Wow....seriously...has it been almost a year since I posted here?!?! What a huge slacker I am...no apologies, other than I am a busy momma, working part-time now and just trying to get through this thing called life....but don't let me bore you with my excuses.
What I want to do is give a recap to my recent run in the 2016 Columbus Capital City Half Marathon. This was my 4th running of this half, and my 7th half marathon to date. I'll be honest that I really wasn't expecting much from this half since last year's race was pretty dismal at the end. (See post below for my 2015 Cap City recap). I got way too hot, overheated, had to run-walk between miles 10-13 and I was just miserable finishing last year's race in 2:17:44...wasn't very happy with my race since it was slower than the previous year. So this was to be my year of redemption.....that was until about 4-5 weeks ago when I hurt my hip and had to tone down my training a bit, which really threw me for a loop. I was disappointed and discouraged for a while, but after I prayed about it, I just decided it is was it is and just trained carefully, got a massage and did some exercises to strengthen my hips and glutes. My thoughts of getting a PR were no longer my goal...I just wanted to finish. So with that in mind I went into Cap City with that mindset alone...just finish the race.
So race week I was taking it easy, resting as much as possible and of course eyeing the weather like a hawk. At first it looked like nice weather for the Saturday race, but as the week wound down they began calling for rain. Sigh....really?!?! But it wasn't supposed to start until noon....could I make it before the rain??
Looking at the weather I realized the weather that morning was going to be chilly. I've always run this half in a tank and shorts....calling for low 40s...I don't think a tank and shorts were going to do....I was so confused what to wear. I ended up with a running T and capris with my thin long sleeved yellow Brooks pullover. Honestly it was perfect...with the cold and it being a little windy, it was ideal and I felt good....not too hot or too cold. The weather honestly was almost perfect...no way was I going to overheat on this run! It was cloudy so no sun beating down on me like it did last year. It was ideal indeed.
Overall the race was great! I felt strong and felt good....about mile 10 I saw the 2:15 pacer and hung with them for a few minutes, but ended up passing them and not looking back...I was feeling good. That was a huge boost to the ego :)! Mile 11 is usually my nemesis...the point were I get really tired and want it to be over...didn't feel that this time...which was strange to me...though mile 12 changed that a little, but really it wasn't that bad.
So I was getting towards the finish and honestly I was getting tired, legs were spent but I gave it all I had and the clocks had different times on them so all I figured is that by what the clocks said I finished between 2:21 and 2:31....kind of sad, but I finished and that's all that mattered...and I honestly didn't feel like I was going to die after this race...which I usually feel like I'm going to pass out, but I really felt fine. After checking my time, I found out that I actually finished in 2:09:43....I was so excited!! I beat my best Cap City time by 5 minutes (2:14 in 2014) and I was pretty excited about that. Only 50 seconds slower than my overall half marathon PR of 2:08:53 in 2014 for the Emerald City Half. So I am pretty satisfied with my time and my finish especially when I went into it with no major expectations. Oh.....and I was able to beat the rain...it started about 20 minutes after I finished...so praise God for that!!
Reflecting on my race, I came up with some reasons as to why, even after dealing with a hip injury a little over a month ago, how I was able to finish so strong.
1.) God. First of all I gave this race to God from the get go. Told Him it was His, for Him to help me through it and that I would give Him all the glory....and all glory IS His. He is the reason I finished and finished well. Thanks be to God!
2.) I didn't pay attention to mile markers. Usually I am scouting out the mile markers...wondering how far I've gone and how much farther do I have....I think this was a HUGE reason I did well. Not saying I didn't see some of the mile markers on the way, but I didn't scout them out, didn't pay attention to them...the way I've been putting it is that I pretty much "Forrest Gumped" this race....I just kept running. I know it may sound weird, but I just ran...no attention to what mile I was on, no attention to running faster than the guy in front of me. I. Just. Ran. End of story.
3.) Gu gels. Gu gels work. They do. I honestly had a thing with the gels.....they just sounded gross...until I actually used one on a training run once last year...used them a little on my half in Tennessee and it seemed to work well. I used to use the Jelly Belly Sports Beans, and though they are tasty, I didn't see the benefit in them like I have the Gu gels. And the peanut butter flavor is my favorite at the moment. I used a gel between miles 4-5, 8-9 and at mile 11 (my nemesis mile). It worked great!
