Forever Indecisive and the Run for the Cookies 10K Recap

I need to get back to blogging more often, so here I am!

I must confess, I haven't run for 3 weeks until this week when I managed a 2 miler during the week and completed a very painful 10k yesterday (more on that later). I seriously contemplated on giving up running for good. I was trying to search for meaning and what I am meant to do with my life. After some soul searching, I realized it would be a huge mistake to quit running. Not only for the health benefits, but because it is something I truly love to do.

Running is one of the few things in my life I love that I'm not naturally "good at" and really have to work at it to achieve little wins. I've grown up with things coming easy to me. I was a great student and never had issues studying and getting As (except some topics in math and science that tripped me up!). I was always one the best at whatever I got into. Now that I'm out of school, I've had some serious issues adjusting to the working world. I'm a perfectionist and you can not possibly do EVERYTHING right when you are learning a new job. Running is something that keeps my anxiety in check and reminds me that I cannot possibly be the best at everything, but I need to give it my best shot!

Last time I wrote about retracting my full marathon goal. Well, I'm not going to give up that easy. I'm going to do the training schedule to the best of my ability and see how I progress up to race day. I just might be able to do it. Last year I thought it was impossible for me to complete Berwick's Run for the Diamonds, but I did it! I may not have a 6 minute mile or even an 8 minute mile, but I can move my body across long distances with success. I'll take it!

So yesterday I completed Berwick's Run for the Cookies 10K. After 3 weeks of only running 2 miles, I was nervous and in disbelief that I was actually doing it. We had a GORGEOUS day. The temperature was in the 40s and sunny. There was still a lot of snow on the ground from the storms that passed through last weekend, but the roads were clear. The course was flat at first and my dad and I ran a 10:30 minute mile the first mile. Mile 2-3 was all rolling hills and a tough incline to the turn around point. My dad pulled ahead of me during the hill climb, but I passed him on the awesome downhills after mile 3. My young knees can handle the impact of the downhills but my Dad's knees hurt a but going downhill so he takes his time.

Eventually at mile 5 he caught back up to me back on the flat and I was really hurting since it had been almost a month since I ran this long. He tried to take my mind off of it. We ran (no pun intended) into a nice guy who shared his story with me about his torn hamstring. This was his first race since healing. He was hurting too so I enjoyed trying to get both out minds off our sore, dead legs. I usually take a GU around 45 minutes into a long run and I was WELL past that time and forgot to bring GU so that's why my legs felt awful.

At the final stretch of the race, I wanted nothing more than to lay down and stop. My legs hurt so bad I wanted to cry. Also, I missed the water stand at mile 2 and I was PARCHED! And my dad started goading me to go all in and finish strong. My legs didn't want to do it, I grunted in pain, but I gave it all and motored across the finish line at 1:12:38. There was a lovely gentleman holding out water bottles 10 feet after the finish line, and I graciously took and tore into the water bottle downing it by the time Joe caught up to us.

The cookies were handnpies with either cherry or raisin filling. I had cherry and it was glorious! My dad had raisin and it tasted like an apple pie, but with raisins instead of apples. It was 110% worth the painful 6.2 miles for that cookie. I will definitely be carving out time to do that race next year! Food is a wonderful motivator for me.

I improved my 10K time almost 4 minutes so that is a win for me! My first 10K was 1:16:26 and yesterday's was 1:12:38. Almost 4 minute improvement over 6 months? I'll take it!!

Today I am nice and sore, but I'm going to try and get my husband out training for his 5K. I need to find us one so he has a goal. And grocery shopping today! I'm going to try going vegan for 6 weeks and then at the end of that I'll decide if I want to continue, go vegetarian, or go back to being a good ol' omnivore! I'll be blogging more often to give updates on training and this new lifestyle change of mine. It's going to be awfully hard, but I want to see if it is really all it's cracked up to be health wise!

Retractions and Rethinking

I've been mulling it over.
And over.
And over.

I don't think the full marathon thing is going to happen for me this year. I was off to a semi good start. Then a small sickness, no big. Second good week. Then the shooting at my work. And since then, I've run once for 3 miles. A week ago.

Did I mention I'm running a half marathon in 12 weeks?

Yeah.

Well the half is going to get done even if I have to crawl across the finish. Hmm sounds like last year when I said the same thing about my first 5k. So I guess I'm still better off than last year.

I have a 10k in 2 weeks on Saturday. Yikes!

Time to really kick it back into gear.

