What training has taught me lately...

  So this post won't contain my usual photos and links as I'm using my work iPad and want to get this out of my head before I forget. :)
  As the few of you that read this know. I'm currently training for the Disney Wine and Dine half marathon in November. When I first signed up for the race I had big plans for my training. I was so sure of myself because seriously, I've run two before so I figured I could do it with no problem.
  Then I ran the RASA 5k and wanted to give up after the first hill.   As I ran I stated to curse myself for signing up for that race and also a half marathon. Who was I kidding? I could barely run a mile. I hated running at that moment and hated my body more.
  What I wasn't thinking about was the fact that I had to give myself time.  Like ,let of my friends who have recently transitioned to new jobs in new cities, I put running on the back burner when I moved here.  I gained weight and didn't hit the gym as hard as I had in Tulsa.  The. November hit and I pushed myself harder than ever in the gym one night... So hard that I screwed up a vertebrae in my back and ended up in severe pain.  What I thought was "just a pulled muscle" ended up being more serious - to the point that I could not walk more than a half mile without wanting to die from pain.  I didn't sleep for more than 3 hours most nights because the pain was so bad.  I realized I had hit rock bottom when it took me almost 15 minutes to walk the 10 isles to the Target pharmacy to get my first prescriptions to treat the pain.
  Thankfully I quickly discovered a wonderful chiropractor who fixed my pain after 3 sessions when the doctor I was seeing kept insisting I would never run again and wanted me to pay out of pocket for $2,000 worth of shots.  With the help of my chiropractor I was able to run the 5k in April and haven't stopped.
  Although I haven't been training as well as I had hoped to at this point, I'm getting there faster than I'd hoped.  This past sat I ran 4 miles on the track - a nonstop 5k at 30:30 followed by a 2 lap walk and finishing the last 6 laps without issue.  The week before I ran a 5k on the track with some struggle after 2 miles.
  What made me think of this post is due to a speaker we had during our training for our job.  She spoke about diversity and being abled bodied vs having a disability.  I realized that I have now been on both sides of the spectrum and it has given me a new perspective.  When Eryn and I ran together in Tulsa she would always tell me she ran for those who could not.  For the first time ever, her words rang true for me.  There may be a day - maybe sooner than I'd like to believe, when I can't run anymore. It's already happened once already and I want to enjoy my body and what it can do until then.  Although I promised my mother that this would be my last half marathon, I do plan to continue to run and make the most of the time I have in good health as I can.
  No, I am not dying or sick - but as I speak to my best friend who is in worse condition than I was just a short while ago, it makes me realize how lucky I am that I found a good doctor who was able to listen and fix the problem while others just gave me drugs and didn't listen to my concerns, fears and issues.  I am very blessed and I now know it.
  Through this experience I'm also working on making my body stronger. I'm now taking spin classes twice a week and going back to Zumba on top of training. I've also joined weight watchers and am using that to help get my diet back on track so I'm not eating junk all the time.
  I'm going to hopefully make the time to continue to post about my training and my race - especially since I've never been to Disney and have never run a half marathon without Eryn so I'm terrified - and I hope you'll confuse to follow along and support as you have in the past.

  Things have been busy in life lately, which is why I haven't been able to update as much as I'd like.
  Running, I'm happy to say, is continuing to build and go well.
  When I did the RASA 5k I wanted to cry. I cursed myself for doing it, cursed myself for thinking I could run again and cursed myself for embarrassing myself like that. Then, I hit the halfway mark and remembered why I loved running.  I crossed around 31 minutes which was perfectly fine with me!
  Since the 5k, I've been building.  I'm still not where I'd like to be - it's just too hot most nights right now to run (humid, not just hot) so I get about 2 miles in before I have to stop.  But, happy to report, my time is getting better with most runs.  My best so far has been a mile at 9:30!  The hope is that if I continue on this trend I will be back in shape and ready for my (probably last) Half Marathon in November.
  Fingers crossed!