4.) Not paying attention to mile markers allowed me to pay attention to my form. With hurting my hip, I really wanted to pay attention to my body during this half in case any twinges or pains came up. I paid attention to keeping my core strong, made sure I was relaxed and not clenching my face or fists, and a big thing....tried using my quads more, especially on the inclines instead of relying on my glutes carrying the brunt of everything. That helped so much! And my quads were strong because of #5.
5.) Strength training is essential...not optional. Strength training is a huge benefit to strong running. There's more to solid long distance running than just running....strengthening your other muscles is key. I had been using a strength training plan from a local running coach for a good portion of my training and then moved onto the Iron Strength workout from Runners World....between those two workouts....it helped me get stronger. I know this is another reason I finished as strong as I did. I also credit my yoga classes at Crowtown Yoga....between my PiYo classes and Yin Yoga....that was a huge benefit to my cross training. (Thanks Cindy!!) If you are skimping on your strength workouts....don't. You'll be glad you stuck with it.
6.) Run in a slower corral. I know not everyone may agree with me on this one, but hear me out a second. The last three years I have run in corral E for Cap City...but because of the dismal finish I had last year, I lowered my finishing time to 2:25 than the usual 2:10-2:15 I used to register for. That put me in corral G. As humbling as that may have been, I believe it was a great move, especially with dealing with my hip injury. First of all, I made sure I was towards the front of the corral. One thing with running with 14,000 other runners is it gets crowded. If you start in a slower corral towards the front, you are more likely not to have to deal with too much crowding as when you are in the middle or end of the pack. And if you are in the slower corral, there's a better chance you'll be up front more of the time. Not to mention when you are passing the other runners, it does kind of give you a boost. But even better yet, if you are able to catch up to the corral that started ahead of you....yep, huge ego boost there. I found it was better to start in the slower corral and pass people than it was to be in a corral of comparable runners and try to keep up. It's kind of a mind game when you come to think about it....and if you can trick your mind that you are running fast, surprise...you'll run fast I guess...who knew! ;)
So those were just a few take aways I walked away with after my 4th running of the Capital City Half Marathon....my 7th half marathon to date. Congrats to all those who ran the race and a very huge thank you to my family for getting up super early, for my hubby dealing with traffic and all of them having to stand out in the cold to wait for me at the finish line. Thanks to my son Brennan who took my pictures for me this year...and to my sissy who again housed me and my family for the night...Thanks sissy!! And to all of you who I know that prayed for me....Thank you!! I definitely could feel your prayers...it's what got me through.
So hopefully I won't wait as long to write my next post. Races that are coming up...the Shawshank Hustle in Mansfield, OH in June....still kicking around the Indian Mud Run, but since I have no one to run it with me I'm kind of scared after last year's race to do it alone. We shall see. Then my next half is the Great Smoky Mountain Half in Townsend,TN in September....which was my favorite half marathon so far that I did last year. I'm going to be running the 5K with the hubby on our anniversary on that Friday, then I will be doing the half on Saturday. Yep, going to be whipping the hubby into shape to do a 5K with me. Should be fun :)
Until next time.....happy running :)
So it has been a little over a week since my fifth half marathon....I ran the Cap City Half Marathon again in Columbus. This was the third time running this half, and sadly I cannot say that the third time was a charm....sigh.
Let me digress for a moment.....to a little over a week before my half. I was running my last long run before the half...hoping for a 9 miler. Needless to say I did only a little over 8...why?? Because somehow I tripped on the sidewalk on one of the busiest streets in town. (Epic fail there!!) Badly banged up my left knee and right hand. Couldn't run on it for several days. Talk about discouraging. Needless to say it really played on me not only physically, but most of all mentally. I was only able to get a couple runs in before the half, which were nothing to write home about.
