Cap City Half Marathon 2016 Recap

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 :)

Race Recap - Cap City Half Marathon

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!!

Keeping me humble

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!!

Keeping It Real

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!!

It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Winter!!

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!!

Hot Chocolate, Turkey Trots and Chilly Weather

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!!

It's really OK

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!!

Emerald City Half Recap and Milestone Anniversaries

I know this post is a tad overdue since my half was like almost three weeks ago, but better late than never right??

So the Emerald City Half Marathon in Dublin, Ohio. For starters...I really liked this race. A lot smaller than Cap City...only about 3,500 racers which was a good number....not too crowded. The thing I really liked though about this race was the course. Not too many hills, so it was relatively flat...just a few minor inclines, nothing I wasn't used to. But the best part was that about 6 miles of the course was on the residential bike/walking path so it was scenic and nicely paved...and better yet, it went through some nice shaded wooded areas which was a welcoming site with the sun coming up and the heat and humidity rising...a true treat indeed.

Overall I felt pretty good going into this race. I don't think I was quite as prepared as Cap City as I didn't do quite as much cross training as I would have liked, but running wise I was prepared. During the first part of the race I felt pretty strong...felt good....until mile 9 when I started to feel a twinge in my right knee that started to bother me...I slowed down a little but pushed on. The next 4 miles were tough, though when I got to mile 12 I just tried my best to ignore the twinge in my knee and the fatigue I was feeling from the heat and humidity. The pain in my knee wasn't unbearable, it was just annoying more than anything. On a pain level of 1-10 I would have given it a 4-5. When I finally saw the finish line I was almost in tears though...I was just ready for it to be over...by now it was after 9 am and the sun was out and it was getting pretty hot and muggy. Shortly after I crossed the finish line I saw my hubby who was waiting for me and I just hugged him and cried...I was so tired and wasn't feeling too good. He lead me over to where the water, cold towels and sprinkler system were and pretty much shoved me under the sprinkler...boy did that ever feel good!! So thankful for the iced towels too!! After having a yummy blueberry bagel and some awesome Snowville Creamery chocolate milk (boy is that stuff ever good!!) I began to feel a lot better. Sad part was that I totally forgot to go over to Buffalo Wild Wings for some of their awesome wings...still bummed about that.

So considering I was dealing with my knee and the heat and all, I really wasn't expecting much with my race time, but surprisingly I beat my Cap City time be about 6 minutes coming in at 2:08:53!! Was really tickled about that and very, very surprised.

So these last few weeks I've just been taking it easy...not running every single day and not running too far and not caring how fast I'm going...running just to run which is such a nice change of pace. I'm ready to get back to the joy of running again :)

So I just want to take the time to thank my hubby and kids for supporting me and my weird running habit...thanks for being my cheerleaders!! To my awesome sister who is always so willing to give me a place to stay when I come her direction...love ya sissy!! To my friends and family that prayed for me, gave me encouragement, texted me while I was running my race and for all that you do to support me...which also includes reading my countless running posts on Facebook....thank you so much!! It means so much to me!!

So onto other things and one of the main reasons why this post is so late in being written...my hubby and I just renewed our wedding vows yesterday. On Tuesday we celebrate our 25th anniversary and my hubby decided to surprise me with having us do a vow renewal ceremony with our closest family and friends. It was so beautiful and everything I had hoped it would be...I truly am very, very blessed. :)

So as far as my running goes, I'm pretty much done with any major races for the year. I do have a local 5K this coming Saturday called the Bacon and Legs 5K...which they are serving bacon at the finish line so this should be fun :). I am kicking around doing the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K again this year, but I'm thinking of doing the 15K this time because they do have a pretty sweet medal for those who do the 15K...not sure about that one yet, but I'm sure you'll hear about it if I do.

Well I think that's about all for now. Until next time, have an awesome Autumn season!!

Chaffing, Early Mornings and Computer Crashes....aka Half Marathon Training

I know these posts aren't as frequent as I had hoped or would have liked them to be, but that's the life of a mom with kids home for the summer and training for a summer half.

