of me--hiking, biking, trail running, more group runs (I HOPE!) and some more fun stuff sure to come! I can't wait!

And on a NRR note, today was the first day I really paid attention to the progress of our new arena construction project. Here are some cool artist rendered pics I found today:

Oh and while we're talking about Louisville Cardinals, peep this motorcycle at the Family 1st Bike Blessing yesterday (and really pay attention the detail). It's spectacular:

That's all I've got, folks.

Thank You

2009-04-26T20:32:00.004-04:00

I need to say thank you to a few folks for making my first half-marathon everything that it was.

Thanks to all of the race officials and any and everybody that had anything at all to do with planning, organizing and executing this event. At least from my perspective, in my running shoes for 13.1 miles, all aspects of this race were executed to near perfection (with only one or two minor things that I didn't actually let effect my race experience). The volunteers were generally helpful and READY, the police officers were incredibly friendly and dutiful, the announcers were motivating and fun and it was just a great and smooth experience. THANK YOU!

Thank you to all of you wonderful spectators--even if you weren't at THIS race. I don't think people realize how much a few words of encouragement, a funny sign or some sort of noisemaker can actually HELP runners. I'm all for a clap, a yell or even just an outreached hand to slap when I run by, and thank you to everybody out there yesterday that did that! (My favorite was probably the group of drunk guys on Southern Parkway, they were a hoot!)

Thank you to my mom and to Joey and his parents for the constant support I receive. From motivating words, running magazine subscriptions, my GARMIN!!!, to just being there to cheer me on at races or to take pictures--and to listen to my incessant running-related and training stories--THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE FOR ME!

And last but CERTAINLY not least--thank you to my running buddies and everybody at Run the Ville. I love the support I get from these folks and a special shoutout goes out to Joe and Tom. Thank you for welcoming me and for motivating me and for helping me. The Mini wouldn't have been as great without you guys, no questions asked. And Christian and Lee, you guys have been great to run with and I hope we all continue to find time to train together for our next big endeavor, whatever it might be. And actually, I want to thank everybody's family because without their understanding and supportive nature, it wouldn't be as easy or as fun.

Learning Experience--KDF Mini Marathon RR!

2009-04-25T15:35:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure how exactly I should write this entry because there's a lot to tell. But I'll do my best! My first half marathon went a little something like this:

THE DAY BEFORE

My wonderful running buddies and I have been raising money for Kosair Children's Hospital in an effort to aid in the expansion and continued improvements to the facilities to help those precious patients. We were lucky enough to be able to schedule a tour of the hospital and learn a lot of information about the hospital and what they can provide for our community's children. The tour was a little bit sobering for me but interesting and very well worth our time. Perhaps my favorite part of the experience was the poster that a couple of the children made us to show their thanks for our fundraising efforts. It touched my heart to think that there were some little hands making something to help motivate US. Here's a picture of it and thanks to Tom for posting it on the site!

After the tour and a couple of stops, we headed for the runner's Expo and packet pick up at the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center. It was actually a lot more fun at the Expo than I expected and there were a few vendors with cool stuff. We ran into another one of our running buddies there and hung out watching everything and thinking about the morning ahead. Then we got some lunch and Joe and Tom were lucky enough to get to go down to the Waterfront Chow Wagon while I had some errands to run that I had been putting off for too long. Luckily, I got everything done, they had fun (and some beer, apparently) and then we all met up for an early dinner at BD's Mongolian Grill. It was just an excellent day with good friends and a relaxed vibe--which we needed the day before the race!

PRE-RACE MORNING

I woke up at 4:30am, which was a little later than I intended to but I didn't actually get in bed early enough to feel good about waking up any earlier than that. I got up and did my pre-race routine and headed out the door to meet the team. Thanks again to Joe and his parents for a wonderful parking spot! After we were all organized and ready to roll, we took off on a trip down memory lane for Joe and headed for the start, which wasn't anymore than a mile or so away. It was a nice, cool and relaxing walk with friends. One of my favorite parts of the morning--everything was just sorta falling into place. Bathrooms were pretty easy to come by considering that there were an expected 12,000 participants, so that was another plus.

Before we knew it, we were done with a short warm-up and were lining up at the start. Everybody seemed pretty energized and ready to go. I started getting anxious--realizing MY FIRST HALF MARATHON WAS HERE--and there was no turning back. It was warm and that concerned me. I'm a happy runner in 50 degrees. As it gets beyond 60 degrees, I become less and less happy. LOL At the start, it was 71 degrees and I knew it wasn't going to top out there. We were expecting 80 degree temps before the course closed.

THE RACE

The Start
The start was smooth and quick--an unbelievable feat, I'm sure. Looking back, I'm a little stunned at how punctual and smooth the start actually was. I didn't have to elbow anyone and nobody elbowed me--it opened up just enough to get through. Joe took off pretty much immediately and Tom was a little ahead of me--I think he was taking it all in as much as I was. I wasn't as concerned with running at that moment. I had goose bumps and I was just enjoying those first few moments of excitement and anticipation, watching all of our wishes and hopes of the last few months unfold right in front of us. In no time, I saw my mom on the side, armed with her air horn! A great send off to be sure!!

Miles 1-3
This portion was crowded but not at all deadlocked like at most other races with far FEWER participants. Thumbs up to that! I felt strong and able and intended to keep my pace conservative early on. I even took water at the first water stop, which is something I rarely do. But I knew that it was going to be the hottest day of the year so far and I wanted to make sure that I hydrated early and often. Just before entering hilly Iroquois Park, I saw mom again. She sounded the air horn and someone a few feet in front of her turned around--I thought she was in trouble! LOL

Miles 3-6
This was pretty much the entire park's main loop, which is tree covered and shady. I didn't notice being too terribly hot through here, but the hills were bothering me more than they do on training runs. And whatever had happened to my leg the night before (something weird, I dunno what it was but I'm going to self-diagnose it as a hamstring tear until further notice) was starting to become less manageable and more noticeable. There were a lot of spectators all through the park and that truly helped me make it a little stronger through there. But I was noticing a decline in my stamina through there--to the point where I was constantly thinking "where's the next water stop" and "I need fuel!" At the ascent on the last, and most brutal hill of the park, I heard lots of cheers and applause ahead of me. I had stopped to walk (as SO MANY OTHERS HAD DONE) at the bottom of this hill but when I heard the cheeful noise ahead, I decided to give it my all and take off running. I noticed many other people did the same thing. But when I got a little further up the hill, I realized that the yells of motivation weren't for us wimpy walkers coming up the hill, they were for a lone wheelchair racer who was struggling terribly to get up the hill, literally inch by inch. I kept thinking about how he had a great downhill journey ahead of him if he could just make it to the top--and I kept pushing myself with the same thoughts.

The descent of that final hill was also us nearing the exit of the park and heading to mile 6. Near the exit, I saw Joey for the first time on the left. And then from the right, I heard my name--it was mom again! Number 3 for her! WAY TO GO! I did some weird little run/dance for them and didn't know which way to look for a picture, since they both had their cameras up! Here's a picture that Joey took. Mom's head is straight back in front of the tree!

Miles 6-10
My plan was to take in my PowerBar Gel at the next water stop after mile 6, which appeared after mile 7. By this time, I was hot, and tired and my right leg was starting to be in a lot of pain. I kept pushing through and trying to tell myself that it wasn't bothering me. I stopped to walk it off just after the water stop and I looked over across the field to my right. There was a woman about my age who had stopped running to walk with a bad limp. I saw her struggle to fight past the pain of whatever was bothering her but she couldn't. I decided to jog over to her and make sure that she was okay. I ended up walking with her for about a mile. We compared injuries, and just talked for a bit. At this point, because my leg was hurting and I knew I wasn't going to break any records with my times--I decided to just walk with her and support her, and she seemed appreciative that I stopped for her.

I was relieved when we entered Churchill Downs and I sped up the two main hills that were there. I stopped to walk a few times inside as well because a lot of the people were stopping and taking in the scenery and it was difficult to run around them. I offered to take pictures for people that were trying to get pics of the Twin Spires--so they could prove they were in there! I enjoyed seeing some of the horses in there training. Just a fun little detour!

At the exit of Churchill Downs, I decided I wanted to pick it up a little bit if I could and I saw Joey waiting for me! Such a joy to see familiar faces sporadically throughout the race, I don't know if anybody knows how much it means to me!

Here's a picture he got when I was rolling up 4th street, right at the corner of Winkler and the one that follows is one with me just beginning to give a thumbs down...LOL--

Miles 10
I questioned even writing about this horrid, piece of crap mile because it was the most SUCKY ASS MILE. I felt pure misery during this mile. When we first got to mile 10, I tried to be positive and tell myself how it was only a 5K left and I could speed it up and finish strong and fast and blah blah blah. Yeah frickin' right. It sucked. There was nothing good about mile 10. Wall, here I am, stand in front of me and don't let me pass.

The pain in my leg was unbearable. I had to stretch and walk more than I could run. HIDEOUS performance. I never want to feel that way again. I guess it was good that it was only THAT bad for that mile.

Miles 11-13

I was VERY MUCH AWARE that there were only 2.1 miles left once I got to the 11 mile marker. Mile 10 sucked so bad and it got me mentally and I was really trying to turn that around. So I vowed to run the best 2.1 miles of my life. I saw Joey again and he told me that his parents were waiting for me at the finish, watching from a parking garage and I was hoping I'd get to see them. I tried to push through the pain of my leg and the pain of the race in general but it was so difficult. I was running on fumes and just wanting to get through it by this point--wanting it to be over.

I did, however, bust out some dance moves and performed a little bit of the Soulja Boy. What? The dude was asking for it...

0.10 and the Finish
Pretty long damn 0.10 mile. LOL When I turned the corner at 7th and Market St., I looked ahead and saw FINISH! Oh. My. GAWD! THERE IT IS! It was an open path and I forgot everything else and just kept up my pace.

My finish picture--looking focused, right?

I was SO HAPPY! And then I got within 200-300 feet of the finish and I looked around at all the celebration, heard the people cheering and I went from thinking--

THANK GOD IT'S OVER

to saying--

OH MY GOSH, I JUST DID IT!

Which was mixed with--

OH NO, IT'S OVER. IT'S ALL OVER...

I was so overcome with emotion. I started to tear up because everything I have been working for since September and even before had led me right to that moment. And it was nearing it's end. I felt like I should have done more because I was never going to get THIS back. I was sad. But I was proud.

So as I crossed the finish and stopped my Garmin, I was starting to tear up. But I learned something--it's very very difficult to give it a good cry when you've just run 13.1 miles and you're trying to catch your breath at the end of it. I was gasping for air and couldn't breathe. Stupid emotions. LOL I kept telling myself to calm down, don't cry and make sure I don't suffocate myself.

I got my medal, I loaded up on water, a bagel, Powerade, Sun Chips, granola bars, a banana...everything. I started eating while walking and looking for anybody familiar. The first person I saw was my fiance's father and I was SO happy to see him! Soon enough, we were all together again--mostly discussing what a horrible performance we all had and complaing about how our legs or our stomachs or our whatever's hurt us. LOL

After going to pick up a beer, we went back to the finish to try to catch Joe Malone but we didn't have any luck. The announcer called his name by mistake so we thought we had just missed him--turns out somehow they got it mixed up. During our wait though, I saw some very touching finishes by some racers with BIG heart and major guts. I teared up watching some of these people finish, thinking about how wonderful it was that they had the strength to push through--I knew how hard it must have been for them.

And I watched the marathoners roll in--and I was astonished. I wondered how on earth they could do what I had just done, but doubled. And in my amazement and pride at THEIR accomplishments, I revelled in my own. There was a time not too long ago that I would never have believed that I would have been capable of completing a half marathon. But I had done just that. And I realized that if I ever choose to do a marathon, I'll be able to do that too. It's not impossible. I've learned a thing or two about discipline and hard work and having a support system and if I ever decide to do the 26.2, I WILL BE ABLE TO. And that amazed me!

Oh and for you nosy people, my HOT AS HELL HALF MARATHON TIME was 2:37:21, more than 13 minutes more than my goal time. But for some reason, I'm not upset about it. This is the first race that I've done that I did worse than I anticipated. So it was time for it to happen that way--and this wasn't just ANY race. And I had a blast--more fun than I've ever had at a race. And that makes me happy.

Something to improve upon, isn't it?

Here are a few more pics from immediately after the finish:

Me and Tom:

Jenny, Vincent, Me and Joey:

Me and Joey:

Me and Mom:

POST RACE
Picked up my car, stopped at DQ for a grilled chicken sandwich which was the best *BLEEPING* sandwich I have ever had in my life, ate it in the car. Went home and took an ice bath, showered, stretched, rolled, ate again. Fell asleep for an hour. Got up, stretched, rolled, and did nothing but sit around and watch Lost and eat. Talk about recovery.

THINGS I NOTICED ABOUT THIS RACE

I didn't even LOOK at the clocks at the majority of the splits. I maybe checked 3 during the whole race. I honestly didn't care. That was the first race that I wasn't really really concerned with my time.

It was really well organized and the spectators were FANTASTIC and super-motivating.

There was plenty of water and Powerade for everyone and most of the volunteers were 100% prepared. Most.

The participants were overwhelmingly friendly, excited and in good spirits. People passing a football, wearing costumes, dancing, and all sorts of other fun things were going on and it really made it a fun experience.

The medals are VERY attractive and I'm really happy about that--I was worried my first medal would be corny or something. But not this. It's dope.

The finish was spectacular--there was a plethora of food and drink and partying to participate in. It was PERFECT.

Thanks for staying with me through this long entry, if you could. And stay tuned for my next entry--I need to say a couple more things.

US and Jamaica, Allergies and ITBS!

2009-03-31T17:55:00.003-04:00

That poor panda!! That's how it is living in the Ohio Rivnah (inside joke, sorry) Valley. Today I had my first taste of Spring time here this year--it's weird how it happens. I finish my run (which goes fine, by the way, nothing weird, no symptoms) and IMMEDIATELY there's this weird feeling in my throat. And it doesn't go away. Then it feels like I shouldn't talk and my throat is constricted. And the coughing or the sneezing begins. 3 hours after my run and I am having horrible coughing attacks. So, I took my first sinus pill of the year just now! YAY! NOT!

I was pretty amped to hear about the announcement from USATF and the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association--next year, the US and Jamaica will be going head to head in a series of track and field events. The USA vs. Jamaica Challenge series is a team based series of track and field events that will include long jump, two hurdles distances, three relays and 100, 200 and 400 meters competition! I think it'll be exciting and a positive way to bring track and field back into the radar for a lot of people! US athletes--you better start working now!

So in the interest of helping DBF with some errands tomorrow, I switched my higher mileage day of speedwork to today. I ended up doing just over 7 miles total--3.75 miles of intervals at 10K race pace. Great running on hills--I'm powering up those babies a little easier than I could before but still it ain't no joke! I realize I shouldn't be doing speedwork at hilly ass Iroquois Park but I don't really have any other options. Okay so I do--run a loop over and over and over again. But no thanks.

By the third interval, my mind was getting into my mind. LOL I swear, that was a tough one to break through--my ITBS had kicked in again (must be speedwork on hills induced...*sigh*) and I was having a hard time running normally, and my phone was ringing and a guy wanted to chat--I now understand why those speedy runners that look straight ahead with a slight grimace do that. As soon as I looked up beyond my current step (which I thought was going to be the apex of the current hill), I told myself to stop. Not just stop running fast. Just stop and walk dammit! MORE HILL, just STOP! YOU CAN'T DO IT! And then "One More Mile" Kriston came out. She fired back, "Umm, how the hell do you think you'll ever get better if you don't just suck it up and power up this damn hill." One More Mile Kriston can get a bit moody sometimes, but it's always out of love. Unconditional, crazy, bite my hand til it bleeds LOVE. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to 1:45 in the video below, if you feel like wasting your time! LOL)

Anyway--I powered up that hill, probably wobbly. I definitely thought I was never going to be able to breathe again. But I made it!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

I knew there was a reason I've always wanted to go to Paris...

2009-03-30T15:18:00.007-04:00

To DBF, I'm TOTALLY joking. That's not the ONLY reason. LOL

Ladies, here's what the rest of him looks like...

Three Things

2009-03-29T19:51:00.002-04:00

1. I can't wait to get my bike out on the road this week--I'm hoping for a Tuesday ride if I can avoid the expected rain in the afternoon! I'm really excited.

2. I really, really, really want to buy these:

But I don't have the money in my budget, since I'm in the market for a new pair of regular trainers. *sigh* I bet they won't have my size in two weeks!

3. I am really seriously considering taking swimming lessons. I just don't want to feel stupid or drown.

That is all. I'm mad that Sunday is over and I am on my way to bed for work tomorrow. What a sucker!

Mad Hills Son!

2009-03-28T16:47:00.003-04:00

The title is dedicated to Joe!

So yeah, I'm mad at Iroquois Park right now.

I. AM. SO. SORE.

Our group did the STUPID loop twice, and then added on a mere 7 miles at the end of that. STUPID!

I hurt. I feel like I got a bad case of the flu, but only from the waist down. *sigh*

I ended up with another distance PR, at 13.52 today. We pushed each other along at different times and I'm so glad to have such a great group to run with!

Plus, I'm pretty excited that Joe said he's interested in running the Millenium Trail with me after the Mini--that'll be 13.3 miles of trail running bliss!

I'm gonna go cry now.

More Mini-Marathon Musings...

2009-03-27T22:05:00.002-04:00

I know I'm not supposed to say this but I'll be glad when the Mini is over. LOL

Now I AM nervous--but I'm also MAD excited about it. So don't get it twisted! I want to run it and I'm excited, even if I am a bit scared!

What I want, though, is a REST. My body is aching. My body is tired and I even think my MIND needs a break. I just look forward to taking a month or two off from a strenuous training plan. I keep thinking of all the things I want to do--more hiking of course, cycling, tennis, and indoor skydiving! I just need to swith it up for awhile, until I plan my next move in my running career. :)

So yeah, I'm excited, I'll give it my best and I'll have fun. But I'll enjoy the break afterward.

10 Miles + 5K, Two Hells in One Race!

2009-03-26T19:44:00.013-04:00

Yes, I'm running my first Half Marathon in April.

Yes, I'm darn nervous.

Hell, I've done the distance--well, close enough. 13 miles is my distance PR--but I've been running double digit runs since December--so the distance is not something I'm worried about.

What I AM worried about is my pace during this race. I KNOW that I will not treat this like my training runs. I KNOW that I will not be comfortable during this race. I actually think that I'm going to hate every bit of it.

I don't even want to see any race pictures from that day--I can tell you right now what they will look like. But I won't tell you, it's far too embarassing for me.

I know that the morning of the race will be Hell. I will be prepared, I will be there extra early. But I will not have slept (can someone drug me the night before so I WILL sleep?) the night before. I will be too nervous to focus. I will probably feel like I'm going to revisit my dinner from the night before. I won't feel like running.

I know that the race will feel bad, and I'll be too hard on myself about my pace. FINISH, FINISH, FINISH--that's all a first Halfer is supposed to worry about, right? WRONG. It's NOT all I will worry about. I will worry about finishing respectably, relative to ME.

