Disney Marathon Weekend Part Two: Full Marathon Day

I had a lot of different emotions coming into the marathon. I felt untrained, unprepared, and really not ready. Frankly, part of me was dreading it. I just wasn't in the right mental space to run 26.2 miles.. then I found out that the weather was going to be insanely hot... and I looked forward to it even less, if that is possible. ...but everybody else in my group was really excited about it.

Everybody set individual obnoxious cell phone alarms for 3 am, so there was no question that we would wake up. I actually slept pretty well, considering that it was the night before a huge race. I was pretty worn out from the night before the half (Friday night). I think that, by the time the first obnoxious alarm went off, I had slept 6 or 7 hours, which is VERY good for the night before a race.

I woke up and realized that half of my face was still swollen from the night before. (I've been having some hives lately.. some kind of an allergic reaction or something. It happened for a little while when I was a kid, too.) I was definitely not excited about a swollen upper lip, but hoped for the best. We got dressed, went to the bus... and Kath realized that she forgot her camera. Sad face, especially since we planned to run separately. After some discussion, I decided to give Kath my camera and run with my mom. We had never run together for more than a few miles before, but we have a similar pace. I also had overheard someone running with her dad during the half and it made me feel thankful to share the experience with  my mom. (insert sappy "I miss my dad, but I'm glad that my mom is still here" music...)

So we rode the bus to EPCOT and began the long walk to the corrals. (It's such a long long walk. That's one thing that Chicago did better, in my opinion. The corral situation was much easier, but probably also easier for running bandits... hence them running out of medals.) We ended up splitting up, because Jen was a corral ahead of the rest of us (that speed demon!). We said our goodbyes, wished her good luck on her very first full marathon (!!), then my mom, Kath and I went to corral E to get ready for the race. We chatted for a while, I excitedly murmured about Joey Fatone running the Goofy Challenge (they were interviewing him). I really felt a personal connection with him... it was his first half AND his first full. That makes him crazier than me. It made me think back to my first Goofy Challenge and how I had no idea what I was getting into. With this one being my third, I was feeling a like I knew what to expect, but not super pumped about it. I knew that it was going to be really emotional, but I wasn't ready to really face that.

 Eventually, the fireworks went off and there went corral A. I started to feel a little bit more excited about the race, but not where I really wished that I could be. I was excited about the idea of running with my mom, because we hadn't done it before. My mom and I have gotten a lot closer since we both started running and have lost all of the weight that we have lost. It is really special to share running with her. (and my best friend! If Kath didn't come along to my races and train with me, I don't know WHAT I would do. It would be a lot more lonely.) I just couldn't really wrap my mind around the 26.2 miles that were looming ahead. I was nervous that the course had changed for the 20th anniversary, because I didn't really have a map in my head of exactly where we were going. I just knew that I was glad that we weren't going to do the EPCOT loop that had been done previously. It does sort of suck to run a 5k and then end up back at the start line, knowing that you still have more than 20 miles to run. haha. Anyways.. eventually, it was Corral E's turn to start and we took off. Kath stayed with my mom and me for close to a mile before she went off to run her first full marathon. My mom and I stayed at a steady pace and talked a little bit before we got to the Magic Kingdom. We planned to stop in the park for pictures (and a clean bathroom stop!), so we knew we would lose time that we would have to make up for.

One of the parts that I always dread during a Run Disney event is the giant hill in front of the Contemporary. It came at mile 4 (ish) during the half, and this time, during the full, too. As always, the hill was very challenging. It's a steep hill down, followed by a just as steep hill straight back up. My mom and I walked the up hill part... It takes much less energy to walk sometimes.. and it isn't too much of a different pace! At that point, we were passed by a coworker of my mom's, who said hello and went on his way. (I love how much of a community running is!) We ran into the Magic Kingdom and down Main Street. It is always really exhilarating to see all of the spectators lined up along Main Street, cheering for their runners. It always sort of makes me tear up. It was neat to get to run down Main Street with my mom. Last year at the half, we happened to meet up there and get a cute picture, but during this race we were together on purpose!

After we ran down Main Street, we stopped for a picture with Buzz Lightyear! Then we used the park's bathrooms, which is ALWAYS a good idea. When you can avoid the port-a-potty, you always should. (At least, that is my philosophy.) We ran through Tomorrowland and into Fantasyland.. Then we ran through the castle and into Liberty Square and Frontierland. That's always a fun part for me, because I keep my eyes out for coworkers. This time, just like on Saturday, I stopped at the Market and waved to some of my fellow stockers.. then we went on our way. My mom and I had lost some time, but knew that we would make it up on the dreaded Bear Island Road. (I had been dreading Bear Island Road the most out of the whole race. I almost lost all of my motivation on Bear Island Road last year and nearly walked the entire thing!)

