Turkey Trot 10k

This past week was Thanksgiving. Last year I ran the YMCA Turkey Trot 10k on Thanksgiving morning with my friend, Angie. We enjoyed it last year, so we decided to sign up again. It's nice to burn some calories before consuming so much yummy food. The weather was great (high 40s-low 50s). Last year when we ran it it was snowing so I was thankful that wasn't happening this year!

When we were lining up at the starting line I noticed a drone in the sky. Little did I know it was taking our picture!! So crazy!

The race went pretty well. There was also a 5k going on at the same time and we were together for part of the race which made things a little trickier since we had to dodge the 5k walkers at the end. All in all, I had a pretty good run. I ran it in 53:04 which averages out to be about 8:27 per mile. Not my fastest, but I didn't expect it to be. Ever since the marathon, I haven't been able to run a whole lot...maybe twice a week. I really hate not being able to run more but Tony's had some traveling and lodge stuff and now that it gets dark so early it's been tricky to get my runs in. I'll make it work!

Thanksgiving was fun and I definitely ate my fair share of food! Here's a pic of Hannah (my oldest) with me!

Until next time...

Marathon Recap

I did it!!! I am an official marathoner! So crazy that I've been training 16 weeks for the race and it's over...and I survived it!! 

Here's how the weekend went:

We (Tony, girls, and myself) left Friday around 4:30 to head to Indy. My mom left a few hours before us and checked us all into the hotel. Of course we got stuck in traffic trying to get into downtown Louisville and across the bridge. I was a nervous wreck worried if I would make it to packet pick-up in time. It was only open till 8 and you couldn't get it the morning of the race so I was nervous! My mom offered to get it but I really wanted to do it...it's all part of the experience! We arrived at the hotel right at 7pm. My mom and I walked to the convention center to get my race packet and Tony, O'Dan (our friend from college that lives in Indy), and girls were in charge of figuring out dinner. 

We got to the expo and got my packet! Marathoners were given blue shirts and half-marathoners were given red. (I actually liked the red better but oh well). Then mom and I walked around for a bit. We bought an extra handheld water bottle that they could switch off with me halfway through the race. Then we took a few pictures:

I was trying to look like I was running but my mom was too close and didn't fit me all in it- not to mention there was a huge line of people waiting to do the same thing. The coolest thing about this sign is that everyone who signed up to run had their name on it. I found mine:

Do you see it?! We were also given a poster of the same thing so I can keep it forever. So cool!

On the way out of the expo, mom took this quick pick too:

The boys had a table at some tavern so we joined them there. I ate a grilled chicken sandwich and baked potato. At this point it was about 9:15 and we headed back to the hotel. 

Here is a pic of my pre-race party:

We had adjoining rooms with my mom. I actually slept in my mom's room the night before the race so I could get some sleep. Yeah right! I went to bed around 10:45ish but didn't sleep very well. I checked the time at 3:45, 5, and 5:45 before my alarm went off at 6. I got up and got ready! The temp was in the low 40s and I originally had planned to wear long sleeves but decided at the last minute to change it up and wear short-sleeves (I'm very happy I decided to do that). I was so nervous. I ate my breakfast of cereal and a banana. The plan was that my mom was going to walk me to the starting line and Tony and the girls would be at Lucas Oil Stadium at about the half mile mark. 

We squeezed in another pic at the hotel before we left:

I was happy my mom was going with me to the start. I wore a fleece jacket while we walked several blocks and was able to give it to my mom before the race. I made a stop in the Indiana convention center to pee one last time (of course everyone else had the same idea as well). If you know me at all, then you know I always have to pee when I'm nervous. Just ask my running buddy, Angie...I have to pee before every race! Then we headed over to the starting line. 

My mom even took a selfie with the starting line:

I was so nervous standing there and waiting. I fired up my music and turned on my watch hoping both would get a signal, and they did. After the opening ceremony, the race was starting. It took a little more than 5 minutes to actually cross the starting line and my mom was able to get a picture before I took off:

Do you see me in the green? Then I officially started the marathon!! It was a little emotional starting the race knowing I had worked so hard for this. The first couple of miles of every race is difficult. There are so many people all going different speeds so it's hard to establish your pace. At the .5 mile mark, Tony, O'Dan, and the girls were there to cheer me on:

I'm all smiles there!

