Let the countdown begin

Half marathon number two is only 14 hours, 25 minutes, and 20 seconds away........................well, the start that is. The finish is a little farther off than that, I just don't know how much farther. Distance wise it is 13.1 miles, but timewise is anyone's guess at this point.

My fan club (all 6 of you) seems to think I can finish in under 3 hours with no problem, but I'm not so sure. Although my training this year went better than last year, it still wasn't everything I wanted it to be. That's life though. My Mom used to tell me that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. So true! Planning on running 8 miles the Sunday before race day? I don't think so, have some knee pain and 5 hours of snow on long run day! Planning on getting in a few 3 milers to keep loose the week before the race? I don't think so, here's three 12 hour days at the office in a row!

#soannoying

It is what it is! The start line is almost upon me and training is behind me. I have those first time jitters out of the way. Although I'm still really nervous, the fear of the unknown is not present. I know I can run 13.1 miles because I've done it before. Not only will I do it again, but I will beat my previous time, I'm confident in that. And it's just a bonus that it will be above freezing this year, albeit potentially raining. I'll take rain over frozen sweat anyday!

According to Nike app, I am expected to finish in 3:04:19. That's an estimated 14 minute PR if I can pull it off (I finished last year in 3:18:18). I have a feeling Sandy is going to push me with her perky self as always. So excited I won't be running alone this year! I will also have the hubby supporting me at several spots along the route by riding his bike again this year. Thanks in advance babe!

Goal #1:  FINISH

Goal #2:  FINISH UNDER 3:10

Goal #3:  FINISH UNDER 3:00

And to all the haters out there that think I'm running half of something tomorrow, feast your eyes on this..................

If you'll excuse me, I need to go stuff my face with potato and get my beauty rest!

MIND OVER MATTER

Down But Not Out!

I got one run in this week..................O-N-E!!!

It was Wednesday and it was 27 degrees at 6:30 with no sunlight. I was supposed to do 4 miles but settled for a 5k. I'm a bit of a fair weather runner...................who knew!

Friday rolled around and I just didn't feel like it. Too cold, too BLAH!

I was going to do 8 miles yesterday, but my knee has been bothering me. I handled 10 miles last weekend with no problem. I felt fine during the 5k on Wednesday. For some reason my knee started bothering me Friday afternoon. I have no idea what I did to it, but I got up from my desk at one point and couldn't believe how much it was hurting. There's no telling!

So I didn't run yesterday. My knee is feeling better today, but it started snowing this morning and the last thing I need 6 days before the race is to slip and break something or tweak my knee even worse. So I stayed in bed..................until 9:30! It was blissful.

But now I find myself feeling like a sloth. I haven't run in 4 days and it's quite depressing. I haven't even left the house today. I spend all my time running myself ragged (literally) and then when I do have a day where I do nothing I feel completely worthless. What is up with that?!?!

Only 6 days, 15 hours, 15 minutes, and 10 seconds until the race (but who's counting)!

The plan for this week is to get a 4 miler in on Tuesday, 3 miles on Thursday, leave the office early on Friday (yeah right) to go to packet pickup, and then do an easy 2 miler before going to dinner for my birthday Friday.

Not running puts me in a serious funk! I think that's why I hate winter (I loathe the treadmill)!!!

If you see me moping around during the cold months, now you know why! Mother nature can bite me!!!

MIND OVER MATTER

10 miles (the hard way)

Today I completed 10 miles for the second time in my life. The only other time I have reached 10 miles was during the half marathon last year.

Last year I let life get in the way fat girl style and only reached 9 miles during my training. I planned to reach 12 miles during training this year, but again, life got in the way (this is becoming a recurring theme and I don't like it).

Stats:  10.00 miles / 2:21:17 / 14'07" per mile average

Not record breaking speed, but I finished. I was joined again by miss perky face herself (that would be Sandy for those of you not following along). She was a pleasure as always. She graced my ear drums with renditions of Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton, super old school. Don't think I could've done it without her small words of encouragement. After our 9 miles last Sunday, she signed-up to run the half marathon with me. I am so pumped!

Only 13 more days until the race!!!

Last year I finished in 3:29:04 with an average pace of 15'22" per mile. My primary goal this year is to finish (as always). My secondary goal is to beat 3:10:00. Sandy is convinced that I can do it in under 3 hours, but I'm not so sure. I don't want to set a goal and not meet it, so let's just call sub 3 hours my "thirdary" goal (or whatever word is appropriate for a goal after your secondary goal).

This past week I had another rough one with life in general. Work is still kicking my ass and I didn't feel well all week; sore throat, tight chest, headache, and clogged up ears. Needless to say I did not run at all this week. Not a single step since my 9 miles last week. I don't know why I keep doing that to myself. It makes the weekend runs so much harder. I have got to be more dedicated to every single run for the next two weeks or I might just get out there and fall over when I try to do 13.1 miles. I'm tired of doing this the hard way!!!

Here's to no more "starting over" on Sundays!

MIND OVER MATTER

9 Blissful Miles

Today reminded me of why I love running. It hurt and it was cold and windy and even rained at one point. But it was amazing!

It doesn't take much to get better than last week's 8 miler. That was horrendous and I would love to just forget about it.