After Magic Kingdom, we ran back toward the Transportation and Ticket Center, where the next part of the course was to run on the Speedway. I had never even seen the Speedway, so I knew that it was going to be a surprise for me. This part was one of the new portions of the course that they had changed this year, for the 20th anniversary of the race. It actually ended up being pretty neat. There was a crazy downhill/uphill to get onto the speedway, which was ROUGH, but there were a lot of old cars sitting out. It reminded me of going to the Muddy River Run with my uncle when I was a kid. We also stopped for a picture with Mater from Cars. Otherwise, it was a little crazy how slanted the road was, some parts were a little more hilly than others. It was a good change, though. I'd definitely do that again rather than the "to EPCOT and back to the start line" beginning that we had done in the past.

After the Speedway was Bear Island Road. I told my mom that I had really struggled there last year and she had too. I was glad that it came earlier in the course this time, because I felt like I still had some energy to power through the road. At first, it was okay and we ran at a pretty good pace, cutting some legitimate time that we had lost during the Magic Kingdom. We chatted and stayed together. Eventually, we got to the sanitation plant, which was pretty terrible. It smelled worst than it had in years past and I literally had to run on the side of the road gagging. I was pretty sure that I was going to throw up... Somehow, I didn't and was able to keep going. (Then I made the mistake of waiting in the LONGEST bathroom line of all time and we lost ALL of the time that we had just made up. Plus some.)

Animal Kingdom was good. It's always really short though. I wish that there was another mile in the park, because it goes by so quickly. (Next year, I'm thinking about hopping on Expedition Everest during the marathon. That would be a hell of a story to tell!) When we got to the parking lot after Animal Kingdom (mile 14ish), I sped up a little bit, then slowed down. I really wanted to stay with my mom and help her stay motivated. She was doing her best, but really struggling with the heat. She was having some pain in her jaw that was bothering her and was drained. She told me to go ahead a couple times and joked about getting on the next bus, but ended up feeling a little better and we kept going. When we got to mile 16, we were running on one side of the street and lots of people ahead of us (at mile 21!) were running back on the opposite side of the street. All of a sudden, Kath came bounding across the grassy median to give hugs and say hello. I was very excited to see that she seemed to be feeling so awesome at that point.

My mom and I ended up splitting up right before mile 17. She had decided to walk for a while and I really wanted to just get moving. It was right before ESPN, which is pretty significant, because it was the part I was looking forward to the second least (only after Bear Island Road!). I knew that it was going to be a part that I was going to be in my head a LOT. The last time that I ran out there was during the Tower of Terror 10 miler, which was a really significant race for me personally and really signified a pretty big shift in my life. I expected to be hit with memories and I really was. There is something about running that can really get to me. I almost never run with music, so I am always stuck in my head thinking about things, memories, ideas, when I'm out there. All of the feelings that I had been feeling for the past several months hit me right then... like I expected. It was an extremely emotional three miles through the Wide World of Sports.. and I needed it. My life has been through so many changes in the past year that were awesome and awful. I thought about every moment during those three miles.

After the Wide World of Sports, I still had an okay pace. I pushed it up the last overpass toward Hollywood Studios, knowing that I was close and trying not to think about or be concerned for my mom. Running through Hollywood Studios was almost like a relief for me. I knew that I was almost there and I felt VERY strong and very confident. From that was the Boardwalk, then World Showcase at EPCOT... (I do love watching people buy beer and snacks during the final stretch of the  marathon.) Before I knew it, I had crossed the finish line! I was hot and emotional. I felt like my body had just been through one of the most difficult things it had ever been through... and that was accurate. It was the most emotional race of my life, topped by it being the day after a half.. and the heat was insane.

I turned on my phone as I walked toward the snack station and got a text from my mom saying that she had been picked up by the bus and was waiting for me. I almost lost it right then. Somehow, I walked to the Goofy Tent, got my medal, and then started crying. When I met up with my mom, I started sobbing. It was the most out of control I have been in a long time. I didn't even know how to put words to what I was feeling in that moment. It was nuts. Eventually, I calmed down and we got on the bus back to the hotel, showered, and got ready for the parks for the evening.

