2010 is beginning to come to an end. Just a few more hours left until that big ball drops.
I must say, this year has been wonderful. I want a better one next year, but this one has been great. I've decided to say goodbye to 2010in the best bloggy-way I know how...a List!
Things I've accomplished: - Total miles run: 233.77 (furthest ever!!!) - Total races run: 6 - Furthest distance: 13.1 miles Rock N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon - Fastest race: 29:15 Stonebridge 5K - Weight lost: about 15 lbs!!!! (can you believe it!!!) - Pairs of running shoes bought: 2 - States run in: Florida and Illinois - Blog entries: 160 - Blog Followers: 24! Thanks! - Blisters: too many - Toenails lost: none! I did kill one, but it never fell off. It's almost done growing out though.
Things I want to do in 2011: - Run 300 miles - PR in the Green Bay Half-Marathon (I need to beat 2:43:22) - Run 1 race each month from April through November (8 races total) - Get a Garmin for my birthday! Pedro needs a sister. - Run in a new state - Add a new races to the schedule. Will have to to meet the 8-races goal. - Start a family :) (any good blog recommendations for this one?) - Be better with cross training and use my gym membership to the fullest! - Be better with commenting on other blogs - Stretch! Stretch! Stretch! - Convince my dad to start running (I give this one a slim chance of becoming reality, but you'll never know until you try) - Find 2 new running routes/locations
(As I think about it, I'll post about more)
Ok! Husband and I just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. We took a nice little trip to a resort/spa to really celebrate. After thinking about it a little bit, we determined we've actually been together for 11 years total! Holy cow!
We're going to tackle 2011 together! Here's to more miles and another year together!
I have something to confess...This isn't easy, but.....I've been cheating on you. I know, I know...I said you were the only sport/exercise for me. But lately, things have just been.....well......off between us. Every time you feel the urge I'm just not up for it. So, I've been spening a few extra nights at the gym with Yoga. She's really great! It's not that you're not great...it's just that she takes a lot less effort. Plus she doesn't give me blisters.
But today, when I finally made some time for you, I realized how wrong I've been. Those two miles we shared on the treadmill at the gym were magical. I don't know about you, but I felt sparks fly again. If we're going to make this work, I've got to step up and start making more time for you.
You really are the only sport for me! So what do you say? Will you take me back? Can we still be friends?
Love, Jamie
Ok....all sillies aside....I'm going to stomp the last few miles out of 2010 and start off with fresh legs in 2011! The Green Bay Half is only 5 months away and I've got to get my booty in gear if I'm going to PR in this thing like I'd like to.
Lace 'em up and move 'em out! We're going running!
Finally! It's Christmas break! Just what I've been waiting for!
I kicked off my break with a massage. Ahhhh....Just what I needed. I was beginning to carry all of my stress in my shoulders and could barely lift my arms past shoulder-height by 2:00 some days. This massage was a must before I could do any kind of relaxing this break.
However, 2 hours after the massage was over, all the tightness came back. Just shrugging my shoulders hurts. Fail.
This morning I kicked off my day with Yoga. I thought that the stretching and relaxing would help me release more stress and get rid of shoulder tension. I definitely felt relaxed after, but not stretched out. The instructor (who was great!) even tried to help me with a few poses and commented on how tight things seemed. What really caught her attention was my quick recoil out of standing splits when my hip cramped up :(
After reading Katye's post about tight hips, I've noticed some tightness in mine. Ok...not some...ALOT! It seems like they will cramp at the slightest odd movement or over-held squat. Yoga has been painful at times because of it. I have always noticed a tightness, but I guess the concentrating on it has made it worse.
I will now include a picture list of things I cause extreme cramping in my hips...
A v-sit and any ab exercises based on this pose are impossible. Plus if I am required to extend my legs out straight from this position, something pops in my right hip. I would "click" at tumbling practice when we did v-sit-ups. It didn't hurt too much, but it was really annoying.
Impossible to hold for longer than 10 seconds! Anytime I suspend my leg out to the side the hip locks up almost instantly.
This one I can do, but I couldn't find a picture of the exercise you do after that looks like you're peeing on the hydrant. That one is killer :(
This one is the reason why I hate toning classes and pilates classes.
So there you have it. Pain city here. This has always been the case, but I've never paid much attention before. Today, the yoga instructor told me that she is a therapist (the specifics I can't remember) that practices myofacial release and gave me her number. I'm debating about calling her. Loosening my hips an releasing the tension in my shoulders would be awesome....since massage doesn't last and is too expensive to do consistently.
Well....believe it or not I have actually gotten in a few runs lately. Emphasis on few.
Last Saturday, just after our first snow storm of the year, Bentley and I went for our first "winter" run. This only happened because the road out leading away from my neighborhood was blocked by a tow truck pulling two cars out of the ditch and I couldn't get to yoga at the gym. The run wasn't too bad. It was only 1.25 miles and super slow because I kept slipping.
I also managed to get in a run tonight after school. The temps were still in the 20's and I knew those wouldn't last forever (Monday's high is only 6!!!!). Bentley and I went out and got back before it got too dark.
My endurance is really suffering with this inconsistent training. I had hoped to build up a good base before I started my Half training in February. Sadly, that hasn't happened. Maybe over Christmas break.....
I would like to show up to school and have the Trolls that live in my desk Not eat my copies for once!!!!! Seriously! I lost half my stuff!!! And it was in the "Wednesday" tray when I left last night! Grrr....
I want to be able to stop time during the day so I can fit in a run during lunch time. 40 minutes just isn't long enough.
I want to be able to catch all my "forgetful" kids before they leave my room and remind them to bring home their spirals.
I want to be a Victoria's Secret model. Seriously. They're looking for a petite angel, right?
I wish dishes would wash themselves.
There are a few other fantasies floating around in my mind right now....but I'm being distracted by my school stress and Celebrity Chefs of Beverly Hills.
After that race in FL I let myself take one of those "two-day breaks" that turns into a "two-week break." I managed to go for a 2.4 mile run the day before Thanksgiving with my sister. She's awesome! We passed on the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day because we just had too much to get ready that morning. Oh well.
I have rediscovered the gym though! When I joined, I was all about the Saturday morning Yoga class. The instructor was fantastic! However, when they redid the schedule for the fall, that instructor was no longer scheduled for Saturday morning! Bummer! I finally brought myself to try her class last weekend. Love her! I even managed to squeeze in her class last night after school. I just have to remember to keep putting her class on my calendar :)
School is a whole other story right now. The stress level is through the roof! Yesterday, by 2:00, my shoulders were so tense that I couldn't lift my arms past my shoulders. I was trying to point up toward a map and explain something about the location of a Native American tribe, and I just couldn't do it! I made a student bring me a yard-stick. Ugh! I also heard a rumor that the superintendent had made her choice for our replacement principal. Hopefully we'll find that out tomorrow.