   Sooo.... I did it. I'm hopefully crossing off something off my bucket list...Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon 2013!
   I am nervous, excited, scared and everything in between right now. My stomach jumps and falls every time I think about it.  It will be my 3rd Half Marathon but my first 1) by myself and 2) without someone to train with! That's what scares me the most - not having a support system there!
   But... if all goes well, my mom, sister, brother in law and the baby will all be there to support me!  I'm also still trying to talk Stephan into running it with me.  So fingers crossed!
  Here's the good stuff:

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Highlights:

• 13.1-mile course through Walt Disney World® Theme Parks
• Disney Characters and Entertainment on-course
• Event Weekend Transportation for Walt Disney World® Guests staying at Event Host Resorts
• Family Reunion Area with entertainment and characters
• Exclusive after hours Finish Line Party at the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival for participants

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon participants will receive:

• Champion® Unisex Long Sleeved Tech Shirt*
• Commemorative Finisher medal*
• Official Race Program Guide*
• iGiftBag
• Personalized bib* (Must register by September 1, 2013 for name to appear on bib)
• $10 Disney Gift Card
• On-course and Post-Race refreshments
• ChronoTrack B-tag timed race with live runner tracking signup for friends and family
• Personalized results website
• Access to the exclusive after hours Finish Line Party at the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival

   I also registered for the RASA 5k which is on the 20th of April.  That will be my first 5k in a year and my starting point - seeing where my time stands with that and going from there. My co-worker promised to start running with me in the morning to get me prepared but I don't know if she'll still agree when I have to go  into the longer miles.  I'm also thinking about shelling out the money and finding a running group here to help with so I can get my longer miles in.  I'm planning to start my training in early May which should give me more than enough time to get my miles to where they should be.  Goal is keeping between my first two times - 2:30 and a 2:45 race.
   Thanks, as always, for the support!

Catching up Again...

  The reason I haven't been updating in a long time is honestly because I haven't been running.
  Back in November I was struggling with some back issues and over Thanksgiving break I threw my back out really badly and then started having a shooting pain travelling from behind my knee to my lower left butt.  It got to the point after a week that I couldn't even walk - I just laid on the couch for an entire weekend in fetal position crying my eyes out due to the pain.
  After seeking medical advice from one doctor and realizing their fix wasn't what I was looking for (pills and shots) I changed to a different doctor who worked specifically in Chiropractic measures.  I'm happy to say that after 2 months the pain is completely gone, he's readjusted my hips and now we are working on fixing my spine.  My knee has been acting up a little bit with the new change in posture but that's to be expected and I'm working through it.
  I'm also happy to say that I ran for the first time since October this weekend.  I was planing on waiting until April to start training again but the weather was just too beautiful and it was calling my name!  I threw on the old workout gear, made a new iPhone playlist and hit the ground running.  I made it .8 miles before I had to stop and breathe.  I wanted to hit a mile but with my allergies weren't about to let that happen.  Overall I ran about 1.5 of a 2.5 mile loop.  Not bad for my first time back in the game again.  Made sure to do some hills as well so my body is used to them.
  And other exciting news - my first race will be an on-campus race on 4/20 for Sexual Assualt.  I'm also hoping that the Disney Wine and Dine won't be sold out before April because I won't have the money to register until then.  Fingers crossed!!
  I also realized last night while I was running that with all the struggles I've had, all the bad situations I've lived through and survived, nothing seems harder than starting to run all over again.  Knowing I was a 9:30-9:45 min/mile and ran 2 half marathons and now I'm struggling to run 1 full mile.  Made me think of life - no matter how hard it gets, I can get back to where I was and sometimes I just need to look at those medals and race bibs to remind me that before long I will be back there again.
  So, the plan is to keep updating as I run and run into situations. Hopefully you'll all continue to keep pace with me along the way!