The race was both a full marathon and a half, so the first 7 miles was pretty crowded. I stuck to my plan and cruised past the water stations since I had my own water with me. I had a gel at mile 6. I knew I wanted to pee early but so far there was a wait at every porta potty. At mile 7, the race split off. At that split I saw an open potty and went real fast and got back on the road. I have to say that I wasn't feeling that great at that point. I had only completed 7 miles and with about 19 more to go, I knew I had a long way to go. A little past mile 8 my mom called to tell me they were in front of a cvs at mile 13. Yay! That was something to look forward to. I drank some Gatorade at one of the water stations and had another gel at about 10.5 miles. Then finally, I made it to mile 13 where my family was there with signs cheering me on! 

I wish I had a picture of them! My mom and I traded off my handheld water bottle so I had a fresh supply of gels and water. This gave me a little energy boost! It was also nice to know that I was halfway there. At around mile 15, I was feeling really hungry and slightly dizzy, and the gels weren't cutting it. At one of the water stations, they were handing out bananas so I grabbed one and ate a little bit of it and drank a little more Gatorade and that made me feel better. 

The first half of the race there were a lot of spectators and bands playing music. I loved the signs and people cheering us on. My favorite sign was "Don't poop your pants!" It's so true...runner's trots is a true thing and I was so nervous I was going to have to poop on the course, but luckily I didn't have to! My favorite spectators (besides my family) was some college kids dressed up in Halloween costumes handing us candy and beer!

From mile 18-23, things were pretty dead. There weren't many spectators at all and it was super quiet. At times, there would be no one around me (at least not right by me), so it felt kind of weird.  I was definitely tired and a little disappointed with myself at this point because I was going slower than what my goal was. But, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. There were soooo many people who were stopping and walking and I figured I was running faster than them! Running is such a mental thing...my head kept saying "it's ok to walk", but my heart kept saying "you can do this". So I followed my heart. I can't say it was easy. At the next few water stops I would walk for about 10 seconds just long enough to get a really good drink and start back up again. My mom called at mile 20 right after I had another gel to see where I was and to tell me they were heading to the finish line. THE FINISH LINE! That meant I was getting closer. At this point, I kept telling myself that I only had a 10k left and I had run that sooo many times in the last couple of years. So I kept going...

When I hit mile 23, I knew all I had left was a 5k. I could do it...I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. It was hard and I felt so slow but I just kept going. At mile 24, the spectators were there again which made it a little better. I had about half of another gel at this point and drank some more water to get me through the last 2 miles. 

At mile 25, I picked up the pace slightly. Not that I was going super fast, but the end was in sight and I knew I was going to make it. My goal all along was to run it in under 4:30, and being at the 4 hour mark, my new goal was to get in under 4:15. The closer I got, the louder the crowd got and I knew it was almost over. When I hit mile 26, all I had to do was round the corner and do the last .2 miles. That part was so surreal. There were tons of people on both sides cheering and yelling. At this point there weren't many other runners around me. It was just me and the finish line. I had to fight back the tears as I was running down that final stretch...

I worked so hard through all the training and I couldn't believe I was finally going to reach this dream! My family was on the side cheering me on. While I didn't spot them in the crowd, I knew they were there and were proud of me. And finally...I did it! I crossed the finish line with a time of 4:09:16 with arms raised and became an official marathoner! What a feeling!

As soon as I crossed, I got my medal and my first congratulations. Then they started handing me everything: the blanket, a hat, water, protein bar, etc. My family followed me and got this pick with my arms full:

I was so excited to see them and so relieved that the marathon was over. After hugs and kisses, we got a few more pics to document this wonderful occasion:

After the pics, my legs were really starting to tighten up so we walked around. We were going to stay a little longer at the finish line but then it hit me. I wanted to be back at the hotel and stretch out and rest. I was so done. So we headed back to the hotel which was a little walk. The more I walked, the better I felt, but I was ready to take my shoes off! (Yay for my Brooks running shoes- my feet felt great and I didn't have a single mark on them)

Back at the hotel, I sent and returned text messages from friends and family, and made my marathon "Facebook official"! Tony got an ice bath ready for me and I soaked for about 10-15 minutes in there. It hurt so good!! Then I took a warm shower and put comfy, dry clothes on. My mom brought us back panera for lunch. I was starving! My mom went back to Louisville and we stayed another night. 

Here I am a little over 24 hours later and feeling pretty good. I'm definitely sore, but nothing I can't handle. I even mowed the grass when we got back today! 

