Quote of the Day

Runner's World quote of the day ...

After the race, I mused on marathon running ... & how it provides males with insight into another exception, the experience of childbirth. In both cases, marked agony and exhaustion are subsumed by such lasting gratification that you are moved to repeat the process.

Uh oh, I only did the childbirth thing once so .... yeah. lol

Now Panic and Freak Out

Oh hang on...this is going to be a long, rambling, freak the freak out post. Don't like obsession & craziness? Might want to skip today.

Race this weekend. My 5th 1/2 marathon.

My head is spinning. My stomach is already fluttering. GAWD I love this so much.

But here's my problem.

My first ever 1/2 was a 2:14. I haven't been able to break that race time since then....after 3 other 1/2s.

Just run for fun? Hell no. I run for time, every time. If you aren't getting better, you aren't getting better, & that's NO GOOD for me.

So for the past 4 months or so I have been focusing on getting faster. So much in fact that now I'm freaking out about distance. What the hell?! I have always been more comfortable with a long, steady pace.

I've set some awesome 5k & 10k PRs during this 1/2 training, which has been SO FUN & faster than I ever thought I would be, but now I have no idea what I'm doing for 13.1!

Last weekend, 8 mile on Saturday. This should have been a pretty easy run, I had planned on trying to go 10 minute miles the whole way - just working on keeping myself at a comfortable pace.

Mile 1 - 8:30. Geez. I was ALL over the place. My splits were ridiculous! In the end I ran a faster 8 than planned, slowing down to a 10 min mile was really a struggle. (ok that is just weird to say)

So, could I have done that for another 5? Hell if I know. Surely didn't feel like I could have, but maybe I could have? Maybe I'm past the 10 min mile goal now? 2:10 1/2 too conservative of a goal? That seems impossible.

Run with a pacer this weekend? NO WAY. The last/only time I ever did that was KC 1/2, my worst race ever. I couldn't keep up with the pacer, & spent mile 8-9 about crying watching her STUPID little balloon on a stick get farther & farther away. I hated that stupid balloon. omg I was in a bad place that day. I will never forget feeling so shitty about running 13.1. Thank the heavens for my friends who picked me up around mile 9 or I'd probably still be sitting on the curb bawling.

So, I'm just trying to figure this out today. Run a kick ass fast 10k & leave myself the last 10k to go slower? But some credit in the bank in case I need it? Or try to settle down & run a steady 10 min mile the whole way? (2:10 is my goal).

omg my running peeps, I need race day counsel, STAT!!!

Say hello to my new little friends....

My new besties. They smell nice, they're clean, put a little spring in my step, and they look freaking cool.

I heart new shoes :)

Awesome tunes, Treadmill 10 miler, & a Barfer

3 main things today....

1. Treadmill 10 miler.

2. Completely bearable because of my awesome new playlist, fast for me & felt great. Good tunes make all the difference. :)

3. A barfer. Let me explain that one.

I'm running along, about at mile 3 or so (just when I start to get comfortable & start feeling good) - on the TM right next to me, a guy steps on & starts running.

I can tell he's looking over at my dashboard....but I ignore. (see my post from a few weeks ago about comparing myself to others...) Anyway, I can't help but notice he seems pretty interested in my pace, so I speed it up a little. He asks "How far are you going today?" I answered "Well, I guess I'll just go until I'm ready to stop."

I knew exactly how far I was going today, 10 miler, just like my schedule says. But I'm not really much into announcing to someone next to me. Kinda just wanted to run & listen to my awesome new tunes.

He blurts out a 'bet I can run longer than you'. Oh yeah?! Let's see cowboy.

I could see him matching my pace, so I thought maybe I'd try to make it interesting .... & I kicked it up some. Now, I'm not a fast runner - I never have claimed to be, probably never will be. 8:30 is about my top pace, & I can't hold that for long. But put some competition in my face & I'm probably going to go for it.

About a mile later I can see he's hurtin' - hanging onto the TM handle, looking like he's about to fall off the back.

I started feeling a tiny bit bad for the guy at this point. Anyone that knows me knows that I love encouraging other runners - I would never want someone to have a bad running experience.

So I offered him a shot block, but he refused with an "I'm good" grunt. Not sure he appreciated that so much. Gawww. Really dude, just have the shot.

2 miles later his head was in the trashcan. He was mad, quit, had a smoothie, took a shower & there I am....still running.

This post isn't about me thinking I'm so great - lord knows there are much faster runners than me, who can run much farther. I know some amazing athletes. But dudes thinking they can beat a girl just because she's a girl? Well, I have a little problem with that one.

How about this dude - the next time you feel the need puff out your chest & try to beat the girl in pink & piggytails....you might want to consider that she could send you to the trashcan.

Yup, I waved a little 'piss off' wave as he left the gym. Seeeeee ya. LoL

Running Long Saturday

3 weeks out from Lincoln 1/2 marathon. I'm freaking ready.

That is me telling myself to be confident in my training, etc. Am I truly feeling that confident? um no.

I have a 2:10 goal - which is pretty aggressive for me - & I'm already in freaking-the-freak-out mode. Let the race brain begin.

This will be my 5th 1/2 marathon - should probably have this figured out by now....but I always start questioning myself during the 12 mile training run. Blah.

Saturday training run went like this. (If cussing offends you .... you might want to mosey on to the next blog for today)

Mile 2. Holy hell. It was freaking hot. My headphones were slipping out. My music was all over the place b/c I didn't take the time to plan the playlist. My feet were already hurting. I need new shoes. This run was going to SUCK. boo hoo hoo.

Ok, stop. I stopped on the bridge on the trail and took a breather. Checked the Garmin - was I going too fast? Nope. What the hell is wrong with me?

It's not unusual for me to hate, hate, hate every second of mile 1-3, but this was different. I was just funky. I couldn't get a comfortable pace going, couldn't zone out & zoning in wasn't doing me any good at all.

I had to have a little talk with myself. Get over yourself. Be happy to be running this morning. Stop being such a freaking cupcake. Get your shit together girl - you have 10 more miles to go! 10 more!

Mile 3. Thank goodness, I'm better now.

3-8, perfect, perfect run.

Had some gatorade at mile 6 & some powerbar energy bits - which are really good in your kitchen....not so good out on the road in the heat where they turned into a melty mess. Probably not doing those again.

Mile 9. Ick. I am running out of gas now....better have a snackity snack. Pickle juice. :) Sounds gross, but it's goooood & helps replenish the salt I lose from my sweatness.

Mile 11. Is this how it feels to die? What the hell was I thinking signing up for a full marathon? I must be certifiably insane.

Mile 12. Thank the lord, I am done.

In the end, I did 12 in 1:57. A PR for me for this distance for sure. So what am I bawling about right?!?! ;)

I think my fueling needs help....again. I just can't figure out the right combination of salt, carbs, whatever, to keep me going. Beans, GU, etc, mess my tummy up big time. Fueling is going to have to be a whole different post - I have questions for my running peeps out there.

But for now, I have a 3 miler on the schedule today. After a pretty craptastic Saturday run, the sun is shining today .... and just like that - my legs feel ready to go again!

This running thing sucks somedays...but it gives me *just* enough good to keep me coming back for more. Run on friends!

Waking UP!

So....recently I've been feeling very tuned in. Like not just in my running, but everything. I don't know if it's the signs of spring or what - but I'm noticing so many things lately that I never really did before.

Like this. Last night I did a 4 miler and stopped to watch the sunset. A perfectly quiet way to end the day. Take a few extra minutes to do something for yourself today!