Round 2

  So I was asked to bring the blog back up.  I can't promise I will be as good as I was before, but I'm going to try.
  I recently accepted a new position and moved from Tulsa, OK to Tennessee.  I am very excited and happy yo be closer to home, friends and the life I want.  I'm also excited to be running on a hilly campus and area again!
  Since I've been back I've run a 5k and am planning to sign up for the half marathon in April.  I've been running 2-3 times a week in the mornings before work, averaging about 2 miles each run.  My plan is to up that gradually and start adding Saturday runs when football season ends.
  I'm also back to the gym 5-6 times a week.  Right now I'm on cardio machines with slight weights as I get used to a new gym and new machines.  On the thigh machines I'm up to 80 lbs already with 5 sets of 10 presses each.  Goal for next week is to start on medicine ball crunches.
  I'm still looking for a Zumba class as good as what I left.  Two are offered here on campus but I've only been to the one which works best with my schedule and her style isn't what I'm looking for.  I may start looking off campus so I can find different styles that I like and prefer until I find one I'm happy with.
  When I first moved my schedule didn't allow me to run as much as I had been so I lost my mileage and gained about 5 lbs. I've already lost 2 lbs but working on toning as well. I want to look like I did when I moved in July.
  The goal is to start running a 5k a month again and slowly work my mileage up to where it should be so I can handle 13.1 in April.
  Thank you for your support and for taking the time to read.

  My apologies for being so nonexistant with the site this year.  Life has taken a few crazy turns and I haven't had the time to update and, to be honest, I haven't been racing and training like I was last year.
  I'm still running - but due to other things going on in life, running has taken a backseat to life.  It happens and I'm ok with it.
  I am happy to report though that I did do two races in April.  With very little training (and I don't ever suggest anyone do this!!) Eryn and I ran our 2nd Half Marathon.  She learned of it about 2 weeks before it happened so since we were already working on longer weekend runs we went for it.  She finished with an impressive time under 2:30.  I was around 2:45 due to some issues on the course but I was happy to be done and receive my medal.  I'd like to do another one in the future but that will depend on when and where I am at that point in time.
  The Half Marathon included a 5k which one of my awesome staff members ran.  It was her first 5k and I was so proud to be there to see her when we crossed and hear about her time.  Great feeling!
  Last weekend a few of my staff, myself and Eryn ran the "Race Against Racism" 5k in town.  I ran the 1st one last year so it was nice to be at the 2nd with more people.  Many of my girls ran and some walked up until I made them run across the finish line. : )  I was like a proud momma.  They were great!  I hope that they now realize a 5k is nothing and they will do more in the future (as well as encourage others).  Time will tell.
  Sadly, after my Half Marathon on Easter weekend I received news that one of my favorite students had passed away in a car accident.  A great deal of April has been spent mourning her loss and doing what I can help to comfort my staff and students dealing with her loss.
  I am hopeful things will be on an upswing soon this summer and I'll be back to updating and running like I used to soon.  Phoebe will be my summer running buddy since Eryn graduates this Sat!!  Going to be going through a lot of changes in the near future but running will be there to keep me sane and I'm thankful for that. ; )

Route 66 Half Marathon - Check!

  I did it!  I finished the half marathon and survived!

  Sorry for taking so long to update - I'm currently on a much needed vacation and the internet isn't the best here.  And my computer is crap so the combination = not good. (and this update took 1.5 hours to get only up to the second set of pics).

  Anyway, on to my update...

  We went to the expo on Saturday while others were doing the 5k.  It was so much fun - we got sucked in for 2 hours and it felt like no time had passed!

  Eryn and I have been training for this weekend since July... it was so scary to realize it was finally happening.  She had her knee wrapped while we were there and I shopped a little (prices/deals were not as good as the Tulsa Run expo).

  I found a great sticker I wanted to buy this sticker for my best friend who finished his first full marathon the week prior...

  I bought a few stickers and some snacks for the race.  I wanted to get an "I run Tulsa" shirt but they were $10 and I had $9 cash on me so I didn't get it.  We picked up our tags

  My nerves kicked in big time when I walked out of my apartment earlier in the week and found this sign in front of my building... a sign that there was no turning back!