Christmas break is coming and I'm looking forward to some sleep and a massage....or two. Only 13 more days of school....
The race begins in 8 hours.....the party was beautiful, but boy am I tired. Tomorrow will most likely just be for fun. What a great way to close out my first year of running!!!
So...Tuesday is my 1 year Blogiversary. Can you believe it? I'm rather impressed with myself. Never have I kept a diary for more than 6 sporadic months.
Some of my milestones since November 9th of last year (courtesy of Dailymile.com)
Miles run: 262.78 miles run. Races run: 5 Longest distance: 13.1 miles (half-marathon folks!) Fastest 5K time: 29:09 Blog entries: 151
Here are some interesting things I have done or have learned in my year of running:
- I can run outside in single-digit weather. Never though I could before.
- I received some gift certificates for magazine subscriptions for school in the spring. I used the majority of the money for Zoobooks, Boy's Life, Nat. Geo for Kids, etc. And then I used the rest for Runner's World! After I read them, I put them in a box on one of the bookshelves. My students are really interested in them.
- Every time I go to Target now, I cruise the sale racks for running clothes.
- I know I can do anything I set my mind to.
- I've lost weight! (probably the best part of this whole thing)
- I'm currently watching the NYC Marathon on TV. I never would have paid any attention before.
- I am part of a huge support network of bloggers who inspire others to run.
- I now know the locations of restrooms or "possible restrooms" on most of my running routes. Darn Brown Monster! Ugh!
- I own a Garmin! (well.....I'm borrowing it....but Husband has only used it twice since he got it. He's a spring and summer runner. I'm more hardcore than he is ;) )
- When we book vacations, I check websites to find out if there are races being run while we are there. The local Road Runners Club in Where-My-Aunt-Lives, Florida is bookmarked on my favorites list.
- My husband's extended family is contemplating running a 5K together next summer. (my idea by the way)
- I convinced my parents to sign up for the Mini-Marathon (2.62 miles) family race for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon weekend. We'll walk it together the day before the half Ryan and I are running. But....I'm working on my dad. He just might run it if I have my way!
- I love this sport!
This weekend I'm going to add 3.1 more miles to my total and 1 more race for the year. We're traveling to Florida for my Aunt and Uncle's 40th anniversary. That's right 40 years! Can you believe it?! Congrats to them :) And they're pretty much the coolest people I know.
I am looking forward to another year of miles on my shoes. Here are some things you can look forward to:
- My second Half Marathon....Cellcom Green Bay in May.
- More runs with Husband and Bentley.
- More 5K's! Don't expect another one until March or April. Racing shuts down around here at this point in the year because of the cold.
- Running while preggo!.......I'm not pregnant, but I planning on be pregnant by September if goes according to plan....I will need advice on this one!
Stay with me on this amazing journey! I appreciate all your support! :)
Finally used up all my lazy points and put my running shoes on. I even dug my "new" shoes out of the closet that I bought back in July. I decided when I bought them not to wear them. I did a trial run in them and didn't feel a difference in my knee pain at the time. So I decided to save them until my "old" shoes were finally old.
The run was 2 miles in just over 20 minutes. Not bad for spending so much time on the lazy train. Only 19 days until the Sarasota Classic. I've gotta do this more often in the next couple weeks :)
After the PR at the Stonebridge 5K I decided to take a day or two off....
....It's been over a week.
Oops!
School drama got in the way of fitness. (yes I do have an excuse for everything) Double Masters class last week on top of our building Principal telling us she was resigning effective Friday (48 hours notice...suspicious if you ask me) kinda stressed me out.
However, I do plan to get a run in some time this week. I can't be a Lazy Butt for ever. Plus....in just less than a month I have my next race....The Sarasota 5K Classic for Special Olympics! My sister and I are doing this one while we're in Florida for our Aunt and Uncle's 40th anniversary party! I don't know if I'm going for a PR or just for fun. Haven't discussed this with my sister. She super fast and I don't know if she's planning on racing this one or just doing it with me for fun. Should probably check on that...
Congrats to Lisa on finishing the Nike Woman's Half!!
Ok. So. Carefully laid out my outfit the night before. After the crappy run the other day, I tried not to over estimate for temperature. I think I did a pretty good job. :)
Up at 6 and out the door by 7. Packet pick up ended at 7:30 and I didn't want to be late. The race was taking place just minutes from my house! The number one reason why I picked it! I got to sleep in, and make it on time!
The second reason I chose this race was because it was the first year it was being run. Because Chicago filled up so fast, our local YMCA decided to map out a route and hold a marathon here in my area. The course started in the next town over and ended in the park just down the street from my house. They also mapped it out and got it certified as a BQ course! After the marathon runners started, there were simultaneous 5Ks being held at both the start and finish locations. The 5K I was running was being held at the finish location. The race would be on the trail that Bentley and I run on a lot!
I was really impressed with the organization and set up of the race. It was a really small race, like only 30 people participated in the 5K, but it was really well organized. The picture above is of the snacks and water tent for post-race. There was a woman slicing apples and bagels and putting them in ceramic bowls. There were also bowls of banana halves and grapes. It was set up like a hotel breakfast buffet with fall decorations. So cute! And delicious!
Husband was able to make it out of his football meeting to come and watch me race. I was so happy he came. After the loneliness of the last race, I was really hoping someone would come and watch me. Yay for husband points!
After a few really good training runs, I was totally going for a PR with this race. I was also really counting on Pedro to help me keep a good pace time. When the race started, I paced myself behind a guy who was going the pace I wanted. I kept it there until I looked down and noticed the pace time on Pedro had slipped by 10 seconds. Oops!
When we hit the water stop, that was the turn-around point. I knew that I needed to pick up the pace if I wanted get that PR. So glad I knew this trail! I knew exactly how far I had to go each moment. As we were rounding the curve that takes us back to the bridge down the hill (details, details, details) I uped the pace just a bit more. I passed 4 people I'd been chasing since the water stop. The girl in the pink next to me put up a good fight toward the end. I kept trying to shake her and she kept up with me! Oh...and do you see the guy in yellow behind me?!? Well....after I finally lost the girl in the pink I kicked in the sprint to the finish. I could hear someone coming up behind me, I though that the pink girl and found some fire and was coming for me! Ah! Can't let her pass me! Nope! It was the yellow guy! He totally got me right at the finish line. He came up and thanked me for giving him someone to chase. He said I was tough to catch and that I started to sprint right when he needed me to. I laughed and said, "You're welcome." Anything to help :)
Pedro's time at the finish line said 29:09. The official time was 29:15. Total PR!!!!!!!! So excited!!!
Just signed up for next year's half marathon!!!! So excited for this one!!!