Fast forward to the day of the race. Surprisingly my knee felt good, though I wore my knee brace just in case. My hubby and my awesome sissy were there to cheer me on. I was feeling pretty good through the race at first, but something just felt off...and by the time I got about halfway through I knew I was probably going to have trouble. By mile 10 I was really feeling tired and I could tell my pace was really slowing down a lot. I had always heard about this thing called "The Wall" and I think I have danced around it a few times, but never really hit it....I am pretty sure I hit it this time and I hit it hard. By mile 11 it was pretty hot and humid, which honestly I just wasn't used to running in the heat yet....I mean after running most of this winter in 20-30 degree weather and then running in 70-80 degree weather....it wasn't good for me. Sadly, during the last 2 miles I ran/walked and finished in 2:17:44. I was really hoping to beat my last year's time pf 2:14 but it wasn't happening. And I'll be honest, I was a little hard on myself about it....though when I really thought about it it was only 3 minutes off of last year and with running/walking the last 2 miles, it really wasn't so bad.
So this year I decided to dedicate my run to those dealing with Autism and donate $10 of every mile to the Autism Society of Ohio. I also spent my half praying for those that I knew that were dealing with autism and their families, including my amazing nephew and my sister. It was a very humbling run in many ways. After my half, while I was wallowing in having a not so great run and feeling sorry for myself, God spoke to me and said, "You think this run was a struggle, think of those who have to deal with autism every single day." Again, a very humbling experience. So I have a feeling God was trying to teach me a lesson here. ;)
So I'm walking away from this half marathon as a huge learning experience. Though it wasn't great, it wasn't my worst...and I got to spend the time I was running praying for some pretty awesome and very special people....and over all that beats any PR any old day..
So this past Saturday I debated on running in a local 5K and I told myself the night before that if God woke me up in time I would do it....of course God has a sense of humor and woke me up at 7:20 that morning. So I got on my running gear and headed to the local park where they were having the race. Even got to run with some of my church family. So nice!! The awesome part was that the proceeds helped a little 7 year old boy dealing with lymphoma. I love running for things like that, especially that is benefiting a child. The course was basically the same route I usually took on my long training runs...so it was something I was used to. I finished in 27:27 which was pretty good for me. Not my best, but pretty close. I even finished 3rd female overall, which totally shocked me....did not expect that at all!! Where were those legs during my half?!?! Again I think God was showing me a lesson.
So now this is my favorite time to run...where I have no running plan, no schedule, no set mileage to run...I can just go out and run just to RUN!! Love running like that. After many weeks of running a plan it is very liberating to just be able to run for running sake.
So I have nothing really on my schedule running wise (though I have my first baby graduating here in a couple weeks....so pretty busy right now.) I have a run the last Saturday of May, then nothing until the end of June when the hubby and I will be running the Indian Mud Run together having a little friendly competition. And then the Shawshank Run the end of July in Mansfield. Didn't want to commit to too much with this being my oldest last summer with us before he goes off to college. Sniff-sniff.
Well just wanted to give you guys an update. Not sure how often I'll be on here with all that's going on this summer but I will try to check in now and then. Have a great summer!!
Hello...I know it's been a while...but running has been kind of rough these past couple months. I swear the older I get, the more I hate Winter....don't get me wrong...it's pretty and all, but it really wrecks havoc on my running. Needless to say I have been doing a lot of running at our local sports complex's indoor track...not my favorite thing to do...after all going around in a circle is not very mentally stimulating, at least not for my ADD mind. It's those times when I put on a podcast on my iPod to kind of distract me from the fact that I'm really not going anywhere....insert long sigh here. Though we have had a little reprieve in the weather this week. Yesterday it got up to the low 50s and the sunny was shining. And you bet your sweet running shoes I got out there and enjoyed every minute of it! Today, however it was rainy so back to the KA track I went....which honestly was fine because I was doing intervals today and those are easier on a track anyway. Ended up doing 1200m with a 3 minute jog in between 6 times. Felt really good!
You know...many times I have run the track at Kids America and have been humbled and reminded how lucky I am that I'm able to do what I do. Usually on Tuesday's the Hopewell group is there, which in itself is humbling to watch them walk around the track together. Right there is enough to make one feel lucky. But today Hopewell wasn't there, but there was an older gentleman with a cane that was walking the track...very slowly. Honestly, I pretty much finished my 6 lap interval by the time he lapped it once. I kept an eye on him. He did a few laps and then sat down for a little bit and started going around again. Made me really think about how lucky I am that I can run and how awesome it was that this man, who could very easily just tell himself it was too hard and just sit at home in a chair all day, but he was determined and didn't give up...he kept going, no matter how fast or slow he was moving....he just did it regardless. I so admire people like that, and I so hope that when I get to that age that I have the gumption to never give up and just keep going regardless as well. Like I say, whether it's a 6 minute mile or an 18 minute mile, a mile is still a mile....keep going!!