I'm just going to go right into my half marathon training...it's hard to believe that my next half marathon is in 14 days!! CRAZY!! But I'm kind of ready for it to be here. I feel like I have been training forever. Since my May half marathon and the beginning of training for this half marathon weren't too far apart, I feel like I've been in constant training. I'm ready to take a little step back I think and breath. Training has been good but tough with the humidity. Just makes it so hard to breath and then just juggling summer activities, mom stuff, extracurricular stuff, redoing the camper (that's a totally other long story)...most of my runs this summer have consisted of me getting up at the crack of dawn to get my runs in before the chaos of my day starts, which though I have enjoyed the morning runs and getting out before it gets too awfully hot out, I miss my ability to sleep in...but sacrifices right???

Today I had my last officially long run, (though next Saturday I do have a 10K I am doing, though I don't plan to run much farther than that). My plan was to run 12 miles since I missed doing my 12 miler last Saturday due to the 5K I did and the weather. So that was my intention, but I meandered a little off my usual route so it ended up being a half marathon...13.1 miles, which I'm glad I did cause it gave me an indication of how I would do hopefully for my actual half. Now granted I didn't start out doing this run with the intention of going 13.1, so I wasn't pushing myself or anything, but I finished in 2:09:04, which is almost 5 minutes off my best half marathon time. So that surprised me a bunch! So hopefully I can finally reach my race goal of doing between a 2:00 - 2:10...it's possible...it may actually be attainable. Here's hoping!! :)  The only thing I need to remember again is Body Glide....got some chaffing on my arms from my run this morning...ouch...really really really must remember that!!

So I'm sure I talked about this before, but I have to say it again...I really like my training plan. If you are in the market for a training plan I highly recommend the ones from Run The Edge. I'm using the 13.1 Ultimate plan and I really enjoy it. I like it because it looks like a game board (love visual stimuli) and I get to choose the days I want to do what, I don't have to do them all, and as long as I get to the end of the week with enough "points" I'm good...and I get medals for how many points I do get...and who doesn't like a virtual medal?!?! I know, right!! So if you are wanting to get to a certain race goal, and would like to try a training plan, check these guys out. Not to mention it is created by Kara Goucher and her husband Adam, and also Tim Catalano. They are very accommodating as well. I recently emailed them because the hard drive on my PC crashed (and yes I was a dummy and didn't back up my training plan file.) so I asked if they could at least just give me the workouts for the last few weeks since I was so close to my half. They just went ahead and sent me a whole new plan!! So thankful and so amazed that they were so gracious! And yes I did back it up on my external drive this time! Seriously though, go check them out!! 

Ok well I have a camper that is in serious need of paint so I need to go take care of that today.

Since I probably won't be back here until after the Emerald City Half...wish me luck!! Have a great day!!

Indian Mud Run Race Recap and What Was I Thinking??

I know I'm a little late in getting this race report out, but late than never I always say...not to mention that these past several months honestly have been a huge blur...but enough of my crazy schedule...on to the recap.

So this was my second year doing the Indian Mud Run. Last year (and this year as well) I did it with my bestie Leslie. Last year the one thing most people complained about was that there didn't seem to be quite enough mud....well let's just say, Mother Nature made sure that there was no shortage of mud this year!! Our weather here in Ohio has been pretty much wet...wet...wet ever since the New Year...between tons of snow and the longest winter in years, to nothing but rain the last several weeks...yes...there was MUD!! Which honestly made the course this year far more, shall we say interesting?? I went into it not really worrying about a time element since I really had no intention of trying to hurt myself before my next half marathon in August...so Leslie and I just took our time, and we of course found some new friends along the way. We ran with a girl named Amanda, and then a bridesmaid, a bride and a groom...that were getting married later that day (CRAZY!!!) We just all kind of hung close together through the whole race. We were luckily in the first wave...and I say luckily because I can't even imagine what some of those hills and obstacles would have been like after a few hundred runners splattered and dug even more mud into it...yikes!! The thing I absolutely love most about the Indian Mud Run is that it's pretty much a natural course going through the woods...that alone is an obstacle in itself. The first hill is always the toughest which is pretty much straight uphill....and then straight downhill. After climbing over a log obstacle the huge cargo net is next...which is not one of my favorites....I hate climbing over that thing...but I made it and that's all that matters. The rest of the first half of the race is basically running through the woods, avoiding tree limbs and rocks. There was the rope climb that I just couldn't get up this year...not sure if it was the mud already on my shoes or what but I had to go around that one. The ravine was the next tougher obstacle...this year I had to use the rope to go down into the ravine...which was not fun and it was already very muddy and slippery...which again made things very interesting. 

