Workout Wednesday

Good morning!! Happy Wednesday!!

We're halfway through another work week and y'all know that makes me Happy, Happy, Happy!!

Yesterday was a rare day for August in Oklahoma. The high was only in the 80's and the humidity was very low. It was beautiful, almost like fall! I had some frustrating personal issues to deal with yesterday, so I was more than happy to run last night. Pathways did a 2.5 mile recovery run through the neighborhoods near the store. I think that we all enjoyed the lower humidity! Everyone did very well. We have a rather large group, so we have some safety issues to work out, but all in all, I think I've got a great group and its going to be so much fun working with them this session.

Today is Workout Wednesday. Since fall marathon training has started for most of us, I thought today would be a good day to discuss marathon training.

Runners spend so many hours and put in so many miles training for their desired goal race. When race day arrives, we all know what we need to do/should do. But, do we know what NOT to do? I found infographic from Proform.com to share with you just to make sure you don't make any rookie mistake that could cost you time or heartache. Enjoy!

Spread the word on how to not run a marathon.



Until next time-get up, get out, and get moving! Whatever you choose to do today, be awesome at it!

 Your friend,

 Theresa

 Have you ever made any of these mistakes on race day?

BIG NEWS!!

Hello, hello!! 

Happy pre-Friday y'all!  We're on the down hill side now!!  I don't know about you, but I'm ecstatic about it because we all know I'm just working for the weekend!

I told you yesterday that I had some awesome news for you. Well, drum roll please........

I'm pleased to announce that I have been selected as a "run-bassador" for Run Revel race series. I was contacted by them a while back about becoming an ambassador. I was delighted when they contacted me because I had been looking for a fall race and ran across the Big Cottonwood half marathon in Salt Lake City, Utah in September. I was considering this as my fall race as it is one week before my birthday. I thought it would be a great birthday present to myself!! So, naturally, I was thrilled when they contacted me to notify me that I had been selected as an ambassador.

 

REVEL is a series of running events that is gaining a broad presence in the running world by distinguishing its races in a number of ways, including its unique courses, emphasis on runner experience, and partnerships with local communities, nonprofit organizations, sponsors, and government agencies.

 

REVEL races can best be described by two words: Fast & Beautiful. Our events take place in the most beautiful venues available in the areas in which they are held. REVEL races seek to maximize the time our runners spend running in canyons, forests, state or national parks, and so forth. In addition, the downhill nature of REVEL races provides a unique opportunity for runners to achieve personal best times and qualify for exclusive events.

In addition to providing unforgettable experiences for our runners, REVEL races also deliver value to the communities who graciously host our events. Each REVEL race brings significant financial benefits to local economies, provides an opportunity for communities to brand themselves, and creates a healthier and more fitness-friendly community. Additionally, proceeds from each REVEL runner's entry fee are donated to local nonprofit groups geared towards health and environmental causes.

Currently, they have marathons and half marathons in  Denver, CO; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Los Angeles, CA. I'll be running the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon in Salt Lake City on September 13, one week before my birthday.

The Hoka One One REVEL Big Cottonwood Half Marathon may be the fastest and most beautiful half marathon course you will ever run. Experience the amazing views in the canyon with the sun coming up and the fall leaves glowing brightly. The half marathon begins at Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon and runs straight downhill among the canyon cliffs and alongside Big Cottonwood Creek for nearly 10 miles to the mouth of the canyon.  After exiting the canyon the course is straight, downhill, and fast, without a single turn on the entire course and a continual slope down to the finish. At the mouth of the canyon runners will continue straight onto Fort Union Boulevard and continue due west to the finish line in front of the Cottonwood Heights city offices.

The marathon begins at Brighton Ski Resort at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon and runs straight downhill among the canyon cliffs and alongside Big Cottonwood Creek for nearly 15 miles to the mouth of the canyon. Runners enjoy an average 5% grade during this stretch. Make sure you train appropriately for this downhill section as downhill running works your muscles differently than flat or uphill.  After exiting the canyon the marathon course heads north for an out-and-back on Wasatch Boulevard. With the road completely closed to all traffic and reserved solely for the marathon, runners will be able to witness incredible views of the Salt Lake Valley and cheer on their fellow runners as they pass going the opposite way. This 7 mile stretch of the marathon is relatively flat with slight rolling hills.  After the out-and-back the marathon course returns to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and enters the city of Cottonwood Heights, following the same downhill course as the half marathon to finish in front of the Cottonwood Heights city offices. The marathon course is USATF certified and is one of the fastest Boston Marathon qualifying races in the country. 
 
In the upcoming days, I will create a team that you'll all be invited to join. Once my team is created, I will be given a discount code to share with you so that you can join me. All teams will receive a professional team photo at the finish, and team scoring. Teams of 12 or more receive additional benefits, including the option to create official Hoka One One REVEL Big Cottonwood team shirts with their team name and a custom color, as well as team tent space at the finish. I'll have more information about it in the upcoming days. Keep watching the blog or follow me on Twitter @RNrunnerdiva or on Instagram @tunruh67 for more details and information.

I'm incredibly excited to be working with and representing Run Revel! And I would be thrilled to have you all join me in Utah in September! It would be a wonderful birthday gift to have you all run with me!! Or y

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving!!  Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

    

Motivation Monday ~ Weekly Goals, New Plan

Hello folks! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a good weekend.

Mine did not go as planned. I went to my sister's baby shower Friday afternoon. It was so nice and they were blessed with so many nice gifts. Afterward, I went to a doctor's appointment for some skin issues I've been having recently. I think I'm experiencing some hormonal acne. I never had breakouts like this when I was younger. This had been horrible, painful and terribly embarrassing. I was given a perception for oral antibiotics and a topical ointment.

Sometime during the night, I woke up ill from the antibiotics. I was supposed to get up and run later that morning but just didn't feel like it. As a matter of fact, I didn't feel well enough to do anything until about 2 pm. I forced myself to get up and go do the grocery shopping.

Yesterday, I was supposed to go volunteer at the Oklahoma  City marathon but again wasn't feeling well. I did get up at 0630 to watch the marathon on tv as I had many friends running it. I turned the tv on just in time to see that the start was delayed until 7 am due to severe thunderstorms with hail and lightening. They delayed the start until 7:15 and then again until 8 am. There was real danger of them having to cancel but the storms passed enough, that they were able to start at 8:15. It was so exciting to watch it on tv and made me sad that I there. But with the weather, I was glad I wasn't actually.

