365 Runs, Hopefully

The End of the Blogging Road

2012-01-08T15:00:00.007-05:00

As much as I have loved the blogworld over the past 4 years or so, I think I've come to the end of the blogging road for me.

I started this blog as a way for me to stay accountable with my running and to hopefully help me meet my goal of running for 365 consecutive days. Since then, that goal has been put on the back burner, but I've achieved several other running milestones along the way, including my first two marathons, organizing three 5Ks, becoming a running coach, finding running friends in this little town, and venturing into pregnant running.

I am so grateful to the other running bloggers who have inspired and encouraged me over the past years. I've gotten too many ideas about races, training, and gear to list them all or their sources, but even more than that, I've just been motivated by reading about the running adventures of all of you.

Besides just the running mess, I've loved reading the stories (and looking at the pictures) of all you other lovely bloggers- runners and non-runners alike. I really can't imagine all that I wouldn't know and all the beauty I would I have missed if I hadn't been reading along all this time.

I still plan on poking my head in to read blogs and see what everyone is "pinning," but I just don't feel like my blog is a good fit anymore- for me or for the blogworld. I'm not serious enough about my running right now to maintain a running blog; crafty, creative, or motivated enough to share my cooking, photography, or projects; or enough of an open book to be a mommy blog and share all of my pregnancy/future-baby/family pictures and stories.

The two loose ends though are:
1.. The yet-to-be-completed list of goals I started a year ago: My 101 in 1001.

2. The yet-to-be-completed goal I started with: Running 365 consecutive days.

So, for right now, I'm not going to dismantle the blog. I don't plan on posting, but I'd like to leave my 101 in 1001 list out their on the internet for accountability's sake. I'll pop in every now and then to update the list, and you can feel free to scold me via email if we near October 7, 2013 and I've still got a lot left.

As far as that last goal- the year of daily running- well, I don't know when that will happen. I really should have crossed that one off my list before committing myself to raising a child for the next 18+ years. Maybe that's when I'll get back into blogging- a couple decades from now when I can fully recommit myself to running. I'll let you know if I get back in the game.

Thanks again to all of you for your inspiration and for any of the time you have spent listening to me blabber on! I'll be keeping up with you from the outside!

Running for Two

2011-12-28T22:41:00.004-05:00

Yep, as clichéd as that title is, I couldn't help it!

You may have noticed I've been pretty absent here (even after coming back from my "break") and that's my big excuse. Since September, I've been pretty obsessed with the fact that I'm pregnant and it's been kind of hard to write any kind of blog post that didn't reflect that in some way.

Now I can finally post my horrible, embarrassing 30 minutes+ 5k times because I have an explanation! (As long as I don't compare myself to all the hardcore pregnant women who barely break a stride after they find out they're expecting.)

I could do a very long "Things I Didn't Expect, Even Though I've Done an Insane Amount of Research" post about pregnancy thus far (and I just may at some point) but I'll suffice to say just one today:

First Trimester is no joke.

I knew all about "morning sickness," but I didn't know realize that even if you don't turn out to be the puking-every-day type, you may still just feel awful and icky...in fact, awful and icky enough that your sassy, confident 8-mile runs the day after getting that positive test might turn into weeks without putting in more than 10 minutes.

But at 17 weeks(!) that is all behind me now! Tomorrow morning, my friend (who due 3 days after me) is coming over for a run and a prenatal pilates DVD. Maybe I'll actually have something to write about again...

The Value of Kindness

2011-11-23T08:10:00.005-05:00

I know I've been a terrible blogger...returning from a break to then write nothing for a month. And what I'm about to share doesn't have a thing to do with running; I just need to share what's on my heart.

As you may, or may not, recall, I have a new position this year and although I work in two schools and am in and out of classrooms frequently, I don't have my own class to teach. I enjoy the work I'm doing with the teachers, administrators, and curriculum, and feel that what I do benefits the teachers and students in my schools. I have to admit though, I do sometimes miss having my own little class of babies.

Yesterday, I got out of a meeting early, drove to my former school, and did what I've been desperately needing to do for a while: see and hug my kids. If you don't think absence makes the heart grow fonder, go back to an elementary school you used to teach at and watch their little faces light up. Even students who, by their own admission, were exceedingly glad to get out of my class, gave me hugs and asked when I'd be back.

I think about all my former students and hope they're happy and successful, but the reason I so badly need to see these students from last year is that there is one less of them that I'm able to hug. In my class year, there was a little sweet and feisty girl. She was with us for the first few months of the school year, and her classmates and I were sad to see her go when she transferred to a nearby school.

Last week, that little girl took her own life. Everyone who knew her is heartbroken. I spent the day I found out falling apart- and she was only in my life for a few months. I know for her family, friends, and those at her school that the pain is unbearable. It made me sick to my stomach to imagine her feeling so desperate that she felt she had no other choice.

I keep thinking back to the time she was in my class and to all of the students who I have been so blessed to teach over the years. I used to worry that as a new teacher, I was too concerned with my students as whole and should have been more focused on just the bare academics to get them where they needed to be. Once, after receiving some student test results that weren't what I expected, I confided this in another teacher, crying over how I had failed my students.

What she told me was exceedingly kind and changed my whole mindset of myself as a teacher: "We can work one the test scores. You've taught them the content, you just need to make them take the test seriously. You are a good teacher and your students love being in your class. Everyday, your students go home knowing you love them."

And, honestly, despite all the hoopla about testing and rigor and 21st century skills, that's the most important thing to me- showing my students that they are loved. I knew it the day she told me and last week, it rang truer to me than ever. As educators, as parents, as just human beings, showing love and kindness is the most important thing we can do for any child. I don't think that shows weakness and I know it doesn't run counter to a child's success. (For what it's worth, my kids' test scores went up dramatically at their next test.) I have never regretted the time I took to listen to a child that needed me or for a important class discussion that ran into math time. I wish I had kept up longer each year with student journals where my babies wrote me little notes that sometimes brought me to tears. I'm not just talking about sweetness and sunshine though. Sometimes that love has to be tough love, but being firm and consistent is also a great kindness to a child who needs a guiding hand.

As silly as I might sound to quote J.K. Rowling at a time like this, there is a line that Dumbledore tells Harry that has stuck me with ever since:

Just like your mother, you’re unfailingly kind. A trait people never fail to undervalue, I’m afraid.

Unfailing kind. I'd like to be more like that. I know for a fact that it is undervalued, but the value to one little child might be all that matters.

Race Envy

2011-10-29T09:25:00.003-04:00

Despite my big plans back in July and August, my fall racing plans have fallen through for a number of reasons. I can't complain because I've been plenty busy with other things, but I can't help but feel just a teensy bit jealous of all of you gearing up for your fall races.

I did have one race besides my pathetically slow 5K though! I forgot to tell y'all about the triathlon relay I did last month. Before I got married (and moved an hour away from the closest indoor pool), I did sprint triathlons on a pretty regular basis. I've said it before, but triathlons are so. much. fun. When I've got access to train in a pool, I'd like to work my way up to an Olympic distance triathlon and a half-ironman, but that won't be anytime in the foreseeable future.

I had never participated in a triathlon relay though and was so excited to get an invitation this summer to be the swim leg in a relay at the beach in September. (My husband was not as thrilled...triathlons make even less sense to him than marathons because of all the gear and logistics and set-up required. I have to give him credit though because he was trooper and was at the race site at 5:45 a.m. with me.)

The swim was in the channel and I was a little nervous because I had never swam in the channel before, it was a little chilly, and my training had been somewhat sporadic. (Think random YMCA visits while visiting family and going on day trips + swimming laps in tiny hotel pools while out of town.) Once we got in though, the swim was great and I felt really good about it. I guess my teammates had lower expectations because they were THRILLED with my time and that made me pretty happy too.

My teammates invited me to swim with them again in Beach to Battleship Half-Ironman that's today, but I wasn't able to do so, which is why I guess my case of race envy is kicking in now. Oh well...maybe I should at least get out of my pajamas and channel that envy into a run!

It's easy to get an age group award...

2011-10-16T20:18:00.003-04:00

...when you're the only one in your age group!

I was NOT excited about going up to the 25-30 last year.

In my experience, most 19-24 year-olds are still in bed at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings and the those who do run are racing in college and not worrying about little 5Ks and 10Ks on the weekends. Therefore I've been able to get several age group awards while I was still in my "early twenties."

Fast forward to my "late twenties" and the field seems much more competitive. These women are college runners who are over being burnt out and ready to run again, mommy-runner fanatics who can outpace me even pushing a giant stroller, and hardcore workout fiends who wouldn't dream of sleeping in on Saturdays.

They didn't show up to my race on Saturday though! I was able to stroll right through at a leisurely pace and still take home a medal. Is it pathetic that I'm still excited about my only age group award this fall?

Making Runners Instead of Running for Myself

2011-10-10T20:47:00.006-04:00

Well, I'm back from my blog hiatus and all, but I'm quickly realizing I don't have a lot to talk about in the running sphere right now. As I mentioned, I'm not really training for anything in particular right now, and even though I'm running, there's not a whole lot of adventure going on with that.

In fact, when I look back over the course of this year, my running theme has definitely been geared towards making new runners.

Since January, I...

Attended Girls on the Run training.
Coached a Girls on the Run team of 26 third, fourth, and fifth grade girls.
Convinced 4 other teachers at that school that they liked running enough to get trained themselves and they are now coaching our county's first STRIDE (boys running) teams.
Helped two good friends get through their first long runs and 1/2 marathons.
Ran alongside my college roommate in her first marathon. (Although, technically I was not beside her as she finished because she's much more hardcore than me and was done a good 1/2 hour before me....)
Organized the second annual Farmers Market Run/Walk 5K at no cost to the participants.
Talked another 3 coaches and 1 school into Girls on the Run.
Started an informal Saturday running club.
Started coaching our county's first Girls on Track team at a new school.
Somehow, some way, got talked into organizing another local 5K....

Actually, I'm really excited about this 5K we're planning for December because it's cutesy (we're thinking about ordering a few of these...

), there are other people who are really excited about this event and helping to plan it, it's going to be so exciting for all our little running teams to get together, and we're raising some funds to help pay for our spring teams!

Suddenly, I feel don't feel so pathetic that I haven't had any PRs, tackled any new distances, or lost that weight that's been slowing me down this year. (Okay, that still sounds a little pathetic.)

One of my adorable little middle school runners asked me the other day, "Why did you want to start this running club with us?" Well, because I love running and I want that little girl, her teammates, and anybody else I can convince to love it too. It's not too much to ask, is it?

Weak Ankles...

2011-10-07T16:40:00.002-04:00

I've mentioned before how fortunate I've been to have a mostly injury-free running career thus far. This can probably be mostly attributed to the fact that, even when I've been marathon training, I've never been nearly as hardcore as most of the runners I envy.

Besides a few minor knee incidences (solved just with rest), my only other issue is that I have pathetic weak ankles. It is not usual for me to step funny on a foot and roll my ankle for a second. Usually, this is remedied by the old "walk it off," and it's fine.

Well, yesterday, at Girls on Track practice, that strategy did not work and I felt pretty stupid. During one of our relays, I rolled my ankle, proceed to tried to jog on it, and then got light-headed, unable to finish instructions for the next activity, and had to sit down in the grass. I knew I would be fine in a second (as long as I didn't try to keep going....did I mention I gave blood the other day? I really didn't want a repeat of this.)

This is the difference between elementary and middle school girls. My elementary girls would have freaked out, covering me with their little hands and asking if I was okay. My middle school girls looked at me funny. One of them asked, rightly so, "Umm...how are we supposed to run if you are in the way?" It kind of cracked me up.

Anyway, I can't complain because my ankle didn't even swell- it's just a little sore and I'm going to stay off it a few days. Well...at least until run club in the morning.

PR*Bars Review

2011-10-05T19:59:00.005-04:00

As I alluded to a couple days ago, today marks my first blog review!

Jordan from Kel & Partners agency contacted me to offer a sampling of PR*Bars to review here a while back, and finally between a lost package and a blog break, the stars have aligned!

Over the past couple weeks, I've tested the PR*Bars in a variety of settings- as fuel before 8 and 7 mile runs, a hearty mid-afternoon snack, a breakfast running out the door, a half-dinner before 4 miles, and a post-run snack.

I don't mess around too much with my running fuel because I've had a few icky gels that I wasn't too impressed with, but the PR*Bars seemed to do the trick. When I had my "Iced Brownie" (yes, chocolate appeals me to even at 6:40 in the morning) PR*Bar before heading out a few weeks ago, I met up with a friend for what I thought would just be a couple miles, but it turned into 8. I usually have a gel if I'm running over an hour, but I didn't have one with me and was surprised to find that I didn't need one. Usually I get draggy around mile 5 and don't recover as well if I don't have a gel, but I really think having the PR*Bar before gave me more sustained energy than I usually have during a long run.

I had similar results with the other ones I had with my other runs, though 8 was my longest. They're a good size and sweetness/heartiness level for a heavy snack or quick breakfast too. The claim is that the PR*Bar formula "eliminates hunger, increases mental focus, and optimizes performance by controlling blood sugars and using body fat for fuel." I didn't exactly produce a scientific experiment to test this, but they did fill me up quickly. I'm interested in using the PR*Bars in the future when I'm in more of a challenging training mode, but they worked fine for my needs right now.

I got the chance to try 5 of the flavors- Iced Brownie (had a chocolate glaze that I liked), Oatmeal Raisin Granola (more like a traditional granola bar), Chocolate Peanut (again, it's hard to go wrong with a chocolate glaze-almost tasted a little like a Reese's cup), Peanut Butter Granola, and Apple Pie (which I was surprised to like so much because usually I don't like fruity bars like this, but it had a sweet glaze to it as well.) All the bars have this crunchy taste, kind of like a Kit-Kat bar. This is not my very favorite texture, but I thought it went really well with the Peanut Butter Granola (which turned out to be my favorite) and the Chocolate Peanut.

All in all, the PR*Bars were a success and I would recommend them if you are looking for a crunchy-sweet bar to fuel longer runs or substitute for a quick breakfast or snack. You can read all the scientific training information and see their nutrition plans at their website at www.prbar.com/.

*I was send these bars for free in exchange for a review, but was not paid or required to write a positive review...does that count as a disclaimer? This was my very first blog review, remember?

Remember my Diet Coke Experiment?

2011-10-04T17:27:00.003-04:00

So this summer, I gave up Diet Coke (which for me, translates to "all soda") for a month. A few individuals (possibly including my mother and my husband) thought this was pretty pointless since I was just going cold turkey for 31 days and then welcoming Diet Coke back into my life.

I just viewed it as an experiment. And, several months later now, it turns out, it worked.

I did continue to crave Diet Coke the whole month and didn't know what to expect when I had that first cold sip on Day 32. I'm not going to lie- it was amazing. I missed it so much, which sounds like a really pathetic thing to admit to the world via the internet.

I was somewhat cured. Instead of the 2, 3, 4, or 5 daily cans I was knocking back prior to the experiment, I was down to a few a week. I patted myself on the back and was content to stay there.

However, to my surprise, I found that after a couple months of this, I didn't even really enjoy the few I was having. I rarely finished my can of Diet Coke when I had one and I usually regretted the lost dollar or two at the restaurant while I sipped my watery, improperly-carbonated beverage. The last one can I had just tasted so chemically and gross to me that I ended up pouring it out after one taste...which is painful for me because I hate to waste food.

And here I am, one addiction short! I'm not saying I've completely cut out all soda forever or that I think it's just the most terrible most awful thing for you (my body would probably really appreciate if I cut out sugar instead!), but overall, I'm over it.

Sugar, watch your back!

Okay, obviously, I was totally kidding about that last part. I'm never giving up sugar. Ever. Excuse me while I go off to the kitchen to make some no-bake oatmeal cookies!

Why, hello!

2011-10-03T20:38:00.002-04:00

It's that time again. Time for me to explain where I've been for the past 6 weeks or so while the blogworld has revolved without me. Well, here and there, this and that. Which makes sense to address in bullet-point format, correct?

For once, I'm really content with my running without being registered for a darn thing. Usually, I can't make myself get out there if I don't have a big race looming in the distance, but now that I have run club on Saturdays, long runs early Sunday morning with my church friends (one of whom is half-marathon training), and Girls on Track practice twice a week, I'm lacing up my shoes more than half the days of the week. Which is pretty remarkable for me.
I officially love my new job. Even though I feel like I'm never in the same place for more than a hot second, I love working with the teachers and feel that I've been able to be helpful to them. (I hope they feel the same way!)
Middle school girls aren't as scary as I feared. In fact, they're pretty darn lovable and they don't pinch each other. (Not that all my elementary girls were pinchers, but it's just one of those things that happens sometimes when you're seven.) Girls on Track has been a joy so far.
My cousin got married in Detroit and our family had such a nice little reunion. I feel so grateful that even though my sisters, cousins, and I all grew up, we can still get together with our families and still get along like little kids excited to see each other. Even though we go months or (more often) years without seeing them, we can just fall into step with them and talk like no time has passed.
This girl who grew up without a TV has a embarrassing number of guilty pleasures scattered throughout my week right now: Sing Off, Parenthood, Modern Family, The Office, Parks and Rec....oh my. That's a lot of shows. Don't tell my mom.
I've knocked a few more things off my 101 in 1001 list but I'm itching to cross off a few more- especially some of those that have lingering "in progress" for a looong time. Numbers 20, 21, 46, 49, 51, and 62 better watch out this month! Don't let me get away with not giving a 101 in 1001 update by Halloween!
I'm doing my very first blog review on Wednesday! I don't plan on going crazy with those (in fact, I don't have any others on the horizon) but who am I to turn away free snacks?
Oh, wasn't I supposed to have it "all together" by the time I came back from my blog break? Yeah, that didn't happen. But I've made some pretty good progress...I'll keep filling you in.

Hope everyone's week and October is off to a lovely start! I'm excited to catch up with all of your adventures.

Making a Temporary Exit

2011-08-20T19:14:00.003-04:00

This week, I started my new job! I'm so excited about how great a fit this position is already and love the schools I'm in. (Although I still miss everyone at my old school and am a little sad not to be getting ready for a new classful of babies this year.) I really enjoy the work I'm doing and feel like it's needed and helpful to teachers, so that's pretty hard to beat!

However, between that, gearing up half-marathon training, reminding myself how to keep up with laundry/cleaning and work at the same time, and hopefully starting a Girls on Track team soon, my calendar (yes, I caved with the rest of the blogworld and got a Erin Condren planner (half off!) which I LOVE and don't remember life before...I may be working on a home organization binder too- you bloggers just have such good ideas!) is getting pretty jammed pack.

So, in order to keep me focused, I'm taking a little blog break. When I come back in a few weeks, I plan to have it all together, so blogging will seamlessly fit into my schedule, right? (Never mind that every other time I thought I would "have it all together" it never has worked...)

Because I know I just can't help myself, I'll probably be poking in to read a little, but my goal is to mostly stay off the computer in my free time, so I'll be desperate to catch up on all the little details of where you've been running/what you've been reading/what pictures you've taken/what you're dressing your babies in/what you're cooking and all the other details I'll miss!

Be back in a little bit!

Sounds of Nature = Slow

2011-08-13T14:06:00.002-04:00

This morning I met up with my running club (still makes me excited to say that!), but a lot of people are out of town, so it was just me and another girl. It was really great to have someone to run with though and we got in a pretty brisk (for me) 3 miles.

She was done for the day so I kept trucking to get in 2 more for my "long" 5-miler. I didn't have my iPod because I had been running with her, and after about 0.3 of a mile by myself I realized I never run without music or talking anymore.

I didn't give into the whole iPod thing until late 2007, but I've gradually adjusted to running with music every time I head out alone. So it seemed a little eerily quiet without it today.

Which is what I blame my walking at least a mile of my run on.

I like hearing the birds and watching for squirrels and being "one with nature" and all that, but it really just makes me want to be slow and lazy. (It may have had something to do with me still being really out of shape too....)

I'll be getting the iPod back out tomorrow.

Do y'all run with music all the time, part of the time, or never? Maybe I'll FINALLY post my 25 Running Songs tomorrow!

Half Marathon Training Plan- Finally!

2011-08-11T11:55:00.003-04:00

After a ridiculously hot and ridiculously low mileage summer, I'm really ready for a fall training plan.

I've decided to just go for a half this fall instead of a full marathon. Part of me is really, really wiggling to go 26.2 again, but I'm going to be practical this time and do a close-by, familiar 13.1 course. It's Battleship Half Marathon, round 3!

This course was my first half in 2004 and my PR in 2007. I would LOVE to break that PR and think I might have it in me if I get serious right soon. (Sidenote: I was run-streaking when I got that PR. At that point, I had been running daily for around 6 months. Maybe that's my best chance for getting back in shape?)