You get to run through Lambeau!!!! Love it!!! Husband and I are doing this one together. My sister is also supposed to do this with us. She might be running the full marathon instead of the half though. We're planning this as a big family weekend :)
We wanted to run the Chicago Rock-n-Roll every summer as long as we were interested. But next summer, the race is the day before school starts. Also, I'm planning a little event to take place that will prevent me from running a grueling distance like that at that specific time of year ;) So....if someone runs it, it won't be me.
Today is conference day. That means that I don't have to be at school until noon! That also means that I can't leave school until 7:30 tonight. Boo!
That also means that I could get a run in this morning! Yay!.....well.....I thought so anyway.
I decided that Bentley and I would just run our hilly neighborhood today for the sake of time. We suited up and headed out. Weather was perfect. Everything was looking good. Then everything started to break down.
Legs felt slow and heavy
Almost rolled my ankle twice
My breathing was out-of-sync and I was coughing (still sick)
Over dressed for the run and I was getting too hot
Bentley was pulling because I couldn't drop the leash in the neighborhoods (he doesn't know how to run in a straight line yet)
Brown Monster attack and I didn't make it home :( (worst part of the run...hasn't happened since July!!!)
There were some rolling hills that kicked my butt.
I had to take 2 walk breaks.
Distance: 2.74 miles Time: 30:27.6 Pace 11:08
Yup. I kinda felt like a failure when I crossed the finish crack-in-the-road. But then I remembered that all runners have off days. I did a spin workout this week and had a great 2-mile run on Tuesday. Those two things alone were enough to make this run just seem like a no-big-deal kinda thing. The big thing is that I got up and ran this morning instead of sleeping 'til 11:00 like I wanted to.
Let's hope these parents are good today :) Off to get my conference on!
This is a list of what I have to do and want to accomplish this week.
Run at least 3 times to get my confidence in place for my race on Saturday the 9th.
Get my lessons planned by Thursday.
Wash the dishes in my kitchen by Monday night or set the sink on fire...
Don't kill anyone for "stress-relief purposes"
Read a chapter of a book for fun.
Ok.....if I add anything more to this list, I run the risk of not accomplishing anything because I'm trying to still do too much. After a series of "clarifying moments" last week I realized that I need to slow down and breathe. Thank goodness we get Columbus Day off!!!
I feel like my running is in a good place right now. I know that Saturday's race will be great! The best part is that the starting line is only 5 minutes from my house :)
Since my run on Sunday I've felt sick. I thought it was because I had slept with the windows open on Sunday night and the temperature dropped into the low 40's. Breathing all that cold air must have caused that sore throat I had....But this feel just won't shake. I always get sick around this time of year with the changing of the seasons. I attribute it to undiagnosed allergies and SAD.
In an attempt to try and shake this feeling I decided to go for a run after school today. Bentley wanted to go with and I decided to let him be my pace buddy. Great decision! Check out my stats courtesy of Pedro:
Distance: 2 miles Time: 19:26 (umm...yea...that's a total PR in my world!!!) Pace: 9:42 mile 1: 10:12 mile 2: 9:13
Bentley was pulling like crazy and since there was no one on the trail we were running, I decided to tuck his leash into his jacket and just let him go. He stayed just a few paces in front of me and pushed me to keep up. I was surprised with my pace and time when I would glance down at Pedro. For someone who "felt" sick, I was flying!!! I'm pretty sure Bentley could run at 9:00 mile if given the chance :)
Unfortunately...I'm kinda regretting this running decision right now. I'm running a low-grade fever and have the sick-aches all over :( Boo! Hopefully it passes. Preparing for a sub is more work that actually going to school.
On the plus side, I haven't dragged my butt out of bed before the crack-of-dawn, but I did get a run in! How are things working out for you?
***I almost forgot!!!***
Check out Tall Mom's super awesome Giveaway here! It's a big bucket of awesome from Outside PR including a Road ID, Ryders eyewear, Sugio Moxie shirt, and much more! Go check it out!
I'm taking Jill's advice and starting a new week. Deep breath. Go for it.
Today started with sleeping in and then a run with Mr. Bentley. Apparently I went out for this run at his optimal temperature and time of day because he was super fast! He was pulling so hard that I dropped the leash when we weren't near houses or cars so he would stop choking himself.
Distance: 2.19 miles Time: 22:46.78
Pedro says my splits were: mile 1: 10:28 mile 2: 10:29 Overall pace:10:24 (because I kicked it for the last .19 with a pace of 9:41)
I left Benelty in a ditch "on a buisiness call" so I beat him across the finish-crack-in-the-road. I cheered him on to the finish though :) He was sprinting pretty hard. I had to yell for him to slow down and stop or he would have sprinted off toward the house!
My goal for this week: Get up early 2 days this week and run.
Mad that I didn't get any runs in this week. (except a 5:00 AM on Monday with Husband)
Mad that I didn't make any effort to run this week. (other than the 5:00 AM on Monday)
Mad that I'm still behind on school work.
Mad that I can't "walk away" from my job at 3:00 like everyone else.
Mad that I'm the only one that notices how dirty our house is.
Mad that I'm the only person in my state that can obey traffic laws on the highway! When traffic is stopped that doesn't give you a free pass to drive down the shoulder! That is ILLEGAL!!! Had I had the number for the state police I would have reported all of those suckers! ARGH!
Mad that I let some jerks on the highway ruin my night.
Mad that it's Friday night and I'm home alone with my dog and about to go to bed.
The Story: It was a September Sunday evening last year when I realized I had a problem. I was attempting to get things ready for school the next day and was trying to put together an outfit. After 10 minutes of sucking-it-in, I finally got my khaki pants buttoned. I went to take a step forward and could barely separate my legs. That's when my husband says to me, "Are you wearing those tomorrow?"
Not anymore......it was official, my pants were so tight that even my husband noticed how inappropriate they looked.
I cried. How had I let this happen?!?!?
I solved the problem then by heading to Kohl's at 9:30 at night to purchase 4 new pairs of pants. I actually liked them! They served me well for the school year and brought a small amount of comfort. The "old" pants went into the "donate" pile.
This school year, I tried those "new" pants on and stood their wondering why I looked like I was drowning in my pants. What they hell had happened? I guess that's what you get for buying "cheap" pants. They fabric just can't hold its shape and it "gives out" after a while.
The moment: I was putting away some summer clothes and taking out some fall/winter clothes when I found the "old" pants. I had though I bagged them up last month for the clothing drive. Guess not. Just for shits and giggles I tried them on...
...THEY FIT!!!!!!
I couldn't believe it. I ran down stairs so fast that my husband actually looked away from the football games he's been glued to all day to ask what was wrong! When I asked them if they looked too tight, he said no and wanted to know if I had gone shopping today.
I almost cried! They fit! My "old" pants fit!
I owe my success to running. If it wasn't for the being bitten by the running bug last November, I wouldn't have lost the weight. I honestly don't feel like I have lost any weight. I honestly don't look like I have lost any weight. But....pants don't lie.
