Still on the wagon! Or...er...running along side the wagon?

After several failed attempts at 3-4 milers last week (I blame it on improper fueling, too much coffee, not enough water, and general laziness), I awoke Sunday to a massive thunderstorm.

After training for my first 13.1 and running three quarters of the training on a treadmill, I vowed to do most of my running outdoors, rain or shine. I really feel that for newbies, running outside makes you the most prepared for race day.

So, I asked for a running rain jacket for my birthday - check! No more excuses for the rain! I have a vest and gloves for cold days, a hat with a cool ponytail hole for even colder days, and plenty of other running acoutrements.

Sadly, I do not have a block-lightning-from-striking-me-dead-hat. (Do they make those?)

After several reports of golfers and those outdoors during thunderstorms being hit my Thomas Eddison's nemesis, I decided to call off my outdoor run and head for the treadmill.

My husband was planning a 7 miler, and I had 4 planned. Given how slow I run, I knew we would finish right around the same time! (Embarrassing, I know...) I actually had a lovely run. I really focused on breathing and my stride, and managed to keep my heart rate down in the reasonable zone (160's) until I hit mile 3, then it jumped up.

A redeeming run is really one of the best things out there. It makes up for so many crummy runs when your legs feel like lead. This treadmill run, while not outside, was still a good thing, and exactly what I needed.

The good news? A St. Louis Rock 'N Roll Marathon is now on the books for 10/23/11. Who has two thumbs and is contemplating signing herself up? ---> This girl <------

Yes, I know, I run like a girl...

I just cannot get a good blogging schedule down these days. Work has been a little crazy as we transition to a new boss, consolidate jobs, create new to-do lists, etc....so somehow this lil' ol' blog just falls by the wayside. *tear*

Enter September. Enter fall, all things pumpkin/harvest squash flavored/spiced. Enter an actual training plan that involves running....and.....what else? My toenails are ACTUALLY GROWING BACK! I joked with my husband the other day that we should have a "Welcome Back" party for my toenails. All my friends had to put up with the craziness after the first 13.1 race, so I figured we should all celebrate. Gross.....toenail party. Ugh! : )


Well, the most exciting thing I have done thus far is get involved with an awesome nonprofit called Girls On the Run (GOTR). You can find out more at this link http://www.girlsontherun.org. It's a pretty amazing organization, and I am proud to be able to help inspire girls to engage in a healthy and fit lifestyle that involves gobs of positive energy!

I sit at a desk and in meetings 90% of my day, so when I get the chance to get out and run with girls, it is simply amazing. I've worked with many other organizations focusing on our female youth, but none that has quite the energy and effervescent quality that GOTR has. I am so looking forward to helping these ladies reach their 5k goal as I strive towards my second 13.1 in December.

So, I am back on the running bandwagon. Ran 2 mi yesterday, plus 45 min of cross training. Today is a 3 mile tempo run, and a 4 miler faces me on Sunday. It is a little rainy and cool today, reminding me that fall is just around the corner. I think I'll take to running in the cooler temps quite well. I hated running in the hotter weather of this past spring.

Enjoy your weekend! I'll be revisiting my posts from the spring that showed my fear of the dreaded 3, 4, 5mi distances.... What happened in the end? Oh, that's right. I ran thirteen miles...and a tenth. So, I'll try not to be such a scardeycat as I face this second round of training.

On the road again...

Hi there! The last few days have been productive and I have been able to ease back into my running schedule. Friday I logged a 5k on the treadmill at a nice, slow pace. Saturday am the hubby and I headed out for an outdoor run. I am so blessed to have such beautiful parks to use for my longer runs! Granted, Sat's run was not long (just short of 3.1mi), but it was still lovely to be out in the breeze, seeing other runners just like me! Check out my view from the end of my run. How gorgeous????

So, uh, one time, I did this thing called blogging...remember blogging?

I'd love to write some amazingly romantic post about how following my first half marathon I continued to ramp up my mileage, and ran the Chicago half on my first wedding anniversary. That was the plan. Well, the plan was a major fail.

The less glamorous, but more accurate story is that one week after the April 1/2, my toenails were killing me. I mean, couldn't put on shoes killing me. So, I went to my local podiatrist, and he informed me that (if you are grossed out stop reading and skip to the next paragraph) that both big toenails would have to come off. They were bruised, and dead, and would fall off and probably get infected if I didn't take care of it right then and there.