I'm emotionally better since the whole incident on that Saturday. No, I wasn't at work (thank goodness!), but I was on my way and I have gotten to know many people in my store and surrounding stores well so I was worried and so sick the whole day. When we went back to work I was uneasy. Monday through Thursday was depressing to be at work. I just felt like I wanted to cry all day. Very little traffic so we didn't have anything else to think about. I can see the store from our store. People came and paid their respects. I got up the nerve on Tuesday afternoon to do the same. The candlelight vigil is what really helped. A lot of stores, including mine, closed down to attend for 30 minutes. There was something very healing about that cold as heck 30 minutes that helped me. I don't know if I froze the grief out of me, but I haven't been depressed on my way to or at work. What happened was awful and something I hope to never experience first hand. I do not ever want a phone call like the one I got last week ever again.

On the bright side, my friend welcomed her first son into the world! I got to hold him and he melted my heart. I didn't think I'd want children. I thought I'd be one of those happy older people in Cancun without kids living the high life. Yes, more champagne darling!

Maybe it was the awful tragedy at work, or maybe the woman baby hormones finally kicked in but I...I think I want a child. ONE child. I don't think I can put myself through so much physical pain more than once in my life. Mind you, I'm not gunning for one right away. After I got a glimpse at all the work pregnancy is (thank you friends and the internet), I figure it'd be a great idea to get at least 15-20 pounds off. Sure I have 30 to go, but sweets are SO GOOD DAMMIT! And the husband needs to get used to the idea and warm to it since we were all in the "no babies for life" party. But the way he babies our cat and talks with little kids, I'm sure he'll be just fine.

At work I'm officially in charge of the floorsets. Had my first on Tuesday night. I was rough and thankfully I had a ton of help. Between the physical prep and execution of floorsets and marathon training, I was burning the candle at both ends. Some people can work physical(ish) jobs and run marathons. Good for them. This pretzel loving, chocolate chomping, ice cream slurping girl just cannot handle it. Not yet. A half is a good challenge for this year. And perhaps I'll do a second half in the fall like I was planning. I like to jump the gun with things. My friends and family know this fact all too well.

But who knows, maybe I will do it.

For now, it is my stretch goal.

There are so many more things I want to accomplish before becoming a...*gulp*... mommy. Marathon isn't necessarily one of them. I'd love to train for one a year after my future baby arrives. Oh you bet your bottom dollar I'll be out rollin with my jogging stroller. Short mileages of course. Babysitting 12-24 month olds have taught me that they get real heavy, real fast. It'll be more motivation to have my son/daughter cheering me on at the finish line. Aw man, I'm getting soft and sappy already. SMH.

I am in the process of making a list.

Next blog post....The INFAMOUS THINGS TO DO BEFORE BABY LIST!

Why I'm Running a Marathon

Today I successfully completed week 2 of marathon training. I was sick last week so I just lazed about and focused on getting better. I definitely felt the lack of training as I got back into it this week. My times were MUCH slower than I'd like, but life happens. Only up from here!

When I tell people I'm running a marathon in the fall (and a half in the spring), they usually respond in a few different ways. They either think I'm crazy, worry about the physical strain on my body and how it will affect me in the future (my momma), are impressed, or don't care whatsoever (what I call the 0.0 people or the "I only run when there's something chasing me" people).

So here are the top 5 reasons why I am running a marathon:

1. Health. 

Heart disease runs in both sides of my family so I'm trying to head it off early. I was obese (according to the BMI chart) from 2011-2012 and overweight in 2013 to present. I'm hopeful that with training plus eating a specific diet used to fuel the large amount of mileage I will be taking on will result in a normal, healthy weight by the time October 12th rolls around. I can feel the extra weight and I'm looking forward to getting it off my body, releasing the pressure on my knees, and looking more graceful when I run.

2. If not now, when?

source

I'm in my mid-20s and I am never going to be able to recover as fast and improve as fast with training as I age. Runner's World had a great article about running at every decade of life. The 20s are your physical peak. I think I'm going to be a powerhouse in my 30s as soon as I have more experience and time under my belt. I'm not getting any younger so this feels like the right time to achieve something amazing.

3. Another check on the bucket list!

source
A must watch movie!

A marathon was always on my bucket list. I was amazed as a child that my dad would run 26.2 miles. That was such a long distance! And it still is. Life is too short to sit back and list things you'd like to do. Get out there and complete that list! Just because I'm young doesn't mean I need to wait until I'm 30, 40, 50+ to start checking off some life goals. We're not guaranteed tomorrow so live for today!

