I AM A RUNNER

It hit me this week, I'm not sure why it took a year or why my brain wasn't listening to my mouth, I'm a RUNNER. I have calves that I haven't seen for decades (since I was a cheerleader in high school), I don't run out of breath going up and down the stairs at work repeatedly, I get physically and emotionally jealous when I see other people running. Yep, I'm a runner.

I've been saying that I'm a runner for a while now, but I guess somewhere deep down I didn't believe myself. The other week I was at the gym, on the treadmill, and I thought hey I'm running on a treadmill for 4 miles; I'm a runner. Later that week I ran a 5 miler outside with a pace a full minute faster than ever before and I thought; I'm a runner. Two days later I ran an 8 miler outside, kept my pace, the same pace as the previous 5 miler and it hit me; I'M A RUNNER!

It's funny but until that point I think I was secretly dreading my first Half this year. I was sabotaging myself, in the back of my mind I thought there was NO WAY I could run a sub 2:30 half. It's not fast, you're right. To me it is. But hey, I've got this, if I can do 8 miles in February at this pace and my first half isn't until May, I've so got this!! It's weird because I wasn't dreading running, just the thought of not making it anywhere near my goal. You see last year I finished my very first and only half in just over 3 and 1/2 hours. So I am stoked! Super charged! Excited! You get the idea I'm certain. :)

Because of this recent revelation I am no longer as terrified of the full Marathon I signed up for in November. I kept thinking in the back of my mind, I can always downgrade to the half. Nope not me, not anymore. I really don't care how long it takes me I'm going for it! I'm going to be a Marathoner! This is going to be my year:)

Goal setting~Goal getting

It's the end of January, the year has officially started and is in full swing. I've never really been one for resolutions and why start now? Instead I set out some goals for me for 2013, I have a few mostly health related.

1. I want to run #13in2013, that's 13 different races in twelve months.
2. I also want to log 1000 miles (running) this year.
3. I want to eat better, I've never been a believer in diets but nutrition.
4. More sleep!!!
5. More patience!
6. Spend time with friends
7. More quality time with hubby

Since its the end of the month I sat down to evaluate what I've been doing and where I need help!! I've managed to run 2 of my 13 races in January, if I keep that up I will crush my goal of 13. After my run yesterday I checked my #runkeeper and I've logged 50 miles! This isn't where I want to be but it's so far from where I was last January, (sitting on the couch eating ice cream WATCHING the Biggest Loser). I'm okay with 50 miles and have goals for each month to help me reach the end:).

Since I don't believe in Dieting, the first 3 letters say it all, I have been eating better and less. I keep track of all of my food on #myfitnesspal and that is a lifesaver. I've added more lean protein and salads to my meals, taking my lunch to work helps a lot!! Sleep is a challenge for me, I've never felt like I needed as much, but now that I'm older and wiser I know that I NEED more. I'm trying to be in bed by 10 and most nights it works, I have some cant miss TV that's on a bit later though;). My last three goals are definitely still a work in process and I look forward to working on them and building my relationships.

I am pleased with where I am and where I'm going, it's a journey make it what you wish!! :)

Dreading the Treadmill

My nemesis, the TREADMILL, I really can't stand running on it. Living in Indiana makes it nearly impossible to be a runner and not have to run on one at some point during our fabulous winters. The weather gets cold, the roads get covered in snow, the daylight is gone before you get home from work. Excuses excuses I know, but I don't use them to not run (just complain;) I still get my run on. I still get outside, even in the cold and the snow, on the weekends for anything over 3.5 miles. Today I ran my longest treadmill run at 3 miles, it was so incredibly boring, nothing to look at no one to talk to. I did it though, all 3 of them. I'm proud and I know I can do it now so there goes that excuse:).

I'm serious about my half marathon training for the first 6 months of the year, then I go right into Marathon training and to do this I am going to have to run on the treadmill. These are things that I more than WANT to do, I NEED to do them. It's time to take back me, this is how:).
I'm dreading the treadmill but I dread failing more so here I go!!

Ready to Run

I'm ready to run!

This year is going to be huge! There are a couple of different groups I have entered and luckily they overlap each other. The first is the #13in2013 a variety of distances for me. I still only have eleven of them planned or entered already. I also entered a group to run 500/1000 miles, when I did this I had no misconception that 500 would be difficult. However, last night I was planning out my mileage for training and there are over 850 miles already with nothing planned for June or July other than 2 little 5k's!! I think I'm shooting for 1000 now! WOW that's a lot of mileage for a couple of ladies who didn't run prior to January 2012.

This week we, my sister and I, signed up for our first Full Marathon, I had a tiny freak out just after we pressed enter. Now as a couple of days have passed I'm starting to get more and more excited to do this, even though the Main Event isn't until November. Don't worry lots of training and races will occur prior to then. We're doing a handful of half marathons starting in April and several 10-5k's throughout to keep us conditioned and ready. As far as training goes we have no clue, I think we've decided on Hal Higdons training plan and may even download the app. Although if anyone has suggestions we are open to them!

I'm really just writing today to confirm to myself that I'm ready to run!! Also to make sure there may be one or two people to help hold me accountable:).