Inspired by L and her fancy marathon training plan, I whipped up my own in Excel for the first time. (I have been using a layer on my Google Calendar, but Google Calendar and I are not agreeing with each other as of late.) I was loosely following this plan because I liked that you got a 15-miler in there.

So, this is what I have in mind:

I included the triathlon swim I'll be doing in September and the one I might be swimming in October, but there may be a few little 5Ks sneaked in there too. If I actually keep up with it, this will be the best trained I've ever been for a half marathon, so the PR could be in reach.

Excited for fall training! Hopefully, the weather will be cooperating soon too! How do y'all make your training plans?

Big Excitement!

2011-08-03T18:51:00.003-04:00

Okay, technically, this probably isn't big excitement to anybody but me, but...

I've kind of been here and there with my blogging and running and everything else lately. It's late summer when I get kind of panicky trying to decide how to spend my last couple weeks of freedom- Finish all those projects I'm supposed to be working on? Get ready for the coming school year? Just relax and save up my energy for back-to-school? (Obviously, when I take two seconds to think about it though, I remind myself just to be completely grateful that I have this time at all.)

I'm excited to announce though that as of last night, I'm feeling a lot more confident of the direction that things are going! I just found out that I've been "promoted" ("promoted" instead of just promoted because it's not a pay raise) to a position where I'll get to help teachers and plan curriculum instead of having my own classroom. It's a little bittersweet because I won't be at the same school (where I love the community, the kids, and everyone I work with) and part of me will really miss having my own classroom of "babies." I'm really, really thrilled though about getting to help other teachers with their teaching and technology and about being in more of a professional role. This also puts me in a better position to expand Girls on the Run in our county and I will probably be coaching two Girls on Track (middle school girls) programs this year!

The big question for the blog, of course, is: What effect will this have on my running?!

I'll keep you informed!

Dear Diary,

2011-07-28T10:02:00.013-04:00

Today, still all sweaty and gross from my morning run (I am running- I've just been too lazy to keep up with dailymile), knowing that I should be mowing the lawn, but wanting to do anything but, I went up to the attic to crack open my "childhood mementos" box. I was looking for a tape that my parents recorded about me for a sixth grade project. The only thing I remember from that tape is my dad saying I "have a low tolerance for pain," which , in retrospect, sounds like a really creepy thing to say about a child, but I guess in my dad's recent memory was an episode of me getting a splinter and howling as my mother the unforgiving doctor removed it.

Before I could late the tape, I laid my hands on an equally exciting discovery- my diary from grades 2 - 9.

After spending 20 minutes skimming back over those pages, equal parts amused and embarrassed, I've come to several conclusions.

1. I need to be keeping a journal. (I know I've got this whole blog thing, but I'm just never going to lay it all on the line here.) Yes, the middle school obsessions about boys and the use of the word, "phat" is kind of painful to read, but it's worth it for the gift of being able to look back to those earlier versions of myself.

2. I have always loved writing, had a quirky tone, and overused parentheses.

3. People don't change that much. At least I haven't. I have always been fearful of losing memories,

(I then proceeded to ramble on about my haircut in preschool and my best friends in each grade), a little neurotic/dramatic/emotional (That's my first first diary entry when I'm in second grade. Paranoid much?),

obsessed with my weight (I bragged about losing 6 pounds when I was 8), had jealousy issues (apparently, my best friend Ashley got a letter congratulating her for good grades in third grade, even though my grades were just as good as hers), and surrounded myself with "best friends."

4. I had a charmed childhood. Despite my neuroses and my inability to get the stars to aligh to match me up with a boy I liked who liked me until well past the end of this diary, I had year after year of best friends, camps, slumber parties, family trips, school dances, and favorite teachers. Literally, the worst thing that ever happened to me (according to me in seventh grade) was when Earl, a boy I had a crush on and sat with on the bus, moved away and I didn't get to say goodbye because I had tennis practice that afternoon. Really? That's charmed.

5. When my future children get old enough to scratch out words, the very first gift I'm giving them is a diary with a lock. They will be instructed to never tell anyone the code and to hide it in a place Mommy would never look. It's going to take every ounce of self-control I have not to sneak a peek, but I want them to be free to write whatever they want. Even if it's misspelling how "cruel" my parents have been.

Here's a few more gems:

Apparently, snarkiness starts in third grade. (Although I totally knew that since I've taught third graders.)

I sound pretty smug about that reading group and getting chosen first by my smart crush in Seven Up. This must have been before I didn't get the letter about good grades when Ashley did.

This is me describing the guy I had a crush on in middle school. He sounds like a real keeper, right?

This made me laugh harder than anything else. Apparently I wrote this note to the boy I liked in sixth grade that I obviously was never going to send, but it must have been cathartic for me to write it because I saved it in my diary. You can tell it was the nineties by the unashamed use of Printshop Deluxe.

Okay, I might have laughed even harder at this. It sounds disgusting, but I guess at the time, my sister and I thought that was good eating. (After we got our computer, 'a Gateway 2000' as I bragged in 1995, I would occasionally type my entries and fold them into the diary.)

Anyway, this probably cracks me up more than anybody else, but I hope it inspires someone else to dig up their childhood diary or start their own!

Am I the only one who...?

2011-07-27T11:09:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, if I'm having a bad day and have fifteen minutes to spare, I'll log on to facebook and look at all the pictures I'm tagged in. Which sounds pretty conceited, but it's not me I'm looking for in the pictures- it's what's in the pictures with me.

Facebook has created a fairly comprehensive scrapbook of the last 6 years of my life. Almost every trip I've been on, wedding I've been in (including my own), party I've attended, adventure I've explored, and even a few of the races I've run are documented there. There are pictures of me with so many people who I love and who have helped make me into the person I am today.

Sometimes, when it's a bad day, it's easy to see things out of perspective. After viewing those 593 pictures though, it's impossible for me to not feel loved, blessed, and incredibly grateful for the life God has given me and all the people in it.

Am I the only one who does this?

Diet-Coke-Free Month Results & Other Food Paranoia

2011-07-25T09:44:00.004-04:00

When I decided to give up Diet Coke (and all soda) for a month, it was an experiment. Here are the results.

Do I feel amazing/more healthy/purer/etc?

Ehh. Not really in a dramatic sense, but I know it's been good for me to drink so much water and get some of those sketchy chemicals out of my system.

How did my body react to the dramatic loss of caffeine?

I had a few headaches for the first couple days, but I was expecting that. I was not expecting how exhausted I would be for the first week. I guess I thought my body was just kind of immune to the caffeine, but apparently not. After a week though, I leveled back out. (Of course, it's summer and I'm not working, so my sleep and activity schedule have been a lot more flexible than it will be during the school year.)

Did I save money?

Yes, for sure. I wish I had kept track, but I know I've saved a dollar or two each time I've eaten out and just ordered water and I haven't had to lug home any 12 packs from the grocery store either.

Did I drink more water and stay more hydrated?

Definitely. Besides half a cup of lemonade and the occasional (how should I say?) fermented or brewed drink, it's been just glass after glass of water. I don't know if it's just because it's so hot too, but I crave it more too. It's not unusual now for me to fill a glass and then drink it right there at the sink or Brita filter so I can refill it before I walk away.

Did I lose weight/bloat less?

Nope. I thought I ate more when I drink Diet Coke, but apparently that's not really the case.

Did I miss it?

Yep- almost every day. Isn't that sad? There are just some foods that are better with a soda.

Am I running back into the arms of Diet Coke now?

Possibly? I know a lot of people kinda lose a taste for it after not having it for a while, so when I try (probably later today...) I'll see. I do want to limit myself to one a day or less and I think that won't be a problem now that I'm weaned.

The issue is that the more research I do, the more paranoid I get about Diet Coke, oh, and pretty much everything else. (Start googling "BPA" and you'll be terrified of half the stuff in your kitchen, not just the food- but the packaging, your tupperware, the whole nine yards.) It seems like you have two choices- go all natural/organic/whole foods and stop trusting anything in the mainstream food culture, or throw up your hands and say, "Oh well, you can't get away from it, it'll be alright." Right now, I find myself straddling these two ideas and since I live 161 miles from the nearest Whole Foods, I think I'm going to just have to stay somewhere in the middle. At least we have a farmers market!

What about y'all? How food-paranoid are you? Do you lay awake at night wondering if the FDA is a big conspiracy? Or do you just keep rolling and not stress about it?

Morning Runs & Running Club

2011-07-18T15:59:00.002-04:00

So, not to be redundant or anything, but it's hot here. Dawn or dusk are the only times that I can run without feeling completely and totally worthless. (I'm still feeling sorta worthless during those times. I was a good runner back in the spring right? Didn't I run a marathon? It feels kinda like it was just a dream.)

Even during the summer when I'm not working, I've always leaned more towards evening runs instead of morning...until now. I've been running (okay, admittedly some mornings run/walking) regularly first thing now and I love it. It feels like the whole rest of the day is carefree, even when I have other tasks/appointments/chores, because I've already got my exercise in. I find I lean towards healthier foods all day because I got off on the right foot. It almost makes me feel a little smug.

I still need all the motivation and help I can get to get out the door though. When we were training for our races this spring, a couple friends from church and I started getting together for our long runs on Saturday mornings. It was their first half marathon and my first time since I moved here having my dream of a running buddy realized. I forgot how the miles go so much faster when you've got someone to talk to.

Now I decided we need to take the next step. I had been interested in starting a running club here for a while since I do see occasional runners out and about and wanted to meet them, but was told that it wouldn't get off the ground. "How 'bout a walking club?" was the suggestion. No offense to walkers (says the girl who walked the last mile of her "run" this morning), but a walking club didn't sound that cool to me.

So, I compromised. I sent an email and facebook message to all the Farmers Market Run/Walk participants from May and invited them to come out to run OR walk with us on Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. I'm thrilled to say that we've actually had people show up! More runners than walkers even! The running club is actually happening.

I'll be out of town this weekend so I'll miss the next group run, but I feel so proud that even without me there, a few runners are planning to get together. Remember how I said there wasn't a running community here? Well, guess what? There is now. : )

Relays, Triathlons, and Races

2011-07-14T12:06:00.003-04:00

Last night, I received an unexpected call asking me to participate in a triathlon relay as the swimmer in September. Even though it's because this trio's normal swimmer will be in Alaska that week and I might be the only other qualified swimmer they know, I'm still couldn't help feeling a little flattered!

I haven't given my official "yes" yet because I need to work some things out on the calendar, but I'm really excited about it. Triathlons are really, really fun- maybe more so than running events. The reason my mom and I are runners now is because of that first triathlon we signed up for in 2004. I ran track and cross-country in high school, but didn't really keep it up between seasons or after graduation. That first triathlon though, gave both of us the racing bug.

I've got 6 sprint triathlons under my belt, but I've never made the financial/training commitment to go any further. My mountain bike I received as a 13th birthday present (even though we never got around to actually purchasing it until I was 16) doesn't really cut it and I'm not a big biking fanatic anyway. (I'm really, really, really scared of being hit on the road.)

So being invited just to swim (which is my favorite/fastest portion anyway) in this race sounds pretty good to me! The runner and biker are also considering the Beach to Battleship Half-Ironman relay later this fall if I'm interested. Swimming 1.2 miles doesn't intimidate me. (I swam across a 4 mile lake once.) Figuring out a wetsuit and swimming next to "ironpeople"...seems scary. We'll see.

Googling running events is fun though, so here's a tentative plan for the rest of the year:

March of D imes 5K - Sept. 3 or Historic Wilmington 5K- Sept. 8 or Brunswick 10K - Sept. 10

Wilmington YMCA Triathlon - Sept. 17th (Swim Portion of Relay)

First Bank Oktberfest 15K - Oct. 16th or another October Race

Battleship Half Marathon or Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon- Nov. 6 (I need to make up my mind soon if I'm going 13.1 or all the way this fall.)

Tanglewood Running of the Lights 5K - Jan 1- 12:00 a.m. (I have wanted to do this for years but we always have other New Years Plans. This is NOT my husband's idea of a great way to start a new year, but I've got, ehh, about 6 months to convince him, right?)

I know I'll be complaining about the cold when it comes, but right now, I'm fantasizing about that crisp fall running weather!

Have y'all ever done any relays? Are wetsuits that scary? Know of any other NC races this fall/winter that are can't miss? Want to mock me for being terrified of road biking?

When It's Not So ______ Hot, I'm Going to be Fast Again.

2011-07-12T09:40:00.001-04:00

Okay, relatively fast.

That's it. Just wanted to clarify.

Why Do You Blog?

2011-07-11T13:30:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite bloggers, D.A.R. at Midwest Paradise bid the blogging world adieu last week. I'm sad that I won't get to read her posts or see what's going on in her life anymore, but after blogging for since 2008 she decided it was time to go and with a recent move, fairly new job, living near family and friends, house hunting, and expecting a baby, I think she'll have more than enough going on to keep her busy.

It got me thinking about this strange thing we call blogging and why we're all here. This morning when I pulled out the laptop, I read Chloë's current thoughts on blogging now that she's a new mom and training for the New York marathon, so obviously I'm not the only one who thinks about this.

I started this blog in 2009. I was a newlywed, living in my husband's hometown, didn't have any local friends, and had fallen off the running bandwagon. I found the blogworld because I enjoying reading my the blogs of my high school friends who were now far away. Soon I discovered the scores of running blogs out there and knew I'd found my niche. So, I started my blog, of course, with my obsessive challenge to run 365 days in a row.

Obviously, that's been a bust.

I did so well with the running streak I attempted before I got married that I thought this new one would be a breeze. Turns out, in this stage of my life, it hasn't been that easy to cling to obsessive challenges. So I don't know when I'll get my streak in.

Even though my blog's focus has shifted slightly, it's still a way for me to talk about my (running and otherwise) goals, training, and races, get advice from other runners, and have some accountability/motivation. There wasn't a running community here and I needed one badly. (Not to mention all the other sweet non-running bloggers who I've "met" along the way.)

Over two years later, I'm proud to say that there's is a growing group of runners in this rural town. I have been running on Saturdays with two of my friends from church (who completed their first half-marathons in May) and last weekend, we invited the community to join us. There were just five of us that showed up to run or walk on Saturday, but I've got four more who are excited to join us next week. We're going to have a legit running club here very soon and I'm so proud that I'm part of it.

So even though I may have the fitness community I dreamed of when I moved here, I still need blogging. It's hard to imagine all the ideas/products/books/races I wouldn't know about if I wasn't reading what all of y'all where up to. (As much as I love the people here, new ideas are not always celebrated here.) I don't think I'd have my Garmin Forerunner if it weren't for Jess or my Canon Rebel if it weren't for D.A.R. I might not have made my wedding frame collage in the dining room if I hadn't seen Erin's beautiful collages, or made my own headboard if I hadn't had the confidence inspired by John and Sherry. There are way, way too many times to count the time I've been moved by the beautiful writing, photography, joys, or struggles of other bloggers and I've have hundreds of pages saved with recipes, home tips, fitness advice, projects, relationship suggestions, teaching ideas, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

All of which explains why I read blogs, but I guess the reason I have my own is that I want to share too! I like to write and to share photos here and there, but my husband isn't that thrilled about me sharing pictures of us so I can't really have the open, friendly, share-your-life blog like so many of yours. (For the record, I think he's a little paranoid, but I play along.)

In any case, after reflection, I feel like I'm still in a place where blogging is still beneficial to me. Part of me thinks that down the road when I have kids and am still juggling everything else, that I'll probably leave the blogosphere behind (especially because I won't be able to share pictures of what will undoubtedly be my favorite subjects- no offense to my cat) but on the other hand, how will find out all ideas/products/books pertaining to kids if I leave then?!

Anyway, this whole post is basically to say that I like it here in blogworld, I'll be staying for a while, and thanks for making it a pleasant place!

Why do you blog?

Summer This and That

2011-07-05T20:47:00.005-04:00

I hope all of y'all had a happy Fourth of July! Ever since I met my husband, all of my Independence Days have been at the lake and I was thrilled that my sisters, their boyfriends, and my parents joined us this year. Over the weekend, we grilled shrimp scampi, went on two runs (one of which was a very pleasant 5 miles- the longest I've ran since the marathon!), made a few trips across the lake, sang patriotic hymns at the lake church, biked to see friends, had fresh stuffed peppers, kayaked over 3 miles, boated to a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the end of a pier, had 50 or so friends over (including one dressed as George Washington- wig and all- carrying an American flag, canoed by men in costume), grilled 108 hot dogs, and even squeezed in some some lake lounging time.

I may, or may not, have been up at 1 in the morning Sunday night finishing this cake:

It was kind of a disaster on the outside, but I think the inside turned out alright.

Now we're back home and I'm working on my summer reading. I've been a big nonfiction kick lately (where is that book review I keep saying I'll do?!) so I went into the library looking for novels. I think I succeeded.

I realize that four of these are Young Adult (or as our outdated library has them labeled "Junior" which I think is kind of cute) selections- I'm working on # 28. I've decided that re-reading counts in my 100 book list. I just couldn't resist my Ellen Raskin books. (I've probably read "The Westing Game" a dozen times. Yesterday, I literally squealed when I stumbled upon "The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues" because we didn't have that at the local library when I was little. Just like I squealed when I discovered and read it for the first time at the library in Iowa when I was visiting my grandparents when I was nine.)

We went to a friend's house for birthday cobbler last night and ended up in two beautiful backyard gardens that pretty much make me feel like the most pathetic person ever for not being able to grow a vegetable. Walking through rows of homegrown tomatoes and squash make me feel like a little kid in my grandma's garden again and I feel so incredibly cheated that I didn't enjoy any of that produce growing up. (I refused any fruit or vegetable except corn, potatoes, or the occasional cooked carrot until I was 20. Isn't that sad?)

I'm so excited about the loot we brought home!

I'll let you know what I cook this week!

26.2 Miles Per Gallon?

2011-06-30T21:21:00.005-04:00

This encounter happened months ago and still cracks me up every time I think about it, but I kept forgetting to share it with y'all.

Back in October 2009 when I finished my first marathon, I, of course, immediately had to locate a "26.2" sticker to put on my car. It's important, as most of you know, to signify to other runners that I'm in the club, to brag without having to say a word, and to look just a little bit mysterious to those outside of the loop.

A lot of folks around here are pretty far outside the loop- running and otherwise. Don't get me wrong, most of the people here are kind and smart and hard working and all of that, but it's pretty easy to be outside of the cultural norm when you're an hour from a civilization large enough to have a Target.

Anyway....all this of leads up to this story.

Since we don't have curbside pickup, I frequent our local "recycling convenience (that's a whole 'nother story) center" about once a week and have developed an ongoing conversation with the two older gentlemen that run the center. They already think I'm kind of a freak because I usually show up with almost literally a carload of recyclables (home + school) and get a little flustered when the community service workers put my glass in the "limbs and leaves" container or toss a unsorted box into the "brown goods" (I still don't know what that's supposed to mean) receptacle.

When the friendlier of the two men was waiting for me to pop my trunk one day he glanced at my bumper and muttered, "Twenty six point two, hmm."

"Yep!" I chirped, so happy to explain, "26.2 miles."

"26.2 miles per gallon? Is that about what you get in this car?"

Awkward silence while I try simultaneously to not laugh or cry. (Am I really living this far out of the loop?!)

"Umm, no, but that would make sense, wouldn't it, sir? That's just how long I ran one time. In a race. Yep, 26.2 miles."

"Huh."

I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me.

Clearing the Diet Coke out of my Bloodstream

2011-06-27T07:47:00.003-04:00

A few days ago, I was frustrated because my fitness goals weren't going anywhere. (I can't even finish the 30 Day Shred for goodness sake! Something always comes up by Week 2.) When I lived by myself in a city where I didn't know anyone, it was so easy to stick to ridiculous exercise regiments. Notsomuch now.

So, out of the blue, I decided to take on a challenge I could actually get through without anything at all to throw me off course:

54. Give up Diet Coke (which for me, means all soda) for a month.

I don't think Diet Coke is just this horrible, horrible thing. I know the aspartame is bad for you, but I think it's not as bad as all the added calories/sugar you get from a regular soda. Probably, after this challenge, I'll go back to drinking Diet Coke occasionally. I just hope this month off breaks my ridiculous 2, 3, or 4 can a day habit!

For me, there's other side effect benefits too. When I drink less Diet Coke, I....

1. Save money. All those little cans add up!

2. Eat less. I never drink Diet Coke by itself. It's always with a meal or a snack and sometimes I find myself eating more because there's more soda in the can. I don't do that with water.

3. Drink more water. Obviously. I'm not a big fan of other flavored drinks- lemonade, flavored water, juices, tea, etc- so it's basically just water for me this month.

