Ugh...taking the week off

Right in the middle of training to PR at the Indianapolis Womens Half in August and my hip is acting foolish.  It's my own fault I think, from upping my mileage to quickly.  I rested this last week without doing any stretching or anything to make it better (other than the rest).  Yesterday I did complete 4 miles in the morning with just slight issues the real trouble started today during my 12 mile long run:-/  At about mile 2.5 it really started to talk to me, I could tell I wouldn't be finishing 12 miles of anything today.  Mile 3, turn around and head back home.  :(

I stopped and stretched and tried to continue on but it wasn't going to happen today.  And so, I walked...2 miles back to the car, it was slow and I hated every minute if it.  A couple of times during that 2 miles I attempted to jog very slowly but couldn't keep my pace down and was afraid of injuring myself further.  

I'm making crazy decisions this week, including taking most of the week off.  Just a couple of 2-3 milers this week in hopes that I'll be able to do 13 next weekend.  I'm planning on living in KT tape and investing in a foam roller...any other fantastic ideas!!??

Marathon Training here I come!

It's almost summer, which means its almost Marathon Training time!!  The closer it comes to time the more nervous I get.  I've done 2 Half Mary's this spring and am planning on at least 2 more in the fall prior to the Full in November, but I still feel overwhelmed by the prospect of being on the course for close to 5 hours...  My "plan" consists of training to PR in August for my half, I want to finish in 2:15, I'm not a fast runner.  I feel like if I can do that I will be able to do the full.  

I've made out my training schedule and I think it made my apprehension worse!  From June 9 to November 2 (Marathon Day) I have 656+ miles projected!! That's a HUGE number!  I've laid out my plan and kept most weeks at 4 running days with Sundays as my long run, there are a few weeks that have 5 running days in them (mostly when there are shorter speed work days).  The original plan I was thinking of following had a long run of only 16 miles twice, this made me incredibly nervous, so I combined two plans and now have two different 20 mile long runs.  I haven't decided if that makes me feel better or worse.  Running a Full Marathon is no easy undertaking, if you've done it, you amaze me.  I'm not running until November and I'm already stressing about what kind of fuel I will need and where I will carry said fuel.  I'm stressed about the training and missing things with my family.  They are super supportive and want me to succeed.  It seems that once the longer runs start, the ones that go past the half-marathon mark, I will start to feel better about this endeavor.  

If you have advice feel free to leave it!! 

Geist Half Marathon Re-Cap

Wow! So many things to say about this course.  I have only been a runner for about a year and a half, but I have heard about this course a couple of times from people I know.  Most if not everyone I've ever talked to about this course says, if you're a runner you should do it, but you'll only do it once.  This course is basically up and down hills the entire time.  This year my lovely and beautiful sister works for one of the captain sponsors (Ameriana Bank) of the race and we had the option to do it, and for no cost.  It just so happens that the Geist Half is always 2 weeks after the Indianapolis Mini, of which we were already signed up.  So there you have it, 2 half marathons in 2 weeks.  

We debated for a couple of weeks whether we would/should/could do this and finally came to the conclusion that if the day came and we weren't feeling it we could always back out. Ha!! I had told too many people about this race and backing out was not an option. 

Pre-race 

I couldn't sleep and ended up with probably 4 hours of restless sleep before having to get up bright and early at 5 a.m. I went into this run with no expectations of doing well, I just wanted to finish:). We arrived and walked approximately a half a mile to the start line, this is so much smaller than the Mini (35,000 at the mini not quite 3000 at this race.)  The time started promptly at 7:00 and right off we are headed uphill.  

At mile 1 we were running our pace that we started the mini at and felt really good.  I checked again at mile 3 and somehow through the hills we were still keeping our flat course pace on these crazy hills.  (There was basically no running between the mini and today so as I said before NO delusions of doing well.)  When we reached the halfway point I checked our pace again, yep, still keeping up with the Joneses.  At this point I mentioned to Stephanie that it was possible that we were going to be close to our mini time (which was a PR for both of us). 

Mile 11.5

The rain came and I must say I've never been happier to see or feel rain!  It was so humid and hot this morning I felt like it was raining before the rain started.  It rained for about a mile and that gave me a little rejuvenation.  Stephanie took off at mile 12 but I wasn't quite ready, at about 12.5 I upped my game and hightailed it the last half mile.  I finished a half marathon made up entirely of hills in 30 seconds longer than it took me to finish a flat course!! 

