Middle of the Week

I had to miss my 4 mile run with my friends this morning because I had to take my daughter to the doctor. I'm a morning runner, so when I have to do it later in the day AND by myself the chances of me getting it done aren't too good.

I returned home around noon and the temperature wasn't scorching hot, so I decided to venture out. My two youngest kids joined me on their bikes for the first two miles and I ran the last two on my own. It rained consistently, which actually made it feel even better. I was having stomach issues on the last mile and was REALLY looking forward to getting home. My running friends and I discussed the other day how their is no potty like your own potty!!!

Things are going well. I am a little achy when I first get moving, but them I am good to go. My left shin hurt a little bit while running today, but I'm not too concerned about it. I only have to do 2 miles tomorrow and my long run for the week will be 9 on Friday.

An Easy Week

My kids have been staying at their grandparents all week, so we have been kid free. I ran 3 miles on Monday, 4 on Thursday and 8 this morning. I should have thrown in a few short runs on my own, but let them slide. I decided not to get hung up on skipping a couple of runs. Instead, I relaxed and finished up some things around the house.

My 8 miler this morning was great! We left around 7 and held an easy steady pace. I was drinking like crazy and even zipped into McDonalds to fill up my water bottle. I was feeling a little sluggish at mile 5, so I took a Roctane and that helped a ton. I love that stuff! It felt good out there- not too hot. One part of our route was a bit boring, but some good conversation helped out with that.

My goal next week is to get in my short solo runs. I have a lot of miles ahead of me and need to get my body into the groove.

First week of Marathon Training

This is the first week of training for Memphis. It was a beautiful morning here in Tennessee and I enjoyed an easy run while listening to Dave Matthews. I felt great and I have decided to get a better handle on all of the craziness in my life.

I want to train for a marathon, be a great mom & wife, manage my home successfully and eat a healthy diet (losing 10 lbs. would help!). At the moment, I feel like I am spiraling out of control and it isn't rewarding. The kids will be starting school soon and the craziness is going to pick up even more, so while they are at their grandparents this week I'm taking charge of my life! Things just have to get done around on a regular basis, which means the kids help out more and I do things on a regular schedule. Not too difficult!

I went to Walmart this morning for groceries and purchased fruits, vegetables, chicken, seafood, etc. Our meals this week will be pretty easy, but once the kids get back I may have to be more creative. My constant baking has to stop for sure! I know that once I get into the groove we will all feel much better!

No Running

I am taking the week off from running- zero running! Memphis marathon training begins next week and according to my friends, who are devising our master training program, we are going to be building a base of 40 - 45 miles a week. I am really excited about that. During my last marathon training I reached 40 miles a week two weeks in a row and I was psyched about it. I am looking forward to hitting 45 in a week!

I am going to order a book called A Food Guide for Marathoners by Nancy Clark. It was recommended to me by another running friend from Illinois. She just completed her second marathon and was very pleased with her results after following this book. The only downfall is she gained weight. It just amazes me that you can still gain weight after training for a marathon! What's up with that?

Once in awhile, I have someone tell me they began running because of the comments I've made on Facebook and I really get excited about it. Running has been a constant in my life for the past 14 years and I love encouraging others. I love running with my friends and am so thankful that I have such a fantastic running group to keep me going. I ran for 14 years before I ever entered a race and now my running is focused on running races- marathons at that. I always thought that was such an impossible accomplishment, but it really isn't. I just wasn't at the point where I could wrap my brain around it.

I hope to blog a bit more during Memphis training. I also want to be more focused on my training- eating, cross training and sleep. They make really cool training books where you can keep track of everything and I plan on using that to its maximum potential. One more week of freedom and I am committed.

Shout out to Richard Chapman for finishing a 5K in St. Louis and Aaron Hoyt for venturing out for 4:30 a.m. runs! Way to go!

Lots of Running

I accomplished my 100 mile month in June! Last Sunday, I realized that in order to get my full mileage in I needed 18 miles until the last day of the month. So, I did 6 three days in a row and finished it up on Tuesday. It felt great to reach my goal!

After my run Sunday evening, my ankle started getting sore and continued to get worse throughout the week. After an 8 mile run on Thursday I decided that the problem probably stemmed from my shoes. I know I had at least 500 miles on my Asics that I bought in January before marathon training started.

Saturday morning we ventured to Team Nashville to purchase new running shoes. It was my first trip to this store and I loved it! Two older men own it and they are full of advice and information to help you out. Terry Coker has been a runner for 35 years and the last 19 of those years he has run EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! How awsome is that? Robert Eslick has been a runner for 32 years and personally coached runners and triathletes for 21 years including 11 Boston Qualifiers.

I bought a pair of Saucony's, socks that they swore I would absolutely love and a cute pink 26.2 hat. Chris purchased a new pair of Saucony's and says that he has never felt such a comfortable running shoe. I am excited to get out there tomorrow morning and try them out for 6 miles.