4. Eat healthier foods. Yesterday, my husband ran out to grab something for us to eat after church. The thought of eating any kind of greasy fast food without a Diet Coke kind of grosses me out. So we got Japanese instead and I ended up with a bowl of vegetables, shrimp, and rice instead of the Bojangles chicken biscuit and fries that might have been otherwise.

I've only been off a few days now and I've had some caffeine headaches, but I think I'm over the hump now.

What have you given up or cut back on that's made a big difference for you?

Why is Running So Much More Appealing When You Can't Run?

2011-06-23T20:30:00.002-04:00

Even though running was not hurting my knee, common sense told me that taking a couple days off might help it feel better in between runs.

After 2 days of no running and no Jillian Michaels, my knee is feeling better. It didn't bother me at all at swim lessons today and I thought I might be cured.

So, tonight, when it's gloriously 78° instead of the 98° it's been for the past week, I thought I'd head out for a easy run- sans Garmin, even! A quarter of a mile in, my knee spoke up. Not a yelp of pain, not a cry of agony, but just a whisper, "Watch it. I'm not happy about this."

Which was enough to make me listen. I have been lucky enough over the past 5 years to have no injuries to speak of- even through training for 2 marathons, 4 halfs, 4 triathlons, and a 275 day running streak.

I'm not pushing my luck. If my knee whispers- I listen.

The runner I saw as I walked shamefully back to my house after my pitiful running attempt seemed to mock me as he glided by. Suddenly, I desperately want to run. Isn't that always how it works?

I'm kind of frustrated because I was starting to feel like I was on the right track again after a complete fitness FAIL for the month after the marathon. I had actually completed a week of The Shred, for goodness sake! I was on Level 2!

I understand that in the grand scheme though- this is ridiculously tiny. Hopefully, after a week off, I'll be lacing my shoes back up! I'm going to keep moving in the healthy direction by focusing on what I'm eating in the meantime. What do you do when you can't run?

Knee Pain Suggestions?

2011-06-21T12:26:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, before summer break and the re-start of my running career, I started having some little twinges of pain in my left knee. The first time I noticed it was in the pool, teaching a swim lesson when I was treading water.

Since then, it hurts when I bend my knee all the way, put weight on my bent knee, or rotate my knee. It's not a bad pain, more like a twinge, but I've been noticing it several times a day.

The weird thing is that it has nothing to do with running. Doesn't bother me when I run or walk and doesn't hurt more later.

Sooo.....what do I do? Usually my knee pain solution is to stop running and stay off it for a couple weeks, but that doesn't make sense in this case because it wasn't brought on by running.

The pain is so minor that that's not really the issue- just the fear that I'm messing up my knee. Anybody had a similar event or any suggestions?

101 in 1001 Progress- Round 2

2011-06-19T20:50:00.003-04:00

Because I am a math geek, I just calculated that I should have completed 20% of my 101 in 1001 goals so far. I'm at about 13%. You don't have to be a math geek to know that I'm behind.

Since my last check in, this is what I've finished:

1. Run another marathon.

10. Run 100 miles in one month.

16. Complete (grad school) portfolio.

17. Finish my master's degree.

22.

33. Learn to use a camera beyond the automatic settings. (I'm still learning and will be for a while, but since I've figured out to shoot in manual, I think this counts.)

68. Put something, anything, on the walls in our bedroom. (Finally hung the Ikea canvas I've had for months over the bed.)

74. Organize the second annual Farmers Market Run. (Yay! Over 160 runners and walkers participated in the 5K or Kids Run. It's my sneaky little way of creating new running buddies.)

81. Coach a Girls on the Run team. (So proud of my 24 girls who completed training and the 20 who came and raced their first 5K!)

Even though I'm behind, I'm not that far behind and I have several "in progress" goals going. Since it's summer, I'm hoping I can roll through a bunch in the next couple weeks.

Like...

6. Finally, finally complete the 30 Day Shred. (Started 6/14/11)

7. Bring home my bike from my parents’ house.

26. Frame my diplomas.

32. Tackle my pile of clothes that need to be mended.

39. Memorize the major scales on the piano. (My high school piano teacher would be horrified to know that I've ever forgotten these. I think they're still there in muscle memory somewhere, I just need to bring them back to the surface.)

45. Make my own pasta from stratch.

46. Make homemade cinnamon rolls.

48. Get a food processor.

49. Clean out junk drawer.

52. Organize recipes.

53. Become comfortable with cooking on the grill.

55. Make homemade bread for sandwiches.

56. Make daily vitamins a habit.

58. Finish organizing papers in study.

61. Clean out my trunk. (Yes, I realize how pathetic it is that I have to make this a major life goal.)

62. Establish a weekly housework schedule.

71. Go through all make-up/beauty products/medicines.

95. Finish moving all our CDs in iTunes.

101. Get new glasses.

I know that's a pretty long list, but several of those are already in progress. There aren't any running goals listed that I think I can tackle right away, but I'm just going to keep plugging away to build back my endurance and speed. (Not that I had a lot of speed to begin with.)

What are your summer goals?

Settling into Summer

2011-06-18T23:15:00.005-04:00

My husband says I always find something to worry about. The first time he told me that I was a little taken aback because I've never thought about myself as a worrywart. More and more often though, I think he might be at least partially right. (Just about this, though.)

I was fretting Wednesday on my first day of summer break. Even though I had no work AND no school. I was just mentally scrambling to figure out all the tasks I've been putting off that needed to be accomplished and frustrated with my current non-fit fitness level. And then, I was fretting BECAUSE I was fretting. If I'm not completely blissfully happy when I have no work and no school, what is wrong with me?

A few days later though, after cleaning (almost) my entire house, unpacking my car, getting (almost) all the laundry done, getting two new tires and my car realigned, figuring out two things I'd been wrongly billed for, baking banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins, recycling a whole carload of junk, cleaning out my fridge (in which I may, or may not, have found something that expired in 2009), taking apart the bed and washing everything down to the bedskirt, spending an hour picking out new glasses (even though I haven't made the final pick yet), checking out eight books from the library, actually getting through 5 days of The Shred (wow, that sounds not that impressive when I write it down), and arranging my fourth of July mantel, I feel like I can breathe a little easier.

I'm sure I'll find something else to fret about soon though. Maybe that should be my first summer goal: No fretting. I know when I step back for a second and get some perspective that I've got nothing at all to complain about.

After all, I even got lucky with my TYR grab bag!

I was so nervous/excited opening the bag and was pretty sure what I would find inside would look like this:

But instead, I found this:

I was so excited! I think this is cute for a racing suit.

But that's pretty much all I got going on. I hope all of you have a wonderful Father's Day with your loved ones!

Brain Dump List

2011-06-15T11:00:00.006-04:00

1. I'm running again! I was really nervous after that walk/run failure with my husband Monday, but I think it was mainly the heat. I ran 3 miles yesterday evening and 3 this morning. Don't ask me about my times.

2. Once again, I'm starting the 30 Day Shred.

I'm still fast-forwarding through the cardio on days that I run. Cheating? Maybe. The only way I'm going to get through the 30 Day Shred. Probably. It's not that the cardio is hard, it's just boring and it's kind of a bribe to myself to make me do the strength and abs if I know I don't have to take time for the jumping jacks and all that.

3. I'm teaching swim lessons again this summer and decided it was FINALLY time for a new racing/teaching suit. My two suits from college are getting to that see-through phase and that's just not the look I'm going for. I took a risk and went with the TYR grab bag!

It was the best deal I could find on TYR or Speedo, but the color/print will be a surprise! I'm really excited about getting the package, but I could end up embarrassed if it's hideous.

4. I've been having some weird catches, cracks, and minor occasional pain in my left knee. It's strange because this started last week and is completely unrelated to running or working out because I've been a sloth until yesterday. No problems while running though so hopefully it will work its way out. Anybody else have this?

5. My summer reading has commenced and I plan on posting what I've been reading lately soon, but I need ideas from y'all on what to read next! I've been on a non-fiction kick lately but need some novels to work on too.

6. I'm in love with my new camera! My husband and dad are both great photographers and have been giving me tips.

I documented our entire-Outer-Banks-in-two-days-trip.

And my cat and my in-law's new puppy have been my subjects many times.

As much as I love my cat, I hate to say that she's not very photogenic. The puppy receives a much greater response on facebook when I post pictures. : )

7. It's time to plan out my summer! For the past month, I've been asked dozens of times, "You finished grad school and you'll be on summer break from work- what will you do?" And honestly, I've been so busy the past few weeks that I've only been able to think from one day and one week to the next that I haven't been able to formulate a response. Now that's it's here, I want to set some goals for the summer. I'll keep you updated!

Officially Out of Shape

2011-06-13T21:21:00.001-04:00

Went for a walk with my husband tonight.

Whined every time he suggested we "run these next two blocks."

Got completely left behind when he suggested sprinting.

Boo.

Tomorrow's my last teacher workday though and then the summer's laid out empty before me. No excuses!

26 Days of No Running Since 26.2

2011-06-02T21:02:00.002-04:00

So there's my horrible confession.

Since my marathon on May 7th, my running has slammed to a halt. This happened right after my first marathon too and I swore it wouldn't again. If you've been reading a while though, you know better than to trust my fitness proclamations.

It's not that I was tired of the running. I hearts-and-butterflies-loved the marathon training this time (save just a couple rough runs) and didn't really feel burnt out at all. I just got busy with one thing (finishing grad school), and then another (Girls on the Run and the 5K I organize), and another (end of school testing- stress, anyone?), and it was just too easy to not make running a priority.

This week, however, is the start of a new era! Tuesday, I came home and didn't quite know what to do with myself. I had no papers to grade, my house was clean, and there weren't any assignments looming over me. I actually cooked a real supper with three(!) different vegetables, pork loin on the grill, and blueberry crisp. At my husband's request, I even made sweet tea for the first time. (Shouldn't I get some kind of Southern Woman badge for that or something?)

Today, though I finally took it one step further and broke my sloth streak. It was only 2 miles and when I counted up the days, it's been 26 days since the marathon, so that's good irony for you. Now, it's time to find some races! How are y'all keeping up in this heat?

(Despite its seeming unpopularity with 0 comments thus far, : ) I am going to stick to my 25+25+25+25 blogging plan and reveal another 25 list next! Either 25 running songs or 25 running tips.)

25 Tips for Organizing a 5K

2011-05-24T21:47:00.001-04:00

I said before that I was working on a 100 list for if I hit 100 followers, but I decided it would be way too much to stomach if I just had a list of 100 tidbits about me. (Of course, I'm about a month behind, but whatever.)

So, I've decided to break up my 100 list. Because 25 + 25 + 25 + 25 =100, right? 25 Running Tips, 25 Tips for Organizing a 5K, 25 Songs on my Running Playlist, and 25 Random Facts about Me.

I'm starting with 5K organization tips because that's what I'm working on the past month and that's what's on my mind. (Moving on after this for those of you who are sick of hearing about this race.) So without further ado....

25 Tips for Organizing a 5K

1. Form a committee- quick. Try to find people who have done races in your area before so you can steal their tips and avoid their pitfalls. Our committee includes representatives from our farmers market, parks and recreation department, health department, cooperative extension, and the mayor. Yeah, I got lucky.

2. Consider partnering with an established non-profit that already is set up with a bank account and can accept tax-deductible donations. We partner with the local farmers market, which is an obvious choice. It also helps with promotion and public relations.

3. Download this free guide from Adin Lykken. It's really long and detailed, but he thought of a lot of things I never would have thought of otherwise.

4. Use G-Map Pedometer (and your running Garmin, if you have one) to help figure out your route and print off multiple copies when it's final. Run it many times at the time of day you're planning to race to look for problems (traffic, shade/sun, uneven surfaces, etc.) before you make your final route.

5. Find out what permits you need to complete- with the city, police, ambulance/rescue, county, etc. Some need to be turned in very early- like 90 days before the event.

6. Make a website with a short catchy title. I LOVE Weebly and use it for everything- my race website, my class website, school projects, and anything else I need to put up. I pay a small yearly fee for a Pro Account because I use it so much, but you can use almost all the features for free.

7. Make a facebook page for your event, not an facebook event. Just trust me- it's less confusing.

8. Have an artistic friend or graphic designer create a logo that can be used on flyers, website, t-shirt, etc. A publicity company designed ours as an in-kind donation. We listed them as a sponsor and they got a tax deduction. Win-win!

9. Consider just doing online and race day registration. I only had one person who said they didn't have access to register online. When participants enter their information into the online system (instead of filling out a handwritten form) it's legible, accurate, and in Excel format- which will save you a lot of headache later. I just use a Weebly form on the race site.

10. Plan early for t-shirts! I have participants pre-order their sizes and then just order a few extra in each size.

11. With your committee, make decisions about dogs, strollers, headphones, etc. and publish on your website and race materials.

12. Print up flyers with the website and basic logsitics and carry them everywhere. I give them out to businesses, schools, health organizations, etc. Two hundred flyers goes quicker than you think.

13. Type up a sponsor letter explaining your event, the types of donations (monetory and/or prizes) you are seeking, and what the sponsors will get in return (promotion on t-shirt, website, event, t-shirt, etc.). Start hitting up businesses and don't be afraid! This is my very least favorite part, but honestly, most people are nice and more people than you think will want to help. It's also a good time to spread the word about your event and hand out flyers.

14. Order race bibs early. I recommend pull-tag bibs so you'll have that as a back-up system for whatever timing system you use.

15. If you are going to do age group awards, assign letters to each age group and write onto bibs so you can spot winners as they come through the chute. (Example- Female 0-9 is "A," Male 0-9 is "B," Female 10-15 is "C," Male 10-15 is "D," etc.)

16. Decide how you are going to time. Last year, I just started my Garmin Forerunner, hit a lap for each runner as they hit the finish line, collected pull-tags, and prayed it all matched up. It did, but I should have had a back-up, just in case. This year, we used Race Timer, which is relatively cheap and easy software that doesn't require any equipment beyond a laptop. Still used pull-tabs to match up.

17. If you are a long distance runner and have forgotten- remember that a 5K is a really, really long way for a beginning runner or walker. Plan according for water stations. We had 2 along the route and the runners passed 1 twice so they had 3 chances for water.

18. Think about bathrooms. Get portajohns if necessary.

19. Reach out to local volunteer groups for race day help. I had no idea so many of these existed in my community until I started asking around.

20. Assign specific tasks to specific tasks as much as possible. If you're the director, you need to just be there to troubleshoot, answer questions, and direct (hence "director") people around. Get people with race experience to help with bibs, timing, and pull-tags.

21. Have separate tables race morning for Preregistered and Race Day Registration. Use big signs. Have plenty of pens (to fill out forms) and pins (for bibs).

22. Make the race day registration form as simple as possible. All you really need is name, age, gender, signed waiver, and emergency contact with number. Maybe email. Consider having a table just for people to fill out forms and then to bring them to volunteers to turn in and get race bibs.

23. You'll need a megaphone or PA system. Give a brief overview of the route AND finish line procedures before runners start.

24. Carefully set up your finish chute. I put a table at the end of the finish chute with a volunteer to check off age-group winners as they come through. My chute wasn't complete this year and I screwed up the age-group awards (which I was able to sort out later on the computer and post correctly) and it was pretty frustrating to me.

25. Use Excel to help sort age results. You can publish pages as pdfs and post on your website.

And that's 25! This list is in no way all-inclusive, but I think 25 is more than enough rambling.

If you have any further tips to add (either as someone who has planned a race or just ran enough to know what makes a good one), please let us know in the comments!

If you are planning an 5K or other fitness event and want to see my event's website or the forms I use or have further questions, email me at 365runs{at}gmail.com.

"First Time 5Kers" - Some of Them Brought to You by Me

2011-05-22T08:24:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was the Second Annual Farmers Market Fun Run & Walk that I organize here in our rural, ranked-most-unhealthy-in-the-state county. I'm so pleased to report that we had 156 finishers, some very proud little 1/2 mile kids run participants, and a huge volunteer and cheering crowd.

What meant the most to me though was...

Twenty little girls, who made huge, dramatic gasps 10 weeks ago when I told them we were going to train to run 3 miles, finished their first 5K.

Over twenty teachers, family members, and friends of these little girls, many of whom made remarks such as "Say what?!" when I asked if they could train to be Running Buddies, finished their first 5K- beaming alongside those young runners.

My husband, who swore he hadn't been running enough and was just going to walk, ran his entire first 5K and finished second in his age group.

I might have been completely stressed out for the past few weeks pulling this together and I may have had a good 10 minute nervous breakdown yesterday morning when there was a timing snafu (which was resolved), but it was worth it.

I LOVE running. But even more than that, I BELIEVE in running. I believe in running as a destressor, a health-improver, a confidence booster, and a life changer. I use my runs as a time to think, to pray, to work through what's going on in my day and my life. I'm not a person who exercises by running, I'm a runner. And I'll use any means to get others to join our ranks.

Yesterday, we got some new recruits. "Proud" would be an understatement.

New River Marathon Race Report, Finally!

2011-05-15T17:15:00.002-04:00

I realized I had a major typo in my last post...despite the hills, I did manage to squeeze under 5 hours at 4:55:03. Here's how it broke down...

Miles 0-2.5

Meredith (my friend running her first marathon), her running buddy from home, and I started out fine. We were watching the Garmin closely and slowing down to stay at about a 10:00 minute mile pace since our goal was to get in below 4:30. This was my first long distance race with the Garmin and I was a little afraid I'd be glued to it.

Mile 2.5

First hills started. I really thought I was not going to be able to keep up even that early in the race and first started to realize these hills were going to make a huge difference in my performance.

Miles 3-13.1

Really nothing to report. Scenery was nice, chatted with a few other runners (including a guy running his 75th!), kept an average 10:00 pace by going a little slower up the hills and faster down them.

Halfway Point- Mile 16

We hit another hill and I told my running buddies to just go on. From that point on, I was walking up the hills and then just leaning forward and rolling down them.

The runners were pretty spread throughout the course and I was alone without another runners visible at several different points. I might have made a detour into a ditch at one point.

Miles 16-18

At one point, there's only one runner visible in front of me and I see her take a right onto a dirt road. I thought she was lost, but there was a guy in a truck sitting there so I asked him. He just nodded his head towards the dirt road and it was then that I realized this particular dirt road was straight up the side of a mountain. There might have been some four-letter-words and there definitely was some walking.

Miles 18-20

My quads are not happy about all this incline walking and sprinting down hills, but I've still managed to hold a decent pace overall. I hit mile 20 at a little under 3:30 and had the ridiculous thought that if I just pulled out a 10K in an hour, I could still hit my 4:30 time goal.

Mile 20-23

After the Mile 20 water station, I knew 4:30 wasn't happening. My legs (especially my quads) were screaming. I don't really feel like I "hit the wall" because I knew I could still finish and beside my legs I felt pretty okay, but I did really start to struggle. (There was a poster hanging in the woods that said, "All walls have doors," which I thought was pretty poetic.)

There was a lot more walking than running. There was self-pity, whining, and frustration. My mom and sister biked by and offered some water and encouragement which was helpful. What was not helpful was the woman who I ran with for a little while who kept saying things like, "When I get tired, I just try to keep running to a goal- like that tree up ahead!" I know she was just trying to be nice and keep me going, but I didn't appreciate being talked to in the way that I talk to my 3rd grade beginning runners. I just wasn't in the mood for being pushed.

I know my body and its limitations and that I was going to be doing a great deal of walking between little stretches of runs to get to the end of this race. My new goal was just to make it under 5:00.

Mile 23-26

This is when my Garmin turned on me.

From the beginning of the race, my Garmin was a little bit ahead of the mile markers. For example, my wrist would say we hit Mile 12, but the Mile 12 marker was 20 seconds later. This was not a big deal at mile 3, but at Mile 23, this was a very. big. deal. I was running with that enthusiastic lady when Garmin beeped for the 23rd time, but the mile marker was nowhere in sight. I finally scared her off when I yelled, "Where is the &$*#$@* Mile 23?!?!" We were going around a never-ending curve in the road and it felt like we were just going in a huge circle.

Mile 23, and then 24 eventually appeared, but that Mile 25 marker almost cost me a mental breakdown. When Garmin said "25.00," the road was straight ahead, but I still didn't see the marker. I was literally crying, whimpering, and begging to see that mile marker. It was a good thing I was alone.

The Mile 25 marker finally rolled around at "25.34" and I knew if I was to preserve any diginity at all and make it under 5:00, I was going to have to get it in gear.

Then I got passed by a girl in a cowgirl costume. That was demoralizing.