While I didn't get all my mileage in this week because of work, I did get one 4 mile run in on Tuesday. I think that combined with sleeping in on Saturday and catching up on some zzzzzz's made for a MUCH better long run today.

The bottom line is it doesn't matter how tired I am, Sunday is long run day and there are only 20 days left until the race! No time to sit here and be tired:

 





I have thought several times over the last month about throwing in the towel on training for this half marathon. Work is just so crazy right now that it's hard to justify spending hours each week training for a race. It just feels selfish. But dammit I've worked hard to get where I am and all of that would be gone in less than 2 weeks! So I keep going..................

Sandy ran with me today and it was awesome. I could've done without the 15 mph wind in my face heading South, but I don't control the weather, I just bitch about it.

Stats:  9.00 miles / 2:04:21 / 13'48" per mile average

The last time I ran 9 miles I averaged 14'36" per mile (more progress - slow and steady).

I'm starting to think that I could do this race in under 3 hours. More about that later, but that's the goal (aside from finishing of course).

A lot of people ask me why I started running, much less decided to run a half marathon. They think it's so I can lose weight or stay fit or whatever else they imagine. But that's not it at all. Honestly, it's about setting a goal and accomplishing it no matter what life throws at you.

 

MIND OVER MATTER (badass style)

8 MILES (what happened to 7?)

I completed 8 miles today! IT. WAS. AWFUL.

I am so damn tired right now I can't even begin to explain it. Work is kicking my ass and the emotional exhaustion is taking a toll on my body. This last week I missed both of my short runs and all of my cross training (14 hour days at the office will do that to you). I hadn't run since my 7 miler last Sunday. That's right, I ran 7 miles last Sunday, but you didn't know about it because I didn't have time to update the blog. Such a travesty!

Those 7 miles last Sunday were blissful. I ran alone, which isn't my first choice, but I made it through okay. The first 2  miles were tough as usual but I got in a groove and before I knew it I was done.

7 miler stats:  7.00 miles / 1:34:52 / 13'33" per mile

The last time I ran 7 miles my average was 15'22"...............so much progress =)

And then there was today! Riverside literally kicked my tail. Sandy ran with me, thank God, because I don't think I would've made it 100 yards by myself. Not running for a whole week has a tendency to make your body say "WTF are you doing?" when you pick it back up again and try to run 8 miles. There was A LOT of walking today, and my average pace suffered because of it, but I finished! We got 2 miles in and I started telling Sandy every quarter mile or so "I'm not going to make it.......I can't do this.......I'm too tired.......my legs aren't working". I'm sure I was a real peach to run with today (sorry Sandy). Her response each and every time was "you've got this!". Every time she would say it I wanted to scream NO I DON'T! But she was right in the end. I kept pushing and eventually we finished. I have never felt that much physical exhaustion during a run. I have had to push through mental walls in the past and I've even had to push through not wanting to run at all. But today was different; today I had all the mental toughness in the world and I wanted to run, but my body was just not cooperating.

8 miler stats:  8.00 miles / 1:57:15 / 14'39" per mile

I haven't averaged over 14 minutes per mile in a long time so that is a tough pill to swallow, but you do what you have to do to finish, and today that meant frequent walking breaks.

Sandy was telling me about a grumpy cat pic she saw recently that made me laugh histerically and it also reminds me of us on our long runs. See if you can guess which on is me..............

My 6 miler in pictures

I didn't exactly stick to the training plan this week, but I did MOST of it, only lacked 2 miles!

Got up early Tuesday morning and ran 3 miles before catching a flight to Denver for work. On Wednesday I ran 1 mile at Red Rocks Amphitheater at 6,500 feet (yes, I was gasping for air the ENTIRE time). I was scheduled to run 2 miles on Friday, but I didn't land from Denver until 1:15 Friday morning and then worked until 7 pm. This fat girl's body was TIRED folks. Needless to say, there was zero running going on Friday.

BUT, I got my 6 miler in this morning.

Stats:  6.00 miles / 1:21:30 / 13'35" average

The last 6 mile run I completed was on October 16th, 2013 and I averaged 14'27" (more progress - slow and steady).

Today, I shall give you a recap of my 6 miles in pictures!
(Disclaimer - none of these pictures are actually of me)

MILE 1:

"This sucks"

MILE 2:

"Speaks for itself"

MILE 3:

"Warmed up now, here comes the motivational talk"

MILE 4:

"I love running"

MILE 5:

 

"I super duper LOVE running"

MILE 5.5:

"Why do I do this?"

MILE 6 (FINISH):

"Thank God it's over!!!"

MIND OVER MATTER Y'ALL

Running in my sleep

I know me! I know that when I travel for work I have the best intentions to get my runs in while I'm away. I also know that 9 times out of 10 it doesn't matter what my intentions are, it doesn't happen. I end up working late or there is some group dinner that I feel like I need to attend or I am sharing a rental car with two other people and I'm "stuck" doing whatever they're doing for the evening (all excuses, but valid ones so shut your pie hole).

With all that in mind, I got my cranky self up at 5:45 this morning, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, laced up my running shoes, and hit the pavement to get my 3 miles in for today. I had a 9:45 flight this morning to Denver so I had time to get my run in before I had to get ready to head to the airport.