Originally, I had planned on taking an entire week off, but after talking to the Team Nashville guys I am just going to lower my mileage. The thought of going a week without running stresses me out. I like to eat and running allows me some freedom in that area of my life. Plus, I am so much more balanced mentally when I run.

Marathon training for St. Jude Memphis is around the corner. I am meeting with friends this week to map out a training plan and hopefully by the end of July we are starting up. There are quite a few of us, so I am excited and looking forward to a lot of long runs with all of my running friends. They are fantastic and I am so thankful for such a great group of girls!

30 Miles Done!

Sunday I finished up my last 6 miles that I needed to reach my 30 mile goal. We met friends the night before at a local bar in my hometown and had a great time. I didn't get to bed until 3 a.m. and woke up at 8. Before too much time was wasted I put on my running shoes and headed out the door. It felt great to run through familiar streets.

I didn't run today and I am not looking forward to running tomorrow. I truly wish that I was one of those people that LOVED running. I wish I craved being out there by myself and sweating my butt off! Instead, it is sometimes a chore and something that I just know I need to do so I can check it off the list.

Hoping to reach around 25 for the week, but would probably settle for 20. That would put me at 50 in the middle of the month and then I will be on track for my 100. Gotta get to a 100!

8 Mile Run

I took off for an 8 mile run this morning with two friends. I knew this was going to be tough because it was hot and the hills were going to be intense. We ran the first two miles and stopped for water and a quick potty break in the woods.

The next two miles were torture! One of my friends called it the " two mile hill" and she wasn't joking a bit. It lasted forever! I watched my friend, that I call the Hill Queen, run up it like it was a bunny slope. I don't know where she gets her drive, but I wish I had that desire to run up a hill like she does.

We stopped at mile 4 to fill up waters and we took off to finish the last half. It was full of rolling hills that didn't take your breath away and that made me happy. Rolling hills are my friend! We encountered a very scary dog, but Hill Queen yelled at him and he quickly ran back to his house.

This route was tough, but I know it was good for me! I really do need to run this route more often that's for sure! I am 20 miles down for the week and I have 10 to go. :)

30 and 100

Since I am not currently training for an event I decided to run a 30 mile week and reach 100 miles this month. I need a goal- a reason for putting my running shoes on everyday! In January, February and March I had 100 mile months and it felt great logging all of those miles. I keep track at mapmyrun.com and I love, love, love entering my runs and seeing my progress! It is very satisfying!

Yesterday, I split my 6 mile run up. I ventured out around 8 a.m. and ran 3. Then, I ran my son to an appointment and accomplished the last 3 at a local park with a track around it. My second set was scorching hot! Knowing that I would be out there for less than 30 minutes allowed me to just get it done.

Today I did a full 6 around 9:30 and again it was hot. After the first 2 miles I knew that I would get the entire run accomplished. I was feeling good and had plenty of water to keep myself hydrated. I usually don't gel for a 6 mile run, but I decided that it couldn't hurt. My music was keeping me entertained and thankfully I was in the groove. I just love when that happens!

At this point I have 12 miles down and 18 to go!

Muddy Buddy 2009

Chris and I signed up for the Muddy Buddy a few months ago after he heard about it from a friend while he was in Iraq. It is a 6 mile adventure type race. You and your buddy switch throughout the race between biking and running. The bikers stay to the left and runners stay to the right on the trail. After each mile, there is an obstacle to conquer and at the end of the race you crawl through a mud pit.

Chris began on the bike and I started with the run. Immediately, after the start I was not thrilled because the path was extremely rocky. I am not talking pebbles either. I have always been a pavement girl and I was freaking out that I was going to twist my ankle and go down any second. I really would have been ticked off if that had happened because remaining injury free is high priority! It was annoying to have to watch every step I took, but that is what I did.

The first obstacle consisted of walking across a balance beam- easy enough! I found the bike where Chris left it and took off. I am not a regular biker and riding on the rocks made it even more of a challenge. I told myself to just go for it and if I crashed then I would just pick myself back up- no sweat! I was cautious during certain parts of the route and just tried to go as fast as I could without crashing into a runner or another biker.

At obstacle two, I saw Chris because he was waiting for the bike. I got to him as quickly as I could and he took off. You had to climb a rock wall and go down a net on the other side at this obstacle. A bit more challenging, but very doable! I was happy to see that the obstacles weren't too difficult because that was one of my concerns. I completed the obstacle and took off running again. Let me tell ya- I was SO happy that Chris was on the bike because the trail during this leg of the race was freakin unbelievable! We went down a very steep hill and then when we thought we were almost at the bottom the volunteers were hollering that it was even more steep and to be cautious. I have no idea how he did it, but Chris was able to cycle down that entire hill- I would have killed myself or injured someone else. I ran with caution and for some reason I didn't even consider the fact that if we were going DOWN we were eventually going to have to go UP! Yes up! The hill that we had to climb had to go on for more than a half mile. I have trained on hills, but this was unbelievable. I have never in my life heard myself breathe the way I was breathing today. It was almost like I was wheezing and it even alarmed someone else because they asked if I was okay. I decided to walk a bit and recover. Chris on the other hand biked up this entire mega hill and had people cheering him on while he did it.