Running has totally changed my life, and my waistline too! When I told some of you that I run so that my pants will fit.....I wasn't lying :)
Ok....this week has been totally nuts! I haven't felt like I've "had it together" since the race last Saturday. So I apologize for being a neglectful blogger :(
The Race:
I woke up dark-and-early at 5:00 AM to get ready for this race. I had not laid out my outfit the night before because I wasn't sure if it would be raining or not. Well....it was raining. I chose my capris, a tech tee, and my jacket. I had packed a bag the night before so all I needed to do was eat a small breakfast and wait for the Brown Monster to make its move.
It took me about 45 minutes to reach the Girl Scout camp that this race was being held at, and I had to drive through a part of town that I'd never been through before. After running 1 red light and blowing a stop sign because I was desperately searching for street signs, I decided that I should just relax. The last thing I needed was a conversation with a police officer attempting to explain that I've never driven through "this part" of town before :( It was really creepy on a Saturday morning!!!
Once I got there, I changed my clothes in the parking lot 3 times. It wasn't raining as hard by the time I got there. It was also a little bit warmer. I didn't want to "run hot" in my jacket and really didn't want to run cold either. I settled on wearing the tech t with a long-sleeved tech shirt over the top. No jacket. Husband was even nice enough to let me bring Pedro because he couldn't come himself. I didn't look fantastic, but I was comfortable.
I was also doing this race by myself so I have absolutely no pictures :( Well.....I might have had a picture or two if I had met the Dailymile friends I was hoping to! But, sadly, I had no idea who I was looking for! It wasn't until I got home and they posted a picture on Dailymile that I realized that I started the race right next to them and walked past them to get my water at the end!!! Ah! Total missed opportunity!
When the race started, we were all just in one big group. It was a trail race that was supposed to run the perimeter of the Girl Scout camp. I only know this because I caught a glimpse of a small race map posted in a corner of the registration area! No one really knew what the course was supposed to look like! The man explaining the course was using a small kereoke machine that kept cutting out so no one really heard what he was saying. We all just hoped it was well marked. Unfortuneately, the lead runners took a wrong turn that lead all of us on to the 2-mile Family Fun Run course (a race that was supposed to start at 9:00 AM) instead of the 4-mile trail course. Oops! Luckily, I had Pedro and he was beeping off the miles as we passed them. I knew something was wrong when I could see the finish line and Pedro only said 2 miles. The "officials" told us we needed to do another lap because of a wrong turn at the beginning. The lead runners actually ended up running 5 miles because they actually got lost before they realized their mistake. Pedro said I only rain 3.5 miles instead of 4. Someone told me that the trees sometimes mess with Garmin signals......hmmm.....whatever. The lead runners were really pissed that things were messed up, but I was just happy I finished the two laps without walking :)
I have never run a trail race before and felt I did rather well on the trails themselves. I didn't stop or slow down too much. Having Pedro keep my pace times for me was helpful. I managed to run a 10:30-something pace the whole race.....awesome for me! I knew I wasn't going to win or even place, but I wanted to PR. And I did!
"Official" time was 36:44. 7th place in age group.
The race was fun and I want to do it again next year. There were Thin Mints at the end that I brought home for Husband to eat. I'm trying to "behave" on my GF diet :)
I'm still trying to choose an October race. There is a 5K that takes place 5 minutes from my house and it's the first year it's being run. I don't think there is a shirt :( But it's only 5 minutes from my house!
Decisions...decisions.
***Edit*** Just read about the "Clydesdale" and "Athena" categories available for the Green Bay Half Marathon I'm thinking of running next year. Apparently the "Clydesdale" category is for men weighing 200+ lbs and the "Athena" category is for women weighing 160+ lbs. Along with age groups, it seems like you can also run in a weight class for this race. Has anyone heard of these categories before? Or is Green Bay just "special" like that?
I guess I'm a real runner now. I'm up at O'dark-thirty to run ridiculously far in a race that will take place even though it's raining outside. Wow! And I'm all by myself! All family members are either "busy" today or backed out on me. Guess that makes me real :)
- Today was my first day with a substitute in my classroom. I was in an RtI meeting all day. Very productive day :)
- I finally got the lap top I need to run my SMART board!
- I ran 3 miles when I got home tonight in 31:46. A 10:36 pace!! Wahoo!! (Times courtesy of Pedro, Husband's Garmin.)
- Bentley got a bath a daycare. The groomer told me that he refused to go into the grooming room and that they had to carry him. He's pushing 90lbs now! My baby boy is afraid of water and hates baths. Too funny!
- I spent the first 15 minutes of my run helping 4 neighbor kids wrangle their pet chihuahua, Princess. She escaped from them and took off down the street. I asked them if they needed help and they said yes. They were about a quarter mile from their house when I found them. Princess can run!!!
- Made an awesome dinner.
- My cat just jumped 5 feet, straight up, and caught a fly. She's awesome like that.
- I'm totally ready for this race on Saturday!
- I'm totally not looking forward to waking up at 5:00 on Saturday in order to make it to the race on time!!! Yawn!!
- I've finally broke 200 miles for the year! I've logged 240 since I started running last November :)
- I need to go buy new pants! My "old" ones don't fit.
I have spent the past few days with my running shoes on.
It all started Friday morning. During the school year, Friday is know around here as "no shower Friday." Husband and I usually sleep in and then throw on our jeans and spirit wear to head in to school. I broke that tradition by waking up at 4:50 AM to head out for a run. This was going to be my first pre-dawn run. Surprisingly, I actually woke up when the alarm went off. I had set out my clothes the night before, so getting dressed was a snap in the dark. Bentley knows what it means when my shoes go on, so he was dancing around too. Husband was still snoring away when I kissed his forehead and told him I was going for a run.
When I got down stairs, I grabbed a drink of water and got Bentley dressed. If you're new to this blog, check out my Doggie Gear post to see Bentley's "business suit." I also put on my reflective ankle bands and grabbed a flashlight. I don't have a headlamp or a reflective vest, so I wore my neon yellow t-shirt.
I was still dark when we headed out and the constellations were still visible. It was so quiet and kinda creepy. I switched on the flashlight so that any passing cars could see it shining on the ground. If they didn't look like they were moving over, I simply shined it at their windshield. That seemed to work well for the one car that caused problems. The two other cars we saw saw us and moved over.
My pace was really fast, probably because the dark made me nervous! I was surprised with my time! 2.7 miles in 25:34! That's crazy fast for me!
I took two days off because of my husband's birthday and family celebrations over the weekend.
But this morning I woke up and did 3 more miles with Bentley and Pedro! My overall time was great 30:56. But my pace times were pretty inconsistent:
Thanks to Pedro, I can give you all these beautiful numbers. Hopefully he will help me figure out what a pace feels like.
