️Running Vs. Jogging?

It took me a long time to convince myself that I was a runner. I didn't feel worthy, fast enough, experienced enough...

Then one day I realized: IF you run, you ARE a runner. It's that simple. 

Let's step back and put a bit of perspective on this argument. If I'm running a 10 minute mile and that's as fast as I can go, like even if a bear is chasing me, I'm running. To my neighbor who is a Boston Qualifier with a sub 8 min mile, I may as well be standing still. But Wait!! Let's put my neighbor, who is blowing me out of the proverbial water, next to Shalane or Kara maybe Meb? Suddenly they are standing still at that crazy fast pace we just spoke of, of less than 8 min miles. 

Who are you to judge my pace? I'm racing me not you, just as you should be racing you. (Unless you are one of the aforementioned runners above, then race each other!) Pace is relative, you don't know my struggle, just don't tell me I'm jogging...

  

Winter Grays: Staying motivated?

In all honesty I don't know how on earth these die hards are running when it's below 20 plus 20-30 mph winds!! I've managed a few outside runs, snow covered bike trails, cold noses, wind burnt cheeks...and we know how I feel about treadmills.  

It was a blast running in the snow and a great workout for my quads, lots of high knees;) 

However, since my last 9 miles in the snow it's been down right frigid.  (Yeah most of the country knows what I'm talking about.) Negative windchills, gusts of wind in the 30 mph range, it's just nasty. I don't have proper cold weather gear for one and really being outside for anything if it's negative 10 does NOT appeal to me. I do make snow angels if it's above 20 though;) 

I've been cruising pages on FaceBook and listening to my twitter folks who are out there running in the cold and I envy them, I do...but I'm not going out there.  I found a new page called RunVine and it's pretty cool, race reviews done by racers, the goo the bad and the ugly.  Check it out!! http://www.racevine.com

How do you stay motivated in the negative temps? I want to know!!! 

Happy Running!!!

Also don't forget once our FB page reaches 250 we will have a give away!! 

https://m.facebook.com/ThisRunningMomma?__user=697585014

2014's Goals:)

BEFORE HEADING INTO 2014's GOALS I WAS ABLE TO FINISH MY GOAL OF 13 in 2013 WITH A FINAL 5k YESTERDAY WHICH I PR'd:) 31:05 

Now into 2014 I venture:). Happy New Year!!! One fun piece of news, I was selected to be a Feetures! Ambassador so heads up for a possible giveaway on Facebook;) (@marathonsisters) 

I'm ready for new adventures and a better me! I have several running/healthy related goals, realistically they should all make us healthier in some way.  

1. As you see I PR'd my 5k at the last possible minute, but am still a minute plus away from the sub-30 I'm looking for. So goal number 1 a sub 30 5k;) 

2. I came close to my half marathon goal finish of 2:30 but didn't quite make it, however I'm re-vamping and going for a 2:20.  

3. I ended up with 800 miles in 2013 and this year I'm determined to hit the 1000 mile mark! 

4. To be more present with my kiddos, put down the phone, run earlier, play more:) 

5. To keep a cleaner home...it's a thing I let slide because it's not as important to me as spending time with my kids or keeping myself healthy...but it stresses me out that it's not as clean as I think it should be. 

I've tried to make my goals for the year attainable but not easy.  I'm excited about them and ready to get started!! 

2013 recap: How I feel about failing😌

Wow!! I can't believe that 2013 is almost over, it seems like I just wrote my goals for the year and now it time for next year!! My how time  flies when you're having fun!! I've had a great year; set some PR's, had some fun, made new runner friends & started a local chapter of MRTT (Moms Run This Town).  Looking back has it advantages:) 

I set a new 5k PR (32:15) this year in March and chased it sheepishly throughout the year.  Though I really yearn for a sub 30! My half marathon record fell as well at the Indy Mini my new 1/2 PR is 2:31:12 this is a full hour faster than my prior PR and that makes me ecstatic! I set a PR in the full marathon as well, it was my first and so far only, 5:59:13.  I REALLY wanted to finish in 5:30 but it was my first and I was so unsure of what to expect after mile 22, I'm thrilled to have finished!! Since the full I've been working on getting faster, I'm excited to write out my goals for next season and can't wait to share them.  In the meantime a breakdown of 2013's goals and outcomes.  Happy Reading, Happy Running!!! 

My goals from last year: 

1: Run 13 in 2013 

I ran 12 races, I was injured for 6 weeks and missed 2 scheduled races and 1 I kind Of slept through:-/ 

2. I wanted to log 1000 miles (running) this year. 

Being injured or 6 weeks really took a toll on my mileage.  I'm going to end up just over 800, considering the year I'm very happy with that!! (Considering my total for 2012 was no where near this I am thrilled!) 
3. I wanted to eat better, I've never been a believer in diets but nutrition. 

I did fantastic with this during the first half of the year...and then I started Marathon training! Wow that makes a girl RUNGRY. 

4. More sleep

I am so very bad about getting good sleep.  

5. Patience 

I have really been working on this and when I'm getting regular running in I am a much more patient mom and wife. 

6. Spending time with friends 

I did manage to make some new friends and spend some time with them and some of my oldies as well:) it's fantastic to make new friends with similar interests!! 

7. Time with the Hubs

I (and he) still really need to work on this!!!