At the next obstacle, we had to crawl under a huge net that hovered over the ground- no problem there. I accomplished that and was ready to get my last leg of biking out of the way. I felt a little more comfortable this time around, so getting to the next obstacle seemed to happen a bit faster. I was so proud of myself because at obstacle four I caught up with Chris! I was excited to see that I wasn't sucking wind as badly as I thought! I hopped off the bike, he got on and I tackled obstacle four- a huge inflatable slide that you climbed up using ropes. I zipped down the slide and took off running.

During the last leg, I began talking to Missy from somewhere in the state of Kentucky. It was great to chat and pass the time. We booked it up one last hill and saw the crowd of people at the end. Hallelujah! Chris was waiting for me and we ventured through the ropes and into the mud pit. The mud pit had flags going across that you had to climb under, so you crawled through on your belly. We laughed the entire way! Chris thought I needed more mud on my back, so he kindly splashed some at me. When he splashed I turned my head to look at him and it ended up right in my mouth. Ugh! We climbed out of the pit and went to do a photo shoot with the kids.

My two youngest did the Mini Muddy Buddy, so they had a short obstacle course and the opportunity to enjoy the mud pit. They had a blast! My 5 year old son smiled through the entire event. It was great to know that this was something different they were able to participate in and would probably remember forever. We made some memories!

We hosed off as best we could and threw all of our nasty shoes, socks and clothes in the back of the Suburban before heading home. We were a funny sight, but we didn't care a bit.

Overall, I had a great time. It was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. I hated the terrain and the hills were crazy. Plus, running with a bike helmet is really a pain in the butt! It was something out of my box and definitely a memorable event. Chris loved it and didn't have any complaints.

My goal for the week is to do 30 miles of running and I plan to blog about it each day. I am using this blog to be accountable because I want those miles! I am still on the fence about counting the three miles that I ran today in my weekly total. Chris says no and I am leaning towards yes. :)

Speed Work

Once a week I join friends and we do some speed work. As I drive to the track I tend to feel dread, but once I get going and the music is blaring in my ears it becomes kind of fun- notice I said kind of. We usually do a mile warm up, half mile sprints with quarter mile recoveries in between and then a mile cool down. Those half mile sprints are tough, but very rewarding too.

Today we brought our kids to play while we ran in circles around them. It worked out great and they had fun. On my second sprint, my youngest son hopped on the track right in front of me and took off like a jet plane. Seriously, it blew my mind! I could hardly catch him and I know we were running around 7:30 minute pace! He did the fastest quarter mile and I had no idea he had that kind of speed. I was very proud of him!

This weekend Chris and I will participate in the Muddy Buddy here in Nashville. I am really excited about the race and look forward to having a good time. It is a bike/run where you alternate between the two and do an obstacle in between. While one teammate bikes the other one runs and you switch after each obstacle. At the end , you crawl through a mudpit to get to the finish line. Cool huh? He keeps pushing my buttons and telling me that we have to win, but believe me I am totally there for fun. I am sure I will be driven to pass some people, but winning isn't my top priority. No pressure in this one!

Slug

I haven't ran in 5 days and I feel like a slug! Ugh! I really hate that feeling. Long holiday weekends and staying with family equals no running and a lot of eating. I could have ran with friends this morning, but decided to sleep in instead. Lazy? yes, but it sure did feel good.

The kids are on summer break and things should slow down. I plan on hitting the gym a lot to get my weight training in and running as much as I can. The heat is going to be a pain in the butt and I may just realize that running in the winter is the way to go. I would like to run around 30 miles a week- I think that is a very attainable goal! Early morning runs might be the only way I can get out there without being miserable!

Gym

I haven't done much running since the marathon. I have been focused on weight lifting and short fast distances on the treadmill. I went to the gym last Friday morning with Chris and I am still walking around in pain. Last night, I went to bodybuilding.com and found a 5 day a week workout routine that I think I am really going to benefit from. Today I lifted on my own and felt comfortable in the gym next to all of the guys. This is another step out of my box experience for me.

Chris is bike shopping and encouraging me to get one of my own. He is lined up to do a few triathlons this summer and fall. A few of my friends are interested in doing a short distance triathlon in the next few months. This means I need a bike- an expensive bike at that! Again, stepping out of my box.

It feels so strange not to be training for anything at the moment. I feel a little lost, but I really am trying to take advantage of the gym before fall rolls around and I begin training for the Memphis Marathon. My hotel reservations are booked for that race and I am really excited to start training with all of my fantastic running friends. We really are going to have a blast on our runs. I think the miles are going to be full of laughter and fun.