Mile 26-Finish

I saw my mom, sister, and friends cheering at the end and pulled out what I had left to push the last little bit. Unfortunately, I had no idea where I was going. They did not have the last section where you had to go around a curve marked well and I may or may not have shouted angrily at the volunteer, "Where am I going?!" (You shouldn't have to think after running almost 5 hours- the last stretch should be pretty clear.) I rounded the last little field they had marked with cones and I was crying, frustrated, and sprinting with every little scrap I had left when I crossed the finish line.

Post Race

I was pretty discouraged about my time right after I finished. (It didn't help to hear that the cowgirl runner who passed me had apparently been drinking along the route...that made me feel pretty pathetic.) After a little bit though, I was okay with it. I finished my second marathon! It was a mountain marathon! I had only had flat land training! (Which was stupid...)

Anyway, I learned a lot of lessons from this race and it makes me excited for the next one!

In other excitement, I graduated from my master's program yesterday and the 5K I'm planning will be this Saturday! (Which might help to explain my blogging absence.) I hope to get a little caught up soon though and catch up on all y'all's excitement too!

Respect. the. Mountain.

2011-05-08T09:16:00.003-04:00

New River Marathon complete! I didn't meet my A or B time goals (I did (I had a typo before) squeeze under 5 hours), but I'm still pretty happy with the result and already itching for Marathon #3.

In a nutshell: I severely underestimated the effect of hills on my time and my fatigue. My hill training has been zero to zilch because it's flat where I live. Bad excuse. I'm hitting up the overpass or treadmill incline big time before I tackle anything like this again. I didn't respect the course in my preparations and I paid for it dearly.

My friend/college roommate fought hard through the hills and finished her first marathon almost 20 minutes ahead of me. Her running buddy from home wasn't far behind me. My two friends from the flatlands each finished their first half marathons and I was so proud!

I'll give the full race report tomorrow, but for now I'm with my mom for Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

It's Marathon Eve!

2011-05-06T06:49:00.003-04:00

Right now, I may, or may not, be eating breakfast dessert (after breakfast main course, obviously) and desperately racking my brain to figure out what I haven't packed yet.

Yep- It's Marathon Eve!

It's been a crazy week and I've been completely absent from blogville and probably will be again until Monday. (I'll try to pop in real quick and let you know I survived the race!)

I'm excited and a little nervous about my second 26.2. This is the plan:

A Goal: Sub 4:30

B Goal: Beat my first marathon time of 4:39:45

C Goal: Finish this mountain marathon after training in the flatlands and have fun with my 3 friends who are racing!

Be thinking about me tomorrow morning starting at 7:30 am!

What a Week.

2011-05-02T20:50:00.002-04:00

There is so much going on right now. This morning, my fourth graders and I had debriefing time to discuss, Google map, and hit up Time for Kids for everything that's happened in the past week while we were on spring break.

It feels like a huge responsibility to be some of these kids' sole source of news and explainer of all things weather, politics, history, and world affairs. Some of our impromptu vocabulary/geography words were: Pakistan, monarchy, terrorist, devastating, Alabama, duchess, prime minister, and London.

I sometimes have to remind myself that these kids were babies when the 9/11 attacks happened. They knew that it was a big deal that President Obama announced that some guy was dead and they knew that guy was bad, but Osama bin Laden wasn't rolling off any of their tongues.

I'm a little surprised at how much I feel affected by bin Laden's death. I get my NPR news feed (or Fox News Radio when the NPR station has too much static...see- I'm balanced!) to and from school, but I don't don't follow world news that closely otherwise. I didn't know anybody affected by the 9/11 attacks and I'm not a big Toby Keith/boot-in-your-a**-it's-the-American-way fan. But I had a strong reaction to the news last night. I'm so proud of our military and leaders for making this happen and the world just seems like a little safer place. I'm bursting with pride for my cousins in the military- one about to embark on his third tour of duty to Iraq and the other graduating from West Point this month.

Anyway, that's where I am today.

Tomorrow- back to being the crazy running lady. I have 4 running list posts planned for this (okay, maybe continued into next) week and a marathon coming up on Saturday!

100 Miles in April & Marathon Nerves

2011-04-30T22:54:00.002-04:00

I got in 5 miles this morning to finish 100 miles this month! I know 100 miles doesn't seem like much to a serious runner, but to me, it's a big deal. This is my highest mileage month ever and I'm so grateful to be able to get in these miles injury-free.

And number 10 from my 101 in 1001 is finished!

That said, I'm starting to get a little case of the marathon nerves. I have felt really, really good through all of my training up to my 18 mile run, but the past couple weeks haven't been that magical. I'm going to just trust my training though and keep a positive outlook towards next week!

Any week before marathon tips? Since I'm running with 3 friends- one running her first 26.2 and two running their first 13.1, I feel like should be the helpful one, but I need to make sure I've got all my ducks in a row too!

"Umm...can you pick me up at the hospital?"

2011-04-28T19:59:00.003-04:00

Okay, I wasn't quite dumb enough to open with that line when I called my husband because I didn't want to incite panic, but that was the general gist of it.

As y'all know, the weather has been crazy all over the south and today was more of it. I feel terrible for all the people who have lost loved ones or their homes by tornadoes the past couple weeks. There have been tornado sightings, but luckily no one in our county has been hurt.

By this evening though, all the tornado watches were off and it looked like a pretty, clear evening for a run. My husband even gave me his blessing- which I was surprised to receive.

I looped around town, dodged a few dogs, and was having a great time until I got about a mile from home and saw storm clouds billowing in the not-too-far-off distance. Normally, I'd just roll along and brace to get wet, but I knew that wasn't the very most responsible thing to do today.

So, I ducked in the nearest building- the hospital- and hunted around until I found someone who let me call my husband to come pick me up.

I felt like a teenager having to call home and admit they've been drinking, asking for forgiveness and a ride. Luckily, my husband played the role of the relieved parent- glad that I'd had chosen the responsible choice in the end. He picked me up out of the visitor's parking lot and I had to settle for 2.5 miles today.

Which leaves me with 2 days left in April and 10.5 miles to go to reach 100! I was already planning to do 5 on Saturday and I think I'll break tomorrow up into 2 short runs- one morning and one evening. (Does that still qualify as tapering?) I can't remember the last time I got 2 runs in one day, so make sure I follow through!

101 in 1001 Progress

2011-04-26T21:24:00.004-04:00

I finally got my 101 in 1001 list up in January and then I promptly got next to nothing on it done for the next 4 months.

The only tasks I've completed thus far are:

19. Finish the paper required for my graduation.

I put this off for months and months and months. I would work on it a little here and there, but finally I just got up at 5:00 am one morning and finished it before school. (I'm the most focused first thing in the morning.) Huge weight off my shoulders immediately.

34. Get a SLR camera.

Technically, the camera isn't in my possession just yet, but it's in the mail! I'm so thrilled that my husband got me a Canon Rebel XS for my birthday/graduation and will be teaching me to use it.

67. Plant flowers in front of house.

Ironically- the first thing on my list I accomplished because I didn't even remember I put it on the list. I'm actually pretty proud of how well my pansies have held up, but from the looks of them...

...it's about time to replace them with something that can tolerate the heat.

75. Attend Girls on the Run training.

Self explanatory.

I've started several of my other goals, but not enough that they're worth a paragraph yet. I'll, hopefully, be knocking out a lot in the next little bit though.

Hope to Complete in the Next Month

10. Run 100+ miles in one month. (86 miles this month as of 4/26/11)

1. Run another marathon.

13. Break 4:30 in a marathon.

16. Complete portfolio.

17. Finish my master’s degree.

68. Put something, anything on the walls in our bedroom.

74. Organize the second annual Farmers Market Run.

81. Coach a Girls on the Run team.

Hope to Start in the Next Month

4. Get back to my healthy weight.

6. Finally, finally complete the 30 Day Shred.

28. Read 50 Newbery books. (0/50)

33. Learn to use a camera beyond the automatic settings.

36. Learn to use photo-editing software.

78. Shop at the Farmers Market throughout the whole season.

That looks like a lot when I put it down on paper like that, but a lot of it is just finishing or starting something.

What are y'all going to get done in May?

(I was tickled to see that I reached 100 followers the last week and I am working on a 100 list...however I decided 100 facts about me would be too much to stomach, so I've got an idea I should roll out this week. Also, I'm ready to share my marathon goals soon too! I can't believe the race is only a week and a half away!!!!!)

It's my birthday and I smell like chlorine!

2011-04-25T22:47:00.002-04:00

Is it really weird that I LOVE the smell of chlorine in my hair after a swim? It just reminds me that I was lucky enough to be swimming earlier.

I've got a whole pile of mess I want to blog about after a wonderful long Easter/birthday weekend with my family, but luckily I've got the whole week off and will have time to catch up on my blogging! (Remind me to tell you about the rabid possum that threatened to ruin our family's egg hunt.)

Hope all of y'all had a great Easter weekend too!

Spring Break, More Water, Less Diet Coke

2011-04-21T16:33:00.003-04:00

I realize that title doesn't make any sense.

I'm just too excited to finally be on spring break to think clearly! It's time. Things have been crazy lately.

Because of said craziness, I have been giving myself a pass on my ridiculous Diet Coke consumption. It kind of gotten out of hand though. I may, or may not, have realized with horror one evening this week that I had consumed 5 cans over the course of that day.

Besides the fact that that is just kind of sad, it also is limiting the amount of water I drink. Which is probably the culprit of the monster headache from last weekend.

So...since I've got a work break this week and I'm only two(!) assignments away from finishing my masters program, it's a good time to step away from the Diet Coke.

I'm pretty sure I'm not going cold turkey, so don't expect any miracle turnaround, but my recycling load will be much smaller this week!

Headaches after long runs?

2011-04-19T17:41:00.002-04:00

Quick question: Do any of y'all get headaches after long runs? I don't remember having this problem last training cycle, but it's been a routine the past few weeks.

I'll run in the morning, feel fine all day, and then out of nowhere get a headache about 9:00 pm. It happened several times in a row before I figured out the pattern. Mostly, they haven't been that bad.

Saturday evening though, after my rough 20 miler that morning, I got a headache that hit me hard. I took Tynenol PM and it knocked me out, but my head was still throbbing all day Sunday and even Monday morning.

I asked my good friend, Google, and he said I might not be hydrating enough. I drink a lot while I'm running but I guess I'm probably not drinking enough afterwards. (I'm definitely eating enough- so don't worry about that.)

What do y'all think? Have you ever had this problem?

The Big 20. Warning: It wasn't pretty.

2011-04-16T14:14:00.004-04:00

Last night, I prepared mentally and physically for my last long training run. My playlist was organized, my Garmin was charged, everything was good to go.

I wanted to get in at 4 miles before I met up with my two(!) running friends. I lollygagged over my oatmeal and then only had 25 minutes before meet-up time, in which I was determined to get in 3 miles. Which may have been stupid. I got in 3 in just over 26 minutes which is the fastest 3 consecutive miles I've ran in a while. (I'm really itching to train for a speedy 5K once I get through this marathon.)

The next 10 miles were fun, easy, carefree and filled with chatter with my two friends. We ducked inside my house once and the old McDonalds once to refill our water bottles. The weather was sketchy at a couple different points and we got completely drenched about mile 8 (their mile 5). I may have wimped out at that point if I had been by myself because I knew what wet socks/shoes were going to do to the rest of my run. We decided to keep rolling though.

After I dropped them off, I just had 7 left. Due in part to my speed shenanigans in the first 3 miles and in part to being soggy, it was kinda rough. I never doubted that I'd be able to finish, but it definitely was not kin to the euphoric 18 and 16 mile runs of past weeks. I was barely plodding along in the last two miles. (I really, really wanted someone to pass me on the sidewalk or roll down their car window and say, "Whoa. You look tired. How long you been running?" So I could say, "18 miles, but I've just got 2 left." I guess to justify how horrific I looked. It didn't happen.)

In any case, the beast has been slain! I'm so thrilled that I've made it through the roughest part of the marathon training uninjured and smiling. Now it's taper time! : )

8 of 10's not too bad, right?

2011-04-14T20:10:00.003-04:00

So, the alarm rang at 5:00 am this morning and I was up and going.

All my running mess was laid out with my long sleeve shirt t-shirt laid strategically on top so I could read, "Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard to find alloy called guts," off the back of the shirt. (Nothing like your ratty old shirt from track regionals junior year to get you motivated.)

I had a granola bar, geared up, and hit the road. It was all so exciting! It was dark! I was out when I shouldn't be! (Did I mention that my husband was not informed of this little adventure. I left a note on the counter in the unlikely event that he might wake up before I returned.) The streets were empty!

Well, that lasted about half a mile.

My body did not know what the heck was going on. It has never been summoned to run so early. (I've been up to drive to a race that early- but never actually running an hour before sunrise.) I was slow, tight, and not quite in the right mindset.

My second goal, after getting up and out the door, was running out to see the opening of the new McDonalds. (What else is there to see at 5 am on a Thursday? It just worked out so ironically perfect that my first early morning run ever coincided with the first morning of our town's second McDonalds opening. Because we really need another fast food restaurant for the most unhealthy county in the state, right?)

It wasn't that impressive. It was just a McDonalds. There was only one truck in the drive-through. I guess I expected a huge crowd lined up to be the first.

McDonalds aside, the first six miles were somewhat uninspiring. It wasn't miserable- just slow and kinda off. I had to stop and stretch a couple times and quickly realized 10 wasn't happening and decided to aim for 9.

Well, at about 6.5, things got ugly. I was going through downtown for the second time and my stomach suddenly brought me to a forced walk. I had to make a pit stop at the local gym and that put me further behind schedule.

After that, the sun was finally fully out and I actually felt good. By then, I only had enough time to finish 8, but considering the circumstances, I counted that as a good effort.

I didn't really feel any different throughout the day. No more or less energized, stressed, tired, or accomplished. My day was so packed though that I don't think any start could have made much of an impact.

So...the big question: Am I a morning running convert? Short answer- no. According to my 101 in 1001 list though, I've got 14 more times to try it out before I make up my mind though.

The best-laid plans...

2011-04-13T22:33:00.002-04:00

So, I was going to run 10 miles this afternoon. I had just enough time to squeeze it in. Then something came up and I had just enough time for 9. But something else came up and I could have squeezed in 6. Then... 4. Then... 3. Then, it wasn't even worth it.

I refuse to give up on this 10 though.

So it's happening in the morning. Which is a little nuts for me because I've never ran before work before. And this will be an 1.5 hour+ endeavor.

Oh well- it's gotta happen. And I'm jotting it here so y'all can hold me to it!

Ask for the report! Don't let me wuss out.

Speed Versus Fun

2011-04-11T06:15:00.000-04:00

Friday night I started wondering if I should have been knocking on wood about my long run love. I stayed up too late, was eating junk, and was worrying about 18 miles in the morning.

I slept a little later than I should have, letting me only get in 1 mile before picking up my half-marathon training friend (I need a whole post dedicated to how excited I am to have a running buddy here now!) and I wasn't feel the love yet then either.

A mile or two later though, I was good to go. The weather was perfect-cloudy and a little cool. I got up to 8 with my friend and then did the last 10 by myself. I had 4 Chocolate Outrage GUs, ran by several people I know around town (including one of my students!), didn't wander onto any movie sets, and just generally had fun.

Overall, I was around a 10:30 pace. I don't really worry too much about speed. I've got too many benchmarks to reach at work and in school without making my runs some kind of additional pressure or worry. I was feeling so good at mile 17 though that I decided to try and push it that last mile.

I kinda had that crazy running lady thing going on. I may or not have been whimpering, emitting other strange noises when I hit an 8:00 pace. I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open- which was a strange phenomenon I've never experienced while running. (Has that ever happened to any of y'all?)

It was fun. All of the sudden I missed speedwork.

I stretched and used The Stick afterwards and was barely sore at all. Felt fine yesterday. I'm starting to think I might have just a little untapped speed in me!

It's a little late in the training cycle to really turn this into serious speed training for May, but I do hope to improve on my last marathon time a little. I just don't want to focus too much on speed and make myself miserable if I don't reach my goals. I've got more than enough stress in my life without self-inflicting more.

You, speedsters. How do you work on speed and not make it a chore?

Hick

2011-04-07T21:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, when I got home from school, I strapped on the Garmin, iPod, and fuel belt and headed out the door for 9. I didn't really have a specific route in mind but decided I'd start out towards downtown.

As I neared downtown, I saw a police car parked in the middle of the intersection and people standing around. I thought there was some kind of wreck, but since there were no ambulances and everyone looked pretty calm, I figured it was just a fender bender. I didn't want to rubberneck, so I didn't pay much attention to the cop or the other people standing there and just kept running by.

As I crossed the street though, I noticed there was a LOT going on up ahead- people standing around, cars, all this strange equipment. Before I got any further, an unfamiliar woman flagged me down and I stopped and pulled out one earbud.

"Could you run somewhere else?" she asked. "We're filming here."

And then, I realized- I just ran past multiple people, including the police officer, who must have tried to stop me... because I was running smack dab into a movie set and about to ruin a scene. I was so wrapped up in my own little running world with my iPod on that I completely forgot that downtown was blocked off for filming this afternoon.

I felt pretty dumb. And as soon as I was rerouted around the corner, it became pretty obvious what was going on. I can't believe I didn't notice- the whole street outside of filming was lined with flashy cars and I saw people who clearly thought they had fallen off the edge of civilization into nowheresville.

Of course, the obvious question is: Why on earth was any kind of movie filming here? (You might recall I live in a dot on the map over an hour from any dots big enough to even have a YMCA.) And this is a for real movie. (Blake Lively and Alec Baldwin are on the cast list but unfortunately do not appear in the scenes filmed here.)

The answer, of course, is that the movie is called, "Hick" and the setting is rural Nebraska in the 1980s.

Yep. This is where I live.

Girls on the Run!

2011-04-06T17:19:00.001-04:00

We're about halfway through our training cycle with Girls on the Run and it's past time to give y'all an update.

First of all, if you're not familiar with the program, here are the basics:

Who: 3rd-5th grade girls
What: Training for a 5K and little games/learning activities/conversations to build self awareness, healthy habits, cooperation and teamwork skills
When: 2 sessions twice a week for 10 weeks
Started in 1993 in Charlotte, NC- programs in 44 states now

As the most unhealthy county in the state (unfortunately this week it was just verified that we have this ranking for the second year in a row), we need programs like this! I have been interested in Girls on the Run for a long time and suddenly the timing was right this spring.

It's not just about improving their physical health though- I love these girls and I desperately want for them to be confident that they can tackle whatever lies ahead. And if there's one thing I know to be true- running builds confidence.

Before I joined the cross country team in high school, running even a mile seemed like an almost impossible feat. But after weeks of training, I finished that first 3.1 mile race- conquering something I thought was out of reach. That moment expanded my idea of myself and what I could accomplish. That's what Girls on the Run is about: giving these girls a chance to achieve something that they think is unattainable, to strengthen them for all the opportunities and challenges that they will meet in their lives.

It literally makes me tear up thinking about it.

Of course, I tend to kind of romanticize ideas when they're rolling around in my head. When things play out in real life, however, there are kinks and bumps to work out out. Girls on the Run is no exception. If you're going to get 25 elementary school girls running together, there's going to be a certain amount of whining, "injuries," cliques, and fussing. I'm thrilled to report, however, that friendship, running, team spirit, and general girl power conquer all these things- both on a daily and weekly basis. Just over the few weeks we've been practicing, the girls increased their endurance and maturity and I cannot wait to see where we're at by race day!

I think I'm in love...

2011-04-03T08:37:00.002-04:00

...with my long runs.

When I was marathon training last time, long runs were a huge, daunting challenge. A big question mark, because I didn't know what to expect and if I could make it.

This time, since I know my legs are capable of it, I don't fear double digit runs. I crave them. I'm ridiculously excited about them. Like having-running-dreams-the-night-before excited. Like popping-out-of-bed-unprompted-by-the-alarm-clock at 7:25 excited. Like running-around-(mostly)-giddy-for-2-hours-and-43-minutes excited.

It's ironic because I sometimes fail to muster up the enthusiasm or energy for even a 3 mile run on a week day. I guess it just doesn't have the same glamour.

16 miles down yesterday! I've got 5 and 9 during the week and then 18(!) on Saturday.

What does your week look like? Anybody else in love with the long run?

April To Dos

2011-04-01T23:09:00.005-04:00

I can't decide if I'm eternally optimistic or forever naïve. It's not enough for me to have New Year's Resolutions and fail those. Each and every month, I really think this is going to be the month that I'm going to get it together/catch up/run more/organize everything/lose weight/eat healthier/cook more, etc.

Yeah, hasn't happened yet.

I'm trying to not set myself up for failure and really prioritize what I can/will accomplish this month. And let go of some of the guilt for the things that aren't happening just yet. (For example, my diet coke addiction is in full swing right now. I may, or may not, have had 5 cans one day this week. I know I need to cut back and perhaps cut out, but for right now, I've got bigger fish to fry.)