I felt more calm as time went on. I expected for it to be emotional, but all of it with the heat and with feeling sad that I left my mom and she didn't get to finish just combined for a really awful few moments.

...but I'll probably be back for more next year.

2013:
Miles run: 53.75/1000
Miles biked: 0
Meters swum: 0

Chicago Marathon Recap!!!!!

I guess it is about time that I write my Chicago Marathon race report. It's been a week since the race now and I've been home (sick!) and wishing that it wasn't over. Anyways...

Last Thursday was my 26th birthday. It started with breakfast with Katherine (and Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch!) at O'Hana's. Then, we hit Downtown Disney for a little bit of shopping before I had to come back and finish packing before my flight. (It's practically a birthday tradition to hit Downtown Disney!)

I flew up to Indiana to spend the rest of my birthday with family. I haven't spend my actual birthday in my hometown since 2006. My mom, sister, and I went out for dinner and drinks (only for my mom and I), then my brother and his fiancee went to get appetizers with us later that night. Yes, appetizers post dinner. That is, by the way, what began my terrible pre-race eating. Bad choices all around.

Friday, I had lots of appointments. I finally met my baby cousin, Wyatt, who is now five months old! That was fun. Then, we had a big birthday party for me. Super fun! I haven't had a big family gathering like that in a very long time. I got to see almost all of my favorite people in one place at one time. So yay for that! I got lots of well wishes for my race. 

Saturday morning, it was time to head to Chicago. My nerves were going insane the entire drive. I slept off and on and felt nervous for the rest of the time. I felt like the drive took no time at all and all of a sudden, we were at the expo. Major freak out. I was nervous and anxious and feeling unprepared for the race. I sucked it up and we went and expo-ed for a while. I'd have to say that Chicago is the coolest race expo that I have been to so far. I bought some new shoes and a t-shirt... and some energy gels (because I need them!). We walked around for a while and looked at things. It was truthfully very very fun.

When we finally decided that it was time to leave the expo, we went to my mom's friend/my godmother's house to spend the night. We sat up chatting for a little while, ate some more birthday cake (!), then got everything together for the race. I was so amazed that it was almost time to run Chicago. I couldn't believe it. I'd put so much into training for the race and it was here. I didn't sleep well at all. I've never been so nervous before a race in my life.

We got up in the morning and dressed in layers. (It wasn't even 40 degrees out yet! I live in Florida now!) Then we headed to downtown Chicago. We got there super early and went to a McDonald's to use the bathroom and my mom wanted to eat. I was still too nervous. Eventually, we made it to the starting corrals and ended up being some of the first people in the last corral. That was fun. We stood there shivering for a little while. I still was not excited about the race at all. I don't know what the problem was. I was just really nervous about the race and had been for months.

Finally, it was time to start and things really started moving. When we crossed the start line, I half expected that my mom and I would stay together for a little bit. I turned around after a few minutes and she wasn't there. That was okay though. I felt really strong for the first several miles of the race. I ran my first 5k split at at a 12:33 pace (That's almost a 5k PR for me). My 10k was 14: 02 pace (I stopped for the bathroom right before the 10k mark.) and my 15k was 13:23. I felt SO good for my first half of the race. I actually felt really good until about mile 17.

Then I ran out of gas. Hit the wall. Whatever.

I walked several miles after that and kept beating myself up about it. I was exhausted and sick (did I mention that yet? I've been sick for about two weeks now. Awful.), but I kept pushing forward. It eventually hit me that I wasn't going to run a 6 hour marathon. Then I slowed down more.

I finished in 6:31:45. I'm disappointed. I know that if I hadn't gone so fast out of the gate, I would not have run out of gas and I would have met my goal. Still, I ran a 16 minute PR, so I'm glad for that.

I did LOVE the race though. It was cold (I ran with my hat and gloves on the entire time), but the city was wonderful. There were SO many people cheering there. It was so fun to run between skyscrapers and to see things in the city that I've been to many times. I love Chicago and I'm glad that I got to have the memory of running in it. I pushed myself harder than I have before (for 17 miles haha.) and felt awesome.

A few of my favorite things:

• giving children high 5s. I love when kids spectate. I gave MANY children high 5s.
• The "Nike Owns Chicago" section of the race. I think it was at 21 or 22. I was drained and my ankle was hurting at that point. Really awesome though! (I half wish I brought a camera.)
• Spectators!!!!
• "You have stamina! Call me!" Best. Sign. Ever. (Besides "McKayla is not impressed" that I saw at Disneyland.)
• Volunteers!! 
• Best expo I've ever been to. Hands down.
• Medical people giving out space blankets at mile 23/24. I needed it. 
• I got to stand at the finish line and hug my mom when she finished!