Grumpy cat was out in full force this morning y'all! It's a good thing I was the only one on the sidewalk at 6 in the morning because I might have throat punched the first person I saw just for good measure. I'm not exactly a morning person in case you hadn't already picked up on that.

Stats:  3.00 miles / 40:11 / 13'23" average

Not the greatest pace on the planet, but it's MY pace, and I ran 3 miles. BEFORE THE SUN CAME UP!

I swear I was half asleep for the first mile. I remember hearing Nike lady say 'one mile completed' and thinking "WHAAAAAT?"! It's like when you're driving home from work on autopilot and you pull in the driveway with no recollection of how you got there. This happens to me frequently in the car (scary, I know) but it's never happened to me while running. I could get used to that!

I walked a bit at the 1 mile mark as usual, but when I hit the 2 mile mark I felt good and just decided I might as well get it over with as fast as possible so I ran until I was done. Basically it was two full miles (less 100 yards walking give or take) of running! Yay me!!!

I leave you with this:

Good thing it was dark this morning =)

MIND OVER MATTER

I'm still alive and kicking

Damn it has been a rough couple of weeks on the running front.

Life and other responsibilities keep getting in the way of my training. I have completely stopped going to the gym because it's a miracle in and of itself if I can 2 out of my 3 training runs in during the week, much less cross training at the gym twice a week. I'm just going to have to settle for what I have time to do and right now the priority is running.

I got a 5 miler in today with Sandy. I think I'm becoming a tad bit dependent on her to get me through my long runs. It just isn't the same without someone beside you suffering through the same pain as you (although she looks like she's not even trying so I secretly hate her and her perky face) - not really, but damn!

Stats:  5.00 miles / 1:08:30 / 13'42" average pace

I have to keep reminding myself that less than a year ago I was happy with 5 mile runs at 14'28" per mile, so that's improvement. But like any self-serving human being (and I am one of those) I want INSTANT results. I don't want to have to work hard for this, come on!!!

Running truly is a mental game. I either have perfect cardio rythym and my legs are full of lead and achey or my legs feel great and I'm panting like a fat woman walking around Wal-Mart! There is no in between and it SUCKS!!!

I found an image that suits me pretty well right now. Before a run I will psych myself up with thoughts like 'you got this' and 'nothing is in your way but you' and all that other BS we tell ourselves to feel good. But then I hit the trail and it's like WHOA - back up the crazy train!

This is so me! The road is my castle and I am the queen (oh dear Lord I can't breath and my shins are the devil right now). Love this image, but I'm pretty sure my butt is bigger than hers...........

Heading to Denver this week for work so I plan to cross train at the gym tomorrow and get a short run in on Tuesday to loosen up the bod a bit. Wednesday I plan to head back to Red Rocks and hike the trail and run switchbacks at the amphitheater (pray for me). Then on Thursday morning if I feel like it I'll get up early (UGH) and hit the treadmill for a few miles (every little bit counts). This of course will not allow me to get in my two 3.5 mile training runs this week, but I gotta do what I can with my work schedule right now and not beat myself up about it (IT IS WHAT IT IS.............nothing more nothing less)!

Next weekend I will conquer a 7 mile long run because I must be ready for this half marathon. I will not fail (oh wait a second.....dry heaves).

MIND OVER MATTER

JUST DAMN!

I am sick and tired of life getting in the way. JUST DAMN!!!

Two weeks ago, I was in Denver for work and missed 8 of my 11 miles that I was supposed to run that week.

This past week I was in Baton Rouge for work and I missed one of my week night 3 milers. "No big deal" I thought; "I'll get back on track"!

This morning I was due for a 6 mile long run. My mind said "LET'S DO THIS!"

My body said "NO EFFING WAY!!!"

I'm still pissed about it and it was over 10 hours ago. I only completed 3 miles! WHISKEY. TANGO. FOXTROT.

I was the shadow on the wall in this picture:

My mind kept pleading with me to be the fit blonde girl pushing through the pain, but my body was feeling the affects of missed training runs. It never ceases to amaze me how long it takes to build up your endurance versus how quickly it all goes away by missing just a few days.

The good news is that the half marathon is far enough off that I can hit the reset button and get back on track. I don't have any other trips planned for work so that will help.

Honestly, I need to start putting myself first. When I have a run planned and someone says "hey, wanna go X, Y, or Z?", the answer is probably going to be HELL NO!

Tuesday evening, Thursday evening, and Saturday morning will be off limits (unless it's baseball season and then I will have to just figure out the Saturday thing because the kiddos come first).

No more "I'm too tired" or "I don't feel like it"! I need to quit being such a whiner and get out there and effing run! Otherwise before I know it I will be back to barely being able to run a mile without feeling like I'm going to die.

Tomorrow is a new day! I will conquer it!!!

MIND OVER MATTER

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

So let me just start off by saying this weekend was a biyatch! It's like all the forces of the Earth are conspiring against me and the universe is this damn dodge ball that keeps smacking me in the face! I mean come on, can a sister get a break.......