So I don't think I mentioned this yet but at the first of the year I signed up for Run The Edge's "Run 2,015 Miles in 2015" Challenge. I partnered with another young lady online and we are splitting the miles together. January's miles were actually pretty decent and I hit my goal. February not so much...I was short by about 15 miles because I was down for a solid week with that nasty flu that's been going around. It literally knocked me on my butt. That's what happens when you stop taking your vitamins and supplements....it was a definite reminder that I need to stay on those. Don't want to go through that again any time soon!!
So now that it's March, Half Marathon training is in full swing. Again I am running the Capital City Half Marathon the first Saturday in May. This will be my fourth half marathon. I'm excited to get back out there and run long...there is just something therapeutic about it...until you get to mile 11, then that's a totally different story...lol. I'm also signed up to do the Indian Mud Run again the end of June...and the hubby is doing it with me (gasp!!!), then in July I am running the Shawshank Hustle 4 Miler with my aunt. There are a couple of 5K/10K's that I do also during the summer, but no info yet on those...but then in September I am hopefully going to start fulfilling my running bucket list. I'm hoping if everything works out ok that I will be running the Great Smoky Mountain Half Marathon in September. My goal is to run in as many of the National State Parks as possible....so hopefully, God willing, this will be the first of hopefully many State Park runs. So excited!! Then to end the year I'm planning on running the Hot Chocolate 15K with family in November. A pretty exciting year indeed...and I'm looking forward to it!
So here's to hoping that Spring is officially right around the corner and that there will soon be many happy miles run outside :)
Have a great month everyone!!
So if there is one thing I have learned that I appreciate and am learning to appreciate in myself and trying to do more of is keeping it real. I can't believe that I'm writing this post, but I feel that I need to just to answer and shed some light on my actual journey.
I have had several people come up to me lately and say how inspired they are by me and my running and all. I am very humbled that people would even notice let alone even take the time to make a comment. I don't think what I do is anything special or amazing...but it has been work, and work that I've chosen not to give up on.
If you will, let me digress for a moment....
The photo above is me in the summer of 2006....Colton was almost 4....and though I was able to lose most of the weight I gained from having Austin and Brennan, I had a much harder time losing the weight after Colton.
This photo is me pretty much at my heaviest in the summer of 2007. When I saw this photo I honestly was horrified. I can't tell you exactly what I weighed back then but I know it was at least in the 170s or more....more than what I weighed when I was pregnant for Colton, but I wasn't pregnant!! I was very unhappy that I let myself get like this...I'm sure many of you have been there right?!?! But let me tell you....I didn't do something about it right away....oh no....I had to sulk and wallow for a few months...probably enjoying some ice cream and chocolate along the way to drown my sorrows thinking I would never see my size 8 jeans again.