I will probably cry at the finish. I might collapse. Who knows.

So that's why I'm nervous.

But you know what's funny? I'm MORE nervous about the Papa John's 10 Miler, which is coming up in 2 weeks. I've never raced anything beyond the 10K distance so this will be a learning experience for me. It will act as a test for my performance at the Mini, which will be two weeks after the 10 Miler. I'm so nervous that I'm going to SUCK at the 10 mile distance and I will not be able to have the confidence I need for the Half.

And well, the HM is really just a 10 mile race with a sucky ass 5K at the end. And you all know I don't really care for the 5K distance. It just hurts. (5Ks are Harder).

And I STILL don't know what shoes and what gear I'm going to wear. I'm crumbling!

Rodes City Run 10K Race Report!

2009-03-21T13:25:00.003-04:00

This morning, I actually woke up before my alarm went off! Did my normal pre-race routine, got DBF out of bed (he apparently had been snoozing for 20+ minutes) and we drove down to the "Run the Ville" meeting spot across from Waterfront Park.

There was a total of 7 of us (my favorite number!) that met up in the dark parking lot, and we took off toward the start line, which was a little over a mile away. Because this race started downtown, we had to deal with a little early morning traffic and traffic lights. Two people in our group ended up getting stuck at a light and DBF and I told the rest of the group that we were going to wait for them, in case they weren't sure how to get to the start. The activity really picked up once we turned from Muhammad Ali onto 4th Street! It was pretty exciting with all of the runners standing around and the music playing!

Of course, as usual, I had to potty so I ran over to the port-a-pots. OMG last year the line was nearly non-existent. This year, it was incredible. I promised myself 10 minutes to stand in line and no more because Tom and Joey had promised to wait at a specific spot for me (Thanks Tom!) until I got back. I didn't want to take too long and put them in a difficult position. So I left without actually going to the bathroom, which goes against everything I hold dear! LOL It was an entertaining wait, though. Funny people in line to talk to and someone actually opened the door on a man in one of the Pots--he was a GREAT sport about it and when he came out, everybody cheered!

I made it back through the unbelievably massive crowds and somehow managed to find the crew. Within minutes, the race started and off we went--sorta. The crowd was so big that we actually had a little bit of that start fast/stop motion going on. I knew that I was going to have to subtract about 6 minutes from the clock time to have my actual time.

Once everybody started to spread out more on wide Broadway, I was trying to figure out what to do with the jacket I had with me--the jacket that I never intended to wear during the race (I never ran into any family or friends to actually have them hold it before the race). So when we started, I still had it and I didn't even have a good place to drop it because there were just too many people around. About 1/4 mile into the race, Joey and I were still running together and we saw a homeless man on the side of the road. I decided to run back to him and give him my jacket. Sure, it's too small for him but I figured he'd find SOMETHING to do with it. I'd rather him have it then the garbage can anyway.

Mile 1 was nice because I was with Joey for a good part of it. I tried to concentrate on finding a comfortable and challenging pace to run for the duration of the 6.2 miles. I found that pace and stayed with it for about 2 miles--there was a man that was running the same pace as me and we ran side by side during this time. I wish I could tell him thanks--he helped me to keep pushing myself--at least until we got to the first real hill and even though I wanted to push it hard, I stayed more conservative. The guy in the navy shirt ended up pulling ahead just a bit. And I never really caught up to him again. But thanks "navy shirt" man!

When mile 3 approached, I was a little tired but I felt confident to be at the halfway mark. When we turned the corner at KT's Restaurant, I saw several spectators and I was still hoping to see Mom someplace! I looked ahead and see her red coat on the corner--she's looking for me! I start waving but she didn't see me for a few seconds. I was so happy to see her there!!!! When I approahced the next water stop, I took some water in and walked for about 30 seconds to get my focus back. I got right back into it and continued to run as smoothly as I could.

The Mile 5 marker was the turning point for me in this race. My goal for this race was sub 1:05:00, a reasonable time for me, I thought. I was pretty sure that even though I just ran a sub-30 5K two weeks ago, I wouldn't be able to keep that pace for the 6.2 miles. I wanted a challenging but reasonable goal, and I thought that was it. But when I saw the clock time at mile 5, it read 54:xx. I subtracted my 6 minutes and thought--WOW, I COULD POSSIBLY RUN A SUB 1 HOUR 10K!!! It had NEVER crossed my mind that I would even be ABLE to do that, much less shoot for it. But when I saw that clock time, I said "*%&$ it! I'm going to try it!"

There was a group of guys holding up signs for 1-800-GOT-JUNK on the side of the course and when I passed them, I said "Do you guys take junk in your trunk?" LOL Then there were spectators with cowbells and although I knew I hadn't been the first to say it, I couldn't help but scream "MORE COWBELL!!" That interaction helped pump my adrenaline up enough and for about 3/4 mile, I felt fast and strong and even more confident in my ability to run this race faster than I imagined!

Mile 6 popped up and the clock read just over 1:04:00. I thought CRAP--there's no way I'll make it. I actually slowed down a bit--because I didn't think I could make it and also because I knew the hill at the finish was approaching and I wanted to conserve energy! Then I heard a man yell at his friend, "Oh yeah, you got this in under an hour! You could run this under an hour on vacation!" I thought to myself, "DAMMIT STRANGER MAN, YOU'RE RIGHT!" So I didn't let up. I picked it up. I started passing people. I turned the corner and cut a girl off. Sorry. I took off down the straightaway toward the finish and just focused on FINISHING FAST! I rarely sprint to the finish but I did the best I could today! LOL

When I crossed, I didn't even look at the clock time. I looked at my Garmin, which read 59:42. I don't have the official chip time yet but I know that it's going to be close to that, if not dead on. I was overwhelmed with pride for myself and I was just so happy! Unfortunately, there wasn't a soul that I recognized around there, so I was all alone with nobody to share that joy with!

Everybody from RTV did EXTREMELY WELL! Tom is increasing his speed and man, I'm impressed. Joe always finishes with a great time! Lee is the beast of the group, and he did great as usual! Joey came through with a GREAT time, thanks in part to Christian's support during the race. Christian did extremely well and man, we should all be soooo proud! I'm proud of everybody! I hope that our strong performances today help out with the overall team placement in the Triple Crown Team challenge! GO US! I think we'll place better today than we did at the 5K, honestly! We just know how to push ourselves! We also know how to push ourselves over to the Panera Bread for breakfast. We had a nice and relaxed breakfast--we started out quiet but we had good conversation as time went on. I felt like I was stuffing myself silly. LOL

Overall, another GREAT race and I'm so pumped up that I PR'd so well! I shaved nearly 15 minutes off of last year's time for this same race, and that sure does give me something to be proud of!

The Day After 13 Miles

2009-03-15T13:43:00.002-04:00

So the morning after my long run of 13 miles yesterday, I wake up. I lay there, stretch out my legs and assess the way my body feels.

Turns out, it feels great. A teeny wee bit stiff, but nothing worth talking about. No pain (except for my foot, which is a lingering pain), no problems, no nothing. I was amazed at how great I felt. I remember when I first started running "long distances" last year at 5 and 6 miles. I felt soreness and stiffness for a couple of days!

My body is finally getting used to the stress of these double digit runs, and I'm sure my recovery-routine helps as well. I'm just excited to know that I can run 13 miles and still have a life that day and the following day!

Happy Sunday everyone!

All in a Day's Work--2 PR's today!

2009-03-14T15:48:00.002-04:00

This week's mileage total = 30.2 miles! That's a weekly total PR for me! Also, today, our running group ran a trial run of the route for next week's 10K and Tom and I decided to run it back after we finished it. We ended up getting a total of 13 miles in by the end of it and that's also a distance PR for me!

We had a great time running as usual! The weather was decent enough and it didn't start raining until the second half of the run--and it wasn't even a bad rain.

Running has really been a better friend lately. I went through a tough spell after all of the bad weather (ice storms) and after having some knee pain--running turned into a pure chore and in some cases, an unbearable chore. This week, my running has been strong, consistent and most importantly, it's felt great. I feel like myself again and I'm so happy!

DBF and I went to Swag's (one of our LRSs) yesterday to get some new kicks and DBF ended up with the Saucony ProGrid Guides.

I hope they work out for him! I've already warned him, I've read some great reviews on this model but not good reviews for Saucony's update with the Guide 2. I told him to see how they work for him but consider changing shoes even if they work since so many people feel they flubbed on the new version.

I ended up walking out of Swag's with what I expected--the Mizuno Wave Inspire 4. These are just an update of my favorite running shoe so far. Apparently, not much changed with the 4 and that's great by me!

I probably won't run in these until mid-April, since I bought them to get me into the Mini!! I have to buy some lime green clothes to match them! :) Yes, I'm a girl.

Happy Running everybody!!!

I've never had the desire to run a marathon...

2009-03-07T16:32:00.003-05:00

But I've always said I'll revisit the idea once I've successfully completed the Half. I'll let you know how I feel about a full mary come April 26th.

I did, however, watch Run for Your Life: the Story of Fred Lebow and the New York City Marathon today and I enjoyed it. Lots of information I didn't know and great clips of some incredible people. It actually put a piece of the bug inside of me. I will more seriously consider it after the HM now. :)

I just wanted to say that and to reiterate how much I love my boyfriend, my mom, his parents and my running buddies and their families. What a great bunch we are! I don't know who wouldn't love us. LOL

Next up: Post-Mini-Marathon plans.

Happy Anniversary! Anthem 5K Fitness Classic Race Report!

2009-03-07T13:35:00.002-05:00

Today's race marked my first anniversary of road racing! The 2008 Anthem 5K Fitness Classic was my first race ever and I was a nervous wreck. I not only had to deal with the nerves of race day but I was also consumed with all of the "rules" and etiquette of racing. I was pretty nervous but still very excited! Today was a MUCH different experience! Meeting with friends, meeting new friends, pre-race routine is down to a science and I just was able to truly enjoy the race this year!

Joey and I drove down to meet the Run the Ville Squad at our pre-determined meeting place and we got right into our warm up, which consisted of 1 mile weaving through the downtown streets. This was perfect though, because the race pretty much involved weaving through people the entire time. LOL

We all headed over to Preston St. because it was getting close to start time and the crowds were filling in. It was amazing to see that people. I heard 9,000-10,000 people were running in today's race. That's INSANE! They separated the walkers and I think that was INSTRUMENTAL in the fluidity of the race today. Yes, there was plenty of bobbing and weaving to do but it wasn't around walker and strollers and that made for a happy bunch of runners.

The first mile flowed as smooth as butter for me. I separated from Joey and started to weave my way through as I picked up my pace a bit. I felt SO STRONG!! I felt comfortable, even though I knew I was running a fast pace for ME. River Road was nice and flat and the sun was out and it was just beautiful this morning! Mile 1 popped up and my watch (chip time) was at 9:05. Great pace for me, that's faster than normal BUT I felt great so I stayed with it.

We took a turn at the Heigold House, which split the field right down the middle.

I noticed that people were starting to fizzle a little but I still had my SIZZLE so I kept a consistent pace. I still felt great so I didn't want to give it up. I saw the only sizable hill approaching me and had a quick inner debate because I saw so many people stopping and not being able to get over the hill easily. Should I take it easy or just go for it? I went all out. Knees up and elbows pumping and I got up that hill like a champ! Still felt great at the top, even if I was a little winded. Mile 2 split appeared after a couple of turns and I was at 17:52! That meant I ran the second mile in under 9 minutes! FANTASTIC.

After that, I felt better than I normally do during any given point of a 5K but I was starting to tire out a bit. I slowed down a little bit so that I could finish stronger rather than faster (plus my stomach wasn't feeling the best all morning, and especially not after stepping in vomit and seeing everyone around me barfing!). I truly felt the worst during the last 3/4 mile or so of the race but I wouldn't give in to any thoughts of walking. I just tried to keep running consistently. The crowds really picked up as we ran further down Main St. and it was such a great atmosphere. Everyone was supportive and cheering and that is always great! I looked over and saw bright yellow and realized it was my teammate, Lee. He had finished up and was running back for a cool down. I was happy to finally see someone familiar!

Eventually, I heard someone say "THERE IT IS!" and I looked up and saw the Finish Line about 500m ahead. I glanced at my watch and saw 27:xx and wondered if I would be able to make it there in 2-3 minutes! I heard someone on the field tell her daughter to "look straight ahead, don't look up at the finish line" and I thought, "Good advice." I just locked onto the white cutoff T-shirt on the man a few steps up from me and kept running solidly.

As I got closer, I heard cheers and screams but didn't know if they were from people I knew or not--I didn't care. They helped! Through the finish into the chute--29:19 on my watch. Great time! I was VERY excited and almost a little emotional and I would have allowed myself to feel those things if I didn't feel like barfing. I didn't--but I thought I was going to.

Overall impression of the race today--excellent. The route changes were FANTASTIC, the separate start for the runners and walkers was brilliant and it was just an overall success, in my opinion. I will continue to run this for as long as I can, as it's my first ever race AND a great race overall.

Did I mention they had cinnamon crunch bagels again this year? They actually had Chik-fil-A biscuits too but I somehow managed to miss them! What a bummer!! Tom, Joe, Lee (Team Run the Ville), Joey, my mom, Joey's parents, and Joe's wife all went for breakfast at Panera and had another nice time.

I want to add that I am totally impressed with Lee's running and I think he's an awesome guy--glad you were able to drive down and hang with us. You rock! I love my "running club" homies! I couldn't ask for anything better!

I pick Redford and Clooney...

2009-02-21T12:41:00.005-05:00

I'm watching Season 1 of 30 Rock. Jenna was asking Liz to choose between Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Redford. Between Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Clooney. That's my non-running related contribution for the day.

Back to business. Here's a little pictorial history of this morning's group run:

Yes, this is Southern Parkway. No, this is not what it looked like during today's run. :)

This is Eastern Parkway looking at the Preston intersection. That's White Castle on the left.

Here's Cherokee Triangle...at night!

This morning, we went on a good run through a portion of our city--Iroquois Park to Cherokee Park. I had a great time and even though I think we were a little less chatty than normal, I have to say today seemed to be a more comfortable, more fun and more inspiring run than in a long time. I feel great! I've said before that I really enjoy being out when there are other runners. There's such camaraderie in the running community and it just makes me feel great to pass a runner or a group of runners. And yes, wave. Speak. Smile. Do something to acknowledge my existence in the Running World. I'm not special, no. But I deserve respect, and we're sorta in this together, even though we're doing it separately. I digress.

What made this run stand out from other long runs:

1. There were a couple of funny moments that had me laughing so hard that I didn't think I could keep running.

2. Our "group" just gets better and better.

3. Great route! I'll definitely do that again--as long as I have some company.

4. Denny's. This wasn't necessarily positive. I could smell the pancakes and I could taste the Moons Over My Hammy. I really wanted to eat there.

Solid run, comfortable pace and good company! Feeling pretty good after my ice bath, warm shower, Panera Bread breakfast and a good nap!!!

Nathan Speed 2 Fuel Belt Review

2009-02-21T12:01:00.002-05:00

I actually own this model in blue--it looks great! Today was my first run with it and it actually went better than I expected.

Size:

I typically wear a medium pant, but I went with the small belt and it fits reasonably well over my running gear. I would suggest suiting up in your favorite running gear and taking a measurement to get an accurate fit.

Comfort:

As most users say, the belt is only slightly noticeable when you first put it on and start running. Admittedly, I forgot about it after a few steps, which is just what you want. Also, the velcro strap and the limited stretch waistband provide a secure fit without being too tight.

Bounce/Ride:

Zero bouncing. I did have one problem with the belt, however. It started to slide upward during the run, forcing me to adjust it frequently. In fairness, however, this was only a small inconvenience when compared to the great benefits of this belt.

Pockets:

The pockets are sufficient in size--I comfortably carry cash, keys, chapstick and a gu packet or other type of fuel. Cell phone would also fit.

Overall, this is a great product and I definitely recommend it. The 2 bottle (10 ounces each) belt is sufficient for someone completing long runs around 2 hours, depending on your hydration needs. Highly recommended.

The Mile--Honesty is Humbling

2009-02-20T18:43:00.003-05:00

If I slowed down, it would have been even worse!

One of my recent goals has been to determine my mile time. I know I ran a mile in just under 10:00 last summer but I didn't push hard intentionally. I've just wanted an initial point of data to reference in the future as I progress. I planned on running the mile today so I decided to head to the track after work, with a Plan B just in case the track was locked or in use. When I got there, the track wasn't being used but the parking lot was. I decided to not fight through the kids and I drove to the neighboring park.

What are all these green things along the entrances to the park, I wondered? Then I saw the sign--PARK TEMPORARILY CLOSED. *sigh*

So I drove to the next closest park, which was about 5 minutes away. That park was open but definitely not a good, flat place to test your mile. But it was the flattest place I had access to at that moment so I worked with it.

This is where I'll confess. I have no idea how to run the mile. I know it seems like you'd just go out there and run and be done with it but my Running gut (not a fatty gut, the soulful gut) tells me there's much more to it than that. After all, there are techniques for running other distances. Why would the mile be any different? But since I don't know "the rules," I winged it the best I could on that semi-hilly concrete loop.

I warmed up for 1 mile, amazed at how smooth and graceful I felt. I was sharing the path with two separate groups but they were respectful of my space, as I was of their's. After the warmup, and some stretching, I took off to run my mile. I'll admit, I started too quickly. I started to feel a burn in my quads and tibialis anterior (muscle in front of shin). I was actually shocked at how quickly I felt the burn. This proves that this was a FAR different workout than I'm used to. Even my speedwork doesn't feel this way--not so early in the workout, at least. I couldn't help but imagine the differences in body type between a sprinter and a distance runner. Amazing.

So anyway, I mentioned I started off too quickly. Well, I did. And I burned out but kept running. I reached the 1/2 mile in 3:59 and kept going. But I just couldn't maintain a pace worth anything. I burned out quickly and ended up having to walk a portion. Totally NOT what I thought would happen. Totally NOT the way I wanted it to go.

Geezy, my Garmin 305, beeped at the 1 mile mark. I was happy it was over but disappointed in my performance. However, I'm very glad to know the time now, even if it's not necessarily the best, or even the most accurate. It's just good to have something to work from and a way to measure my improvement.

And trust me, improvement is coming.

Sugar and shoes...an update of sorts

2009-02-18T15:40:00.004-05:00

Today is Wednesday, which I typically refer to as "Long Day at Work, Speedwork and No Time for Myself Day." Today though, I decided to do things a bit differently. I hurriedly got my work done and cut out of work about 45 minutes early. Though I truly DID intend to get my workout in, when I got home I decided against it. I just don't feel rested or 100% strong and it seems like lately, there's just always a nagging pain. Right now, it's my left knee and ITBS. I just haven't felt 100% in a long time and this is new to me. Even after my long runs a couple of months ago, I would recover in a day (after a new distance) and feel pretty good. I feel like I might have increased the pace too soon, as I increased my distance very safely. But who knows--every body is different. I have to remind myself that just because I'm CAPABLE of something doesn't necessarily mean I have to do it. It's hard to remember that when you're having fun and feeling good at that moment--and when you want so badly to see improvements.

