Thursday, March 31, 2011

Three for Thursday

1. I didn't run yesterday. I didn't even step foot in the gym. Shame on me, huh. I am not beating myself up over the break. I did a quick 10 minutes at home..crunches on a stability ball and some pushups. Hardly a workout at all! Today I plan to hit the gym for at least a 5k run on the treadmill since I'm a wuss and don't want to run in the chilly drizzle that we are being blessed with today.

2. I had an orthodontist appointment today. They all wished me well on my upcoming race, sweet. It was also time to change both arch wires on the top and bottom of my braces. YIPPPEEEE! I was like a little teeny bopper girl and said, "So, yay! That means you can change my bands to match my race day outfit!!" They laughed. Yep, I am a big ol' dork and totally had my bands changed to pink and black to match the shirt/pants and BICband I plan to run in Sunday.

3. I feel bad for not signing up to volunteer for the events this weekend. I would love to volunteer for the kids run and cheer all the little running kiddies on as they run their 1 mile race. However, we will have family in from out of town and I feel major guilt with having guests in that we don't see often and then me running off (no pun intended) to go do something else. I feel like even though I volunteered a few hours of my time last weekend for the event that it wasn't much especially compared to others and the amount of work(and volunteers) they need. So, that being said...if you read here and are local please let me know if you can volunteer Saturday or Sunday and I will gladly email you the link to sign up! We runners appreciate it!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Taper, carbo loading and my shoes

Taper
I have mentioned before (maybe a day or so ago) that it is taper week. I am loving taper week actually. It is my chance to just run - low miles at a comfy pace without even thinking about training. I've put in the hard work of training for so many weeks/months and now I am just ready for race day.

~Monday I ran a 3 miler at 10:27 pace
~Tuesday I ran 2 miles at 10:42 pace, trying to slow myself down and tell myself slow, steady for the half on Sunday because afterall 13.1 miles is much different than 2-3 miles! ha

Today is my big dilemma. I had planned to run 2 miles at the gym, yes the treadmill. BUT I woke up grumpy mad and fiddle farted around getting myself and Peanut boy ready to leave this morning, which means I did not pack my gym bag. Shame.on.me. I have an appointment tonight at 7:30 and figured I could just dress for the gym, hit my appointment and then go workout. But what would I do??

Run? Eh, don't have to because like I said the training is done and I am ready to let my legs do the work Sunday.
Elliptical? Ooh thrilling.
BodyFlow class? Hmm. Haven't taken it before so it would probably be wise to not enter something new into the routine just days before the race.

Tomorrow I plan to walk an easy couple of miles just to keep my legs feeling loose. IF I feel the need to run, I will go slow. Friday, same thing depending on my schedule with work, hubby's track meet and guests coming in from out of town.

And no, I am not stressing over the taper or even what to do the next few days ( I just needed something to talk about and bore you
with.hahaha).


Carbo loading

I have not started doing this and I am not even sure "how" I should go about it. I remember one time (for a 5k) I had convinced myself I needed to carbo load. Wanna know what this smart girl did? Ha! Maybe you don't.....
I inhaled almost a whole package of Lofthouse frosted cookies. I blame stress.over.a 5k!?!!? Caraaaazyyyy! And seriously, looking back on it, yes I am ashamed I did that but hey, live and learn and thank goodness that I am a totally different girl today or you might see me in line at the local Kroger paying for 2 dozen of those bad boy cookies.

Our actual dinner plan for the night before the race is simple...
grilled chicken and baked potatoes.
Easy peasy and healthy.

How do you carbo load before a big race?

My shoes
So, I have been an Asics girl since I started this running thing a couple years ago. I started in 2140s after being fitted at my local running store. loved them. I ran in 2 pair of 2140s and then of course you know how it goes, they tweak it a bit for the next year and out came the 2150s. Bought those, twice. And here I am in 2011 with a pair of 2160s I've been running in the last few hundred miles and during my half marathon training.

I do love the shoes but have noticed my foot/heel/leg being irritable during the beginning of my run and a wee bit after. So, this week (why this week??) I decided to pull out the last pair of 2150s I ran in before the 2160s. They aren't completely worn out as far as the mileage on them so they feel fine.

Yesterday I packed the 2160s in my bad and wore them for my 2 mile run. My legs felt like they were really working hard to go. Muscles felt tight(ish) but the run was ok. Part of me feels like I should run Sunday in the 2150s because they feel best for these short runs, but the other part of me feels like I should wear the 2160s because they are the shoes I did all my training in. And really, I am not stressing over this because I do not feel like either shoe is a wrong choice. It's just one of those things I noticed in the last week or two.

