Wrap, wrap, wrap it up!

My husband has literally been on me to do a "final" blog post recapping the race and wrapping up this blog on my end.  I think he is either 1. REALLY excited to hear what I have to say or 2. tired of pretending to be interested in my running and needs me to be done writing about it.  Probably both actually, but I have held off on my recap on purpose.  I had decided before the 1/2, that I would wait at least a week to give myself time to digest and not write when I still felt "on top of the world" after the race was over.   Then this funny thing happened...

1. The most important thing first, I RAN A HALF MARATHON!  Yes, that is 13.1 miles.
2. I did NOT feel "on top of the world" after the race...and that shocked me.

I expected to finish the race on so much positive adrenaline and really be pumped and happy and peppy.  I did not.  I felt like I had to drag myself across the finish line and felt like I was going to pass out directly after I did cross it.  In fact, I must have looked fairly bad because AJ gave me his (or whoever's water he was holding) and then kept telling me I was pale and I would not like the way I looked in the pictures because I was so pale.  I did feel better after walking around a little, drinking some Gatorade, and then finally getting a meal.

So...here are the things that went wrong with the race.
1. Left my iPhone arm band at home - had to stop in Rolla at AT&T store to buy a new one (that wasn't the same as my tried and true arm band) so that I had something to carry with me.
2. I didn't eat enough the night before.  BAD idea...but sue me.  I was nervous and I was afraid of having a stomach ache or bad digestive issues on race day.  Mostly nerves, but 7-8 bites of eggplant/noodles was not good enough.
3. Overslept on race day.  I had never used my phone alarm before and I set it for pm instead of am.  Thankfully Erin set hers, but it was enough to rattle me.
4. Bought oatmeal and a banana at QT the night before.  Didn't have a microwave in the hotel room.  Couldn't eat the oatmeal...only the banana.  Not enough food.
5. Switched my go to attire from a tank top to a long sleeved shirt at the last minute.  Got hot at mile three.  I missed my tank top.
6. AJ & Megan blasted off about mile three as well (with my Skittles in AJ's pocket).  That's about the time my stomach realized I had not eaten enough the past two days and I was HUN-GRY.  I needed a Skittles snack.
7. Hit a wall at mile 6/7 until 9.  And then again at 11 until the end.  Those few interspersed miles were torturous.

That seems like a lot to go wrong.  It wasn't all that bad, but it was all that bad.  I turned the last corner around the 13 mile marker thinking I had it made...I mean...only 0.1 miles to go, right?  And not only did the heavy breathing lady that I had been passing back and forth for the previous 5-6 miles stop running (and consequently cause me to stop running or run her over), but the last little bit was on an INCLINE.   Seriously?  I think I said, "Seriously?" out loud when I saw it.  Ugh...!!!

I felt like I had been hit by a bus after I was done and my calves cramped a lot which has never happened to me before.  But, I made it and I immediately said I would NEVER run another 1/2 marathon again as AJ & Megan staked claim on the date of their next 1/2 and loosely threw around the word "marathon" as well.  Oh, not I!  The next day, my quads and toes hurt.  I lost both of my second toe nails by the next day.  I did not expect all of this.

So, here I am, 8 days later.  I honestly don't know if I will run another 1/2, but I probably will.  Maybe not for another year or so, but I do know I will not quit running.  I love it too much.  The race was on Sunday.  I took Monday off and then planned to run Tuesday until the rain changed my plans.  I knew when I was disappointed that I missed running 2 days in a row that I sure wasn't ready to quit running.  I am enjoying running for fun for now, whatever that means.  I will attempt to run a longer run Friday (9 miles) with my friend Carol who is only a few weeks away from her 1/2.

So, on to the shout outs!

Shout out to:
-My wonderfully supportive husband who has put up with me and my running obsession over the past 9 months.  He is awesome and also aspires to be a runner too someday!  :)
-My running club friends - Carol, Sheri, Doug, Carol, Ken, AJ & Megan.  I honestly would have never been motivated enough to do this or would have logged enough to miles to do this without you.  Cheers to accountability!!
-EG - you rock!  I loved getting to spend the weekend with you and run 13.1 miles with you.
-My fellow halfers - Natalie, Aj, Megan, and EG (again) - Glad we could all rock StL together Salem-style as half-marathon first timers!
- Everybody that anxiously waits for me to start running at 5am so they can "like" my fb status, and also to those who roll their eyes and scroll on by when they see my facebook running status.  I know it's annoying, but again...it helps me stay accountable so thanks for indulging me.
-All my other family & friends who have been so wonderful to ask how I'm doing and keep up with my training and listen to me whine when I felt bad or just wanted to complain.  You're the best!!!

Reunited and it feels so...incompatible?

After 9 long months of separation, the Two Girls are finally together! Here we sit, on the couch, after an amazing dinner of fried fish, hush puppies, fried potatoes, mac & cheese.....oh, and a little bit of coleslaw as a veggie. Eagerly anticipating the event on Sunday, talk quickly turns to the race (especially since as we type this the Cardinals are losing...stupid Lynn) and our thoughts about it. 

It quickly becomes apparent that we may not be running the same type of race on Sunday. Here are our own thoughts about specific race aspects:

Clothing:
Dru: the less the better.  My typical, 50 degrees and over gear is a tank top and my broken in running shorts.  (Anticipated start time temperature - 60 degrees....ugh, hot!)
Erin: layers, layers and more layers! If it is colder than 70 degrees, I might consider wearing gloves and a hat. (60 degrees....brrrrrr!!)

Pace:
Dru: What's that?  I just want to finish.
Erin: I've been surprised to find that I'm getting faster the farther I run. No one is more shocked about this than me. I don't aim to run at a certain pace, I just find myself clocking in around 10.13 mins per mile fairly consistently.
Dru:  Crap!  That's fast.