Weights

Beginning Monday morning I am going to join 3 friends and we will begin Body For Life. It is a 12 week program combining healthy eating, weight lifting and cardio. I am so excited! I hope to get a lot out of this program- muscle tone & definition, losing a few pounds and I am really hoping that the weight room at the gym becomes a more comfortable place. I have always been intimidated when I go in there, so I am happy to be venturing down this path with some friends. There is safety in numbers right? :)

I am still going to be doing quite a bit of running even though only 20 minutes of cardio is recommended. I can't just do 20 minutes of cardio- it just isn't in me. I would miss running terribly! I never thought I would say those words! A few of us are hoping to get together a few times a week for a regular run throughout the summer.

It wasn't until recently that my 14 year old could beat me at arm wrestling, so maybe if I get in that gym consistently I will be able to give him a run for his money. That would make me happy because I thoroughly enjoy beating him. You should have heard his shouts of joy when he won for the very first time. He was thrilled!

It's Over

I went to bed Friday night hoping for a good nights rest, but that didn't happen. I dreamt nonstop about oversleeping and missing the marathon. All kinds of crazy things were running through my head. I was thankful when it was time to get up and get the show on the road. Enough already!

I crawled out of bed at 3:30 and ate my peanut butter & jelly sandwich while showering. I was trying to accomplish a few tasks at once. Chris' parents were here, so they took some pictures and video of us before we walked out the door that morning. I checked my list probably 4 times and made sure we had everything we needed. We hopped in the car and headed to a friend's house where her husband drove us to the starting area. Thank you Donna & Chris!

As we walked to the starting line you could feel the energy in the air. The temperatures were already quite warm and the sun was shining bright. We could see the Kenyans warming up and preparing for their speedy run. The portable potties were jammed packed, so before we joined corral 8 we waited in long line. People were crowding in and we made our way to the start.

I stood next to Chris as each corral began to start their run and was so happy to be sharing this experience with him. I was excited and nervous at the same time. Our corral finally moved up to the front and we heard, "Ready Set Go!" We were off! People were cheering for us on the sides of the street and it was fantastic.

Now, Chris is faster than I am and I was bound and determined not to start out too fast. Every time I looked up he was ahead of me and I was starting to get frustrated. He told me the night before that he would stay with me at my pace, but it wasn't happening. We would pass a band playing music and he would speed up even more! I finally told him that I just wasn't going to ruin my race and he needed to take it easy. We were back on track!

We saw Chris' parents and the kids cheering for us at mile 2. After giving everyone high 5's we continued on our way. We ran through beautiful parts of Nashville-zipping through all of the areas where old houses had been turned into music recording studios. We ran through water stops grabbing cups as quickly as we could while listening to the cheers on the streets. At this point, we were having fun. I snapped a picture of Chris with a few nuns, we saw a full marathon guy juggling tennis balls as he ran and we read all kinds of creative signs and t-shirts along our way.

At mile 11, we saw our family again and grabbed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from them.

Seeing them really lifted our spirits throughout the day and it was great having them involved in our run. The temperature was starting to heat up and the half marathon runners split off from the full marathon runners around this point. After the split, the route thinned out significantly because around 25,000 of the runners were running the half and 5,000 ran the full. I was feeling overwhelmed, hot and a bit discouraged. The fun was over! I forced part of my sandwich down and continued to drink. Every so often I would get goose bumps all over my body and I would take that as a sign to drink or I would think, "I am so hot!" and I would drink some more. Drink Drink Drink! They don't want you too drink too much and I didn't want to get dehydrated and not drink enough, so I was trying to find the balance that worked best for my body.

The heat was intense! We were pouring cups of water on our heads trying to stay cool and at mile 14 I walked for the first time. Chris was very understanding and we did the best we could. We would run awhile and walk a bit. There were people walking the majority of the time because it was such a hot day. When I run in 20 degree temps I always start out cold, but by mile 2 it feels like it is 60 degrees outside. So, in 90 degree temps your body heats up and it is almost unbearable! At this point, I told Chris that the Kenyans were already done with their marathon and probably lying in a hotel pool. I know I would have been!

I was looking forward to seeing the kids again at 19.5 and it took forever to get there! Forever! I had strict instructions from Chris not to complain in front of the kids. I put on my smiling I am so happy to be here running in the hot sun and 90 degree temperature face and we stopped for about 2 minutes to snap a few pictures and get smooches. We continued our journey at a slow pace feeling relieved when we only had single digits left. I ran into my friend Donna and was so happy to see her smiling because I had been thinking about her the entire time. She had found a friend to run with and she seemed to be in good spirits. At mile 23, I decided that I wanted to have a 4 hour and something marathon time and I was going to have to run the rest of the way to get it. I was constantly dumping water on my head trying to stay cool. It felt so refreshing! From mile 23 on we ran the entire way trying to encourage everyone we passed and feeling encouraged from everyone along the route. It really was a great experience to be out there even in those conditions!

Seeing the number 26 sign was absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Chris and I had a little bit to give and we sprinted to the finish line! We crossed it holding hands up in the air and surprisingly I didn't cry. We ran it in 4:51:33- not the time I had hoped for, but we did it! I just wonder what our time would have been if the day hadn't been so incredibly hot. After we finished Chris & I had decided that our marathon days were over and we had no desire to do it again. Later that night, we went to the Dave Matthews Concert and he whispered in my ear, " I think I may want to do another one." The funny thing is I was sitting there thinking that the same thing!