Decisions, decisions.
And yes, I totally said fiddle farted in this blog post. ;)

Monday, March 28, 2011

One more week!

As of yesterday I have one week before my first half marathon!
Last week I was feeling slightly nervous and said things to myself and aloud to hubby, "I am crazy. Why am I doing this? This is not me, I am not a runner. 13.1?? What was I thinking when I registered for this thing?"
Yep, they all ran through my head.

Every run last week I dreaded. Every run felt tough and like a real piece of work.
And after every run I wondered, is it possible?

Friday was a scheduled rest day which meant that Saturday (or Sunday even) would be my last long run (8 miles). I had signed up to volunteer and help stuff race day goody bags from 10am-1pm. I wasn't sure what all this entailed until I arrived on spot Saturday. Turns out it was just walking in a circle filling bags with goodies spread out on different tables. Then I helped stack multiple sheets of info regarding upcoming races.

I was taking a quick coffee break when the door opened and in walks a familiar face. Up to this point in the day I only recognized a few faces of those volunteering but given the nature of the work for the day it wasn't like there was time for standing around chit-chatting. But I KNEW when this particular familiar face walked in I was going to be doing some talking. I was excited!

I am not the most outgoing person and usually it takes me a bit to warm up before just talking to people. Once the ice was broken I introduced myself as "the crazy mom who comments on every single one of your blog posts." Thankfully, (at least I hope) she didn't think I was all that crazy because she high fived me right away and I felt cool. ;)

You wanna know who I am talking about, huh!?
Well, she is a fellow blogger but for me this means so much more because she is local (like practically in my back yard) and she's a fellow runner. And to top that off, she has a boomtastic weight loss story/journey.

Kelsey at The Race is On!

After talking with Kelsey for a while on Saturday my excitement in the half marathon was restored. All negitivity I had about the race was put at ease. Any doubt I had in myself is gone. It isn't about making a goal time. The GOAL is FINISHING! I fully intend to finish this race, even if I have to crawl. I CAN do this. 13.1 is mine! Thank you, Kelsey for being another one of the similing faces that believes in me. Your excitement spilled over to me and I know it does to others as well!

If you have a few minutes you should totally check out her blog. I am glad I did!
And I am thrilled to have met her. We seemed to have hit it off right away and I really enjoyed having a quick lunch with her at the volunteer event for our upcoming race. She is also running the half marathon that I am on Sunday, but she is a pro at the 13.1! This same time last year she ran her first half marathon. I told her on Saturday that we definitely had to get a pre or post race pics as well as a sweaty post race hug. I am so so excited to have met such an amazing young woman. And she may be tired of hearing it but around here she is a local celebrity. I am so proud of her and just feel lucky to have met her. She is quite the inspiration. So, head over to her blog and root her on in her journey. :)

Running hair accessories

That's right, I said running hair accessories! Running is all about looking cute or at least having great hair. ;) You mean you didn't know this?? Well, it's true. Last fall I was introduced to


Taken from BICbands at Etsy.com

My first purchase was a turkey BICband to wear in an 8k I was running on Thanskgiving day. From that day on I was completely sold on BICbands. I think my collection now holds 12 ranging from sparkly to striped. My latest purchase was this one...


Again, borrowed from BICbands.

I am wearing this one in my upcoming half marathon (Sun, April 3rd). I love it. It should match my race day outfit perfect (details soon!).
The best thing about BICbands, besides the fact that they stay in place, is that a portion of the proceeds go to charity! Love that!

And you have the chance to win one of your own...
HERE!

I dare you to check this out!!

SkinnyRunner is hosting a fabulous giveaway! I've not perfected link sharing on Wordpress yet but check this out.....



And Like I always say... you could just read and not enter, giving me more chances to win. ;)

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Excitement restored!

Warning...this post is long!

Let me start by saying this week was tough for me.
My mind wanted to beat me up everyday leaving me with thoughts of doubt and questioning whether or not I could actually run, specifically run a half marathon. My stomach could not get full which in turn left me craving foods that I know will not fuel my body properly. And my legs... yeah, they felt tired and worn down which in turn started playing more tricks on my mind. I felt this week like I had been defeated by my training schedule.

I only ran twice this week before today.
Monday I ran with Annabelle (my almost 8 yr old) around the pond loop at our gym. It was only .61 and with her tagging along we set a decent enough pace (12:52 min/mile), not bad considering her short little legs and the fact that she DID not want to be out there. But the nice mom that I am I wanted her there in the hopes that one day she will enjoy physical activity as much as I do. ;)
After dropping her off with the other kids to play I went inside to finish my run on the treadmill.
3.1 miles 30:14 9:45 min/mile
I was proud of this run as I really pushed myself with some fast intervals. And yeah so it was on the treadmill and not outside but I was okay with that.