I'm so happy I was able to accomplish my goal and I'm proud of myself. I'm not making plans for another marathon anytime soon, I need time to recover from this one. Only time will tell if I decide to do it again. I am going to do a 5k, 2 10k's, a 10 miler and a half marathon (maybe 2) in the next 6 months. They will feel so easy after the marathon! 

Thank you for going on this journey with me. It was fun to be able to track my training. I'll have something to look back on now! 

I wonder what my next adventure will be...

One week to go...

Oh My!! This time next week I will be finished with the marathon. I can't believe it's already here! When I think about it, I get butterflies in my stomach. I'm extremely nervous and also excited. 

Here are some thoughts about the marathon and this last week:

1. Tapering sucks. I mean...the actual tapering is great because I don't have to run insane amount of miles, but ever since I ran 20 miles I just feel like I'm supposed to keep doing that. I just pray I don't lose my stamina. With my runs this past week and with my 8-mile long run today I've been focusing on going a little faster, and I've actually felt really good. This week I have 3 short runs before the Mac Daddy of all runs on Saturday, gulp!

2. The weather in Indy. Ok, so right now I'm obsessed with checking the Indy weather for next Saturday several times a day. While temperature wise it looks good (40something - 50something degrees), there seems to be a possibility of rain. Yesterday the weather channel was showing a 60% chance of rain that morning and it changed today to only 20%. Please!!!! Anything but rain! I'd rather run in 30 degree weather with snow than run in rain. I ran the derby festival half marathon in rain and while I was good the majority of the time, by the end my feet and socks were drenched and rubbing and it was not good. So please say a prayer that the rain stays away...I'm already plotting and planning some rain strategies just in case. 

3. Food! I know what I'm going to eat marathon morning and will be taking it with me to the hotel. However, I was never consistent with dinner the night before so I'm not sure what I'm going to eat. This is especially challenging since we are traveling and I won't have what's familiar to me. I'll figure it out though!

4. Sleep. Not that I'm going to get much sleep the night before, but it looks like I'll be staying with my mom in her hotel room since sleeping in a room with 3 kids may leave me not getting sleep at all. Sorry Tony!

Please say a prayer for the weather and for me! I'm so excited that soon I'll (hopefully) get to call myself a marathoner. 

Happy Halloween!

I did it!!!

Well, the peak training week is officially over! I ran two 5-milers and a ten miler during the week with the culminating 20 mile run this past Saturday. I was so nervous for the run but it went very well!

I had planned it out with Tony the night before that I would pass by our house halfway through to get my water bottle refilled. He was ready!

I left home around 6:30am. It's been staying darker later in the morning, so I ran for the first 5-6 miles in the dark. I went my normal way and felt great. It was so cold though. It was in the 30's which was quite a change since it had been in the 60s/70s. I didn't wear gloves and I had frozen half the water in my water bottle so my hands were freezing. At about 10 miles I called Tony and told him I was headed towards home but that I would run inside because I had to pee so bad. So at about mile 11 I made it home. I literally ran to pee and threw him my water bottle to fill up and I was back out the door within a few minutes. For the next 9 miles I stayed fairly close to home. I have to say that although my legs were beginning to get sore, I felt great. The last 2-3 miles of the run were actually my fastest. I even went ahead and tacked on .2 more to the run because I felt so good. Of course as soon as I was finished, my body tightened up but I kept moving and did some high knees and butt kicks to help with the tightness and that really helped. I was very proud of myself and even made Tony snap a quick pic to document my achievement:

One thing I did different on this run was I didn't look at my watch at all. I wanted to run and not worry about my time...just wanted to survive the 20 miles. My watch vibrates and beeps at every mile so I knew how far I had gone. This seemed to help relieve some of my anxiety about running a specific time or focusing on how far I still had to go. 

Overall I had a really great run. I just hope when the big day comes that I feel as good as I did during my 20.2 miler. 

Now is the hard part...tapering. I feel like I should continue to run super long distances but I'm not supposed to. Today I ran 12 miles and from here on out until race day, 8 miles will be the longest run so my body can rest and get ready. 

Only 2 weeks from today!!! I'm so excited and so nervous...very mixed feelings. 