Superheroes

On Friday morning, I met up with 3 of my running friends to do 8 miles. It was a beautiful sunny day and it felt great to be out there running my last long run before the marathon. It was a blast! We talked, laughed, complained and laughed some more. We crossed paths with a woman out for a morning walk and she looked at us and said, "You girls look like superheroes!" I thought how cool is that? We have been running hard for 16 weeks, our legs are strong and our spirits are high. We are getting ready to run a marathon! Then, I realized that sometimes after a run I really do feel like a superhero or that I can conquer the world. It feels so great to know that you just ran 15 or 20 miles. I am so excited to cross that finish line on Saturday!

This week I am tapering, so I only have to do a total of 7 miles. That just seems like a piece of cake at this point. I may throw in a few yoga sessions early in the week, but Thursday and Friday I am going to completely rest my legs. I am going to carb load both of those rest days and drink tons of water. I know that I will be nervous, but I have really trained well for this marathon and I am excited to go out there and get it done. Plus, I cannot wait to put that 26.2 sticker on my Suburban! :)

Lack of Running

I only ran 8 miles last week- not good! I just didn't feel like running, so I didn't. I ate so much chocolate over the weekend that I think I will just skip stepping on the scale tomorrow morning. I have to get all of my miles in this week- no matter what. I am hoping to meet with a few friends this week to accomplish that.

Two more weeks until marathon day. I have an official number and it is going to be here before I know it. I told Chris that I want to maintain a 9:30 pace and just enjoy the whole run. They have bands playing at every mile, so I am hoping the whole experience is just so darn fun that I kind of "forget" that I am running 26.2 miles.

We are going to the Dave Matthews concert that evening after the race. I am going to wear that marathon t-shirt with a smile on my face. I am a little concerned about my leg status though. After the last 2o, sitting and standing were difficult, so we shall see how I feel about an additional 6 miles and being crammed in stadium seats. A few beers may be necessary!

Sunny Day

I think I am still recovering from that long run last Saturday. I took a 3 hour nap this morning after getting my kids to school and after I woke up I felt like I could climb a mountain! It was absolutely gorgeous outside, so I went for an easy 4 mile run. The sun was shining and beautiful flowers were everywhere, so it was very enjoyable. On days like today running is something I love!

Yoga

I went to my very first yoga class today. I am so sore from my 20 miles that I probably won't run for a few more days. I went with an open mind and had no idea what to expect. Since I was clueless, I just copied everyone else. I grabbed mats, a blanket and took off my socks and shoes. Let the relaxation process begin- HA!

The whole experience was kind of comical. I guess I could relate it to being a little girl and eating dinner at my Grandma & Grandpa Brink's house. They were very proper and sometimes during dinner my sister and I would get the giggles. For some reason, knowing that you aren't suppose to be laughing makes it SO much harder to hold back the laughter. That is what I discovered today! I was trying to hold these poses and look just like the beautiful slender woman in the front row, but I would find myself giggling. I truly had to talk to myself (in my head of course) about how giggling right now would really not go over very well!

I did my best to do the poses and some were more difficult than others. I think it definitely helped me get a good stretch, which I know I needed. I wasn't able to mentally relax, but maybe that comes with time and A LOT of classes! At the end we covered up with a blanket for about 6 minutes with a woodsy smelling towel over our eyes. Who knew you got to snuggle in yoga! I am going to leave you with some of the funny things that popped into my head while I was in that one hour yoga class.

Shelly's Yoga Thoughts- Enjoy!

"How does anyone relax while doing this?"

"Oh shit, I think I am about to fall over."

"If Donna looks at me one more time I am going to bust out laughing."

"I really would be horrified if I got kicked out of here for laughing."

"Donna must not be enjoying this because I see her watching that clock constantly!"

"Gross! My yoga mat smells like feet."

"I hope my disastrous yoga poses aren't ruining Amy's happy yoga moments"

"I cannot be doing this right!"

"I am probably only burning 10 calories this entire hour!!!"

"How did Chris break a sweat while doing yoga?"

"No one in this class is sweating"

"Are you kidding me? You want me to cover up with this blanket?"

"I wonder how many other people have covered their bodies with this same blanket? UGH!"

"What the heck are we suppose to do with this white towel that smells like pine trees?"

"When am I going to get to Walmart to get Kort's soccer ball returned"

"Wow- the yoga instructor has tattoos on her feet"

"I wonder if I will do this again"

"Breathe, focus, reach, relax...."

"I am glad this is over... I don't know if this is my thing!"

Recent Events

We set out early Saturday morning and met the running club for a long run near a nearby winery. It was a beautiful morning and the temperature was perfect. The majority of people were doing 13.1, but a handful of us were running 20. Chris and I started out at about a 9:15 pace and that was fast for me since we were doing such a long run, but I was giving it my all. Around mile 7, he started feeling really good and before I knew it we were at an 8:40 pace- Yikes! I ran that pace for 2 more miles and decided to slow down. I love that I can run with him and not feel like I am holding him back, but I knew that if I was going to run 13 more miles I was going to have to ease up! I put my music on and went into a zone.