Water Intake:
Erin: My race plan is to stop at each station, graciously accepting the Dixie cup of water or Gatorade. This is the one time during the run where I feel it's acceptable for me to walk for two reasons: 1. I'll be tired. I want a break. 2. I physically can't run and drink liquids. I'll choke. I look forward to the water stations so much I'm considering writing down the station mile marks on my hand so I know how much farther I have to run before I get a break.
Dru:  I think I'll be fine with no water breaks.  I'm afraid if I stop running, even for 30 seconds that one of two things will happen:  1. Someone will run over me from behind.  2. I won't want to quit having that water break and start running again.  So, unless I feel overly parched, I will just soldier on through the water breaks.  This will also give me a chance to catch up with Erin, who passed me minutes ago with her lightning speed.

Energy Intake:
Erin: My mom gave me some energy bean things. I'm fairly certain they are candy, but they aren't actual candy so I feel good eating them. I'm supposed to eat a whole bag before the run and another bag in the middle of the run. That sounds ridiculous. I'll have 3-4 before, and another 3-4 in the midst of my run. That should suffice.
Dru:  I hate to guess about whether or not the energy beans or candy or not, so I'm just going to cut the chase and eat a (small) pack of Skittles mid-race.  That should also suffice.
Erin: She's not kidding. She's really going to eat the Skittles....candy....no joke.

That wraps up the things we have a difference of opinion on. Luckily we are both looking forward to a deliciously carb-filled dinner and a VERY early night to bed on Saturday. We're excited, anxious, nervous, and just plain ready to get this done.

See you at the Arch!
Dru "remind me why i'm doing this again" Howard
Erin "is there beer at the end of this" Gollhofer

DONE!

Whoa, whoa, whoa....I know what you're thinking.  And the truth is I am NOT done running or even done training for my first 1/2 marathon, but mentally and pretty much physically I'm exhausted.  So, I am DONE thinking and worrying about it all.  Some might say that I should be more worried/excited since I am down to the wire and by this time next week, it will be "done" but for now, I'm just living in between reality and the dream of finishing this 13.1 miles alive.  The only things standing between me and it are a few short runs, tons of carbs and water, the trek to StL, AND (insert trumpeting music here) the race!

So, let me explain to you three things:  1. Why I'm mentally exhausted.  2. Why I'm physically exhausted and 3. Why I have to suck it up and get over it.

1.  If you know me, then you know that I stress and worry about everything.  I obsesses and contemplate and obsess some more over every detail of things.  I have more than likely been driving my running friends and my husband completely nutso over the last few months with questions and by constantly questioning and second guessing myself and my ability.  If you don't know me, well, for the last few months consider yourself lucky.  Otherwise, after this race, you should know me...I'm tons of fun (you know, if you enjoy the boring, old, married gals that are homebodies and afraid to leave the house with their children kind of fun)!  But this worrying is draining me.  I'm over it.  I decided that yesterday after my run with Megan - which I ran only about 3 out of the 5 miles we completed - I can run 11.5 miles, I can/will finish this race irregardless of how I've felt the last few days.

2. So, about the last few days.  My body feels like it's just giving out on me.  I'm so tired and running feels like so much effort and my back is hurting and I'm weak and...you get my picture.  I believe I have been training for too long (that and I had a stomach bug accompanied by aches and chills last week that kicked by booty).  Not that I have way overdone it with miles by any means.  It's just that I actually began a training schedule 5+ months ago.  Lesson learned, Higdon was right.  You only really need 10 or so weeks of training.  I'll remember that the next time...if there is a next time for this.

3.  Well, if it's not obvious why I need to suck it up and go on about my business this week, then I'll restate it.  I have LESS than ONE week to do this, ready or not.  So, I will.  I'm excited to be a part of it and have the experience.  I'm excited to see my friend Erin and I'm excited to actually be DONE.  So, I will focus on those things and keep remembering that I can and will do this!


Also I would like to add a final training word from AJ (which I should mention he asked me to post late last week...which also makes me currently unreliable and a procrastinator).

"Just  209 hours until the start of the race and hopefully in 211 hours and 30 minutes from now, Team 2 ½ women will be crossing the finish line. All the hours and miles of running are about to pay off as we hit the streets of St. Louis. Family & Friends will be able to track us via cell phones as we go from mile marker to mile marker and EVERYONE will know if I’ve taken a Porta Potty break at Mile 8…lol"

An Open Letter to My Shins

Dear Shins,

We’ve been together for quite a while now.  What has it been, 31 years? Yeah, that sounds right to me, too. I would think that our long relationship would afford me some more respect from you. It seems you do not feel the same way.

When we started training for this half-marathon, I thought we were doing it as a team. But, it soon became apparent that only one of us was in to win it. After 9 months of training your actions have become intolerable. I never know what to expect from you! This past Sunday I was able to easily run 6 miles. This morning, I could barely get through 1 ½ miles before you forced me to stop. As tears welled up in my eyes in the middle of the gym, I realized it was time for a confrontation.

So, here it is. I’m just a girl, standing in front of her shins, asking them to love her.

If I could, I would break up with you. But, that’s physically impossible. Even if it were possible I’d probably just meet another pair of shins, think they seemed cool and start running with them. So, I’ll stick with you but I’m going to need you to be a bit more supportive. 

I’ll continue to ice and stretch you. I’ll probably even break down this weekend and buy those hideous compression sleeves. With just 15 days until this run, I have to ask, will you be there for me?

Sincerely,

Erin

So ugly. (Not my leg.)

Battle Royale: Pilates vs. Yoga

(Disclaimer: This post includes absolutely no technical information on pilates or yoga. I am not a trained instructor. I’m not even particularly skilled at yoga or pilates. I have done zero research on the practice of either activity. I’m just someone who happened to take a pilates class on Tuesday and a yoga class today, all in an attempt to center my zen, calm my chi and keep my right shin from cramping throughout the day.  You’ve been warned.)