On the other hand, I'm a runner, right? Are these pains something I'm just "supposed" to live with? I can't accept that. I went so long without having to live with it, why start now? So I'm revising my plan--for the Mini, I have a soft goal of sub 2:30:00. I will continue to follow my training schedule, as it's been VERY beneficial for me. But I will no longer push my pace much faster than scheduled. I want to be healthy. I want to run many more races than just this April's HM. I want to be strong and feel good and run for many years.

As for the Mini--I've been contemplating what my choice of shoe will be. Right now, I'm leaning toward buying a new pair of Mizuno Inspires--they've been a sturdy and comfortable running shoe for my foot. I'd like to try a new shoe but I'm running out of time for experimentation.

Now to sugar--I REALLY have been wanting to cut down on my intake of refined sugar. It's SO hard to do this! For those of you who have overhauled your diet or who have significantly cut down on your intake of sugar, let me know HOW you did it, WHAT you replaced it with and how it made you feel. I just can't imagine doing this but I KNOW it's something I need to seriously do. HELP!!!!

So happy running everyone, keep in touch and have a good rest of the week!

Frostbite 5K Race Report

2009-02-14T12:50:00.005-05:00

So today was the final leg of the "Polar Bear Grand Prix," sponsored by Fleet Feet here in the Ville! (If you want a reminder of the first two legs--Reindeer Romp 4K and Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler

It was actually a little chilly (wind chill in the upper 30's) when we got there and I've been so used to running in mild temps (the last week or so) that I totally forgot to wear a headband and gloves!! DBF and I saw our friend Scott with his son, who seemed like a cool kid! Glad he came out. Then we met up with Joe and Tom and did a nice warmup together. Then, as usual, it was to the Port-a-Pots! The line was long but I got complimented on my speedy "execution." LOL

Almost as soon as I walked out of the bathroom, I dropped my jacket in some trees and found a spot behind the starting line with Scott and Joey. No time to waste, the race started and off we went.

I felt decent for the first mile, though the first mile is almost entirely uphill. I was surprised at how good I handled it though--even my training runs on that hill don't go as well as this did. I felt good! First mile split = 9:40.

Everything went downhill starting around 1.5 miles. Side stitches and cramping! Could it be that running only 24 miles in 3 weeks with no speedwork mixed in could have hindered my fitness? :) I just couldn't get back into the groove after that. Muscle soreness in my right leg just added to the displeasure. Tom told me after the race that he could see in my face when he passed me that I just wanted the race to be done. He read my face correctly. Mile 2 split = 19:20.

I just tried to keep myself focused and composed but I felt like I was crumbling. I had to stop and walk from the cramping and just felt so horrible as I watched several people fly by me. I felt more defeated than I had felt in a long time! I took some deep belly breaths and just pushed myself back into the race--repeating to myself "You can do anything for another mile! Not much left!" I actually started to check my Garmin for the distance to see how much longer I had.

Then...ahead...there was a sign with the number "3". Ahhhh!! Thank you! I strengthened up, pushed it out and kept going until the end. I was so happy when I saw my mom's face--she gave me two thumbs up and told me I was doing good. It wasn't one of those "I'm saying it just to say it" comments, I could tell in her face that I really WAS doing well.

I looked ahead and saw the time clock, which read 29:30. I panicked and picked up my pace. There was NO WAY I was going to be THAT close to running my first sub-30:00 5K and not DO IT! When I crossed, it was about 29:40 and while I was soooooooo happy and so excited, I basically just doubled over as I walked. I felt like doody!

I thanked the guy in front of me because I used him during the race to *sorta* pace myself. He was pretty strong and running around the same pace as me and it always comforts me to have something "familiar" to run with, and he was it today!

So great feeling right now, knowing that I have achieved one of my biggest goals EVER! It was one thing that I have always wanted--not just for this year. I just knew I could make it happen this year. I remember when I first started running again, I thought that this would be impossible. And now, I'm doing it! It's great!

As usual, we all met at Panera Bread and had a great breakfast. I think every runner in the area was in there today. It's so fun to go there and have a great meal AND be around a community of people that are sweaty and charged up from a good run! Tom and Joe gave me a great Birthday gift too! A fresh, beautiful Run the Ville T-Shirt! I'm pretty pumped--it looks great! I'm proud of it and even more, I'm glad that they like the logo that I created!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!!

P.S. This is one of my Valentine's gifts! Talk about creamy, smooth chocolate...wow!

5K's are Harder and Why Didn't We Bring a Camera?

2009-02-14T12:42:00.003-05:00

First of all, I'm tired of not having a great pictures to document each of my races. I wish I could clone myself and have Picture Taking Me stand along the race route and get all the good pictures while Runner Me runs. I wish I had a way to comfortably carry my camera and snap snap snap along the way. I just hate not having those memories in picture form.

So I've decided that I prefer running races that are 5 miles or up. I think the short distance races are much harder and they take a lot more out of me. I've done several 5Ks and a 4K and neither distance was entirely pleasurable. I find that I enjoy the steady, slightly slower nature of the longer races and I hope that the Half Marathon proves no different.

In shorter races, I'm contantly thinking "Oh you don't have much more. Not much more! Keep pushing!" I hate that! Because it's ALWAYS longer than you think it will be. When I run 5-6 mile races, I don't start thinking about the finish until mile 4 or so--mentally it's just not as taxing to me.

That being said, though, I had fun as usual. I'm tired. But what a great Valentines Day! DBF and I took care of our hearts this morning and got a great race under our belts and had fun together. <3

6.5 miles through hell?

2009-02-06T13:15:00.004-05:00

Okay so it wasn't as bad as Hell. I got up this morning a little skeptical about running just because I was worried about my knee. I went for it anyway, though, because I was pretty confident in my self diagnosis. I parked at Cherokee Park--which was basically closed. There were folks out there running but there were lots of workers with chainsaws everywhere. The path is NOT cleared by any stretch of the imagination--and in some spots, there is only enough room for a car to travel on the pedestrian section. There's just too much ice and snow still, so I took my run out of the park and into some of the neighborhoods in the Highlands.

It was a nice run except for the sliding on the ice a couple of times, a branch attack that scratched my eye and then the weirdest part of all...

I was running down a back street and I saw a woman walking toward me in the distance on the other side of the road. Each step I took, I noticed that not only were we getting closer to each other, but she was actually crossing over to MY side of the road. I looked to see if her side wasn't clear but her side was actually MORE clear than the side I was running on. She continued to cross over closer to me and in no time--she was right in front of me about 8 feet away. I had three options: go to my right (and her left) into the middle of the road, go to my left (her right) into a huge patch of ice or just stop.

I wasn't going to go to my right just for the principle of it--that's where SHE had just come from. Why should I move for HER when she was already on the other side of the street and had NO need to be on MY side coming right at me.

I wasn't going to go to my left into the ice because it was ICE...and I had already had too many dangerous close calls.

So I stopped running. Her arm brushed mine and it was like it was all in slow motion. I watched, TOTALLY STUNNED, as she walked past me. She wasn't just walking past me like people do on sidewalks, she was ULTRA close. I watched her until she got behind me. I said audibly, "Woooooow. Oh. My. Gosh."

And then I took off again.

What on EARTH would have been her reasoning to cross a street and walk right into someone? LOL

At least I got my run in...6.5 weird miles. :)

Flurries and Injuries...

2009-02-05T17:04:00.002-05:00

Don't make for good outdoor training. The injuries make for NO training.

This week has been a complete disaster for my relationship with my life partner, Running. Yes, we're THAT committed. The two weeks prior to this week were close to disastrous. I felt Running starting to slip away and then this week, it's like we've started a long distance relationship. I'm not sure who to blame--if I can blame anyone. Running has been there waiting, hoping I would give it a shot. I've WANTED to be with Running. But for one reason or another, our relationship has been that of forbidden and also unfulfilled romance.

As many of you are probably aware, the President declared that Kentucky (where I call home) is in a state of disaster due to the recent ice storms. Tuesday of last week, my area received sleet, snow and very cold temperatures. I was still able to make it to work but it was slick and officials were asking people to stay home. Overnight into Wednesday morning, we were basically hit with ICE--I awoke to a nice coating of ice on the accumulated snow. Poor Chassis (my dog) couldn't even walk--she just skated around outside. The entire night was filled with incessant sleep disturbances from transformers blowing--I'm not talking once or twice either. The entire night was nothing but BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! I decided to stay home and after breakfast, I fell asleep in my recliner--startled awake by a weird sound. I looked out the window, nothing that I could see. Went back to sleep. Startled awake again. It occurred to me that tree limbs were cracking and breaking due to the weight of the ice. These poor trees and EVERYTHING was covered in 1-2 inches of ice. The noise of these falling branches was incredible--never heard anything like it.

Needless to say, not a lot of running. I've tried to get out but it's very difficult when even the STREETS are ice covered. I managed to get out on Saturday--early enough to avoid large amounts of trafic and I just stuck to the main roads since they were mostly clear. It was an exhilirating run! I loved running on these streets that I usually drive on--and I also ran through the parking lot of a large, nearby church because their lot was very well cleared. Fun run, and I definitely needed to get out! It was great.

But that was the last time I ran. To make up for my lack of anything physical, Sunday I did that workout (see previous entry). It was great and I was tolerably sore on Monday. Tuesday--still a little stiff but okay. And then, at work, I kneeled down and it happened.

My knee just gave out. SO. MUCH. PAIN. Stood up--pain. Sat down--pain. Climb ladder/steps--pain.

Knee cap pain=out of commission.

It's better. My self-diagnosis blames Sunday's workout, as it was INTENSE in the areas of squatting and lunging. I think the muscles were so strained that my work (which requires lots of kneeling and bending at the knee) was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. It's better but it's not 100% and I am REALLY scared to run for fear of further damaging it.

One more gripe--my shoulder is really hurt. I'm going to have to completely rehab it before I do anything else--no more weights, no more pushups, no more pullups. I've come to terms with the fact that it'll be a few weeks before I can do anything upper body. I'm not happy about it but I feel better about THAT than I do about not being able to run.

So HM training is on hold. I really wanna go for a run tomorrow but I'm so scared to. Sigh.

At least it's going to warm up...

I'm not a workout DVD type woman...

2009-02-01T13:39:00.006-05:00

but...I know a good workout when I see one.

We subscribe to Netflix so we can stream videos instantly via the XBox 360 (or PC, if you wish). It's so convenient! A week or so ago, I decided to see what workout videos might be available for instant queue on Netflix and I watched a couple to see which I'd like to try. I ended up deciding on one--Jillian Michael's Shape Up Front. And you can shoot me, I didn't know who she was. Sorry, I don't watch the Biggest Loser.

Anyway, I've been waiting for the right time to use this video and today was it. Let me just say this--I'm in decent shape. I can run double digit miles, I am not puny, I am no stranger to strength, resistance or any other type of training. But this workout kicked my ass! I actually hated her for a few minutes.

I chose this workout because it looked like the best workout for a runner--out of the instant queue options I had, that is. It works your abs, shoulders, thighs, triceps, hip flexors and chest. Obviously with it covering that many areas, you're not spending a significant amount of time on ONE area. But for a runner like me, it is a good start to help strengthen and build VERY important areas that we need to perform well out on the road or the trail.

The highlight: the fact that I actually finished this video.

The shock: that it's MUCH harder than I expected and I have to go shower now because I got way more sweaty than I do when I run

The lowlight: I could not complete the hip flexor routine. Oh. My. Gosh. I have to work on that.

Running + Gymnastics = Reduced Crime

2009-01-27T16:05:00.002-05:00

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Parkour and Free Running but if not, watch that video. It's a compilation of video from the founder of Parkour, David Belle. He is absolutely amazing. If you're interested in seeing Belle in a movie that has a lot of great Parkour moves, check out Banlieue 13. Here's a trailor for it:

I recently read that twelve schools in London have been teaching their kids the basics of free running, which is just amazing to me. Can you imagine the potential for lawsuits if there were a Parkour/Free Running Program for Secondary Schools in the United States? I think it's a fantastic thought though--I mean imagine being a child in London. You go to school, learn about the Battle of Edington, do a little mathematics, maybe read a chapter from a classic novel--and then off to Parkour class. How amazing would that be? It's got to be great fun, a great workout and a wonderful lesson in learning to gauge risk.

Apparently, that's not all--officials in London believe that these Parkour programs have actually cut youth crime by 30%. That's amazing! And whether or not it's true, it's amazing that they're even making that connection. I don't know about you but as a child, if given the opportunity to either A) Do some parkour with some friends or B) Carry a gun and try to rob old ladies...I'd pick A any day.

Onto REAL running. I ran a fun route yesterday--5 hilly miles around my neighborhood. I rarely venture across a busy street that is about 1.5 miles from my house--I generally run to the street and turn around but across that busy street there are some gem hills. And I was feeling it. So I did it. It was an amazing challenge and I'm sore but it was a great workout.

Nothing new to report but I have been trying to stay on target with my training for the Mini in April. It's been difficult because of some aches, sick days and the weather but no excuses! I'm on the right path!! I hope you guys are too!

Shivering Saturday!!

2009-01-17T18:39:00.002-05:00

Went out this morning and met my running buddies at the park--we hadn't discussed mileage because quite frankly, I think we all wondered IF we would do more than 2-3 miles!! Did I mention the wind chill was at -1 when I left? I have to start remembering that having a dog means I have to get up a little earlier on long run days if I'm meeting anyone because Chassis takes too long to go to the bathroom. I have to go outside and throw the ball around with her for her to actually THINK about pooping, and I usually remember this when I'm SUPPOSED to be leaving the house.

The run was pretty comfortable for me for the duration, and I was pleased at our pace, as it was a pace that allowed me to comfortably get in more miles. I had a few aches and pains early on but I attribute that mostly to the cold, and the hard concrete. We ran down Bardstown Road which was quite fun actually, tons of distractions in all of the businesses in the area. It brought back a lot of memories of drunken nights walking around down there with friends--who knew I'd be running down there at 8am with friends? LOL

We lost one of our buddies after about 6.5 miles, and then I lost the last one at just before 9. I had intended to get in 10 this morning, so I had to push myself a little harder now that everybody was gone--and I ended up continuing on with a distance PR of 11.11. Each long run, I start to realize that the HM is definitely possible and I can't wait to see how it goes! I'm really excited!

I also really want to say thank you to Tom, Joe and to my Margaritaville Teammates and the other members at RuntheVille.com--it is through the inspiration, the support and the motivation I receive from you all that has allowed me to push myself beyond my comfort zone. Yeah, I did the work but I know without a doubt that I wouldn't be at this level in my training and in my fitness without you all. And a special thanks to Tom and Joe for really pushing me during our group runs, and thanks to Tom for pushing me with the Pushups Challenge.

You can do a lot of things on your own in life, but there's so much more to be gained when you allow others to come into your life and help you out!

I'd be neglecting some very important people if I didn't mention my mom and DBF. Their continued support and love keeps me going and growing stronger!

Brrrrrrrrrrun!!!

2009-01-14T20:45:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is staying nice and warm--not because you're staying inside (unless you own a TM or have a gym membership) but because you have all the proper gear to run in the cold!

Seems like a lot of the North and NE US are experiencing some cold weather, and we definitely are here! But it's nothing I can't handle. I just look like a ninja when I'm out running--a mismatch ninja!

DBF brought home a gift today--a foam roller. This thing is crazy and amazing. It hurt. But it was great pain. I am really psyched to use this thing, as it felt amazing. I'm LOVING the glute and the back exercises the best--WHOA!!!! I'll keep you updated on how it goes. I don't think I can explain what it feels like to use this thing, it's just something you have to try yourself to understand!

Snowman Shuffle 4 Mile RR

2009-01-10T20:45:00.010-05:00

Today was the second leg of the three race series, the Polar Bear Grand Prix. This race was 4 miles on a familiar course that has a couple of killer hills. I woke up this morning and visualized me running a PR and got up, followed through my pre-race routine and a little after 7AM, I heard it--the rain came all at once and it was pouring down! I expected rain but I was kinda hoping it would be a light mist--not a pourdown!

When Joey and I got there, we found a decent parking space and sat in the warm car for a few minutes getting everything ready before hopping out into the cold and the rain, which had died down considerably to that mist I was wishing for. (MISTY RAIN!!!)

I had to go to the bathroom, which is customary for me before a race and luckily, I saw Joe coming out just as I was getting in line. We hooked up with Tom and did our warm up a few minutes before the start. The warmup actually made me feel a little off balance and my ears felt a little strange--I didn't have them covered and I think that's why. When we finished our warm up, we came back together at the start line and a relatively new forum member approached us and introduced himself! I was pretty excited to meet him, and glad he wasn't scared to approach our crazy asses!! Scott, if you read this, it was a great pleasure to meet you and I'm really glad you were there to help push Joey a little!

As for the race itself--I had a great first mile. I felt strong, got in the groove relatively quickly, thanks to our warm up and just ran a smooth, comfortable 9:30 pace. Can you believe I'm actually calling 9:30 comfortable? LOL It was mostly downhill and smooth but I felt great and earlier this year, I would NEVER have been able to run that quickly!

I didn't check my Garmin much during the first 2 miles, as I was just focused on running as fast as I could comfortably, and I was just HOPING to reach mile 2 in 20:00. I also got to see Joe, Tom and Joey (I somehow missed Scott) pass and that TOTALLY made me feel happy and distracted! At the 2 mile split, the guy called out 19:00 and while I was elated to have surpassed my goal, it was at this point that I realized I still had a tough time ahead but that I wasn't ready to give up. I still felt like I could totally pull off the 40:00 race.

By mile 2.5 though, I started to crumble. The hills were popping up and my early speed was catching up to me...my legs were fine but for the first time in several months, I was actually REALLY short of breath. I slowed down and even had to stop and walk for several seconds just to calm my breathing down as I was going up the worst hill.

I can't recall the mile 3 split but I just kept pushing to the end of the race--when I rounded the top of the final hill as I was approaching the finish, I knew I was close and I looked ahead to see the time. I knew I was going to finish with a brand new PR and a milestone of which to be proud. I finished several seconds after the 39:00 mark and I am SO PROUD! A new PR, and my first time running a sub-10:00 pace during a race that long!

UPDATE: Race results have been posted and they have my official time as 39:00!!

I had a blast as usual, and I'm loving these PRs every time--though I am aware that I will not PR every race I run. I'm just excited to see improvement, as I say so often. I'm proud of the work I've done!

Tom, Joe, Scott and Joey ran GREAT races, all of which should be very proud. We're such a tough group!!!!! I'm bummed I didn't get to speak to Hippiedigger--I saw someone standing with Tom and Joe after the finish but I didn't recognize him or even have a clue who he was, and I had to take off to catch up with Joey. Maybe I'll get to holler at him next time!

And of course, Panera Bread was THE BOMB!!!! I LOVE LOVE their breakfast. And I always love the company!

After breakfast, I went home and showered and Joey and I watched Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (second try)--bleh. After the movie, I got the urge to log some more miles so I headed up to the park to meet mom. I got in a VERY solid 4 miles that actually seemed to loosen me up and make me feel so much better.

Feels like next week should be a taper week but it's not...hopefully I can take it easy but still get in some quality workouts. I hope everyone has a great weekend, and everyone who raced--I hope it went great.