Pedro? Who is Pedro? Pedro is Husband's Garmin Forerunner 405!!!!! We are the proud parents of a Garmin! He got this little guy yesterday for his birthday. I'm pretty sure we aren't supposed to share the little guy, but since Husband is so busy with football and will then be so busy with wrestling, Pedro won't be used by him until the spring. I just can't let the little guy go unused for that long! I'm going to give him all the attention he deserves :)
I'm hoping to do another run on Wednesday morning before school. I also have a race on Saturday (4 miles).
Katye from Long Legs on the Loose awarded me the Cherry on Top Award this week. Thanks Katye!!
The Rules:
1. Answer this question: If you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?
2. The second thing you have to do is, pick 6 people and give them this award. You then have to inform the person that they have gotten this award.
3. The third and final thing is, thank the person who gave you the award.
So.....here it goes:
In my world, the phrase "hindsight is 20/20" is pretty much my unofficial motto. After something happens I can always think of a million ways I would change it, say something different, do something different, etc. But, I wouldn't be the person I am today if I had a do-over button on my life.
That being said, I would like to change one thing. I would have liked to keep in touch with my high school friends more. After we graduated, there were those summer months where we pledged to be friends forever and never be apart. Sadly, we drifted away and stopped talking to each other. I am an out-of-sight-out-of-mind kind of person and honestly forgot about most of them. Now we're at the point where most of us are married and about to start our own families. It would be nice if we could get together for "play-dates" or something when the time comes. But, now I just feel awkward contacting them. I feel like, "Hey! We haven't even thought about one another for almost 10 years now. Let's start talking again!" That just seems weird to me. If it weren't for Facebook, I don't think we'd be "friends" at all anymore.
OK....kinda sad. I know. But that's really what I would change if given the chance.
Now for the tags. I'll try my best to choose people that haven't received this award before. But if you have, consider yourself blessed :)
Well, there you have it! I'll let you know some time next week that you've received this award if you haven't commented on here to let me know you saw your tag.
There is a slight chance that I will run before school tomorrow. But I do have miles planned for this weekend. My 4-mile race is 1 week away!!!
Fought the alarm clock this morning. Woke up the first time. Reset the second alarm and then slept through it.
This wasn't what I wanted to do this morning. But, I told myself I needed to.
After I finally crawled out of bed at 7:45 and got myself dressed, Bentley kept giving me this look. You know, the puppy-dog-eyes. So I suited him up and brought him with. I also put in my new Yurbuds. (Thanks Jill!!! They were awesome by the way! If you want to win your own pair, check out Katye's giveaway here.)
As we walked down the driveway I could feel this sensation building in my stomach. It was not the Brown Monster....it was Excitement!!! I was excited to run! When we crossed the crack in the road that I always use as a starting line I was practically dancing! I have missed this feeling!
I could tell that it had been a while since I ran. My legs were tight and my stride was short. But all that mattered was that I was moving forward. Bentley and I only needed 2 short walk-breaks! Our time wasn't fantastic, but it was faster than expected.
2.01 miles in 22.12 minutes. Not bad I say.
We're running again tomorrow before I head in to get some school work done.
Warning!!! I will be whining a lot in this post!!!
The past 48 hours have been stressful!! I now know why teachers quit. I am by no means quitting, but I'm just saying I know why they can walk away so easily after only a few years on the job.
Holy cow!!!!
Here's a small recap of some events:
Network switch over this summer caused the entire order of assignment notebooks and grade books to disappear.....I don't have a grade book and my students don't have assignment notebooks.
Sent 8 first graders home on the wrong bus after school on Tuesday because the transportation department didn't tell us that they were labeling buses differently this year. All our buses are labeled with an "R" and then a number (R1, R2, etc.). Two buses showed up yesterday labeled RAL1 and RAL2 along with the other "R" buses. These first graders got on the RAL1 bus instead of the R1 bus. No one told us there was a difference and they don't line up in number order, so it was confusing. Ugh!!!
2nd grade started with a sub in one classroom because our principal dragged her feet on hiring another teacher....they will have a sub for at least 3 more days because of district regulations for job postings.
5th grade needed 2 more students to register in order to add a 4th section. As of 2:35 this afternoon the second student registered. Instead of posting an opening for a 5th grade teacher, the superintendent is trying to decide whether or not she should deny this student enrollment even though he lives in the neighborhood. This would force him to go to another school and keep us at max student load of 27/class instead of 20/class with a 4th section!!!!! (PS...we have contract language stating that if we exceed 27/class we must add another section.)
That SMART Board that I have.....doesn't work because I don't have a computer to power it. Received an e-mail at 3:30 saying that I could pick up my laptop if I attended a training from 3-4 at the district office this afternoon. Hmmm....I can't get the laptop without the training. No make-up session has been scheduled.
Pulled muscles at kickboxing class on Monday night and still have trouble climbing the stairs :(
I am a lucky winner in Jill's Yurbuds giveaway!!! How awesome!!!
I have been in a funk the last couple of days and the sucky parts of life have really been getting to me. Seeing my name on Jill's blog reminded me that good things do happen and that the sucky parts are temporary. Thank you Jill for hosting an amazing giveaway!! I can't wait to try out my new Yurbuds and write a review :)
Here's an update on the school situation:
Background: I currently teach 5th grade at a school that I've been teaching at for 4 years. Over the summer, our school received grant money that allowed them to purchase a SMART Board for each grade level. This sounds great, but when you have 3 sections of each grade level, it led to some fighting over who was going to get the board in their room. I, despite having taken 2 classes and creating multiple lessons for this piece of technology, was passed over due to seniority. The teacher who received it over me simply has an "interest" in technology. She hasn't even seen one of these boards before! I have not been happy about this.
Last week, after registration numbers finally started to finalize, my principal called me and told me that I would be moving rooms to accommodate some overflow that was occurring. Let it be known that I volunteered for this move after hearing that the overflow was going to happen and a "new" teacher was going to be put into a classroom that had a SMART Board and I was going to be stuck in a room that still had a chalk board and no working printer! This overflow also meant that instead of having 27 kids in each class we would have 20 kids in each class. Perfect! A SMART Board and a small class! What more could I ask for? (This was the Lucky Day I posted about last week)
Sadly, the very next week, the superintendent calls my principal and says that enrollment numbers were goofed and that we can't have and overflow section anymore. Now we're back to having 27 students per classroom. This isn't horrible, but we won't have a lot of wiggle space in my room this year. At all. We're also only 2 students away from having an overflow section again. So I could be changing everything around again in the next week! Oh....and did I mention that we start school on Tuesday? And that is just one small part of the school drama. We still can't get into the parking lot or the bus lane because of construction. The school still needs to hire 2 more teachers. The building will be closed all weekend because they are waxing the floors so teachers can't get in to do last minute stuff. Drama. Drama. Drama. I almost don't even want to go back.