A few years ago Madonna made the erroneous decision to rap in one of her songs. As I recall, she rapped “I do yoga and pilates.” I decided to do both this week, since my gym offers classes during lunch. I’ve been working out with my trainer and have started running more with my new shoes, so I thought one or both classes would help stretch, tone and center me.  Here are my thoughts:

Pilates sucks. It was hilarious how bad I was at this! I thought I’d done pilates before but about 10 minutes into the class I realized it had always been a pilates/yoga hybrid. Piloga anyone? The reason this pilates class sucked, and why I now believe all pilates classes suck, is because I have the core muscles of someone who loves Pizza Hut. My abs are sponsored by cheese puffs. I did my best to lower myself down slooooowly, and then curl back up slooooowly, but the result was a lot of grunting and ungraceful rolling around.

Yoga rocks! This is a truly unfair comparison as I’ve been taking yoga classes on and off since college. (In fact, I took yoga for credit my senior year.  Shout out to my liberal arts college – Go Panthers!) So, I’m vastly more familiar with the moves and know what to expect. I love yoga! I love how it can be really relaxing at first, then super hard. And then how at the end we basically get to lie in a dark room and get REALLY close to taking a nap. I love that I’m encouraged to think about my energy, exuding positivity and calming my inner voice – all kinds of hippie stuff! It’s the best.

So, there you go. My super professional, highly scientific comparison of the practice of pilates and yoga. Namaste. 

Let's pretend that I look this cool doing yoga.



30 Days to 13.1 Miles

I awoke this morning at the ungodly hour of 4:30 a.m. with the panicked realization that today was September 21. If today is your birthday, then by all means you should be excited.  But, this date fills me with dread as it is officially one month until our half-marathon.

Where in the heck did this year go?!  When Dru and I wrote our first blog posts on January 5, I can still remember the fear I felt thinking about running 13.1 miles. Sadly, 8 months later I am still filled with fear!  This is for a variety of reasons.  Let me share them with you.

1. The farthest I have run in the past month is 6 miles. That is not even half of a half.
2. The farthest I have run in my entire 8 months of training is 9.3 miles. That is not even double digits in miles.
3. Last week when I ran my shin pain was so bad that I limped home…after only being able to run a mile. I actually shed tears. People stared. Ok, just one guy. Clearly he is a jerk.
4. Yes, I got new shoes.  But, now I’m so nervous about messing my shins up and not being able to run the ½ in St. Louis that I’m scared to do any training runs.

Clearly fear has taken over – both mentally and physically. Instead of getting up and running this morning, which a good runner would have done, I laid in bed and tried to let the sweet sounds of my dog snoring beside me soothe me back to sleep. 

It did not work. 

I am officially freaking out.

No sleep problems here.

This is great...I'll tell you why!

I am really getting into this "guest blogging" bit.  Firstly, because it gets me off the hook from actually writing my own thoughts about running, which, let's be honest....are getting pretty blah.  I  have come to the conclusion that I shouldn't write any more posts until I have something REALLY exciting to talk about.  Lastly, I love it because it's so interesting to read other people's thoughts on running and how it relates to them and you and life and so on.  But that notion leads me to believe we should have thousands of followers by now.  Sadly, we do not.  But, it's not because of our lack of wittiness or our failure to be awesome.  I think it's the actual running part that turns people off.  Touche non-readers....I was turned off from running for about 30 1/2 years of my life.  I get it.

Anywho, that being said.  I would like to introduce our newest guest blogger, Carol Walter.   I give Carol 1/2 credit for me signing up for the 1/2.  (I would like to assign credit to the other person who convinced me to do the 1/2, but I will do so when he guest blogs too...ahem, @Ken).  Back to the story.  On one of our short Saturday morning Salem Running Club excursions last winter, Carol was coming off of, what I believe was an extending running high, from just completing her first 1/2, supporting St. Jude's in Memphis, TN.  She and her family have been loyal supporters of this race and their cause for several years.  I digress, but I say it was an extended high, because several weeks later, she was still so excited she convinced me to kind of/sort of/almost think I could run 13.1 miles too by saying, "if I can do it, you can do it."  Yes, I am that easily convinced of things at times.  I'm actually surprised more people don't take advantage of my naivety, but Carol did, unknowingly, and I think I might be grateful (eventually) if I live through this adventure.

So, in the words of Carol...

As the “slow, old running partner” with Dru, I want to add my thoughts…..like you can stop me – HA! 

First let me say that Dru is awesome.  She is an inspiration and keeps me going and laughing most mornings at 5 am.  Since her half marathon is in October, and mine is in December, she is ahead of me in the “long runs” so the group often runs with me and then past my house to drop me off while they run further.  I’d say “off into the sunset” but since the sun isn’t even up yet, that won’t work.

Dru started running with me when I was training for my second ½ last March.  When I asked if anyone wanted to start run at 5am there was only one crazy person – DRU- who said yes.  I should have known then she was nuts! (Like the rest of us). PS – in light of the other “guest bloggers” I already have a 13.1 sticker on my car….and my husband and I always laugh how we run 5 miles then circle the Wal-Mart parking lot to find a close spot. 

Dru and I talk about important things like shoes (we both share the passion) and kids, and family and bathroom needs.  You KNOW bathroom needs always come up in running.  We now speak in “code”.

Then there was the morning I heard her scream from behind me and thought sure someone had abducted her.  It was the big dog – see previous blog posts.  Just know that she can yell really loud in a scary low voice that scares very large dogs and probably most the people sleeping in their beds in the surrounding houses.

I recently have re-injured an old stress fracture.  It is so nice to have running buddies who miss you when you’re sleeping in.  J  No, really the support is wonderful and I missed them too.

Running is a disease and it is great when you find others who share that disease with you.  Thanks Dru for being the best running buddy ever!!

Here’s to your HALF!  You still have to run with me every morning; the only difference will be that sticker on the back of your car in my driveway at 5 am.

Let's Try This Again

A 6-mile run was on the training schedule for this morning so I set out to run the same route that I attempted, with disastrous results, a couple weeks ago. Let’s see how the runs compared!

Timing: I learned my lesson last time and set my alarm to run in the morning. What was really nice about this was I didn’t have to get up until 8 a.m. because a cold front blew into Dallas last night!  So, I was able to sleep in a bit (which I love!) and still get up and get in a run. Better Run: TODAY!