All that being said, I didn't run my 5 miles this weekend. Life handed me lemons and instead of throwing them at mean people, I just sat motionless with lemons piling up in my lap. I did get a 2 mile walk in with a friend yesterday (thanks Michelle)! It was nice to just walk and chat for a change.

Today it was back to business with a 3 miler. I didn't do as bad as I thought (averaged 13'15"). I really needed this run tonight. It showed me that I am in control, screw the universe and its dodge balls!!!

I got this! Bring it on universe, hit me with your best shot, I dare ya!!!

MIND OVER MATTER

Cross Training in Colorado

So I was supposed to run 3 miles while in Denver last week, but I didn't. What I did was MUCH better in my opinion.

I set out to run three miles, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Ever heard of Red Rocks Amphitheater? It is supposedly the best place to see a concert in the whole universe due to it's natural acoustical wonderfulness. What most people don't know is that it's also a place where a ton of locals go to workout. It's also the location where Chris Powell from Extreme Weight Loss takes his clients for their fight or flight workout, so I've seen it on TV several times.

Red Rocks was only a 20 minute drive from my hotel, so I decided I would drive out there and run. There are three parking lots for Red Rocks. The one at the base of the foothills contains an entrance to a dirt trail that is just a little over 1 mile up to the amphitheater. PERFECT! I'll just park there, run the trail, run 1 mile in the seats of the amphitheater doing switchbacks, and then run back. 3 miles done. WRONG!!!

I got out of the car and just walking to the trail was a struggle. I was wheezing and huffing and puffing trying to catch my breath and I was just walking, albeit at 6,500 feet above sea level. I got to the trail head and just waited there a moment trying to catch my breath. I took off on the dirt trail and it was okay at first, then I hit the 'rock stairs'. Seriously? Stairs on a trail. What is up with that Colorado?!?!?! There was dirt all over the "stairs" and I kept losing my footing. All the while I'm huffing and puffing and feeling like I'm going to pass smooth out. I decided to walk about a quarter mile in, this ish is for the birds! I ended up hiking up to the amphitheater, but that's okay. Good cross training and I got some BEAUTIFUL pictures once I stopped trying to kill myself and just enjoyed the view:

I was able to run the entire amphitheater once I got there. It's a little easier when it's flat and you're not slipping on dirt under your shoes and climbing up rock stairs! My body had also acclimated to the altitude a bit at this point so I wasn't gasping for every breath. You would not believe the number of people out there working out. It was like a nature made Cross Fit gym right there in the foot hills. So awesome. Just past the stage on the amphitheater you could see downtown Denver off in the distance. I can safely say this was the most scenic run I've ever had.

Running the amphitheater goes a little like this; climb the stairs to the top, run the first 'aisle' (or seating area), plod down to the next 'aisle' and run back the other direction, repeat repeat repeat! After running the entire thing in this manner I totaled 1.76 miles at 13'16" per mile (not too bad).

Then I had to hike back down the trail to get to the car. In total I got in almost 4 miles, I just didn't run it all. Oh well! Sometimes things don't go exactly as you plan. Actually, things NEVER go exactly as I plan, but that's just life!

Case in point, I was supposed to run 3 miles on Thursday after getting home from Denver, but I was just too tired. I do realize that should never be an excuse to skip a training run, but dammit I didn't want to. I wanted to spend time with my kids and just do NOTHING. So that's what I did.

Problem with that is now I'm staring another 5 mile training run in the face this afternoon and I haven't really RUN since last Sunday. It really sucks when life gets in the way, but 'IT IS WHAT IT IS'.

Work is hectic right now to say the least and I am emotionally exhausted at the end of every day, but I will get my training runs in one day at a time and show that half marathon who's boss!

MIND OVER MATTER

I. AM. GRUMPY. CAT!

Five mile long run is in the books!

5.00 miles / 1:04:06 / 12'48" per mile average

One thing I love about the Nike running app is that it keeps track of random stats that show my progress when I really need to see it. Such as the fact that during the month of August I averaged 14'06" per mile for a total of 21.2 miles and so far in the month of September I have averaged 13'06" per mile for a total of 21.1 miles (and counting). Progress? OH I THINK SO!!!

Was today my most comfortable run ever? Hell no! But I did it................it doesn't always have to be rainbows and glitter.

I ran with Sandy again (always a pleasure), so the miles passed by fairly quickly. Except for those first two. I hate those first two miles. If I could just skip that part altogether I would be a happy girl, but I can't, so I'm pretty grumpy at the beginning of these runs. When I know I only have 3 miles total, I'm good. But on long runs, especially those that start at 7:30 am, I am grumpy cat until I reach that 2 mile mark.

We're plodding along this morning and about 1/2 a mile in we pass some guy out for a morning stroll and Sandy says "good morning" all perky and happy! I'm huffing and puffing and thinking 'really perky britches? - what is so good about THIS?'............I'm grumbling to her about my calves hurting and my breathing being heavy and the color of the sky and she's like "we've got this". I know she's right, I'm just not a morning person, and I secretly hate running; not really sure why I do it to be honest, except that I love how I feel when I'm done (honestly that's the BEST part of this whole thing).