At mile 13, we were back at the winery and I needed a bathroom break. The ladies working at the winery were kind enough to let me use their restroom- it was absolutely necessary and I won't go into more details! I headed back out and believe me my legs did not want to move. Oh my gosh, I just wanted to collapse! Getting started again was very difficult, but I had 7 miles left and my kids had to get to soccer games at noon. I attempted to eat a few peanut butter crackers, but they were disgusting and I spit them out. I took another Roctane and prayed it would kick in and give me the energy I needed to finish.

I told Chris I needed some conversation because the time wasn't passing quickly enough for me. We had the discussion earlier about topics of conversation when I run with friends versus running with him. When I run with friends we talk about food, kids, periods, food, aches & pains, food and running- did I mention food? He told me he would rather talk about sex, drugs and rock & roll. Anyway, he was feeling bad for me, so he was more willing to transition to my favorite topics while we finished the last 7 miles. I love that man!

We ran out 20 in 3:10 although I did stop my watch during bathroom breaks. Of course, that isn't going to be an option during the marathon. We walked around like 80 year olds the rest of the day and fried in the sun at the soccer field. Chris was kind enough to text me from across the soccer field and let me know that I was walking like Frankenstein. I didn't care because I was just happy to be able to walk.

Running and Running and Running

I feel like all I do is run! Seriously, a friend of mine told me I run for a living and I believe that is true. If only I could get paid for all of these miles I am putting in. In the month of March, I logged 114 miles and actually had two 40 mile weeks back to back! That excited me! I have always wanted to get a 40 mile week and to have two of them was a great accomplishment. I really wish I knew my lifetime mileage- 14 years worth of running.

Last night, we went to the trail to run. We loaded up bikes, helmets and water bottles and set off to do 6 miles. The kids did a great job biking while Chris & I ran along side of them. He decided to take off at 4 1/2 miles and I just continued at my pace with my loyal bikers. I finished 6 miles in 52 minutes, so I was quite proud of that. It is always great to see improvement and my pace has definitely improved.

I am doing my last 20 miler on Saturday with the Clarksville Running Club. It ought to be a fun run since there will be quite a few runners out there. I thought I was only going to get three 20 milers in, but I am going to do one more. I was told by an Ultra Runner that you will have a much better marathon experience if you get at least 3 or 4 in during training, so that has been my goal. I want to cross that finish line wanting to do another marathon.

I am really curious to see how I feel after the marathon. I don't know if I am going to feel like a load of bricks have been lifted off my shoulders or miss all of the running. I would like to find a half marathon sometime in May or June to run. I want an official less than 2 hour half marathon time. Chris and I have signed up for the Muddy Buddy in early May and I am really excited about that. I suppose you can compare it to an adventure race and that is something I have never experienced before.

I am taking today off to rest my legs, play UNO, build forts and hopefully get my house clean! Have a great day!

20

I was scheduled to do a 16 mile long run this week. Well, my 16 grew to 18 and then 18 grew into 20. I ran with a two new friends and we met at a nearby trail at 9 a.m. I was ready! I had propel, vaseline, a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, Roctane, water, cell phone, ipod, pepper spray and my 400,000 volt taser. It was a gift from Chris' mom for Christmas. :) You gotta love that!

The first 10 were fantastic except for the incident where I pepper sprayed myself. Yes, I did it to myself for the second time. How ridiculous is that? We had seen a creepy guy walking with a stick, so I switched it over to spray mode and forgot to switch it back. Well, my finger pressed the button down and it sprayed all over two of my fingers. For some STRANGE reason, I decided to hold the pepper spray strap in my mouth while I drenched my hand with water. There was pepper spray on the strap and I just about freaked out when my tongue began to feel like it was on fire. So, I started drinking & spitting and pouring water all over my hand. I was able to keep it under control thanks to the water that I had on me.

We went back to our cars to eat and refill water bottles before heading out again. One of the girls running only needed 10 , so she headed home and it was just the two of us. We accomplished another 4 miles making it a total of 14. At the 14th mile, we realized that we were almost out of water and had to run another 4 to get back to our cars to get some. So, we decided that it would be a great idea to ask this young guy running if he had any water to spare. He told us that he had some in the cab of his truck. I was excited and decided to drink what I had left since I was getting another bottle of water- WRONG! This guy had a cup of water in his truck that he had been drinking and took a swig before handing it to us. I was horrified! I took the cup while looking at my friend with the "I cannot believe this face." She did a quick "fake" pour into her cup and I was trying so hard to resist laughing. I poured his water into my cup, we said thanks and took off! After he was out of the parking lot I dumped it and ran the 4 without H2O. I didn't need water that bad!