Training: While I haven’t done any other fitness activities in the past two weeks besides run, I can tell my endurance is a bit higher. And, I’m going to start working with a trainer at my gym on Monday.  We had our assessment meeting last week and he told me to eat more carbs. The next day I ate two chocolate croissants and a banana nut muffin. So far I am really enjoying working with a trainer!  Better Run: TODAY!

Desire: I was definitely driven to run farther and faster today, but the one factor that hurt my desire to run was the weather. As I said, a cold front blew in last night at approximately 9:30 p.m.  (we were all very excited about this and counting down the minutes!). The temps were gorgeous but the wind was very blustery!  For about 2/3 of my run today I felt like I was running in a wind tunnel….which is very hard! My pace was slow, I felt like I was running through water, and it simply took more work to get through each half mile.  I found myself missing the heat that I’ve grown used to running in…go ahead, call me crazy.  Better Run: TIE. I like the cooler temps, but that wind kicked my butt and made it hard to stay focused.

Other thoughts on today’s run vs. the last run:

-I didn’t see a lizard but I did see a group of men playing cricket. I found this very charming.

-During one of my short walk breaks (after battling a particularly brutal burst of wind), a girl ran past me wearing just a sports bra and tiny, spandex running shorts. She may have been a Runners World model, she made running look so effortless. Why do girls like that run by me when I’m walking?! 

-It’s time for new shoes. A few months ago I complained about horrible shin pain, and at the recommendation of some of my blog readers switched back to an old pair of shoes. That worked for a while. But, the pain is back which means a trip to the shoe store is in my near future. Maybe I’ll get some of those $59 Saucony’s AJ mentioned!

Ask and you shall receive...GUEST bloggers

So, at the beginning of this journey, I posted that perhaps we should/would have occasional guest bloggers.  Well, that fizzled, sort of.  But, as my brother and soon to be sister-in-law and company were running 10 miles this morning, we had a lot of time to talk about random things...like blogging.  Side note, I think what I'm most excited about running a half marathon is all of the QT (2.5 hours by my current pace estimate) I will get to spend talking to and catching up with Erin.  So anyway, without further ado below are AJ & Megan's perspectives and insights on their training leading up to the 1/2 thus far. 

AJ:

Just  44 days and 122 miles of training before we can put the “13.1 Sticker” on our vehicles. I will start to park at the front of lots instead of the back parking lots after that so everyone knows I ran 13.1 miles!!!! Feeling good after this morning’s run…did 10 miles with Dru and Megan and still had 3 miles of gas left in the tank I believe. New running shoes are on my horizon…between the sides being blown out and retaining larger amounts of sweat in the soles, it’s time to splurge and get the $59 pair of Saucony’s instead of the $39 pair of New Balance’s.

MEGAN:

Dare I say, I love the irony in running 13.1 miles so that you can have a sticker that says “13.1” miles, so you can then park in the front of the grocery store parking lot and show it off. I’m pretty certain those people with “13.1” stickers on the back of their vehicles have no excuse for parking close to the front door. If you can run 13.1 miles, you can walk from the back of the parking lot J All joking aside…I had a great run this morning! You might be surprised to hear what constitutes a great run…I had a Charlie horse in the left side of my back, my sports bra rubbed two bloody holes in my back where the hooks are located, and my big toe nails appear to be pulling a “Dru Howard” and are bruised. And it was actually a good run. Do you want to know why?!?! Because neither of my knees or hips felt like they had gravel in them today and I could carry on a conversation while running. I really did have a great run, though. I kept thinking to myself after we were done…it is 7:00 a.m. and I just ran 10 miles before most people have gotten out of bed J



There you have it.  A great 10 mile run had by all.  And it felt better this morning because our friend Carol was back in action, after nursing an injury for the last week.  It was good to have her back...even if for only 2 miles (on Dr's orders).  But, we did miss Ken.  Hope he's feeling better soon and we'll have the whole gang back for our Friday morning long runs soon.

Timing is everything!

I seriously JUST got this email.  It seems that the writers/editors of WH are far more sure of my ability that I am.  Bravo WH, bravo!

Yes, You CAN Run a Half Marathon!

If you think runners are half crazy, you're right—they're crazy for half-marathons. And women are leading the pack: The number of people who've finished a half-marathon (13.1 miles) has more than tripled since 2000, and a whopping 59 percent of finishers are women, according to Running USA's 2012 State of the Sport report. So if you're looking to join these rockin' half-marathon-running women, here's your guide. Click to see the 10-week training plan, race-day advice, and more!

Sound the Alarm!

One of my most favorite things is when Dru and I actually get to talk on the phone. We email all the time, and have fun “liking” or commenting on each other’s FB pages, but to find the time when we are both 1. free and 2. able to answer our phones is pretty hard. For one thing, Dru is raising two tiny members of society, both of which started school this year (don’t even get me started on how old I feel knowing that her son Kash is in kindergarten now…I remember meeting that little guy in the hospital the day after he was born!!). Secondly, she’s got a whole household of people to pay attention to.  I just have my dog, but somehow I never pick up the phone and call her. Clearly I am a rotten friend.  But, a good dog owner.

So, it was a joyful occasion last week when we got to connect via phone!  That joy was quickly diminished when she proclaimed, “I’m so excited to see you in 6 weeks!”

WHAT?! HOLD UP!! OUR RUN IS IN 6 WEEKS?!?!  (This was my face...)

 Luckily Dru was off by 1 week. We had 7 weeks left to train. (This was my new face...)

So, with (now) less than 7 weeks left to train, I’m getting serious about it.  Instead of sleeping in one extra day, I got up and ran 4 miles on Labor Day. Ran 4.5 two days later. This Saturday I’m hoping to hit 6 and keep inching up so that by the weekend of the 15-16^th I am at 8, which will put me on track according to the training sheet Dru gave me.

The alarm has been sounded.  The run is in a month and a half.  I will be ready. Oh yes, I will.   