We ran some pretty decent hills today and I was feeling it. I hate hate hate hills, but they are a necessary evil, so I can't avoid them forever. Instead of just running Riverside we changed it up a bit and ran up 41st to Peoria and ran through Brookside to Philbrook and then through some neighborhoods back to Riverside to finish up. At one point we're taking our half out of the middle of some neighborhood road and I say "do you know where we are?". Sandy calmy says "nope". I'm thinking to myself 'I am running 5 miles today and not a foot more, so we better figure it out!' - grumpy cat, again.

By mile 3 I am astounded at the fact that 3 miles have passed and I didn't even realize it. We're back on the trail on Riverside at this point and there are lots of people around. This guy is approaching us and I say in the most perky voice I can muster "Good Morning!". Sandy looks at me like I've lost my mind and I think 'what the hell is happening to me?'.........bring back grumpy cat! I guess some of her goodness is rubbing off on me. I'm a glass half empty absolute realist, like it or not. If you are annoying me, I will tell you. I think people should know when they're doing something wrong, otherwise how will they know that they need to fix it.......it's a public service really.

We had to run past our cars at 41st and Riverside to complete our 5 miles, which is a total mental bummer. We had less than a half mile to go, but there's just something about running by your car knowing you can't just jump in and take off and be DONE that really sucks. We had to run by the frisbee golf area and just as we were about to turn around, I got whacked on the shoulder by a disc. Never saw it coming and it hurt! Apparently 'fore' is not something that frisbee golfers have in their vocab bank. And the jerks didn't even apologize. I know he didn't hit me on purpose; clearly if he had the skillset to do so he would've placed the frisbee where it belonged............in the damn hole and not on my person! I'm just glad it didn't hit me in the face. It left a pretty good burn mark on my shoulder so I can only imagine what it would have done to my forehead. That would be a fun one to explain all week at the office!

In closing, I am grumpy, running sucks until you finish (then it's amaze-balls), and frisbee golfers with no manners can suck it!

MIND OVER MATTER

The effortless run, if there is such an animal

I find it funny that on days when I'm excited to get my run in, I feel terrible during my run more often than not. Then there are days like today, where it was a struggle to put on my shoes and get out the door, but once I was half a mile in, it felt effortless. These are my absolute favorite runs! That kind where out of nowhere you're 2.8 miles in and sort of bummed that you're only slated for 3 miles total.........

I will be cursing myself for that statement come Sunday when I have to log 5 miles for this week's long run. It always seems like I struggle through every. single. mile. during my long runs.

I'm pretty sure the weather had something to do with my euphoria today. Lord knows that running did not become effortless for this fat girl overnight, that ish takes time and a lot of hard work! So not only do SNAKES make you run faster, so to does a 22 degree drop in temperature! Apparently a 22 degree temperature swing directly correlates to an increase in velocity of 48 seconds/mile (carry the one and ignore the coefficient of friction).

Stats:  3 miles / 38:27 / 12'48" per mile average

Random thoughts during tonight's run:

• "There sure is a lot of traffic tonight"
• "Its getting dark earlier and its kinda creepy"
• "Was that a spider or a small leaf?"
• "Does this church have services EVERY Tuesday and Thursday or are they leasing their parking lot for neighborhood overflow parking?"
• "Love this Katie Perry song and I really don't care who hears me, I'm gonna sing"

If you were disturbed by a crazed runner plodding down the sidewalk along 51st street with a set of crazy eyes on the lookout for SNAKES singing 'Dark Horse' rather loudly, my sincerest apologies.

MIND OVER MATTER

It's fine. I ran today.

So all I really managed to do on my run tonight was finish. That is all and nothing more. And that's okay. 

• My breathing was super heavy (had pain in my ribs in fact).
• My legs were like giant cylinders filled with lead (I was rocking out to Metallica on the headphones thinking to myself "I have heavy metal legs").
• It was muggy and the air was THICK (curse you mother nature, bring back the cold front).
• My feet are dumb and decided to slide around in my shoes, which wasn't real pleasant (yes I have "new" shoes with only 49.9 miles on them, they're just babies for crying out loud).

Bottom line, this was one of those runs that made me question why I do this to myself. As I'm plodding along at a snail's pace with lead legs, I'm thinking "13.1 miles, really?". But I've done it before, and I know I can do it again. Runs like this happen. They're not fun, they're painful at times, but 3 miles is 3 miles. And I was pleasantly surprised with my pace (13'36"/mile). In the heat of the moment when you feel like you'll die if you take another step, it feels like you are the slowest person on the planet. Then the Nike app tells you that you are dead wrong after the run is over by showing you that you weren't in fact plodding along at an abysmal pace after all. Nike app is like "way to go, you did it, great job, blah blah blah".

I took two things away from this run.

1. A 12 minute mile and a 6 minute mile are the same distance, doesn't matter how fast you get it done, it only matters that you get your mileage in and follow the training program. It never gets easier, you just get stronger step by step, mile by mile.
2. I need to start running earlier in the day. Taking off at 7:30 pm isn't going to cut it anymore as the sun is going down earlier now and I have a newfound fear of snakes lurking in the dark waiting to jump out at me on the sidewalk when I least expect it.