I did my house work while watching them run. Then I did meal prep. After ward, I did a total body strength workout and then yoga. I was finally able to sit down and put my feet up for a little while.

This week, I prepped baked chicken, ground turkey, stir fry veggies, brown rice, spaghetti squash, green beans, roasted sweet potatoes, hard boiled eggs, salad, and fresh veggies for snacks.

Our meal plan/workout plan is going to be a little different this week. We're trying the 21 Day Fix from Beachbody. It is a meal/workout plan that comes with multiple, colored portion control containers. Each container/color corresponds with a food group: red - protein, green - veggies, purple - fruit, yellow - carbs, blue - fats/cheese, orange - seeds/oils. You calculate your calorie intake and each day you're allowed x number of containers based on the required/desired calorie intake. I'm on the lowest calorie plan, so I'm allowed: 3 green, 2 purple, 4 red, 2 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange and 2 tsp (nut butter)

It also includes a 7 day workout plan. Now, I have to tell ya that I cheated and started the workouts last week. I love them! They are led by Autumn Calabrese and when I'm done, I feel like I've done work! Each day is different and each workout is only 30 minutes. They are easily modified if one needs to.

I've joined up with Danielle Prestejohn and a few other bloggers for this challenge. You'll follow us while we do the program for 3 weeks.

I'm a little skeptical about the meal plan. I already do a good job of meal planning/prepping. And I measure all my portions on a food scale. I feel like this is something I've already got a
good handle on. So far, I'm not impressed with the "if it fits in the container, you can eat it" mindset. Especially when it comes to vegetables. When I was preparing my salad today, one green container of lettuce wasn't quite enough for my taste, so I'm going to have an extra green container today. There are worse things I could eat. :-)

We'll give it a go though and I'll try to be open minded about it.

My fitness goals for the week include the 21 Day Fix workout plan with 2-3 short runs included in there.

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving! And whatever you do today, be awesome!

Your friend,

Theresa

Weekly Wrap Up!

TGIF y'all! I'm feeling pretty much like the little girl in the picture. It's Friday, the weather is beautiful here, and I'm off work early today!

I'm leaving work at noon to drive to my hometown for my sister's baby shower. I'm super excited!

Tomorrow, I'm meeting a few friends for a 3-4 mile run in the morning. After that, hubs and I will be en route to Oklahoma City for the Okc Memorial Marathon. Neither of us is running it, but I'm volunteering at the medical tent. There is severe weather predicted for early Sunday morning. I'm hoping that it won't affect the start of the marathon. They have had to delay it for lightening and hail before.

I've been faithful about cross training this week. Last night, I did a pilates routine and really enjoyed it. I can tell a difference in my energy level. I think I've gotten out of my rut and plan on staying out of it!

Until next time--get up, get out and get moving. Whatever you do today, remember to be awesome!

Your friend,

Theresa

Tuesday Thoughts

Hello, hello y'all!

I hope that you're having a terrific day so far!

Thanks for all the love and support about my food prep post yesterday. It's something that I think I'm pretty good at and enjoy sharing it with others. I would love to develop it into some kind of side business someday ;-)

How inspiring was the Boston Marathon yesterday? I watched an interview with Meb once and have been a big fan of his since then. He is such a talented and humble athlete, which is quite refreshing now days. I was thrilled that he won, he deserved it! I'm so jealous of my friends who are running the Garmin Marathon this weekend. Meb is the key note speaker at the pre-race dinner! I've met a few running legends and some day, I hope to get to meet him. I had a few friends there. It was fun following their social media and tracking them on race day. I probably wasn't as productive at work as I should have been. It's probably a good thing it only happens once a year, otherwise my boss might start to wonder just what I'm up to :-)

As you all know, I've been struggling with my motivation lately. I don't know exactly what the problem is. And, truth be told, it's probably a combination of things. But, I think I may have had a revelation. I've been talking to a good friend about my lack of interest and he's been trying to encourage me but I still really wasn't feeling it. A co worker suggested I try some vitamin D, which I am. But the real "Ah Ha" moment was a comment on my FB page that really resonated with me. I posted a picture of the weekly food prep. One of my friends commented that I was her hero. I asked her why and she said:

"You are so organized! You work out very faithfully, and created all this food for the week! I am happy when I have planned a menu!!!"

That's when it hit me! I try to lead be example and lately I haven't been setting a good one. I'm not practicing what I preach. I've been selfish and wallowing in some kind of self pity for who knows why. Well, all of that stops NOW! People are watching what I do. I've got too many people that I would let down, especially myself, if I don't get it together and start walking the walk again. I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say "because of you I didn't give up".

The lesson learned here is, we all struggle from time to time and sometimes we need help from our friends, those who believe in us when we don't believe in ourselves. The important thing if you get knocked down, is to get back up and keep going. You never know who you might be inspiring!

With that being said, I got in a good total body workout last night. Tonight after work, I'll be running a few miles, then I'm going to do an upper body workout.

Ok, until next time--get up, get out, get moving, and be awesome today!

Your friend,

Theresa

Do you ever struggle with motivation? How do you stay motivated?
Did you know anyone who ran the Boston Marathon

Mental Overtraining?

Good morning folks!!  Happy Wednesday! We're halfway there!!

Happy AHA National Walking Day!

I guess I was having a little pity party yesterday. Sorry 'bout that! Actually, I'm glad I could get all that off my chest.

No, I didn't run yesterday. I desperately wanted to. I was invited to join my friends for "Turkey Tuesday" but it wasn't meant to be. I was sick with an upper respiratory infection for a couple of days. I thought that I was feeling better, so I went ahead and went to work. But, before I even got there, I was running a fever again. I stayed as long as I could tough it out, but I left early. I came home, got on my pj's and got back in bed. I feel better today just weak. The most I could probably muster today, if anything would be about a mile if even that. But 1 mile is better than no miles, so we'll see what happens after work. ;-)

Getting all that out there yesterday really made me reflect on what's been going on with me lately. We know that training takes so much physically. We get in the miles, we do the stretching, foam rolling, pre-hab and rehab, etc required to achieve our goals. But, do we think about how much mental prep is involved in training for a big race??  I know that I don't.

Last fall, when I decided that I would train for a marathon, I was gung ho. I was excited because I had a new goal and I approached it with reckless abandon. Then, in late January, I had the realization that a marathon wasn't a realistic goal for me. That was a little bit of a let down. I lost some of that gusto. Then, 2 weeks later, it became obvious that my Achilles injury was going to be an issue. Another let down.....   More wind out of my sails......   