7 Weeks!

Okay, I will admit that I have been HORRIBLY inconsistent with my blogging, but please know that my running is much more consistent.  So, as I ran my longest distance to date this morning, I told myself I would also find 20 minutes to blog about it or something more interesting should there be something more interesting to happen.

So, getting down to business, the past few training weeks have consisted of me running about 4 days a week.  Shorter runs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and a longer run on Friday.  Last Friday I cut my long run short but technically my distance runs are ahead of schedule so I didn't feel too bad about that.  This past Friday, Hurricane Isaac rained us out, so I did my distance run of 9 miles this morning instead.  It was still raining, but more of an annoying mist that, in the end, turned out to be not so bad for keeping me cool.  And if it's going to be humid, I would just as soon run in 100% humidity/rain than 98% torture. 

I got up an hour before our run and drank some coffee, ate some breakfast, and mentally prepared myself.  Not sure that was necessary as coffee sloshing around during a run does NOT feel particularly great.  But anyway, it was a fairly good run for me until about mile 6, when I got a side stitch (which doesn't ever really happen to me so it was a really weird feeling).  I actually got rid of my side stitch by walking for about 30 seconds and slowing down my breathing - thanks to some guidance from my running pal, Ken.  At 8 miles, my Nike+ Running app told me I had run 8.75 miles (grrrrr....the GPS on my iPhone is an entirely different frustration of mine, but one thing at a time) and by the time I REALLY got to 8.5 miles, I was ExHaUsTeD!!!  So, I did walk/run intervals the last 1/2 mile.  Again, I wanted to feel disappointed in myself, but I was too tired to care.  I still finished under 11minute/mile so mission accomplished.

It was also strange to run an hour later than normal, on a day that is typically my "off" day, and without 1/2 of my posse.  It is strange to me how accustomed my body has gotten to my routine so it's probably good to get it out of its routine. 

I'm still undecided about whether to run tomorrow morning or take Labor Day off, but for now I'm focusing on the ribs I'm about to eat, the 8 chocolate chip cookies I just ate, and the Boulevard Wheat that will really be the icing on my celebratory cake later this evening. 

Oh and the Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis 1/2 marathon is only 7, yes 7 weeks from today.  That makes my stomach a little nervous just thinking about it!  Until I really looked at the calendar and realized 49 days is not far away at ALL, I was just feeling like it was going to just be like a little party and everyone would be cheering us on as we partied along down the street and we would look and feel like super athletic models crossing the finish line then we would party some more and it would be a great deal of fun.  However, today I picture this...

So, until my next blog...happy running and the official count down is on. 

Lessons Learned: Training Weeks 1 & 2

I started off the first week of training well. I had two shorter runs that were great but then we all know how disastrously the last run I blogged about went.  Since that last run I haven’t stepped a foot into my sneakers! I’ve been traveling for work, preparing for vacation and am just plain exhausted! It’s a horrible excuse – “I’m too tired to exercise” – because as so many of us know, once you get out there and just start doing something, you find the energy you thought you were lacking.  But, I’m almost halfway through Training Week 3 and don’t have any miles to show for it.  Disappointing?  Yes!  But, vacation starts in two days and luckily I’ll be with my mom and sister, who are both great at running with me or encouraging me to run.  I’m hoping I’ll get some good workouts in each day, in between beach time and sleeping!

Here are some lessons I learned these past two weeks:

Lesson 1: The Olympics are a great motivator! Never in my life have I watched the track & field events with such interest.  Those runners are amazing!  Not only the sprinters, who seem to get all of the attention, but the distance runners.  It kept me motivated to get outside and run.

Lesson 2: Watching the Olympics does not make me a better runner.  I’d be so excited to run while watching the Olympics and then I’d get on the treadmill or out on the road and realize I am not an Olympic athlete!  Those people train hard and I am sure that their training does not include sitting on the couch, night after night, watching other people running, swimming, diving, or playing beach volleyball.  If only fitness worked through osmosis.

My new role model!!



Running is Hard!

Ok, that might be the most obvious title in the world. But, something interesting happened to me today. I started training for the ½ again this week and got two 30-minute runs done fairly easily on Tuesday and Thursday. I knew I needed to get a longer run in this weekend and this morning I woke up determined to do it today. The weather was a little cooler (93 degrees instead of 107) and I thought a late afternoon run would be no problem whatsoever. After all, I ran 9 miles just a few weeks ago. Six miles would be no sweat, right??

Boy was I wrong!  That was one of the hardest, least enjoyable runs I’ve ever had! At one point in time I walked for such a long time that I was able to text my blog buddy Dru to tell her what a horrible run I was having!  The highlight of my run was seeing a lizard (I’m not kidding)! So, what went wrong?

Timing: I usually do my long runs first thing in the morning. I’m not a morning person, so I’ve always thought this was a bad idea. Now I wonder if it makes it easier for me to get more miles done because I’m too sleepy to give it that much thought!

Training: Not only have I not run since the 15K, I haven’t done a lick of weight training or yoga. I’m a firm believer that both of those activities help me be a better runner. Clearly I’ve got to get those back into the training routine.

Desire: I was giving myself a hard time about walking so much, and kept trying to push myself to run through one more song, or one more block, but I just kept stopping and walking. I realized I just didn't care to run the whole thing. 

I find it really interesting that Dru and I have both had hard runs in the past few weeks. But, we’re still getting out there and pounding the pavement. So, for all of you out there who don’t think you can run a mile, 5 miles, or a half-marathon, please believe me – you can!  What was it that fancy shoe company used to say all the time? Oh yeah, just do it!

Time to Train - Again!