  This was that "make it or break it" moment for us.  And we made it! : )

  We were all praying for a no-rain/nice day.  We got half of what we wished for!  It didn't rain but it was freezing cold!  I originally figured I'd run with a hoodie and take it off and run in my thin hoodie or my tank top underneath.  Instead, I kept the hoodie on the whole run as well as my gloves!  I think the temp reached 46 degrees by the time we reached the finish line.

  I read in a few different places that as long as I slept well on Friday night I would be good.  Surprisingly, they were right.  I slept so well Friday night after having to stay up until 3am the night prior but suffered on Sat night.  Nerves kept me up until 1:30am and then I woke up an hour before planned - 5:30am.  I wished I could have slept longer but since I was wide awake, I figured I'd take advantage of it.

  I grabbed all my nicely laid out items from the night before...

  And checked my map again (we were the red route) so I knew where to go, where not to park and where I was going to finish.

  Getting up so early allowed me to actually enjoy my breakfast before a long run - something I never get to do.  I ate two pieces of toast smothered in chunky peanut butter and about 16oz of Gatorade.  I checked my email, sent some texts to friends, updated facebook and did some much-needed stretches before I left the house.  It was wonderful!

  When I arrived at the start line I walked around a little bit, checked my bag (I brought clean clothes for after just in case) and saw a few students who were also running.  Eventually I found Eryn and Erica and huddled in a building entrance trying desperately to stay warm until we had to line up in our corral.

  I copied some pics from the website at the event as well.  I'm thinking of buying one of the real ones but we'll see how Christmas goes first...

  When we got into our corral I started to realize it was really happening.  I was about to run over 13 miles.  Everyone else was bursting with excitement and I was just there.  Usually I'm nervous/excited/freaking out.  Not this time - I didn't even have a nightmare the night before which is unheard of for me!  It was very surreal.

Then we hit 8am and didn't move.  At all.  Then 8.05 and 8.10.  Finally we started shuffling forward a little after 8.10 and made our way to the starting line around 8.15am.  Now I was nervous/excited.  I was ready to put all that I could into it and go.  The gun went off and we hit the ground running.  I stayed with Eryn and Erica for the first quarter mile and then set off on my own.

  Part of the course was one I had run for Tulsa Run as well as trained on so I knew where the first few mile markers were.  It both helped and hindered me - I tend to prefer racing without knowing where my stops are but I pushed through with flying colors (I kept under a 10min/mile my first 2+ miles!) and beat those huge hills at the start.

  Somehow my iPhone knew exactly what songs I needed to push me through as well!  I hit shuffle and it played every song I use to keep myself going when I am struggling.  I was beyond happy and made it to mile 6 before I had to skip a song!  That always makes me happy.

  This one made me laugh because I was in the middle of singing "Transform Ya" and they snapped me.  I hadn't hit mile 2 yet.


  Eryn gave me great advice before we started the race - imagine running each mile for someone in your life.  That way you won't want to let them down.  It worked - I didn't slow down until around mile 8 when I knew Ashlie and my godchildren would be ok with me walking for a minute.  I made it that far before I had to stop and stretch/walk it out.  In total I believe I walked less than a mile which is totally fine with me!

  My soft goal was a 2:30 and my hard goal was sub-2:45 and I came close to my soft goal!  I pushed super hard on the last mile and crossed at 2:30:50.  Can't beat that!  I was so happy. : )

Can you tell I was a little proud?  My momma made me bring it with me on vacation so she could see it in person and then made sure to tell all of our relatives about my race.  Made me laugh each time.



It's so weird after months and months of training to realize you have a life again.  Eryn has mentioned a full marathon but I have no desire to do that.  I like my half.  There is a quarter marathon I learned about today that is in Feb. - I may consider that one.  I'm still debating about doing the OKC half.  I want to but am still exhausted from training so much.  We'll see.

  For now, I'm happy to go back to 5k's and work on getting my time faster.