I went into the office thinking I might have my toenails drained and be dandy right after. Pressure relieved = Happy runner!

No, that is not what happened. I ended up having to get a ride home because my feet were numb and I couldn't drive home. I was in horrible pain for days following, and had bloody bloody stumps of big toes. Which, ironically, are necessary for just about all aspects of walking. Ugh!

It took 3 weeks for my toes to feel okay in running shoes. It took 4 weeks for me to be able to gingerly step food on the pavement and start a measly 2 mile run. So, the August 1/2 came and went, and I was nowhere to be found in the crowd. *sniff*

Now, enter fall. After a week at the beach and a few short runs, I am eagerly looking forward to the longer run. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I have run a long training run. I love the fact that I started barely running 2 miles and ran 13.1. So, with my toenails only half grown back (which makes for a wonky looking pedicure), I am stepping foot back into the water of the running world.

The new goal is the St. Jude Hospital Half Marathon in December. Memphis in December is supposed to be chilly, but not horrible. I am looking forward to having the fall to train. Cooler days are always kinder for long runs.

So, that's the latest and greatest. I have a 10k planned for Halloween, but no inventive costume just yet. I can plan said costume during my long Sunday runs this fall. : )

13.1? Check!

So, it turns out, you CAN actually run a half marathon if you weren't a runner 3 months prior. How do I know this?

Because yesterday, I ran a half marathon.

I started out with the 2:30 finish time pace group, and stuck with them through mile 7. I knew miles 7-10 would be my demise, and I was right! I had to stop a few times to fix my knee brace, as well as walk through the water stations. So my pace did suffer as a result, but I am still nonetheless thrilled that I completed the task at hand!

It was hard, it was exhilarating. It was like nothing I have ever done before.

And I want to do it again. : )

My 2:41 finish time needs big improvement - that, will be my next goal to tackle! 2:20 anyone?

One less person to compete with on the running trails..

....the epitome of ridiculousness....

She had so much surgery she doesn't want to run anymore? Wow.

Guess that is one less person I have to worry about lapping me in the park!

Bad Blogger...

It has been a full 2 weeks since I really felt the need to post to this blog. Perhaps it's the fact that I no longer needed it to make me feel accountable. It was the looming 13.1 on the calendar that made me feel incentivized to run! Alas, I will share the trials and tribulations of my last 2 weeks worth of runs.

3/26 - I ran nine (count them, nine) miles. It. Was. Amazing. I really could not believe I ran 9 miles, and felt like a million bucks. I met up with my hubby after the run, and he had done 11, and was hurting head to toe. We both went home, nursed our sore joints, and ate a much needed dinner!

After running 9, I really felt like the half marathon was doable. Sure, 9 miles was hard, but if I had to run another 4 to finish off the half, I could have done it! Enter: knee pain.

I have now been nursing knee pain on the inside of my knee (probably a 2 out of 10 on the pain scale), that has persisted ever since my 9 miler two weeks ago. I went to a meeting on Saturday after my run, wore kitten heels all day, and I think made my knee pretty ticked off that it was not only forced to run 9 miles, but then tackle 9 hours in heels, plus stairs. Fail.

I took last week easy (doing only 2 short runs and a cross training day), and I paid for it come long-run on Friday. I had to run 10 miles, and though I had diligently iced my knee, and stretched, it was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. Oh - to add insult to injury, there was a 20mph sustained wind, and it was 80 degrees. We don't get 80 degree weather in late March here in the upper midwest - it's craziness. So, I was hot, pushed the other way due to wind, and exhausted from my constricting knee brace. My husband met me with the car at mile 8.5 and coaxed me into the vehicle. It was probably the best thing I could have done, as the sky opened up about 30 minutes later. I learned to listen to my body. I learned that sometimes it is better to just stop than to push it and get really injured.

I also learned the valuable lesson that cross training will save you from running hell if you have an injury. I didn't really cross train all that much, or anything close to the intensity that I run at during a training run. I needed to bike harder, or swim, or SOMETHING other than 30 mins at a HR of 100bpm. Ugh. My cardiovascular system hated me during that run - I had weakened it and it was angry!

So - this week, I am tapering my miles. I did a little under 4mi yesterday, and will do 3, 2, and 2 respectively through Thursday. Then, I get to rest Friday and Saturday - and RUN on Sunday!

Yup - 13.1 miles - here I come! Who knows? Maybe I'll actually finish the 13.1 in under 3 hrs, and then start looking to the marathon as another goal! : )