I’m ashamed to say it’s been three weeks since my last run and almost two months since my last blog post. My running/blogging partner Dru has been doing an amazing job lately at both, making me look like a giant slacker in the process! I’m so proud of her for continuing to run, especially through the heat and humidity we are all experiencing. I’m struggling to get back into my running shoes, so I’m looking to her for inspiration!  Here’s quick recap of the last two months:

I trained for and ran my fist 15K!  For those of you counting, that’s 9.3 miles. I thought it was just 9 miles and am so glad my mom told me about those extra .3 miles. If I hadn’t known I would have been pretty ticked off when I crossed mile 9 with no finish line!  Training for the 15K wasn’t that much fun, but I’m proud that I did it.  What’s the easiest way to stick to your training schedule? Tell every single person you see that you have to run the next day. Once you tell everyone, you sort of feel like you have to follow through. Or at least I did. Running the 15K was a lot of fun, surprisingly! The weather in Texas cooperated and wasn’t blazing hot. There were plenty of water/Gatorade stops along the way. The only bad part was that I dropped my phone and cracked the screen. Clearly I need to buy one of those little iPod shuffles to clip onto my shirt for the half. After the run, I rewarded myself with a super adorable, gold-striped phone case, so at least my phone looks good on the outside!

After the 15K I decided to take a 2-week break from running.  I’d been training for 2 months, so that is 2 full months of not sleeping in on the weekend.  I am a girl who loves her sleep. I could easily sleep 9 hours a night if my dog and work schedule allowed for it.  Sadly, neither does very frequently. So, I definitely appreciated having a few weekend mornings to devote to sleep.

Our half is just 11 weeks away (ok, just typing that scares me!!) so I’ve got to get my shoes out of the closet, set my alarm clock and start running again. I’m kind of excited about it...I actually find myself thinking about running a lot. Now I just need to do it!

It's all in a name...

Well, it’s official that I have (appropriately, I might add) changed my profile name to appear as dru “remind me why I’m doing this again” howard.  Now, it’s just a screen name, but to me “runs like the wind” was just not fitting.  In fact, in Salem this June, July, and August, I’m not sure I even remember what the wind feels like anymore, but I’m pretty sure if I did I wouldn’t be running like it. 

I could have changed it to “runs like the humidity” because I am familiar with that feeling lately and it’s slow, and sticky, and annoying, and well, you get the point.  But for now, I am what I am.

Shoe Update:

Shoes are working well.  My old blisters have healed (though I do have a new blister, however, I blame that on grabbing and wearing the wrong pair of socks the first day I ran in the new shoes) and my toes no longer hurt.  Time will tell if I can actually grow toenails back while wearing them, but for now, it appears as if they will not cause me to lose toenails even after my first long run in them this morning. 

Which brings me to the next topic – Today’s Long Run:

First, let me begin by saying that our 5am runs are really catching on.  There were actually 7, yes 7 of us running this morning and when we started there were only 3.  We are taking the streets of Salem by storm and I like it!  New runners and old runners and just socialization in general really do make running so much more fun. 

I blogged last week about how exhausted I was after my long run last Friday, but how I did it…yada, yada, yada.  Well, today was much different.  My run was mostly NOT enjoyable though I was never almost eaten alive by a vicious dog.  I did have to walk several intervals, and there were just so many challenges.  I told myself I would not dwell on it after this post, but I think it’s good to remind myself why I think I had this type of morning so I don’t do this again.

Here goes…things that, I believe, led to a crappy run (no pun intended…well, kind of intended).

1.    Extreme humidity at 5am. Bleh!

2.    Not eating – it turns out I ate my dinner at 4:30pm Thursday and then ate nothing else that night or this morning until after my run.

3.    Not consuming nearly enough water the day or hours before my run.  I ended up sitting in an unairconditioned barn for 4 hours the previous night, sweating excessively and not replenishing my fluids.

4.    Not enough sleep – got 5.5 hours compared to my usual 7-8 hours the night before.

5.    The annoyingly present and then all of a sudden super-urgent need to have a bathroom break (or code orange as we call it in the Salem Running Club) mid-run.  I would like to take the time to give a shout out to a.) Doug for spotting and securing the bathroom location and b.) the Hocker Oil/Gas+ attendant for letting me stop and use the facilities and then reminding me as I ran out the door that I had a LOT of people running around in circles waiting for me.

So, there you have it…the quick version of my frustrating run.

But there is always another day and I plan to run in the morning and attempt 8 miles next Friday so I will try to avoid setting myself up for what happened today.

NEW SHOES!!!

My new running shoes.  I am so super stoked to try these out for the first time tomorrow.  Well, actually I'm wearing them around and about right now just to "break them in," but tomorrow will be my first run in them. 



Yesterday, I ventured to Springfield in search of new shoes and it was also my first trip into an actual running store.  I spent the time and effort to be properly measured, fitted, have a gait analysis, etc and after all that, they recommended....the exact same shoe I already use.  I actually did LOL.  Although I did find out, I was wearing a 1/2 size too small in that brand, even though it was already an entire size larger than I typically wear. 

It was tempting to just get the larger size of the shoe I was currently wearing because it felt comfortable and normal.  However, the only thing comfort and normalcy have gotten me in the shoe department is two missing toe nails, chronic blood blisters/bruised toenail beds, and blisters.  It really was time for a change. 

As promised.

This morning, at about 5:30ish, around 3 miles into my run, a super supportive and accomplished runner, that also happens to be the Uncle of my fellow blogger says, "Hey, I haven't read any new blog posts lately."  After an explanation of how I've been blogging less and running more, I realized I probably needed to update on my progress  So, I promised if I made it to 7 miles this morning (my longest distance so far), that I would make a post.  That being said...this one's for you Ken.

I made it to 7 miles this morning.  I wanted to feel ecstatic about it after I was done, but I felt tired and sweaty.  However, 6 miles has been my mental block for the last 6-8 weeks.  I haven't made it past that and I haven't even felt like trying.  But seeing as the 1/2 is only 11 weeks away, I thought I might ought to motivate myself to do more.