14 miles and looking ahead

This morning I got a "break" and only had to run 14 miles. I have to tell you though, I'm sore. I don't think I have ever fully recovered from Monday's 18 miles and then I had to do another 9 on Wednesday. I've been trying to find ways to stretch out the soreness but the spots where I'm sore are hard to stretch (side of legs towards my butt). I only used 1 gel but drank all the water. The run wasn't too bad though. So funny that 14 used to seem impossible and now it's not even a "long" run. Immediately after getting home from my run this morning I washed my face and changed my clothes and had to bolt out the door to make it to Hannah's last volleyball game. I think that's where my problem is...I'm not getting to fully stretch out and refuel after my long runs because I always seem to have to be somewhere else. But, I did it!

Looking ahead, this is a hard running week. The hardest of all the training weeks. I have 2 five mile runs, a 10-miler, and the dreaded 20 miles next weekend. So I'm looking at 40 miles this week. Tony heads out of town again tomorrow morning so I might try to run one of the 5 milers before he leaves (he's back Tuesday evening). I know it will be hard after running 14 today, but I know getting all these miles in is critical to being successful at the marathon. I just didn't even realize how physically and emotionally exhausted I would be during training...but I am. After the 20 miler, I begin the 2 week taper which I slowly start running less and less in order for my body to get some rest and be in prime condition for the marathon. I can't believe it's only 4 weeks away!!!!

I may also have to get new running shoes this weekend. Mine are starting to wear down just a tad, but I still have a whole month of running left. So I think that will be the best option. I just really really want the exact same pair I have now because they have been really great for me. I didn't have any blisters and absolutely no marks on my feet after that 18 miler. I believe that's a sign of a good shoe!

That's it for now. Say a prayer that I make it through all my runs this week. I'll let you know how the 20 miles goes down!

18-miler!!!

I survived my 18 mile run!! Woohoo! I always get very nervous before a run and I was definitely nervous last night and this morning. I was off of school today thanks to Fall Break, but my kiddos had school so it was perfect timing. I took Emma to daycare while Tony got the bigger girls on the bus. Then I came home and got ready. I typically eat a banana and piece of toast with peanut butter but since we still hadn't gone to the grocery, I didn't have those items, ugh. So I ate a bowl of cereal (heeellloooo carbs 😉). I needed 3 gels for my run but 3 didn't fit in my little handheld water bottle pouch, so I wore a shirt with a small zippered pocket to help me. The weather was absolutely gorgeous...sunny and in the low 60s. 

Thought I'd tell you how it went according to which mile I was on:

Miles 1-3

Easy, peasy! I decided to start my run with my usual 4 mile route so I felt great. 

Mile 3.2

Beginning to feel like I had to pee. Ugh! Since I wasn't too far from home, I decided to head back that way and make a quick pit stop. I didn't know where or when the next available bathroom would be. 

Mile 4

Potty break! Tony thought something was wrong since I literally ran into the house. 

Miles 5-10.5

Felt pretty good! My time was still where I wanted it to be. At 5.5 miles I had a gel and chased it with some water. Gels are kinda something to look forward to when you're running. They aren't super yummy, but at least it takes my mind off of running for a while. I was running down Breckenridge towards the end of this little stretch and even got honked at...was it you?! Thank you if it was!

Mile 10.5

Wipe out!!! Yep...at 10.5 miles I tripped and fell. I was turning a corner and simultaneously trying to get my next gel out when I hit an uneven sidewalk and went down. Luckily I caught myself with my hands and the only mark I got was a small scratch on my knee. It happened quickly but I got up right away and started running again. I am very thankful I didn't end up with a busted knee or chin. At least I got to treat myself with another gel though!

Miles 11-13

I started to slow down just a tad and didn't have quite the energy as before but still felt pretty good. My legs were beginning to get sore, but nothing I couldn't handle. 

Mile 14

Felt great! I passed the half marathon mark and knowing I only had 4 miles left to go, I got a little spring in my step. In my mind I was even thinking "maybe I should try to do 19 miles"!

Mile 15

Haha...this is the mile where I changed my mind. 19 miles was wishful thinking...18 will be plenty for today. Still felt ok and even got to suck down another gel! Started my way back home with an easy 5k left!

Miles 16-18

Holy crap, will this run ever be over? Seriously. I was just so over running at this point. I was tired and sore and out of water. I was super close to being done but the time was going by so slow. I seriously think I looked at my running watch every .1 mile. 

Woohoo!!! I did it!!

As soon as I stopped running and walked, my legs tightened up all over. From reading blogs and articles on long runs I knew I needed to keep moving, so I did. I had about 1/3 a bottle of Gatorade (which I'm totally against- but more on that later) stashed in my mailbox. I was so thirsty so I grabbed that and walked for another 5 minutes or so. 