Then came the winter of 2008....that's when my loving, and very brave husband saw these workout videos...yes on an infomercial...and went out on a limb and ordered them for me. I decided to swallow my pride and I tried them...I did the first video which was only 20 minutes. With three little ones at the time under my feet, sometimes it was a struggle, but I found those 20 minutes (and yes sometimes it was really late at night)...but I sucked it up and did it. I went on to do the other videos in the series and really enjoyed them and liked the way I felt afterwards...and yes I lost some weight....not a lot...not as much as I wanted...but some. I used the workout videos for about a year or so and found they weren't really doing it for me anymore...I had kind of platued, wasn't losing any more weight and honestly was kind of getting bored with the videos. I did P90X for a little while, but found it hard to carve out the 45 minutes to an hour it took to do those workouts. About this time I was following the journey of a scrapbooking friend I met on line and she was having a similar struggle with her weight and she decided to take up running. I watched for several months as she worked herself up to her first 5K...I was amazed and inspired. So finally in August 2010 I decided to lace up my shoes and start....walking. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day after all. I used to walk all the time when I was a kid and even into my twenties so why not get back into it??. I started slow...a few months later that walking moved up to jogging, and eventually into running. In March of 2011 I finally was able to run 3 miles straight without stopping for a walk break!! That was an exciting day I remember well! I felt so empowered that day! In August 2011 I ran my first 5K race....and I'll be honest...after that race I thought I was going to die! I came in at 31:13. However, despite the feelings of impending death...I was hooked! After running several other 5K races a young lady at church challenged me and talked me into running my first half marathon....yep, totally bypassed that 10K....went from the 5K to 13.1 miles. Let me tell you....that journey wasn't easy. Training in the winter is hard...training for any race is hard. But I stuck with it. So on a chilly morning in May of 2013 I ran my first half marathon. I came in at a time of 2:21:42....better than my predicted 2:30...yet I again felt like I was going to die at the end....and again I was hooked!! Total since August 2011 I have run many 5K races, two 10K races, and 4 half marathons...oh and 2 mud runs. I have another half scheduled for May 2015, the Indian Mud Run again in June and a 4 miler in July. I have also started to do strength training and have been doing PiYo yoga for about a year now. Overall....I feel the best I have ever felt and I'm so much happier in my skin. However....you need to know that this didn't happen overnight....I've been doing some form of exercise since 2008....it has taken me 7 years to get to where I am today. There is no magic pill...there is no magic formula. Trust me, it is hard work. There are great workouts...there are those workouts where things just aren't going right. It's a process. As far as diet...I watch somewhat what I eat. After a bout in the hospital in 2009 with my gall bladder (and no I did not choose to have it removed) I changed my diet...I don't eat a lot of dairy and gave up fried foods. Since then I haven't had any trouble with my gall bladder. I am not strict on my diet....if I want a piece of chocolate cake I'm going to eat a piece of cake...my thought is you shouldn't deprive yourself of something you want....because you'll just want it that much more and then eventually overindulge...anyone know what I mean?? So I allow myself to have what I want, in moderation of course. I eat a few more fruits and veggies and nuts than I ever used to. And if I have that chocolate cake and decide to run an extra mile or two to cover it, I do...not that I'm really that strict about it. I think the magic key to weight loss is balance, patience and not being so rigid and hard on yourself. On those days that you find that you overdid it a little on last night's lasagna...just dust yourself off and start again. The object is to never ever give up and just keep moving forward, because looking back is not an option...or at least not a good one.
So in my journey I have been able to lose almost 40 lbs. and keep it off for the last 7 years. Again it didn't fall off overnight...it was little by little. So please, don't be discouraged at losing only a pound or two...or maybe for not losing any. Be happy that you are trying to better yourself, no matter what the result. Any exercise is better than no exercise I always say. And a good food choice is always better than a bad one. But most of all...just be good to yourself...hug yourself and let yourself know it's ok no matter what...don't make it difficult and just enjoy the journey. That's what I did and I am so much happier for it.
Again thanks to those who have come up and said such nice things to me lately. And I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of my journey. It hasn't been always easy, but it sure does beat where I was....after all...wallowing isn't much fun even if there is chocolate :)
Have a great week everyone!!
Happy New Year everyone!! Hoping 2015 has been good to you so far! As I reflect on the year that has past and look forward to 2015, 2014 was a good year...running wise anyway. Overall it was good. Some of my running highlights were running 2 half marathons, running the Hot Chocolate 15K and running part of that with my aunt and my niece. I also did the Indian Mud Run and several 5Ks as well.