But, this morning's run was far from normal, aside from the distance.  The following events occurred in the 75 minutes that I was running:

1. Was barked at, snarled at, and almost attacked by a rottweiler looking dog around mile 1.5 as "Killing Me Softly" played on my ipod.
2. Saw a deer (that at first glance looked like a creepy shadow in the woods - *still paranoid and scared after the dog incident*) around mile 2.5.
3. Ran past Wal-Mart sliding doors to steal a little bit of air conditioning around mile 3.  Okay, okay, this actually is not that uncommon of an occurrence on our morning runs.
4. Frolicked through the sprinklers at the Town & Country Bank branch to cool off around mile 3.5.  Confession:  this happens as much as possible - I LOVE (actually, all of my female running buddies LOVE) the T&C Bank sprinklers.  I would like to urge The Bank of Salem and US Bank to install sprinklers as well, and if you're ever driving through town early in the morning and happen upon our little sprinkler ritual, pay no attention to random females dancing around said sprinklers.
5. "Don't Stop Believing" started playing around mile 4.1 which completely renewed my motivation.  Because in reality, who wants to disappoint Journey.
6. Chased down a trash man around mile 5.  Well, that was actually only Doug, but it was confusing and definitely out of the norm.
7. "Stronger.  What doesn't kill you..." came on around mile 5.5 as I was finally able to relax every time I heard a dog bark and joke about incident #1.
8. Almost run over by a cyclist (in SALEM!) around mile 6.5 even though I believe he was yelling, "coming through!" over and over as he approached.  Damn ear buds and motivational music - they are a hazard.
9. My watch beeped 7.0 miles, my feet immediately stopped and I was glad to be done. 

So, all in all a pretty eventful morning - and that was just before the sun came up.  Not sure I'll run tomorrow, but if I do, it will be a brief and relaxing run, hopefully.

Oh, and as I type this my husband (who never needs/wants my attention during TV time) suddenly has 1,000 things to ask me about so here's my shout out to him and his pizza! :) 

Until next time

Nothing New to Report

The title really says it all, but I put, "Write a Blog Post" on my to-do list this weekend and almost everything else was checked off the list so it's this or fold and put away the laundry and I pick this.

Recently, I have decided to do some reflecting on my reasons for running as I have been feeling so-so about running in general.  But, I say it's only been so-so because I could think of no new really exciting milestones that have happened and my distance progress is somewhat stagnant.  However, this morning, as I was on a 3.5 miler (that started out with the intent of being a 5-6 miler) my reflections came full circle and I realized that I don't need to set the world on fire every time I get out there (and besides that, Salem is under a burn ban because of the drought so it would be dangerous to set anything on fire). As I reached 3.5 miles, I felt tired and a bit bored running, so I walked.  This typically would have been a major upset to me, but walking felt great.  It was hot.  I ran 6.25 miles the day before.  I needed to walk.  The world did not end. 

So, here are my my running reflections on the things (not necessarily running related) that I have accomplished in the past month or so of my running "funk" and/or just reasons in general for running.

1. I am NOT good at organized sports or any physical activity that requires a great deal of attention, practice, or equipment.  Never have been.  Running is easy - it's mostly free - only attention needed is for watching for cars at intersections.  I can do that! 

2. The competition in the sport of running is as much or as little as you want it to be.  I am not a fast runner and no matter, I enjoy just finishing a run regardless of how far or fast I go.  The end is the best part.

3. Running is a social event and I like to talk.  In fact, I love running and chatting (as long as I can catch my breath and I am not running up a hill).  I have made new friends, formed bonds, and look forward to seeing my running buddies almost daily. 

4. Running offers a good time to just "be" and also be away from the chaos that can sometimes take over my life with work, two small children, and a household to run.  So, when I don't feel like talking, I can just breathe and think.

5. Running burns a TON of calories.  I can eat those calories back and not gain weight.  The more I run, the more I can eat...this might be my favorite reason for running. 

6.  I feel like Super Woman when I power up East Salem Hill and then run in the middle of the road all the way down 4th Street at 5am.  If you've lived in Salem, you know where I'm talking about.  It looks impossibly daunting as you approach it and then once you're at the top, it feels kick ass!  On a good day, I have even been known to throw my arms out (airplane style) and spin around in the middle of the intersection - I have witnesses.

7. I am an addict.  There, I said it.  I may complain about how hard a particular run is or how I feel not quite right during a run, but at the end of the day...I feel better when I get my tush out of bed early and get in a run.  If I don't, I miss it.  I crave the extra energy (and the extra food) that I have all day when I make the effort.  I need to run!

So, as I begin to bump up my weekly mileage from averaging around 15-16 miles/week to 20 or more/week, I shall try to remember all of these things and keep on keeping on!

 

Reaction to "Time to Get Training" Email

I just got the email below from the StL Rock 'n Roll marathon series. Looks like I was ahead of schedule, which may or may not have been a good thing. I’m glad I’m not late in my training.  But, I’m already bored after just three weeks of training.  That can’t be good!

Am I the only one really annoyed at how happy that girl looks?  She knew the photographer was there and smiled for that split second.  She was probably grimacing just 10 seconds prior.  I can guarantee that you will never see me running with a beaming smile on my face.  Even if Ryan Gosling and Channing Tatum were running in front of me, shirtless, I'd probably still only be able to manage a half-grin.  But that's because I'd be so busy texting every single person I know about the dynamic duo of hotness in front of me.

  

Time To Get Training
Congratulations, you've taken the first step towards your goal by registering for the Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis Half Marathon, now it's time to start training! How do you train to run your best? We've got the plan! Today you are 19 weeks out from race day and now is the perfect time to get started with an Official Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Training Plan.

Training Week 2 - The Shins

Last week I survived week two of my training. I ran 2 miles on two different days and 3 on another for my “long” run, so nothing too interesting to report….except for the fact that my shins feel like they have been split open by red-hot fire pokers!!!  What is happening? 

I just did my first run of the 3^rd week (3 miles, indoor due to the fact that it is already steamy hot after work these days) and am sitting here, trying to figure out why this is happening to me…all while icing my shins with a bag of frozen broccoli pieces and a bag of frozen mukimame (shelled soybeans, in case you were wondering. I sure was. Did I buy these??).