WednesdayWhat better way to celebrate 9 years of marriage than to be at the gym on a treadmill next to the love of my life??
5 miles was on my training schedule and because I didn't pack my Garmin in my gym bag I decided to forgo running outside and hopped on my favorite treadmill instead.
5.02 miles 50:49 10:07 min/mile
Another training run done. And then it was off to dinner with my love.

ThursdayThe training schedule called for 4 miles but I was tired, had a headache and just felt the need to go home and rest. So I did.
FridayScheduled rest day and I took it. But I will say that I did feel guilty about taking an unscheduled rest day the day before but reminded myself that it's a taper week anyway and resting my body when my body clearly needed it is OK!

SaturdayThe schedule called for my long run today. 8 miles. The hubby and I decided that since I was going to be volunteering for the upcoming race we would not do a long run today but would run on Sunday. Besides that the forecast called for rain and we wanted to avoid a soggy run. So, I went to the pre-race goody bag stuffing event and he headed to the gym.
I was still feeling slightly bummed about taking extra rest days and wondered if I would even make it to the gym to run today. I had told myself I would at least get there and run a quick 5k. But I knew I would be walking or on my feet a lot while stuffing race goody bags and eating pizza for lunch. Neither of those sounded like loads of fun pre-run but I would see how I felt.

After volunteering (more on my day with that later!), a trip to the grocery store and Fresh Market I made it home in time to change quickly and get to the gym before closing time. It was raining and I did give some thought to just going out and running in the rain but I decided against that and hit up my favorite treadmill instead.
I had every intention of only running a 5k but I was feeling energetic (must have been the extra coffee!) so I went for 4 miles, which made up for the 4 I missed on Thursday.
4 miles 40:24 10:06 min/mile

And my excitement for the upcoming half marathon which is now a week away! More details on my excitement later. I'm headed to bed to rest up for my 8 mile run after church tomorrow!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

TTT

1. I am taking an unscheduled rest day today. My training plan calls for 4 miles BUT I am tired. I didn't get enough sleep last night and my muscles are achy. SO, I think that is my body's way of telling me to just relax a bit. I do feel guilty about it especially after saying in yesterday's post that I feel weak but am going to work harder to be strong. While taking a rest day sounds weak it really does take strength to actually do it. You believe me, right!?

2. I am really starting to get kind of nervous about this half marathon. 10 days away..or is it 9 now?? Either way it is getting CLOSE! And my excitement from a week or so ago is turning into nervousness. I am beginning to really think I am crazy after all. Why am I doing this? CAN I do this? What will the weather be? Have I prepared myself enough? Tell me all of these thoughts are normal for a first timer. Deep down I know I can do this and I know it will be fun. I know that no matter how I cross the finish line I WILL cross the finish line. That is the goal. But then I start toying with the idea of a timed goal. Yeah, no, I shouldn't do that. Calm down, breathe, relax and just run.

3. I read this quote today...
All it takes is all you got.
I'm going to keep reminding myself that until I cross the finish line. And heck, even beyond the finish line. If I give all I've got to my running, my weight loss efforts and even beyond I will be successful and reach all of my goals. If I only give a little I am going to get a little. Give it my all and I know I have done my very best.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

I am weak but will be strong!

Today was one of those days that was just not the best. I didn't do a lot of meal planning and quite honestly meal planning has just not happened. This has resulted in a few poor choices. The poor choices have led to that ick feeling. The ick feeling had me almost convinced to turn my scheduled 5 mile run for this evening into a 3 mile run....

BUT!!
I hit 3.1 on the treadmill in 31 minutes and decided I was NOT done running for the day. My training plan called for 5 miles so I need to push harder and go the distance. When the treadmill read 3.5 miles I knew there wasn't a whole lot of running left and I planned to end strong with a solid 5 mile run under my belt for the day.

5.02 * 50:49 * 10:07 pace

I would love to try and convince you or myself that I don't make mistakes when it comes to food. But I am weak sometimes and I am not perfect.EVER. I try hard though. I have learned many times how poor choices affect me and most of the time the poor choice is never worth it. I have goals and making a poor choice will not help me reach my goal.