Bottom line; I finished! I set out to run 3 miles tonight, and as much as it sucked, I completed what I set out to do!!! Trust me, I wanted to quit at several points during tonight's run, but I didn't, and that's all that counts (yes, that helps me sleep better at night).

In the end it's all good:

Here's hoping for better runs this week!

MIND OVER MATTER

Radar, blue skies, and bathrooms

This weekend was the first "long run" of my training program. Anything over a 5k distance I consider to be a long run, anything less is just a run. I was scheduled for 4 miles yesterday. I was planning to go run with a group that a friend invited me to join (thank you for the invite Annie). I was pretty pumped about this until I found out that this group meets at 6:00 in the morning. This cranky fat girl does NOT like 6:00 in the morning, but I resigned myself to the fact that sometimes you have to do hard things in life and just suck it up! So I set my alarm for 4:45 and went to bed way too late as usual. When the alarm went off I heard rain outside, looked at the radar, and saw THIS:

Ummm, no thank you! The beauty of having your long run scheduled for Saturday morning is you can always run on Sunday instead if the weather isn't to your liking or your schedule gets in the way.

I was joined this morning on Riverside by a friend (thank you Sandy) and the miles went by quickly. We hadn't quite made it to mile 3 and I was in bad shape. Let's just say nature was calling and I was hurting! There's a first time for everything I suppose. There was a bathroom on the trail, which I was thankful for, until I actually walked in. No freakin' doors on the stalls. Mmmmmmkay, guess I'm going to shut the main door, go to the back stall and hope for the best. Worst case scenario is someone walks in and I have to yell "occupado"! No one walked in, but I noticed too late that there was no toilet paper (just lovely). Still better than ducking into the bushes I suppose..........I'm sure my day is coming in that regard.

Bathroom issues aside, I had a great run this morning. I was greeted at 7:30 in the morning by this view on the trail:

Blue skies and 62 degrees. MUCH BETTER!!!

Run Stats:  4 miles, 51:02, 12'49" / mile average

The last 4 mile run I did was during training last year for the Route 66 Half Marathon. It was November 6th, 2013 and I ran 4 miles in 56:41 and averaged 14'16" per mile. Looks like I've improved and gotten stronger. That's really all you can ask for and I'm a happy girl at the moment!

This upcoming week is slated for 3 miles each on Tuesday and Thursday and 5 miles on Saturday. Although we all know that if I wake up Saturday morning and it's raining, I'm pushing that 5 miles until Sunday.........because I can.

MIND OVER MATTER

 

S is for SNAKE

You know what makes you run really fast?

--Good running shoes?  NO
--Proper cross-training?  NO
--Proper nutrition and hydration?  NO

SNAKES?!?!  YES!!!

I guarantee you it doesn't matter if you're 2.8 miles into a 3 mile run and you're dog tired and don't think you can take another step; the minute a snake slithers across the sidewalk two feet in front if you, you become an Olympic sprinter instantly. If you're me, you even scream at the snake as loud as humanly possible and jump into the road. Apparently oncoming traffic doesn't look so bad when compared to a humassive ginormous snake (it really wasn't that big, but still)!

Too bad I didn't see that damn thing earlier, because I was sllloooooooowww tonight and could've used that extra push of adrenaline around mile 1. There are always positives though! Even though my average for the 3.1 miles was slower than I've been lately, at least I completed the mileage I set out to complete (that's just something ugly people say). 

Seriously though, it's hard to stomach a 13'50" average after running so well in my last 5k. I realize that training run average pace and race average pace are different, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

In closing, if you can swing it, I highly recommend having a friend volunteer to randomly throw snakes in your path the next time you're struggling with a run. It worked for me and I'm sure it will work for you!

MIND OVER MATTER

The road is my castle

Tonight's run was 3 miles of pure spectacularity (yes, that is a word, Google it)!

While out and about on the road, I realized that the road is my castle and I am the QUEEN. I own the road, it doesn't own me. The road is not judgemental, it doesn't care what my hair looks like, and it doesn't care how skinny I'm not. Most importantly, the road does not make crazy demands or ring incessantly like my office phone. It does not think I should speed up or slow down, it does not criticize my pace. I am free to do as I please; I am in control, no one else.

THAT is what I love about running! No deadlines, no responsibilities, no stress, no judgement, just me competing with me..........

There were no records broken today (3 miles @ 13'02" per mile), but I enjoyed it, and that's worth something to me!

Shout out to my sister for hash tagging my previous blog post on Facebook with "my sister is better than your sister" :)

She's right folks. Holla

MIND OVER MATTER

Race Report - Purple Stride 5k

Last Saturday I ran the Purple Stride 5k. Not only has it taken me a week to post a race report on here, but I didn't get any running in this past week either (hanging head in shame). Excuses were abundant in all shapes, sizes, and colors of course; gym day on Monday (gotta cross-train afterall), late day at the office and then dinner with co-workers visiting from all over the country on Tuesday AND Wednesday, dinner with family on Thursday AND Friday, and finally meal planning and placating my OCD by organizing closets on Saturday (it's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it - I'm feeling much better, thanks for asking).