So, when the half marathon rolled around, I wasn't really as excited about it as I should have been. Race day came and it was a less than desirable experience. After the half, not only did I have the normal post race let down, but I had an injury that was going to take some time to heal. I didn't know how long it would be before I could run again. Or if I would ever be able to run again. As  result, I didn't have any races planned, so nothing to look forward to our goals to work forward. Looking back at all this, it's easy to see how I've gotten so discouraged and down in the dumps. I try hard to always maintain a positive attitude. But one can only fake it so much.

Ok, so now I recognize it and I'm owning it. Now, it's time to figure out how to move past it. I think that I'll eventually get my mojo back. But I don't want to force it. If I do and I have problems, then I'll probably stop forever. I'm pretty sure that I'll know when the time is right and I'm thinking that it will be sooner rather than later!

I've got to form a game plan and figure out how to take better care of myself mentally and emotionally, not just physically when I'm training.

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today.

Your friend,

Theresa

How do you take care of yourself while training?

2 Things Thursday

Good morning folks!!

Another day, another doll-hair here.

Yesterday was selection day for those who entered the NYC marathon lottery. They offered a $5 entry fee special last fall on Cyber Monday. In a moment of temporary insanity, I decided to take advantage of that offer and threw my name in the pot for the drawing. I had almost forgotten about that until Tuesday night when I saw a tweet about it. I felt a little bit sick. I really didn't think that I would be selected, but what if.....  Stranger things have happened. I watched my email box anxiously all day yesterday. I even called my bank to see if there were any pending charges on my account. Well, as I was arriving home last night, I got the email

I'm really not disappointed at all. Actually, I'm relieved! I may tackle a marathon some day, I don't really think I'm ready to right now.


And some exciting news! Last week, I found this email in my inbox:

 

That's right, I'm a I'm Fit Possible Ambassador! I'm really excited to work with this group to empower people/women to be the best that they can be. So, be sure to check out the website!

Ok, that's all for now. Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Have you ever entered a marathon lottery?

Were you selected??

Little Rock race recap

Hello, hello folks! Happy Monday!

Today is Motivation Monday and that post will be up a little later. Right now, I want to fill y'all in on the Little Rock Half marathon yesterday.

As you know, my original goal was to run the marathon. Nagging injuries and a harsh winter made training difficult. I realized that a full marathon was probably not realistic at this time. As a result, I changed my registration to the half. After the Sweetheart Run on February 15, I had to take a couple of weeks off to give my Achilles and peroneal tendons time to rest and hopefully heal. I was a little nervous but I've run 13.1 multiple times so was fairly certain that I could do it. With a 2 week "taper", I was hoping for the best....fresh legs and hopefully, little to no pain.

We got up early Saturday morning for the drive to Arkansas. On the way, we decided to stop off at one of our favorite little, local wineries, Post Family Winery in Altus, Arkansas.

 We tasted some wines, had some snacks and then resumed our trip. We arrived in Little Rock and went straight to the expo. Packet pickup was effortless and went of without a hitch. I bought some Swiftwick socks and then we headed to our hotel. We got v checked in and settled in and started to discuss dinner. I wanted to drive from the hotel to the start area to time the drive and figure out parking. I was pleased to realize that it was easier to find and much closer than I originally thought. Afterward, we grabbed an early dinner. After dinner, I got in a little retail therapy. When we got back to the hotel, the staff told us that there was a shuttle for runners in the morning. That was a game changer because that reduced the stress of trying to find parking in the morning. I got my race dummy/flat runner ready and settled in for the night.

All week long, I had been watching the weather forecast closely. They were predicting a winter storm for the area and I knew it could be a factor. I always tell my runners to "control what you can control". Obviously, I can't control the weather, but I could at least try to control my wardrobe. In this case, that was going to be challenging. I couldn't begin to figure out how to dress for a race where the temperature was expected to drop with a high chance of rain. I brought several outfits and decided that I would make my final clothing choice on the morning of the race.

The alarm went off at 5 am. I looked out the window and saw that it was dry. My weather app showed the current temp @ 54. I was cautiously optimistic. I ate my breakfast and started to get dressed. I was planning to wear a long sleeved base layer with a short sleeved top over it. I was going to carry a lightweight jacket because it was supposed to be windy. But, after looking at the hourly forecast, I opted for a long sleeved base layer and a long sleeved 1/2 zip over it. I still had the jacket packed in my hydration vest. We went downstairs at 6:45 to catch the shuttle. The temperature was perfect, but that would soon change.

Due to road closures, the shuttle had to drop us off a mile from the start line.

Pre-race: 55 degrees and no rain--still smiling!

I missed the half fanatics picture but I did see my friend Gayle from Tulsa and Pamela from Texas.

Still no rain, still smiling! Rain started 5 minutes after this pic was taken.

It was starting to rain lightly. I put on my rain poncho and waited in a store doorway for the rain to let up.  At about 7:55, I got in the corral and started chatting with other runners. It was  still lightly drizzling. The wind was brisk and we were all wet. At first, I was concerned that I was overdressed. Later, I would be glad that I had changed clothes.

They were doing a wave start, starting each corral about every 5 minutes. I was in corral G so I didn't get to start until almost 8:30. I was planning to start out slow but I started in the front of my corral. I looked at my watch and was running a 9 minute mile. I knew that was way too fast and my angry Achilles agreed. It was hurting and I was only 0.15 miles in. Great! My plan was to walk if I had to and crawl if I must, so I was planning to make the best of it. I slowed my pace to about an 11 minute mile. I turned up my music, started to jam out and just run.....for as long as my leg would let me.

On one of the out and back sections, I saw a couple of my fellow Tulsa/Fleet Feet runners. That made me smile. It's my own race, but it's encouraging to see people I know out on the course. It makes me feel like I'm not alone.

I was a little concerned about nutrition due to recent diet changes but had carbed up really well for breakfast. I had carrying organic Sharkies and Honey Stinger chews. I planned to take some nutrition about every 30 minutes, which was no problem because I wad carrying my own water. I passed the first water stop but grabbed Gatorade at the next one for additional carbs.