I KNOW I will reach the goal of crossing the finish line to my half marathon but beyond that I have a weight loss goal I wish to achieve. So, beginning tomorrow I will be refocussing on both goals even though I know the half marathon is 10 days away it is important to focus on the long term goal now and not wait until after the race is over to be more focused. Focusing tomorrow on the long term goal will only help me reach my short term goal of the half marathon. I've known this all along but like I said...I have weak moments. I am a firm believer that the weak moments will only make me stronger.

And I want to be strong!!!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Call me CrAzY!!!

A few days ago a friend of mine starting posting "fitness challenges" as her Facebook status. I commented on one and she "dared" me to join. I kind of laughed it off and then she emailed me saying I really should get in on it. So, we talked some about what Tuesday's challenge should be and today when she posted her status I knew it was on.

We decided planks was the challenge for today.

She worked out this morning, I did not. Today was a scheduled rest day for me so I was thinking the planks would be a great challenge on an off day from running.

Here is where crazy comes in.
She decided to do 5 seconds per "Poke" she got on Facebook. Since I am able to hold a plank for 60+ seconds I decided to go with 10 seconds per plank thinking I'd probably only get 5 or 6 pokes.

Want more crazy??
10 seconds per poke and 1 plank per poke.
I got TWELVE pokes!!!
12

Do you know what that translates to?
12 planks at 2 minutes each.
Insert mega CRAZY here!

I'm debating tomorrow's challenge since my training plan calls for a 5 mile run.
I did tell my friend I would be sticking with her 5 seconds per poke on planks next time though!!!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Cupcake Marathon 2011

So, I decided earlier this month that not only would I attempt to meet Tall Mom's challenge of 93 miles for the month of March but that I would also participate in


and so with my half marathon training schedule I kind of knew I would be able to meet the actual marathon distance for the week. In fact, if I followed my plan to a "t" I would be over the marathon distance (26.2) by just a smidge.

So, I signed up for the 26.2 Cupcake Marathon 2011.

How did I do??
Well, here is a recap of my runs for last week.

3/14 ~ 4.12 miles 41:55 10:10 pace
3/15 ~ 1 mile 10:00 for a solid 10:00 pace
3/16 ~ 6 miles 59:45 9:58 pace
3/17 ~ 4 miles 40:52 10:13 pace
3/18 ~ 12.02 miles 2:13:02 11:04 pace

And just like that I ran a total of 27.14 miles for the week. Even though I did not complete a marathon in one run I am still proud of the weekly mileage that went beyond that of a marathon. I never even dreamed that I would become a runner at all so this is a huge accomplishment for me! And maybe...a huge MAYBE..one day I will (but not for a long time so those of you who KNOW me, know me...don't get any crazy ideas just yet) actually run a real marathon, like in one run. ;)

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Twelve

I ran my first 12 miler today.

I won't lie and say it felt good. It didn't. It was tough for me from the beginning. My legs just felt tired. (TMI alert) It is either from the training this week OR because my little (pesky) monthly girl visitor is here and that just makes me feel week and worn down. So, I'm blaming that on the less than stellar run I had today.

I hate to compare runs so I won't this time. I will say that I had hoped that today's run would feel as good as last week's run. I also hoped that today's run would be speedier than my 11 miler last week. It wasn't in the cards for today and I am OK with that. I am reminded that these tough runs are good training runs and will help me build. And I know it's true.

My total mileage for the week is 27 which makes my highest mile running week so far. And actually it will be my highest mileage week before my half marathon. Next week I begin tapering and frankly I am looking forward to that!

I still need to get a total of 24 miles in the next 2 weeks to meet my monthly mileage goal but I think that is possible. I of course will not be terribly disappointed if I do not meet my mileage goal (which happens to be 93 for March) because it will still be up quite a bit from February's mileage.

And if this post comes across as the least bit negative, it isn't. I still very much LOVE running. Today was just a tough run that left me less than excited. Pumped that I ran 12 miles? Yes. I'm just not thrilled with my performance today. I am still very much excited about running my first half marathon.

Friday, March 18, 2011

I made a move!

I am in the process of moving my blog from blogger to Wordpress. Bare with me as I make this change. I am still learning here but am glad you have decided to continue following my journey. If you are new to my blog, Thank you for following!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Three Things Thursday

1. I am so silly that I self nominated (because that is how this works not because I am *that* boastful) for the Future Prior Fat Girl - Mom Edition on  Prior Fat Girl's blog. However, I apparently cannot read because I didn't even notice that she was looking for a mom that is just beginning her weightloss/healthy-ness journey. Asd you may know if you have been reading here a while I am almost 2 years into my journey so I don't really qualify. I am also pretty darn close to MY goal even though it is still a bit shy of what those pesky charts will tell me should be my goal for height/age nonsense. So, I kindly replied back to PFGs email telling me she'd be in touch that I was sorry for jumping in and nominating myself! ha Why am I telling you all this? Because if YOU, yes YOU, are a mama and just begininng your journey I urge you to head on over and check out PFG's Furture Prior Fat Girl Mom edition post and nominate yourself. It would be a great honor to be part of the PFG family. Like I said, I would LOVE to be the next member of her crew but am pretty sure I won't make it into the first round based on my story/qualifications but I would LOVE for one you just starting out to have that chance.

