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...

Shamrock Run recap

This weekend I completed my first non-virtual 5k of the year. I like virtual races because I still get to better my time and I have to report it to someone other than myself. (And of course there is the race bling.) That being said I really push myself a lot harder when I'm surrounded by other runners.

I ran a local Shamrock Run here in Indiana. I usually run these with my sister, she is my running partner, she was in Bloomington this weekend so I was planning on running with another friend of mine. It was chilly in the morning only about 33 degrees outside, we arrived went and registered got our tech shirts and goodies. While we were waiting for the start, trying to keep warm, my friend said she would try to stay with me.

Once the race started we took off, I had to stop and adjust my socks about 100 yards in and it was then that my friend said I should go on without her. I took off and somehow between the yelling crowd and runners I missed my little running lady talk to me about my first mile. I kept going at what felt like a comfortable pace and when the lady spoke to me at mile 2, I almost passed out. :) I was running at a 10:15 pace! (My normal pace is 11:20 for a 5k!!!).

I kept that pace through the end and finished with a PR 2 minutes faster than my fastest one. :) so happy and so proud of myself!!

I know I can better that time. I just have to keep working and keep running.

Run On

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!! :)