All in all I think personally that I had a pretty stellar year, for me. 😆

 

26.2 I'm A Marathoner!

WOW!!
Where to begin?  First I want to say, even though she ended up injured and unable to run, my sister was/is the best running partner!! We really push each other and help get where we want.  As upset as she was about not being able to run in this Marathon she still went to the Expo with me and got up and got me to the starting line.  She is awesome and I can't wait to do this again, WITH her! Second my husband and kids are AMAZING they sacrificed time to let me train and even if I did miss a few runs here and there without their support I would NOT have been able to finish this!

M-Day
Woke up to my alarm at 5:45 after restless sleep, as usual on race days.  We left my fabulous and hospitable friends home and headed downtown to Indy.  We waited in the Convention Center to stay warm because it was chilly outside. 
While we were waiting we met a young gal named Carmen who was running her 3rd Marathon, she was from Chicago and this was the smallest one she had run.  She said her goal was 6:30 as her previous 2 were around 7 hours. She had her husband and kids there but was fearful that they wouldn't be able to stick around because he may get called in to work.  We wished her luck at the start line and I went on to find a friend who is in our local Moms RUN This Town Chapter who was running the half.  Steph left at this time to go check out the starting line.  
I ran the first 5 miles with Lisa, this was her first half and it was good to have someone to run a bit with, even if it was a short time. Her goal was to finish in under 3 hours and when we split she was on track to be around a 2:30!! You can imagine my excitement when I saw she finished in 2:39!! Way to go LISA!! 
At mile 13 my family was waiting on me: husband, kids, sister, brother in-law and my dad.  (My mom was supposed to be there but my 8 year old informed me that my grandpa had been taken to the hospital so she was with him. Totally understandable!!)

 At this point in the race my projected finish time was somewhere between 5 hours 15 min and 5 hours 30 min.  I knew at this point that I would slow down some because my adrenaline was starting to wain and pushing myself is harder than my sister pushing me.  
Around mile 17 I was getting tired, I knew that in another mile or so I would see my family again so that kept me going. They were FANTSTIC, they ran the Indiana Museum of Art parking lot with me and told me all the things I needed to hear.  By now I was about 8 miles away and was projected to finish in 5:54 according to the timing mats.  I knew I had to keep a steady pace to keep my time under 6 hours and I KNEW that would be hard.  

During these miles I met some GREAT people, including a 68 year old named Carol who was running her 251 marathon and her 35th this year!!! WHOA!!! Her goal is 300 by her 70th birthday.  
For some reason the fuel I had was not working, nothing was different than on my training runs.  For some reason though it was not working for me today so I was hungry and hitting the preverbial wall.  
Around mile 21 I started running 3/4 mile and walking 1/3-1/2 mile and when I saw the 24 mile marker and thought oh wow only 2 miles and the timer looked like I could actually make the under 6 mark...in my head I kept seeing the number 5:58:58. 
Just a few blocks after mile 25 a finisher was standing and cheering us on and she said you've got this only 3 more turns.  Was she kidding 3 more turns!!! I ran the rest of the way about the last mile and when I got to the finishers shoot my kiddos came out and ran me in!! So sweet and so emotional!! And my time? 5:59:02 
Not what my plan was, but life rarely is:) I'm happy, proud, excited... 
Oh, and Carmen from before the start, I ran into her on the way to the car with her husband and kids in tow, her time 5:58!! 
Yay for Marathoners!!! 

Eeeekkkkk it's 26.2!!

Its been a while since I've had time to write a post...Being a full time mom with a full time job and training for a full Marathon leaves me with very little time, as those of you who live like this know!! 

Well...yesterday I recieved an e-mail that freaked me out! It was from the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and it said there were only 30 days left until the BIG day!!! THIRTY DAYS!!! Well I guess I should start with saying that my training hasn't gone exactly as it was written, which I'm guessing is normal? Longest run to date is a 16.4 mile run that was split due to inclimate weather, it was done within 8 hours so I think it counts;). This weekend is a 17 mile long run followed by 20 next weekend and then we start to taper...whatever that means. All I KNOW is I've heard it makes runners go mad;) 

I've also been worrying about my finish time which will be over 5 hours. That is a long time to run and seems really slow, but I've been researching and have found that the average time for female finishers is 5 hours and 10 minutes, so I won't be far behind;). It seems that I need new shoes as well so that's on my within the week list. I've already wracked my brain with ideas for what to wear and haven't been able to decide.  But I digress, I will finish and I will be proud and excited! A sticker will be bought and placed somewhere:) 

Run Happy Everyone:) 

Catch up:)

Wow, it's been awhile!! I know I was injured and I was feeling blah about running because of it.  Well good news for me:). On August 2 I started running again!!! Slowly and with walk breaks but run I did!  I had a 5k on the 10th that I really wanted to do, it is put on by my dad and the Gaston Lions Club during the local fair, so my goal was to be able to finish the 5k not fast and not in search of a PR.  

(I also had a plan to start a run streak on the 10th of August, depending on how I felt.)  

I ran about every other day until the 10th, 2-3 miles each day and surprised myself by only being about a minute slower on average. The morning of the race I always help with registration and making sure everyone knows where to go so I was there at 6 A.M.  The race started at 9 so I was good and tired by then.  It was hot and the course was sunny the while way, I finished and I didn't have my worse time!    

I have had a great week this week, I win a Camelbak during RunChat, a pair of sweat pink laces and a pair of Swiftwick socks from 0to26point2!!! I am stoked to train:) I've got one race before I concentrate on "the big one" the Indianapolis Womens Half on August 31.  

And then it's time to train for a Marathon.  It's going to be hard and hot and long and I'm certain I'll have days that I don't want to do it.  I also know that I can!! 

More on that later:)

Run Happy Everyone!!!!