The water slide...oh my the water slide...such an unpredictable obstacle. I had a hard time going down it at first...just couldn't get going...then woosh!! I was like a bullet!! My friend Leslie wasn't so lucky as another runner ran into her on the slide shoving her into the wall banging her head. After going through the woods some more we ended up at the canal. I crossed the canal further down where the non-swimmers were to go, but even there with all the rain we have had it was pretty deep. We crossed a net and then headed to the monkey bars crossing back over the canal and our group decided to take the ropes and boards across instead of the bars...which usually isn't a problem until one of the ropes fell off making the gap between the ropes quite large...I ended up having to hold on the edge of the monkey bars shimmying my way to the next rope and luckily for me the board didn't flip me into the canal...THANK GOD! Then another slippery mud slope downhill to the rock climbing wall...which was very hard this year since the "rocks" on the wall had gotten slippery and muddy making traction next to impossible. My foot slipped off one of the rocks and if it wasn't for my friend Leslie I probably would have fallen off for sure. By the grace of God I made it up the rock wall, then into the ice pit (crazy cold!) and into the mud pit...which I got very muddy in and then I avoided the electric fence area after the horrible experience I had with it last year when I had a wire wrap around my neck. I ended up finishing in about 1 hour 43 minutes...which was not fast by any means, but I made it in one piece which was by far the better option.  

Needless to say the difficulty of the course this year was huge....but it was a lot of fun. After the race was over I ended up with only a couple bruises and the only thing that truly hurt on me was my hands from all the ropes. Overall it was a good time, scary at times, but good.

Now my mindset is looking towards my next half marathon in August, The Emerald City Half Marathon. Initially I was thinking that this training should be easier since I would have the summer off and have extra time, but I'm so finding the opposite to be true. I'm finding it hard to get out of bed early to do a run before the sun starts baking the day, most of the runs lately have been pretty hot and humid....guess that will help me train for a late August half, but it's honestly not too enjoyable. Right now I'm about half way through my training and with all that is going on in my life at the moment, finding time to fit in my runs has been quite interesting. I have truly hit the "What was I thinking?" stage.

On a lighter note, I just finished listening to an audio book that my sister bought for me for me birthday. The book is "Running Like A Girl" by Alexandra Heminsley. If you are a runner, and a girl, you will totally relate to this book. Lots of laugh out loud moments. There are a few expletives in the book..so fair warning if those things offend you, but overall I couldn't stop laughing at some of the things she talked about. I recommend it!

And as if I haven't done enough half marathons lately...I already signed up for my first 2015 half signing up again for the Capital City Half Marathon. :)

Well that's all for now...I need to get some rest...these long days are really getting to me!! Have a great summer everyone!!

And Another Half Is In The Books

Yes...after all the training...all the dreaded treadmill speedwork runs during our very harsh winter...I finally conquered my third half marathon!! And as they say, third time is a charm!

Again I ran the Capital City Half Marathon and again it was a really good race and is still my favorite half so far. Only negatives I had were that it seemed a lot more congested this year than last year, and I still wish they would have a little more runner tracking than just at mile 5, but overall still a great, awesome race going through some great places in Columbus.

So the morning was a bit chilly...in the high 40s...and I decided I was still going to run in my tank and shorts...ok, maybe not the best idea, but overall it really wasn't too bad. My strategy was to make sure not to start off too fast, which I did pretty well at...of course the little sprinkle of rain during the first 3 miles made it interesting. And as I said, it seemed to be a bit more people this year...not sure if that's true, but it wasn't till about mile 3 when things started to clear out a bit where I didn't feel like I was going to step on someone. There was one point about mile 6-7 where I almost tripped over someone because someone stopped in front of me and the other runner next to me cut in front of me...luckily we all made it through unscathed. 

