Countdown

Wow only 2 days and approximately 12 hours until race time! I feel funny saying race, to me it’s more like let’s see how far you can run in front of hundreds of spectators. Needless to say I’m a little nervous. This week has gone by entirely too slow. I find myself not wanting to be at work.  Who am I kidding, I never want to be at work! :) I’m ancy and ready to get this show on the road. I guess I should be enjoying every moment since this is part of the experience but there is so much to think about. What if I forget my Garmin or IPod or God forbid my shoes or something important. I think I will double and triple check my bag. What if it’s rainy or windy? What if I don’t feel good? There comes a point where I just need to let go of the what ifs and trust that my training and hard work are about to pay off. So instead, I’m going to focus on the positive. I look forward to “carb loading” Saturday night and replenishing my lost carbs Sunday after the run. I look forward to my day off after the run and my trip to Portland in a couple of weeks. I look forward to crowds of people and surges of adrenaline. I look forward to crossing the finish line and completing my first half marathon. Let the countdown begin! I’m ready.

3 felt like 13

Running isn’t always easy. Sometimes you go out for a run during the week after work and your legs feel like 2x4’s. Last Wednesday I was running and thought geez this 3 mile run is hard! I was running with Elway which is always a little more challenging because he pulls and gives me an arm workout as well! He also likes to stop and smell things which isn’t ideal for keeping a good running pace. But when the weather is nice I try to take him because I know how much he enjoys it! Anyway this particular day was hot and windy. It really wasn’t HOT per say but after running in negative degree weather all winter, 80 degrees feels hot! As I was running my last mile, I realized that I hadn’t taken a break since running 13 that Saturday. Whether it was running or the gym, I had kept busy all week. Sometimes when you’re tired running makes you feel more energized but sometimes when you’re tired running makes you feel more tired. This is how you know it’s time for a break. Sometimes taking a break is just as important as pushing yourself. As a runner, you fear taking a break because you don’t want to lose any of the hard work that you’ve gained. Despite that, breaks are necessary both to repair your muscles and restore your enthusiasm to run again. I recently read that you should take at least one 3-4 week break each year because this is how long it takes for your muscles to truly rehabilitate after hard training. I welcome this break in October after hopefully completing my first full marathon.

Remember the 10

On January 27, 2001, ten members of the Oklahoma State basketball family passed away in a plane crash following a basketball game in snowy Colorado. For Stillwater residents it was a horrific and unimaginably tragic event. For the past 4 years, they have held a run remembering and honoring these families. I have always wanted to be a part of it and this year I was able to. The weather could have been better. It was a little chilly and rainy. We arrived at the event with about 5-10 minutes to spare. Needless to say we were ready to go at that point, nice and awake from the morning rush! We were running a 10K which was the perfect long run before the half marathon next weekend. I found myself saying yay we only have 6 miles this weekend! Really ONLY 6? I never thought I would utter these words but somehow I did. Trust me, I still think 6 miles is hard but I guess not compared to 13 next Saturday. It was really a fun run. A little hilly but that's alright because after you go up a hill, you get to coast down one which is the best. Not only that but there were people everywhere telling you how far you'd gone or just to yell words of encouragement. I saw families sitting outside their houses just to yell for us. It's amazing how many people want you to succeed. The best part was seeing my Dad 3 times during the race. He is such an amazing, caring man. He surprised me by being at the beginning, middle and end. Each time it made me smile so big. Having the type of support that I do is the best gift of all.  It was great to be a part of such an amazing event and to see my family and old High School buddies.

Chasing the High

No I don't mean a drug high, I'm referring to a runner's high. After almost every long run I feel this rush of adrenaline and feeling of accomplishment. I'll admit, I usually call my Mom or Dad afterwards to share my excitement. It probably gets kind of annoying but I think more than anything each time I run a new distance, I surprise myself so I have to share with someone. It's one of the best feelings to have ran a distance that you never thought you could have. Not only is the rush exciting after you've ran a long run, but you can also eat pretty much whatever you want! I try not to take this to the extreme but as you all know, I LOVE my food! :) Don't get me wrong, it's not all runner's highs and good food. Running is hard. It's one of the most challenging things mentally and physically that I've ever done. Sometimes it's mind over body and sometimes it's body over mind but I love it.

Thank you

My longtime friend Amanda Hale motivated me to start running. I want to take a moment to share my sincere thanks and gratitude to her. Had she not asked me to join and given me the encouragement that I needed, I probably wouldn't have began running. I don't know if she knew what running could do for me but I have to think that knowing what it did for her, she'd have to know that it would bring me the same feeling of pride and satisfaction that I so desperately needed in my life. Amanda we've been friends since the 1st grade and I love you dearly. Thank you for being my friend and running partner.

Somewhere in the Middle

I realize that I should have started this months ago but to be honest, I wasn't quite sure how long I'd last. Before I started training with RW the most I'd ever ran was a 5K. (Not even an easy 5K at that.) I ran Race for the Cure several times but it was never easy and I always had to walk at some point. I ran track in High School but my focus was always sprints not distance. Seeing numbers like 8 or 13 on the training schedule made me cringe. I honestly thought there's no way! Whenever I heard people talk about running or training for a marathon I always thought that's NOT for me. Not because I didn't want to, just because I didn't think I could do it. Keep in mind that running 1 mile was hard enough for me. I couldn't imagine doing more.
So this is where my story begins. My friend Amanda started training with Runner's World well before me. I always marveled at her success and determination and thought to myself, I wish I could do that. When she became pregnant in October of 2008 I knew how excited and happy she was to become a mom but I also watched as she lost a little piece of her personal dream which was completing a full marathon. I knew after she had James that she'd return to the running world and that she did. Little did I realize that she would take me along with her! I had no idea what to expect from running with a group. (In my mind I pictured a tight pack of people, running closely together like ninjas or a gang almost. Ha-ha!) So with fear of the unknown, I decided to start running some on my own before training began. I wanted to make sure that I could run 3 miles before joining this group of "professional runners." The last thing I wanted was to be a runner who can't run. Lucky for me, the first training run was a success. We ran some, we walked some and we weren't even dead last, we were somewhere in the middle which is just fine with me.