I was hurting but feeling pretty good until about mile 6 or 7. I kept trudging along but it was obvious the weather was deteriorating. I noticed sharp pain in my left foot around mile 9 but I kept going. I was running about an 11:30 - 12 at this point and was taking short walk breaks as needed. I was starting to wish that I had my buff because the wind was cold on my face. I was starting to compare this run to Rt 66 last November. We ran past several area churches and apparently by the Governor's mansion. I didn't really notice. I was just trying to focus on finishing.

Mile 11 - 12, I was walking more frequently. I didn't have a goal time in mind. I kept looking at my watch thinking I might be able to make a 2:30 finish, exactly the same as my last half finish time. Mile 12-13, was a little bit downhill. I tried to make up some time here, but was hurting too bad. I saw the mile 13 flag and felt relieved! Just a little bit further now! I pushed as hard as I could, high fived Bart Yasso, and fist pumped my way across the finish line. I got my large medal, saw my hubs and immediately began to cry. It was the hardest thing I've ever done! Worse than Route 66 and that was very bad!

Post race: fake smile, wet,cold and hungry, red cheeks and nose from crying

There was no gluten free, dairy free post race food. I got to my hubs as quickly as I could so I could get my wet clothes off and dry jacket on and get some post race grub before I got sick. We had to wait a bit for the shuttle driver due to miscommunication. Once we were on the shuttle, we found out that they had black flagged the race due to weather. They pulled runners off the course. Some were made to wait in a Wal-Mart parking lot for buses back to the finish so they could collect their medals. Others chose to press on and finish without course support. If I had in fact run the marathon, I would have most certainly been stopped. Yet another reason I'm glad I chose to do the half instead. I can understand why they did it.  It was 55 with light rain at the start and 35 with high winds, sleet and thunderstorms at the finish. Hypothermia was a real concern and the there was a threat of lightening in the area. I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to "re-route" the race but with that many people involved, safety had to come first. Yet, as a runner, I can certainly understand the disappointment of months worth of training and being so close, yet so far away. It would have been heartbreaking not to be able to cross that finish line.

After a hot shower and getting my belly full of post race fajitas, we headed home, right into a winter storm! It was sleeting and snowing making it a treacherous trip. We're home safely now and I can say that was the hardest thing I've ever done! I'm resting, icing, and elevating in compression socks today. Now it's time to get in to see a doctor to figure out what's causing my foot/ankle/Achilles issues. I'm so discouraged and frustrated! I've had 1 pain free week since the first of the year. Something has to change! We have to figure out what the problem is and how to fix it so that I can keep running without causing permanent damage, if I haven't already.

Finally Friday

Good morning folks!!  TGIF

This has been a long, challenging week at work. One thing I don't talk about too much here is my work. I really wanted to write a long, ranting post yesterday, but I refrained. I tried very hard to be positive even though I didn't want to. And I think it worked. It actually wasn't a terribly bad day after all! But I'm more than ready for the weekend!

It's going to be a busy weekend here! We're getting up early in the morning to travel to Little Rock, Arkansas. I was going to run the marathon there on Sunday. But, after an eye opening 15.5 mile run, I changed my registration to the half. I've been nursing an ankle/heel/Achilles/peroneal tendon issue since the first of the year. I've been on a 2 week running hiatus. I'm a little nervous about trying to run this race. The smart thing to do would probably be to defer until next year. But I'm hoping for "fresh legs" after this rest period. I've called it the "ultimate taper" I would be a little more excited about it if the weather wasn't going crazy here. I could have at least had fun with it.  But the good old "polar vortex" is going to return over the weekend. They're predicting a winter storm for our area for this weekend. It looks like it will be cold and rainy on Sunday. I'm not thrilled about this. I don't like to run in the cold and the rain is just ok, but cold rain is another issue. This is one race where I'm really not even sure how to dress. I've been told to bring "everything" so I guess that's what I'll do. With the weather conditions and my injury issues, I'm just hoping to finish. I could really use some good running karma and thoughts on Sunday morning if you're so inclined. :-)

I've been concerned about nutrition and fueling since I made drastic changes (no gluten, no dairy and limited sugar) to my diet recently. But I think I've got a plan that will work out well. I used dried fruit and nuts a couple of weeks ago when I did 12 miles. At mile 10, I felt like I was out of gas. I needed more carbs I think. So, I'm planning to make a "trail mix" of nuts, fruit, dry Chex cereal and a few M&M's. I'm thinking that will work out pretty well. I plan to use my Nathan Minimist hydration vest, so I'll use Gatorade G2 for additional carbs. And I plan to have my old standby Honey Stinger chews in case I need more fuel. That should be enough :-)

Alrighty, that's my weekend preview. What's on your agenda for the weekend?

Whatever it is, be safe and have a GREAT one!!

Re-evaluating Goals

Good morning folks!!  Happy Tuesday!

Last weekend, I ran the Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa Go Short, Go Long, Go Very Long 25k. This was my longest distance to date. I was counting it as a training run for my marathon. It was about 40 degrees when we started. I opted not to wear my hydration vest because I didn't want to get too warm. I wore a long sleeved tech shirt and a New Balance vest over it. I had plenty of nutrition and I had hubs stationed at the mile 6 water stop in case I needed a bail out plan or something. It was a beautiful morning. I ran with my friend Kelly. We chatted and listened to music. The first water stop was at the 5k mark. It seemed to take an eternity to get there and I was wishing that I had brought my own water. We continued down the west bank of the Tulsa Riverpark trails. We passed the 10k water stop. I got Nuun and water and an "I love you" from hubs. The Achilles was a bothering me a little bit but nothing I couldn't handle so we kept going. We were getting close to Turkey mountain and we discussed our strategy for the hills. We decided that we would do a run/walk up the hills and pick it up going back down 71st. We got to the parking lot at Turkey Mountain. I had to stop for the bathroom then we headed out. As we were running down 71st street, we both noticed a large bird and then we realized it was a eagle making lazy circles in the sky above us. It was so cool!!  We headed back north toward the finish and were in the home stretch. We passed the 13.1 mile mark. I became aware of every ache and pain in my body. My back was tight and hurting. The last 2 miles were not fun at all for me. We were nearing the 3 hour mark and all I could think was: if I'm running a marathon, I would have about 2 more hours to go" I just couldn't wrap my mind around that. And it was in that moment that I realized I was not having fun or enjoying myself at all. I didn't have any sense of excitement or accomplishment when I crossed that finish line, I was just relieved that it was over. It became clear to me that I had no desire to run a full 26.2 miles. I'm glad I realized it now and not in the middle of a marathon.