Overall I felt good most of the race. My right knee started bothering me towards the latter part of the race..not sure why...usually my left side is the one that hurts...but oh well. Of course I got to the dreaded mile 11...I have this mental game for some reason with mile 11...struggle getting past it. And God obviously knew that because shortly after I crossed the mile 11 marker, there was a woman standing on the corner holding up a sign, and it said, "Thank you for running for me because I can't...I have cancer." Now Capital City supports the American Cancer Society, and after I saw that sign I just teared up and it gave me the motivation to run those last couple miles.  At the end of the race I told my husband about this woman and her sign, and I told him, "And that is why I race." because he always struggles with the cost of race fees....I think he understood a little better after telling him that story.

So I get to High St. and I see that finish line...and though I didn't sprint for it like I did last year, I gave it all I had left and I was able to beat last year's time by over 7 minutes!! My time was 2:14:21!! My goal was to finish between 2:10-2:15 so goal accomplished!! 

I think there were several factors that helped me reach my PR this time around. First of all of course God for giving me the strength and determination to do it. Also my new training plan from Run The Edge I believe helped with all the speedwork and goal pace runs. And yes even the dreaded treadmill helped. Also I am a total believer now in strength training. I believe that really helped my running with helping build up my core and glutes and just giving me a stronger body. And Yoga to help stretch things out. It all worked together and I couldn't be more pleased. It was a lot of hard work and I'm not saying there weren't those times I did the workouts begrudgingly. But in the end hard work does pay off...so keep at it!!

So what's next....well I have the Indian Mud Run in June that is a ton of fun so I need to start training on the trail for that. Then I have my sights on my next half marathon in August with the Emerald City Half Marathon and a new friend of mine just asked me about doing the Columbus Half Marathon in October, so I guess I'll kick that one around a bit as well...we shall see. There may be a few 5K's thrown in here or there but for now, this is the plan for the rest of 2014.

I just want to thank all of you that have supported me in my running efforts with your prayers and words of encouragement. I carry them with me when I run a race and it's what helps me get through. You honestly don't know what it means to me. Thank you so much!!

18 Days and Counting...and Race Re-Caps :)))

Well race season has finally begun here...not that the weather has totally cooperated in the beginning, but more on that later. Yes folks...it's hard to believe but there is only 18 days until my third half marathon!! Can't believe it's almost here already!! Time has flown by so quickly!!

So I've been able to run 2 races already since my last post. First race was the Lady Tutu 5K in Columbus at the Easton Shopping Center. I had the great privilege of running the race with my wonderful sister and aunt. It was a very cold and chilly late March morning with threats of rain, but luckily the rain held off until after the race...PTL!! Overall it was a fun race, chilly but fun! I was able to finish in 28:11...19th in my age bracket. Considering the elements and fighting a sniffle I felt good about my time. And it was a great weekend spent with some great people I love...even got to enjoy some Mellow Mushroom pizza together afterwards so it was good!! My youngest son spent the weekend with me as well so it was nice just to have that one on one time with him...we don't get one on one time very often so that was good too!!

The following Saturday I did the First Step 5K/10K race here in town....and again mother nature did not want to cooperate because it was another bitter chilly morning. I usually walk down to this race, but I'm so glad I drove because it was just too chilly to walk...not only that, yours truly had signed up for this race a couple months ago and I forgot that I signed up for the 10K race option....I knew I had good logic in signing up for the 10K since it was so close to my half...thought it would make for a great training run....so I go to the race thinking, "Ok, it's chilly, but it's only a 5K...won't be that bad..." God was surely laughing at me because I get there and realize I signed up for the 10K...ugh!! Needless to say I sucked it up and did it and even did my best 10K race time to date and finally getting under an hour with a time of 56:09!! Maybe the combination of the cold and knowing I had to do it motivated me. Whatever it was I was extremely happy with my time. It also helped that someone I usually race against was right in front of me...she beat me by 3 seconds but I loved it because it gave me something to strive for...great motivation there as well.!!

So now my next race is my half marathon. A little nervous as I just did an almost 12 mile run on Saturday and though I kept a pretty decent pace I just felt slow and sluggish and my legs felt heavy. Of course I did this run very late after a very long day...so regardless I'm thinking I'm still on pace to making my goal time for my half...fingers crossed :)  Again, I can't believe in less than 3 weeks I'm doing this again. I'm figuring out that long distance running is a lot like childbirth...it's a pain that's easily forgotten because I keep signing up for these things...lol!! Hoping to do the Emerald City Half in Dublin, OH in August, but that is depending on how I feel after this half and how I feel about training for a half in the summertime. We shall see.

