Groundhog Run!

This weekend my friend Rachel & I will venture to KC to meet up with our TRR friends (Thunder Road Racing) for a super fun race. Apparently (news to me) Kansas City has these underground tunnels. Weird. And a little creepy. And damp? But kinda fun to run in? I would think maybe - a balmy 68 degrees in January in Kansas? Yep, I'll take it.

This is Rachel's first 5K, and I'm super excited for her to experience race day. Oh I'm getting all giddy just thinking about it :) We're going to 'just have fun', 'just do our best' (but we all know a time goal is there!)

Awhile ago, a fellow blogger gave me some super awesome advice. Pick 3 goal times.

So here they are:
31 minutes. Proud of us.
30 minutes. Really proud of us.
Anything less than 30 minutes. I'm buying the beer after the race.

Rachel, we're going for the beer ;)

Daily Kick in the Butt

I love this. From Runner's World's Daily Kick in the Butt today :

I don't rate myself as a fantastic, talented athlete. I just have perseverance. I'm a cart horse. I work hard.
Colleen DeReuck, Four-time Olympian

Happy Monday!

Let's Talk Shoes

Yesterday I was putting my running shoes away and I thought I would do a little shoe tribute today. Not really a shoe review...because who am I to say what shoes are best or whatever. But I have a little something to say about each running shoe I've traveled with.

I remember being terrified to go into the running store to buy my first pair. So much in fact that I pulled into the store several times and left before finally getting the guts to go in. Why? I wasn't a 'runner' - are you kidding me?! A runner?!

I was so scared to go - but I knew the shoes I had been running in weren't the right ones. And even though I knew NOTHING about running, I knew the right shoes are super important. Well, I was a dork because they were way nice to me at Manhattan Running Company and never made me feel stupid or non-runnerish.My first pair of real running shoes. Fit just for me. Well, I suppose your first is always special. I have a relationship with these shoes. Seems silly, yes. But when I look at these little babies I have so many memories. In these shoes I had so many firsts:

5 miles for the first time. I will never forget that day.
Ran my first 10K race. Then my first 5K race.
Ran 8 miles for the first time. That was a horrible run, that day too, I will never forget.
Ran 10 miles for the first time. Best day ever. Until I ran 12.
My first 1/2 marathon was run in these shoes too.

These Mizzunos & I have been through alot together. I cried in them when I had a bad run, cheered in them when I blew past my 1/2 marathon time goal. When I tied them up before every run, it was my time to decide 'ok it's time to go, so don't be a wuss'.

Inevitably, shoes wear out. I knew it was time to replace my old friends, but could a new pair ever be as good? We'll see.
2nd pair of Mizzuno - Pink this time. (hear the angels singing?!) Pink.  I loved them. However, I also knew I wouldn't be wearing them much right away because my knee had been acting up after my 2nd 1/2 marathon, and I was taking a running break. That break turned into knee surgery.

After rehab, recovery, etc. I finally got to use them. They were with me for my first run after surgery. That was the worst day I can ever remember. Horrible, horrible day. I cried almost the whole run and all the way home.

After that, the pink ones & I never really got along. Now, that bad run wasn't their fault at all, they made my toes tingly and felt really narrow through the toes. Weird because they were the same shoe as my first purple Mizzunos, but they had 'improved' the model, so it was a little different.

I ran with these until they too were worn out, but I was pretty much counting the runs so I could try a different pair.

Enter Saucony. More room in the toe box, no tingly toes. Not super crazy about these either - they feel heavy to me. But we have had some good times. My comeback 1/2 marathon season last fall, a 5K PR, and lots of treadmill miles (since it is winter now).

So there you go. My shoes. I love them all, but in the end, that first pair will always be my favorite. Silly aren't I?!

Kickin the New Year's Butt

Happy New Year! I haven't blogged for a long, long time. Holidays, no races, etc. Just nothing much to say. BUT I do have a few things today!

1. I got a Garmin for Christmas and took it on my first run today. I've been stuck inside on the treadmill for the past few weeks and ugh, that really isn't fun. Last weekend I did 11 miles on the treadmill at my gym. O.M.G. 2 hours running, running, running and never going anywhere! Plus I had to watch golf on the gym tv. That is just WRONG people.