2012 Running Recap

When I started my journey into running I was misguided at best. My sister, in Maine, called and asked my parents, my other sister and me to join her in doing #12in2012. I hadn't heard if this, I wasn't a runner, I WAS lazy & out of shape. She explained that we were to run 12, 5k's throughout the year. The only running I've ever done, really, is one 5k during the local fair in our hometown because it supports the Lions Club and my dad belongs, but I did it almost every year. I decided to join and figured what the hell I've ran before I can run again. I HAD NO IDEA...

In January I ran my first mile it took over 18 minutes. However, I didn't stop. It was personal now, I had no idea I had let myself go so much. I used to be a co-manager at a gym, I taught aerobics, step, water, an abs class. By the end of January I finished my first 5k and was kinda hooked, a friend of mine posted on twitter she couldn't make it to the Indianapolis Mini Marathon(1/2) and she was selling both of her entry's. I kind of figured if I could run 3 miles I could run 13.1 miles, so my sister here (Stephanie) and I bought the entry's and started to RUN. Somehow, someway we had gone from not running to being half marathoners in a matter of 30 days. It was a hard, long and exhausting day. We didn't make our goal, but we finished!!

I have no idea how it happened but by April we were running (gulp) long runs on the weekends, 8-9-10 milers wow if someone had told me 3 months before I would've laughed. I kind of laughed when asked to do 12 5k's... By the end of August I had volunteered at a triathlon and thought that that could be fun, it's on my list:). You could not have convinced me that I would feel the NEED to run, but I did and do. I started to get grumpy if I hadn't ran in a couple of days, just a mile or two would suffice. Now this year coming up, 2013, it's my year. I'm going to run it into the ground! I'm doing #13in2013 variety races and half of them are 10k or more, including One full Marathon. My previous post deals more in that area:).

I'm ready to tackle this year, head on, I have my schedule out until May and the excitement is like that of a child on Christmas morning. Lets do this thing:)

#runon #runhappy

Running 13 in 2013

As I have blogged before, I am on a goal/mission to complete a Full Marathon in 2013. While on twitter one day I stumbled upon this fabulous "challenge" to run 13 races in 2013! At first I wasn't sure that I could/would join, there were several options but each one was the same race distances, like 13 5k's or 13 half marathons, and I knew I would be running several different distances. I checked back the next day, because I'm slightly obsessed with challenging myself, there was now a Variety option!!!!

Of course I signed up, I was pretty certain I already had about 6 races on my schedule. I put my name on the list and felt almost giddy with joy knowing that I was committed to fulfilling more of my goals next year:). I started going through my race calendar and I was already planning on 11 runs, not 6!!!! My first thought was, "WOW I really am a runner, I don't even realize how much I'm running anymore!" My second thought was, can I really do this? I only ran in about 6 races in 2012, 7 after Christmas Eve:), the training was less than easy but not quite hard. However, in 2012 I only ran 1 half marathon, 1! In 2013 I'm planning on at least 3 half marathons and my first full marathon!!! It's all about mind over matter for me so if I stay focused I know I can do this:).
Here's a list of what races I have planned or have already signed up for:

January 1 - virtual run 5k
January 31 - virtual 5k to honor Sandy Hook
February - valentines 5k
March 16 - Shamrock run 10k
April 6- Henry County Half Marathon
May 4- Indianapolis Mini Marathon
May 18- Dirty Girl 5k
June -
July 20- Color Run 5k
August - Gaston Lions Club 5k
September - Indianapolis Womens Half
October -
November - Indianapolis Monumental Full Marathon
December -

There are a couple of other virtual runs that I completed this year that I will likely do again, like @runwithjess #cupcakerun.

I'm really looking forward to rocking this year!!

#runon #runhappy #13in2013

My December Challenge

On Facebook and Twitter I'm sure you've seen them, the "join us for a mile a day, 20 Burpees a day, etc". I've seen them, I've joined a few. I tried the Runners World Run Streak: run at least a mile a day from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I failed, already. I'm okay with failing, it makes us stronger people when we learn to fail, and GET BACK UP. From the day after thanksgiving until the first of December I only ran once. During that time I thought a lot about what I wanted out of running, where I wanted to be and how I'm in control of my health and running destiny.

My personal challenge is to run at least a mile a day from December 1 through Christmas Eve, 24 days of running whether I'm alone or with a friend. If I can do this then I know that I can complete my 2013 goals that I have set out for myself. It feels like I needed to change up the requirement for me, I wasn't ready to start when everyone else was. I'm ready now and I know that I can succeed:).

I set a goal for myself on Friday and beat it on Saturday, I just need to know that I have what it takes to be the queen of my fitness world. As a measuring "stick" I run 2 miles every now and again (more often than not lately, I'm stuck in a distance rut). I ran my first 2 mile run back in February of this year, I completed that in 30 minutes and 24 seconds. I'm still slow, but that's all relative, right? Yesterday I completed a 2 mile run in 21 min and 09 seconds!! You see it's all relative because I think taking over 9 minutes off of your time in a little less than a year is pretty darn good, and what really matters is what I think and feel. If I feel like I'm tearin' it up at a 10.5 minute mile then so be it!! Sure eventually I would love to be faster, for now though, I'm happy breaking my own PR's and feeling pretty good about it all.

So if I "fail" again, guess what. I'm going to start over and I will keep starting over until I'm satisfied. :)

#runon
#runhappy