All of the aforementioned reasons excuses are valid, but another week like that and I feel like I'll be starting over at square one! This coming week will be better or my name is not Super Mom/Wife/Daughter/Sister/Friend/Employee/AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!

Anyway, so I totally crushed my previous 5k time with this race. Let's take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we? Purple Stride 2013 (October 12th) was a PR (personal record) for me on the running front with a time of 43 minutes 2 seconds and an average pace of 13'40". I thought I was really something coming in under 15 minutes per mile with that race.

Fast forward to last Saturday (that's sort of confusing, sorry) and Purple Stride 2014:

• August 23rd, 2014 (yes, this means it was MUCH hotter than the previous race last October - 98 degrees to be exact)
• The course was hillier (don't think that's a word; too bad, I got nothing else)
• Race started at 8:05 in the morning; I was at the very front
• Walked briefly through the water stop at the turnaround (not because I needed to walk, but because they handed out water bottles with twist caps and I wanted to drink more water than I wanted to wear for the rest of the race with a white tank top on)
• Felt like I was crawling on the way back to the finish line (I purposefully turned off the audio voice feedback on Nike lady because I didn't want to know what my pace was until I finished).
• Some dude kept passing me while running and then he would walk so I'd pass him and so it went for the last mile of the race. He passed me at one point and starting walking about 5 feet in front of me, then turned around and said "sorry, I'm doing the whole run/walk thing and I'm like the hare while you are keeping a steady pace" - I assured him that all was well, but thought to myself "did he just call me a tortoise?"
• I thought the race was never going to end, and then I saw the finish line and my peeps. The look on my husbands face scared me a little bit. He knew that I was hoping to come in under 40 minutes and he had this look on his face like "really?" - I took that as "really,, you are so slow and I cannot believe you missed the mark on this race". What his look actually was portraying was "really?" - "I've been watching the race clock and didn't expect to see you for a few more minutes but here you are."
• I looked from my husbands face to the race clock and saw this:  35:04
• I was surprised and IMMEDIATELY mad at myself because had I pushed a little bit harder here or there I could've come in under 35 minutes (dumb I know - but that would've been EPIC).
• My final time was 35:19 with an average pace of 11'24" (finished 16 out of 28 in my division, although they show my age online as 30, so I'm not sure how accurate that little stat is)
• I ran my fastest mile EVER at 11'09" (mile 1 of course - nothing like start line adrenaline)
• Time for this race was over 7-1/2 minutes faster than my previous PR! (I am truly awesome)

Seriuosly though, I could not have asked for a better race. Coming in just over 35 minutes just gives me something to reach for in my next 5k, which will likely be very soon.

I am still in training for the Route 66 half marathon this November (except for this past week - clearly I was in training for NOTHING).

I am super proud to be a part of Purple Stride each year and I know the next one will be even bigger and better. A big thank you to everyone who came out to support this great cause. And congratulations to the 15 year old who "won" and ran the race in under 26 minutes, although I secretly hate your guts!

MIND OVER MATTER

Statistically Speaking (Purple Power)

So I ran 2 miles tonight and it was just okay. I hate when I come off of a really epic run only to have an average outing the next time (wah wah wah). It was dark, it was hot (90 degrees at 9 PM), and it smelled like skunk! I swear I spent half the time out there on that sidewalk squinting down the way looking for that damn skunk (ain't nobody got time for that)!!! I did alright, averaged 13'59", but it was HARD! I ran uphill the whole time (not really) and I had a hundred pound weight vest on (totally lying about that).

We should move on to some different statistics.........ones that piss me off WAY more than my snails pace on my run tonight.

My Mom was taken from this life 3 days after her 49th birthday by pancreatic cancer 3 years ago. You're probably thinking "that's total BS and its not fair!"............and you're right!

Recently published research states that pancreatic cancer will surpass breast and colon cancer to become the second leading cause of cancer death around the year 2020, bested only by lung cancer. That's only 6 years from now people (I'm really good with numbers). This expectation is due to the fact that pancreatic cancer deaths and incident rates have continued to rise while the same statistics for other leading types of cancer deaths continue to decrease. Why do you think that is? I'll tell because I know the reason......funding and awareness (or lack thereof for pancreatic cancer). This disease has historically been underfunded and that has resulted in a lack of research capability. The study states that "the societal burden of this particularly deadly cancer will become greater in the coming years, and now is the time to allocate the resources and effort necessary to alleviate the suffering caused by this disease".

Part of the problem is that pancreatic cancer receives only 2 percent of the federal dollars distributed by the National Cancer Institute, while lung/colon/breast/and prostate cancer receive 2.8-6.3 times more funding. That is a major problem and it pisses me off!

This is why the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network strives to pull in private donations from events like Purple Stride to help fund research for this killer among us. I am so glad to be a part of Purple Stride Oklahoma each year and proudly represent Team Patti as co-captain with my sister. This Saturday we will gather for a 1 mile fun run and 5k run to raise funding and awareness for pancreatic cancer. Until more federal funding starts pouring in, this is all we've got in the arsenal. Participation in this year's event is overwhelmingly greater than the previous two years and we are so pleased and grateful for that.

Thank you to all who have supported us to by joining Team Patti or donating to this cause! It is so appreciated that I cannot put it into words.