However...I still get my "dream" room with the SMART Board. Check it out!!! (This is before I was "done" decorating. And before all 27 desk found there way in here. And yes, those are the original desks from 1962 when the school was built. Some of my students' parents sat in those very same desks. Sad.)
Expect some better pictures next week :) Hopefully school starts on time without a hitch!
After all that training for my half marathon, all that running all summer long, and it's all over. I feel.....well.....aimless. I have other races scheduled for the fall, but they are what I can now call "short" races that don't require intense training like the half did. I kinda feel lost.
What do you do when you're not really training for anything? What should my goals be? Now that school is starting, I will have a lot of time-juggling that needs to be done, but I do want to run at least 3-4 times a week. I can't see myself having time to run every day and make my gym membership still worth paying for...and finding time to sleep or spend time with my husband. I'm thinking I'll be doing mostly afternoon/evening runs and will need to invest in some good reflective/light-up gear. Where does one buy a head-lamp? I haven't seen one at my local running store and I've spent a lot of time there this summer.
Don't forget to check out Jill's Yurbuds giveaway! She's giving away 3 pairs, so I've got to have a pretty good chance, right?!?!
The school situation = best freakin' news ever!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't even concentrate on the information from the workshop I was at this morning. This excitement was so much that I even forgot to eat lunch! I will update you all with full details and pictures as soon as I can. But for now...just know that I am one happy little bug! Eeek!
Oh yea....
And Jill over at Finishing is Winning is hosting a giveaway. Somehow she got hooked up with 3 pairs of Yurbuds to giveaway! How sweet is that? Click on over and check it out here.
I got up and got some miles in before my workshop this morning. It wasn't as hard to talk myself into as I thought :) It's been quite a while since I've done a run by myself, and this kinda felt weird. But I popped in my iPod and went for it. It's also been a while since I've listened to my iPod while running. But today, I needed it. The music kept me going. I really felt like I was flying :) The time you will see in my Daily Mile widget isn't super fantastic, but sub 11-minute miles are great at this point. I'd like to be sub 10-minute by my next race.
Speaking of my next race, I mailed in my registration for my next race! It will be a 4 mile trail race in September. What I think I will like most about this race is that it is sponsored and benefiting the Girl Scouts. It is also being held at a local Girl Scout camp. I, having been a Girl Scout as a kid, spent many summers at this camp. They happen to be some of my most horrific memories from my childhood...camp was not a good experience for me. Anyway...I'm looking forward to going back to this camp, running the 4-mile trail race, and kicking those bad memories once and for all! Plus, the race is called the Thin Mint Sprint! That means cookies! Who doesn't love GS Cookies?!?! Me...because I can't eat them. But I will be making an exception after the race if they are available. :)
Anyway...summer is over like I've said before. School is still a messy situation and I have workshops to attend for the rest of the week. I'm looking to put more miles on my shoes on Friday morning if the weather is good. We're under a heat advisory for the rest of the week. Yuck!
Sadly yes, for me, summer is over. I went back into my classroom today. Only two weeks until school starts and I need to get ready. All of the ideas that have been exploding inside my head all summer now need to be focused and put into practice.
I'm not even going to describe the nightmare that the first few weeks of school is going to be. Student registration is still unfinished...there are still teachers to hire for our building...it is possible that classrooms might be switched at the last minute...I am missing a printer in my classroom...there is no wireless internet in my wing of the building as promised...the street in front of our school is torn up and you can't even get into the parking lot because of a 5-foot-wide trench that has been dug...and did I mention that they have 2 weeks (10 business days) to fix all of this? And that ain't all sister!
And somehow, despite all of this, I am still planning to run and attend classes at the gym. I'm going to need that "me time" in order to stay sane here!
I'm sure I'll post some pictures of the room when it's all done and pretty :)
I ran 2.5 this morning with my sister and good old Bentley. It felt great! My sister says I was "faster." I don't know about that, but I'm glad she said it. My goal at the moment is to improve my speed. I want to run at least one 5K each month until the end of the year. The 5K's in our area stop in November because of the weather. But, I am going to get more that a t-shirt in those races!
Also, tomorrow morning there is a beginners cycling (spin) class at my gym. I am going to follow in Lisa's pedal spins and try my luck with this class. The sweat will pour, from what I'm told! Fingers crossed that I don't fall off the bike and make a fool of myself :)
What an experience this thing was! I cannot describe the family-drama that surrounded this weekend, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Ok….the race report you’ve all been waiting for! I’m going to steal Katye’s format and divide this up into sections.
The Trip:
Husband and I were all packed on Friday night and ready to go. After a trip to Noodles & Co. to carb-load, we watched a movie and headed to bed. We were up early Saturday morning to catch a Yoga class before heading out of town. The plan was to meet up with his sisters and ride in together. I won’t describe the drama, but after some miss-communication on our end, we dropped Bentley & Doozer at my mom’s and we were off. Around O’Hare airport, traffic crawled to a stop and it took forever for us to get from there to downtown. While sitting in traffic we heard from the Sisters and decided just to meet at the expo.
The Expo:
The signs for parking were not as clear as they seemed. We drove back and forth for 15 minutes trying to find lot C. We asked 3 different parking attendants before we finally got an answer. Eventually we made it inside around 3:00. I missed meeting up with Katye at the expo L The Sisters wanted to start in the same corral so I switched mine at check-in. After that, we walked around, bought some Bondi Bands, and tried samples. My main purchase was a supply belt. I needed something to carry my GU Chomps and my inhaler while I run.I finally found a reasonably priced one and bought it. Husband and Sister-in-Law #1(SIL#1) bought on
e too! We giggled about our fanny-packs later that evening. I enjoyed the expo but thought there was more space to walk around last year. It seemed cramped this time.
Our hotel (The Wit) was fantastic! Something I never would have picked on my ow
n, but I totally recommend it. We discovered that they were filming Transformers 3 just around the corner! On our walk to dinner we actually got to see them film an action scene! It’s
not every day you witness automatic-weapon fire in Chicago and have it be harmless! The picture is of a scene we watched them film of a bunch of guys running out of that building. There are hunks of twisted metal and cement a
ll over the place. You can see cars piled up on the left. I was disappointed that Optimus Prime wasn’t there, but it was still cool!
Race:
I was a little emotional when we crossed the starting line. This was the biggest thing I’ve done for myself, ever! It was a big moment. Running toward that skyline was beautiful. What brought me back was running past a guy holding a sign that said, “You are all really, really good at exercise!” I started laughing and pulled it together. The Sisters and I decided to stick together as far as we could….and thank God for them!
We stopped to pee at the first water station and were good to go after that. I was smiling, feeling great, and running well for the first 8 miles. I was loving the scenery and really feeling the energy. I grabbed cytomax and water at each station and sipped them slowly until I couldn’t carry the cups anymore. Wow! Amazing! I didn’t even use my iPod!