By the way, I'm loving these guys, I just bought them last week and they've been great for me!

Pass the Body Glide, Please.

2009-01-04T17:01:00.004-05:00

After my shower that followed my ice bath after my run earlier, I am determined to never leave the house without my Body Glide if I'm wearing shorts/running skirt.

I left this morning without even considering the need for Body Glide. Yeah, I had on a skirt. Yeah, my legs were gonna touch. Yeah, it was 60 degrees. But it's January. And I haven't used my Body Glide in a couple of months, honestly.

Seven miles into my run, I was in agony. I'm not sure exactly why it was so bad this morning--I've never actually experienced chafing that bad. A little rub-a-dub, yeah. But not this horrid chafing. And what's so strange about it is that when I was 10-15 pounds heavier, I didn't have it bad. Explain to me how losing FAT off of your thighs, for instance, can make you chafe worse? Or maybe it's because I never ran long enough back then TO chafe. Ahh, yes, that's it.

I was in PAIN. I contemplated many remedies along the run--puddles, spitting and rubbing, stopping--until I remembered: "YES, I HAVE LIP GLOSS IN MY POCKET."

So yeah, I stood on the side of a busy public street and rubbed lip gloss on my thighs. But hey, it got me back to my car in less pain.

But my shower was brutal. As soon as that hot water touched the skin...OUCH!

I think they should make a key chain sized tube of Body Glide for someone like me who is prone to forgetfulness of non-daily use products. I dunno, though, I'd probably just forget my lip gloss on a run and have to use the Body Glide on my lips.

Features of My First Long Distance Run of 2009

2009-01-04T11:54:00.004-05:00

I'll preface this entry by saying that this morning's run wasn't a fun one physically. I had to try very hard to keep focused on the ultimate goal--I wanted to give up around mile 6 but I just kept my mind strong and continued to push on. I think this may have been my first time running my LSD on a Sunday, and it wasn't really by choice. I enjoy my Saturday morning ritual but yesterday, I was just too sore from Friday's workout to put my body through the challenge of 10 miles. I'm glad I rested yesterday but now my mileage for last week AND this week will be totally screwy (sorry for last weeks tally, Margaritaville Miles teammates) and I won't be able to do my scheduled run tomorrow because I'll definitely want to recover from today.

There were, however, a couple of highlights of today's run. First of all, when I was running 3.3 mile loop inside of Iroquois Park, I began to focus on the scenery that surrounded me and it was just amazing. There are still trees with leaves on them but their color is an amazing yellow/orange/pink hue. It was just beautiful.

During my first mile, I saw this:

That's a red-headed Woodpecker. It was an awesome sight. I literally stopped running to look at the way this little guy maneuvered up the tree.

On my way off of the loop in the park, I saw a flash of bright blue beside me and I looked over--it was two beautiful blue jays. AMAZING COLOR!

I left the park and headed down a nearby street that is frequented by runners (Southern Parkway) and I was amazed at the smell--apparently everyone was doing laundry this morning. It smelled GREAT!

I also did something I've never done before--I drank out of the dog water fountain. The regular sized fountain was not working and another runner happened to be there and told me that I'd have to use the little one--the "little" one is the one everyone lets their dogs use. But hey, I needed some quick hydration! LOL

I continued running north on Southern Parkway until I got up to Kenton, which isn't quite one block from the boundary of Churchill Downs. I actually picked up the pace for this portion, as I was literally getting tired of being out there. LOL I kept myself going by thinking about running this same route during my the Mini in April--and I thought to myself how I'd be running that in April, thinking back to how I made it through the struggle TODAY. I pushed myself so that I could push it in the race.

I finished up with 10.14 miles in 1:55:00, making my average pace hang around the 11:20/mile mark. That's a little faster still than I'm SUPPOSED to be going but hopefully I won't have any problems and I'll stay healthy.

I hope everyone has had an excellent weekend and will have a great week ahead! I'm going for an ice bath...

A RUNdown of 2008...Discovery

2009-01-01T20:42:00.006-05:00

2008 was an amazing year of running for me. It wasn't a year of speed or races WON or anything "spectacular" like that. But it WAS spectacular. It was a year of many firsts and of many achievements (hoped for and unplanned). But most of all, it was a year of discovery for me. If I had to sum up my year in running in one word, it would be just that:

DISCOVERY.

I discovered so many things about myself, about who I am actually CAPABLE of being and who I actually have the POTENTIAL to become. This is not me trying to sound cheesy or corny--the truth is, I blog here, I run, I make jokes, I live life, I am mostly joyous and full of good spirit. But those that know me very well and have seen my struggle for the last year know that there's so much more to me beneath the surface, beneath the jokes and beneath the miles logged.

Post-Freshman year of college (and even in small aspects of my life prior to that), I've only pushed myself into comfort zones and usually, not any further. I won't begin to dive into why I think this is or what areas of my life were effected, but I have never been proud of that "quality." As good of a person as I am, and as hard as I work, and as much of myself as I give to others, there has always been this weakness that belongs to me. I believe I'm deserving of more, but perhaps you can call it laziness--I wasn't always willing to give myself more. And maybe because I spent many years doing this (or not doing this), I started to believe that I COULDN'T do more for myself.

What I accomplished for myself in 2008 is unbelievable to me. It's so much more than my list below, which you will see soon. It's about a mindset, a mental strength and a discipline that I've never quite known in my life for an extended period of time. I believe in myself now--in my ability to challenge myself and succeed, at least some of the time. I know that I can push myself into someplace UNcomfortable and not crash. I know that I can take a certain amount of pain and live to tell about how great it was. I know that my imperfection actually makes me perfect--because it's just who I'm supposed to be at that time. I have conquered tough workouts, crazy recovery methods and a lot of self-doubt and I KNOW that I'm stronger than I've ever been. I'm so proud of myself for pushing so hard this year and finding out that I can love something (something that is totally my own, and it's not another person that I have to give and give to, it's something that is MINE that gives me back exactly what I put into it) so much that I will sacrifice for it--sacrifice late nights or a bad (but oh so good) meal or an alcoholic beverage or sleeping in on my weekends off.

I must express again that this is a VERY sincere expression of what running has done for me. I'm sure that there would have been many other ways to show myself that I CAN have discipline and I can overcome difficult obstacles but running just happened to be at the right place, and at the right time. And for once, I finally decided to stop and listen--and start TRULY running.

So let me lighten the mood and let you guys in on some of the more trivial things I did in 2008:

1. Ice Baths -- something I NEVER thought I'd do. But after a horrid "long" run of 6 miles (a distance PR back then), I decided I had to find a way to recover. I tried my first ice bath and I was hooked. There's something religious about my recovery routine on my Long Run Saturdays, and honestly, the fun of the routine is part of the reason I continue to do ice baths. The rest of the reason lies in the fact that I truly believe in them.

2. GU -- I heard so much about these gels and was pretty scared to try them. I didn't have my first one until my long runs started going over 1 1/2 hours or so--but I found that I actually like the convenience and taste, just not the stickiness!

3. Running Tights -- EEK! Yeah, I wanted to be a "real" runner so I went out and bought some tights. I was so terrified of leaving the house in them. But that first run outdoors made me LOVE them and not care what I might look like or how I might be perceived. I'm so over it. But I'm NOT over my tights.

4. Group running. Who knew? I tried it earlier this year with a great friend and it just didn't work out for me. I felt bad, and I felt weird--like I was destined to run this path alone forever. And while I LOVE my alone time out there, I wanted to at least feel like I COULD run with others and enjoy it. So I tried one more time with some new friends and guess what? I LOVED IT! Thanks Tom and Joe!

5. The changes in my body. Not going to bore you or get too personal but let's just say WOW. Big difference. It's amazing to see your body progress and improve.

Some huge achievements for me:

1. Distance PRs all over the place! I slowly increased my mileage this year, and I'm up to a distance PR of 10.07 miles which I hit in November. It was amazing to reach that point after so many years of thinking 4-5 would be my max. So many Saturday mornings were spent out at Bernheim or at Iroquois or around my neighborhood, fighting off mental and physical fatigue to get in more distance and make myself a better runner. Long runs are currently my favorite type of workout.

2. Consistent Speed Improvements. What more can I say? I've gotten faster and faster and for the first time ever, I've actually run sub-10:00 miles--and not just in shorter distances, but also in medium. I now know I have the ABILITY to get faster. To go from running a 14:00 mile to being able to run 10:00 miles is a HUGE achievement for me!

All in all, a great year. And while I'm tempted to feel like 2009 has no chance of comparing to 2008, I TRULY believe that 2009 will be a better year. It's like when you have a second child--you already know how to do it right. There's no experimentation, no mistakes to be made--you just do it and you do it well. LOL

So here I come...

2008 Race Summary

2008-12-28T15:24:00.002-05:00

I just realized that I don't have any more races scheduled for this year! I completed my last race of 2008 on December 13--the Reindeer Romp 4K! It is amazing to me to look back at this year and see how far I've come since my first road race on March 1, 2008! Come with me as I stroll down memory lane!

March 1, 2008
2008 Anthem 5K Fitness Classic
Time: 37:45

Obviously, since it was my first race ever, I was totally excited AND nervous! I was lucky enough to be able to share the experience with Joey. However, prior to the race, we promised we'd just run it for fun since it was our first race ever--since I had trained more for it, I kept it slower at first to stay back with him, until about mile 2 when he just ran off without me! From that point on, I've decided I'm running my own races. :) This was a GREAT race and it was a great way to introduce me to road racing. It was a well executed event (as are all legs of the Triple Crown, I believe) that I will revist year after year, as long as I'm able.

What I learned: Run your own race, even if you're running with your boyfriend; no matter how many times I peed prior to the race, I will have to pee right before the race; how to "warm" the field, which was entirely too much fun for me for some reason; my fitness level wasn't as good as I thought it was.

March 15, 2008
Rodes City Run 10K
Time: 1:14:39

The hair was trying to attack me:

Prior to this event, I had only run 6 miles one time--and it didn't turn out that well then. There was walking involved. The race was exciting but scary because I was all alone out there--though I did have my mom and Joey later there rooting me on. It was a GREAT route (a little funky through Butchertown, but that was another fun part of the race because all of us were running as fast as we could to get OUT of there!!!) and even though I was totally not prepared for it (and had to walk portions of it at the end), I had a blast.

The spectators were FANTASTIC--lots of cheering and music. It was awesome. What I remember best is a little girl up at the top of a hill at her house with her mom holding her and she was screaming "HI!" to runners--nobody was waving at her so I screamed back at her and waved and she just got so happy. I knew right then that she would be a runner when she got older, guaranteed!

What I learned: It's fun to push yourself beyond your comfort level; it's fun to run your own race; there were people walking this race at the same pace I was able to run it; it's not cool to tell the runners that the race is almost over when it's actually NOT almost over; I needed to train harder and learn how to pace myself.

May 10, 2008
2008 Throo the Zoo 5K
Time: 36:49

This race sounded like too much fun to pass up and I think Joey was too jealous of me running Rodes that he wanted to do this one with me. Portions of this race actualy run inside the zoo so you get to see some of the animals that can stay outside. It was an easy course and pretty fun for me--and it was my first time wearing a running skirt to a race. That was a big deal for me back then. LOL The race did start a little late and wasn't executed as well as the prior two--but still a good race that I'll consider completing again.

What I learned: if you tell people that a monkey got loose while you were running and was chasing people, they believe you.

October 11, 2008
Louisville Komen Race for the Cure 5K
35:32 Adjusted

This was my first race since the Throo the Zoo in May--5 months off without a race means a lot of anticipation for THIS race AND a lot of time to train in between. However, I hadn't trained as well as I should have during those 5 months--but I HAD done enough where I knew that I had improved my speed enough to see a faster finish. I had also starting pushing myself a little more in training, so I had good hopes for my ability to pace myself this race. Even so, my goal was to run sub-35:00, which would have been more than one minute off of my last 5K. I figured it was realistic--but when I crossed that finish line and saw the time was 30:37 I was in awe and nearly cried because I was so proud. But something just didn't feel right about the time. It turns out that it wasn't a true 5K distance--they apparently shorted us a few tenths of a mile.

What I learned: I really wanted a Garmin Forerunner so that I would be able to KNOW when I was getting shorted; all races aren't executed smoothly; I really hate when walkers start at the front of the pack--really really hate it.

October 25, 2008
2008 Home Run 5 Mile
53:20

This was my most anticipated race of the year, excluding my first race ever. I heard about this race from a flyer inside of the packet for my first race, the Anthem 5K. When I saw that it was a 5 mile race at Bernheim in the Fall, no less, I knew I was going to do it. But I thought to myself: How on Earth am I ever going to be able to run 5 miles? I really didn't know it was possible for me to do it. Come race day, I was chilly and not in the mood to run BUT I did have mom and Joey with me--they were both doing the 5K portion of the race.

This race was GREAT and goes down as my favorite race of the year, I think. It was beautiful, fun, a good challenge for me and so very well executed by the race directors and volunteers. It was an excellent cause, and what I remember most about it was the loyalty and friendliness of the runners. Everyone was so great and fun to chat with in passing. This is a race I'll certainly do again.

My performance was something I was proud of--my goal was to finish the 5 miles in at least 55 minutes, but I was thinking it would be more like 58-59 minutes. The last leg was very difficult but when I crossed the finish in 53:20, I couldn't believe how good I still felt. I should have pushed a little harder during the race but I don't have any regrets.

What I learned: I finally met Joe, and he rocks; I could have pushed myself more and that was going to be something I was going to train for; I wasn't giving myself enough credit for the runner I was becoming; it really means a lot to me for friends/family to watch me at races.

November 27,2008
2008 Iroquois Hill Runners Thanksgiving Day 5 Mile
Time: 51:20

This was a fun race with a lot of great people. I really enjoyed running this and pushing myself. It was also the first time Tom and Joe and I were all racing together so that was fun for me. It was a familiar race route and I was definitely prepared for it. I knew I was heading for a PR after mile 3 because I had set goals at specific distances during my training and I seemed to be breaking those times--I ended up finishing the race in sub 52:00--I beat my goal AND got a PR!

This was definitely one of my favorite races this year and it felt great to be able to run at a faster pace--I finally got into the low 10's on average!

What I learned: You CAN run on Thanksgiving morning AND still host Thanksgiving dinner at your house IF you do some advanced planning; go to the bathroom early; I like running slightly longer races; you shouldn't drink too much water during a race or you'll feel funky; I'm getting faster with hard work.

December 13, 2008
Reindeer Romp 4k
Time: 24:41

This race is the first leg of the Polar Bear Grand Prix--a three race series that takes us through the winter, and while it wasn't my best effort, it was fun! Joey ran this with me and we were lucky enough to run into Tom and Joe right before the start--RuntheVille represented in our Christmas apparel!!! The final hill really really kicked my butt--I thought I was prepared for it because of my training on that course prior to the race but I just wasn't. I finished but not in my goal time! I had fun though and had a great breakfast with great breakfast with great people afterward!

What I learned: You can't achieve EVERY goal you set; I have more work to do; it's just as fun to cheer for someone else during a race than it is to run a race

In addition to those 7 races, I also walked the American Heart Walk with my mom and I volunteered at the Champions 4 Her 5K, which was GREAT fun. I intend to do more volunteering next year and refine my race list as well.

Here's my preliminary race list for 2009:

The final two legs of the Polar Bear Grand Prix--which includes
Snowman Shuffle 4 Mile - January 10, 2009
Frostbite 5K - February 14, 2009

The Louisville Triple Crown of Running-which includes:
Anthem 5K Fitness Classic - March 7, 2009
Rodes City Run 10K - March 21, 2009
Papa John's 10 Mile - April 11, 2009

The Kentucky Derby Festival mini-Marathon - April 25, 2009 (my first ever HM)

Home Run 5 Mile - no info yet
The Louisville Half Marathon - Fall 2009

10 Miles=Goal Met

2008-12-27T12:35:00.002-05:00

I'm slouched over in the bed after a long ass ice bath and hot shower. And food. I'm ex-haus-ted. Truly. I think a nap is in the works.

Woke up at about 6:30 this morning and had some all-natural applesauce and water, debated on whether to put on shorts or capris and then took off. And since it's so new, I almost forgot my Garmin! LOL I got to Cherokee Park to meet Joe and Tom at a few minutes past 7:30 and we took off soon after--for what I thought was going to be a 6-8 mile run.

It SUCKED. Major sucked. My body wasn't into it, and my mind DEFINITELY wasn't into it. If they hadn't been there, I would have quit at 4 miles, no questions asked. I was over it by then.

But we kept running. We ran to Seneca Park, which is a neighboring park. There were SO MANY runners out today, I've never seen it so packed (and there's always a lot of activity there)! It's so much fun to run not only with Tom and Joe, but also to run in an area like that where there are so many other runners. You just don't feel so alone and it makes you feel like you're part of something bigger!

Those hills kicked my butt today. I just wasn't in it but Tom and I decided after 7 or so miles that we wanted to get in a full 10. I really WANTED it but I just felt like there was no way it could happen today. My goal for the end of the year was to run a 10 miler by the end of the year--and yeah, I did it about one month ago. But I haven't had the greatest month of running and I just felt like that November 10 miler got swept under the rug, only with a hope to revisit it next year. And I didn't like that hanging over my head--so I really wanted to run a 10 today.

I need to say something in full honesty right now--I totally, 100% know this to be true, and it's not one of those things you say to make people feel good or whatever--I COULD NOT HAVE DONE TODAY'S RUN WITHOUT TOM AND JOE. Period. There is absolutely no way that I would have made it. And I really appreciate Tom's help too...he stayed with me pretty much the entire time and my gosh, if he hadn't been there, no telling how much walking and crying I might have done. LOL I swear, these guys are awesome and I'm so glad to have some running buddies that are supportive and do not get on my nerves. That's a winning combo. LOL

I'm pretty much okay with having a lazy day for the rest of today--I need it. I'm pretty sore but (hey Joe, you listening?) my foot isn't hurting anymore after that ice bath. I poured all sorts of ice over my feet in there--so far so good.

Tomorrow starts HM Training. I'm pretty excited.

Running on Peppermint Ice Cream

2008-12-26T22:07:00.004-05:00

I need to stop eating so much. I hate to make another I've-been-eating-too-much-this-holiday-season blog but here it is. We all have them now I think, because we're all stuffing ourselves senseless. But you know, it just doesn't feel good to eat like this. I feel lethargic and funky all day. In a way, it's kinda fun to be drugged up on Better Cheddars, Big Red, Bruschetta and Peppermint Ice Cream but umm, I can only take so much.

I actually stopped at Kroger today just to buy a $3 container of pre-cut veggies to snack on. I'm sooo sick of eating JUNK! But I keep eating junk. So what gives?

I haven't been running a lot because of my foot. I really want it to heal properly before next week, which was the first week of my HM training. I'll get back on track with my diet but if my foot isn't at 100%, it's going to be very hard to give it my all. I did do 3 miles today in a bit of rain but it was just enough to get my foot sore and I think I pushed too hard early on and I just wore out before I knew it. Plus, it'd been about 5 days since I ran longer than a mile and I think my fitness had already declined. It's amazing.