4. To be extraordinary.

source

Personally, I've always wanted to do something amazing and extraordinary with my life. My career is not what I expected (but honestly I love it and I don't like when other people don't respect it). I didn't have a traditional wedding. Nothing I've accomplished thus far has been really noteworthy (except for studying abroad in Italy for a month in college). Running a marathon would be something I will look back on at the end of my life and be happy I had the courage to do. No regrets.

5. Like father, like daughter.

When I was younger I was the biggest mommy's girl there was. I remember crying when my dad took me out to have bonding time because I wanted my mommy. As I grew older, more stubborn, and started developing my own view of the world, we clashed big time (especially when I was in college). My father was raised in a very strict, traditional Catholic family. I followed this traditional outlook for the majority of my life as well until college. While I do believe in being a good person and treating everyone with respect, I don't agree with some major aspects of the church. That is my decision and my father is amazing and very respectful of my choices in this area (although I know he wishes I was that cute little 6 year old church girl again). As I began running, my dad was really excited. When he saw I was sticking with it, he was even happier. Running Berwick with him really meant a lot to me, and I think it did for him as well. He was nervous about my decision to run a marathon, but he's very supportive of it. He's going to try and come out of retirement to run the full marathon with me. I really hope he'll be able to, but I'm just as nervous for him running that long of a distance! There is a definite difference between what a 25 year old body can take and what a 50+ body can handle. But he's just as stubborn as I am when he sets his mind to something. After spending the start of my life as a mommy's girl, I'm just as much of a daddy's girl now. I can't wait to finish the race and make him proud. I may cry at the finish line. I probably will cry the night before. I can't wait!


So there it is! I still have a lot of smaller reasons (like more running shoes and gear!), but those are the major ones. Have a happy Friday and a fabulous weekend. I'm going to try and convince the hubby to get some delicious sashimi tonight. Nomz!

Reflection: "Through the ups and downs of running, I have found new perspective in life. The suffering and success has made me a stronger, happier person." -Christine Casady

Running.

A year ago if you told me I would run the Run for the Diamonds in 2013, I would've laughed in your face and rolled my eyes. 9 miles? I could hardly run a minute without my legs and lungs burning. It is amazing what the body is capable of.

For any resolutioners wanting to take up running I applaud you. You're going to love it. You'll love it IF you stick with it. Personally, it took me about 6 months to really start enjoying running. The first 3-4 months were the hardest. Mind you, I was in the 200s when I started so everything was prone to injury. I battled with tight calf muscles and minor pulls. I still do. I'm just smarter about it and know how to treat it. My biggest issue right now is my left ankle/achilles. The main cause is my weight, but I'm working on that.

In April I finished my first 5k. You would've thought I won it I was so proud of myself, and so was my dad. Another 5k and lots of summer training, I attempted a 10k. Again I finished and felt immensely proud of myself. And gorged on watermelon. Seriously, watermelon is the best summer snack after a run. Makes running in the icky humidity worth it.

After my 10k, I was resolved to try and run Berwick. My dad was a little apprehensive about it, but I assured him I'd be okay. A few races later and it was already November! And yet again I finished that race. The race I thought I could never run. I was glowing as I ate ALL THE TURKEY.

I'm running my first half marathon in April. My co-manager and her sister will probably run it with me, which is nice because 13.1 miles is a long way to go alone. And it's a women only race. So no daddy with me this time. I'll see if he and Meg want to do the co-ed 5k while they wait for me. And of course, Joe will be playing games while he waits.

The biggest surprise to myself and everyone is the fact that I'm going to run a full marathon this year. I've always wanted to run the Steamtown marathon. I was sitting on the couch reading my marathon book that my co-manager bought me for Christmas and found that I had finished the half marathon training program and actually went a tad beyond it. So the obvious thing to do would be to start the novice marathon training program, right? And if I'm going to train for one I might as well run one!

Let me tell you I think it is my mother's worst nightmare, lol. She did not sound pleased when I broke that news. She's afraid I'll hurt myself or die from sudden cardiac death syndrome (which is 7 times more likely when you're overweight like me!). When I tell my father (or my mother probably did already), he's going to tell me to wait. Nope. I'm stubborn. I'm already halfway through week 1 of training. I'm 25 years old. If not now, when? As long as I get this weight off by October, I should be at the top of my game. And it's not like I'm aiming to finish at the top of the pack. I just want to FINISH. I want to see how far I can push myself. I want to see all the beautiful scenery in NEPA (yes, there is some). I want to meet the wall and then go beyond it. I want to be a marathoner.