When I walked in the door, Tony was standing in the kitchen so I had him snap a quick pic documenting my success!

Whoa sweat! My shirt felt like it weighed a ton afterwards. 

After getting more water and stretching a bit, I treated myself to an ice bath. Totally cold but it felt good. I sat in the tub for 10-15 minutes and then showered. 

Over the next 5-6 hours I actually felt pretty good. Tony and I went on a lunch date to Qdoba (I was ravenous!! Typically when I run far I feel nauseous so this was a nice change of pace).  I even grocery shopped and was on my feet for almost the rest of the day. 

Fast forward to now...I'm exhausted and very sore. I took another shower and did a little foam rolling. I'm going to treat myself to some ice cream and call it a night. I'm beat! I just hope I'll be able to walk tomorrow 😜

Long runs and even longer runs...

Yikes! I haven't blogged in almost a month. I really wanted to document my training but life got in the way again. Ugh! So, to catch everyone up, 4 weeks ago I ran 15 miles. That was the longest run I had ever completed and it felt awesome! Seriously! That was such a great run. I used the handheld water bottle and tried the running gels for the first time and all was good. Yes I was extremely sore when it was over, but I didn't feel like I was going to die, so I consider that a good run! I was even able to smile for a picture afterwards:

The week after that 15-miler was not good. Tony was out of town (yet again), I had open house one evening at work, and my parents couldn't help out quite as much that week. I was only able to run 1 time during the weekday (and I'm supposed to run 3 times- not including the long run). When I did my 16 mile run that Saturday afterwards, I was hurting. It was not a good run. I felt slow and sore and exhausted. I had such high hopes for that run since the 15 miler had gone so well. 

That week was so difficult. Tony was gone again (he had a 5 week stretch of being out of town and only home on the weekend), and doubts started creeping in. I have one mid-week run that is getting longer as well and that particular week I had to do 8 miles on a Wednesday evening after teaching all day. It took everything I had to make it through that run. I wanted to quit so bad. I was on the brink of breaking into tears. I just felt exhausted and drained and thought "why the hell am I putting myself through this?"  I seriously came home and laid on the floor in fetal position while my mom got the girls ready for bed. I was just so beat (I had also run 16 miles on Saturday, 4 on Monday, 5 on Tuesday and 8 on Wednesday= 33 miles in 5 days). I went to bed that night by 9:00. 

That next week was better. After 2 weeks with long runs, I got a break. My long run was only 12 miles (I was totally able to handle that)! For now, my doubts are gone. Running is a huge mental game though... I am working hard at trying to remain positive and take it one step at a time. Tony is home for a while so hopefully scheduling running will be easier. 

This past week was good. I was able to get in all 3 runs (one of those was a 9-miler and one was at Lake Rudolph where we went camping). I was supposed to do 18 miles this weekend but since we were camping I didn't do it. I am off tomorrow because of Fall Break but my girls are in school, so it looks like as soon as I get them on the bus I'll be running. Say a prayer for me that I am able to make it through my 18-miler without all those doubts sneaking back into my head. My new motto:

"She believed she could, so she did".  

I'm determined to run this marathon. 

I'll let you know how my 18 miles go...think about me when you're driving to work tomorrow. Maybe you'll even catch a glimpse of me running down the road. Just give me a honk and a thumbs-up for a little encouragement. 

Halfway There!

Yesterday officially marked my halfway point through marathon training! It's exciting to know that I'm getting closer to the race, but a little nerve-racking that I still have a long way to go. I've never gone farther than 13.1, and next weekend I will be running 15 miles...gulp!

We are once again at the lake...probably for the last time this lake season due to volleyball and soccer games on the weekend.

Luckily I only had to do a 10 mile run here (only 10? I realize how ridiculous that sounds...a mere 2 yrs ago I thought 10 miles was out of reach). I think I've said before how hard it is to run at the lake. With gravel roads, hills, and dogs that run after me...it's always quite a challenge! By the way, I only had 1 dog chase me yesterday, a big ole boxer named Striker (the owner was whistling for him so I turned around to have him follow me back to his house and the owner told me his name).  If you know me at all, you would know that I'm not really a dog person and having a dog right on my heels and sniffing my calves makes me a wee bit nervous. But I survived! 

Thanks to my husbands addiction to Amazon Prime, I had him order me a handheld water bottle. 