A couple disappointments:

• They ran out of medals before I finished. Bummer. I should be getting mine in the mail soon. (tomorrow?)
• Some of the people at the water stations stood waaay to far into the road and crowded it for the runners. 
• Running out of gas/hitting the wall. Boo. 
• Hill at mile 26. That hurt my feelings!
• Mostly the medal thing.
• I had gastrointestinal issues.

I've only run once since then. I'm trying to get healthier. I've been super sick. I do need to hop into Goofy training though. 

I learned some valuable lessons from this race. I plan to work a little harder at endurance and pacing myself. ..and not eating like crap.

I can't believe that it's over.

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days

So far: 678.06 miles/288 days

To go: 321.94 miles/78 days

Wipe out!

I've had the most intense week and a half.
I'm not even 100% where to start with this. It's been so crazy.

I think I wrote about it, but last Monday, I was in a car accident. I've had my car in the shop since last Saturday and it's been so frustrating to not have a car. I should have gotten a rental car, but I really thought I'd have my car back by now. I know that it's not really anybody's specific fault. It's just a frustrating situation. I should have my car back early next week. (fingers crossed!)
[I'm super thankful for having a really awesome best friend who has been willing to go out of her way to drive me around.]

That's her!

So anyways, I have been majorly slacking on my running lately. I've also been extremely stressed out about school and my car. I've been putting in a lot of time looking for a full time job. I'm two weeks away from being 26, which means that I come off of my mom's health insurance soon. (as a person with epilepsy, it is pretty important that I stay insured.) I've had a lot on my mind. I guess that running hasn't been working out so well for me. I do need to try to keep my focus though. It's really a prime example of how life can knock a person down... and then kick the same person at the same time. (a few times.) That's sort of what I feel like I've been dealing with lately.

So. I have two runs that I haven't posted about. It's been a week since I've last posted and I've only run twice. That's a little bit sad. But oh well. It's all in having a positive attitude. I just have to keep picking myself up every day. 

Last Thursday, I went for a run after class. I went to the gym with a friend from class. It was fun. We ran on the treadmill, which I hate, but we talked a lot and it was fun. It didn't even feel like I spent an hour on the treadmill. I'm glad I did it! I almost didn't go to the gym, because I had opened at work. Then I had three hours of class. I just didn't want to deal with it. I did, though. I ended up with about four and a quarter miles in a little over an hour. Not terrible.

Today, I opened at work. I was super upset when I got home, because I thought that I'd get to pick up my car today. No such luck. Anyways, I decided that I wasn't going to run today. Then, Katherine got home. She convinced me to run with her. We actually had an awesome run! We aimed for 5 miles, but saw a thunderstorm coming, so we decided to just wing it. We did end up making it to 5 miles! However, I definitely tripped over something. (I'm still not sure what.) I fell hard onto the ground. I skinned two knees and both hands. I feel like I bruised my shoulder, too, but I'm not 100% sure about that. I haven't looked yet. 

It was a little funny, because, when I fell, I jumped right back up because I was worried about my Garmin and my pace. haha. That's a sign of a certain kind of runner. ;-) Anyways, we kept going (after slowing down a lot) and still finished the 5 miles. I'm definitely glad I went today!!

Battle wounds. haha.

Anyways, fun times. hopefully, I get my car back soon. 

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days

So far: 611.8 miles/264 days

To go: 388.2 miles/102 days

...something to say about motivation.

I don't really have time to write. I have to leave for work in five minutes or so. Blah. (Did I tell you that I don't like working at night? Because I don't. It annoys me.)

Today Kath and I ran together. We did a little over eight and a half miles. It was really tough. For the first time outside of a race, I thought I was going to throw up. I've never felt sick during a training run before. I didn't even push myself too hard. I'm not sure what the problem was with my body. My breakfast was healthy and pretty light (a bagel with peanut butter and a slice of turkey ham). Ijust felt miserable. The. Whole. Time.

There's something to say for motivation though. I pulled it out in the end. I cut my average pace from 16 to 15:30 in the last three miles. (I'm really unhappy with that pace.) I'm glad I found the motivation to push past my barriers and move forward. I think that's pretty awesome.

I just wish I didn't have to dig so deep sometimes.

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 479.34 miles/225 days
To go: 520.66 miles/141 days

positives and negatives on long run day.