At the turn-around (mile 9ish) I ran smack into The Wall. We had lost SIL#2 and I told SIL#1 that I needed to slow down. I was able to trot to mile 10 and then it was walk/run from there. At the time, I was OK with walking. I had cramps in my legs, my lungs hurt, and it was humid as heck! At mile 11 SIL#2 caught up with me and we ran/walked together for a while. After she left me I tried and tried to keep it together and to keep moving forward.
I found her again after mile 12. So glad I did. She was having an asthma attack and there was no one to help! I gave her my inhaler and we walked for a bit. When she felt better we trotted for a bit and then went back to running. In the last half-mile my quads cramped up on me. I was forced to walk again. I knew I couldn’t stop or they would seize up. The finish was so close! I screwed up my nerves, fought through the cramps, and finished…..big smile, arms up, victory! I was done.
Final race thoughts: just let this be over!
We look Hot!....and really sweaty!
Post-Race:
SIL#2 finished with me and she didn’t look good. I walked with her through the madness that was the finish area. We got water, towels, and medals. Husband had finished waaaaay before us and was on the sidelines yelling and waving with her husband. SIL#1 had also finished waaaay before us and was there too. Husband snuck through the gates and we got our picture together. I managed to get an orange Popsicle (my favorite) and we headed to gear check. After that, we met up with The Sisters in the reunion/beer area. I don’t get the beer-after-the-race thing, plus I can’t drink it anyway, so I donated mine to Husband and Brother-in-Law. SIL#2 was really not feeling good at this point, so we decided to get her to the shade. After she felt slightly better, we wanted to get her back to the hotel as soon as possible.
On the way home we kept our post half-marathon tradition of stopping at Superdawg. We started this last year after watching something about hot dogs on the Travel Channel last year before Husband ran the half. Superdawg was on the way out of town and we couldn't miss it! Love the place!
So there you have it......my first half-marathon race report. It was really long. It was really hard. I don't really know if I liked it or not. I'm proud of myself for doing it and for finishing it. I want try another one just so that I can do better!
I'm still sad I didn't get to meet up with Katye, Courtney, and Tonia! They all ran awesome races and had a great weekend. Congrats to all of you! There has to be another race in the future and I'll meet them some day :)
I'm starting to get nervous. I just read Robin's 10 Steps to Your First Ever Race Event post. And like, holy cow, am I really going to do this thing?!?!?
Things I'm nervous about: 1. Having to spend all my time in a port-a-potty 2. Having the blister I've been nursing rupture like a blown tire 3. Cramps, cramps, cramps 4. Throwing up 5. The voice in my head
However.....Husband and I are going to carb-load tonight. We're too nervous to do the pasta thing the night before the race (see above #4). Plus, I don't know where I'm going to find a gluten-free pasta restaurant that my entire family is going to want to go to in down-town Chicago.
On top of my nervousness, I am totally excited! I'm ready to Rock and Roll! Are you?
1. Woke up at 5:30 to go for a 6-mile run with Husband. Held off a Brown Monster attack until after mile 3....but things didn't go well after that. This is really starting to get to me. My confidence about the half next week is really shaky because all I can think about is spending all my time in a port-a-potty.
2. Went to Yoga at the gym. I was excited about the class because I went to a beginner's class two weeks ago taught by the instructor and really liked her. Sadly, she was on vacation. There was a sub who was rather distracting.
3. Saving grace of the day....I became an aunt!!!!!!!! My sister-in-law gave birth this morning to a beautiful 8 lbs 3 oz baby boy. Yay!!! He is going to be spoiled rotten :) We're going to visit him right now :)
I slept through both my alarms this morning. Thank goodness for the fool-proof Bentley alarm or I might have slept through most of the garage sale. (oh yea.....I've spent the last two days at my parents' house co-supervising a garage sale with my sister.)
I still have a wedding to drag myself through tonight before this week is over.
I haven't seen Husband for more than 15 minutes at a time all week. He told me last night as I crawled into bed at 11:00 PM that he has missed me. (oh yea...I haven't been out of town, just super freakin' busy!)
I haven't even had time to process that one week from today I will be maxing out my credit card at the Expo before the RNR Half.
Half-Marathon....that's 13.1 miles...the furthest I've ever run...ever. Am I ready? (small knot in stomach has started)
This week has not been my favorite. I signed up for a class this week about Writing Workshop and it's sucking the life out of me. Writing Workshop, for you non-teachers, is a school-related thing that I won't explain here. I am, however, loving the class. I am terrible at teaching writing and I really feel that this information will help make a huge difference in my teaching this year.
Sad things I've noticed while taking this class:
1. I'm really bad at teaching writing. 2. These are the most days in a row that I have showered all summer. 3. I am more ADD than I originally thought.
I did make it out for a short run with Husband this morning. Bentley woke me up at 5:50 and I figured, why not? Husband's alarm was going off so that he could get up and run, so I just got dressed and ran with him. This run was nothing special. I had a terrible time breathing because of the humidity and conducted some "very important business" in some very tall grass at mile 1.5 because I couldn't take it any more!!!!! UGH! But I managed to do just over 2.25 miles.
I also made it down to the running store after my class and purchased a new pair of running shoes. The man at the store said that my knee pain might not be being caused by my shoes. He said that good shoes can go for about 300 miles. Is he right? I purchased them in December and started running seriously in them in January, but didn't get into any high mileage until June. So....it's been 6 months total. But my shoes don't look "dead." There is not excessive wear or even discoloration. This man also told me to leave my number and he'd talk to one of the other employees who is a PT when he came in. Hopefully I'll get a call tomorrow. Anyway......I have a new pair of shoes......
Today was our long run. Husband and I woke up early to tackle the 9-miler we had planned. I made him stick with me for the first 4.5 miles because I didn't know when we needed to turn around.
Too bad the Brown Monster was waiting to attack me around mile 2!!!!! Luckily we were running the trail and mile 2 includes a forest preserve with bathrooms. Score! I managed to make the next 5 miles without a problem. At the turn-around, though, Husband decided he'd had enough of my slow-poke pace (You can't expect a 6'4" man to keep up with a 5'1" for very long. It's just not physically possible.) So, I really did this run on my own.
The low point of my run was when I stopped back at the same forest preserve to grab a drink. Even though it was early, it was very humid and the heat was creapin' up there. The only drinking fountain at the preserve was a water pump. I knew that Husband was going to stop and refill the water bottle he was carrying so I was hoping to catch him. Just as I came within sight, I saw him leaving. Oh well. I tried my hardest to pump that darn thing but I was just too tired. Some chick in her fancy shorts was lying on a picnic table, stretching, and watching my misery. Did she help me? Nope. I was so tired, exhausted, frustrated, and thirsty that I started crying. I stood there panting and crying and trying to pump this darn thing for about 5 minutes before something actually came out. That was when a gentleman I had passed on the trail stopped and pumped the pump for me. He was very nice. After I guzzled more water that I should have out of frustration, I thanked him and continued on my way.