Still smiling....

Faking it till I make it!! 

I've given this decision a lot of thought. My goal for 2014 was to live outside of my comfort zone and to challenge myself to new things and one of those things was to run a marathon. But I think that some people are not meant to run long distances and I am one of those people. I'm running for fun and personal growth. I have decided to focus on half marathons instead. That is a distance that I enjoy. It's more comfortable for me but long enough that it's challenging for me. I've changed my registration for Little Rock, Arkansas to the half distance and I'm looking into the Dust Bowl series later in March. I've done half marathons in 6 states, Arkansas would be #7. I could do New Mexico and Colorado for #8 and #9.

I had a good but cold run with my Pathways group last night. It was about 18 degrees but felt like 9 with the wind chill. We still averaged an 11:20 pace on our 2.5 miles. I was surprised to see that 8 of my runners showed up to run in the cold. I'm really proud of them and I think that it's going to be a good session after all. Tonight is the TU track but I don't trust this Achilles completely just yet. I had a pain free run last night but I want to give it just a little more time before I tackle the track with them. Maybe next week.

My recent trips to the chiropractor have made it painfully obvious that I've gotten weak in my core. I was making good progress last summer and fall but then I slacked off and have back slid. Ah, thank goodness for muscle memory!!  I'm going to participate in a 30 day #corecommit challenge hosted by Ericka and hopefully I can regain what I lost. Today is day 2. The W.O.D. is this 10 minute abs from Fitness Blender. I watched the video and wrote everything down. I'm hoping to get this done at the work gym on my lunch break.

For goals to be successful, they have to be realistic and running a marathon is just not realistic for me. I've been having second thoughts about it since I had to pull back on my training due to this Achilles injury. I guess that all things happen for a reason. I'm not unhappy about my decision. I'm relieved actually. I'm happy with my training recently. I've built up miles and endurance. But I'm looking forward to having more time to cross train and hopefully improve my half marathon performance. I'm also looking forward to concentrating on running a half in all 50 states. Goals are good tools on the roadmap of life to help you get where you are going. There are going to be obstacles and you're going to have to figure out how to overcome them to get from point A to point B. That's what makes a goal successful....to figure out a way to keep going when the going gets tough!

Have a terrific day, y'all!

Tuesday out.......

Embracing My Crazy

Howdy Folks!!  TGIF!!

Whew!!  This has been the longest. week. ever!  I thought Friday would never get here!! It has been a busy, hectic week!

I had a good spin workout Wednesday night followed by 3 rounds of the workout that I posted for Workout Wednesday. I got a pretty good sweat on!

Thursday, I was supposed lead Pathways on a 3 mile run. Well, my boss had scheduled a staff meeting for 4pm. She told us that she would try to keep it at 1 hour, but that almost never happens. Consequently, I didn't get out of there in time to make the group run. I'm not entirely that upset about missing it either because it was about 18 degrees/felt like 6 with the wind chill at run time. I thought about getting some miles in on the treadmill but I'm scheduled to run the Go Short, Go Long, Go Very Long 25k tomorrow morning. My Achilles is feeling pretty good right now and I didn't want to risk irritating it again. I'm not sure that the treadmill isn't a contributing factor to the injury in the first place. I increased my pace and mileage but I also had never run on the treadmill until recently. I think in this instance, rest and erring on the side of caution was the right call to make.

So, this is going to be a pretty personal, revealing post. If you're not into that, then stop reading now. Otherwise, you've been forewarned.

I've been trying to wrap my mind around my meltdown the other day. I've been trying to figure out what happened. I remember from a very early age trying to be a "pleaser", trying to make everyone happy so that I would feel accepted. I struggled to fit in. I didn't make many friends. I didn't participate in sports or extracurricular activities other than band and choir. I was only mediocre at those. I didn't push myself or challenge myself because I was afraid of failure. I was not encouraged to either. I'll never forget my first grade teacher yanking me out of my chair and shaking me so hard that I wet my pants because I colored outside of the lines on the first freaking day of school even! Or the 5th grade teacher who ridiculed my art projects and belittled me/put me down every chance she got. I hope karma wears stilettos!! Apparently I never successfully mastered Erikson's developmental stage of industry vs inferiority. I've always had a low self esteem and confidence issues. I have had problems starting things and not finishing them. I've always sought approval and validation from others. I never learned to love myself and I often set unrealistic expectations for myself.

But all of that has changed recently and running has played an integral part in that. People joke about running being cheaper than therapy. Well, for me it is therapy. Running has empowered me. It is something that I can do for myself that no one can take away from me or diminish. It's not easy but I'm out there doing it and they aren't! I'm not a fast runner but my running friends and community accept me just that way I am. And the sense of accomplishment that I get when I cross the finish line is better than any drug could ever be!! I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far and have been so looking forward to completing my first marathon. Then this stupid Achilles acted up. I started to have doubt and fear. Additionally, there was negativity directed at me by one of my runners and I've really taken that personally. I had such a positive, inspiring group of runners last session and I guess that I expected that same thing with this group especially since they're in the advanced group. But I don't think that is going to be the case and I'm feeling discouraged and disappointed already. So, the other day when the doctor was trying to get me to engage my core and I couldn't do what he wanted me to do was the icing on the cake. All those old feelings of inadequacy came rushing back and the pent up frustrations that I've been dealing with came spilling out.

We all have our own issues and our own "crazy" to some degree. I really thought that I had made good progress in burying those old feelings but I guess they are still there and closer to the surface than I thought. I really don't know how to defeat all my demons, but 1 thing is certain, I've got to got to keep moving forward! I've got to accept myself and be happy with who I am, including that little bit of crazy that will apparently always be with me. The best thing that I can do right now is lace up my shoes and kick some serious asphalt! I'm not really worried about running with fear and doubt, I'll just outrun them!!

Have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend!

What are your plans this weekend?? Any races?

New Year Goals

Hello, hello!

I hope that you had a safe and happy New Year's Eve! We kept it low key this year. We stayed home and had some family over for dinner. Afterward, we played Farkle and Uno. I made it to midnight, but I was fading fast! I got up early yesterday and went for the first run of 2014. I did 4 miles in 44 minutes. It was a beautiful morning and I had a good run! The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.

I didn't make resolutions this year. Instead, I'm going to continue to focus on my ongoing goals of cleaning up my diet and routine cross training. I'll continue to train for my first marathon. Plus I've got a couple of new,  exciting opportunities coming up soon....more on that later.