So as we head into 2015, I don't know what it's doing in your neck of the woods, but here in Ohio winter has finally arrived. And though I appreciate the beauty of Winter...I am not a fan of it. It wrecks havoc on the running schedule. Now I can tolerate running in the colder temps...ran the other day in 17 degree weather (with the wind chill of -3) and though it wasn't the most pleasant, I got it done. However....today I finally had to bite the bullet and move my runs to the indoor track at Kids America. And no offense to Kids America...they have a nice track...very clean...and usually at the time I go it's hardly crowded at all...but honestly.....even with the track being empty....there is just something incredibly mind numbing about running in a circle...kind of like running on a treadmill....which is just as bad...running and going NOWHERE!!! I think that is the part that I have a problem with...feeling like you're going nowhere...ugh....kind of like life some days right??? Can I get a witness here?? Sigh....so as I sit here with my hot coffee counting down the days on my calendar until Spring gets here, I am thinking about running season and what plans I have for running in 2015. So far the only things I have definitely on my calendar of course is the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus in May and of course the local obstacle race the Indian Mud Run which I actually talked my hubby into doing with me this year...woohoo!! The only other race so far that I have my eye on is the Shawshank Hustle which will be held in Mansfield in July. I love the movie and I guess the course goes past many of the places they filmed to movie...so sounds like fun :) .....Oh and to start off the new year, I did sign up to do the Run The Edge 2,015 Miles in 2015. Now I'm not doing all 2,015 miles myself. I signed up with another runner and we are splitting the miles between us...so yes I have plans to do just a little over 1,000 miles in 2015. It's going to be a slight stretch considering I only did about 940 miles in 2014...so it is possible...just going to be a challenge to get those extra miles in....and you know I'm not one to shy away from a challenge ;)
So that's it for now...I know, not much but.......every year since 2011 I have chosen a word as my "Word of the Year"....and as I pondered about what my word for this year would be, I finally came to rest on the word "LESS". This year I just feel the need to purge, organize and declutter my life. To do more with less...to have less things bogging me down...to enjoy more people and less things. To spend more time with God and less time with things that don't matter. This year is going to be a year of change for our family...my oldest will be going off to college in the fall...I want to spend as much time with him this year before he leaves the nest. If that means less time doing races, then so be it....races will come and go...family is what matters. So on that note....happy 2015 and we shall see what the year brings us!!
Oh my goodness....is it seriously December already?!?! Crazy how quickly this year has gone already...and it's almost over...CRAZY!!
So I finished the Hot Chocolate 15K a couple weeks ago which is a race my sister and aunt usually do together. Sadly my sister wasn't able to do it since she rolled her foot and was unable to run, but was able to run with my brother in law and also with my niece as well. My niece, bless her heart, was kind and ran with me for the first 2.5K...I know she held back just for me, but it was nice to have someone to run with for the first bit of the race. While the rest of my family ran the 5K, I braved the 15K which honestly was a nice race...went through some of the neighborhoods I remember running during the Cap City Half Marathon and though it was a chilly day for a race I think it was actually a tad warmer than last year's race. This year they gave out cool "treats" along the race route. During the first 2.5K they handed out large chocolate chips...chocolate....during a race....ummm...YES PLEASE!! Love!! Now during the 15K the rest of the fuel stations offered marshmallows (chocolate and strawberry)...which by the way honestly was really tough to eat on the run...and may I advise that you don't just pop the whole thing in your mouth while you're running....it truly isn't a good thing. They also handed out Tootsie Rolls which after the marshmallows, I decided against eating the Tootsie Roll and saved it for one of my boys waiting for me at the end of the race....bless my family's hearts for waiting for me in the cold to finish the race. They deserve huge kudos!! And also the treats at the end of the race were amazing!! It's so nice running with family and getting together as a group...and I was so happy my niece got to come....a great weekend indeed!! And they had a pretty sweet medal for the 15K too :)
Then on Thanksgiving Day my youngest and my niece and I did our local Turkey Trot....it's the first year that our area has done a Turkey Trot...boy was it ever a cold and chilly morning!! It was spitting snow while we were running. It was nice running again with family....they really pushed me to keep a good pace. I averaged slightly over an 8 minute mile which for me is crazy!! It was a nice 5K course in our local park in the county. It was nice and they instead of giving out T-shirts, they gave out these really cool beanies....so nice for something different. So surprisingly, or maybe not so much, my son beat me in this race. How aggravating is it that my son who doesn't run on a regular basis and he runs better than I do....oh to have young legs!! He was really pushing himself bess his heart and I truly am very proud of him for doing this and agreeing to run with his old momma!! The neatest part on this race is that it was a family sweep in the medal department. My niece and my son both got 2nd place in their age brackets and somehow I managed to get 1st in mine...so it was a great day for us!! Best part truly though was running together and just being out there and supporting a good cause. And also burning calories before the turkey feast...lol!!