Well I probably won't be back until after my half, so wish me luck and I will have a race recap then. Have a super day!!

I am not a chew toy...aka not the best week in running.

I know it's been a month since I posted last...sorry about that. Life is crazy here. But I have to say these past two weeks in running have not been the best to say the least...it's to the point where I was beginning to wonder if God was trying to tell me something. About ten days ago I was running my new route around the high school area when I came upon a young man walking his black lab. The dog was on a leash and I didn't think much about it. I proceeded to run around him at what I thought was a good clear distance, but the dog lunged and ripped the leash out of the boys hand and the dog ended up biting my left arm. Now at the time I really didn't think much of it...I honestly thought he just nipped me...I had never had a dog bite me before...until I was running a little farther and my arm started throbbing and I felt blood running down my arm. Luckily I was only a block away from my in-laws and luckily they were home. They helped me get all patched up, we found the owner...luckily the dog had it's shots and we got things squared away with him. I then proceeded to go pick up my boys from school and then head to the doctor's office. They couldn't give me stitches for fear of infection, but they did proceed to give my a tetanus and antibiotic shot...and I think the shots hurt worse than the dog bite. Geesh!! Though the dog bite really bummed me out (and I'll explain more so why in a minute) I think I was more bummed out that I was only a little over a mile into my run when it happened and it was the nicest day we had had this year...I mean just wearing a t-shirt weather....which is what I had on...no long sleeves, no jacket...just a t-shirt and capris. So yes I am a crazy runner because the loss of a good run bummed me out more than the dog bite....lol. Another reason I was bummed is that I knew the hubby would give me a lecture about the hazards of running. I pretty much got the "I'm going to lock you in the basement with a treadmill" lecture...which bless his heart...I know he says it because he cares and doesn't like to see me get hurt, but like I told him...I am not a caged bird...I must be free. It took him a few days but he got over it...lol. I went back out for a outside run two days later...yes I'm crazy. But I'll tell you I was nervous going back out there, I'm not gonna lie.


Then, as if the dog bite wasn't enough, this past Monday I was on the same route and I noticed this yellow Jeep Wrangler driving by me really slow. I didn't think much of it at first...thought maybe they were lost or looking for an address or something. Then it was on the next street over...not too many houses over there and it seemed to be going the way I usually go. I decided to go a slightly different way and headed down Cambridge Rd. where it ended up passing me and then turned into a driveway to turn around. Needless to say I wasn't waiting around to see if he was looking for me or not...I bolted down a side street, called the hubby to alert him what was going on and just took off. Needless to say I never saw it again. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but my intuition is seldom wrong and that "bad vibe" feeling I usually get was going off big time....I've learned to trust it when it happens. Ironically, I talked to another runner here in town and she told me she also had a yellow Jeep Wrangler follow her recently. So I am being very super cautious now while I run. I am now prepared when I go for my outside runs...I bought pepper spray for my keychain, and my lovely and most amazing sister sent me a lovely care package of a hand held pepper spray, stun gun and a joggy doggy weapon that I can use pretty much to stab someone with if necessary. I pity the animal/person who tries to attack me next time...lol!

I have to admit though, this kind of depressed me. That we live not only in a day and age where we can't feel safe being outdoors, but that even in my small town I can no longer feel safe. One of the beauties of living in a small town is that everyone knows everyone and you could walk down the street anytime and not worry. Not anymore....just makes me sad that there are people out there that want to purposely harm people. But I know God is in control and that He's watching over me. I knew that the day the dog bit me. It could have been so much worse!! And it could have happened somewhere where I couldn't get speedy help. I consider myself extremely lucky and I'm very grateful to God for watching out for me...as well as the Jeep incident. God was definitely watching over me then too. I am now very much more aware of my surroundings.

So I just want to say, if you're a runner out there....be careful. Know your surroundings. Be prepared and carry something with you to protect yourself...better safe than sorry.