After getting my 18 done I decided that it was too close to 20 not to do it. My friend left and I finished up. Now, instead of doing my 20 mile run next weekend I am going to swap it out for the 16 that I was suppose to run today. Overall, I feel great! It is hard to get up and I am stiff, but hell I just ran 20 miles! Woo Hoo!

Winter

Let me just start by saying I hate winter! I find it very difficult to get myself out the door in freezing temperatures. This morning the temperature is 20 degrees and I need to run 6 miles. UGH! I went to Dick's Sporting Goods in the fall and purchased $200.00 worth of Under Armour running clothes. I have no excuses, but I am still sitting here in my kitchen dreading it. I have to get my training miles in, so I am going to quit moaning & groaning and get changed!

5K

My family participated in a 5K yesterday and it was a blast! Out of 3 kids only 1 was excited, so I wasn't too sure what the outcome would be. It was a free run at a local pub and we were just there to have a great time.

We took off from the pub in downtown Clarksville with the sun shining. Even though it was extremely cold it was a beautiful day and we had dressed appropriately. Chris encouraged me to take off with my daughter and he decided to stick with the boys. She was excited to be there and wanted to run!

We ran to the water stop, had our numbers marked and turned around to head back. On our way back to the pub I saw my 14 year old son running solo. Let me tell you- this was one of my proudest moments! He doesn't like to run, didn't want to be there and decided to run the race on his own!!! My daughter and I finished in about 31 minutes and then turned around to find my son. He wasn't too far behind us and we ran the rest of his race with him to the finish. I was so excited to share that experience with him because I knew he was proud of himself!

I left my two oldest at the pub and then headed back on the route to find my husband and 5 year old. They were doing great! Chris had one of his hands and I had the other and we ran together to the finish! We had all done it and I was thrilled. We were rewarded with free drinks and the satisfaction that we had done something special! It was tons of fun!

Go The Distance

Yesterday, I ran further than I ever have before. It was Chris' birthday and he set out to run 37 miles for his 37th birthday- sounds a little crazy doesn't it? My long run for the week was scheduled to be 15 miles, so I decided I would meet up with him and get it out of the way. Well, I met him at mile 16 and finished it up with him, which means I did 21 miles!

It was hard!!!! Wow- I mean hard!!! My breathing was great and I had pretty good energy, but my legs were wiped. Here is the crappy thing- I was running with a man doing 37 miles, so how could I possibly complain??? I couldn't. I did my best to ignore the chaffing between my legs and the blisters ALL over my feet. Fortunately, we ran by our house, which we called our "first aid station." I was able to vaseline my legs like crazy, change my socks and cover my feet in band-aids before completing the last 11 miles.

The marathon is going to be a challenge. I know that I will get it done, but not without a little pain and suffering. At the running club meeting I attended Tuesday evening a gentleman said something that clicked in my brain. He said, "Your body will adapt to whatever you train it to do" That makes so much sense. If you sit on the couch and do nothing than your body adapts to nothing. If you put on some running shoes and head out the door it will get easier and easier. Eventually, it will get easy and you can go a little bit further. You don't even have to go a great distance- you just have to go!

I will add that setting the goal to run an official race truly changed my running. Training for the half marathon really gave me some excitement! It took me to a new level and I love it!

13.1

When I ran the half marathon in October my time was 2:08:28. My goal had been 2:15, so I was happy with my time. I ran with my friend up until mile 9 and then took off on my own after a lot of encouragement from her. After running that half, my friend consistently told me that she believed I could have ran it in less than 2 hours. I knew I could shave some of my time off, but I wasn't sure how much.

Yesterday, Chris and I ran the half marathon route and it was a great run! The sole purpose of that run was to be under 2 hours. I needed to prove something to myself! Almost every mile I ran was around 8:40 and I became more confident as each mile passed that I was going to reach my goal. At mile 10, I knew I was good to go! My legs were tired and I really didn't have much to give at the end, but I did my best to finish hard. My final time was 1:54:43!!!!! Woohoo! I was so proud of myself and it just showed me that if I continue to dig deep I have much more to give.

I am not going to put too much pressure on myself to have a finishing marathon time. I will run at a pace that I can handle for 26.2 miles.

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Chris

My husband expects a lot out of me when it comes to running.   For example, he joined my little running group today and by mile 5 everyone else had decided enough was enough.  We had initially decided that 6 miles was our goal, so I wanted to get my 6.  I like knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do.  It is always a good feeling.

The neighborhood that we ran in today has two MAJOR hills and we had already done them twice by mile 5.  After my friends left, I asked Chris which hill we were tackling because I know him well enough that he isn't going to let me keep running another mile without doing another hill.  He then informed me that if I really knew him well I would know that we were going to do the section twice!  UGH!!!  These hills are killers!  After you go down one you have to go up the other no matter which direction you are going.  So, we ran down one, up the other, recovered briefly and went the opposite direction.  Did it hurt? Yes.   Did it feel great knowing that I did it without whining like a big baby? Yes.  Am I stronger because of it? Yes!!!