Long run day recap. Again.

Let's start with the positive things that happened during my run today... First, I ran the distance that I needed to. Though my toe is still swollen, it doesn't hurt at all when I'm running and only hurts some when I'm walking around. (I think that it mostly depends on what shoes that I am wearing. My work shoes are awful at squishing my toes. Ugh.) I'm ecstatic that I'm running again. I'm pleased that I only had to take a week off before I could run again. I'm glad that I did fourteen miles today. It takes a lot of mental strength to push it that hard and for that long. Yay for me.

I just wish that it was easier. I struggled a LOT today. My legs felt heavy and slow from the very beginning. I'm not sure how I ended up getting all of the miles in. I guess that I pushed it pretty hard, but my pace was way slower than I would have wanted it to be. ...frustrating. I KNOW that I can run faster and better than I ran today. I just don't know why I didn't do it today. I know that I should be pleased that I got the mileage that I needed, but I feel like my pace is pretty important, too.

I'm less than two months away from Chicago. I'm about three weeks from Disneyland. Then Tower of Terror 10 miler, then Chicago, then Wine & Dine, then the Jacksonville Distance Classic, then the Orlando Half, then Goofy (Dopey)! This is crazy. I just really want to make sure that my body is ready for all of this. I'm not sure that it is, because of tough runs like I had today. Frustrating...

I know that I can run the distance. I just want to get my pace to where I need it to be. I'm just feeling a little stuck right now, I guess. I don't know what the answer is... the magical motivation that I've been looking for.

I'm at a completely different sport than where I was last year at this time. My body is different and my training is so muh better. Frankly, I have no idea what my race pace might be. It has to be something better. I feel like I'm looking PRs in the face, I just don't know what they would be.

I'm also planning on adding personal training back into my regimen. I need it desperately. I can't find the motivation to strength train on my own. Another frustration...

Kath & I at 13 miles. Today was her furthest run in the history of her life!

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 470.74 miles/224 days
To go: 529.26 miles/142 days

3 cheers for being back to running.

I ran! (two days in a row!) I'm really excited about it.

I thought I was going to have to modify my distance in order to help work through the pain in my toe, but my toe really doesn't hurt at all when I run. I actually decided not to tape my toes today, because it seems like my foot is strained and I limp much more when I tape my toes together. The smushed toe is still swollen, but most of the bruising is gone now. I feel so much better. It's crazy how sad I was about my toe being injured. I thought I was going to have to lose a lot of my training in the next several days. Instead, I lost 3-4 days of training.  Yeah me!

So yesterday, I did four miles. It was the first run I'd done in a week and I felt great. It was awesome. I ran slowly, but I did what needed to be done. That's what really matters.

Today, I was scheduled 8 miles and I knew that I could do it. I did two miles, then Katherine came home from work and we finished out together. We had lots of good talks along the way. One fun thing about Katherine and I running together is that our pace has improved exponentially in the past few months. It used to be that we were pretty slow together and walked a lot. Now we can run much more quickly than we could before, so I'm excited about that. Lots of fun teamwork.

I'm exhausted, so that's all I have to say this time. ha. I'm just glad to be back!!

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 456.66 miles/222 days
To go: 543.34 miles/144 days

Training Week Six Day Four!

Today was a four miler. I took Katherine with me and we ended up doing almost four and a half miles.

I was feeling extremely tired the entire time, but I'm really glad that I got it done. It was hot and my body was just annoyed that I kept going when I just wanted to be lazy. I definitely haven't gotten that obese girl out of me yet. I still have MANY days when I feel like I'm still the girl who just wants to sit around all of the time. The difference is that I am able to push past it now and keep going. There's a sense of courage or something in me that can go further than I expect some days.

Tomorrow is a LONG run day and I'm a little nervous. Fourteen miles...

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 417.38 miles/210 days
To go: 582.62 miles/156 days

I hit 400 miles for the year! (finally) & starting Chicago Marathon training week 6

Yesterday was a crazy day, so I didn't do my normal Tuesday blog. I know, I know, sad right?! That's okay, though. I'll give everyone (all of my three faithful readers!) a quick update on my existence since long run day.

Yesterday was a 4 miler. I ran about two miles of it and walked and chatted with  my grandma on the phone for the other two miles. That's kind of like cheating, I guess. I just wasn't really feeling like being out there yesterday, so I'm glad that I went and did semi-okay. I killed it on the little over two miles that I did run, so that makes me feel a little bit better about it. It ended up being 4.25 miles at the end, so that was okay. I'm glad that I went.