I don't know why I took to running or want to be a marathoner. I guess I want to do something extraordinary. My career didn't turn out like I wanted it to, but it does allow me a flexible schedule to get some training in. I love working nights so I can get out in the morning to run. Running is my thing. I'm not the fastest by any means, but I love doing something I thought I could never do. Running has given me more confidence in myself (plus size and all) and also a new perspective on life. It forces me to slow down and look at the world around me. I appreciate nature. I love running past butterflies in the spring and watching the turtles at the lake in the fall. And yes, snow is gorgeous even though my legs are freezing and burn like crazy when I warm up post running.

Running is my drug and I can think of nothing better to be addicted to.

So goodbye 2013. Thank you for treating me so well. Hello 2014! I hope to achieve some amazing things with you!

2013: The Year I Became a Runner

2013: This year will always mean so much to me.

It was the year I overcame anxiety.
It was the year I accomplished *some* weight loss goals.
It was the year I finally went back to working full time.

It was the year I became a runner.

To be honest, I still don't feel or look like a runner. I gained a good amount of that 30 pounds I lost back. Ten pounds to be exact. But I can run over 10 miles now. TEN! Not bad for someone ranging between 184-189 pounds.

I ran 10 races this year. (hmm 10 seems to be a good number for me)

(From the top left): iron girl 5k, color me rad 5k, 10k, 5k for families, savage 7k, fit for all 5k (nicole's first 5k), 9k (even though it says wine in the woods 5k: small budget group), the color run, run for the diamonds 9 miler!!, and 6k rudolph run.  Medals are from my first 5k and from the virtual 5k for Doctor Who's 50th.

My best 5k was 33 minutes and 50-some seconds. I've run a 6k, 7k, 9k, and 9 miler plus some other 5ks and fun color runs!

2014 is the year of the marathon.

I'm doing my first half in April and I am looking forward to it.

And...I'm going to train for a full marathon in October 2014. Shhhhh. ::Knocks on wood::
I'm starting early so I can lose the weight and shake out any injuries that may pop up along the way. Today's my 1 year RUNniversary. What a great way to kick off the new running year with my first day of marathon training. :)

Congrats to all the runners in 2013 and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Knights of Columbus Running Classic 10K Recap

On Saturday morning I had a huge NSV...

I completed my first 10K!

Source

When I signed up for the race it described the course as "challenging" with rolling hills. I didn't think much of it. I can handle it, right? The description didn't lie. The course was the hardest I've ever run yet.

I arose at 5:50 am on Saturday morning shaking my head and realized I must be a runner. Who else gets up before the sun to go run 6.2 miles on a holiday weekend for fun? Me.

I went about my normal routine getting ready and stretching. I dragged my dear husband out of bed and we set off. The weather was about 72 degrees and 80% humidity when we arrived. I felt gross but I was too excited and nervous to care much. The race was hosted on the grounds of a monastery and it was absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed stretching and watching the sun rise over the hills that I was about to take on. I wish I took pictures!

Before I knew it I kissed my husband goodbye, and went to line up with the other runners. One of the monks read us a prayer before we set out, which, to this day, is my favorite prayer that follows me throughout my life:

"May the Lord bless you, and keep you;
May the Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."

The gun sounded and we were off! There were about 350 people overall with the 10K and 5K starting at the same time. We ran down to the beginning of the monastery grounds and bid the 5K runners luck as they turned left and the 10K runners turned right. At first the course was rather flat with some small hills. There were jugglers running the 10K with us! I talked to the one juggler for the first 3 miles and then he fell back.

The worst of the hills really set in from mile 3 through the end. I had to take a few short walk breaks since my legs were burning. At mile 4 I was beginning to question if I could do this. The sun was up and HOT. I kept repeating to myself that I'd be at the water station in 10 minutes (even though in reality I knew it would be more like 12).

The volunteers at the last water station gave me 2 cups of water and I accepted them graciously. I soothed my parched throat and carried on. When I wanted to quit on the second to last hill, a beautiful yellow butterfly flew in front of me. I decided to run with the butterfly until it left me. I entered the grounds walking and ready to be done. I grudgingly started to run again since my pride wouldn't let me finish the race walking.

Joe was at the middle of the last hill cheering me on along with some other runners who finished earlier. I thanked them and kept trudging forward. As I was nearing the finish line, the one volunteer told me if I could to bust out some dance moves across the finish. I just laughed at him.