April To Dos

Finish planning Farmers Market Run (sponsors, t-shirts, promotion, logistics, etc.)
Keep my little Girls on the Run moving and almost ready for the 5K! (I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet. Remind me.)
Keep my fourth graders learning and almost ready for the EOG!
Finish my last graduate class.
Complete my graduate portfolio.
Drop a couple more pounds (but not stress when I don't completely get where I want to be.)
Finish off my marathon training. (16 miles tomorrow and I can't wait! I'm about to lay out all my running mess.)
Get our taxes done.
Keep up with church commitments (head usher and Sunday School this month, Session meeting, Circle meeting, committee meeting, shut in visitations, and Easter luncheon, which means figuring out how to make banana pudding for 50-60 people)
Prepare for my summative evaluation at school.

You see why I'm keeping the diet coke? (I don't do coffee.)

My reward if I get through all of this in the next 22 days will be...

Easter with my family!
Spring Break!
May- which means... my marathon, graduation, the Farmers Market Run (my Girls on the Run race), EOGs, and summer around the corner!

Once I get through these two crazy months, I'm think it will be easier to focus on all those other maintenance goals. I really like Sue Mac's idea of one focus a month.

What are y'all focusing on this month?

Dog Biscuits, Lost Cats, and Marathon Excitement

2011-03-28T19:07:00.006-04:00

So, probably due to bad karma from me mocking the lost cat posters last week, my cat was missing for the past two days. I was a little concerned yesterday, especially after my sister found her in the dryer on Saturday. (The dryer, thankfully, was off, but my sister was was pretty horrified by the fact that a cat was hanging out in our clean clothes and I'm almost certain that she didn't believe me that this was the first time this had ever happened.) Today, when she still hadn't appeared, I was getting a little panicky and may or may not have checked the dryer 5 times.

I was worried about that and frustrated by the cold (we've been spoiled with 70-80 degree weather the past couple weeks and we're back in the 40s now), but I really, really just felt the need to get out and run. After the first mile, I dropped off my jacket on the porch and then lost the long sleeve after a couple more miles.

I don't know if it was the chilly weather or the song that popped up on my playlist or what, but in my last mile, I was reminded of how I felt in the last leg of my marathon. I had such a great marathon experience and only hope that I'm able to have that same numb, tired but determined, blissed out, enormously grateful feeling the last portion of my upcoming marathon in May. I'm starting to get really excited about my second 26.2!

Then, when I arrived home and found my cat hiding out behind my car, I was doubly excited! (I promise to not make fun of any more lost cat posters, no matter how ridiculous the cat's name as long as my cat doesn't disappear again!)

Then, it was time to prepare the kind of first class supper (reheated leftovers from yesterday's Sunday dinner) my husband is accustomed to. I thought I'd make some banana bread for dessert with my old bananas laying around. Using the usually very helpful ingredient search on Allrecipes, I tried to find a recipe with the three ingredients I wanted.

Yep, neither "Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie" or "Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Biscuits" were quite what I was looking for. We ended up having biscuits out of a can with warmed up paella, but I still might throw together some banana bread to have for breakfast/snacks. No dog biscuits though!

Sorry, I didn't mean to be stalking you.

2011-03-26T07:19:00.004-04:00

So, the other day, I set out to run my usual route. I hit the main street where, since it's sunny and beautiful out now, dozens of people are out walking. It's not unusual for me to see a runner or two out too-usually men. There are a few that I know of who are regular runners and then some high school guys just on the their way back from the gym.

That day, however, I saw a woman running. She was several blocks ahead of me, but I was curious. Who could it be? This town is so small that if I see a woman running, chances are I know her.

So I try to catch up to her, but she's surprisingly fast. I don't know what my Garmin thought of me when I got down to a 8 minute mile pace, because we don't go there very often. After about a half mile, I had closed the gap close enough that I could collect some more clues about this mystery runner.

And what I found just deepened the plot! She was wearing Vibram Five Fingers!

So, not only was just a fast runner, she was also a serious enough runner/barefoot enthusiast to parade through downtown in these! (Part of me is really curious about running in these and part of me doesn't have the courage to add them to my "crazy running lady" ensemble.) Now, I HAD to know who she was.

As I'm almost pulled even to her, I start thinking of things I could say to introduce myself/tell her I'm impressed with her speed and footgear. I desperately racked my brain for something that would not make me come across as creepy, but seeing how I had been running behind her (own my usual route though) for over a mile, the cards were stacked against me.

As we approached the end of downtown, where all non-crazy folks turn around, I was right behind her and shocked when she left the sidewalk and continued onto my offroad running route (the one that leads you across busy intersections, over a giant ditch, through parking lots of multiple restaurants and car dealerships). It was my planned route however, so I kept right behind her.

Just a minute later however, she stopped to stretch and turn around, I finally got to see who it was. In typical small town fashion, I did recognize her face and she mine, enough to say, "Hey, how are you?!" but I couldn't place where I knew her from.

My run was continuing though, so I quickly threw out my explanation for why I had been right behind her:

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be stalking you."

Operation: Not Be Creepy- Fail.

Weight a Minute

2011-03-21T20:14:00.002-04:00

(That's a pretty catchy title, right? I just taught my fourth graders about puns a few weeks ago, and trust me, they'd think it was funny.)

It would only seem fair that if you're training for a marathon, you shouldn't have to worry about your weight. Well, as my mom would say to me, "Life's not fair and then you die." (The older I get, the more I appreciate the wisdom and honesty of my mother.)

My problem is that I try to double-dip with my "carb-loading." I'll say to myself, "I can eat that. I'm running 14 miles tomorrow." And then the next day, after running, I'll say, "I can eat that. I ran 14 miles today." And then the next day, I'll say, "I can eat that. I ran 14 miles yesterday."

So I guess that's triple-dipping. Technically.

In my two previous marathon training cycles (the first one in 2005 resulted in an injury and I had to quit running a few weeks before the race), I've lost weight. This time, the number on the scale just keeps steadily going higher and higher...~~frighteningly close~~ to the highest it's ever been.

Although I know I really shouldn't complain (and I don't very often) because I'm very grateful that my body can carry me on these long runs without pain or injury, it's just kind of frustrating. Except for some short stretches here and there, I've not been real happy about my weight for as long as I can remember.

I have all the knowledge. Since elementary school, I've read hundreds of magazine articles, books, blogs, recipe books, and seen countless episodes of Biggest Loser. I know there are 3,500 calories in a pound and I can pretty much rattle off how many calories are in anything that I eat. I even know specifically what works for me (and pretty much everybody else): real food (not junk), running, and strength training. Yet I still don't apply all this information consistently.

Over the past few years, I thought I had grown up past all this superficial worry about my weight and didn't have it on my mind as much. When I lost 10 pounds this fall though (ironically, not the result of real food, running, and strength training- actually just the opposite: stress, not working out at all, and eating whatever I could grab), I was just so happy about it and really thought, This will be the time that I don't gain it back. I can maintain this.

Pound by pound, however, I let them creep back. That's the thing that gets me actually. That I let it happen. Watched it happen.

So, here we are again. I'm starting my next round of food logging, thinking about the calories in my runs instead of just the miles, and Jillian Michaeling. I wonder how there could possibly be a different result than the last time, but then I just think of all those times as practice- as learning steps leading me up to the time I will, finally, be permanently successful at this.

Okay, "weight's" minute is over. I really don't like to associate running with losing weight, because in my mind, they're entirely different endeavors, but sometimes their paths cross. Come back later for your regular dose of running rambling with nary a mention of calories!

14!

2011-03-19T17:25:00.002-04:00

After my set back a few weeks ago from being sick, I was worried about catching back up with marathon plans, but I think I'm officially back on track!

I decided to go ahead and get my 14 miles in on Saturday instead of waiting until Sunday. Last night, I laid out all my running mess: clothes, socks, shoes, fuel/water belt, iPod (with new running playlist!), charged Garmin, GUs, and spare key. It is kind of ridiculous how much junk I require to get through a long run.

The beauty is, however, that once I go out the door, I can run for 2.5 hours without having to stop or loop back to the house. And since I had 14 miles to get in, I could just wander wherever I wanted. And, since it was 7:30 on a Saturday morning, I could even go to the semi-sketchy areas that I wouldn't go in the evening!

I ended up looping around town, including my typical 5 mile route out to Lowes and back, and then headed out to the Farmers Market. We're considering a new route for the Farmers Market Run/Walk this year. Last year, runners had to cross this semi-busy bridge and then ran around town and then back over the bridge. I found this little side road, though, right near the Farmers Market that is exactly the perfect length. It's basically someone's driveway because there's only one house- it goes past all these fields and pastures and then ends by a pond and old barn. The only problem is that it's gravel most of the way and I'm not sure how runners/walkers would like that.

Anyway, after 8 miles, I was out that way, and decided to run down this road to try it out. I was starting to get a little tired and hot and was almost about to walk for a second since I was out on this desolate gravel road all by myself. Then, in the distance, I saw another runner coming towards me. It actually occurred to me that I might be seeing a mirage because it was so uncanny that anybody else would be out running on this road. When he got closer, though, I saw it was a family friend who is a runner too. He seemed just as surprised to see me, but we were too busy being "serious" runners to talk more than a hello in passing.

That inspired me to keep trucking though. My only other moment of weakness was running over that semi-busy bridge I previously mentioned. Bridges make me very nervous. I'm always scared that I'm going to trip on something funny, topple over the edge, and land on the interstate below. Really optimistic, right? I even have that weird fear that I would purposely jump. (Not that I want to hurt myself- just the fear that I would just lose control of myself.) I don't even trust myself to do math correctly after 10 miles (that's what the Garmin is for) so it makes me nervous trusting myself to get over a scary bridge. I may have whimpered.

Also, I lost the little rubbery thing off one of my earbuds when I took it out to say hi to my runner friend (and was too cool to stop and look for it), so I spent the last 5 miles with only 1 ear of music. Which is actually fine because that's probably what I should be doing anyway so I can hear approaching cars. The only thing that was bad was that I could then also hear myself- which turned out to be embarrassing. I did not realize that I emit this kind of maniacal laugh when I see I have one mile left or that I sometimes say things like "just a 1/2 mile left" aloud when I think I'm just saying it in my head.

Overall, it was a great run! Next week, is a "rest" week with my longest run being a 10K and then I'll head 16 the weekend after that. I'll actually hit 100 miles in April (and knock that off my 101 in 1001 list) if I follow my training plan, so make sure I follow through!

This had to be documented.

2011-03-17T22:18:00.003-04:00

After seeing this on about 15 different phone poles during my run, I just had to go back and get a picture to share with the rest of you. Needless to say, I'm not going to go up the street calling for this cat.

This and That

2011-03-16T22:06:00.002-04:00

I feel like I am so all over the place lately. I have been thinking of a million things I want to get down on paper or up on the blog, but get so distracted every time I sit down at the computer. (Which could be an entire blog post on its own!)

So welcome to my scattered brain today!

After 12 fabulous miles Saturday, running during this week has been a total FAIL. It's funny how it works like that.
Girls on the Run started last week and I'm in love with my team of 25 little runners! There are 3 other teachers coaching with me and we have such a good balance of personalities and strengths. I could ramble on, but it really deserves its own post.
Times just got posted from the 10K (the second half of my Saturday run) and I'm thrilled that my official time was: 59:29.2! Garmin told me I didn't quite make it under an hour, but I'll take the shorter time. : )
I recently found out a friend from my church is running the half marathon at New River where I'm running the marathon, which is completely amazing and random since the race is almost 5 hours away.
You think this is a scattered brain dump? I'm contemplating a "100 facts" list if I hit 100 followers. (Really, how have you made it this far without learning that my favorite childhood sandwich was peanut butter and Rice Krispies or that I once accidentally drove a hitchhiker from one crackhouse to another in the middle of the night?!)
EVERYBODY is having babies lately. Congratulations tonight to Jonathan (my childhood friend who I always wished was my big brother) and his wife Brittany as they just now welcomed their baby girl into the world!
It's time to welcome Jillian Michaels back into my life. Oh, and not eating like it's my last meal- every. single. meal. I lost 10 pounds last fall without trying at all (due to crazy, constant stress over a million things and not having a minute to breathe) and since then have gained each pound back. Frustrating.
Planning the Farmers Market Run has been so, so, so much easier this year since it's the second year. I've GOT to block off some time for my least favorite part of the process though- fundraising. Luckily, businesses here have been very supportive and we don't have a lot of costs to worry about. Even when I know someone's going to say yes, even when it's for a great cause, I still don't like asking people for money.
How did I ever train before my Garmin? That's a whole 'nother post too.
It's Lent. I used to give something up every year and was thinking about doing so this year, but our preacher urged us to instead take something up that would bring us closer to God. I'm spending more time in prayer.
And with that, I probably need to put the laptop up for the night.

The 12 Miles of Saturday

2011-03-12T20:03:00.002-05:00

During the 12 miles of Saturday, I encountered all these things:

12 miles a covered,
11 turkeys a waddling,
10 horses grazing,
9 deer a leaping,
8 barn cats meowing,
7 hundred birds a singing,
6.2 miles a racing,
5 dozen cows,
4 water stations,
3 chocolate GUs,
2 hundred runners,
and a tired, happy girl at the end.

I couldn't really figure out how to integrate the manure puddle I stepped in, the 2nd place age group awards my sister and I brought home, and the blood my sister coughed up. (She's fine- just finishing strong.) It was a great day! : )

Explanation of this randomness: I ran 5.8 miles by myself early this morning and then went to town with my mom and sister to run a 10K at 9 am. Even it wasn't 12 miles continously, it's just going to have to count. Building up to 14 next week!

Running is a head game.

2011-03-07T19:28:00.003-05:00

Today, the game was: teach all day, race home, throw together a running ensemble, and run 10 miles in less than 1 hour, 45 minutes to get home in time for the Civitan pancake supper.

Game Over. I won.

Rain Check

2011-03-06T19:06:00.003-05:00

So, about 0.78 miles into my 10 mile run, the rain clouds I thought (in all my meteorologic wisdom) were moving away, rolled in. Big time. Luckily, I was running by a strip mall at the time and was able to duck under the awning and clock a quarter of a mile running back and forth between the pay phone and the FedEx box. Hence the "being the crazy running lady" tag.

Well, it transitioned from a torrential down pour to just a steady sprinkle and I thought I could stick it out. And I really think I could of if a) I wasn't still a little sick, b) it was 80 degrees instead of 60, c) my husband didn't know I was out in this mess, d) the wind was blowing, and e) I wasn't encumbered with my iPod and Garmin which I would devastated to lose due to something as preventable as water damage.

As it was, I realized at less than 2 miles that this wasn't such a hot idea and headed home.

Check back with me tomorrow.

What a Week.

2011-03-03T19:34:00.003-05:00

So, bigger news than any I have first....my good friend and fellow blogger, Stephanie, became a mother of two on Monday!

I can't wait until I get to meet baby Emma. Stephanie is such a great mom and it's so exciting that she now has two children under two!

Following that, nothing I've got is all that momentous. It's just been a crazy week.

I'm still a little sick. I have most of my energy back and all that, but I'm just still congested and gross and completely tired of it. It's made me really hesitant to run because I don't want a big setback like last week.
Getting all the forms and payments and everything in for Girls on the Run was kind of a nightmare. A self-inflicted nightmare because I didn't enforce the deadlines I set for things to be turned in, but I COULD NOT turn down any girl that wanted to run. Just wasn't possible. I'm so ridiculously excited about this program that I sometimes tear up just thinking about it. (Practice starts Tuesday so I will give an update soon.)
I think I've got the grad school version of senioritis. I really can't complain at all because I only have one class (compared to the ridiculousness of taking 9 hours of class while working full time last semester) and have loved my program, but I'm just ready to get "masters" checked off my list.
On Thursday, our curriculum director brought some teachers from other schools to watch our fourth grade team. I can teach away in front of 26 kids all day, but it's nerve wracking to have adults in the room!
I'm going to blame my stress over that observation for my complete and utter FAIL Thursday afternoon. I completely forgot about a meeting. That I was leading. Like, as in, people showed up and I wasn't there. I was mortified. Luckily, only a few people were there and they were all very understanding. I'm going to file this under "happens only once in a lifetime."

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the rest of March!

As mentioned, Girls on the Run starts Tuesday!
Nothing out of the ordinary schedule at school for weeks and weeks! (Yes, I'm even glad for no holidays. We need just some routine 5 day weeks!)
Marathon training will hopefully be back on schedule.
Planning has begun for the second annual Farmers Market Run!

I'm going to see if my slightly congested self can get through 10 miles tomorrow morning. Be thinking of me!

Rest Days on Purpose!

2011-02-26T10:33:00.003-05:00

So, I was feeling pretty proud of myself after my 6 miles Wednesday. I've had this lingering cold that I haven't been paying much attention to and usually running makes me feel better.

Wednesday night, however, I did not feel so hot. When I sat down on the couch, I thought I may never get up again. When I woke up Thursday morning, everything seemed to be back to normal until about an hour into the school day. I was such an exhausted, achy, stuffy, pathetic mess. My students eyed me very suspiciously as I emptied an entire Kleenex box. I was almost certain I had THE FLU. Which would be so embarrassing because I've had every opportunity to get the flu shot, but just never got around to it.

I got through the school day, rested for a little while laying down my head on my desk on a pillow fashioned from my coat, got through PTO, and was so miserable by the time I drove home that I actually considered pulling over on the side of the road and calling my husband to come get me.

After a phone diagnosis from my mom, the doctor, and a home visit from my mother-in-law, the nurse, it was determined that I did not have the flu, just a really bad cold. Which made me grateful, but also made me feel like a pansy to be so decimated by just a cold.

Honestly though, this is the first time I've really been sick since college and if I'm only sick twice a decade, I think I have the right to be a complete baby when it does happen. Yesterday was pretty rough again, but a sub came for me at lunchtime and I got to go home and be pathetic without 26 little pairs of eyes watching my demise.

Today, I'm definitely not 100%, but I'm feeling a lot better. 10 miles in on my marathon training plan for today, but it's not happening. I'm a little concerned about getting behind on my training, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. I've got 12 miles on the schedule for next weekend and 12 the weekend after that.

How do you make up for missing a long run? Should I try to get it in, maybe on Tuesday, when I'm rested up? Or should I just forget about it, get my shorter runs this week and then go long next weekend?

Late and Sweaty

2011-02-23T21:05:00.002-05:00

I did make it to church supper and stay for my committee meeting. I was, however, late and sweaty. It was worth it to get in 6 miles on a Wednesday!

Thanks for your comments on my last post. Obviously, it's got me thinking. I'm really bad about putting my runs and other workouts on the back burner and just squeezing them in when I have time. It's time to reorganize my schedule.

Not selfish enough? Or just lazy?

2011-02-20T08:23:00.003-05:00

I'm mostly on my minimal training plan, but I want to tighten it up this week. After school lets out, there's only a limited amount of daylight (thank goodness it's a little more each day) and there are so many other things that creep in and take up my time. So things that I love, some that I've volunteered for, and some that I'm just stuck with.

It's just really hard for me to be selfish enough with my time to claim my time for workouts. I don't know of anyone else in my day-to-day life here that works out regularly. In this, the most unhealthy county of the 100 in North Carolina, it is not normal to have a fitness regime. I feel like many people here see working out as kind of a luxury or a waste of time just for people who don't have enough to spend their time/money on. By going out for a run, it looks like I'm putting it as a greater priority than my job, family, house, and all the other 100 other things I've got going on.

Obviously, in reality, I function so, so, so much better in all those other aspects of my life when I get in my runs and am healthy and active. It's just a little frustrating here to feel like you have to defend that.

Anyway, I'm rambling and whining, and those are two things I try to avoid. And honestly, I'm not a great model for physical health anyway (some of those missed workouts are just due to pure laziness and my diet has been one big junkfest lately), so I really shouldn't complain. Just wondering if anyone else ever feels this way.

Totally Unprepared

2011-02-12T20:53:00.004-05:00

I will not be earning my marathon training merit badge. Or at least, I haven't been on that track for the past 2 weeks. I had my glorious 7-miler the Sunday before last and then got in a tiny bit during the week. I was supposed to do 8 last weekend, but I was in a Girls on the Run training session (which I'm super excited about!) for 8 hours and spent 10 hours driving, so I decided to push it to Monday. It was raining cats and dogs on Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons got packed before I could speak up, and that led us straight up to this weekend.

I decided that I just needed to get up and run 9 miles this morning. Get back on track.