2. I had to make a trip to the grocery store after my workout on Tuesday. I think I was getting gum for the hubby when I stumbled upon the granola bar isle. I found

These things are very tasty. Crispy and just the right amount of sweet (chocolate) to make my tastebuds think I am eating something I shouldn't be when the midafternoon craving hits and I wish I was eating a cupcake. Yes, these are processed and contain sugar BUT it is much better than driving down the street for a cupcake, right?! And they only have 80 calories/4 fat/11 carbs for one thin. So, I do believe one of these for the rare treat is better than the cupcake I could have gotten. Also, because my body craves protein I did eat that little booger with a boiled egg white. Had to throw that in there to further prove that I do choose REAL healthy snacks, too. haha

3. OMG y'all. There are only 18 days until my FIRST half marathon. Saturday will be my last real long run before the half. I am running my first 12 miler on Saturday. 12 miles!!! I was talking to one of the trainers at my gym Tuesday night because I had been questioning whether I should go for 12 this weekend or taper to 10 and then doing 8 next week. I feel confident that no matter what I am ready for 13.1 but want to further prevent injury. Since my training plan orginally called for 2 taper weeks I wasn't sure exactly what to do. I had forgotten about the informational half/full marathon class this guy was holding at my gym on Tues so lucky for me he was. He assured me that if I did 11 last week, pain free, I would be fine to do 12 this week and taper to 8 next week with shorter runs through the week next week as well as the week before race day. I will elaborate more on my training plan for the next 2 weeks in another post. I was just glad that I got my questions answered about the whole taper before a half thing. SO, here's to 12 on Saturday. Wooohooo!!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Change?

So, I noticed in my reader that my blog still does not update. In fact, I believe it showed something between 9-12 months with no update. But if you read here you will know I AM updating often.  I've asked over and over if anyone knows how to correct this and got nothing...well, I got answers but mostly people saying they didn't know how to fix the problem. I've looked all over Blogger to see what I could find and I got nothing. LOL

I have a couple options...
~Keep going like I have and hope I can keep my faithful readers (and even gain new??)
~ Move to Wordpress and keep my fingers crossed you will come with me??

Any other ideas?
I want my blog to grow and I want to reach out to others as much as I can. If you have any ideas for me I would love to hear them.  Thanks!

Stay tuned for some running related news. :)

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Some randoms....

I do these posts often on my other blog but not too often here. I tend to go a few days between posts and am really trying to work on that. So, today I give you some randoms that go through my head about running/weight loss and all the stuff in between.

~ This stuff isn't easy (for me). Weight loss carries it's own set of daily issues. Read - I struggle on a daily basis fighting the demon that is my will power. Yesterday my lack of willpower caused me to order the wrong sandwich at the deli last night which in turn resulted in fluid retention and if you know what fluid retention can do then you will know that the scale reflected such. The best part is that it wasn't huge (the result on the scale). What it has done is given me time to reflect on yesterday and move forward with today. Lack of will power yesterday means super will power today.

~ Some runs are good and some are bad. I learn from the bad and beam with pride from the good. I love love love the good runs. I could try to define good run to you but honestly good run doesn't always mean fast pace. Good run means feeling strong/powerful and like I could just go on forever. Good run means loving what I am doing from the first .10 to the last .10 of the run, whether I am going a mile or 11 miles. Bad run.. those where my legs feel heavy, where my mind tells me I can't when I KNOW deep down I can, where nothing feels right..those particular runs just plain suck. I've had both good and bad. If you run, you can relate.

~ I let the scale judge me. True story. And it happens too often. I've posted before about how I get on the scale entirely too much (multiple times a day!). I pretty much let the number it gives me determine my mood for the day. Why? NO reason but seriously when it shows a loss one day I am on cloud 9 and feel super wonderful about how I look. The days it shows me up whether it is 2 ounces or 2 lbs it can ruin me and make me feel as though  I am the biggest blob. For obvious reasons I do prefer when the scale shows a loss, ha.. who doesn't, right!?