Anyway, back to the Garmin. Why, why, why did I wait so long to get one of these?! Are you freaking kidding me?! It is AWESOME. Downside....being the borderline OCD person that I am.....I could really turn into a numbers girl super fast with this baby. My runs will never be the same!

2. I have been spinning, spinning, spinning trying to fit into those New Year's Eve Miss Me Jeans! I know you are just DYING to know if I made it. No :( Dang it.

They were on.
They were zipped.
They were buttoned.
But holy cow they were NOT pretty!

They are still hanging up where I get ready for work everyday ....waiting.....waiting.....

We have conversations some days about how we both really want to hang out together. But it just isn't meant to be. Not yet anyway. Bad timing I guess? So....yeah...uh hum... ok I got caught up there for a second.

My New Year's Eve pants just became my Birthday pants instead. Feb 6 it is!

3. I got to run outside today! It was beautiful weather, completely perfect for a run. I ran with my friend Rachel who is doing the Couch to 5K program. Today her goal was 20 min straight....she did that NO PROBLEM. I was super proud of her and I just love seeing people getting excited about running! PUMPS ME UP to RUN! Love it. We'll be running a 5K at the end of the month that she is clearly going to KILL!

4. New Year's Resolutions. Well, yeah, I make them. Along with every person in the gym this week (boy has it been crowded!) I have some in mind, for all areas of my life right now. Yes, I think about more than running - every once in awhile. Will catch you up on those later b/c I hate to type them out until I've really had time to make them tangible goals. (there's that OCD thing again...)

Happy New Year Friends! I think it's gonna be a great one.
xoxo

Obsess Anyone?

Ok so yeah, I admit it. I'm a bit obsessive. And more than a little bit goal driven. Running is perfect for an obsessive freak such as myself -- there is always faster & farther, always a new goal.

Recently my newest obsession is this pretty, little (I emphasize little) pair of Miss Me jeans that stare at me each morning while I'm getting ready for work. They are sparkly and beautiful and calling my name. See, I bought these jeans a while back knowing full well I could *never* wear them in public the way they were that day in the dressing room. But I loved them so much...and they didn't have the next size up...so I bought them.

Here is my public declaration that these little pretties will be on my tushie (and zipped!) by NEW YEAR'S eve. 3 weeks. Think I can do it?!?!

Winter Runderland 10K

Today was the 3rd Annual Winter Runderland 10K, put on by our local running store Manhattan Running Company. I am so glad to have local races and I so appreciate the work that goes into planning an event like this. I used to be an event planner, so that probably makes me appreciate this a little more, but getting this together is no small task. So hats off to my friends at MRC for making this a great day!

I ran this race last year - in the freezing rain! No rain in the forecast today (thank goodness, that was awful, but we did get badass status for running it in my book) When I woke up at 8am today it was 13 degrees. BRRRRRRR. Luckily the race start was 3:00 this afternoon so it had a chance to warm up to a balmy 34!

I was hoping to get a big group of us together for the race today, but everyone seemed to have other things going on today. There is one friend who is always good for a race....yep, Russ :) Russ started running last summer and has already run two 1/2 marathons, several 5Ks and today we embarked on his second 10K. Russ has an amazing story of he and his super cute little wife Jaime finding a way to change their lives by health, wellness, exercise & weight loss. Read all about Russ's Thanksgiving reflection on his blog Thunder Road Racing. It's an awesome post. I wish Russ would post some pics of he & Jaime's transformation - it's incredible. (hint, Russ, post the pics!)

Ok on to raceday. After fussing about my clothing choice....Russ & I headed to the start. We stayed in the car as long as we could messing around with our ipods, race bibs, shoe laces, gloves, etc. Noone would ever put this much thought into a normal 6 miler - raceday is just crazy. Well, I mean it makes us crazy. My shoe laces aren't tight enough. Uh, now they are too tight. Should I wear these gloves or these gloves? How many layers should I wear? Does my hair look stupid in these piggytails? Ugh. I spent pretty much the whole day obsessing.

Our goal today was 60 min or under.