I was totally unprepared. I had a few dehydrating beverages last night, my iPod needed charging, my GU Chocolate Outrage stash was depleted, my favorite running socks were hiding at the bottom of a laundry basket of clean clothes, and it turns out, I had no idea what temperature to dress for. (I'm really bad at paying attention to the weather forecast. Last night, the guy on the news said it was about to warm up. I listened. I just pulled on shorts, a tank top, and a long sleeve dri-fit, thinking I'd loose the sleeves a mile in. I was still wearing it at mile 4 when I noticed the puddles I ran by were frozen over. Apparently the warm up hasn't started yet.)

I knew it was time for 9 miles though. I went out the door with confidence and visualized myself calling my mom and my marathon partner afterwards with my successful news of a great run.

It worked. It was a great run- 9 miles, not fast or anything, but not painful in the least. It's almost a little scary how great I felt and feel now.

As I mentioned last time, I don't plan on ever running more than 7 miles again without some kind of fuel. Since I was out of GUs, I dug around in my running basket and found a package of Power Bar Strawberry Banana Energy Gel Blasts (what a mouthful!) from an old race pack that I decided to try out.

I can't really review this product accurately, because apparently, at some point, I had left these gel blasts in a position to be melted. (Back seat of my car, perhaps?) Around mile 4, when I opened the package, instead of finding 9 neat little gel blasts, I discovered one giant clump of gummy material.

The task before me was to consume what looked and felt like a small jellyfish jammed inside a plastic package without breaking stride. Fortunately, I was on the outskirts of town at this point and there were no passer-byers to gawk at me while I tore off pieces of the hunk with my teeth like a wild animal. It was kind of ridiculous.

It had the intended effect, however, and it was as tasty as something resembling a jellyfish could be. I ate in a couple different segments over miles 4-7 with a little water in between, and I had energy all the way through. (Even the last 3.5 miles, which I, (gasp!), ran without my iPod, since it died because it wasn't fully charged.)

Anyway, I think I've tested fate long enough and intend to actually get back on my regular training schedule now. Just registered!

The Streak that Wasn't

2011-02-03T20:13:00.004-05:00

So, obviously, I'm not living up to my blog title and am not sure about when it will happen. I first attempted a 365 day running streak on April 25, 2007. It started when I was student teaching in Costa Rica, led me up to my half marathon PR, and carried me through a very, very rough first 6 months of teaching.

There were good weeks.

And there were bad weeks.

On day 275, I just forgot to run. Which is a pretty lame way to end a running streak. I was horrified when I looked at the clock and saw midnight had come and gone without me thinking to lace up my shoes.

So, I tried again, starting April 25, 2009. And if any of y'all were watching, you know how (un)successful that was.

2010 was kind of nuts, for a variety of reasons, but I thought I'd kind of just give it a go on 1/1/11 just to see what happened. I didn't tell anybody because a) I wasn't actually sure if I was completely committed to another running streak, b) I didn't want to be (rightfully) judged/mocked for failing at this again, and c) I wanted to see how long I could keep up daily running until my husband caught on.

For 20 days, I was in. Well, as in as one can be when one is snowed/iced in multiple days and refuses to run more than 1 mile on the treadmill. On the 21st day, however, it came down to one of those ridiculous scenarios-choosing between a close-to-midnight treadmill run that would have caused an argument, or abandoning my 20 days of progress. Guess what I chose.

So, 2011 is not the year of 365 runs. Oh well. It will be the year of my second marathon, my graduation from my masters program, my first time as a running coach, and whatever other adventures lay around the bend!

7 Miles! And a confession.

2011-01-30T17:56:00.003-05:00

Due to series of obstacles, I didn't get in the Tuesday see-how-far-I-can-go run that I had planned, so I just picked up my marathon schedule this weekend and headed out for 7 miles. I've run 5 here and there over the past few months, so I was pretty sure I could bang out just 2 little miles more.

Fortunately, I was right.

But I have a confession. I had a Chocolate Outrage GU at mile 4. Which I know is kind of ridiculous for a single digit run.

Confession #2: I don't regret it. The last 2 miles were a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Like my last mile was my fastest amazing. Like sprinting out the last block amazing. Like grinning for the next hour amazing.

My rule used to be no GUs unless it was a double digit run. I'm thinking now the new rule is 7 miles or more. : )

What about y'all? When do you bring out the fuel? Or do you do Gatorade for a medium distance run? I'm curious to see what everyone else's rules are.

Saved by the May Marathon!

2011-01-24T22:43:00.002-05:00

Thank y'all for your encouragement and for not outright calling me out as crazy!

Honestly, if we trained really thoroughly for the next two months, we could walk/run a marathon in March.

But, honestly, am I very good at training thoroughly? And who wants to walk/run a marathon when they can run one?

Luckily, just in the nick of time, my sister discovered another possibility! There's a new marathon in Ashe County up in tiptop northwestern part of the mountains of North Carolina on May 7.

I'm so thrilled because....

1. I LOVE Ashe County. I did my student teaching there, we hiked and biked there with my family when I was little, we kayaked through there when I was a camper, and it's just beautiful and peaceful and gorgeous. It's about 40 minutes from Appalachian State where I went to college and my friend Sarah and I drove out there for our first brick when we were triathlon training.

2. The race sounds perfect. It's the New River Marathon. It will be mostly flat because it's by the river, perfect 50-60 degree running weather, and beautiful scenery.

3. And best of all, it's 16 weeks away! I can actually train realistically!

Yay!

Short Term Marathon Training?

2011-01-23T16:52:00.003-05:00

In December when I started running again, I had a March 20th marathon in mind. Which would have worked out beautifully, because it was just in time to start my 16 week training plan. Then, it got cold and snowed and my marathon partner was out of commission for a few weeks and I thought we had just bagged the idea of a March marathon.

I've been googling around for weeks, but never really found a April or May marathon anywhere even kind of close. (My sister did find the "Broken Ankle Trail Marathon" but anything that has an injury reference in the title does not make my list. Also, this will be my friend's first marathon and I don't think I'm quite ready for 26.2 on trail.)

This week, my friend called me to report she just ran 7 miles and did I want to get back on track for the March marathon?

I'm really excited because I'd love to run it with her. We were roommates in college and did a lot of working out together. We ran a half marathon together and I'd love to do this race too. We both realize this is a late start to get really get going on marathon training, but she said she would be fine with walking part of it- as long as we finished.

Soooo....this race is 2 months away. I'm going to see how far I can go on Tuesday and if I can hit 8 or 9, I'll feel a lot better. Then I'll actually register.

Anyone have any short term training ideas or plans?

I escaped!

2011-01-16T10:12:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, after the weird sensation of teaching fourth grade on a Saturday (we had a snow make-up day and will next Saturday too), I was very excited to take advantage of the warmer, less icy, more sunshiny conditions and get outside!

Since I simply don't know what's good for me, I still dragged my feet about actually getting geared up in my running clothes and there was less than an hour of daylight when I finally got out. I never wear more than long workout pants and a long sleeve dri-fit over a top when I run in the cold. I almost always shed the longsleeve within 5 minutes. Yesterday, however, I considered going back in and getting a jacket and/or gloves...it was pretty chilly.

Once I got a little ways in though, I felt fine. I was SO relieved to glance at the Garmin and see that my first mile was sub-9:00 without me trying for any kind of speed. (I'm not really focused on speed at all, especially now, but it is so discouraging when it seems like a struggle to just get a sub-10:00 mile on the treadmill. It feels so much easier on real ground.) I slowed down a little after that, but kept happily plugging along past the turnaround and up to 3.5 miles.

All of the sudden though I just felt so tired. I think my body just realized that 1. I hadn't fed it anything but junk that day, 2. It's only been doing 1 mile a day all week, 3. It's been fighting off a cold for a week with only sporadic medicinal help from me, and 4. It wasn't really used to running in the cold.

I walked a little ways, not out of necessity, just out of tired/laziness, but couldn't for long because I immediately became cold again. It would have been ideal if someone I knew came driving by and I could flag them down and just ask for a ride the rest of the way home. (Which is not an unlikely fantasy in this small town.) I sucked it up though (I wasn't miserable or injured, just tired) and jogged the rest of the way home.

So, it wasn't a dramatically amazing escape from the dreadmill, but I'll take any 5 miles outside over the best 1.01 on the treadmill.

The Treadmill: A Necessary Evil?

2011-01-13T22:38:00.000-05:00

Confession: I have been bugging my husband, literally for years (which is impressive since we've been married less than 3 years) to get rid of our treadmill.

He bought it right after we got married, amid my protests, ironically, because I was the only runner in the family at the time. He used it for a while and I gave it a half-hearted effort, but it never really caught on as anything besides a clothes hanger. After some period of guilt about being a treadmill-hating runner, I forgave myself, declared myself an only-outdoors runner and have been advocating against ours ever since.

Confession #2: I'm eating my words now. It's freezing, it's icy, and I'm pretty sure my already low productivity would have sunk to zero without the treadmill the past week. Even though I still really hate it, I've been climbing on that machine every day.

Confession #3: My idea of a treadmill workout is one in which the screen reads "1.01" when I'm finished. As in 1.01 miles. I absolutely know that 1 mile does not a workout constitute. I also absolutely know that I'm not going to go any further on the treadmill.

I can. not. wait. for the ice to melt and to hit the open road and run 3, 4, maybe even 5 miles. (Let's be realistic- it's not going to be anymore than that until I've been running a few weeks again.) But until then, 1.01 is going to have to cut it.

What about y'all? Treadmill, no treadmill? Do you hate it, love it, tolerate it? I'm in near-coastal North Carolina so I cannot imagine the dilemma of someone living, say, in Michigan. What do you do?!

101 in 1001

2011-01-10T20:10:00.002-05:00

I finished my list! Click on the tab above or here to see my 101 goals to meet in the next 1001 days. Keep me accountable!

Getting all my digital ducks in a row.

2011-01-08T22:38:00.006-05:00

Since returning to blogworld, I've been trying to work out some of the digital kinks.

I have at least five different Google accounts that I have set up at different times for different times, projects, and purposes. The main problem with this is having to log back in and out to check my email or to blog. I have finally accidentally discovered a solution to this problem: a browser just dedicated to blogging. I know that Google Chrome is the cool way to get around the internet now, but I just haven't been able to break it off with Firefox yet. But I've found I can be logged into one Google account on Chrome and another on Firefox! (Which is such a simple solution that it's kind of embarrassing that this Instructional Technology major didn't figure it out earlier.) So now, on my computer, Chrome is just for blog reading, commenting, and writing, and Firefox is for everything else.

I've gone back and forth about how to log my (ridiculously low but better than what I have been doing- which is nothing) mileage and I've finally decided to just post the dailymile logo link. Their widget choices were not very satisfactory, but I like all the graphs and features and whatnot.

I've got my blogs I like to read mostly updated and organized on the left and right (Am I the only one that doesn't really like Google Reader and just prefers glancing at my blog lists on my site?) although I keep finding ones I've left off.

My header finally stretches across the entire width of the page, but I really need a new good picture of me running. (Maybe I should enter another big race?) Later, I want to mess around more with the background options too but right now, I like the color and that's good enough!

I'm getting close to finished with my 101 in 1001 list and that will be my last big addition for now!

Since we have a snow day tomorrow, I might just be wild and crazy and hit the ~~dreadmill~~ treadmill for a almost-bedtime run! (And then I'll have more fodder for the treadmill complaining post I'm planning next!)

Running is my reset button.

2011-01-05T18:43:00.004-05:00

Sunday afternoon, planning to go back to work after a two week break, I was not happy. Even though I missed my students, I dreaded getting back into the daily grind of early rising, paperwork, and busyness. It was making me a grump.

I had no desire to go running. None. at. all. I KNOW that I feel better when I run, but without a concrete goal, it's just so hard to get my lazy self in my shoes and out the door.

Since it was only January 2, however, I knew in my heart that it was little early to give up on New Years resolution. So I laced up.

Before I even got to the end of the block, I felt a million times better. It was beautiful out, and I was on my feet and had music in ears. By the time I hit 1 mile, I was starting to get excited about going back to school the next. When I hit the 2 mile mark (McDonalds, ironically) and turned around to end home, I was in my happy place.

It is absolutely amazing how much better I feel when I run. And it is even more amazing how ridiculously resistant I am to getting out the door.

Running is my reset button. Ninety-five percent of the time, it takes me from grumpy/frustrated/stressed/pity partying to normal/happy/perky in less than 2 minutes. Why do I ever hesitate to push the button?

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-02T19:31:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to let myself down if I pronounce specific resolutions that I'm going to keep for the next 365 days. I'm actually working on a 101 in 1001 list, but I'm not finished quite yet. (I had just been throwing ideas into a word document as I thought of them and thought that I surely had too many. When I numbered them, however, I only had 49. So I'm still working on that.)

So I'm keeping my resolutions intentionally vague this year:

More

Running
Cooking
Reading
Fruits and Vegetables
Organizing and planning ahead
Water
Vitamins
Flossing
Blogging
Staying present in the moment

Less

Junk food
Internet browsing without purpose
Worrying about or focusing on things out of my control

I'm enjoying reading around and seeing everyone else's resolutions too!

2010 in Review

2011-01-01T21:10:00.006-05:00

I realize I've been completely absent from blogland, but the past few weeks have just been really, really needed relaxing/catch-up time. I know it's 1-1-11 and time to get ready for the new year, but I want to pause for just a second to look back on the past year.

2010 was not a year of neat checked boxes for me. I didn't achieve any new athletic feats or blog much. I started preparations for a marathon and a thesis and then, after careful (and correct, in retrospect) consideration, abandoned both. We lost two people we loved. Our ridiculous schedules put a strain on myself and my husband. 2009 was much simpler.

Summed up, this was my 2010:

I continued with my beautiful little class of 3rd and 4th graders and 2 more classes in my grad school program.
In March, I ran a half marathon that I hadn't properly trained for and really struggled the last 3 miles. I think I've FINALLY learned my lesson about undertraining!
I finally broke down and bought a Garmin after a 10K where I really wished I had one.
My husband's grandma became sick and passed away.
My husband became a runner.
I organized a 3 mile race with 116 participants!
I taught swim lessons this summer for the first time in several years.
I went back to tackle the Kure Beach Triathlon.
Over the summer and fall, I worked for my school district in an internship with curriculum and technology.
One of my best friends got married in Las Vegas and we had a lovely trip there.
Two more of my childhood friends got married and I played the piano for their weddings.
I helped to organize Take the Lake and ran the 15 mile course with my mom. It was a great run, but after that, I decided it would not be practical to continue training for a November marathon. I only ran 6 or 7 more times the rest of the year.
Sarah and I ran the Warrior Dash in New York!
I ran the Biggest Loser 5K in Myrtle Beach and ran alongside Bob Harper for a minute!
My husband worked 7 days a week, pretty much every waking hour for months leading up to November 2nd and helped successfully re-elect our congressman.
I took 9 hours of graduate classes and wrote my thesis proposal while working full time this fall. Between that, two trips to Iowa for my grandpa (which would have been worth it no matter what the time constraints), and the stress of my husband's schedule, October was a very difficult month for me.
I hadn't run at all for over a month. I just felt like I could never sacrifice the time. Finally, I felt so stressed, I just put on my shoes, hit the ground and ran 5 miles. I expected the stress to melt away like it usually does when I run. It did while I was running. When I stopped, I immediately felt tense again. I ran once with my mom and aunt and then our local 8K, but I think that was it until December.
My grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and we flew to Iowa to visit one more time. He passed away a few weeks later.
My church nominated me as an elder.
I decided to drop my thesis. I didn't need it for my degree and I decided it wasn't worth the time and work if it wasn't necessary.
My husband and I took a trip in December sans cell phones, laptops, textbooks, and work. It was absolutely what we needed.

Looking back, I'm just surprised by much of the year was unplanned. On January 1, 2010, I knew I would run some races, but didn't have any of the above events planned. I didn't have any traveling plans, but I've ended up flying more in the latter part of this year than I have since the semester I studied abroad. I had no idea I would organize a new race and help manage another. No one could have anticipated losing two grandparents.

It is what it is though. I'm entering 2011 more prayerfully and stronger than any previous year. I do have some New Year's resolutions (we'll worry with those tomorrow), but I know despite all my plans, the things that will really define 2011 might be completely out of my control. It's a little scary, but a little exciting. Ready or not, it's a new year!

2011?

2010-12-08T22:24:00.003-05:00

It seems absolutely crazy that in a few short weeks it will be 2011.

Thank goodness though.

I wouldn't classify 2010 as a bad year. I have way too many blessings in my life and have had too many good times with family and friends this year and I wouldn't trade in a moment of those events. It's just been a really intense year- of work, school, and life. I'm looking forward to a more balanced 2011.

I went back through my blog post to see what athletic goals I had made (and undoubtedly not fulfilled) for this year, and thankfully I found none! Don't shoot for the stars and then feel relieved when you don't reach them!

I did squeeze in a few races (I still haven't told y'all about getting to run with Bob Harper!) and maybe at the very end of 2010, I'll take the time to properly reflect on the year, but what I really want to do now is start planning for next year!

Right now, I'm tentatively training for a March 20th marathon. And by tentatively, I mean not hardly at all because it's so darn cold outside. Which makes me start eying marathons a little later in the year. Anyone have a late spring/early summer marathon suggestion? My friend will be running with me and it will be her first 26.2 so I want it to be a good one!

Other brainstorming for my 2011 athletic goals: another half or full marathon, at least one triathlon in the summer, possibly Take the Lake Extreme (i.e. kayak, run, and bike around and swim across Lake Waccamaw all in one day), and taking some time off my 5K.

I haven't signed a contract though- so don't hold me to any of those just yet! I'll let you know when the "official" training schedule is in place.

What are y'all getting done in 2011?

The toenail is not going to make it.

2010-12-05T17:49:00.004-05:00

I was terrified of loosing my toenails when I started my marathon-training runs last year. I can deal with a lot of painful, gross, and unpleasent things, but I'd really rather keep my toes intact. All the marathons I talked to (or read the blogs of), though, acted like losing your toenails was a sacred and necessary rite of passage. As if you couldn't complete 26.2 without sacrificing one of those little nails.

Fortunately, then I made it through the training and marathon with all ten of my little piggies and their nails. Unfortunately, now I'm incapable of walking around my house without shoes and managed to trip in my own house and ended up bleeding through my sock. That combined with my sudden return to running does not bode well for my big toe.

I'm pretty sure the toenail is not going to make it.

Four miles today. It was supposed to be six, but darkness fell. Who knew? I'm still working on this planning thing.

Putting in the Miles

2010-12-03T22:35:00.007-05:00

I was a bit worried after my first run back earlier this week. I was sore. (That was probably more due to the Jillians Michael video I did that day as well.) I felt lazy. I worried I had lost the running gene from my inactivity over the past months.

Tonight, though, I was reassured. It was late, it was getting dark, I had other things to do, but I really wanted to just get out and give it a try. For a second, when I hit that cold December air in my shorts, I thought I had made a mistake. A couple minutes later, once I got going and got my iPod situated, I started feeling like a runner again. After a couple miles, I was bargaining with myself to stay out longer- even though it was completely dark and I knew it was time to shower and get ready for supper.

I am a runner. I am so grateful that I've put in the miles over the years to make me one. And the wonderful thing about running is that is all it takes-putting in the miles. Not talent, not speed, not fancy equipment. Sigh, I have such a strange love affair with running. How have I survived without it for the past few months?

Back!

2010-11-29T18:09:00.002-05:00

I wasn't entirely sure if I'd be making a blogging comeback, but I'm ready to run again! And I couldn't possibly do so without recapping each mile here, correct?

The past four months or so have been, um, intense. It is one of my biggest pet peeves when people complain about things they willingly took on and I try to keep that in mind for myself as well. That said, I've tried not to grumble TOO much lately because I'm the one who overbooked myself, but I definitely have not been the most fun person to be around lately. I've pretty much been a grumpy workaholic for the whole semester. It's been early mornings, work, classes, papers, readings, assignments, grading, working through the weekend, paperwork, thesis work, contract work, and other obligations every way I turned. I felt like each time I came up for air, something grabbed my ankle and pulled me back under.

That was all I could see on the horizon because next semester was looking about the same. Which would mean- no running; more grumpiness; less time getting to enjoy my wonderful students I have this year; further neglect of my husband, family, friends, and home; and another five months of having that "crazy lady" look. It just wasn't worth it.

After a few days of soul searching, googling, and conversations with people who know what they're talking about, I decided to switch my degree from M.S. to M.Ed., drop 6 hours of classes, and abandon my thesis.

And just like that, I could breathe again.

And run again.

Two miles today! Training for marathon #2 is underway!

How I Became a Warrior and a Biggest Loser in 1 Week: Part 1

2010-09-30T22:25:00.006-04:00

Yeah, SueMac said it best with "Welcome back.... Goodbye.... I'll be seeing you?"