~ I am trying to focus more on how far I have already come rather than how far I still have to go. People will ask how much weight I've lost and tell me how they can see a change and that I look good, but a lot of times all I can see is how much farther I need to go to reach my goal. I even went so far as to tell a friend the other day that this journey is no longer about how far I have left to go but about reflecting on how far I have come in the last 2 years. I know by having a positive attitude will get me to the long term goal I so hope to reach. My weight is just a number. The tag on the inside of my jeans/shirt/dress is just a number too. But my journey in getting to that weight/size tag is quite the fantastic story.

Monday, March 14, 2011

>Check out this great blog...
AuD Runner is hosting a great giveaway!
So go enter or just read her blog and give me more chances to win. haha

Eleven

Saturdays are my long run days.
This week's long run was 11 miles.

I had talked with Terri earlier in the week and she said she would be up for a long run with the hubby and I, so we made a date. We met at a local trail and decided we would go out the trail (which is about 2.5 miles one way) and then go from there to get the mileage we (I) needed for the day.

The weather was nice. Cool starting out and a bit windy but by the end of the first mile I was ready to shed my outter layer. So we stopped and did that. We maintained a great pace (for me) going up and out. I was really proud considering the hilly route.

Hill training is important for me because my half marathon contains some hills. No running in East TN would be complete without hills, ya know?! Haha  About 2 miles into our run I told the hubby I knew he would likely be mad at me later for saying that I wanted to do this particular trail for our run on Saturday but to forgive me really quick! I told him it was hilly and he knew that going into it, but for whatever reason I felt bad.

Terri had a little something come up once we got to the end of the trail and needed to head back down to the parking area to make use of the facilities so we agreed to meet her right back there. Hubby and I headed on over the main road to the remainder of the trail and ran another 4-5 miles (I think) before heading back up to meet with Terri. We did take one short potty break and headed out into Knoxville the other direction and back because part of the trail I had hoped to run on was still under construction after some flooding we had a couple of weeks ago.

Once we met back up with Terri we continued on our way to make 11 miles. Terri had started telling me she had a hotspot on her foot and it was bothering her a bit. She was a champ and ignored it for a while but around mile 9 decided to call it 10 miles for the day. I understood and she understood my need to make 11.
Hubby was also struggling because he has asthma and allergies. If you have ever been to or live in East Tn you will know that there is always something in bloom messing with those pesky sinus/allergy folks! Saturday it was the bradford pear trees messing with the hubby. So, he too called it a 10 miler and done for the day. Thankfully he also understood my need to get in 11.

I said bye or something around mile 10 and went on my way beyond the trail and back to the parking lot. It was an overall good run for me. Walk breaks when I needed, short potty break and I think I only popped 3 sports beans between mile 6-7. Overall I felt pretty strong besides my knees talking a bit on the downhills!

This eleven miler is my longest run to date. I completed it in 2 hours flat! I'm still amazed that my body can move for that long of a period of time and it gives me hope for a great outcome for my half marathon. 3 weeks to go!!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

I can run.

Not that I ever really doubted that I could.
I mean I have been at this whole running bit for a couple years now. April actually marks 2 years for me.
But what I mean by I can run is I CAN RUN. Still don't get it?

Ok, ok.
Well, long story short...
Even though I have been running for 2 years you may be surprised when I say that I have never totally completed the Couch to 5k training, nor have I totally ran even a 5k. I've always taken walk breaks. Always. Until...

Wednesday night at the gym.
My half marathon training plan (yes, you read that right and the above.. I've never even ran a 10k) called for a 6 mile run.
The weather this week has been awful. rain, rain and lots more rain. This meant that the greenway I would normally run on was covered in water. Not just a little water but enough that I would be swimming had I even been on the trail. And as short as I am the water likely would have been over my head in some spots. haha So, 6 miles on the treadmill. And I was not at all excited about it. I had all day to think about running 6 miles on the treadmill. Not fun.

And so I ate.
I fed myself yesteday as best as I could. I preplanned my meals and didn't snack yesterday afternoon like I wanted to. I really firmly believe that proper nutrition has been key to some of my best runs. Not that every day is a perfect eating day and every run is definitely not great, but I can tell a difference in my fitness on days when my eating has been spot on.

5pm rolled around.
And this mama still wasn't convinced she was going to have a great run. But I dressed and went. I picked my fave treadmill. #1 on the middle row of machines. For the most part that treadmill and I jive with each other. It's like having the perfect pair of shoes. It just has one minor flaw. I'll get to that in a bit.
I hopped on, got my iPod going (set to shuffle this time, which is something new for me), and set the speed to 5.7 mph. I'm not sure my thought process when I first started my run but by mile 2 I just kept telling myself: "One more mile." and then if by the next mile I felt winded or needed a break I would walk or stop for a sip of water.