I had an excellent Christmas and I'm just so appreciative of all of the love and good spirit that surrounded me these last few days. It's so great to see most everyone getting along and being calm and pleasant and just HAPPY.

And oh my, Santa brought me a Garmin 305! I cried!! I'm so happy to finally have this bad boy. I can't wait til I know how to use it 100%!!!!! It's so awesome!!

Let me know what's been up with you and how you're holding in there!

Oh I almost forgot--last week's poll! Turns out 80% of you all are running with one main goal in mind--reaching a certain pace/time. Looks like more of us need to be doing speedwork, eh? :) Take care, runners and everyone else!

Monkey Problems? Why would I have monkey problems?

2008-12-17T19:35:00.004-05:00

So yeah, the title of my blog has nothing to do with the entry itself. Nor is it running related. I've just finally discovered the Office. We've watched almost 4 seasons in less than 2 weeks, thanks to Netflix instant queue. It's amazing. I love this show. It's competing with Dexter, the Sopranos, and the Simpsons for all time favorite shows.

Moving on...our last poll asked what your best (thanks to running) asset was. 50% of you said that thanks to running, you are more disciplined! Way to go, Running! Following behind discipline, it appears that some of you appreciate your nice abs or your ability to eat whatever you want! Thanks for the responses, everyone!

On Saturday, I ran in the Reindeer Romp 4K at Cherokee Park. It was a fun little race of about 600 runners. I finished in 24:41, which wasn't as fast as I was hoping for but I also didn't try as hard as I could have. While I was running, I was aware of this fact. But I didn't really feel like giving anymore than I was. Is that horrible? Now, don't get confused. I didn't run at an easy pace--I exerted PLENTY of energy during the race, especially on that last hill. Pooey. But I just didn't run as fast as I could. Plus, my foot was bothering me. That scared me.

Even so though, I ran a sub-10:00 pace, which is basically my goal for every race (up to 10K) from now on. Luckily, I don't have any 10k's coming up. ;) DBF ran a good race, especially for his first outdoor running since the Spring. I think the best part was having Panera Bread with Tom, Joe, my mom and Joey after the race. :)

Because my foot has been giving me a lot of discomfort, I decided (not easily) to take a few days off to allow my foot to heal. Yesterday I noticed that it was MUCH better--it was the first day that I could say that. I could still feel that twinge of "something" inside but I wasn't noticing it with every step anymore. So I decided to get out and run today--I've been going crazy without runs for the last 3 days. I did an easy 3.5 miles after work--and it felt GREAT. I could have done more, and I wanted to run longer, but I didn't want to push my foot too much. I won't be running tomorrow but I plan to get in another easy run on Friday if all goes well.

NRR--On December 5, Joey and I picked up our new puppy from one of our friend's. She's a 4 month old pitbull, beautiful and sweet as can be. We took her home for a trial run, since neither of us have had a dog before and we wanted to see if she would fit in here. It's been a little rocky but we decided we'd give her a try and keep her. I've had a lot of fun with her so far--she's been my park buddy and she's definitely in love with me. Tonight, though, she had a couple of incidents with our cats (who weren't doing anything at all to her) and now we're seriously considering giving her back or finding her another home. It's been a bit of a stress to have her but it was something I was willing to learn to deal with. Now, I'm thinking that among other reasons, it might be better for us to let her go now. I'm sad, even though she's not gone yet. I'll miss her if we do give her up but I can't put my cats in danger like that--the whole energy of our house has been WAY different since we got her and I'm not sure it works for us. :(

Enjoy the remainder of the week, everyone! And happy, healthy, safe running!!!

A Breakthrough

2008-12-02T20:51:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm a little surprised at the outcome of our last poll, "What is Your Primary Reason for Running?" Turns out nobody runs primarily for weight loss or maintenance--most of you run mainly for good health! Way to go guys! There was a tie between running for fun and running for competition--but I think we can all agree that we run for lots of reasons, and we all love doing it! *Most of the time* :)

BIG breakthrough today--but before I tell you what, I'll give you a little history of the day. If you'll recall, I ran the IHR Thanksgiving Day 5 Miler, and a few people at work knew I was going to be running. Coincidentally, I've recently discovered a couple of runners at work that were in hiding, until they heard that I also ran. ("So and so told me you run...") :roll: So, one of these runners asked me today how my T-Day race went, and I told him. We started talking about how I'm pretty slow still, but that my pace for that race was my best ever at 10:16 per mile. He informed me that I COULD run faster than that (his record for 1 mile was in the 5:00 range) without a problem. I laughed and said yeah right. I've been trying to go faster for a very long time, and haven't been near sub-10:00, don't see it happening anytime in the near future.

But he got me thinking--I wonder how fast I run a mile. I wonder if I COULD push myself and how long it would take me to actually get sub-10:00. All day, I pondered this, and near the end of my workday, I thought, "You'll never get faster if you don't just force it. Try it today." I have no intention of being stupid and hurting myself by pushing too hard beyond my limitations. I want to run, and going fast is not THAT important to me. But when I got home from work, I felt strong. You know when you just FEEL good? I felt like I had momentum built up in my legs--EVEN AFTER MY INTENSE CORE WORKOUT YESTERDAY. I swear, that workout has my legs, my arms, my back, my shoulders and my abs SORE. Good sore...but soooo sore!

So I went out. I ran, I pushed it the first mile. I was going faster and it felt good. Breathing was quicker but I was in a good place. I pretended I was in a running commercial--darting around, jumping over rocks, running "fast." It was fun. Mile 2 came and I looked at my watch.

This can't be right...typically, I would reach that point in 22:00-24:00 during any given training run. My best possible (as of my T-Day race, which was a PR for me) would put me at 20:32.

My watch read "16:55."

What. The. Eff? No way.

I pushed on back up the hill--my legs were feeling the effects of this increased speed by this point but I pushed as strong as I could and kept running--not as fast but faster than normal.

By the end of my run, I had completed 5.08 miles in just under 48:00...an impossible feat for me.

So was today a fluke? Can it be duplicated? I don't know, and I won't know until next week. I don't plan to push like that but once a week until I know I'm capable safely.

But what DOES matter to me and what I DO know for sure is that I can say I CAN run a mile under 10 minutes and not just 1 mile, but 5. That's a huge step for me and it's definitely in the right direction.

Have a wonderful Hump Day, everyone!

Ryan Hall's Record Breaker

2008-12-01T15:05:00.006-05:00

I've been a little obsessed with all things Half-Marathon lately. Now that this year is nearing its end, I'm getting nervous *already* about my first Half in April. So yeah, whenever I watch this, I get chills. I am not at all bored by any part of this video, even though it gets a bit "Cloverfield-ish" at some points. LOL

And I desperately want to go run right now, but really fast. Not slow. I also want someone to follow me during my races and record me. I wouldn't look nearly as good as he does.

He ran that Half Marathon in 59:43--just 8 more minutes than it took me to run my last 5 mile race. Bwahahha!!

I just finished a long, intense and grueling core workout, including my usual Mammoth Workout and I intended to do arms but umm, after that workout, I can't dream of doing anything to my poor arms. It's even hard for me to type this right now. I'm a bit shaky. I guess the pushups and the extended arm planks will be all of the upper body workout I'm getting today.

I think I fell in love today...

2008-11-29T12:29:00.002-05:00

Last night, I started thinking about this "guy." I thought, "Hey, I haven't seen him in awhile, I should go see him tomorrow morning."

I was a little apprehensive about it though--for many reasons. This "guy" is no stranger to me. I grew up around his neighborhood and hung out there a lot as I was growing up. When I was younger, I was often with my mom. But as a teenager, I was around him a lot more. I guess you could say we grew up together--but even back then, he was pretty mature. He's the kind of guy you want to get to know if you don't already know him. But he's also the kind of guy that's very hard to get to know. He's popular, he's nice to look at, and all those years when I was hanging out around him, I saw him but I rarely tried to get to know him intimately. It wasn't a big deal to me then, as I had other interests.

I've heard a lot about him lately--he's one of the most popular men in Louisville. He's in a great neighborhood, and did I mention he's beautiful? He's also full of athleticism. I don't remember him at all, either, as it's been about 10 years since I saw him last. That's why I was a little apprehensive to go see him today.

Well, as soon as I got there, I remembered why I liked him so many years ago. Though he was a little cold at first, I knew he'd warm up after I was there for awhile. I worked on getting to know him more intimately--it's a difficult thing to do, you see. He's complex. You think you might be able to go one way with him, and all the while, you're going in a different direction. You have to move carefully with him.

He treated me well today and made me feel welcome and comfortable. There were lots of other people there to see him and they too were welcoming and friendly. I felt at home. I fell in love with him today and I can't wait until I can see him again. I actually hope I can get my friends to meet me for a group run there to see him and to get to know him more intimately as well.

----

Those of you from Louisville will know that Cherokee Park is a BEAUTIFUL place, but you will also know that it's pretty difficult to navigate if you aren't familiar with driving or walking/running it. It's confusing as hell. But that's where I did my long run this morning. It was great.

I unintentionally PR'd on distance, as well! Before I left the house, I printed out a copy of a 9.5 mile route so that I wouldn't get lost. I cut the first 1/2 mile off so that I would just do 9 miles, as that was my scheduled distance for today. It was a confusing run, just because I didn't know quite where I was at any given point--not at ALL familiar with Cherokee, just with Seneca Park. So after I exited Seneca, I was pretty much running blind. I saw Scenic Loop and decided to take it, as so many other runners were there as well. After completing it once, I realized I had NOT gone the way directed by my planned route (which I never once looked at when I got out there, it's not like it would have helped me. If you've ever been to Cherokee, you'd understand why. I'm sure it gets easier once you've been there once or twice!) and figured that I was probably shorting myself on distance (I could also tell by the time) and I decided to complete the scenic loop a second time to get in the extra 2.4 miles so that I would *hopefully* get to 9 by the time I reached my car back at Seneca Park.

Great people out there, talkative and friendly. Decent hills--nothing horrible but noticeable enough to cause you to do some extra work. I liked it. Going around the loop a second time, my mom passed me in the car! We looked at each other in awe! She (I eventually discovered) drove over to Seneca Park and parked right behind me--she did her workout there until I was done with mine.

After doing Scenic Loop twice, I decided I should head on back to the car. That second loop really tired me out but I pressed on and felt like I kept a decent pace considering how my legs were feeling and my feet were sore. I ran back toward Seneca Park without getting lost and decided to take the shorter way back (as opposed to doing a true out and back) and I just couldn't take it anymore. I got to the I-64 overpass and my legs just wouldn't let me go any longer. I had been fighting them for about 1 mile and I just couldn't fight anymore. I ended up walking back to the car with ULTRA SORE LEGS AND FEET.

Now I know why I was so sore--I did 10 miles on accident! DISTANCE PR! I completed the 10.07 miles in 1:56:03, which averages 11:32 min/mile! That's a GREAT pace for ME! I'm so proud.

I'm also VERY sore...my back hurts and my legs are asking why I did this! LOL I'm so happy right now!

Thanksgiving Day Run 2008

2008-11-28T15:08:00.007-05:00

LOVE these! They're the bamboo and wool socks from Feetures. They are soft, sturdy and comfortable!

I hope everyone had a fantastic and fulfilling Thanksgiving! What was your favorite dish or your favorite part of your Thanksgiving Day? You can comment and let me know, if you'd like!

I started my Thanksgiving at 6:30AM--woke up and had a small cup of yogurt. I took a hot shower to loosen up and got ready for the Iroquois Hill Runners Thanksgiving Day 5 Mile Run! I had a little trouble getting DBF out of bed, and I can't blame him! I decided to drive because he didn't feel like driving and I was pretty much wide awake! When we pulled into Iroquois Park, I almost immediately saw Tom and Joe in front of the Ampitheater! We did a quick ~1 mile warmup together and enjoyed the music that was being played near the playground area. I had a little pain in my legs but I ran through it because I knew I needed to warm up to get past that discomfort so that I could run a good race.

Eventually, mom showed up and she, Joey, Tom, Joe and I hung out for a bit which made for a relaxing and fun time prior to the race. I waited in a long bathroom line (not many people but for some reason, these fools were slow IN the bathroom!) but talked to a couple of women--both who had run this race before. I actually ran past one of the women around mile 3 and tried to get her and her friend to pick up the pace but they were tired!

The race itself was one of my favorite because of the entertainment. Rounding the turn on Rundill Road (where Iroquois Park Rd meets) there was a group of men wearing kilts and playing bagpipes! Then, at the turn onto Uphill Road, there was a group of young cheerleaders--they were EXCELLENT and so energetic! There was a super friendly and excited gentleman volunteering just after that--equipped with a radio blasting tunes for us! Then at the first lookout, there were a few folks singing for us! It was so much fun and such a nice distraction during the run! Race directors, take note!

At mile one, I was just at 11:55. I was a little disappointed but I knew that (as usual) I was running a conservative (read: slow) start and I typically speed up. I actually did try to speed up just a little bit and I started to pass people slowly. By the second mile, I was just over 23 minutes. Honestly, I think that point was where I was feeling pretty crappy. I wasn't in a zone, I felt tired and I just kept thinking about how I wanted it to end. Luckily though, things turned around. There were a lot of cool people running and I just started chatting with the folks around me. I stayed with a couple of women and we discussed food and how it effecs our running! Eventually, I told myself that I was going to have to let go and RUN hard. It was a hard run, I definitely pulled something out of myself to push as hard as I did.

Honestly, I don't remember the time at the 3 mile mark. I just remember grabbing the water right around there and feeling like crap. I also remember the side stiches I was getting and how miserable I felt--it's been a long time since I had those. I tried to slow down a bit and breathe differently until they disappeared.

During my training leading up to the race, I always tried to make the first lookout on the way BACK DOWN by 35:00. Normally, it was tough but I could do it. During the race, though, I surpassed that goal without even realizing it. I started heading downhill and thought I should check my watch...I was pretty happy about that and that gave me enough motivation to keep pushing, in spite of the discomfort I was feeling.

At mile 4, I was shocked because I was just over 41 minutes--I knew then that either something was WRONG or that I was running faster than normal. I HONESTLY did not know which was correct. At that point, I am typically around the 44 minute mark--so I kept pushing because I was a little anxious that I was running poorly. I ran strong downhill, around the corner and back toward the finish. It was HARD for me, but I kept running as fast as I could.

On the way to the finish, I didn't look at my watch, I just remembered the conversation I had with Tom about how that portion of the run is ALWAYS the most mentally challenging for me, and I just tried to fight it. That last 1/2 mile was probably the most horrible for me. I felt SO tired, my legs ached. But I knew I was giving it my all and I couldn't stop pushing. I ended up crossing the finish line at 51:xx. My watch shows 51:20, from the time my body actually crossed the finish line to the time my body crossed the finish. NEW PR!!!!!! I ran my last 5 mile race at Bernheim just one month and two days prior and my time was almost 2 minutes slower then--but it was the fastest minute per mile pace I've kept since I "re-started."

Using my "unofficial" time of 51:20 from the Thanksgiving Race, that puts my average pace at 10:16 per mile! That's amazing for me!!!! That's nearly 25 seconds faster per mile than last month's race of the same distance!!

Overall, it was a beautiful day, decent weather and I felt that race was very well organized and executed. Definitely a winner!

I also want to add--I don't want to beat a dead horse but I absolutely love Tom and Joe, my friends from Run the Ville. They are supportive and nice and just AWESOME! If you all are reading this, I'm not trying to kiss up but I am just so thankful to have met you all! I appreciate you both very much and all that you all are doing for me and for our local running community! Coincidentally, apparently they both PR'd at the race too. We must have the winning formula, I tell ya!!!!

Looking at tomorrow, I'm hoping to get in a good 9 miles--wish me luck!

Nothing more than an update...

2008-11-25T19:20:00.002-05:00

So the majority of you all like it long and slow. :) In the last poll, 66% of you prefer long, slow distance runs! Apparently, the challenge of the longer distance at a comfortable pace (and probably on a relaxing off day) is the most enjoyable training run!

Speaking of long runs, I had the pleasure of running with some friends on Saturday morning at Bernheim Forest. It was my first group run experience (I've run with one other person before, but that's it!) and I really enjoyed myself. I was pleasantly surprised at how great it was--I've always been apprehensive about group running for many reasons, including the fact that I'm comfortable running alone, I thought it would be uncomfortable to talk to people during the workout and I also worried about performance/fitness differences within the group (i.e. being left all alone because I'm too slow! haha). However, all of my fears were put to rest during my run with Tom and Joe and in fact, I had a great time running with them and a great run. It is amazing how easy the run felt and how quickly it went. I can't wait for the next group run with them! Maybe we'll get some more cool people to join us, too!

This week in running--Thanksgiving is race day! It's my first T-Day race! I'm fairly excited about it and I hope I can finish the 5 miles around the 55:00 mark! My last 5 mile race was last month and I completed it in just over 53:00--but this race course is more hilly and I doubt that I'll be able to complete it in that time. I'll try though!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! This is my favorite holiday of the year and I can't wait until all of my cooking and preparation is done so that I can enjoy my race and the holiday! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Feeling lighter on my feet...I hope.

2008-11-16T20:05:00.006-05:00

The Mizuno Inspire 3.

Went to Swag's Sport Shoes today and asked to be fitted for a new pair of shoes, after dropping off my registration for the T-Day 5 miler. The gentleman that helped me was VERY friendly and nice. I explained my issues with my current shoes to him and asked for something lighter, just as stable and something that would allow me to do a little bit of trail running comfortably too. He asked if I had allegiance to Mizuno (since I was wearing them), and I explained to him that I wanted whatever shoe made my feet feel good, as long as they were in my budget.

I tried on a great pair of Adidas, the Supernova Sequence (have to say I'm sorta sad they didn't work, I really liked them but the fit in the toe box wasn't for me at all), and a pair of Asics--both of which I've never had before. The Asics he offered just didn't have enough give--I like a more flexible shoe than that. I ended up with the Mizuno Inspire 3 (last season's model), so I got a GREAT price on them. And since I came in under budget, I decided to buy a few extra GU's so I could try some new flavors!

I'll definitely hit up Swag's again for shoes. I go there occasionally anyway for other items but for shoes, I believe I'll patronize them again. Always great people in there.

Maybe I'll go back to buy these:

Just joking...for now, anyway. :)

A run in the park...and in the streets!

2008-11-15T13:00:00.003-05:00

I woke up at 5:41 this morning and laid there wondering if I should go ahead and start my long run or sleep in a little longer. The second time I looked at the clock, it read 5:46, and I figured since I hadn't fallen back asleep yet, it was time to get up.

After some yogurt, a hot shower and some stretching, I headed out to the park for my long run. This was a big day for many reasons--but mostly because I had to try my new running tights and jacket. :) I was nervous about the tights but they aren't so bad once you're out in them. You forget about them, which is what you WANT in a running pant! The jacket was PERFECT. I highly recommend this (and any other C9 gear, especially the RUNNING specific gear) to any women out there.

Here's the jacket, although not the best pic ever:

The ONLY way this jacket could get better for an outdoor runner is to put zippers on the pockets, and quite frankly, I can't figure out why they didn't. Honestly, though, the pockets are nice and deep and I carried sunglasses, lip balm and a piece of gum the entire run and they didn't move. So basically, non-issue.