I'm not sure if I'm coming or going blog-wise. I just don't seem to be able to fit it in right now.

I did want to quickly tell you about my 2 quirky races this month: the Warrior Dash and the Biggest Loser 5K Endurance Challenge.

Two weekends ago, I flew up to New York for the weekend to see my best friend who's working on her PhD up there and we decided to round out our time together with a 3.23 mile romp through 13 obstacles. In other words, we wanted to be warriors.

Of course, warriors need weapons (obtained through the Halloween section of Target), warrior paint, black nail polish, and a waterproof disposable camera (for documentation, of course) . We considered going all out with complete warrior outfits, but when you have swords, that pretty much covers it.

There were several waves that started throughout the day so we saw the groups in front of us start and finish.

You can't really tell in this picture, but it was ridiculously steep. We were running up a ski slope, for goodness sake. I heard some of the runners who had gone early talk about walking up and kinda thought they were wimps, but after starting out strong for about 3 minutes or so, Sarah and I were definitely walking. I felt soooo out of shape, but it just straight up! Everyone except the really speedy people at the front were walking, so I made peace with it.

It was really crowded, but it started to thin out by the time we got to the first couple obstacles (running through tires and scaling walls). I'm so glad I read Heather's tip about bringing along a camera because it was fun to goof off and grab pictures as we scrambled through tunnels and through "uncharted forests." (The path was actually pretty clearly marked.) Wading through chest-high, chilly, muddy water was actually pretty fun and refreshing after getting up that mountain.

None of the obstacles were really all that extreme and definitely none of them were as difficult as just getting up the hill to begin with. It was a little scary running downhill because it was slick, muddy, and steep and we were a little bit worried about our ankles.

Near the end was the BIG obstacle, the "Warrior Roast." I have been looking forward to leaping over these flames for months! We had to go down this crude slip-n-slide that ended in a slightly gravely mud pit to get good and saturated before reaching the fire. Instead of passing the camera back and forth to get pictures like we did for the other obstacles, we decided to just leap together and trust the professional photographers for this one.
\
The last obstacle was crawling under barbed wire (that just happened to be suspended over a huge puddle). I've probably climbed under more fences than 95% of these participants so this was no biggie. Even with the sword.

We then celebrated with our warrior helmets, turkey legs, and warrior festivities! It was such a fun race and I highly recommend participating with costumes, friends, the camera, and no regard for your finishing time!

I thought I could squeeze 2 race reports into 1 post, but I think this one's gone on long enough, so I just slapped a "Part 1" into the title and will leave off here. You'll have to check back next time to hear about me getting to run next to Bob Harper in my next race!

Quick Explanation

2010-09-11T08:56:00.003-04:00

Things are pretty ridiculously non-stop right now.

I've never had a problem with being busy. I've always managed to max out whatever schedule I'm working with and that's always been fine. In high school, I would go from school, to pick up my sisters, to sports practice, to drop off my sisters, to music lessons, to pick up my sisters...it was not unusual to drive 100 miles in a day. In college, I was the one that begged my department head into signing a waiver that allowed me to take a 23 hour semester instead of the maximum 20 hours. I never worried about "burning the candle at both ends" or "having too much on my plate." I pretty much thought I could handle whatever was flung my way.

Four years ago, when I was fresh out of college and got my first teaching job, I was rudely awakened to how mistaken I was. Being responsible for the academic, emotional, and social rearing of a class of fifth graders was by far the most difficult thing I had ever undertaken.

(Sidenote: I obviously understand the importance of parents in educating their own children. When they are actively and positively involved, almost any child flourishes. Fortunately, right now, I have a class of children with wonderful, supportive, and caring parents- and it's clearly evident through their respect for themselves and others, their academic levels, and their work ethic. When that parent support is lacking, however, the responsibility, and the blame, falls swiftly upon the teacher.)

It wasn't just how much work there was to be done. (At the beginning of the school year, I woke up at 4:30, worked on school work at home until 6 am, went to school, stayed until 6 pm, and took work home to continue until I went to bed. ) It was the overwhelming stress- worrying about my students, myself as a teacher, feeling like I would never catch up or be good enough. I quickly associated that stress with being a "real adult" and despaired that I would feel that way the rest of my life.

Thankfully, I was on my running streak at that time, because otherwise I would have stopped running altogether. Most days, it was only a mile- sometimes in the dark, going in loops around my house, but I continued my streak I had started in the prior spring, running each day until February. Running kept me afloat during that time. I lived hours from anyone I knew and even though I talked daily to my boyfriend (now husband, friends and family, they couldn't be right there with me. No matter what happened during the day, I could always lace up my shoes, put in the iPod, and disappear from my own reality for a little while.

After that first year, I got married and moved. I was at a different school, in a different grade, and had that first experience under my belt. I still felt that crushing daily stress though and wondered, not if it would pass, but just if I could adjust to it. I kept plowing on though, and that summer I started working on my masters and training for my first marathon.

Last school year was such a blessing because I finally felt like I was hitting my stride. Even with the challenge of a combination class, I started to love more days than I dreaded, and juggled my grad school and house work in the evenings. There was still stress, but more than that, this feeling of guilt started creeping in- "Why am I not cooking beautiful meals on a regular basis? Why do we STILL not have pictures up on all the walls? Why am I still not in the running shape I want to be in?" I started to worry if I didn't have these things together now, would I ever? I love reading other women's blogs, but I started to feel so inferior- how could they manage it all (and post pictures of it too)?! Especially those who have children! If I didn't have my ducks in a row now, it certainly wouldn't be happening when I was responsible for more little lives.

This past summer, I decided to take a little blog break, and I feel like I've had a little space and time to gain some perspective. A new school year has started, and though teaching will always be busy and a little stressful, I LOVE it. I love my 24 babies who rely on me to guide them and teach them, day in and day, out for 180 days. I love getting them excited about learning and the world around them. I love seeing their faces light up when they do something they thought they couldn't. Even in those moments where there is temporary chaos or frustration (think computer lab with 17 working computers, 24 kids, and a fuzzy internet connection when you're trying to access an online activity), I can't help but think how lucky I am to be in charge of these little kids and how empty my days would be without them.

I'm usually at school early, and leave late, but I feel, for the most part, that I've got things under control. At home, I'm glued to my laptop working on grad school or freelance web design, catching up on laundry/dishes/home basics, or helping my husband as he keeps his own busy-level up with a full-time job and a part-time job. I'm running just a little bit and getting a small dose of TV and facebook as I multi-task, but that's pretty much it right now.

I finally feel a little release of the guilt and stress though, because I can see an end in sight. This will not be my reality forever. In January, my husband will just be working on one job. God willing (and I pray that he is, because I'm going to need his help with this one), I will finish my thesis and grad school classes this spring and graduate in May. I am ridiculously excited about having a more "normal" life starting next summer and realize that I'll have time then to start working on those extra things- getting my house just like I want it, organizing my recipes, training for a big race.

It wasn't my intent to make this the most ridiculously long blog post ever! (Which is why I CANNOT be trusted to blog regularly right now...I make it take too much time.) I just felt the need to explain myself a little. I may be poking back around here to post some race reports (I have some short races coming up that I'm really jazzed up about-Warrior Dash in New York next weekend and Biggest Loser 5K in Myrtle Beach on the 25th- and I may or may not be running a marathon late this fall or winter. My mom and I ran the 15 mile Take the Lake last weekend and I felt pretty good until the last few miles, so if I get more serious about it, I could pull out 26.2 in a few months.), and sometime I need to do a review of my Nathan water fuel belt I've been using this summer (short version: LOVE it, don't know how I've gone so long without one.).

I seriously doubt I'll be able to resist posting about the Warrior Dash, so I'll be back soon! Good luck with everyone's fall training!

Back for a hot minute- Kure Beach Triathlon Race Report

2010-06-29T11:25:00.004-04:00

Okay, I know I'm supposed to be staying out of blogland for a little while, but I did just complete my first triathlon since 2008 and really and truly, no one in my real life (except my mom- not because she's my mom but because she is obsessed with racing) wants to hear the full race report. And since ~~one person asked for a review of my tri shorts~~ I know the virtual world is clamoring for the results of the Kure Beach Triathlon, I just cannot deny you! (It may also be because I'm just a little OCD and want to properly record my results on my online log.)

In any case...

I was a little bit nervous about this race last Sunday because I really had not trained like I should. My husband looked at me in the rear view mirror as he drove my mom, sister, and I to the race start and said, "Now, we can all admit you haven't trained for this. So no one's going to judge you if you need to quit." Obviously, that was ridiculous. Even if they didn't judge me (and my mom and sister SO would, in a very loving way, of course) I would drag myself across the pavement and sand before I put up my first DNF. (I'm not saying it couldn't happen someday, but this was too short a race to let that be a possibility.)

It's been over two years since my last triathlon, so I did a lot of double-checking with my transition things. Overall, though, I felt way more prepared material and experience wise than I ever had at any triathlon. My mother graciously loaned me her fancy race bike (I've previously been the slow misfit on the mountain bike), I had on my new two piece triathlon suit (which is at least four times more flattering than my old one piece), I finally broke down and bought a race belt (I wished I had had it dozens of races ago. It makes so much more sense than safety pinning, especially onto a wet suit in the middle of a triathlon.), and I packed a gel into said race belt.

I made a few friends on shore before our wave started in the ocean, but once we hit the waves, I didn't see them again. The ocean swim was longer than I remembered from last time, but I think they may have shorten it that year because of the crazy waves. I remembered to dive under the big waves and not worry about swimming out too fast against the waves and everything went fine. (My tri shorts worked just fine in the water, Dana. I didn't even think about them once while I was swimming.)

I have to admit I was a little winded when I came up on shore and didn't think that was a good indicator for the rest of the race. After pulling on my socks, shoes, and race belt, I had a little chance to breathe and felt better as I started out on the first run. I decided to go ahead and have my chocolate gel while I was running. It was then that I realized this was the first time I've had a gel when it's hot outside. (I didn't start using energy gels until last September.) That hot chocolate goo while I was already hot and nasty was just a little bit too much, even for me. I was pretty sure I might throw it up, but I got the whole thing down. The rest of the 1.5 mile run was pretty uneventful...it just seemed really long for only a mile and a half.

I was very excited about using the race bike and I finally got to use the three words I've always wanted to say during a triathlon, "On the left!" I only actually passed about five people and was passed by approximately a hundred, but it was definitely the most pleasant bike portion I've ever had. I felt like I was going pretty fast for me, but I held back a little to save my legs for the second run.

The second run was actually much easier and turned out to be faster than the first. I was kind of doing a shuffle-run more than real running, but it seemed like that was the game plan of most and I ended up passing a few people. By the time I got to the ocean, it seemed like a wonderful idea to end in the cool water, but I realized immediately how worn out I was. I took it sloooow and easy on that last swim. My attitude was, "I'll get there when I get there."

Surprisingly, I was not sore at all afterwards and I wished that I had pushed it more on the bike. Race results came out that afternoon and I immediately compared them to my 2006 times.

Kure Beach Triathlon
Swim, 375m-13:34

Run, 1.5 miles- 17:00

Bike, 12.4 miles- 41:56

Run, 1.5Mi- 16:31

Swim, 375 M- 9:00

Total Time with Transitions: 1:38:01

Kure Beach Triathlon 2010
Swim, 375m-8:34 (5 minutes faster than '06)

Run, 1.5 miles- 16:10 (50 seconds faster than '06)

Bike, 12.4 miles- 43:11 (1 minute, 15 seconds slower than '06)

Run, 1.5Mi- 15:27 (1 minute, 4 seconds faster than '06)

Swim, 375 M- 11:12 (2 minutes, 12 seconds slower than '06)

Total Time with Transitions: 1:38:01 (3 minutes, 28 seconds faster than '06)

So, in conclusion, I'm running faster, biking slower (even with the race bike!), and swimming is inclusive (and impossible to judge between these two years because the swim course in 2006 kept being adjusted by the ridiculous waves from the offshore hurricane). Even though I wasn't properly trained, I really enjoyed the race and hopefully will figure out a way to train for future races!

Now, I'm sneaking back off for the rest of my blog break (unless I have another race report that just MUST be shared)! Pretend you didn't see me!

Taking a Blog Break

2010-06-21T16:20:00.002-04:00

I've been contemplating a blog break for several weeks now. I love it here in blogland; I've met so many lovely people, read so many lovely things, and wrote so many random and/or pathetic things, so I don't think I want to shut down and exit entirely, but there are some other factors that have been weighing in as well:

My husband is sick of my laptop. (Although it's very common for him to be sitting on the other side of the couch on his own laptop.)
I'm kinda sick of my laptop. Between school, work, and home, I'm on this thing a lot.
It is waaay too easy for me to get sucked in and blog-hop on indefinitely while time passes by without me noticing.
I'm piddling around with my little races and whatnot now, but I'm really not doing anything that exciting or blog-worthy in the running arena right now.
It's summertime and I want to be out and about (or cleaning out closets or other such exciting things!)

I was still on the fence until today. You may recall that I'm a elementary school teacher. I'm on my feet almost all day, every day (yes, even during lunch) and though I may check my email and update my website while my students are at the library or whatnot, I'm rarely just sitting in front of a screen for more than 15 minutes at a time.

Well, it's summertime, of course, which means I'm not teaching and I just started working on my grad school internship. Over the course of the summer, I'll be organizing web resources for teachers, students, and parents for my school district and I'm extremely excited about the process and the outcome.

Today, though, on my first full day, I had a very quick realization, "Wow...I'm just going to be sitting in front of my laptop allllll day long. Is this what most jobs are like?" It's not necessarily bad, because I'm really enjoying the project I'm working on, but once I closed that laptop at the end of the day, I did not want to open it again for any reason whatsoever.

So, that pretty much sealed the deal. I'm sure I'll still do a least a little blog lurking (you know I couldn't quit cold turkey, right?) and who knows, I just might not be able to stay away and start posting again in a week! I'm pretty sure I'll return at some point, though...I've still got 365 consecutive runs to get in someday!

Just so you know...

2010-06-19T00:31:00.003-04:00

I went back and conquered the bike with the clip-on pedals. I rode 11 miles yesterday and didn't have any problems (except for being sore because I never bike). I've had a lovely week at my parents' house and have enjoying a little running, biking, and swimming throughout the week, so I'm minimally prepared for this triathlon next week.

I did get a new triathlon outfit though! I'm way more excited than I should be about spandex, but it's a big improvement from my one-piece triathlon suit that I got on sale five years ago. I went to the biking store first and they only had 2 options for tri shorts. I wasn't really jazzed up about either, but I thought that was about as good as they would get. So I bought a pair, then went to Fleet Feet and immediately fell in love with these cute Skirt Sports outfits. After much deliberation, I decided to get both the tri top and shorts there and then had to go back to the biking store to return the less flattering shorts.

Images are from www.skirtsports.com

I tried the shorts biking, but I couldn't really judge the comfort because I was still sore from biking the day before. I'm really excited to try swimming in my new outfit! I'll let you know how it goes. (I know you're just waiting by your monitors to find out!)

Biking = FAIL

2010-06-13T18:21:00.002-04:00

Since I'm going to be participating in the Kure Beach Triathlon just two weeks from today, I decided it was time to get out the bike. (Obviously, I'm not going for a PR here.) I kinda hate biking and therefore hadn't yet brought my mountain bike home from my parents' house, so there has been absolutely no bike training in a looooong time.

When we raced our first triathlon, I used my mountain bike my parents gave me for 13th birthday. It took until my 16th birthday for us to actually go out and buy the bike, but in any case, it was a bike purchased for playing and not for racing. We knew my mom would have an advantage with her road bike, but even with that, I managed to beat her by a few minutes. Within a month, my mom had purchased a slick race bike with clip-on shoes and skinny tires. That, combined with her superior training, led her to an easy victory over me in the next triathlon.

She loves that bike.

Which is why I was slightly surprised when my mom offered to let me borrow it for this upcoming race. She was insistent, however, that I practice a lot with it this week while I'm visiting to get used to the clip-ons and gears. So, thinking it couldn't be that difficult, I snapped in the shoes and went off on a biking adventure!*

*Biking adventure may or may not have consisted of me falling off the bike in the driveway, walking in my socks, dragging the bike through the yard, taking 10 minutes to figure out how to unclip the shoes, making about a 1/2 mile of progress before goofing up the gears, falling off the bike again-this time attached to one of the pedals and landing in the barn driveway and embedding gravel into my hand, cursing, turning around, and going home and awaiting a tutorial from my mom before getting back on that bike.

I decided to remove the flat tire from my car for exercise instead. That actually worked.

By the way, the China Grove 5K Main Street Challenge was a success on Friday! My mom, two sisters, and I all ran and dad even came along to hold our race packets and eat race refreshment leftovers. For as little running as I've been doing lately, I was happy with my time: 26:42, but I think it would have been more fun to use my Garmin if I could look down and see better paces.

Upcoming Races!

2010-06-06T00:06:00.000-04:00

There's just 2.5 days left with my 3rd and 4th grade babies! Even though a part of me is aching a little to lose them (they're a good, albeit quirky, little group of kids), the vast majority of me (and them!) is ready for summer! I've got a full summer schedule (think 3 weddings and accompanying parties/showers, an internship with my school system, teaching swim lessons, and a trip to Las Vegas!) but I'm just really ready to drop the stress and fuss of school.

And I'm ready (and desperately need) to get serious about working out again. I'm itching to really put my Garmin to work, finally fetch my bike from my parents' house, and it looks like I'll even have a place to swim this summer! So here's the plan:

June 11: China Grove 5K Main Street Challenge
This is a fun night race and I'll get to run with my mom and sisters!

June 27: Kure Beach Triathlon
I haven't done a triathlon in a few years and I'm ready to get back in the saddle. The Kure Beach race is fun because it's a double sprint (swim, run, bike, run, swim), it's an ocean swim, and it ends on the beach!

I did this race in 2006 and it was quite interesting. There was a hurricane off in the Pacific and the ocean was intensely rough. They encouraged weak swimmers to skip the swim portion, but I thought that was wimpy. I saw the first wave of swimmers go out and when a few of them came back, I thought that was wimpy too. When I went out into those raging waves, I didn't think it was so wimpy anymore. It was r.i.d.i.c.u.l.o.u.s. Every stroke I took, I was pushed back 3. I was tumbled upside down and backwards and my goggles couldn't stay on my head. I ended up grabbing a floating lifeguard's rescue tube and sobbing, "I'm a freaking lifeguard! Why is this so hard?!" After resting for a minute and getting some reassuring words from the lifeguard, I was able to move on and finish the swim. (Meanwhile, my never-panicking-relentlessly-practical mom is on shore, scanning for me for my bobbing head for over 13 minutes and praying for God to rescue me from the sea.)

The run and bike were quick and easy, but my mom was waiting in the transition area attempting to convince me not to go back into the ocean, "It would really be fine if you just skipped the second swim. You don't HAVE to do it. We all know you COULD but maybe you it's not what you SHOULD do." My mind was made up though: I wasn't going to let that ocean defeat me. I jumped back in, but instead of fighting the water, I just took it slow and easy and glided right through that last 375 meters with no problem. I learned you can't race in a hurricane.

So now it's time to tackle Kure Beach again!

September 4: Take the Lake
This is our big local event. It's not really a race, just a particiption event, but I'll be keeping times. I swam the lake a few years ago and last year Mom and I ran, so both of these should be old hat. Except 4 miles is a looong way to swim. And 15 miles miles is a looong way to run.

September 19: Warrior Dash
I'm so excited about this race I can't put it into words! You get to crawl through mud and under barbed wire, leap through fire, and scale walls...all while running. How could it get better? By combining it with a long weekend trip to New York state to see my best friend and first running buddy, Sarah! I found out about this race from Heather at Run, Mommy, Run, but I hope that Sarah and I can get through it injury-free. Rest up and recover soon, Heather!

And the big event is.......

Undecided.

I want to run my next marathon this fall, but still haven't made the final decision of where/when. The two finalists are the Outer Banks Marathon and the City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh. What do y'all think? Have any of you ran either of these or heard anything about them?

Running with ID

2010-06-01T21:54:00.002-04:00

How many of y'all run with ID? I know that I'm supposed to, but that's just one of those things I haven't got around to yet. I don't know if I should spring for the real thing, or just cram an index card with my name and my husband's phone number in my shoe.

It kind of seems like a moot point here in my husband's (small) hometown though. If I were to ever fall off the sidewalk, not see an approaching car, or get attacked by a wild cocker spaniel, I'm pretty sure I know how it would play out...

Lady who discovers me on her power walk: Oh dear! Mary Jo, there's a fallen runner in the road! Call your nephew over at the fire department!

Mary Jo whips out her cell phone and the paramedics are quickly dispatched. Mary Jo and her friend wait with me (unconscious) for them to arrive.