Question: 

Does this mean that I didn't give my all at the Mini in May, or that I just had a really great run day today?  

OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon Recap

I spent most of the week leading up to the Mini agonizing over the weather forecast that I, if course, have no control over. Up until the day before there was anywhere from a 50% to a 70% chance of heavy steady rain all day long. I ran through snow, ice and even some drizzle while training, but hard rain for 13.1 miles?! I had been reading recaps from the Country Music Marathon all week and running in the rain did NOT sound like any fun. Alas, race day came and the skies were gray but the rain never came! It was actually pretty perfect, 55ish temps, overcast, not a lot of wind. Dream running weather for this gal.

I came into this Run with a couple of goals for myself. My second 1/2 marathon ever, I wanted this one to stand on its own. I finished my first half, this same race a year ago, in over 3.5 hours at over a 15.5 min mile pace. So my goals for this were simple:
Goal #1: Don't walk
Goal#2: finish in 2:30 or better
Goal #3: don't get injured
Goal #4: finish strong

I ran all but about 60 seconds of this race! At mile 11 I had a searing side stitch under my right rib, maybe it was dehydration, maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was my imagination. All I know is it was incredibly painful. I tried to run through it but had to finally walk it out, I decided 60 seconds was all I was giving it, if it still hurt I was just gonna run with it and deal later. I ran 13.1 miles and only walked for 1 minute!!! WHAT?!?! So proud of me:)

2:31:12
You see those numbers right? One minute and 12 seconds off of my goal time! That walking really did me in. Grrrrr!!!
But seriously so close!!! Another shot in August and I'm planning a PR for that:)

No injuries!! Other than that silly side stitch that stole my goal time from me;)

A strong finish. I felt great! I felt like I finished strong. I felt like I sprinted out the last 3 tenth a of the race. Maybe if I had started my sprint a but sooner I could've beat that goal, but I still felt and feel great! My last mile was right around a 10 minute pace, which is huge for me.

All in all I am so proud of myself and what I was able to accomplish at this 1/2. I can't wait to try again and just have fun. As much as I like to challenge myself getting a PR is not why I run. I run for fun.

Run Happy

What Boston means to Me

Where do I even begin?
Boston is so iconic and even before I was a runner I would listen to see what the winners time was. Last year when I started running I paid closer attention, what was the pace, when did the "non-elite" runners finish? (To me they're all elite.) I had a voice in the back of my mind telling me I could maybe run a marathon. Fast forward to this year and I am signed up for my first (and maybe only) full marathon. So on Monday I was at work, I had the TV on in the background and was checking twitter between patients to see when Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan finished. I was getting ready to turn off the television when the "special report" came breaking in and rocked every runners world. It was surreal, a bomb? At a marathon? At Boston? I was more emotional than I thought I would be, but I've grown to love this community, this tribe of runners. I haven't ever met most of the people I correspond with and follow on twitter or Facebook, but I'm proud when they PR and upset for them when they are injured. You've seen how motorcyclists wave as they pass one another, it's the same with runners. We understand, it's demanding, fun, mind clearing, and we pour our sweat and tears and sometimes blood into it.
Some of the folks I work with said that's why you shouldn't run, bad things happen. I said that's why you should, be united, be strong, be one.
My first half of the year is in 2 weeks, perhaps the biggest 1/2 marathon in the country, the Indianapolis Mini and I'm excited! I'm excited to be with my tribe, the people I don't know but that would help anyone. I am not fast and I won't ever be, I will never BQ. However, I will always run.
I think my mom is nervous, two of her daughters are running that race in Indianapolis, but we can't stop now. That's what the evil wants, they want to instill fear and paralyze us. We won't stand down we won't stop running! I run for Boston, how about you?

Training for the long run:)

So for the last 12 weeks I've been training and there are 4 more to go. This time its for a half. When I started this crazy running thing last January I NEVER thought I'd be preparing myself to start MARATHON training. Last year the opportunity arose to do the Indianapolis Mini Marathon and so I did it, finished it but just barely. A three hour and forty minute finish equals a lot of walking! However, 13.1 is 13.1 and to finish was such an awesome accomplishment!! This year my goal is a sub-2:30 half marathon, at the Indianapolis Mini, the Geist Half Marathon and then at the Indianapolis Womens Half I'm going for a sub-2:15 half. Still not fast but for me it's perfect:). I like to enjoy my runs and observe my surroundings so this is perfect for me. So with 4 weeks to go before that first half of the season I'm happy to say that my pace is right where it needs to be.