I also LOVE how the hood fits around your face without bothering you AT ALL. The zipper goes all the way up to your chin, keeping your neck and head nice and warm and protected from the elements.

When I left this morning, the closer I got to the park, the less rain there was. It was dark and cool and the streets were relatively quiet. I decided to run the streets first (as opposed to running the park loop first) because I knew traffic would be much lighter this early AND because I knew that if I had to run the loop last, it would force me to finish. Running the streets makes it easier to turn around and head back to the car. But if you're running a 3.3 mile loop, it's not as easy to do that. :)

Honestly, as much fun as I had running this morning, it was not a pleasant physical experience. Nothing bad happened, but I just never felt like I know I should have. And from mile 1, into mile 4, throughout the 9, I never felt really, really good. I've run 8 before and had 4-6 great miles, where I felt strong and able. But today, I never really felt that for more than about 10 minutes at a time.

One time when I did notice an increase in performance was after my pit stop and I decided to try half of the GU (my first GU ever, and it was strawberry banana, for those who are curious). Yes, I did down a good amount of water, as well. I honestly needed that little bit of energy to keep going and for a few minutes, I felt okay, like I could keep running forever.

Isn't that the feeling we all are after when we hit the roads? It's an awesome feeling. It occurred to me today that the feelings we experience during a run are a compressed version of our experiences in life. Those tough times we go through in life (relationships ending, deaths, job troubles, illnesses, etc) make us feel like our life is so bleak and that it will never get better. Sometimes it's really hard to push through those difficult periods, but you know what? Most of us realize that AT SOME POINT (who knows when) things WILL get better for us, and those times we truly have to appreciate. In running, it's those uphill battles that make your legs feel weak, and you think you can't breathe another breath and all you want to do is just STOP. But what happens if you stop? You never get any better. What happens if you keep going, keep pushing through the pain? You reach the top of that hill and there's a smooth path (or maybe even a downhill stretch) in front of you. Your breathing evens out, your legs regain strength and suddenly, you feel like you can run forever. Or at least until that next uphill. ;)

I came home today after my 9 miles shivering and despite wanting to take a nice, long, hot bath, I warmed up, ate breakfast and started the ice bath. I stopped at Speedway on the way home for a pumpkin cappucino (and choco milk for recovery on the way home) to drink while I sat in the horrid ice bath. I had to turn the heat up to 80* before I even felt comfortable THINKING about that ice bath. But once I got in today, it didn't feel so bad. I think I might start with slightly warmer water from now on, at least until it gets warm again. I'll just add more ice during the winter.

I feel like going for another run right now, I have no idea why. I've been experiencing some minor-moderate ankle, knee and hip pain in my left foot since I purchased these shoes and I'm considering being fitted for another pair--this time at Swag's. I MIGHT go there tomorrow, just depends. I just can't tell what's going on with my leg, and I don't want to fall apart. I've been training so well and I'm seeing such improvements...I don't want injuries to keep me from doing what I love.

My Running--The Present

2008-11-08T18:17:00.007-05:00

So maybe you read my Nov. 2 entry about my running experience from childhood through now...

Remember this portion from the previous entry:

For many years, I said that my peak running fitness was during my college years. I started running more seriously around age 19 and because I had a few friends from my school's track team, I was doing more intense workouts with them and actually contemplated walking on the team, myself. I frequently ran 4 miles every other day, and to me, that was MAJOR.

Notice the term "for many years?" I can't say that anymore. I am currently at my peak running fitness--almost 10 years later. I'm nearing 29 and though I'm not fast (and I probably can't run the mile as fast as I could then), I'm definitely in better running shape than I was back then. I just ran over 8 miles yesterday (distance PR) at Bernheim--through difficult trails and on gravel and concrete. Give me a hill to run and I'll take that baby on. I know what a tempo run is. I work my core. I love to road race! I WORK HARD, I FEEL GOOD AND I RUN. I'M AT MY BEST EVER. PERIOD.

That's how I feel about now. Even after a rough 3 days--because I'm more than those days. I'm proof that putting forth effort and being dedicated WILL help you achieve your goals.

2008 was MY year with Running. I know that I will look back at this year with pride. I will be able to look at my racing bibs from this year (I keep them all and laminate them after I write my time on the back) and remember that it was a year of many firsts. We have had a great year together and I know that I can take the credit because I stopped wondering when Running was going to do something for me and started planning what I could do for Running. When I took responsibility, I finally reaped the benefits.

I've raced, I've gotten faster, I've conquered fears and done things to my body that I never thought was possible. I've worked on my mental strength and learned a lot about MYSELF. And I HAVE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

Next up: The Future.

Iz Tired! An update...

2008-11-08T09:28:00.004-05:00

Poll results: Turns out us runners aren't as nasty as I thought we were! I asked the question "What's the most disgusting thing you've done during a run?" There was a tie (33% each) between "spitting" and "blowing snot." In second place, a tie between "peeing your pants" and "vomiting." Nobody's ever pooped...or are you afraid to admit it? LOL

So, moving on...this week in training didn't go as planned. I had a nice easy 4+ miles on Monday and took Tuesday off since I was feeling under the weather. Wednesday, I didn't feel well (plus had WAY too much candy at work) but decided I had to get out there and fight through it. I had the worst run ever for the first 2.5 miles. My legs were too heavy to lift and I was constantly telling myself "run!" I actually had to remind myself to put one foot in front of the other--normally when I run easy, I'm having to remind myself to SLOW DOWN. SO I knew something wasn't right. But I got through the first part and suddenly, felt GREAT. I decided to up it another 3+ miles...great run all in all and I'm proud I pushed through the "pain." But after the run, I knew it was too much. My legs ached, I was tired and my body just shut down.

This week was a scheduled taper week BUT I didn't really follow through on that during my early week runs--and because of that, I've sat out for the remainder of the week. I have rested well, but it's been difficult mentally because I've WANTED to run. I KNOW it's best that I rest and I KNOW I should have followed my taper week and I will remember this next time.

Just a reminder to all of you out there--it's nothing you don't already know but it's the truth:

1. Take it easy every few weeks or so if you're in the midst of a disciplined training plan. Don't push forever, because if you do, you will be doing more damage than good.

2. Listen to your body. Your body can't communicate to you the way a person can, but it has its own way of expressing itself--fatigue, soreness, aches, pains. Listen to those queues and give your body the nutrition, activity and rest that it needs.

Happy running to all of you! Cooler weather is coming so start preparing yourself for those cold outdoor runs!

Seems like everyone's talking...

2008-11-02T16:36:00.005-05:00

I've seen a lot of discussion about goals recently--maybe because we're nearing the end of the year and it's just the time that we evaluate and look back on what we've accomplished (or failed to) during the year. Nonetheless, it got me thinking about where I am with my current goals and what my future goals might be. When I started this blog, I did so more out of necessity for myself--as I felt that I needed a way to keep my focus on running and to give myself a play-by-play of my training and my experience. But I have a couple of visitors now (which I'm so happy about!) and I thought it might be nice for me to tell you all what I'm really doing here. You guys read about my training runs and races, about my shoes and what I love to eat and whatever else I feel like spewing out but maybe you want to know WHY I'm doing this and what I want out of it. We all have our own love affair with Running (come to think of it, Running sure does get around...) but we're in the relationship for different reasons and with different goals in mind, providing each of us a unique (but related) experience. I know you guys know that I want to do well for my first Half Marathon in the Spring but there's more to my running "career" than that!

Childhood--the period of my life when I met Running. Though I thought Running was cool because it got you to places more quickly (like the ice cream truck or to avoid the dreaded "tap" during a game of freeze tag), I mostly cared very little about it, only using it when I needed it and on my own terms.

Ages 13-16--the only running related goals I had during this time probably involved avoiding it as much as possible. I didn't participate in sports, though I DID enjoy playing basketball. However, when I look back, this was probably my least athletically active period. The Mall and the movies were more important to me, I think.

Age 17--this is when things changed. As I grew up, I started to realize that I wanted to do something for myself--something I could possibly be good at. I guess Running was the "boy next door" for me. Running was always there, but I didn't really pay it any attention unless I needed to. By age 17, though, I started to look at it a little differently. Was Running worth a second look? I thought so.

I remember the first day I went out and ran--*cough*--attempted to run. I geared up (athletic shorts and t-shirt and whatever athletic shoes I had on hand) and stepped out of the door. I did a few stretches and walked out to the sidewalk (helluva warm up there, huh?) and started to run. Because that's all there is to it, right? I ran down the street...YES! I was doing it! I was running! I made it all of about 5 houses and I was exhausted and huffing and puffing. Talk about feeling total, complete defeat and failure. I remember the embarassment I felt, too--as if everyone were in their homes that day, sitting beside their front windows waiting for a chance to see me run by their house, just to see if I would make it. The house you stop (read: fall over, clutching your chest as you gasp for air and wondering if your legs will ever stop burning) in front of is inevitably the house where there's a family reunion or birthday party going on, and the weather is so nice that the entire party happens to be OUTSIDE and of course they are watching YOU during your most disappointing moment.

Actually, my experience wasn't so dramatic. But it was no less disappointing. Somehow, though, I kept trying. I would go out each day and try to run a little farther. That summer, I went from running a distance of 5 houses to running around the block to running to the next neighborhood. By the end of the summer, I was frequently running 1-2 miles away from home and then returning. I felt so accomplished, as I should have.

College years--For many years, I said that my peak running fitness was during my college years. I started running more seriously around age 19 and because I had a few friends from my school's track team, I was doing more intense workouts with them and actually contemplated walking on the team, myself. I frequently ran 4 miles every other day, and to me, that was MAJOR. I was in good shape, (thanks in part to my daily trips to the gym that was free and totally awesome) and I really felt good about myself and my conditioning. Then I got mono--I was still running 4 miles with mono for 2-3 weeks. I had no idea why I was feeling so horrible all of the time but my logic was "if I am getting a cold, and I stop running, my body will totally give in to the cold." Stupid, maybe. But after I found out what was wrong with me, and after I was unable to get out of bed easily in the morning...and found myself actually having to sit down in a PUBLIC shower because I felt SO bad...I stopped running for a period. My very early 20's came and I kept running but I was never able to run more than a mile or two at a time, even though I got lots of inspiration from a very attractive and fit neighbor of mine who would go out and run every day. :)

It seemed like no matter what I did, I just couldn't progress. I learned about different exercises and training methods and actually took to hill running and plyometrics and I saw small improvements there but nothing major and I still couldn't run 4 miles.

Mid-20's--This was by far the most rocky period of my relationship with Running. Off and on, love and hate. Sometimes I wanted to, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't. Running wasn't having the same effect on me as it did when I was 19. I wasn't proud of myself when I was with Running. Back then, I thought it was Running's fault. I know now that it was my fault. I wasn't giving it the love it needed to give love back to me!

Let's fast forward...to...

2007 (age 27)--I FINALLY decided to give myself to Running, once and for all. I didn't want to be one of those people who get to the beginning of the new year and START exercising. I never have liked that. I want to prove to myself that it's an actual lifestyle change and so during the fall of last year, I started getting serious again. I started my own personal walk/run program. I kept at it. I'd come home on lunch and walk...and walk...and walk...until I felt strong enough to start running. And I'd run...and run...and run...until I could run farther and farther. One mile was KILLER. Two miles I hit a plateau. Then I just kept pushing. I didn't want to give up because I remembered how awesome it felt to run and to love it and to feel good doing it.

2008--My first race was in March and it was a 5K. All it took was that one race and I knew that I didn't want to give up on Running, and I didn't want to give up on myself either!

I've come SO far personally. And the discipline that I've had this year has shown me just what I can do when I set my mind to it. I realize that there are so many people out there that are so much faster and can run so much farther than me but I'm proud of them too! I can be proud of my own accomplishments because I can see them so clearly and with each improvement, it gives me the motivation to push even harder and to not give up as I have so many earlier times.

Next up: The present.

Home Run 5 Mile RR

2008-10-25T16:35:00.006-04:00

I'm currently in my bed typing this, recovering from the ice bath and then a nice warm shower. With my race goal achieved beyond my expectations, my only goal for the remainder of this day involves figuring out what to eat for dinner!

Today was the Home Run 5 Miler at Bernheim Forest. If you've read my other blog entries, you'd know that Bernheim is probably my single most favorite place to spend my time! That being said, this race was my most anticipated race of the year, with the exception of my first race ever back in March, the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic. Coincidentally, I first learned about the Home Run 5 Mile race from a postcard that was placed INSIDE of my Anthem 5K Fitness Classic packet! From that day, I planned to run this race. Funny, looking back, I remember doubting myself because I didn't think I'd be able to run 5 miles and that I'd have to put in so much training to be able to even complete it!

My mom's been bitten by the race bug since we did the American Heart Walk together. Since, she's completed two races, including today's Home Run 5K (they held a 5 mile race AND a 5K, simultaneously). DBF has run a couple of 5Ks with me this year (his first was the Anthem 5K as well) and at the last minute, he decided to register and run the 5K as well. It was great to have them there, especially before the race for the company and after the race to cheer me in--they were both finished with the 5K by the time I finished my 5 miles, so they were waiting for me at the end!

The start was casual and this was not a chip timed event, but most people running it seemed happy and a lot of the runners I spoke to have been running this for a couple of years or more. It's just one of those races that you love to do because of the beautiful scenery and the overal feeling of the event. It's a great cause--benefitting the Home of the Innocents, a non-profit organization that helps children in severe need of assistance with just about any crisis--from pregnant teens to autistic children, and even abused and displaced children. The course was lined with signs stating figures and facts related to the Home of the Innocents and their causes, which was a GREAT thing! It was a great way to inform us and help keep us focused on why we were there!

The 5K and 5 Mile course started at the same location but split off at two points--once around the 1.5 mile mark and meeting again less than a mile after; and then splitting off again near the 5K finish to have the 5 milers run an uphill/downhill section before finishing our race.

I definitely wasn't in the mood to run today, just didn't feel in the "zone" at all. Plus, it was a little chilly and I just couldn't get into it. I started pretty far back, just to hang out with my mom and DBF before the race and as I said, it was a pretty laid back start so I wasn't too worried. My goal was to be very conservative for the first 2 miles and then run an all out 5K, because I knew I could do that without any problems and I'd still get in at a respectable time for me. I was hoping for 55:00 but expected to come in around 1:00:00, especially since I wasn't feeling like putting in the effort!

During the first mile, I was just focusing on running a smooth, easy pace and then I felt a tap on my shoulder--I looked over and it was DBF running with me! What a nice surprise! We ran together for about a mile, and I multi tasked, focusing both on my pace but also on his, trying to keep him focused and strong so that he wouldn't burn out before the end of his race. At the first mile marker, my watch (which I had synced with my start line cross, not the race start time) showed 11:39. I worried I might have been going too fast for me for 5 miles but I was feeling good so tried to maintain the pace through mile 2. Eventually, the first course split appeared where the 5 milers had to veer off to take another course, the volunteer yelled, "Ohh c'mon, don't let HER be the bigger woman!" DBF didn't even hear her! He ended up with a respectable finish for his 5K and I'm really proud (and happy) that he ran it! I know he had fun and I'm glad he did well!

After running around Ten Toms Hollow, which consisted of gently rolling hills that weren't too challenging, the 5 mile course merged again with the 5K course. This proved to be both exciting and a little annoying! My mom spotted me (she was looking behind her to find me I think) so I focused on steadily approaching her. It was a rush of adrenaline to run beside the 5K participants because some of them were genuinely impressed (even by little ol' slow me) with those of us running the 5 miles. I heard comments like "I don't know how they do it..." and my favorite, "Move over honey, let the more serious runners through!" :) Of course, there were the annoying ones, but there were definitely less of those than at any other race! I had to maneuver through quite a few people walking, but 99% of the time, when I yelled out "On your right/left" they moved quickly and without problem.

At mile 3, my watch showed 31:xx, which for me, was great. I was happy that I was going at a decent pace but again, worried that I was going to burn out so I kept telling myself to slow down a little. After mile 3, I really started to push my pace and felt that I was working harder than normal--which was fine, this IS a race, after all! By the time I reached the second course split for the 5 milers (where the 5K finished) I realized where they were taking us and I was NOT happy. I'm familiar enough with the course to know that they only road they had left to dedicate to us 5 milers was Fire Tower Road. This displeased me. Why, you ask? Because it's one long road that goes completely uphill on the way to the Fire Tower. Sure enough, that's where we ran the last leg of our race--a constant uphill battle! I was so happy (and sad) to see a fellow forumite pass me (he was running downhill while I was running up)--happy because I saw him and it feels good to see SOMETHING familiar or fun when you're tired of running, and sad because I know he's a faster runner than me and if he was going downhill at that point, I knew I had a LOT left! LOL

I found a couple of ladies to pace myself with, they looked pretty strong so I just stayed with them for the duration of the uphill. Once we turned around to start the descent (and the stretch that would lead us to the finish) I figured everyone would glide down. However, my "pacers" stayed steady at their current pace. I felt good enough that I decided I wanted to push this downhill and take advantage of the forward motion for the final 3/4 mile or so that remained. I pushed past the ladies and quite a few others and when I got near the finish, it was AMAZING! There were so many people cheering and clapping and it was just an awesome experience. DBF walked over to me and cheered me on (and told me to sprint, which I declined!), and I saw mom clapping and happy on the side, cheering me in too! She finished her 5K well, too, and had a blast. I'm so glad she has such a good time doing something so good for her!

At the finish, which I somehow totally missed...I almost missed the chute and was still running full pace because I never saw the finish line! At the end of the chute, I finally stopped running and realized that the finishers in front of me also had no idea where the finish was, so I felt better! My watch had me finishing at 53:20, which was over a minute faster than my WISH time! That made my pace for this race 10:40, which is just such an amazing improvement for me. It's just so great to see the improvements--not just in time but in overall fitness DURING these events. I don't find myself gasping or panting, and my muscles all feel stronger. My endurance is greater and my speed is coming and I'm so happy that my hard work pays off!

On the flip, though, I'm going to have to figure out my "push point." I had SO much more energy left after this race, it was unbelievable. I was running for a cool down, I was running to the car to get my pants and pullover, I was running wherever I found the chance--AFTER THE FREAKING RACE! Mom, DBF and I went to Denny's after the award ceremony and I couldn't sit still, my legs were constantly moving. So when we got home, I actually went out and ran around my neighborhood. So, if I was able to run and feel comfortable doing so AFTER the race, I think it's fair to assume that I didn't give ENOUGH during the race.

I guess my goal now is to determine what amount of "push" is just enough.

Next races--I have nothing concrete plannned but I will probably be registering for the Polar Bear Grand Prix to get me through the winter. More on that later.

I think I might need a second job...

2008-10-20T21:01:00.004-04:00

Register for a race with it, kitteh!