For the last 2 miles, I managed a fairly decent-paced run/walk situation. There was more running than walking though, which made me happy. I needed to walk because all that water created some fantastic cramps in my sides. Ouch! That's what I get for being greedy.
I have noticed that I really enjoy running without my iPod. I ran the first 4.5 miles without it because I was with Husband. After we split up, I put my headphones in, but I couldn't seem to get into the music. I kept taking them out and just listening to my stride. It was rather interesting.
When we got home, I spent 20 minutes in an ice bath and am happy to report that I am not sore right now. My knees are not happy, but I think that is them telling me that I need new shoes.
Any advice on whether or not I should get some this close to a big race? Should I just get them and start breaking them in now and run the half in my old shoes? Or should I get them and then walk around in them a lot and do the rest of my training in them and then wear them for the half? My knees are really, really not happy.
So I guess you could say I can could go ahead and eat my words.
Remember all those posts about me begging for cross training advice because I couldn't afford a gym membership? Well....yea.....
I joined a gym.
Go ahead. You can say.....whatever it is you say to someone who says they won't do something and then they go ahead and do it.....
I do have reasons for going back on what I said I wouldn't do.
#1 My friend who belongs to this gym with her family told me that they were waiving the enrollment fee if you joined during the summer. Despite all the website digging I did, I could not find their prices and could not confirm my suspicions about the enrollment fee. When I went up and had my tour I found out that their enrollment fee was $200!!!!! Now you see why I wouldn't join before. I knew it would be outrageous. So glad I waited.
#2 I know they have great variety of classes. I'm not much for working out on machines....which is why I haven't joined the $20/month Average Joe's Gym. They offer the same classes in the morning that they do in the evening. This will be great for when i go back to school. I work out in the morning in the summer and will have to switch to the afternoon when school starts. I was a Y member last summer and had to drop because their class schedule was so weak in the evening. They offered practically nothing after 3:00 for the entire week. Ugh!
#3 I know people who belong there. I am taking a class with the same girl who told me about the enrollment fee. She works out all the time and has invited me to work out with her on multiple occasions.
#4 It gets darn cold here in the winter. 'Nough said.
So far I have been to an aqua aerobics class and a yoga class. I'm looking forward to taking a beginner's spin class after half training is done. I'm working on a weekly class schedule for my remaining summer weeks. When the fall schedule is published, I'll come up with a new plan from there.
Today was an ordinary day. It started off like any other day. Bentley woke me up at 6:00 AM. The moment I rolled over...well...it was the longest moment of my life because it took me that long to roll over. Holy cow! The pain! The soreness! I only made it down two steps before I had to turn around and descend the stairs backwards to avoid putting too much pressure on my knees. Of all the times I wish I could walk on my hands....I won't even tell you about the pain involved with attempting to sit on the toilet seat....
After feeding the dog and practically crawling back up the stairs, the simple act of lying back down exhausted me so much that I passed out for the next 4 hours. This marks the first time I've slept until 10:00 since college...probably.
I was finally able to wake myself up and get myself going. Lots of water and just enough Advil and I was able to get a few things done. Luckily I was able to get Ryan to help me clean up last night after dinner, so I wasn't angry that my house was messy and smelly this morning. (Remember my New Year's Resolution to wash my dishes after dinner? Yea...me neither...I'm trying to be better about that.)
After my husband got back from football camp, we headed off to our local running store to stock up on some running basics that we didn't have. Here's what we got:
I am nursing one heck of a blister on the ball of my right foot so I'm really looking forward to combining those Balengas with the Body Glide tomorrow for an easy 2-miler. I'm also a huge fan of the GU Chomps because they are gluten free!!! I was able to snag a sample pack at the RNR Chicago expo last year. I wasn't running last year, but I ate them anyway. They gave me quite the energy boost :)
Random note:
On our way to the running store, we heard an emergency update that there was a tornado in the next county over from us. It was near a town that was much further south that we were, so we didn't worry. The skies were cloudy, but nothing that would cause us alarm. On our way home from the store, we heard a weather update from the station that said we could expect steady rain for the evening and that there were some tornado watches in an area just north of our house. As we were coming up over a hill right by our neighborhood, the tornado siren at the top of the hill started going off. (Our county just spent a ton of money to put up free standing, rotating sirens all over our county. There is one about a quarter mile from our house. Bentley howls when they test it on the first Tuesday of every month.) Every hair on my body stood on end and I told my husband that we should get home quickly. We were up on a very high hill and could see for miles and we didn't see any sign of a tornado anywhere. After we turned into our neighborhood my husband turned the car around and said, "I just want to check something." He points to the clouds to the north of the neighborhood and says, "I've never seen a funnel cloud, but what does that look like to you?" And there it was! A very wispy, slowly descending funnel cloud! Oh my gosh! It was north of us, so we didn't have too much cause for worry, but it was still kinda creepy.
So that's my story for the day :) Happy running and watch out for tornadoes!
I just ran 8 miles! (well....I ran 8 miles at 7:00 tonight, but you I just got around to posting about it)
I hurt like I've never hurt before.
We had family over (ran with the sisters) for dinner after the run and then watched True Blood (we're sickly addicted to that show) so I didn't get to take the ice bath I planned on. But I did stretch during the show.
Husband and I have returned from our vacation to Paradise. We had planned to have a lot of fun in the sun. However, the weather had a different plan. Apparently the sun decided to take a vacation also. It wasn't terrible. It was not as hot and sticky as it could have been. It kept people off the golf course for Husband. He was able to walk on every course he tried and play 18 holes in less than 3 hours. The sun did come out of hiding for our last two days.
Running update: We did bring our running shoes to Paradise with us. If you read my last post, you know that we got in a run on Friday morning. The bug I picked up on the plane did not make it an easy run. It also didn't make for an easy next few days. But I eventually got it under control. The husband, however, had a great week of running. He even managed an 8-miler...the last 2 miles of which were in the pouring rain. I'm just slightly jealous that he could venture so far from the bathroom. We had planned on running a beach 5K on Tuesday evening, but the weather and my bug kept us from the race.
The view of Paradise.
I spent time by the pool instead. How awesome is that pool? I almost read an entire book. I might have finished it, but it was really hard to get into.
Now we are home and back to reality. I plan on running a short distance tomorrow and a long distance on Sunday. I will get back on the training wagon as soon as possible....however my insides still feel like they've been bugged. :(
Husband and I just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. We took a nice little trip to a resort/spa to really celebrate. After thinking about it a little bit, we determined we've actually been together for 11 years total! Holy cow!