(After I ran/walked, I had an appointment at school, then went to Seth and Andrea's birthday get together. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it felt like a busy day for a day off to me!)

Today was much less busy. I got up and didn't do a whole lot for the majority of the day. I went for a run after Katherine got off of work. We did seven miles today and it was ROUGH. I'm not really sure why it's been about two weeks since I have had a really good run, but it has gotten really frustrating. Maybe it's other things going on that is dampening my running. Even when I feel like I've had a decent pace and done well, I still have been frustrated with something about the run. I guess that's something that I really need to think about.

Anyways, the run today was really tough. We had to stop a few times to stretch out and it seemed like Katherine was struggling too. I felt like I could have cut a lot of time off and done a better job, but I didn't do it. I'm not sure what I need to change in order to have another really good training run. We ended up at a 14:50-ish pace, which, quite frankly, is really good for the both of us together. I do tend to walk and talk more when I'm with Katherine rather than run at a decent pace. I still feel like I could do a lot better. I'm just in a funk.

I do know that I need to start adding in some cross training and some serious weight training. I'm thinking about hitting the gym once or twice next week on my days off. I miss weight training and I'm tired of complaining about it and not making any changes. haha.

BUT in exciting news, I've finally hit 400 for the year! I do feel like my goal is reachable this year. Yay for me!

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 406.73 miles/207 days
To go: 593.27 miles/159 days

sometimes, it is just one step in front of the other

Goodness, I'm exhausted. I honestly don't even know what the deal with  me is. I feel drained and didn't feel like running today, but Katherine convinced me to go out anyways. (Thanks bff!) The run was tough and emotional. Usually, when I start a tough run, I end up doing okay and pulling it out in the end, but the entire thing was really rough on me this time. I had ...like one good mile. Out of seven. I thought I was going to be able to pick it up in the end and do okay, but by the end, my body was trying to give up on me.

I think part of it is my nutrition this week. I've been eating like crap. It has been spring break and my grandparents have been visiting... and I've been drinking WAY less water than I'm used to and WAY too much Mountain Dew... and bad carbs.. and food I should be only eating occasionally. For example, we ordered pizza the other day. I ate that pizza like I did 25 pounds ago. I kept getting more and more slices. Generally, if I'm eating pizza, I hold myself back to one slice or two slices at most.

I definitely feel like my nutrition has been getting the best of me this week. It comes down to making poor choices and that's on me.

I think that if I work on getting my eating back on point (or close to it), my body will respond better. I need to be able to run 7 miles without feeling horrible the entire time. I know that I'm just sort of beating myself up about it, but I really felt miserable for 95% of the run today. That's unacceptable. I've had many better runs than that. So many.

I'm just hoping that better days (better runs!) are right around the corner.

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 183.59 miles/70 days
To go: 816.41 miles/296 days

too much too soon.

I was supposed to have a training session today, but my trainer called and cancelled, unfortunately. My plan was to train with him and then put in a few miles on the treadmill. By a few, I was planning on 3-4ish miles. Instead, I didn't train and I decided to shoot for 7 miles.

When I decided to run 7 miles, I didn't think about how my legs would probably feel, considering I raced over the weekend. I did check the weather, but it lied to me (I think). So I went out and, initially, my run went pretty well. I was at a 13 minute pace for the first three miles, but then I started to feel a little miserable. It was hot- probably in the mid 80s rather than the low 70s like I thought it was supposed to be. I started to cramp up in my stomach AND my legs felt like bricks. By that point, though, I was three miles away from my apartment, so there was no quick way to get home. I sat down on a bench for a little bit, but then got up and kept moving.

I decided to try to stick it out, so I ran to the end of the trail that I usually take when I go run, then I turned around and came back. I ran/walked the majority of the way back, but still felt a little awful. I ended up walking the last mile and didn't quite finish out the entire 7 miles (6.76 was my final distance). When I got home, I was still in a lot of pain and couldn't really get around. I think part of it was that I was really dehydrated, because, although I brought water with me, it was much hotter than I anticipated. I definitely lost a lot of body fluid due to sweat.

I even thought about skipping class because I felt so miserable, but I sucked it up and went.

Anyways, the moral of the story is: I need to spend more time listening to my body when I run. I need to stop expecting too much out of myself or I'll never accomplish the goals that I've set. I definitely set myself up for a tough run today. I'm glad I was able to make it home semi-okay, but it was probably a bad idea that I went as far as I did.