It's not like the individual races cost that much, but when you start adding them up, it can be expensive! Now, I will say, I believe it's far worth it--PLUS, I went 5 months WITHOUT one race, so I'm sorta making up for lost time here. But the enjoyment I receive from getting up early on a Saturday morning and running around for no reason other than to prove something to myself (plus the excitement after teh race of eating lots of food to "recover" really gets me going too!) is worth every penny. Besides, what else would I do with it? Probably eat out one too many times, or buy a shirt or save it (that would be responsible) or buy something I don't really need. In a way, racing is my entertainment. And it definitely keeps me focused on training and my health!

Here's my current race list:

1. I registered for the KDF miniMarathon last month, which isn't actually until April 2009.
2. I am running the Home Run 5 Miler/5K this Saturday.
3. I would like to do the No Boundaries 5K or 10K on Nov. 1, especially since it's at 8AM. I LOVE earlier races, I have no idea why. Call me crazy.
4. I just completed the Race for the Cure 2 weeks ago.
5. I plan on registering for the Polar Bear Grand Prix (three races) very soon.
6. Registration just opened for the Louisville Triple Crown and I definitely plan on doing that...no need to register today for it but I want to secure my spot! :)

I'm going to start a business in the third bedroom just to pay for my races!

What do you think?

Naw, not really. But a girl can dream, can't she? LOL (For the record, I found that picture on google images, and is not at all property of mine)!

Today's run was BLAH. I got off work and just had no desire to do anything other than sit around on my butt. But I didn't. I got dressed and ran. The first mile was fine I guess, but soon after, my legs felt like BRICKS! I did an easy 3 that was an out and back and on the way back, I felt like my whole body weighed a ton. I felt so lethargic but even so, I was unable to slow down enough to run at my planned pace--13:21. Throughout the run, I kept telling myself to slow down, but I ended at 38:56, which is a 12:59 pace. Just couldn't slow down enough to make goal. It's amazing how much I've progressed though. During today's run, I had two thoughts:

#1 -- The fact that I'm running as strong as I could and focusing on my form even though I felt so lethargic said something for my running mental health AND makes me feel like it'll be easier to get through both the easy AND the hard days, now.

#2 -- My easy and LSD runs used to be in the mid 14:00 area (earlier this year), and that took a lot out of me. Now I find it very difficult to slow down enough to run a 13:00 pace. That means I'm getting faster and/or fitter. I'm proud of my improvement!

Tomorrow is my tempo run but I'm going to have to do it at a track--hopefully I'll be able to find one that's open to the public!

One Week In...An Update on Last Week

2008-10-19T14:18:00.004-04:00

Exactly 7 days ago, almost to the hour, I was getting fitted for the first time for a new pair of running shoes. I felt legitimatized! :)

This day also marks the beginning of my training week, and the beginning of week 2 of training for the miniMarathon in April. It's a long way away but I'm so worried about my ITBS flaring up that I'm working on an extended plan that slowly increases my mileage and will allow me to run 13-14 miles a couple of times before the Mini. One thing I've learned about myself in the last few months as I've increased my mileage to levels of which I've never before been capable is that the first time is very difficult. The second time is noticeably easier. And the third time, it almost feels like I've been doing it for months. So if I can get at least 3 13+ mile runs in before the Mini, I'll feel pretty good about completing it.

This week in training was a successful week and a quality week. I didn't log a gigantic amount of miles but that wasn't my goal and it will not be my goal for the first month. I logged more than the plan required but within reason and in good health. I challenged myself, I worked hard, I took it easy when I had to and even though it was just the first week, I feel great about my ability to continue on this path for the next 5-6 months.

The weather is perfect for me right now, but I know that soon, it will get cooler and darker and maybe we'll get snow and ice and I won't want to get out there. But I will and I'm trying to make it easier to do so by shopping for winter gear right now. If I have what I need to tough the streets in cold, snow and ice, I'll have no real excuse this winter. And I'll finally be HAPPY to not have to run in the morning, since the temps will be so freaking cold!

I hope everyone else is doing great!

What dreams are made of...

2008-10-18T17:12:00.013-04:00

This is one of the first views I saw during my warmup this morning (and boy did I need the warmup! It was chilly willy out there, man!) Anyway, if you can't make out that little white dot, it's the moon! During my ride to Bernheim Forest, the sun was rising and it seemed to be really cloudy. But once I got there and started my warm up, it cleared up and looked so beautiful. In fact, this day has been gorgeous. This is why I love Fall!

I headed around the main arboretum road (a generally smooth concrete road with a wide pedestrian/bike lane off to the side), which is a loop around the park and services the main parts of the arboretum--including an education center, several shorter trails, a conference center (also used for weddings), BEAUTIFUL scenery and the award winning visitors center. Made from recycled wood and complete with a a green roof, the visitors center is nice to look at AND pleasing to the environment. It also uses geothermal heating and cooling, reuses water from roof runoff and rainfall and my favorite, the fact that it was constructed in a manner that will allow it to be "unbuilt" so that the parts can be used for something else in the future. Here's a picture I took some time ago, so you can see the general idea--though I think it is MUCH more beautiful than the picture tells:

If you care to see more pictures, you can view the gallery on their website: Visitor's Center Photo Gallery

Inside, there used to be an EXCELLENT casual cafe with coffee, tea, a great house salad, and a fantastic assortment of sandwiches and wraps. It was the kind of place you could go and warm up or cool down and just sit and chat for hours. They even had live music on the weekends! But I assume it was too expensive to keep up nearly year round and they've toned down to a mostly self-service, grab and eat type place. It just occurred to me how wonderful it would be to sell them some of my baked goods--or better yet WARNING: BIG DREAM ABOUT TO INSERT ITSELF IN 3...2...1... I could revamp the whole place, call it my own and do what they did only ten times better, and maybe with the help of one of my culinary-inclined friends! Coffees, hot chocolates of all varieties, pies, cakes, cookies, sandwiches, vegetarian friendly...the whole nine!

Okay, I apoologize, that wasn't running-related at all. Unless you want me to say that I will focus my new cafe on small pre-run meals and healthy recovery meals. Yes, that's it. Now, it's all running-related!

Back to my long run--I decided to hit a short but GREAT trail early in the run. It's named the "Sun and Shade Loop" and runs you right beside Lake Nevin without you even knowing until you get there! :) It was beautiful, easy to navigate and such a treat for my feet, eyes and mind.

The beginning was a dirt/gravel path that was pretty open...

At the back part of the loop, this is the view of the lake...

I headed back out to the main park road and headed off one of the side roads that leads to more heavily wooded areas and more hiking and bike trails. This run was amazing--think one way concrete roads with yellow and orange leaves sprinkled throughout and more beautiful scenery. This is about the time that I decided to name my Mizuno Wave Nirvana 4's their new name--the Acorn Eaters. DBF prefers "Squirrels." These shoes are notorious for scarfing up acorns during my runs. It's actually funny, if not annoying.

If you can tell, they have a pretty sizable gap in the heel that seems to really invite huge acorns--though I've only noticed in my left shoe...apparently the right one isn't "nuts." Har har.

I ran around Ten Toms Loop, which is a moderately hilly path that is bike, car and pedestrian friendly. Then I headed further down to Guerilla Hollow, where a short but incredibly hilly 1.2 mile trail exists. My mom, DBF and I tried to do this trail many months ago but it was deer season and they had it closed. This was my second favorite portion of my run today--it was very serene and fortunately well-marked because with that many trees, twists, turns, hills and a sea of fall color on the ground, there is no way I could have found my way out!

By the time I finished my run, it was nearing 10AM and apparently the scarecrow at the entrance and all of the "event parking here" signs were for a purpose!! They had a park-wide event called "Color Fest" that started at 10AM. It was a family friendly event with artists and craftmakers, educational booths, food, music and other fun--like Zap! Electric cars on display! Very fun, and it was so crowded--I hadn't noticed during most of my run because I wasn't in the central portion of the park, which is where all of the festivities were taking place. I called DBF to let him know I was heading home and to get his "order" because I wanted to stop and pick up some breakfast, but he decided it would be more fun to ride his motor-cyyyyy-cle out to the arborteum and have "breakfast" with me. I say "breakfast" because we actually ate grilled hamburgers, chips/pretzels and Sprite! We shopped a little, walked around and then drove up to the Fire Tower, which remains closed, much to my dismay.

Concerning the run itself--it was the most beautiful, peaceful and effortless 7 miles I've ever done. I could have done more. My legs felt strong, and thanks in part to the cooler weather, I felt good all around. It was an amazing run and I don't think I'll ever be able to duplicate this experience, but you can bet your ass I'll try!

Oh and one final thought consisting of two very important words, frightening to the faint of heart and comforting to the legs of runners everywhere...

ICE BATH

I've got this thing down great. This doesn't mean that I enjoy it, though once I'm in, I feel this weird happy lunacy.

1. Fill your tub up with cool-cold water, about 6 inches or enough to cover your legs. I've got monster thighs so I have to go up a little higher! LOL

2. Go make a hot beverage--I prefer coffee.

3. Get 3-4 trays of ice and dump in a container big enough to hold that much ice.

4. Grab your training log to write down today's info and/or a RunnersWorld magazine (to keep you distracted)

5. Take off your running clothes, except for your underwear (assuming you wear some) and put on a hooded sweatshirt.

*This part I'm not so good at*

6. Get in. Slowly or quickly. Just get in.

7. Have DBF/DH/DGF/DW or anyone that you think might want to secretly have revenge on you dump in the container of ice. But make sure they know to be careful and not hit your legs with the tumbling ice.

*DBF enjoyed doing this the first time. I think he got a kick out of it. Today though, he was feeling a little less like torturing me and I think he felt bad about doing it. I had to explain to him that it's GOOD for me even though it doesn't feel good at first. He even turned the heat on for me--that's love!

8. Sit there uncomfortably for the first 60-120 seconds. Be miserable. Really. Shiver a little. Keep the coffee close and the hood on. Don't even think about reading, you won't be able to concentrate.

9. After the initial discomfort passes, you'll forget you're cold. You'll have 5-10 minutes of good reading time.

Ironically, I picked up an older copy of RW for today's ice bath and there was a story on *drumroll* ice baths. They discussed how they worked, which was pretty cool to know. Let me copy and paste the pertinent info that I found on RW site just now:

Cryotherapy ("cold therapy") constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. "Ice baths don't only suppress inflammation, but help to flush harmful metabolic debris out of your muscles," says David Terry, M.D., an ultrarunner who has finished both the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and the Wasatch Front 100-Mile Endurance Run 10 consecutive times.

Anyhow, I'm feeling pretty good after my long run. I thought I might feel pretty sore and tired today after doing so much running and incorporating the far more challenging trail running into the workout, but I feel pretty good and I think that's because of the ice bath and my recovery foods!

I LOVE RUNNING! I am so grateful for today!

No running, just updating nothing

2008-10-15T16:29:00.002-04:00

Today was my rest day, and I drank some wine and somehow fell asleep at the computer. I just woke up in the bed after a nice little nap and feeling pretty good about the whole experience. Me and Running will have make up love tomorrow.

I miss my shoes though. But I just had the best dinner, I LOVE Fazoli's chicken broccoli bake. I don't think anything should taste that good, and it's not good for you. Nothing that tastes REALLY good is actually good for you.

Based on my Smart Coach Training Plan, I have an easy run planned tomorrow--a mere 2 miles at a slow pace. I'm going to have to fight the urge to do more than that or go faster--I guess this is where the modifying takes place. I don't want to do too much but 2 miles at 13:21 isn't much of a workout. I guess I could make it into one...and spend most of my time on core exercises and strength training. Thanks for letting me talk that out with you! :)

New shoes, new plan, fun times

2008-10-14T20:41:00.002-04:00

I started my "extended half marathon" training yesterday based on the personalized Smart Coach training plan and two days in, so far so good! With running, I am plan-oriented for the most part. It's easy for me to "fall off the wagon" if I don't have a piece of paper or a website of which to be accountable. Yesterday's run was a simple, easy run and today's was a tempo run. I was pretty proud of my performance today--tempo pace was supposed to be (don't laugh) 11:42 per mile for 3 miles but I ran 11:49 for 3.3 miles instead. I realize it was a little slower than plan but gimme a break! Those hills that I run are killer to me!

I'm enjoying my new shoes! Yes, I finally went and got fitted. I struggled the day before trying to decide whether I should go to Fleet Feet or Swag's but I stuck with Fleet Feet. I'm so glad I did, it was so much fun and the young lady that helped me was so nice and *ahem* helpful! They've got a nice crew there and I (as I'm sure many others do) appreciate them!

So here's what I'll be training in for the next couple of months--the Mizuno Wave Nirvana 4.

I can tell a difference in stability for sure, especially today when I had to run on acorns instead of pavement. LOL Everything is falling from those trees and lands either on ME or on the ground and I have to either dodge them or step on them--in my old shoes, I would have broken my ankle 3 times over today. :) I'm going to wear them in another day or two, hopefully it'll be smooth sail...errr...running!

I took a small section of trail after my run today and it was so beautiful. I'm going to have to head out and do some long trail running very soon, perhaps this weekend! I'm so excited!

Elation, Deflation, Realization, Visualization

2008-10-11T23:01:00.010-04:00

Today's 5K Goal=35:00.

I've heard never to get too happy or too sad...keep your emotions balanced so that the ups won't take you so high that you crash too hard when you go down. Today was my first race in over 5 months--the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. I was excited to participate in such a great event with a worthy cause and a great turnout. The event helped to raise more than $500,000 for local organizations involved with treatment and prevention, with a portion benefiting research and other efforts at the national level. Just being amongst all of the people, I could tell it was crowded but an estimated 10,000 participants were down there. We had GREAT weather and a start that was actually a few seconds early--which beats the usual late start!

Now for the complaining...so stop reading if you don't want to hear the story of my deflation.

Runners who wished to be timed were required to pay $5 extra and received a chip and a blue bib, to help distinguish the timed participants from the others. When I went to line up, I looked for blue bibs so that I could get to the front with the other runners. The problem was, I saw about one blue bib for every 7 or 8 people in any given several feet radius. At the start, runners were having to get past people holding hands, walkers in lines 3-5 people across, walkers with strollers--you name it, it was in front of us and all around. Now, call me self-absorbed if you want, but runners who paid extra to be timed should have been at the front while everyone else stayed behind. I blame both the organizers of the events where this occurs AND the participants. Race organizers have a responsibility to make the race comfortable for EVERYONE--not just runners, not just walkers. This is my first year racing but in all of my races this year, not one has had pacing corrals or any sort of indication at the start where participants should run up, based on their ability. I can't imagine that doing this would be very difficult and I think it would definitely make the experience more enjoyable for everyone there. Runners can run safely and not bob and weave past people that have no business being up front holding hands and walking slow, and walkers don't have to worry about fast teen boys nearly tripping them as they walk in support of the cause.

I was frustrated at the start but soon got over it as I started to break away from the crowds of walkers. I focused on maintaining a fast but comfortable pace for me for the first mile. At mile marker 1, I was at 11:14, which was right on track for my goal. After the mile marker, I decided I needed to push a little harder and I felt good enough to do so...but at some point, I started thinking "where the hell is the half point?" LOL It was an out and back course and just as I really started getting ready to run the last half of the race, it appeared. I was a little surprised because even though I was feeling a little rough, it seemed like it was a little sooner than I would have guessed. When I got to mile marker 2, the woman called out "9:20!" I was so confused by this that I actually had to ask a nearby runner what she had just said. His reply?

"9:20. She just gave us the actual time. They don't know what the hell they're doing."

I was thinking to myself, "How on EARTH did I just run a 9 minute mile?" I know to many of you, it's laughable that a 10 minute mile is a goal of mine, but it is! So the thought of me actually running that mile in 9 minutes blew my mind. I second guessed myself and thought that if I actualy ran a 9 minute mile (which would have been the first time doing so) that I was pushing too hard and I was going to fizzle out if I didn't calm it down a notch.

The last mile+ was pretty crappy but I stayed strong and was excited to see my mom passing on the other side of the street! For the first time ever, I pushed myself so hard that my stomach truly felt like it was going to refund the yogurt and water from earlier in the morning. I kept breathing and telling myself not to upchuck, even when I ran into several puddles of someone ELSE's upchuck. LOL

ELATION: Rounding the final turn, I decided to push a little harder just to ensure a PR, even though I had NO clue what the current time was by this point. I looked over on the side and saw DBF cheering me on, checking his watch and he shouted out "Great time!" I still couldn't see the finish clock but when I did, I had to do a double take. It read 30:23. I was in disbelief and pushed in to get 30:30! I felt like I was going to topple over but I didn't and ran for some water!!

DEFLATION: Finding out that the certified 5K course you just ran and PR'd was actually poorly executed and was only 2.79 miles.

REALIZATION: There are several ways to look at this.

1. This was my first ever 2.79 mile race. 30:30 is an automatic PR.
2. A 30:30 time in a 2.79 mile race averages out to 10:55 min/mile pace.
a. At 10:55 min/mile, my estimated 5K time for today would have been 33:50, which is definitely FASTER than my goal for today.
b. At 10:55 min/mile, this is the fastest pace I've ever run in a race (my current best is 11:52) and therefore is testament to my training, my improvement and it's something of which I am very, very proud.
3. No matter what, I just supported a very worthy cause, earned a new PR for a crazy random distance, proved to myself that I DO run faster after training appropriately, proved to myself that I undoubtedly would have earned a 5K PR, and participated with my mom in her first race ever. That alone made it all worth it.

VISUALIZATION:

On the horizon, I have a 5 mile race and several 4K-4 mile races before the end of the year to complete--all new chances to earn an official PR, to have fun, to support great causes and to train for my first ever half next year. I'm going to keep pushing forward.

Taper, Base and Race

2008-09-28T18:03:00.003-04:00

If you have a problem with dogs chasing you when you run...don't buy that shoe! (On the other hand, if you need a little motivation to run faster, try them out!)

This last week+ was a taper period for me. I'm going to pick back up with base training as soon as I start feeling better--apparently I'm coming down with something. My mom and I did the 3 mile American Heart Walk across 2nd Street Bridge in the morning which was great fun but I started feeling a little worse after it was over. At DBF's brother's birthday party yesterday evening, I felt pretty crappy the entire time. So today, I slept in instead of doing any training at all, and I'm okay with that decision. I believe my body thanks me. Now, if only running will do the same thing when we meet this week...

We'll see.

I don't remember if I mentioned this but I've already registered for the KDF Mini-Marathon! And earlier today, I registered for the Komen Race for the Cure (5K) and I'm super excited about that! Great cause and it'll be my reintroduction to the racing world after 5 months! I can't wait! My goal is to run sub 35:00, think I can do it? :)

Losing Motivation, Heading for Procrastination

2008-09-19T22:48:00.006-04:00

What is that dude wearing, anyway?