Today is the first day of the new Betty Rocker challenge. I loved the last challenge and I'm really looking forward to this new one.

I'm also planning to live outside of my comfort zone, because that's where life begins!

And that's just the beginning.......

;-)



Have a terrific Thursday!

Did you make any resolutions?
What are your 2014 goals?

Run for the Ranch Race Recap

Good morning folks!

Here we go again!

This past Saturday, I ran the Run for the Ranch half marathon. It was in Springfield, Missouri. It's only about a 3.5 hour drive from home. It was an uneventful drive. We arrived early enough Friday night to get checked in, get all my running gear ready, do a little pre race yoga, and get some rest.

I woke up before the alarm went off on Saturday morning with a good case of the jitters. I got ready and kept trying to tell myself not to worry, this wasn't my first rodeo. We ate breakfast then headed for the race. I got us a little bit lost on the way there and almost went into panic, meltdown mode but we found our way and all was well again. We arrived in time for the Half Fanatics pre race photo

I met up with my friend Mel  She was running her first marathon. She was scheduled to run the St. Jude's Marathon earlier this month, but it was cancelled due to extreme weather.

The horn sounded promptly at 10am and we were off! Mel is much faster than me so I quickly lost her in the crowd. I had a goal time of 2:30. I was trying to run this as a training run rather than racing it. I was planning to just jam out and run. I settled into a fairly comfortable pace and tried to enjoy the scenery. This was a flat, 3.2-ish mile loop that I had to run 4 times, through the neighborhoods of Springfield.

It was about 35 degrees when we started but I warmed up quickly. I took my gloves off hoping to hand them off to my husband after the first loop. I didn't see him on the first time around. Somewhere around mile 4, a random runner passed me and said "you have a very good running form and you run like a machine" That was a much welcomed compliment at that time! I saw my husband on the second time around and told him that I was starting to hurt in my left hip. I handed him my gloves and told him I was halfway done. I was really glad to see him!

The looping course wasn't too bad the first couple of times around but it did start to get a little bit redundant. It was getting increasingly difficult to focus on my surroundings and ignore the pain in my hip. I stretched a little bit here and there. And I allowed myself to take walk intervals when needed. The last 2 loops were more mentally challenging than anything else. I just kept plugging along. I finished at exactly 2:30.

All in all, this was a good race! It was small but well organized. There were about 400 runner in the half and the full with about 26 states represented! The weather was amazing! I was worried about being overdressed. I did get a little warm toward the end. I probably would have been ok in shorts. There was only one water stop but the way the course was set up, you passed it going out and coming back. There was plenty of water and gatorade plus they had energy gels too. There were quite a few spectators out on the course. The volunteers were great! The medal was pretty cool. And the post race meal included pizza and homemade cookies that were yummo! The only thing I found odd was the course was open to traffic but there were several volunteers helping with traffic control do cars weren't too much of an issue. It did help to keep the overall cost down so we got more bang for our buck. I enjoyed the run overall. I would do it again and would highly recommend it.

 After a hot shower, I made up for lost calories with chips, salsa, guacamole and amazing Mexican food at Carlos Okellys. I could have gone into a coma after all that food! We opted to do a little shopping and let our food settle before we made the drive home.

 Yesterday was a rest day for me. It was cold and gloomy outside, so I was glad to stay in. I chose to do a little active recovery with my foam roller, favorite yoga DVD and compression socks. The hip feels better but I'm going to try to take it a little bit easier this week. I'm going to resume my cross training too.

 Until next time...... Have a great Monday!

Weekly Training Goals

Good morning folks!

Happy Tuesday!!

I just packed my gym bag and I packed shorts and a short sleeved shirt!!  Yes, that's right! Shorts in December in Oklahoma!! The high is supposed to be 61 today and unseasonably warm the rest of this week, so needless to say, I'm looking forward to getting out and enjoying the weather this week!

Here's a look at my training schedule for the week:

Monday: REST DAY! Thank you coach! I really needed a day off! One of the girls who travelled to St. Louis with me apparently had a little head cold. Despite lots of vitamin C and hand sanitizer, I think I picked up a mild case of it. I had a sore throat when I woke up yesterday, among some other symptoms. I stayed home from work and just took it easy. I did manage to complete my Christmas shopping online thanks to Amazon!!

Tuesday: ENDURANCE RUN--1 hour

Wednesday: HIP STRENGTHENING SERIES--I've got plans after work, so I will try to get this in at the gym on my lunch break.

Thursday: ENDURANCE RUN--1:15 hour, to build aerobic base and slow twitch muscles

Friday: CORE STRENGTH SERIES

Saturday: LONG RUN--10 miles. Currently the weather forecast is predicting "cold, soaking rain" so this might have to be tweaked. I'm hoping that the rain will hold off until after my run ;)

Sunday: STABILITY ROUTINE

What are your workout plans for the week??

Workout Wednesday #25

Good morning friends!! 

Happy "My 2nd Favorite Day of the Week" aka Wednesday. I know I've explained it a zillion times, but I love Wednesday because it means we're halfway through the week. And, as we all know, I'm only working for the weekend!!

Speaking of work, yesterday a couple of my co-workers and I decided to pool our money and buy lottery tickets. The MegaMillions jackpot was $344 million. We each kicked in $5 so we had 15 chances. I haven't checked our numbers yet to see if we won, but I'm sure that we did. So, I'll be retiring from work soon and will have more money than sense!!  LOL

Last night, after work, I met a few running friends on the Riverside Trail in Tulsa. The trails are pretty clear but there were some slick spots were the snow had melted then refroze. We got in 5 miles in a little under an hour. It was a good run! I was scheduled to do a Fartlek run, basically sprinkle in bursts of speed during my regular run. And that's what we tried to do! We ran from ice patch to ice patch and had to walk over some of the slick spots, so it was pretty much a fartlek run. Of course we had to stop for a photo op at the 41st street plaza.

 

I'm supposed to do a "negative split" run today. I don't have time after work, so I'm going to try to get to the gym at noon and do it on the dreadmill.....yuck!! I'm really tired of Mother Nature's BS!  It's really jacking up my marathon training!!

 

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to stay motivated to workout when it's cold and icy/snowy outside. I have to find workouts that I can do at home with little or no equipment to help keep me on track. I've got a new circuit that I'll be trying tonight after getting all my errands done. I call it my "it's cold and I don't wanna workout, but I've got to move my lazy butt" workout!! Check it and let me know what you think.