Fistpump with the hubby!
I hit 3.10 miles in just under 32 minutes. Hello!?
I had increased my speed slightly between mile 2 and 3 and because it felt so good I kept going. So at 3.10 miles (a 5k... yes, I RAN the whole thing for the very first time ever and just over a 10 min/mile pace!) I told myself that I would go to 4 miles, which would be my longest time/distance running straight through with no break, and IF at 4 miles I needed to slow down or break I would.

But....
I increased my speed again and kept going. I only had 2 miles left and I had already ran double that. So, why stop now?
No break needed. Get to 5 miles and then we'll see.
I hit 5.10 and increased my speed AGAIN. No stopping. No reason to stop, no pain, not dying of thirst and come on .90 left to go.. you got this!

Blasted treadmill!
Did you know some of these things automatically slow you down to a walk (slow walk) at 60 minutes?? I hit the 60 min mark and was ticked off because I was at 5.85 miles and the treadmill was slowing me down because it thought I was done. Um, no sir! I don't need your cool down. So I cranked that puppy up to 7 mph in full Jillian Michaels style and told myself I was getting that last .15 done in the 2 min cooldown.

And I did.
6 miles in 61:30
no walk breaks, no water stop
solid running
I CAN RUN!!!!

Runner's high?
I think maybe I hit that around mile 4 and just carried it the last 2 miles. I never was out of breath. My body never hurt. My adrenaline was pumping a few times. And believe it or not I didn't even cry at my success. But I have bragged quite a few times.

Thanks....
to my hubby - for believing in me always. for cheering me on everyday. and for hopping on the treadmill beside me even though I know it is not your fave thing to do. for understanding me and why this whole thing means so much to me. for letting me convince you to go through this training with me. for saying yes to running 13.1 miles by my side. I can't wait to experience that together. I love you.

to Terri - for commenting on my blog way back in the fall and inviting me to that first group run. for getting me to sign up for my first 8k. for convincing me that I could absolutely train for a half marathon. for letting me share my successes and cheering me on, even when I have a bad run and all I want to do is complain. And I know you probably think I don't owe you thanks but you are my true running hero and have taught me lots.

to my readers - for letting me share my journey with you. for your cheers and support.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

ABC and now you know me (a lil better)

 I had to join the rest of bloggy land (or at least the rest of you that have done this) and participate in this little ABC bit. I haven't blogged in a week and I am hoping this will give me what I need to get a real post typed out and posted! :) 

(A) Age: 32 as of Feb 28. I celebrated it up big time. Read about it here.
(B) Bed Size: Queen. I often wonder why we didn't buy a bigger bed.

(C) Chore You Hate: All of them but I am getting better at accepting the fact they  need to be done and on a regular basis.

(D) Dogs? one. Sassafrass Maye Dwyer. Seriously, that's what we put on her papers. She's a boxer. 11 +/- years old and ornery as can be. We call her Sassy unless she misbehaves. ;)

(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Coffee. I can't smile before I have a cup.

(F) Favorite Color: Current fave is purple.

(G) Gold or Silver? Silver

(H) Height: 5'3

(I) Instruments You Play:Foot drum.. you know the sound my shoes make as they pound the pavement. hahahaha And no, although I am a heavy runner (as in Athena!) I don't really hit the pavement hard...or do I? Maybe one of my running pals can tell me.

(J) Job Title: outside the house - Admin. Asst.; inside the house - mom, wife, Meanie (seriously at least 2 of the other housemates think I am on occasion)

(K) Kids: Two - Annabelle (7), Peanut (just turned 5. You can read about that here).

(L) Live: Friendsville, TN (yes, it is a real place!)

(M) Mom's Name: Sherry, Grammy, Mom

(N) Nicknames: Kimert

(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? The only times I recall were the births of my kids.

(P) Pet Peeve: Oh, how much time do you have? 1. When people want to lose weight/exercise but make 4238597 excuses why they can't. The biggest one of those being TIME! Whatever. 2. Failure to use turn signals. Ok. I will leave you with only two.

(Q) Quote from a Movie: "In my world everyone's a pony and they eat rainbows and poop butterflies!" Horton Hears a Who

(R) Right or Left Handed? Right.

(S) Siblings: One older brother and 2 younger sisters.

(T) Time You Wake Up? Depends on the day really. Usually I am up by 6:30 unless I am going to a 6am class at the gym in which case I am up by 5:30. On Saturdays (long run day) I am up by 7:15. Sundays varies but usually by 8:30.