So in case you couldn't tell by the umm...title...I'm hitting a low point in the running "career" again. I hate the spells I go through, and I imagine I'm not alone in this phenomenon. I am cognizant of the same "roller coaster" pattern in other areas of life--relationships, healthy eating, a certain hobby, etc. You have a lot of motivation for a few months to achieve a goal or you just get in "the mood" to do something at a higher frequency, but eventually, the motivation fades and you stop doing so well or stop putting so much energy into said aspect/activity. But within a few months, you're back at it again, doing good. It's that love/hate relationship that we all know so well! Speaking of, here's one of my favorite commercials from the NB line of love/hate advertisements:

New Balance "Bench"

I think part of my problem is that I haven't had any scheduled races since Spring...that's GOT to be it! I really need to stay focused and continue training so that I'll be ready in October. I have 3 races planned that month, no need to slack off right now! It's just hard for me right now since the job change and (not to make an excuse) my body is totally out of whack because of the change of schedule. I had my workout and all successive bodily functions at the same time every day. Now, my body is asking, "WTF are you doing getting up at 4:30? And you're not even running, you're just eating and going to work? Where's the RUN? DON'T DO THIS TO ME!" I miss running in the morning so badly. Now I have all day to talk myself out of it. :(

Anyhoo, I am excited for the next 5K, which will probably be the Race for the Cure. My last 5K was May 10 and I know my speed has improved since then, thanks to my hard work. I believe I'll set a new PR, but even if I don't, it will feel so good to get out there and race again after almost 5 months! I'm really looking forward to the Home Run 5 Miler at Bernheim Forest, it will be so beautiful there during that race!

Hey guys, feel free to give me a pep talk...I think I need it!

Grow up, Miss Shorty Pants!

2008-09-14T17:14:00.005-04:00

Seriously, I've heard enough controversy about running skirts. What is the problem with them?

Prior to this spring, I had never worn one but not because I was judgemental about them or the women who wear them, only because I just hadn't been introduced to them yet. I found one on a clearance rack and thought I'd try it on. In the fitting room, it felt comfortable and looked decent, so I thought I'd give it a try on my next training run, knowing that even though it felt okay in the fitting room, it may not suit me on the road.

Well, it DID suit me and it felt GREAT! No more worrying about my shorts riding up and exposing too much thigh! No more noisy fabrics rubbing together! It was great. Eventually, I ended up buying a few more and I haven't run in shorts since. Not that I won't at some point, but honestly, I don't see the point when I have a piece of clothing that does everything I want it to.

My current fave, the C9:

I remember the first race to which I actually wore a skirt, and I felt like everyone was looking at me because of all of the "skirt" controversy. "REAL RUNNERS DON'T WEAR SKIRTS!" That has got to be one of the most ignorant statements and a testament to the confidence level of the woman who actually thinks that. I'm a real runner and I do wear a skirt. I don't wear it because it makes me look cute. I wear it for comfort. I wear it because pre- and post-run I can get on the ground and do my stretches and spread my legs and not have anyone catching a glimpse of my private parts! I wear it because it makes me feel good and contrary to what an e-mailer said in the comments section of October's Runners World issue, if I am comfortable working out (whether in a skirt, or shorts), I CAN push my body. She's plain wrong and I find it interesting that I haven't heard ANY men say anything negative about the skirts...just some women. That speaks volumes.

To all of you women who have a problem with running skirts, mind your own damn business. It's not that serious! We feel good in them and that will help our training. That should be what matters to you, as we should be focusing on supporting each other, not belittling each other based on apparel choices. You don't hear the skirt wearers demeaning YOU, do you? Maybe it's because we feel so much better and LOOK good doing it.

Weekly Update

2008-09-06T23:58:00.002-04:00

Great LSD today! Weather was nice--overcast and cool so no sun beaming down making it hotter than it needed to be. Lots of people were out at my spot with dogs, dogs galore. It was actually a little annoying, but I won't get into that. All in all, a successful run. I got about a mile into it and looked over to my right, and saw a beautiful female deer walking around calmly. She looked at me but didn't seem alarmed. We were about 15 feet from each other, which is rare in the city, so it excited me! Then, a young deer, spotted and cute as could be, ran out to her. I couldn't believe it! As if it couldn't get any better, as I was about to pass the clearning where they were, a male deer snuck out of the wooded area, eyeing me and walking toward them. It was such a cool scene! I had chills and a little extra adrenaline for about 10 minutes after that!

I had an awesome day out today, eating lunch on the river with mom and then going to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona! Glad I got my run in early because I had too much bad stuff today, even while TRYING to do well!

Oh as an update, I'm fairly certain I'm not going to compete in the half-marathon in October. I didn't chicken out but I really had to be honest with myself, and I'm just not ready. My goal was to be able to run the whole thing, and I know that with my longest run at 7 miles, there's no way that will occur. So to avoid injury, frustration and SHAME, I am not going to do it. But when that Kentucky Derby Festival approaches, you can DEFINITELY count me in, it's a no brainer. I'll be GOOD and ready by then!

I've done pretty well all week and I'm proud that I've stayed strong. I've started the 100 Pushups in Six Weeks Plan and I can't wait to see how that goes. I'll keep you updated.

Oh, another update--actually two. First, the back pain I was experiencing has gone away as far as I can tell. I was worried about it because I thought it had something to do with my running form, or something physically wrong with me. But when I started dissecting the possible causes, I realized I've been doing a lot of core exercises that included some pretty intense back strengthening exercises and I'm PRETTY sure that the "pain" was actually a soreness from the poor muscles actually getting USED for once! Whew!

Also, I've had to start experimenting during my LSD days to see if there's a way to rid myself of the awful runner's trots. Today, I decided to eat my favorite yogurt, Activia, before my run. I was hoping that by eating, it would help force out a bowel movement before my run AND that the natural bacteria in the yogurt would actually help my belly during the run too. I went 80 minutes without cramping, and I'm so happy about that! I don't know if the cooler weather had anything to do with that outcome but I'll try the yogurt method again next week and let you know! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'm on Team Margaritaville Miles (Runners World Forum) and I'm really excited to have a team and some cool people to share with and support. It's great to have accountability, it's actually helping force me out of the door to run!

Happy Running for the week ahead!

Things I've learned in the Last Month

2008-09-03T00:04:00.004-04:00

Who knew that my half-marathon training would take my mentality to a whole new level and actually help me in other aspects of my life?

To become a stronger, more efficient runner, I realized that the only thing to do was to KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON! That means to keep running with purpose; put some muscle into my workouts and don't be a sissy; don't give up just because it's not easy; push past the points where you didn't know you could go; don't stop when you WANT to, only when you need to; and pretend to be stronger when you feel weak, it'll get you through better than pretending to be weak when you've got strength within.

So I've been talking myself through my workouts, especially when they get tough. If I have to start out slower to get more distance out of the workout, I do it. If I have to FORCE myself to pick my knees up when I'm going uphill, I do it. If I have repeat mantras in my head, I do it. If I have to look around and take in the scenary the way you do when you're too tired to drive, I do it. What does all of this mean? It means that a large amount of my physcial success has greatly depended on my mental strength. When my mind is in the game, my body can play and it can play well. I've learned that by pushing myself just a little, I receive gains from that. I can have strength, muscles popping out, more energy, better success the next time around, and so on.

Which leads me to the second thing I've learned...when you do something once. It can be difficult. When you do something a second time, you remember what went wrong and you can plan for it, making it easier. The more times you do something, the easier it becomes. Valuable info to remember--in running and in life.

Oh, I've also learned that I can actually run 7 miles. Which means I bet I can probably run 8 later, and maybe 9 or 10 later than that. Revelations for days, I tell ya...

Easier the Second Time Around

2008-08-31T21:48:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, I went out for my long run for the week. I told myself to just do one lap around my route, which would have been 3.3 miles. Instead, I felt too good and decided to go twice and then some, rounding out at almost 7 miles. Last week, when I ran my 7 miles, it was horrible and I felt weak. Although I was glad I had completed the distance, I wasn't really proud of anything else I had done. This week was different, I felt like I had actually accomplished something great for myself. I still feel that way. This time, it was definitely easier to run the 7 miles. But why?

I went earlier, so it was a tad cooler. We all know I run better in cooler temperatures. Was it the weather or was it the fact that I had actually done this before...and my body remembered somehow?

Body: What the hell is she doing?

Mind: Oh, she's just running 7 miles again. Remember? She did this last week?

Body: Yeah, I remember! That SUCKED!

Mind: Yeah, but you've done it once, so you'll be able to do it better THIS time, right?

Body: Oh, yeah. I guess you're right!

I think that has a little to do with it. But my mind definitely played a part in it this week. I have been talking myself into pushing a little harder over each workout. I tell myself "Ham Sa" or I play with my form. Sometimes I pretend I have little strings attached to the top of my knees when I'm going uphill, and there's some massive force above me pulling on the strings, raising my knees up so high that I can't help but keep running better, faster and stronger. It works for me.

One thing that bothers my good time out on these runs...runners trots. Usually occurring about 50 minutes into my sacred workout, I feel the cramping start deep within. I can push forward for about 30 minutes or so but it's not pleasant. I'm trying to figure out the best way to decrease the severity of these OR to eliminate them altogether. If anyone has any tips, please shoot them my way.

OH! Two good pieces of info to round out my post for the night. First, I had a nice run on Friday evening. I ran 3 miles, just played around to see what I could do. My first mile was 11:08, which for me, was actually pretty good because I wasn't putting forth a whole lot of effort. During my second mile, I ran 10:07, which was unbelievable to me. I've done that in the first mile before, but never in the second mile. After my 3 miles was up, I looked at my watch and it was 31 minutes and some change...which means I would have beat my PR for a 5K. This is a BIG DEAL for me, because my last (and best) 5K time was 36:49. Not only did I beat that but I did it in the horrid heat and humidity. I'm very proud.

Also, for the first time in my life, someone complimented me on my CALVES. I couldn't believe it. That is one body part that I've NEVER had anyone notice! Way to go, running!

Struggle Breeds Strength, No Point in Being Down

2008-08-27T12:37:00.004-04:00

I woke up and thought I was going to be able to take it "easy" today but then it hit me..."Girl, you need to run today! DUH!"

So I did. I got up and got ready and hit the pavement (makes me want to sing that Adele song!). I pulled out a 3.5 miles in 40 minutes, which isn't good, no. But for me, it's okay. What's so bad about it is that I THOUGHT I was giving it a pretty good effort and going at a faster than normal pace. At the end, I just couldn't give anymore. I just calculated the distance to be a bit over 3.5 miles and I'm BUMMED! I thought for sure I had done a good 4 miles.

My pace for today's workout was roughly 11:19 and it didn't feel easy. I'm bummed but it's good to see reality. If I'm not out there giving it my best (even IF my best isn't good compared to others), I won't ever improve. So I can't be down on myself, I'm fighting through and with good reason. Like I always say, struggle breeds strength.

7 Miles

2008-08-26T09:22:00.003-04:00

I ran a full 7 miles for the first time ever on Sunday morning. It wasn't easy at all, especially being on a hilly path like I was. But I did it, and I kept pushing myself with thoughts of why I was out there, and a couple of personal mantras to keep myself going when I didn't feel like it.

What I noticed about my workout: it was actually easy during flat parts, so I know I was keeping a good pace. I never felt like I was going to collapse because I couldn't breathe, and I felt pretty steady for the most part. The hills were difficult to attack after mile 4, though. Once I leveled up, I reminded myself that it WOULD feel better after my body adjusted to the flat ground, and it always DID feel better.

My biggest concern: my leg muscles (and even my arm muscles, to a certain extent--partially because of my 100 push-ups workout making them sore in the first place) were not able to endure for anything more than about 6 miles or so. They were sore during the run and were concerns. I kept pushing through though because I knew I had to get my muscles the oxygen they need and train them to know that they can hold me up for longer distances. So hopefully, next time I run my LSD, it will go a little bit easier.

Something that made me happy: Other than the fact that I actually DID it, I haven't been sore. I stretched before and after as I always do with every workout. But I also came home and had a shower. After tough workouts, I take a hot shower and toward the end, change it to cool/cold. That always helps my soreness too. Also, I stretched a couple of times later that day. I also had a great meal after the run at Havana Rumba, which was DEFINITELY beneficial! :) The Cubano Vegetariano is my favorite dish there so far. But I have some more experimentation to do there. I wonder how much a mojito would help? LOL

Yesterday was definitely a rest day after my LSD on Sunday and today is a rest/X-Training day. I might ride my bike a little bit after work today to get in a little bit of a workout, and it's going to be NICE out today. YAY!

Running for the Border and Why I Run in the AM

2008-08-22T22:13:00.008-04:00

Just finished dinner, which was surprisingly DE-LISH! Drove past Taco Bell on the way to the Park to run and got the idea in my head to have that for dinner. I thought about it during my run too, so as soon as I cooled down and stretched, I hit the car and ran for the border. LOL I love their 79 cent, 89 cent, 99 cent menu. Sure, the food is high in EVERYTHING you can imagine that is unhealthy for you but it was a cheap meal and it sure tasted yummy!

Better than that low sodium V8 I drank earlier. Now, it wasn't HORRIBLE, I've had worse (like my brussel sprouts last night) but it definitely wouldn't qualify as a pleasant experience. The after taste was bearable, as long as you can deal with the taste of tomato soup. What was so nasty was the taste when you FIRST take a sip and it hits your tongue. I'll try it again, in a glass and with something, as my mom suggested.

The run today was murderous. I ran 3.5 miles, doing intervals and ended with some plyometrics. Prior to my workout and during my stretching exercises, I was very aware of how strong I felt and how ready I was to run. This all changed after I ran about a mile, it didn't feel so good at all and the humidity in the 90 degree weather was something that I could do without. I actually ended up walking a few times during my workout because I just couldn't deal with the heat. My legs felt heavy and a passerby told me she couldn't exert any energy today because of the heat, so I didn't feel so alone. During the entire workout, I kept thinking "This is why I do this at 7am, this is why..."

A young boy ran by me, ready to collapse at any moment and I just worried about him so much. It was far too hot for him to be running that hard in that heat. When I passed him again (or should I say when he passed me, because his pace was much faster than mine) he looked even WORSE than the first time I saw him and I just wonder why he was out there this evening, killing himself like that! I hope he got enough liquids when he finished!

I'm about to go do my Mammoth Workout, one of my favorite workouts, in case you didn't know! Here it is for any of you runners that want to know what it is...

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1243489102/bclid1497991481/bctid1368763974

Why You Don't Buy Junk Food

2008-08-21T22:18:00.002-04:00

Because you eat it.

Granted, I've had a valid excuse for the amount of junk food I've inhaled today, which is actually none of your business, thank you! But that doesn't make it RIGHT. So I've totally eaten like a piggie and it hasn't even been good food like a pizza or a Blizzard or anything, but just bits and pieces of empty calories (with the exception of dinner, which was a veggie plate with garlic bread) that do nothing to promote my health or advance me in my fitness goals. WAY TO GO!

Today was a day of rest for me too, which makes the intake of junk even worse. The Fair was lots of fun yesterday but all that walking ended up being a X-Training day (what? I can do that) and I gave myself today off. I will let you know if I hit the pavement tomorrow, which I so desperately need to do. I'm off schedule, my house is a mess and I feel totally off balance! NOT COOL!

Why Perfectionism Won't Work Here

2008-08-21T00:01:00.002-04:00

Since discovering a local Half-Marathon earlier this year (scheduled for this fall), I decided it would be a great training motivator and a great way to push my running fitness to the next level. Part of me worried that I was jumping the gun, as the longest race I've ever run was a 10K, and my first ever race was recent in the history of my running experience--March of this year. But the other part of me wanted to have this to strive for and I figured that I would have enough time to get my body (and mind) totally prepared for the 13.1.

I'll be honest here--I haven't been diligent in my training. Now I wonder if I should even attempt the race. I COULD participate, finish it and move on, but I know that at my current fitness level, I wouldn't do WELL. And because of that fact, I feel like I shouldn't do it at all. I don't have any delusions, nor have I ever, so I never believed I'd finish with a sub 2:00:00 or anything like that but I just don't want to be out there for 3 or 4 hours. I'm afraid that's what will become of me, so like a good perfectionist, I procrastinate on the training (which REALLY helps the cause) and tell myself to wait for the Derby Half-Marathon, which is a noble goal but just another EXCUSE!

So I'm left with a dilemma. Keep pushing forward and participate and run the best race I can, even if it takes me 3 hours...or...give up on the idea of the October Half-marathon and set my sights for the one next Spring. I'll let you know.

I've said it before...

2008-08-20T21:45:00.000-04:00

And I'm saying it now.

Bolt is a beast.

200m in 19:30. Go Jamaica, go.

Reminder of Why Running IS Fun

2008-08-18T23:47:00.000-04:00

So I went for my run this morning at one of my favorite parks--it's got a nice bunch of uphills that really make you work, and at the same time, make you appreciate level ground a whole lot more. But my run this morning was so pleasant, the weather was just right for me--a little chilly first out of the house, so a jacket is a necessity, but once you're running, it feels perfect! I was taking it easy out there on those hills, which made it easier to take in the greens, browns and blues and of course, the golden sun light shining through them all! I was about halfway through my run when I just realized how awesome the whole scene was, and how good I felt running. I usually feel pretty good when I'm running, or at least AFTER the run, but once every few months or so, that day just flutters in and reminds you why you run, why it's fun and how good it feels to be one with the pavement, the trails, the gravel, the grass...today was my day.

My only hope is that it doesn't flutter by too fast!

Radcliffe, Bolt and more...

2008-08-16T22:26:00.000-04:00

Usain Bolt came with an outstanding performance in the 100m finals. With an official time of 9.69, he smashed his own world record by 3 seconds and did something no human being in history has ever done without tailwind aid--run the 100m in under 9.7 seconds. I don't believe that makes him the fastest man on earth, as many will say now. But it definitely makes him the fastest man on earth when running 100 meters.

The women's marathon aired this evening and I experienced a mix of emotions for Paula Radcliffe's performance. I wanted to see her run a strong and fast race but she just didn't have it in her. I was disappointed for her but at the same time, I felt extreme respect for her ability to not only attempt the marathon (how could she not, though, it is the Olympics), but to actually complete it. She should be proud, especially considering everything she's been through recently--from a broken femur to a spider bite to a typhoon. Her final time was (at current time) an unofficial 2:23:47, which is far from her personal best, but something that is still unmistakably amazing when considering her recent experiences.

I must mention Romania's 38-year-old Constantina Tomescu, who won the women's marathon with an unofficial time of 2:19:07, which I believe is a new Olympic Record for the event. She ran a strong race, and looked good all the way to the finish line. She even did numerous victory laps...where she got that energy, I couldn't tell you. But I imagine the run into the Bird's Nest and the roar of the crowd had something to do with it!

By the way, have you seen the Bird's Nest? It's very cool!

Gay Fails to Make it Out of Semifinal Heat

2008-08-16T20:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, I was wrong. But it seems that Michael Johnson was probably right. And I must reiterate something. Bolt is a beast.

He JOGGED the semifinal race in 9.85, looking around casually, because he had time to do so. He made it look so easy. He actually looked like he was watching TV. The picture below is one of him NOT running...which looks about 75% more casual than I look when I'm doing a simple run around the neighborhood in the morning.

Gay's semifinal race was heartbreaking for me to watch. I felt only a part of his frustration and disappointment. He made no excuses for his performance (which is typical of the humble athlete) which wasn't good enough to qualify him for the final 100m race . But you have to wonder if his hamstring was fully healed. Is it possible that the false start was enough to throw his focus and concentration so much that it hindered his performance? Call me weak minded or easily distracted, but I think that would do it for me, especially in a high stress situation like that. And I don't think that it gets anymore high stress than the OLYMPICS!