Looking forward to running on Saturday to honor my Mom's memory and hope that one day someone else's life will be saved due to the strides we've made. It all starts somewhere, why not us?

Like a Boss (everything is relative)

I ran like a woman possessed tonight! I'm talking 'hair on fire' POSSESSED!!! I run on the sidewalk alongside a 4 lane road just outside my neighborhood, so there's lots of traffic. At one point I swear the driver of a passing truck had this look on his face like "why is that fat girl running so fast? Are there clowns with bloody knives chasing her?" (okay so that's not true, but you get my point). I ran LIKE A BOSS! I taught that sidewalk a thing or two.

Let's get down to the nitty gritty details:

Distance = 2 miles / Avg Pace = 13 min 03 sec per mile

This is where the 'everything is relative' part comes into play for those of you not keeping up.

For some runners, this pace may seem slower than a 1 legged dog on tranquilizers, but for me, this is lightning fast! Especially when you consider the fact that I walked the first quarter of each mile (and I know you will take that into consideration because IT MATTERS)! I felt weightless (clearly not the case) and it was as if my legs were not connected to my body at all. I wasn't thinking, I was just running.

If 'Nike lady' hadn't automatically let me know what my time was after the first mile I wouldn't have worried too much about my time. After all, it's just a 2 mile training run, who cares? Hmmmm, pick me, I care! During my 3/4 mile running segment I decided to take a little peek at my Nike app and see what my instantaneous pace was. This is something I never do, it's too depressing and I usually can't stand it. But this time I'm glad I looked. I was clipping along at 11'32"..........WOOT! Again, everything is relative, so all you fast people out there quit rolling your eyes and shut it! I am fast fat girl, hear me roar (or something like that).

In all seriousness though, I am in so much better shape than I was in this time last year. I can't wait for Saturday (Purple Stride Oklahoma) to see how much I will beat my previous time by. Yes, I like to end sentences in prepositions, deal with it!

I shall leave you with the following non-running related, although hilarious, story:

8 year old son:  "Mom, I'm happy and sad that school starts tomorrow. Should I go to school? Should I not go to school?

Me:  "The state has already made that decision for you, it's against the law for you not to go to school."

8 year old son:  "What about college?"

Me:  "That's different, you need to go to college so you can get a good job after you graduate."

8 year old son:  "But you went to college and you hate your job. You're always telling Dad what a horrible job it is."

Me: CRICKETS (making mental note to refrain from bitching about my job in front of the children). "You're going to college!"


MIND OVER MATTER

Back in the saddle again........

So I took a little teeny tiny break from blogging. Nine months to be exact. The last time I posted an update was after I completed the Route 66 Half Marathon last November (shame on me).

I just signed up for the 2014 Route 66 Half Marathon! I need to do this! I need to beat my time from last year. I need to run more of the route this time. I am in better shape this year and I refuse to let running get the best of me (easier said than done).

I took a long time off from running after the half marathon. Phrases like "never again" and "what was I thinking" were freely flowing from my mouth in the days after the race. I have only been that exhausted and in that much pain two other times in my life (I have two kids, so I don't really feel the need to explain any further). My knees were aching, my shins were sore, my quads and hamstrings were tight, and I could never imagine myself doing that again. Yet I just signed up to do it again.

Running is an addictive little thing. It's hard and it hurts and I cannot seem to make it through a single run without stopping to take a quick walking break. But I love it! I'm not sure why, but I do. It's like this thing that I cannot seem to conquer. I'm getting stronger and better at it, but I cannot seem to become the runner that I think I should be. That's so dumb, I know, but it's how I feel. I'm still fat and slow, but I'm running. I may take a break and walk for a quarter mile now and then, but I'm still running.

After the half marathon, I didn't run again for 7 months! That's a long "break" from running. It was more like quitting than a break. I just wasn't into it, especially through the winter. But in June I started thinking about Purple Stride coming up and how I really wanted to beat my 5k time from last year. And I knew that if I didn't start running again there was no way I would be able to complete a 5k by August 23rd without walking. This is important to me, I want to do my best, and this event holds a special place in my heart (miss you every day Mom). So I starting running again on July 8th, and I ran 18.6 miles in the month of July. I started out slow, only running a quarter mile and walking a quarter mile at a time. Now I'm running three quarters of a mile and walking a quarter mile. Progress is progress. I have 14.3 miles under my belt for the month of August. Purple Stride is next Saturday and I'm hoping to beat last years time (42 min 32 sec). I'm on track to beat that time, but I have yet to run that far without stopping to walk. It will be a true test once again. It is amazing how quickly the body falls out of running shape compared to how long it takes to build it up (so unfair)!

I was scheduled to do 3 miles today, but I only completed 2.25 miles. It was hot and I wasn't feeling well. It sucks to quit with only .75 miles to go, but I was D-O-N-E! But then again, 2.25 miles is better than 0 miles any day of the week (at least that's what I tell myself to feel better about being a big fat quitter). Now that I will be blogging again, all 5 of you who actually read this will help to hold me accountable to myself. =)

Quick shoutout to my friend Allen who is running today in his second Pikes Peak Marathon. You da man, albeit a crazy man!

Mind Over Matter