Mary Jo: Hmm, they say that that running is bad for you. Bad for your knees, too. My cousin's uncle that lived up North was all into that running mess and, bless his heart, died from a heart attack while he was running. It's unnatural, Thelma.

Thelma: Goodness, isn't she ________'s wife?

Mary Jo: I knew she was familiar! ________, from church is his mama. Call Derb and have him get their number from the Presbyterian church directory. Let her know to meet us at the hospital.

By this time, the volunteer fire department paramedics have arrived and Thelma is on the phone.

Paramedic 1: Alright, what we got here? Oh! I've seen her before, but she's not from around here.

Paramedic 2: Oh yeah...she's married to ______________. Remember, I used to date his cousin in high school?

Thelma: Oh, you mean ________________. She's such a sweet girl, how's her daddy doing?

By this time, they've loaded me up in the ambulance and the whole town, including my husband, in-laws, friends, and church circle have been notified. It's a closed case.

So it seems a little silly to worry about being Jane Doe here, but I do occasionally escape from this small town. Maybe I'll order the Road ID after all.

*By the way, this is the post that I complained about Blogger eating a few days ago. The reason that I couldn't find it is because I started it as a draft many months ago and never finished. So when I finished and published, it posted back in August 2009. I just recopied it here. There's your tech tip of the day! (Although I'm pretty sure most of y'all could have figured that out before me.*

What's up, blogger?!

2010-05-29T19:36:00.002-04:00

I wrote a long post Thursday and it has totally disappeared! Not in drafts, published, anywhere. Either blogger ate my post or I'm going crazy.

Oh well! After a very rough couple weeks of testing and retesting at school, I'm now very happy with my students' performance and am finally relaxing for the first time in weeks. This 3 day weekend, I'm going to enjoy being lazy. I brought two books to the lake: my Kindle with the unauthorized Oprah biography for my guilty pleasure read and a HTML/web design book that I'm reading cover to cover to indulge my web geek side and get ready for my summer internship. I may go for a short run, but I'm not stressing about mileage or much of anything until Tuesday!

I hope all of y'all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Running in the Rain!

2010-05-24T23:10:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I received a facebook invitation to a 5K Fundraiser at my high school, on my high school cross country course. I thought about how fun and nostalgic that would be and tossed into the virtual trash since I live 4 hours from my hometown.

When I heard about the race again, however, I realized that I would be home that weekend for my friend's bridal shower! (Yay, Heather!) I decided that the 5K would be a lovely event with my mom and sister to round out my weekend and even had fantasies of my husband making it his first official race! (Oh, by the way, you should know: the former Mr. "I-don't-understand-the-appeal-of-running" is now officially faster than me. He does have the advantage of his legs being about a foot longer than mine.)

Saturday morning, however, I was glad that we weren't able to talk him into it. As soon as the starting gun went off, the rain fell down. It poured the whole race and created messy mud slides on the trails. I love running in the rain, (I first realized running could be fun during "dry practice" for swim team my freshman year of high school, sprinting laps around the track in a downpour, giggling with my girl friends) but I knew good and well that that type of thing is not my husband's idea of fun.

With the rain, mud, and hills (this is still my original home course and I know it's the toughest in the conference!), I had to adjust my time expectations. I was keeping an eye on the Garmin, watching my time and for signs of distress from being soaked, and decided early on that I'd be happy if I got in under 28:00. Even though I'm slower and fatter, I felt fantastic running around my high school course!

It was good to see a few people from my high school past as well. I could not believe my high school track coach remembered me and was happy to see me! (I was pretty sure he was still holding a grudge from me skipping out on track my senior year.) My cross-country coach, my true running hero and teacher, was not there, but I'm sure I'll get to run with him again someday!

One of the race volunteers caught a picture of me along the course and I think it's really funny because I'm pretty blurry but the dumpster is prominently center and in focus! Even that dumpster reminds me of high school cross-country though, because that's right where we would park (run 5 miles at practice, but too lazy to walk across the school yard to our cars?) and stretch at practice.

Anyway, it was a lovely little race and fun to revisit my running past!

Excuse me, Jillian, have you ever run a marathon?

2010-05-19T18:15:00.006-04:00

You've heard me sing Jillian Michael's praises before, right? I have the book, the DVD, have watched approximately 5 seasons of Biggest Loser...yeah, the whole 9 yards. Even though she sometimes takes things to the extreme (i.e. yelling at people who are barfing and falling off treadmills with exhaustion.), I've always had a great deal of respect for her and her methods.

Until last night.

Last night, they aired the "Biggest Loser Marathon." They've done this for a few seasons now and in fact one of my marathon goals last October was to beat Tara's 4:55 finish from last spring. Each time, I've wondered how much actual marathon training the contestants have done. Most runners (like myself) devote months to preparing for their first marathon- building up to longer runs, trying out different fuels, drinking massive amounts of water, and rearranging their eating habits. They don't show any of this on the show. In fact, they don't show any of this (aid stations, water, GUs, etc.) along the run either. They completely downplay all the preparation that goes into an event like that. Bob and Jillian only seem concerned about the weight loss and don't question the contestants at all about their marathon training.

I know this season's winner, Daris, was taking his training seriously though. He smashed the previous Biggest Loser record by crossing the finish line at 4:02 last night. (Anybody want to guess what my new marathon goal time is?) It was clear that he had crossed over from "reality show contestant" to "runner" and I was happy to welcome him into our fold.

A few hours (or maybe a day, I'm not quite sure about the timeline) later, however, it was time for Daris to defend his title as a "weight loss contestant" and step on the scale. I cringed a little. I lost about 6 pounds training for my marathon and I thought that was pretty lucky. Many marathoners gain weight from all that necessary carb loading. The week of the race, however, as I geared up for the big day, I ended up gaining back a few pounds. The day after, the scale showed all 6 of those pounds back on. It was just a temporary increase from all that extra water and food, but that water and food got me through 26.2 miles!

So, I was not surprised at all when Daris had a 2 pound weight gain. He said (without really any regret or apology) that he had been more focused on the marathon than on weight loss. "Hurrah!" replied me and runners around the globe. Obviously, this guy has found a healthy activity that he's passionate about and will continue with in the future. He's already under 200 pounds and in great shape.

Bob and Jillian did not share our enthusiasm. Bob was livid and Jillian dropped something that had to be bleeped. "What do you mean it's hard to lose weight while marathon training?" "Don't tell me about how you are just running and gain weight. That doesn't add up. It doesn't make sense."

Beneath all their accusations, Daris' pride quickly morphed to shame and backpedaling. I was h.o.r.r.i.f.i.e.d. Bob and Jillian know that gym backwards and forward; they know all there is to know about weight training and cardio pump and "last chance workouts" but apparently they don't know _____ about running a marathon.

I've been lurking around the internet (obviously, this has been irking me!) and discovered that Bob has, in fact, run 3 marathons, but I'd be real interested in seeing his times. I cannot find any evidence that Jillian has completed a marathon. I did however find a lot more people irked by all this! Like Jamie, Tall Mom on the Run, Run, Momma, Run, J at Kissing Frogs, Amy, and Laura.

So, Jillian, let's see you lace up for 26.2.

Why am I only attracted to bad runs?

2010-05-18T20:43:00.004-04:00

I know I should be attracted to nice runs. I should be content to trot along quiet sidewalks and around neighborhoods, but I'm not. Nice runs are too calm, too quiet, and they just don't keep me interested.

Now, a bad run, however, I just can't resist. I know they're not what I'm supposed to be doing, but I just fall back into the same patterns.

Right now, I'm pretty out of shape and I should have got out on a nice run around the neighborhood and called it a day. Even though I knew I shouldn't, I let a bad long run talk me into going out tonight.

We were supposed to just go for 2 miles or so, but a naughty run can always talk me into going further than I know is right. At first, it was "just to the bypass" and then "it wouldn't hurt anything to go off the sidewalk and keep going" and then it just feels so natural and you just let one thing lead to another....and you end up doing something very bad, like a 5 mile loop.

Whoops!

A Salad a Day

2010-05-17T21:10:00.003-04:00

So the running has exactly been stellar lately. I just am holding out until the end of "busy season" at school and then hoping to get back on track.

Usually when I'm not working out like I should, I tend to just let my eating habits go south as well. (I'm kind of an all or nothing kind of girl, if you haven't noticed.) The past couple weeks though, I've accidentally embarked on a healthier food track. It all started with a bag of lettuce that was past its expiration date....

I love to buy groceries on sale, in bulk. (I ALWAYS have at least 3 boxes of oatmeal in my pantry.) I know the Food Lion sales cycles and it usually works out for me. Even if we don't eat something before the expiration date rolls around, there's always the freezer. Meat, vegetables, bagels, it's all up there- bought at the peak of sales and lying in wait frozen.

There's pretty much only one thing that I can't freeze and that's lettuce. So when I discovered a bag of salad greens (only just a little) past the expiration date in my crisper, I had to take immediate action and pack a salad to take to school that day. And it still seemed to be okay the next day, so salad again it was. Then, when I shopped that afternoon, I just couldn't resist a buy-one-get-one-free coupon on two fresh bags of spinach and lettuce! At this point, I'm packing a salad each day for lunch just trying to keep a little ahead of the expiration dates.

(I should mention, at this point, that I've only been a salad eater for a few years, and really only started "craving" salads in the past months. I think I was served a salad about once a year in my childhood, so it didn't really catch on. It's really amazing in itself that I'm making or eating these green dishes at all.)

Anyway, my students seem to be amazingly obsessed with whatever I'm eating, sometimes trying to get their little faces and hands alarmingly close to my food. I feel pretty lame and a horrible example when I get questions like, "Oh! What kind of Hot Pocket is that?!" ("Kids, it's a Lean Pocket, okay, that would be totally disgusting if I ate Hot Pockets on a weekly ~~or more~~ basis. Those 10 fewer calories are a really big deal.") or "Why can't we bring Mexican leftovers to warm up?" ("Well, kids, you have to be a grown-up to eat this much melted grease off melted styrofoam in the cafeteria. Oh, wait! I forgot you're eating cafeteria food.")

(It's obvious that I don't actually say those things, right?)

So, I always feel better when I pack something healthy and their little eyes light up just as much over whole wheat sandwiches, fish, or yogurt. It's been a real treat though, to field their questions over two weeks of salad: "Agh! Are you eating leaves? Did you forget that you're a teacher and not a giraffe?" ("Dear children, that's real greens with nutrients you see there, not the iceberg filler they put in your side salads.") and "What are those chunks of stuff in your salad?" and especially, "Don't you need to put some ranch on that, Mrs. ______?" ("No, kids, no one needs 3 packets of ranch dressing for one salad or really anything on this earth.")

I hope I don't sound like a food snob here (remember I'm the same girl with the Lean Pockets), but I'm just kind of fed up with this whole cafeteria food thing....but that's an issue for a whole other post. It did make me smile though when one of my students said proudly last week, "Look, Mrs. _______, I'm just like you! I'm having a salad and a bottle of water!" I'm a little bit less ashamed of my example now. Let's see how many more salads I can show off between now and the last day of school!

Mission Accomplished!

2010-05-12T17:21:00.003-04:00

Forgive my absence. I've been...

finishing up my third semester of grad school. (I was so thrilled to be able to turn in my assignments one day before the deadlines!)
Prepping my babies for end of year testing. (One of my fourth graders came up to me outside, running his little hands through his buzz cut panickingly, and said, "I just need a break! I need to go to the beach and just forget all about this EOG.")
attending my sister-in-law's graduation.
directing the first annual Farmers Market Fun Run and Walk!

The race was a big success and I'm so tickled about it! We had 116 finishers and filled out all our age groups categories 1st-3rd except for one. (Those males age 20-29 must be slackers!) Everyone seemed to have a really good time and things went smoothly. (Later, I'll post a detailed run down of how everything was organized/timed/recorded/etc. and what I've learned during the process.) All our volunteers (including my lovely sisters, mother, mother-in-law, and husband) were wonderful and many participants had lovely things to say about the event.

My favorite comment from the whole event though, was, "Running this was actually really fun! You might have turned me on to something."

Mission Accomplished! : )

Pre-Race Jitters!

2010-05-05T22:48:00.002-04:00

I've got the pre-race jitters big time. It's not the usual fretting about my time or performance, though, in fact, I haven't trained at all. This race is my big event: my first adventure as a race organizer and director!
When I decided to put this event together about 3 months ago, I jumped blind into the deep end of race planning. Fortunately, I've had a lot of support and help along the way (and will in the final few days and race day) and I've been really excited about the response. 115 runners and walkers are registered for the 1st Annual Farmers Market Fun Run and Walk and there are 3 more days to sign up!

Even with all the planning and work that's been put in so far, I've still got butterflies about the big event. I'm laying awake thinking about all the "what ifs" and hoping and checking to ensure that all my ducks are in a row. I have many friends, family, and volunteers helping out, but there are just a lot of little things that I personally have to check off my list!

Even though I'm nervous, I'm very excited that race day is almost here! The t-shirts look great, we have wonderful sponsor support, volunteers are lined up, and most importantly, we have over 100 runners and walkers! I'll let y'all know how it goes!

Oh! In other news, I enjoyed reading your responses to my Running Barefoot post, which as I was corrected by Barefoot Johnny O, : ) was not necessarily about true barefoot running, but some almost barefoot alternatives. To the disappointment of my Vibram-wearing friend, I'm not ready to go that far yet, but I am interested in mixing in some barefoot or near barefoot training. That definitely won't be happening before Saturday though!

Running Barefoot

2010-05-02T20:19:00.004-04:00

Caught your eye, didn't I? No, I haven't actually been running barefoot but I've spent a good deal of time (that I probably should be devoting to other matters right now) lately reading/thinking about it.

I probably spent more time than most barefoot as a child. As soon as it was suitably warm, we were allowed to play outside without our shoes and I can recall the feelings of many different textures beneath my feet: grass, rocks, mud, asphalt, and pretty much everything in between. I was frequently caught at the barn without my shoes on and you can imagine that wasn't always a great idea. Like the time I stepped on rusty barbed wire and my last tetanus shot was at a fuzzy undetermined date in the past. (My parents decided I'd probably be fine without the shot. I lived.) Or the time I was standing on a fence and a calf thought my foot would be tasty. (Calves are pretty harmless though; it's just a strange sensation to have your foot in a cow's mouth.)

My dad bragged about his barefoot running on his track team in the 70s and I marveled at the way my grandma could walk across hot gravel without anything between those pointy rocks and her feet. Being barefoot in the elements seemed like a way to prove your grit.

So, of course, I fell hard for the the new "barefoot running" trend of the Nike Frees when they came out in 2005. I was training for my first marathon, was in great shape, and raved about my light, flexible shoes that taught my feet muscles to be strong. I logged hundreds of miles in my first pair while studying abroad and one of my first purchases when I arrived home was my second pair.

Shortly thereafter, however, I started having problems with my knee. I desperately tried to train through it, but a month before my marathon, it was just getting worse. 17 miles into a long run, my knee hurt so badly all I could do was limp home and I had to admit defeat.

I was advised by a doctor with running experience (who may or may not also be my mom) to quit running for at least a month or two to let it heal. After my time off, I went to the running store to seek advice and the owner was horrified when I showed him my Nike Frees and described the training I'd done in them. He said they were definitely the cause of my injury and shoes like that should only be used for short muscle building workouts on a treadmill or track.

I banished the Nike Frees and the dream of near-barefoot running to the back of my closet and moved on with expensive, supportive running shoes. I haven't had any significant knee problems since and was able to go on and finally run that marathon last year.

So, you can imagine my horror when my when best friend and first long run partner caught the latest barefoot running craze: the Vibram Five Finger. I warned her and cautioned her and reminded her of my follies, but to no avail. She insisted these were different and even worth the stares you receive when you wear something that resembles reptile toe socks. I sighed and waited for the inevitable letdown or injury.

Well, she's been running in them for months now and is still loving her Vibrams. Injury free, which is wonderful, but I considered that some kind of lucky fluke of nature. Somewhere along the way, Sarah passed me her copy of "Born to Run" and implied there was some connection between the Vibrams and the book, but that it was mostly a story about running. I started the book months ago and would pick it up now and again, but it was a really slow story to get moving. I took the book to the beach yesterday though and have almost finished it today (like I said, I probably have other things to be focusing on right now, but I'm kind of a compulsive reader...once it gets good, I have a hard time stopping until the end.)

It turns out that "Born to Run" is not only a passionate story about running and its history, but a very compelling piece of propaganda for Sarah's point of view and this whole barefoot running thing. (I think she was well aware of that when she loaned it to me.) It's got me really, really wanting to ditch my shoes and just sprint off into the distance, despite my unfortunate falling out with near-barefoot running before.

The whole logic behind the barefoot running movement is that barefoot is natural, running is natural and running shoes are not. The rate of running injuries has increased dramatically since the advent of specialized running shoes and many competitive runners all over the world and throughout history train barefoot. There are some interesting ideas and research in the book and it's prompted me to explore around the internet on the topic too.

Anyway, have y'all read "Born to Run" or had any experience in the whole barefoot running department? I highly recommend the book even if you think trading in your padded shoes is crazy. I'm kind of on the fence about which side of the debate sounds crazier now, so, Sarah, consider this a win in your book. : )

Blah................

2010-04-29T20:16:00.003-04:00

In the next two weeks, I need to get my kids ready for the End of Grade tests, finish my grad school final projects, direct my first 5K race (almost 100 runners and walkers signed up!), and attend 2 out of town graduations. There's a lot to be done. I'm getting there but I feel like I'm dragging my feet all the way.

Running/exercising/healthy eating has not been a consistent part of my life lately. I've got the big time blahs about it. I think my husband is draining all the "health energy" out of our house. (Did I mention that he went running twice in one day last week?) I was so thrilled to get my Garmin and he's ended up using many more times than I have so far.

I think part of it is post-birthday let down. When I look towards every birthday, first day of school, race, wedding (okay, there was only one of those), summer, or any other semi-significant event, I always picture myself at that magical, ideal weight/speed/health level. And every time that event passes and I'm just the same, I'm just a little disappointed. (Once, when I was in high school, my aunt told me,"If a woman can't lose weight for her wedding, she can't lose weight for anything." That off-hand comment stuck with me...especially when I could not lose weight for my wedding.) By now, I should understand cause/effect and just accept the consequences of my actions. (Don't I ask my my students to do that all the time?) The only times I've been successful in losing a decent amount of weight have been when I was marathon training. Which is kind of frightening because it tells me I'm ALWAYS eating enough calories to support 26 mile runs, even when my only current exercise is grading papers.

I need a new race (preferably a marathon if I want to lose weight) or crazy goal. I don't seem to function well without one.

Belated Blog Birthday

2010-04-26T22:36:00.002-04:00

(I just couldn't resist the alliteration!)

So I completely didn't get around to celebrating my blog's 1 year birthday yesterday because I was too busy celebrating my 25th!

Although the original intent of this blog was to keep me accountable for all 365 days of running (and that has obviously been a FAIL on my part), I have definitely reaped benefits! I have so very much enjoyed discovering all of you lovely people and your blogs. Y'all have definitely kept me accountable for many a run and I've learned so much from you in the fields of running, food, and just life in general!

So thank you for a lovely blog birthday! I'm looking forward to (and will soon let you in on) my goals for this year of my life and blog!

Reorganizing

2010-04-24T09:57:00.002-04:00

If you've popped by my blog anytime this week, I apologize if you've encountered a mess. I just discovered "blogger in draft" and feel foolish for going so long without it!

I'm still moving things around and figuring this out, so let me know if you see anything you love or hate. I'm working on my masters in Instructional Technology and have pretty much become a huge tech nerd so I love this kind of thing. Between school, life, and grad school, I'm created a ridiculous amount of websites, blogs, online courses and projects over the past year. I live on my laptop. I'm pretty sure my husband's going to throw it out the window one day.

Tomorrow's my blog's birthday so I better get it together!

I tried to tell y'all....

2010-04-20T21:25:00.004-04:00

I can't believe some of y'all were happy to go to the 25-30 age group! There must be a different breed of runners in your areas because I need you to check out the age group results from the 10K I ran on Saturday....

Yay! I came in second! If I had known 1st was less than a minute ahead of me, I could have pulled out a little more push that last mile.

Umm...yeah. I can't compete with people who run almost 7:00 minute miles. Especially when they are able to run 6 consecutive 7:07 miles.

Maybe I'll have some kind of speed epiphany when I turn 25. I doubt it. I'm not really into aiming for specific times right now, but I could see myself really getting into that and training for speed at some point. Especially if I had a competitive running partner.

Any of y'all really get into speedwork and drastically drop your times? What age group are you terrified of or overjoyed about?