I tried it out on my run yesterday and have to say that it was ok. I don't like being bogged down with a lot of "stuff" when I run so it's a little weird to add something else to my body. However, it's fairly small (holds 10 oz of liquids) and has a little compartment for gels/beans/whatever. The only issue I really had was when there was only a few ounces left, it was harder to get it out AND the water was really hot (it had been in my hand for over an hour). I read somewhere to fill it up halfway and freeze the water and then fill it up the rest of the way, so I'll try that for next weekend. 

I was supposed to take a rest day today but this little cutie wanted to go for a little run, so we did a 1.2 mile loop!

That's about it for now. Tony leaves again tomorrow to go on a fishing trip and this time he won't be back until next Sunday morning, so once again I'm relying on my parents to help with the logistics of my runs and helping with my kiddos!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Where's My Medal??

Seriously!! I ran 13.1 miles yesterday. That was my 5th time ever running that distance, but the first time I didn't get a medal and T-shirt for doing it. Bummer!! For real though, how weird is it that in the past 2 years I worked up to 13.1 miles...and now it was "just" part of the training. Hard to believe that I will be doubling that distance in just a tad over 2 months, yikes!

Overall, the run went well. I felt pretty good the whole time. I wasn't very smart though. You see, I never made it to go buy the gels so I didn't fuel at all during the run AND I didn't drink one little bit of water during the run, at all. Shame on me! I realize that it is so not good to do that. I stuck a drink in my mailbox so I would run by our house at some point along the way, but I never did. (Anybody else randomly plan where you're going to run as you go?). The last 2-3 miles were a doozy, I could definitely feel the impact not drinking anything had on me. That'll be the last time that happens on a long run. 

So I need to figure out how to drink during my runs. The races are so nice because there are so many water stops along the way...but not so much for my training runs at home (I guess I could get my girls to hold out little cups of water for me on the sidewalk as I ran by). I think I might buy the handheld water bottle. I've seen runners with the hydration belt but I think that would drive me crazy as I don't like to have a lot of stuff on me while I run. (I have my quirky sensory issues with certain things when I'm running). But, we'll see. 

Tony just left to go out of town again and won't be back till the wee hours of the morning Saturday. Before he left I did a 4-mile run. Yes...I'm crazy. I ran 13.1 yesterday and followed it up with a 4-miler today. I usually enjoy my day off from running for several days after a distance run, but when you are limited to the number of times you can run during the week because you have to have other people watch your kiddos, you do what you have to do. On the agenda for the rest of the week is a 7-mile run on Wednesday (the longest weekday run I've done) and a 3-mile run on Thursday. 

Until next time...

LSD run

....no, I'm not doing drugs. I like to read and gain as much information as possible when I do something, so of course I've read several books on running. LSD runs translate into Long, Slow, Distance runs. Yesterday I did just that. 

My long run was a 12-miler. At first my legs felt fairly heavy, but they got better about halfway through the run. I'm still trying to play around with the best pace to run longer distances and I know that I'll continue to tweak it as my runs get longer. When I walked in the door afterwards, Tony said "You look exhausted!"  I definitely was! After a week of being back to work and going non-stop PLUS having a small child in my room waking me up every night in the middle of the night, I was definitely tired. I think I fell asleep around 9:30 last night (on a Saturday night)!! 

That 12-miler took a lot out of me, so it's hard to imagine that my runs are going to get even longer, but I can do it!! I still haven't bought any "fuel" to try and didn't drink anything the whole entire run, which I know I need to do. Next weekend I'm supposed to run a half marathon distance so I'm going to try and get some stuff to practice with. 

Tony is going out of town for most of the week so my parents are going to help me get my runs in this week by watching my kiddos for me. Thank goodness for wonderful parents!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Back to work

I started back to work today. I love my job, I really do....but I also love being home with my girls all summer. I will miss seeing them all day and playing with them. 

(we were playing with my mom's new selfie stick)

Back to work also means it's time to figure out my running schedule. During the summer I would get up at 6am to run/workout...but that's not going to work anymore. I have to get myself and 3 girls dressed and out the door by 6:50-7am. Which means if I wanted to run in the morning and have time to shower, get myself and the girls ready, I'd have to get up around 4:30-4:45am. Don't think that's going to happen (unless absolutely necessary). So...it looks like I'll be going back to running in the late afternoon/evenings. Boo...