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 155.96 miles/59 days
To go: 844.04 miles/307 days

very hot 7 mile run today.

Happy Saturday!

Last night, I had to close stock, so I was at work until about 2 am or so, which made me not really anticipate being able to get up and run today. I was hoping that I'd  be able to, though. And I was!

I ended up waking up at 10 this morning and hung around a little bit before I went out for a run. For some reason, I definitely didn't check the weather before I left and it was almost unbearably hot for a little bit. I also wore a cotton t-shirt rather than a moisture wicking shirt, so that probably didn't help my heat and the sweating.  It was definitely a tough run. I ended up finishing 7 miles, though, which was my goal. I was a little slower than I wanted my pace to be, but maybe I just set my goals a little high. I don't know.

I am glad that I've started getting myself  moving again. It's fantastic that I got myself running again after a short-ish dry spell. I haven't been able to get myself out there after a dry spell very well before (usually it takes a race or someone pushing me out the door). I'm glad that I was able to do it. Yay me.

I'm getting pretty excited for my race next weekend! I'm actually shocked that it's next week! Princess Half Marathon Weekend. I'm hoping that I'll be able to do well without being overly paranoid about the fact that last year at the Princess Half Marathon, I almost got picked up by the sweeper. I was definitely injured and had a sprained ankle and I know that was part of the reason that I had such a hard time. The only problem is that it has been stuck in my mind ever since. I just don't want to ever be so close to the sweeper bus again. Ever. In my life.

I hate to cut it short, but I have to head to work (boo!).

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days
So far: 132.62 miles/49 days
To go: 867.38 miles/317 days

January Recap: 110 miles!

I suppose it's time for a January recap, considering that tomorrow is February. (already? are you KIDDING me? Time certainly flies...) First though, a little discussion of today's run. :)

Today, Katherine and I went for a run. Sort of. She had some pain from a run she had yesterday and didn't really disclose how much pain she was really in. (actually, I think she was injured during the Disney half marathon at the beginning of the month and it hasn't 100% healed yet.) About a half mile into it, I really started to notice that her stride was a little limpy and, for someone who is generally much faster than I am, she stopped to stretch and had trouble catching back up to me. I felt really bad for her. :( This time, we ran at her pace instead of mine, because generally she runs way slower than her pace in order to run with me. At mile 2(ish), we stopped for some more stretching, and talked about whether or not we should finish all 6 miles that we had planned on doing. We decided to trudge along with the intention of turning around if it came to that. We went a little bit slower than  we generally do when we run together, and incorporated more walking, but hey, what can you do? Anything for a friend. She's spent too many days running at my pace.

We were going to try to get 4 miles in, but continued past it, walking more than usual. Toward the end, I started to feel a little tight in my hip. Ugh. Frustrating. We were quite a pair.

Anyways, we ended up getting back to the apartment at about 6.40 miles, according to the Garmin, and I decided I'd keep going for a little while. I was shooting for 7, but still felt like I had it in me to continue after that. I ended up finishing with 8.15 miles today, which was pretty incredible. It was slow but fun.

So that brings my total to:
So far: 110.06 miles/31 days
To go: 889.94 miles/335 days

Are you KIDDING ME? One Hundred TEN miles in a month. Holy cow, I am well on my way to 1000 miles this year. Yes! So excited.

January races:

• Disney Family Fiesta 5k
• so fun! and slow! stopped for lots of photos. didn't care about time
• Walt Disney World Half Marathon
• super fun, raced with my mom, sister, and best friend. can't get better than that.
• Walt Disney World Marathon
• exhausting and tough, but well worth it. marathons are more mental than physical
• Dick Batchelor Run for the Children 5k
• fun race, PR by maybe 2 seconds, but no official time

Here's to an awesome February!

from "beginner" to "intermediate" in running

Today was another tough run. I'm a little bit tired of having tough runs all of the time, actually. It's been like a week of rough runs. I need to get myself out of this funk.

I have had good moments during tough runs, though. I worked a lot on my form today, so that was good news. I'm trying really hard to be able to get my stride correct... or at least better than I have been. I know I talked about it before, but I definitely take really short steps when I am trying to run, so that makes everything a little bit more challenging. I think that if I get a good stride down, I should be able to get an awesome pace, too. Running definitely isn't the easiest sport to excel at.