(U) Underwear: Yes, please. Unless I am running.

(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Hmmm. Turnips? Not the greens but the actual turnip.

(W) What Makes You Run Late: Lots of things. Procrastination being the biggest problem!

(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: Wrist, neck, back.

(Y) Yummy Food You Make: I don't usually do the cooking. I made yummy tacos and guac Monday night though!

(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Girraffes.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

510

What's that number got to do with anything?
It is the number of mindless calories I have already consumed today.
Poor planning on my part. I didn't pack my food for today, but I had GS cookies on my desk.
Oh.the.shame!!!
And I might have stopped to get my little birthday boy a special birthday breakfast. I also might have eaten the portion of it he did not want.
YES, I do regret the mindless eating. Dang it. It will NOT get me to goal.

I plan to forget about those mindless calories and move forward with my day. I plan to choose wisely for lunch and dinner.  I also have a workout plan in place...
~ I will run 3-3.5 miles tonight.
~ I will also do a weight training workout after I run.

I realize I will not exactly be able to burn the 510 calories I wasted on crap food today but I will at least feel better knowing I moved my body and burned some calories.
Tomorrow will be 100 % better in comparison to today.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Pre- Birthday Celebration Run

As many of you know I live in the beautiful state of TN. If you have ever visited the Smoky Mountains you likely have heard of Cades Cove. It is a beautiful place any time of the year. It is only a short drive from our house and we love to visit as a family a few times a year. The kids LOVE the cabins and looking out for bear. We have only ever seen a bear once though.

Anyway, last spring a 5k and 10 mile run was hosted to raise money for the Cove. Hubby and I and a good friend ran the 5k. It was a gorgeous run then too. That was a one time only event so of course we wanted to take part.

Since then we have decided to train for a half marathon. So, my long runs on Saturday's are now 10 milers. About a month ago hubby and I decided instead of going out for a fancy dinner to celebrate our birthdays we would instead go for our long weekend run together and have breakfast afterwards. Where else is there more beautiful run around these parts than Cades Cove??? So, hubby arranged for an overnite for the kids at his parents. Friday night we had a chicken and pasta dinner at home, ran some errands and made it home in time to be in bed at a decent hour.

We were up bright (or still dark!!) and early, dressed and drove up to the Cove. The plan was to get there before the gates opened and get our run over with before car traffic rolled in. We had been told (and I read online) that the gates opened at 10 so we assumed if we got there by 8 we would miss most cars as we would be done by 10. However, when we got there at 8:15 there wer already cars rolling in. No big deal really. We knew the road was wide enough and the cars would drive slow enough that we wouldn't be in harm's way.

The weather was perfect...just a bit chilly starting out but after about a mile we were both warmed up. And luckily my Garmin held signal the entire run so I was able to keep up with our running stats. This was a training run for us so time really was not an issue for this run. I did not have my mind set on a pace for the run or even a time I had hoped to get finished in. We just really wanted to enjoy the scenery and time together. I am not much a talker when I run and when hubby and I run together we both have at least one earbud in so we can hear our music of choice. We would chat it up when we needed to and that was nice. He led some, I led some and there were parts of the run we ran side by side. I love that.

At the 5 mile (or a little beyond) mark we stopped to hit up the potties and munch on some beans to fuel the remaining 5 miles. I had hubby snap some pictures while we were munching. We could have gotten some great pics if we either one had felt like taking a real camera but since we didn't hubby's iPhone would have to work. Here are the 3 shots we got...



After pics we were back on our way. The back half of the course was a bit more hilly than the first half and our pace slowed a little, which was fine by me. I really wasn't in a hurry. Even once we got closer to 10 miles I didn't really have it in me to burst through to the end like I normally do. I am certain it was the hill's fault for that! At 10 miles I looked down at Garmin to see 1:53:01. Not bad at all considering the hilly course, water hazards, animal crossings and such! lol I think if we had continued running to the car we would have been very close to 11 miles but neither of us really had the umph (is that a real word?? lol) to get our run on beyond the 10. We were both VERY ready for breakfast at this point.

I packed us each a pbj to munch on the way to breakfast. Yes, a pre-breakfast snack! It's not just a hop, skip, jump from the Cove to town. It was almost an hour drive so we each ate half a sandwich on the way. Then we had breakfast at a little buffet. Yep, buffet. And it was yummy! Bacon, eggs, grits, biscuits, gravy... and lots of fruit. I had grapefruit with mine. Delish.

Overall it was a perfect way to celebrate my (and his) birthday with my best friend. Thank you for a great day!