Now I'm gearing up to start MARATHON training in June. I have no idea what to expect or how to pace myself. My only real goal is to finish, my thought is that I'd like to finish in 5 hours. I read an article the other week in the New York Times and it had all the power to turn an average runner away from the sport. The interviewed person talked about how slow runners weren't runners at all and made marathons not as special. faster runners have gone on to say that people who run longer than a 4:30 Marathon don't train or put in all of the hard work. I beg to differ, I put in all of the long runs, tempo runs, intervals and I do it by getting up early or skipping dinner with my family, no Saturday fun for me with my kids because I'm running. So instead of turning me off of running that article made me angry and more determined to finish. There is always someone faster than you, you only have to be determined and focused for yourself.

To all of you MARATHONERS who are slower than a 4:30 full, keep running!! This is our sport too!!

Liebster Award: Finding New Blogs :)

So Crystal from Just. Run. Faster. Nominated me for a Liebster award, so here goes...I've never done this before so bear with me:).


So here's how it works:
1. This award is given to new or up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
2. The award is then passed along to other bloggers in the same category to help spread the word and support one another.
3. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.
4. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.
5. Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.
6. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.
7. No tag backs (don't nominate the person who nominated you).

Here are my 11 facts about ME :)

1. I am secretly terrified of bridges, like my knuckles go white and I don't breathe until I'm over them.

2. One of my only regrets is not having gone across (or even near) the Golden Gate Bridge while in San Fran...see above :/

3. I suffer from insomnia 2 times a year for roughly 2 weeks each time. Near the end of winter and smack in the middle of summer. Running has helped:)

4. I love to read, maybe obsessed with it. I have close to, if not more than, 1000 books in my home.

5. I've wanted to meet Stephen King since I was 17 years old. The man is fascinating.

6. I have a guitar that I cannot play.

7. My family is most important to me:)

8. I have fallen in love with running, though I'm not fast I'm passionate.

9. I wanted to be in forensics when I was younger, but decided I get nightmares too easily.

10. I would love to get back to working in fitness.

11. I have two kiddos who have made me who I am today.

NOW THE QUESTIONS THAT HEYJUSTRUNFASTER ASKED ME:)

1. What was the last book that you read?
I just finished Stephen King The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

2. How tall are you?
I'm a shorty, runs in the family:) 5'2"

3. What was the last movie you watched?
We just finished the series Downton Abbey, and the last movie we saw was Argo.

4. How many times did it take for you to pass your drivers test?
Only once:)

5. Where would you live if you could live anywhere you wanted?
Northern California

6. What is one thing most people don't know about you?
I am scared of bridges.

7. If you could eat lunch with a famous person whom would it be?
Gwen Stefani, she has good taste she stole my sons name;)

8. How many tattoos do you have?
3 for now, working on #4

9. Do you see things as the glass 1/2 empty or full?
I try my hardest to see it half full:)

10. What is under your bed right now?
Maybe some dust:)

11. How far do you live from your birth place?
I live 6 minutes from my childhood home, where my parents still live.

NOW FOR THE 11 QUESTIONS FOR THE NEXT BLOGGERS:)

1. Do you have children? And how many if so?
2. What is your favorite hobby?
3. What's your favorite TV show?
4. Are you a dog or cat person?
5. Basketball, Football, Baseball or none?
6. How many tattoos do you have?
7. Any fears that seem unreasonable to others?
8. How many countries have you visited?
9. What's your favorite vacation?
10. Favorite author?
11. Do you still talk to your best friend from high school?

Tagging a few:)
www.RunChunkyRun.blogspot.com
www.Sexymotherrunner.blogspot.com
www.roadrunnergirl.com
www.mindysfitnessjourney.blogspot.com
www.backatsquarezero.com


I don't know a lot of blogs yet, and a lot of them that I follow have more followers than 200. I'm also not sure if it counts that on Facebook or twitter they have more than 200, well like I said I'm new to this...