We started out strong with mile 1 at 9:40. But I was really uncomfortable (like I always am at mile 1....but my freaking ipod got paused somehow, and it was buried under too many dang layers to get it going again. Crap. No music. I had my playlist picked *just* right to bring me strong into the finish. I knew messing with it would screw up my pace, so, gonna have to go without it.

Mile 2, lookin' good. Mile 3, yep, right on target. Mile 4, good. Here we are finishing up mile 4 with a thumbs up :) Mile 5 we slowed down a bit - our second trip up the hill. We lost some time there and hit the mile 5 marker at 50:45. Dang it. We had 9 minutes to get the last 1.2 in. I knew I could do this - just yesterday I ran a 9:00 & an 8:30 1/2 mile on the treadmill at the end of my 5 miler. But I knew we'd be cutting it really close. I knew mile 6 had a few small hills at the front, but the finish is all downhill and should be enough to bring us in.

At the finish we had to come across a busy street, and police were stopping traffic. When we were approaching the intersection I saw the cop waving some cars through - I said to Russ 'that dude better stop those cars, cause I'm NOT stopping!' I was going for it. Yeah, I don't think he heard me because he probably had Miley Cyrus blaring in his headphones by this point. LOL And yes, I was jealous since I had nothing but my wheezing to listen to.

We hit the mile 6 marker.....and then hit 1:00 on my watch. DANG IT. We didn't make it. SO FREAKING CLOSE. I will tell you this though, I am pretty proud of that last mile being a 9:15. We finished up with a 1:01:01. I will obsess about that 1 minute for a long time I'm sure. What we could have done different....could we have kicked in faster somewhere....if my new favorite Pink song was playing my ears could I have run faster....if I hadn't ran a hard treadmill workout yesterday could I have made it....blah, it's starting already.

But here are the good things about that 1:01:01:

**Seeing Russ's family there to support him was awesome. Having my hubs and kiddo driving around the course yelling at us was awesome. Such troopers coming out in the fa-reezing cold to support our insane habit. How would we do this day after day, race after race without family & friends supporting us?

**My race time last year for this race was 59:03. So much has happened this past year. Surgery, rehab, getting back, etc. When I started back to running in August I was at 11 min miles on a good day. Running 6.2 at a 9:50 average and being only 2 minutes off from where I was last year? Yep, I'll take that.

**This was a 6 1/2 minute PR for Russ from his 10K in August! 6 minute PR in a 10K is huge and awesome and awesomely huge. That's a whole minute faster per mile. Holy crap!

**I didn't hurl like I *almost* *kinda* did last year.

**I took home a sa-weet 2nd place age group medal! I hope I never get ho-hum about getting a raceday medal. I know some people have so many of them that they aren't that big of a deal to them anymore, but I love, love, LOVE bringing home a race day medal. If I could wear it to work tomorrow without everyone talking about how crazy I was, I totally would.

Man, I LOVE race day. No sleep the night before, obsessing about every little detail, running with my friends, having our families there, working hard and being proud....the whole thing.

What a great way to end the 2010 racing year!

21 Habits of Happy People

I read this list today and thought it was worth sharing with my bloggy friends :)

“Happiness is a habit – cultivate it.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Happiness is one aspiration all people share. No one wants to be sad and depressed. We’ve all seen people who are always happy – even amidst agonizing life trials. I’m not saying happy people don’t feel grief, sorrow or sadness; they just don’t let it overtake their life. The following are 21 things happy people make a habit of doing:

1. Appreciate Life
Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

2. Choose Friends Wisely
Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.

3. Be Considerate
Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

4. Learn Continuously
Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or sky-diving.

5. Creative Problem Solving
Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right.

6. Do What They Love
Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

7. Enjoy Life
Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.

8. Laugh
Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)

9. Forgive
Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.

10. Gratitude
Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.

11. Invest in Relationships
Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive.

12. Keep Their Word
Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.

13. Meditate
Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualization or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.

14. Mind Their Own Business
Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.

15. Optimism
See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.

16. Love Unconditionally
Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them.

17. Persistence
Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.

18. Be Proactive
Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.

19. Self Care
Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.

20. Self Confidence
Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.

21. Take Responsibility
Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake.

Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as you own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be!