I live in my own little box and Chris is trying to demolish and smash it to pieces.   For many years, I only ran a maximum of 3 miles- that was huge for me.  Now, I am training for a marathon, but I have created a new box.  I like to keep my comfy pace, which is about a high 9/low 10 minute mile.  He believes that I can reach a low 8 minute mile pace.  Right now, I can't imagine running that fast for a long period of time, but then I never thought I would be a runner either.

Chris encouraged me to run and never stop no matter how much it hurt.  Those were his exact words!  I still hear his voice in my head when it just isn't feeling too good and I consider walking.  I love him so much for always encouraging me and expecting more out of me that I expect out of myself!  I will admit that sometimes I just want to be left alone in my little box of comfort, but he just won't let that happen.  So, maybe one day in the near future I will be out there running 8 minute miles consistently and I will have one more thing to thank him for!  

Great Run

I had a fantastic 10 mile run today. The temperature was in the 50's and it felt great to wear a t-shirt and shorts while running. I ran with two friends and we were able to head out 5 miles, hit a bathroom, gather more water and head back to our original starting point. I felt a blister on my foot at mile 7 and luckily one of my friends had a blister bandaid I could stick on. I guess my feet are adjusting to the new shoes because I usually don't have blister issues. After putting that on I didn't have any trouble at all.

My knees are hurting a little bit, but overall I feel good. I need to start taking my Chondroitin to help out with my joints since I am going to be logging so many miles. I tell you that stuff is good! After about 3 weeks you will be able to tell the difference.

Next week, we have to run a 12 miler, which shouldn't be bad at all. I am just a little worried about 16 and above. I have never done that kind of mileage. It will be an adventure!

In The Groove

I met my friend on Saturday and we did an 8 mile run in 20 degree temperatures. We warmed up after mile 2-thankfully! It felt fantastic and great to catch up on life. I think that is what I enjoy most when running with a friend- the conversation. You chat and the miles just pass you by. I am scheduled to log 23 miles this week, which shouldn't be a problem at all. We will run our 10 mile long run on Friday and hopefully the weather will be warmer. I often wonder how I am going to feel when I have a 20 mile long run to accomplish. We may meet with the local running club at that point just to be with a group and make it a bit more exciting.

What I Hope For

I am not getting in the daily runs that I had hoped to get in because everyday life is getting in the way.   Chris is having surgery on his shoulder tomorrow, so we spent the majority of the day at the hospital and shuffling kids around after school.  I could have gone in the evening, but leaving my family to go to the Y just didn't seem like much fun.  I am not very motivated at the end of the day.   

Since I didn't get a run in today I thought I would let you in on what I hope to experience for my first marathon.  My running partner is a book fanatic and she stumbled upon the book Marathon Method by Tom Holland.  It is a 16 week training program and he promises that if you follow his training plan and advice he will get you to the starting line injury free and strong.  I highly recommend this book!  I just ordered my own copy from Amazon and I cannot wait to get it.

In this book, he suggests that if you are running your first marathon you should not get wrapped up in finish times and enjoy the experience.  In reality, we would like to finish in under 4 hours, but I am trying to put that in the back of my mind and not obsess about it.  I really want to run the entire marathon right next to my friend.  My husband will also be running it with us and I hope he is patient enough to stick with us because I would absolutely love to cross the finish line with him too.  I want to see the city, watch the people and take it all in.    

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The Beginning

I have been reading running blogs for awhile and they have always inspired me. I have been a low mileage girl and never have enjoyed getting out of my box, but reading other runner's experiences and stories lights a fire inside me.

Over the summer, I was invited to run a 13 miler with an old friend and her running partner. I REALLY wanted to do this run, but doubt crept in. My highest mileage so far was 10 miles and what if I couldn't pull off 13? What if I had to pee more than them and that required them to stop more than usual? What if I couldn't get my laces just right and it drove them crazy that I had to tie them a zillion times before I started my run? What if our conversation just didn't flow and I didn't fit in? All of these things swirled around in my head and I probably thought of a few more ridiculous things that I just can't recall at the moment.

My husband Chris, who was in Iraq at the time, was excited that I had this opportunity and encouraged me to go for it. Well, I chickened out! I was so angry at myself for not meeting up with them that morning and decided to make some changes. I was sick of being a 3 mile runner and not setting goals for myself. I felt like I was running in place and not getting anywhere!

I heard about a local half marathon and decided to ask a new friend to run it with me. She was a little hesitant at first, but we decided to start meeting up and putting in some miles. It was fantastic! We really clicked and felt like we were at the same level. We trained hard and had a great half marathon. I ran it in 2 hours 8 minutes and 28 seconds, which was better than I had expected. That run was absolutely wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Over the last four months, I have come a long way! I plan on running the Nashville Music City Marathon on April 25th. Chris has encouraged me to begin lifting weights and swimming laps. We have discussed doing a triathalon in the near future. In the past, when I thought about doing a marathon it always seemed like an impossible thought. Now, I believe that it is something I CAN do and WILL do and that excites me more than anything!