Here are some hypotheses:

1. I’m not wearing the right shoes. I find this hard to believe as these guys run ultramarathon distances without $250 fancy running shoes.

Tarahumara Man, getting ready to rip up the trails!

2. I’m too old.  At 32 I hardly think I’m too old to be running a half-marathon. Mainly because this dude is 101 and has been running marathons his whole life. Surely I can eek out 13 measly miles if he can.

   

   Father Time, getting ready to blow past me on the road.

   
3. I’m not running correctly. This one could be true, but how did I miss out on the day when we learned to run the “right” way. I don’t recall attending walking school and seem to have no trouble walking to and fro without injuring myself. I think I look normal when I run. But maybe my friends aren’t telling me something.

I don’t know what it is. All I know is I have to run 7 more miles this week and I need an answer now. Because as good as it feels to have this mukimame numbing my shins, I’ve got to be able to keep training!

Let the Training Begin!

This week I officially began my training for the ½ marathon. I know I’ve written about running 3 miles here, or doing a 5K there, but this week was the official start! Which simply means that now I have a calendar where I’ve filled in days with the miles I need to run to work up to 13.1. Super official!

Right now I’m focusing my training on getting up to 9 miles because I am going to run the Too Hot to Handle 15K. In July. In Texas. Yes, I am crazy. If anyone else is running the THTH and spies me passed out on the side of the road, please make sure I’m breathing. And that my running shorts aren’t hiked up on my legs in an unattractive way.

Back to the training! This week called for two 2-mile runs during the week and a 3-mile run on Saturday morning. I’m proud to say that I did all of the runs! Except I’m not sure I can count my Saturday morning run…..

It started off well. I decided to bring my running buddy, AKA my dog Benni. It seems that dogs can get distracted very easily (SQUIRREL!) and don’t realize that (BIRD!) if we start running (SOMETHING PEED HERE!) then the goal is to keep running the entire time (DEAD SQUIRREL!). Needless to say, it didn’t make for a very easy run. And, if you’re my dog and out of shape, then you decide you’re done with running after about 2.5 miles and lay down in the shade. Which was hilarious to the 30 bicyclists riding by me this morning. (Speaking of biking, I’m not one to want to ride a bike for miles and miles but when two rode by me and one said “want to just coast down this hill” as I was still finding the energy to make it up the hill, I wished I’d had a bike.)

Benni and I made it back home after a quick detour for her to splash around and drink from my neighborhood’s fountains. I’m disappointed I didn’t get to run the entire 3 miles but I think we got close. Luckily my calendar says I’ve got to get up and do it all again in just a couple days!

Seeing Double!

I started this week knowing that my plans were to hit a personal running milestone by logging over 10 miles this week. Now, if you're already an avid runner, this may not seem like much, but considering I have NEVER been a runner in my life and by this I mean, I remember running 1.5 miles once in high school and thinking I had conquered the world. That was that until about 11 months ago, when I started running a few times a week with the c25k (Couch to 5k) program.

The c25k is a whole different animal in itself, but let me say right up front, I failed the program twice and then just adopted my own version before actually completing a 5k. But 11 months ago, I could barely run 100 yards before feeling like death and all I really wanted to do was run the local Firecracker 5k on the 4th of July. I failed that too. I ran less than 1/2 mile and started walking and finished very slowly walking. I was embarrassed and defeated, but not deterred. Well, only for a little while. I did go on to complete my first entire running 5k on Thanksgiving morning 2011 - yay SUMC Turkey Trot!

So, to say that running not only 10, 12, or even 14 miles this week, but 18 miles is a great source of personal satisfaction, it is a total understatement. I am beyond proud of myself especially since I started running, the most miles I've run in a week is 9. So, 18 is not too shabby. It was also the most days in a week that I have ever run as well.

But, this was not actually my only running accomplishment this week surprisingly. I had 2 more blogworthy items.

1. I did my first inclement weather run. Saturday morning, I ran in the rain in Salem. Now, granted, it was not pouring rain...that would just be crazy, but it WAS drizzly and somewhat heavier at times. Enough that it was raining in my eyes and I had to run with them closed a couple of times. Side note - not a good idea to run with closed eyes especially if your balance is not great. I shall run with my eyes wide open henceforth. However, rain running was awesome. I really enjoyed it - I never got hot and if I was sweating, which I'm sure I was, no one could tell and it was fun to splash in the occasional puddle. I highly recommend a rain run.

2. My third and proudest accomplishment was running my longest distance. I said after the Race to the Rocker 4 mile race that I felt, when I finished, like I could have ran forever. So, Saturday the initial course that was mapped out for us (me, AJ, and Megan) was 4 miles. When we got back to our starting point, none of us felt tired, so we just kept running (insert Forrest Gump joke here - I did). Then, at the end of 5 miles, we just kept running. By 6 we were back to our starting point, so we did not keep running - an hour and five minutes of running. But, I honestly did not feel tired...I felt like I could (you know the line) just keep running. The only pain/issue I have felt since the run is sore toenails, and that seems pretty minuscule in the big scheme of things.

This 6 mile run really boosted my confidence about the 1/2 and my next Saturday morning "distance" run. I also had 2 friends run in a 1/2 today (one's 1st and the other's 2nd) and I felt so excited for them but also jealous that I wasn't there and wasn't ready to compete. It's going to be hard to wait until October now, though I know there is much work for me to do. But, I do feel like I'm ready to see just how far I can run before my legs actually feel tired or overworked, but I also don't want to overdo it or have a bad run and get discouraged. I have always said that 3 miles was my so called breaking point and once I made it past that, I could go forever. I feel like there has to be another breaking point somewhere between 3 and 13.1 miles and if I was betting, I would put my money on 8, but only time will tell on that one.

So, it's been a good running week for me overall, and I'm sad for it to come to an end. I feel as if my fitness focus this week needs to be on running (of course), but more on strength training as I completely ignored that last week. I think it will be difficult for me to find a good balance between the two as training ensues and race day gets closer. But I can't ignore my muscles.