Oh yeah baby!

Scored some new running shoes for Christmas! After putting those babies on, I realized how stretched out my others had become. These shoes feels SO FREAKING AWESOME! I can't wait to break them in! 10 inches of snow here though, and since it's Christmas the gym isn't open of course.....so it will have to wait until at least tomorrow. My hubs is the best. OH and I forgot almost the very best part--they are PINK :) weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Here I am on Christmas morning barely awake, but VERY happy to see these little mamas under the tree!

Taking a Little Break

After the 10K, my knee was hurting pretty bad so had to take a break from running. Well, ok, I promised I would....but really I had a sinus infection anyway....so it seemed like a pretty good time to take a break. 12 days with no running, then went out for an easy 4 miler. My knee was hurting, so I quit. I'm going to go ahead and see a doctor next week, but for now I'm water jogging and doing Yoga to try to keep the exercise habit going. It's tough not running.....because that's what I really want to be doing. But I know long term I am better off resting the knee and doing some strength training to get stronger for training which I hope will start back up again in January.

I'm planning on doing the 1/2 marathon in Oklahoma City in April and *maybe* the Chicago Marathon on October! :)

10K in the freezing rain!

OMG what is wrong with me? I have issues. I signed up for a 10K race set for December 6. Yeah, ok, I live in Kansas. What did I expect?!

Every night before a race I'm a complete basketcase. Seriously. Doesn't matter what the mileage is, I'm a total freak. Even when it's a 5K or 10K--I know I can do the miles no problem, I've ran much farther than that. It's just ugh, my nerves just get the best of me. Every night before a race I tell myself "this is so stupid. If you want to run that many miles, just go freaking run them. You don't have to freak yourself out with these races. Maybe I'm not meant to race. Maybe I should just enjoy running for health, fitness, etc." Doubting myself and just blah.

I even have freaky racing dreams the night before. Saturday night I dreamed that I forgot my GU (I don't even take GU for a 10K, so I don't know where my head was!). But I forgot it and tried to get home to get it. I was running home and there was some parade, so I had to go around it, which made me end up clear on the other side of town. Then I ran into a friend who was cleaning out her RV (she doesn't even have one by the way), and I said "hey, let me help you with the trash". Then I rushed to get back to the race, but couldn't get there fast enough and knew I had to save my legs. So then this random person gave me a ride, but made me sit in the back of the truck. Holy moly, what the heck does all that mean?! haha Well, anyway....

On to race day.....Freezing rain, cloudy and 25 degrees, not to mention some wind mixed in there. Weather was miserable....but the race was totally fun! Once we got going it really wasn't that cold. The slippery road at the end was a little scary though! The last 10K I did back in September my time was 1:02. My time for WinderRunderland was 59:03. :) I was really happy with my time and came home with a second place metal (for my age group). Ok, there was only 2 people in my age group. haha But still, really happy to meet our goal - I wanted to make it in 1 hour.

So after all that fretting the night before, the psycho dreams and spending all day race day freaking out....I set a PR. :) If you are runner and are reading this, a 59:03 10K is really not very fast at all....but hey, it's really awesome for me!

I'm going to take a little break from running now. Not because I want to, but since my last 1/2 marathon my knee has been hurting. I really, really wanted to run this 10K, so I went ahead with it. My knee was feeling great during the run, but after I could barely walk on it. Now a few days later it's feeling ok--still a little tender, but I'm hopeful that since it seems to be recovering well from the race last weekend, that all it really needs is rest.

Once I look back on my training, I have ran one 5K, two 10Ks, two 1/2 marathons since my training started in June, when I couldn't even run 1 mile. So I'm thinking I might need to take it easy and let the knee heal. Maybe I will see if I can swim instead--although that will be harder to fit into a lunch hour. Anyway, can't stop exercising all together....with it being the holidays....I'm sure to pack on the pounds!

Next race will be 10K in March for St Patty's Day, then the Oklahoma City 1/2 Marathon in April. Then I'm going for a full marathon in October....the Chicago Marathon! :) Wait, didn't I just say I was taking a break from running?!?

Here's a picture of Penny, Angie and I last Saturday doing a quick run before our race on Sunday. The sun was shining bright on Saturday!

Gobbler Grind, My 2nd 1/2 Marathon

Here's a pic of the group at Gobbler Grind 1/2 Marathon, Overland Park

Whoa Nelly! This experience was so much different than my first! I was equally as nervous, but NOT equally prepared. Mileage was there, training was done....hill training....ooops, didn't do that. This race had hills and man, I don't run hills. Ever.

My time was one minute slower than my Des Moines 1/2. Going into the race I was just shooting for the same time as Des Moines or faster. I thought if I was slower I would be totally bummed out. But, with this course, I was very happy with a 2:15. The girls I went to the race with have all been running much longer than me, they were way faster--just amazingly fast times!

I'm now having an issue with my right knee :( I think probably from the downhill full blast running I did--trying to make up for the time I lost going up, up, up.

So, as I lay here with ice on my knee almost a week later, I'm bummed that I can't run. I tried to go out Thanksgiving morning, but ended up walking most of the way because it was hurting. I have a 10K next weekend.....I just hope it's all good by then!