So now that my race season is officially over it's kind of nice to run only when I want to and for as long or as hard as I want. I ran a 10K this morning and boy was it ever chilly...and it got chillier the longer I went...but at least I made it home before it started to rain. Running in the rain, especially cold rain, is the worst!! So now plan to just take it easy through the holidays and then see how things go come January. After all everything depends on the weather...even though I have access to a treadmill, I am not a fan and I'd still have to go out in the weather to get to it. So we shall see....though I will have to get things in gear come February to gear up for May's Cap City Half Marathon.
Well since I probably won't be back before Christmas, have a very blessed and joyous holiday. Don't forget the reason for the season!! Blessings and have a happy 2015!!
I know this post is going to sound weird at first and you'll probably say, "What does this have to do with running?" but go with me for a second.
First of all, so sorry for being away for so long. Life with school starting for the boys, county fair and scouts...life is crazy....I write when I can, and the time to write is few and far between.
Ok, so....like I said, go with me here....I've been a stay at home mom most of the years my boys have been home. I may have done some odd jobs here and there, but pretty much always been home. I've had the question posed to me several times while being a stay at home mom asking...."If you could do any job outside the home, what would your dream job be??" And as truly interesting and intriguing that question honestly is...the thing that always popped into my head when asked this particular question is....I would of course choose something I love doing....but then in the same thought there was always that fear of, if I'm doing what I love every single day, would I grow tired and soon learn to hate it??
That being said, so goes my upcoming post....no I haven't been asked to become some elite 40 something runner with tons of sponsorships...though that would be nice...sort of...but...there I do believe comes a time when too much of a good thing does indeed become too much. As many of you know, I came into this love of running by watching an online scrapbooker friend's journey into getting healthy and fit. I watched her journey for several months and after wallowing in my self pity for long enough I finally pulled up my boot straps and said, "if she can do it so can I!" and thus began my slightly over 4 year journey of getting myself fit and healthy. This past week I hit a milestone and since August of 2010 I have logged just over 3,000 running miles. I never would have dreamed that a little thing called "Running" would have taken me so far and put me in touch with so many amazing people!! This year has been a pretty big year with my running 2 half marathons (Capital City and Emerald City), doing our local Indian Mud Run and many 5Ks and 10Ks here and there. I will be running the Hot Chocolate 15K here in a few weeks with my awesome sister, aunt and niece. While training for the 15K these last several weeks I noticed that my runs had been getting slower, not only that...they've been getting harder to do...and I've had this slight knee twinge since Emerald City that though it doesn't hurt per se, it just has felt kind of wonky. So when I started thinking about my running year so far I realized that I have pretty much been in "training mode" since January when I started training for Cap City. Right after Cap City was the Indian Mud Run, after that was training for the Feed the Need 10 K and then Emerald City...I've been pretty much on some sort of training plan for 11 months. After thinking a lot about it, I've decided that after the Hot Chocolate run and the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day that my son and I have decided to do together, I am going to be giving myself a much needed break. So for the month of December and maybe even part of January I will be taking a break...will I go without running for that long?? I don't think I could...lol...but I am going to cut way back...at least that's the plan. Instead of running 4-6 days a week I may cut back to 2-3...and instead of running longer distances I may just cut it back to around 3 miles with an occasional longer run thrown in if I feel like it. As much as I love running, it's starting to get to a point where it's becoming like something I HAVE to do instead of something I WANT to do...and we all know there is a big difference there. Not only that, the last several weeks my runs haven't been all that great...more like a "At least I got that done" than, "OK, that was a great run and I think I'm making progress." Definitely been a more quantity over quality, which is really starting to show...a lot!! Sometimes, even with a good thing, you at times need to scale back, re-group and just let things go a little bit and then go back at it again with fresh eyes....and legs :)
So that is that....while I am on hiatus so to speak...I hope to write though about my running plans for 2015....if things go the way I want it to....2015 is going to be an EPIC year in my running. I got several halves I'm looking at and a couple other cool looking races that will be so incredible...if I can pull them off and get hubby's schedule to work with it...it will be awesome....God willing!!
So until then...happy running!!
Reflecting on my race, I came up with some reasons as to why, even after dealing with a hip injury a little over a month ago, how I was able to finish so strong.