 

 

 

Ok, until next time........

 

 

 

 

How do you stay motivated to run/work out in the winter?

Weekend Recap and Weekly Goals

Good morning friends!!  Here we are at Monday again.

It's been busy and hectic around here the past few days.  Thursday, hubs had surgery to repair his torn meniscus. That went well but while we were at the hospital, Mother Nature blessed us with some lovely winter weather. It was sleeting heavily when we left the hospital. We stopped to fill his pain medication prescription and get him something to eat, which took about an hour. Then we started to make our way home. It was getting dark and the roads were slick at this point. I don't like to drive in those conditions, but knew I had to do it! I just kept reminding myself to breathe while I was white knuckling it!! It was dicey and slow going, but we eventually made it!!  It took us 2.5 hours to drive 45 miles!

To keep my marathon training on track and because I didn't know what the weekend would be like, I knew that I would need to get a run in before the winter weather started, so I ran 5.5 miles in 1 hour Thursday morning.

Friday was business as usual. The roads were slick but passable so I went ahead and went to work. I got hubs up in the chair before I left for work and checked on him during the day. He seemed to be doing ok.

Saturday morning, I rounded up a bunch of crazy friends to meet me for our long run. It was 10 degrees/felt like 4 when we started. The Tulsa Riverparks authority had done a pretty decent job of clearing the Riverparks trail. There were still some icy/slick spots so we took it slow and had to walk some to be on the safe side. I was scheduled for 12 miles but couldn't stay warm despite multiple layers, so we ended up getting in 10 miles.

Yesterday, I was scheduled to do a "recovery run" for 45 minutes. It was snowing when I left the house. I ran on the highway again, which always makes me nervous but there wasn't too much traffic. I was glad for the convenience store down the road for a "pit stop"! I got 3.5 miles in 40 minutes and called it a day!

I'm looking at my training schedule for this week and I'm trying to figure out how to tweak it. I'm still not entirely sure that I'm liking this training plan as it is dramatically different that anything I'm used to. I like at least one rest day and this schedule doesn't include that. I'm going to have to talk to the coach about that. Here's what I have in mind:

Monday-strength training: shoulders/biceps/triceps w/ abs finisher
Tuesday-endurance run @ base pace for 4-5 miles
Wednesday-Fartlek run or negative split run for 4-5 miles
Thursday-endurance run @ base pace or 4-5miles (I'm a run leader for the Fleet Feet Sports holiday lights run)
Friday-strength training: chest/back
Saturday-not sure yet.....
Sunday-Hot Chocolate 15k

Ok, that's all for now....Monday out!!

Dream Big and Give Freely

Good morning folks!!

We survived another Monday!! 

It was a busy day at work, catching up from the long weekend. After work, I met my friend Rozdi for a run. It was a beautiful evening for a run, I actually wore a skirt! We did 3 miles and decided that we would run again tonight to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather that we're having, before the next winter storm blows in. I should do 10 - 12 miles this weekend. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that as the forecast is predicting snow and ice.  Have I mentioned lately that I really do not like winter??

I hope that you all took advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping and got some good deals!!  Now that those days are passed, I want to bring another important day to your attention. It's called Giving Tuesday and it's TODAY!! It is way too easy to commercialize Christmas. I think this is a fabulous way to get back to the true meaning of Christmas! Too many families will have to do without this holiday season. It doesn't take much and every $1 helps. Even if it is only a dollar, it is better than nothing!! I would like to encourage each and every one of you to do the same. If you're unable to donate monetarily, find other ways to give back and to reach out to those in need this holiday season. You can volunteer your time. It's free!! :)

As you know, recently I've been trying to live life to the fullest and to dream big. Well, I would say that I accomplished that yesterday. You see, on a whim, I took a chance and entered the lottery for the 2014 New York City marathon!! I don't really expect to get in, but it's kinda fun to try! I have nothing to lose and one thing is certain, I'll never know if I don't try!!

Alrighty, that's all I've got!

Have a terrific Tuesday!!

Weekend recap

Good morning folks!! Yet another manic Monday is upon us!!  I can't believe that it's December already.....where has this year gone!!  Less than a month till Christmas and I have no shopping done....eek!!

I hope that you all had a good Thanksgiving!! I sure did!!  I got up early Thursday morning and went for a run before we left for Iowa. After a 2 hour "lay over" aka eating our traditional turkey dinner at Cracker Barrel, we arrived at our destination. We got there in time to visit a little bit before bedtime. Friday morning, I went shopping with my daughter in law and grand daughter. We missed the crazy early Black Friday shoppers but we still found some good deals!! Then we met the boys for lunch and a movie. We went to see Frozen with the grand babies. It was fun! I wasn't feeling well and ended up falling asleep early.

I got up early Saturday to go for a run. Ottumwa has a nice trail system that reminds me a little bit of the trails in Tulsa. It isn't as extensive of course but it is still nice. I pretty much had the whole trail to myself. I only saw about 4 other people and about 100 geese. Apparently the geese think the trail belongs to them because they leave LOTS of calling cards at various places on the trail. Dodging their little piles made it more challenging, as if it were an obstacle run!!  I ended up getting in 8 miles in 1:26, pretty fast for me! It was in the 20's when I started. I was afraid that I was going to be cold, but with the sun shining on me the whole time, I was actually pretty warm!!

That afternoon, we stayed with the grand babies and baked cookies while their parents went Christmas shopping for them. Then we took them to see Christmas lights while their mom wrapped the gifts. After we ate dinner, we settled down to watch a movie. I ended up falling asleep early, again!

We spent most of the day in the car yesterday, but made it home in time to get some groceries, meal prep for the week and get some laundry done. So, it was a pleasant, successful weekend!

I feel like a busted can of biscuits from some of the unhealthy food I ate over the weekend. It's so hard to go to someone else's home and maintain a "clean" diet. So, I'm back to square one there. And I've got to get back on track with cross training. I was doing a pretty good job but slacked off as training for the Route 66 half marathon ramped up. I'm getting back on the cross training wagon starting today!!  And today is officially day 1 of training for the Little Rock marathon....eek!!

Ok, I've gotta go get ready for work. I feel like I'm going to running wide open for the next few days so I need to get a jump start!!

Have a fabulous Monday!!