Back to Training....

Recovered and ready to do it again! I am running another 1/2 marathon in Kansas City on November 23 :) Excited!!
I took about a week off from running after my last race. I was traveling for work that week after, did a little running, but not much.
This past week I started over with week 8 of my training schedule. I'll do week 8-12 over again and then it will be race day! This week was pretty tough, because week 8 & 9 are the hardest of my schedule. But I did it! One more hard week and then I'll taper again for the 2 weeks before race day.
Wish me luck :)

Final Post....For Now

Race day was so awesome! I wanted to take a few minutes to write about my day and reflect a bit on this whole experience. I will say that if you are reading this and you have ever thought of doing something insane like this.....DO IT! Such a ton of hard work, lots of time commitment, but I'm so glad I did this.

Since I started logging my miles, I have ran 266.81 miles total, burning 100,073 calories! Whoa. That was since around mid June. Looking back at that really makes me proud!

So, ok, race day.

I was a complete basketcase....
-Didn't know what to expect.
-Don't start out too fast and die at the end.
-Shorts or tights?
-Should I wear the cute new spibelt I just bought, but haven't run with yet, or will that end up bothering me?
-Had to watch my diet VERY closely the days leading because I was afraid of tummy upset during the run.
-Drink tons of water 2 days before.
-Had a killer blister on my toe and was worried that would hurt during the run.
-Had a goal of 2:30, will feel like a loser if I don't make it.
-How the #*$& do you work this #)$& time chip?
-Had a horrible stress headache...or maybe that was the cold that had been trying to get me the last few days.
-Worried about leaving my family.
-Worried about getting up to be at an 8:00am meeting Monday morning after traveling home Sunday afternoon.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!

It was alot.

I slept like #*$%& Friday night, got up early Saturday to go in a scramble to get everything ready because I had a Girl Scout party Friday night....so that meant I was NOT ready to go when I went to bed Friday night.

BUT. All that worrying for nothing.

We left in plenty of time, checked in our hotel and had a huge suite at the host hotel right next to the start line. Awesome! Picked up our packets and our first 1/2 marathon shirts, then went to find some dinner.

After dinner we went back to the hotel to get settled in for rest. I had a terrible head cold setting in and my nose was running all night....I slept from about 9:30-3:00 and then couldn't get back to sleep. My mind was just racing.

Up before the sun and getting ready to run! I was really nervous, couldn't eat, but I knew I had to....so I forced myself to have a bagel, banana and a breakfast cookie.

We headed down to the start and I wanted to run with the 2:20 pacer group. But we missed getting in with them--it was super crowded. So we were back a little, but I thought I could go ahead and keep my own pace to finish between 2:20-2:30.

The entertainment along the course was really fun. A dude in an afro singing Johnny Cash around mile 7. People in full furry costumes dancing to Funky Cold Medina. People cheering us along the way--so many nice people cheering when they don't even know you! That was cool. I will always remember the old dude at mile 12 that yelled at me that I was in the home stretch....and I had a CHOICE....what was my choice going to be? I think he must have been a retired marine or something! Or at least a coach. I thought that dude was super cool.

Right after I saw that dude, I caught the 2:20 pacer. I don't even remember passing the 2:30 pacer, but I must have somewhere! I was so excited because there he was, walking. I asked him "If I stay with you are we coming in at 2:20?" He said, yes, and that he was actually ahead of pace 2 minutes. Sweet! So he kept walking, I ran on past. Yay! I figured as long as I could stay with him or in front I would smoke my 2:30 goal. We only had about 2 miles to go at that point, so I knew I could totally do it! Woot!

I will never forget the awesome feeling of turning that last corner and seeing the finish line. A girl I was running next to goes "I see it. Let's go get it!" So we did! She beat me, but that was just fine with me!

I crossed the finish at 2:19. But I didn't remember that I actually started behind the front of the group, and that was when the clock started....so my official time was 2:14.

I got my super cool metal, got my pic taken and then went through the food line for a little snack. Food is the last thing you feel like doing at that point, but I know it is so important to fuel back up after running. Looking back at this day, I honestly did not have a single minute where I was even tired, or wishing I hadn't done this, nothing like that at all! Honestly I don't even remember the first 8 miles!

2:14. WOW! My time was way better than I had hoped for. I was shocked, happy, relieved, exhausted....so many things. But as I was getting into a much needed shower, my only thought was.....

WHEN CAN I DO THAT AGAIN!?!?!!?

The Final Countdown

Ok I think that was a song from the 80's, but it seems to fit for today. I spent the day at work, wishing I was home getting myself and things ready to leave tomorrow...but I feel pretty good about being ready to go. I was starting to feel a little cold coming on in the past few days, so I loaded up on OJ, Zicam, bananas, apples and water, more water, more water....and this afternoon I'm feeling pretty good.

I'm feeling nervous mainly because I just don't know what to expect and will need a good pep talk from my hubs tonight for sure. But as far as mileage, I've put in the training, worked hard and I'm ready!

Full report when I return!