On a much more positive note I was able to get an 11 mile run in today and it was a good one. Though I started a bit slow at first and my hamstrings were feeling pretty tight, I had a really good pace. I did my 11.1 mile run in 1:49:57 which is about a 9:54 pace....at that rate if I'm able to keep that up I'm positive I'll beat last year's half marathon time...woot woot. Pretty happy about that!!

So until next time...stay safe, be prepared and be aware.

Is it Spring yet???

Wow....has it really been almost 3 months since my last post?!?! We need to change that! Honestly things here have been a little crazy and I did take a sort of internet (mainly Facebook) fast for about a month...let me tell you I sure got a lot more done around my house doing that :)

So as I mentioned in my last post, winter runs were going to be interesting....and boy have they ever! Old man winter has been quite harsh in Ohio and to say that I'm sick of the white fluffy stuff is an understatement indeed! I'd say something about moving south, but by the sounds of things even the south has had a harsh winter, if not harsher, than ours. But I have faith...I heard bird chirping out my window yesterday and have smelled quite a few skunks roaming around so Spring is definitely around the corner....right??

So yes running has been interesting...last month I did several runs at the track at Kids America and even buckled to using my mother in law's treadmill. Now I'm sure I've mentioned before my disdain for the treadmill...in fact I lovingly call it the dreadmill...I dread running on that thing...it's just so boring!! But with our harsh weather conditions the dreadmill and I have moved on to a love/hate relationship. I've learned that I really like the treadmill when I'm doing interval training...so much easier to keep track of how far and how fast I'm going so it does make it a little fun. But trust me, The treadmill know the feeling I have for him and there have been a few times when the treadmill kicked my tush...I think just as a way to get even for my disdain for him...but regardless, we have learned to get along and that is a good thing because this winter has been brutal! And I've only used the KA track a few times...it's just such a short track and its usually as cold in there as it is outside...it just hurts my hip too much to keep going in a circle like that for very long, so yes the treadmill and I are learning to play nice.

Though thankfully this week has been a little better weather wise. All my runs so far have been outdoors and how glorious it has been!! Even stepping in ice cold puddles and dodging ice patches...running outdoors will always be my run of choice. So I'm about 6 weeks into my half marathon training and things are going well so far. I'm using this new training plan by Run The Edge which was created by Adam Goucher (husband of famous runner Kara Goucher) and Tim Catalano. I'm using the Ultimate 13.1 plan and I like it...it's kind of fun and cute for an ADD mind like mine. The only drawback for me is that they base their runs on time, not distance. So for instance if it says to do a 60 minute run...for some that mean a 7-8 mile run while for me it means maybe about 6 miles since I'm (cough cough) older and I'm just not all that fast. And if you are going to run a long distance race it's all about getting those miles in....so I may have to tweek this a little but overall it seems like a good program.

So I'm sure you have been frustrated these last several months wondering what my running plans for 2014 are....ok, maybe not, but honestly you haven't missed anything yet. I have no plans until the end of March and then running season will officially be in full gear. So the first race I have planned is the Lady Tutu 5K on March 29th. This is the same race I ran in August, however different venue and I'll not only be running it with my sister, but my aunt is joining us as well. Praying it's not too cold that day! Then I have plans to run the First Step 5K/10K on April 5th...I'll be signing up for the 10K since that will work great with my half training. I do this one every year as it helps those who are victims to domestic violence and bullying. Then of course I will be running for the 2nd year in a row, the Capital City Half Marathon. I absolutely love this half....I don't know what it is but I love running in Columbus and this race is very well organized. If you are looking for a good half marathon, this one is it. Looking forward to running it again. Then my only obstacle race so far this year is the Indian Mud Run. I love this course! Now I may be biased and honestly I haven't done any other obstacle courses, but I have seen what other obstacle courses have and the thing I love most about this course is that is mostly a natural trail course going through the woods. Yes there are plenty of man made obstacles to add to the fun, but the course itself without the obstacles (which I like to run throughout the summer) is tough enough. It's a great little course. Then the last race I plan to run (though I haven't signed up yet) is The Emerald City Half Marathon. This race is also in the Columbus area and I'll be honest...I'm totally doing this one for the bling. They have really cute Shamrock looking medals and the hubby has already told me that I'm doing this race. The only trepidation I have is that it being in August...August is hot...August is humid...and 13.1 miles is long. So we shall see if I commit to it, but that's the plan so far.