Route 66 race recap

Whew!!  That was a busy weekend!!

Hubs and I were working shirt pickup Saturday morning, so  there was no sleeping in for us. We were up bright and early to head to Tulsa for the Route 66 Marathon expo.  We arrived and got our assignments. We worked our shift, which was pretty uneventful. The expo was busy and as usual there were a lot of shopping opportunities for runners.

Earlier in the week, we got an opportunity to stay the night in Tulsa. We only live 45 minutes from T-town, but with the changing forecast and the possibility of inclement weather, we decided to go ahead and stay the night. We went across the street to the Doubletree and got checked into our room. I laid down to take a nap but am not a day sleeper so no nap for me. About 4pm I saw a weather forecaster predicting 10-20 mph north winds with gusts to 30 mph.....eek!!  I felt pretty confident about my clothing for race day until I saw that forecast because I had forgotten my windbreaker at home!! I jumped out of the bed, threw on my shoes and literally ran across the street to the expo to find something that would suffice. I found a lightweight Tulsa Run windbreaker on clearance at the Fleet Feet Sports booth so I bought it. I really liked the weight of that jacket because it wasn't too heavy and I didn't want to sweat too much and get wet.

We went back to the hotel for a few minutes and then we headed to Baxter's Interurban to meet some out of state Half Fanatics for dinner. They were already there when we arrived. We had a group of about 30 of us. Dinner was good and it was nice to meet everyone.

We met Melanie from California. She was staying at the Hyatt instead of the Doubletree. On a good day, it isn't too far to walk but it was cold and very dark so we drove her back to her hotel then went back to ours to get my flat runner ready

The alarm went off Sunday morning, but I was already up. I layered on my gear and we headed out to Fleet Feet Sports for a photo with my training group, which I missed because I was in the bathroom line. Then I hurried down to the start line for a photo with the Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs group. It was a huge group as usual!!

 



After the group photo, I headed to my corral. I was in corral C. Somewhere in all this melee, I managed to lose the girls that I was going to pace. :( I looked for them in the corral but never found them. And it was also at this point that I couldn't feel my fingers or toes and seriously beginning to rethink my decision to run this race. I seriously wanted to DNS and just go home. You might say that I was having a major meltdown. Hubs physically blocked me from leaving the corral and soon we were moving forward to the start line so I had no choice but to dig deep and run it.

The gun went off, we were showered with confetti and we were off. I'm familiar with most parts of the course and we run them often on our training runs. There were changes to the course this year so I wasn't sure of what to expect. We made our way down Main street to 15th street. I was going way to fast but was too afraid to slow down! We turned south into the Maple Ridge neighborhood and I still couldn't feel my finger tips. Someone had discarded a pair of gloves from the expo. I picked them up and covered my fingers with them. I also couldn't feel my feet. They were so cold that it felt like something was wadded up in my shoe. I kept muddling along. We were at about 2.5 when my hands finally started to warm up. I took off the throw away gloves at that point.

We wound through Cascia Hall, which is always a fun water stop with lots of course support. Then we headed through the neighborhoods. I was really surprised by the number of spectators who braved the cold to cheer for us and support us. Some neighborhoods even had aid stations for us. At about mile 5 I found my friend Sharon and told her that I was crumping. I was considering dropping out after I handed off the relay timing chip at mile 10. I took Gu and got some Gatorade/water at the next stop. Then I saw Dave Mari, another Fanatic. I'm not sure if he knew I was struggling, but he ran up to me and took pictures with me. Just that little moment of distraction was what I needed!

I suddenly realized that I was behind the 2:25 pacer. I was concerned because I knew this was way too fast for me but I kept up with her as best I could so that I could "bank" some time. Around mile 7 I took off my jacket and handed it off to a friend at a water stop so that I wouldn't have to carry it around my waist. I had gotten pretty sweaty and was concerned about my body temp dropping too much too fast. I had already seen the ambulance go out a couple of times :(  We finally reached Riverside Drive and turned north. The was the flattest part of the course and I normally despise it but yesterday I was happy to get a little relief from the hills in the neighborhoods. I kept trudging right around the pacer. I eventually lost her at a water stop on Riverside but I didn't care anymore.

We passed mile 9, then mile 10. I was getting close to the relay exchange. Someone handed me a jello shot....thank God and Eminem's "Berzerk" came on right about that time. I was hoping it was the motivation that I needed to get me up the hill that I knew was coming up. I ran through the relay exchange, located my runner and handed off the chip. I made sure to grab my relay medal too!!  We continued on Riverside to Southwest Blvd to the Centennial Plaza/Route 66 bridge. We turned north and headed up "Hospital Hill" I've run this hill many times on training runs and typically it is one of my favorite ones but yesterday my legs were so stiff, sore and heavy that I felt like I was running in peanut butter. I had to walk a little bit on this hill but made it to the top and got a little relief as we ran a little down hill past the Doubletree and on to Denver. I knew we were close to the finish at this point and was amazed beyond all belief at the time on my watch. I had about a mile to go and if the wheels didn't come completely off the bus, I was going to get a pretty good PR. I did the best I could to get through mile 12.

About 3 blocks from the finish line, the official pace car and the male winner of the marathon came through. I joked about running with him briefly (as he passed me!!) I heard someone call my name. I looked up to see my husband and realized that I was at the finish. I crossed the finish line with my hands up and stopped my watch to see that I had gotten a 5 minute PR. I got my medal and a huge hug from one of the runners that I had trained. I made my way through the finish corrals and found my husband who had my warm coat/gloves and dry clothes for me. I was so stiff and sore and cold!!  We went to McNellie's for post race refueling then to Fleet Feet sports briefly where I got mimosas from the girls that I was supposed to run with. They were finished and had done well.

3rd Route 66 half marathon/half # 10 done

Route 66 Half Marathon before and after

 

My relay team did well also. Collectively, we finished the marathon relay in 4:53 minutes. Not to shabby if I do say so myself. It was a challenging day to say the least, but it was fun too. I am glad that I got it done. I would have disappointed numerous people, especially myself if I had gotten out of that corral. Fall marathon training has come to an end and it was an amazing training session! I'm very happy to be reinspired and I'm extremely excited to see where my running will lead in 2014! Ordinarily I would take a little time off, but there is no rest for the weary when one has decided to run her first marathon in early March. I should technically run a 4-6 mile recovery run at base pace tonight. We'll see because my legs are still very stiff and sore plus I'm working on a sore throat.