Garmin Forerunner 220

Woohoo!! I finally ordered my new running watch and it came in time for the weekend. I went with the Garmin Forerunner 220. Here it is:

My initial reaction was that it was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. After charging it up (by hooking it up to the computer), I packed it up to take to the lake. 

When you first turn it on it takes a minute or so to locate the satellite...but once it does that, it's good to go! I was a little anxious about using it at the lake because I only sometimes get a slight cell phone signal. But sure enough, it worked!!

I really like it! It vibrates and beeps every mile to tell you your average pace and time. It also gave me "awards" at the end! Woohoo!! And since I went with the 220 model, as soon as I open the Garmin app on my phone, it syncs with the watch and analyzes my runs for me! Score!

I had to complete a 9 mile run while at the lake, which is no easy task. Let's just say my parent's lake house is back on some twisty, hilly, narrow roads. So my 9-miler (which I haven't run that far since the derby mini in April), was hard!! I had to go up (and down) some big hills and had to run part of the way on gravel. AND...I didn't have my music to run with, ugh!! I hate running without my music (I just use spotify on my iPhone), but like I said earlier, poor cell signal = no music. 

Tony went out of town today, but I was able to get a run in (and a workout at Planet Fitness) before he left. I'll have to juggle my runs the rest of the week, but I'll make it work! 

Gearing up for a 10-mile run this weekend...fun times!

Random Thoughts

Happy Friday!! Here are some of my random thoughts on running from this past week:

1. I LOVE running in the warmer weather. Running shorts are fantastic...the built-in underwear is a real winner and super comfy. Plus, I sweat a lot...which makes me feel like I was able to get a good run in! The downfall of warm weather is the heat and humidity, which makes me have slower split times and super thirsty. 

2. You have to be flexible when training. With 3 kiddos and a husband who is actively involved with the Masons and travels for work, I have to figure out how to squeeze in my runs. Sometimes I get up and run at 6am (during summer...ugh!), sometimes I run in the evening, and sometimes I'm able to go out at lunch time (Tony works from home). I just have to make sure I get the miles in I'm supposed to. 

3. In past races I haven't done the whole drink on the run thing very well. I try to keep running and gag myself when I drink it. The past couple half marathons I did about a 5 second walk at the water stations and that seemed to work better. 

Ok...we are off to the lake! Since the lake house sits on a hill, maybe I'll get some hill work in?!

New shoes

We are back from Orange Beach, AL. We went with my parents and my brother and his family this past week. 

We had a great week and while there I squeezed in some training runs (to learn about my new adventure see my previous post). The heat and humidity were so high that I'm glad I only had to do three 3-mile runs. Of course my long run for the weekend was a 7-miler which I put off till early this morning (Monday) to beat the heat. 

Yesterday I went to Fleet Feet and FINALLY bought a new pair of running shoes. I typically get the Brooks Ghost shoes but changed it up this time after talking to the staff at Fleet Feet and got the Brooks Glycerin 13 shoes. This morning I ran with them and they felt wonderful!!! I'm very happy with my purchase. Of course I feel extremely guilty that they were so expensive...although I never buy anything for myself. 

Here they are:

Hoping to buy a running watch this week with some Amazon giftcards I've been saving! That's it for now!

Marathon Training

I recently signed up to run my very first marathon. Tony thinks I'm crazy, and I'm beginning to think that maybe I am! 26.2 miles...that's a heck of a long ways to run!!

Seriously though, I've been running pretty consistently for the past several years. April 2014 I was able to cross "run a half-marathon" off my bucket list. In the past year, I have completed 4 half-marathons and several other races (10 milers, 10k's, 5k's, etc.). I feel like at this point in my life I am in fairly good shape and it's not so crazy right now that I should be able to get the training in...I figured if I'm going to do it, now would be the time. 

I signed up for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on Nov.7th. Tony already booked our hotel room (and one for my mom too), so at least I'll have people there to cheer me on!

So, this week officially starts week 1 of marathon training. I'm following Hal Higdon's training schedule that looks like this:

Of course with Tony being out of town for most of the week, I haven't been able to follow it completely...but I will get it done!

I'm both excited and extremely nervous about doing this. I hope my body (and mind) can handle it!

Next on my to-do list is to get a new pair of running shoes and buy a gps running watch. Right now I use my iPhone when I run and use the run keeper app, I have loved this app but the longer I run, the more likely my phone battery won't make it. 

Ok, so now you know my plan! I'll update as my training goes on!