So that's it for my running plans for 2014 so far. I've kind of scaled it back a little this year compared to last year, but we shall see what the year holds. I will probably throw a few other races in the mix once info becomes available like the MDA 5K I do every August and the Feed The Need 5K/10K...and I will probably do the Hot Chocolate Run again...but again we shall see what 2014 holds. Until then, this is it.

So what are your running plans for 2014??

Hot Chocolate 5K Race Recap...and Cold Weather Running

So I know this is waaayyy overdue, but life has been a bit busy in our little household so, better late than never I always say.

So I ran the Hot Chocolate 5K in Columbus about 3 weeks ago and I have to say it was a pretty well organized race. The weather actually held out for us during the race. It rained quite a bit the day before and the morning of, but at the start of the race there was no rain and the temps weren't overly bad. Quite bearable actually which made the experience very nice. It rained after the race, so God was truly smiling on us while we were out there. I ran the race with my aunt and my sister...though we were all in different corrals we weren't all that far apart from each other. The course was very nice and no complaints there...I always love racing in downtown Columbus...lots of great things to see and that's good for an ADD girl like me...lol. The only complaint I had about the course was it was rather congested. I usually hang to the back of the corral, and this may not have been the best option this time. Had to do a lot of bobbing and weaving, but overall it was a really good race. And the goodies at the end were really really good. Hot cocoa, fondue, pretzels, banana, rice krispy treat, sugar wafer cookies...lots of yummy goodies! Really good after race yumminess! Would I do this race again...yes I probably would. It was a lot of fun and really enjoyed the vibe of the crowd and the goodies at the end. You also got a cool looking hoodie with our race bag, which was very nice...though I did have to exchange it for a larger size because they ran small but a really cool SWAG indeed. So I ended up running the race in 29'40"...not my best but definitely not bad either considering all the bobbing and weaving I did.

So now that winter is officially here in Ohio, it makes for interesting runs. This past Saturday I ran 5.27 miles but it was in the 20s....and when the sun started going down boy did it get cold...and that was before 5 pm!! Needless to say made for a really chilly run, but ran a pretty decent time...nothing like being cold to make you run faster :). So my runs these next few months I'm sure will be sporadic. I'm the type of person that if I can go outside and run, that's ideally what I will do. If the weather is bad I'll end up at the track at Kids America....and if I can't do that and get desperate...I'll end up on my mother-in-laws treadmill at her office. 

Winter running also means bundling up...sort of...runners know you can't bundle up like Ralphie's brother in the Christmas Story....that doesn't work so well. So I have come across some new winter gear that I am liking very much that I'll share with you:

EmFraa thermal base layers :Top & Bottom....I was honestly a little leary in ordering these...they were so cheap compared to other base layer items I was looking at, but I read the reviews at Amazon and decided to give them a try. Though they are thin, they keep me very warm. I've washed each of them several times so far and they wash up well. If you are looking for a good base layer without spending megabucks, try these out...the only negative I had with these was that they actually shipped from overseas, and even though I ordered both of these at the same time...I had to pay the $9.00 shipping for each piece...so yes almost $ 20.00 in shipping alone, but even with the shipping they were cheaper than most of the other base layers. Good base layers are a must with these chilly temps right now.

Velocity Women's Reflective Running Jacket....I LOVE this jacket...and yes I got the bright yellow. I wanted to make sure people could see me :) This jacket is nice and warm without being too warm and it is soooo soft. Love it!! I had just ordered a North Face jacket that I paid 4 times the price for and I sent it back because this jacket was just so much nicer. The only complaint...again came from overseas and took a little longer to get it shipped to me (I initially ordered it for my Hot Chocolate 5K....of course it showed up the day AFTER the race) and it is starting to pill in a couple places, but not sure if that's the jacket's fault or my old washer...but regardless...I really like this jacket and I'm considering getting the hot pink one too. Maybe Santa will be nice to me. ;)

So that's all for now. Not sure I'll get back on here before Christmas, so in case I don't, have a very Merry Christmas and I'll talk to you next year as we gear up for my half marathon training for the 2014 Cap City Half Marathon in May :)

Merry Christmas and many blessings!