Anyways, that old pain in my hip starting coming back when I got to mile 3 or so. And it was hot. Almost unbearably so. The second half of my run today was mostly either slow or walking. Frustrating. I really need to figure something out to do on long runs during hot weather, especially because summer is going to be here before I know it. I'm still definitely leaning toward getting myself a running backpack. I think that it would really help me when I'm out there running.

I feel like I am transitioning from a "novice" or a beginning runner into an "intermediate" type of runner. It's something that I have been working myself into for a while. I have spent a lot of time trying to learn about running and turn myself into a "runner". I definitely feel like I have started a sort of transition. I still have a lot to learn about running, but I feel like I do have some knowledge about it now. I feel like I am to the point in which I am continuously trying to improve my running and I do think I have enough knowledge to have some idea of how to improve.

I also feel like I can discuss running with other runners. I almost feel like there is a bond between runners, no matter how fast or slow we run, there is something about it. For a long time, I felt like an outsider, and that is something that is starting to change. I mean, yes, I still am very slow and I still have a lot to work on in order to get to where I want to get with my running, but I feel like I am getting there. There's something about meeting other people that run and talking to them that makes everything feel so much better.

Tomorrow is long run day. I'm nervous, since so many of my recent runs have been so tough. I am hoping for an awesome run and an improvement on the past few weeks. Here's to hoping, I guess.

So far: 81.97 miles/26 days
To go: 918.03 miles/340 days

first long run since my marathon

Today was my first long run since the marathon. I guess I classify "long" as more than 6 miles or so. Today, I planned to run 7-8 miles or so. The part that I didn't anticipate was the struggle of it all. I was ready for a decently paced long(ish) run that wouldn't be too bad. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

I brought a bunch of stuff with  me in preparation for today. I had two Gu gels, a bottle of water (small enough to fit in my hand), and my running belt that I use during races. It was a handful. I wish it was easy to run with a small backpack, because I'd be able to carry everything that I needed. I know that such bags to exist and maybe I should invest in one if I want to spend more time running this year (as is the goal). I plan to take many more long runs, so maybe a small bag would be something to invest in, I don't know. Maybe I could get more running pants that have pockets or something, I'm not sure. I think I'd rather carry a bag than have extra pockets in my pants.

Anyways, now that I'm off of that tangent, back to my run for today. I planned on going on a long run, and got all my stuff together and ran out the door. I ran a lap around my apartment complex once before I went down the trail that I usually do. That initial lap wasn't too bad, but it did end up being tough after a few miles. Today, the trail was much busier than it generally is during the week. I haven't had the opportunity to go for a lengthy run on a Saturday in a long time, thanks to my job. It was really nice to see all of the families walking and biking on the trail.

Every time I make eye contact with a fellow runner, I generally feel a connection with them. I feel like there's an unspoken bond between runners. (or maybe sometimes a spoken bond... but only when there is closeness. ha.) It's nice to see other runners out there with the same drive that is within myself. It's nice to know that, in such an individual sport, I'm not really alone.

I was actually passed several times by this guy who looked about my age, but way more fit than me. Sometimes, I get really jealous and frustrated by people who are more in shape than I am. I understand that I have come a long way in my running, but that doesn't make it any easier to be so slow. I have this drive inside me to always want to better myself, to always want improvement. I definitely have improved since I first started caring about myself, my fitness, but there is still a long way to go. I definitely get really impatient from time to time when I'm out there and I'm not at the pace that I'd like to be at. Frustrating.

Anyways, by the time I got to mile 4, I was doing pretty well on pace, but was really struggling to get through it. (I almost thought about sitting down and waiting for Katherine to get off of work so she could pick me up. But that would have been more than an hour, so I didn't...) Instead, I used one of my Gu gels at around that time to try to push through and then ended up running out of water at mile 5. I was just continuously getting frustrated. However, a little after 5, I started to feel a lot better and more energized. Maybe I should have used my Gu earlier. I actually should buy more of them, I think.. I'm almost out. My last two(ish) miles were definitely the best ones. I should have gone further, because at the end I was doing well. Oh well. Next time.

When I got back to my apartment complex, I still felt pretty good and was at about 6.91 miles, so I figured I'd do an extra lap around my apartment complex in order to push myself a little over 7 miles. I ended up running 7.28 miles at a little over a 15 minute pace. I really wish that my pacing was faster by a lot, but it is what it is. I need to put more effort out there than I have and I really need to work on speed.. a lot.

Any effort is better than no effort. Someday, I'll run a great 7.28 and it won't be too bad at all. That's the goal.

So far: 75.89 miles / 21 days
To go: 921.11 / 345 days