I came in to "Party Rock Anthem" with a big smile on my face. A volunteer handed me a race magazine with future area races, and I made a bee line for the ice chest with bottled water. I chugged half of it and dumped the other half over my head because I felt like I was on fire! I found the watermelon and was eating two slices simultaneously when the hubby appeared with a cherry sno-cone. Seriously, he's the best. I wanted to hug him, but he wouldn't have any of that. I was so sweaty.

They were doing random giveaways and I won a $15 gift card for Road ID! After I received my prize, we lined up for BBQ. I really wasn't feel great, but I grabbed a piece of chicken and a small scoop of pasta salad. Then I went back for a second and third slice of watermelon as well as another sno-cone. I was shaking so bad, I flung some chicken in the grass for the birds to enjoy. The super humidity really did a number on me. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

I learned a lot about myself in this race. I'm not a quitter. I'm pretty darn strong. Even though I'm a slow runner, I still had just as much fun as the winners. I met some really cool people. I came in with a respectable time of 1:16:26 with an average pace of 12:20. One minute faster than my practice runs. And I'm happy with that.

The past two days have been very painful. I had never run that steep of hills and that many for that long. My ankles to my calves feel like a knife is being dragged through them every time I walk. Sunday I waddled around like a penguin. Today I managed to do some cross training on the recumbent bike, some squats, lunges, push ups, yoga stuff, and planks. Then I treated myself to a bubble bath and a pedicure. I can walk normally again, but it is mildly painful.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and get out for a run in the morning. I have to restart my half marathon training. Also, I mail my entry form for the Run for the Diamonds tomorrow!! I can't believe I'm actually doing it! Nine miles seems scary now just as 6.2 did a few months ago, but I really think I can do it. Just another 5K on top of a 10K, right? The race is my stretch goal for 2013. Now it's time to buckle down and lose some weight so I can get a little faster and train hard so I can go a little farther!

Anyone race this weekend? What did you do this Labor Day weekend?

"You are going to want to give up. DON'T."

Back again!

I've been off in career search land, and I finally have time to breathe and write a post! I'm getting interviews, but so far no job offers. It's really early in the process so I'm not too worried. The right position will come around soon!

This past week I started half marathon training. Surprisingly, the first week was really, really tough. It's not the length of the training runs that is tough. Rather, it is the frequency of the training runs and the increase in mileage that was tough.

For example, the first week is three 3 mile runs and one 4 mile run. The second 3 mile run I didn't feel great at all and had to stop at 1.88 miles. I was bummed, but it was one of those times that your body demands a break... or else. I made up the mileage by running on Saturday before attending a wedding in my hubby's hometown. After the wedding, the groom asked me if I was out running that morning because he saw a girl that looked like me. It was me! Ha ha ha. I was slightly embarrassed since I don't want anyone to see me running besides my husband and my friend Nicole (who I dragged into running with me!). I set a PR though with a 10:45 min mile average! WOO! No wonder I felt so terrible and just wanted the 2.1 miles to be over with! Too fast for my blood. For now.

As I promised in my last post I'm going to do a small review of my hydration belt, Nathan Speed 2.

Source
Mine is black.

Pros and Cons time!!

Pros:
- Comfortable. Didn't cut into me or leave marks.
- Doesn't slide around. I wear mine around my hip bones and my bottom belly helps hold everything in place. I've always been a girl with a little extra so I don't know how it would fit on a flat tummy girl. 
- The water bottles don't drip or impede my running in any way. I wear mine with the bottles on my back and have no problems pulling them out and placing them back while running.
-  Great storage. I carry my keys, mace, running fuel, and can squeeze in my Ipod nano.
- Available in different sizes to fit all bodies. 

Cons:
- Not a fan of the rubber nozzles on the water bottles. I understand that it is made tougher so it doesn't leak but I'm not crazy about it. The one nozzle twisted, got caught and wouldn't close all the way. I managed to wiggle it back into place.
- Doesn't fit large smart phones. I have a large smart phone I use to track my training so I clip it to the belt instead. Also, I use a thick case since I'm accident prone making the phone bigger. 
- Water bottle fell out of the belt, but only once. I was passing a walker on the path through the grass and I tend to bounce more in grass than on pavement. The water bottle wasn't secured well after I had just taken a drink a few minutes before and popped out. I haven't had any problems since then though. 

Overall: I really like this belt. I'd recommend it for any runner (beginners or otherwise) that are in need of an easy, comfortable way to keep water and fuel on hand for longer training runs.

Next, I'm going to review my SPIBelt! I like to take this lightweight belt on short runs since I have to drive to good running locations around town and need somewhere to put my keys.

Have you hit walls in your training and how did you get through them? What's your preferred way to carry water/fuel on long runs?