Favorites of 2008

Before I welcome 2009, I wanted to post some of my favorite memories of 2008:

My 30th birthday in Taos with Jonathan...

New York city with my mom to celebrate our birthdays...

High School Musical on Ice with my nieces...

My new nephew, Blaze, and my new nieces, Kinley and Kassidy...

Hanging out with my mom and sis in Dallas (only a pic my heart took to remember it by).

Celebrating Jonathan's birthday in Chicago...

Hiking in Taos with Jonathan and Sprouse folks...

Spending 4th of July with Jonathan's niece and nephew...

Having my nieces and nephews spend the night...

Going to Kansas City for the 99th Division WWII convention with Jonathan's dad and grandmother...

Going to Albuquerque with David and Christine to watch the Ags...

Vacationing with Mom and Dad in South Dakota...

Going to Oktoberfest in Angelfire with David and Christine...

Starting to run and training with Jonathan...

Starting to run and going to races with friends...


Starting to run and rediscovering that there really is no one quite like a sister...

Spending holidays with family (loads of pics my heart took to remember them by).

Happy New Year!

I've always been pretty good about New Year's Resolutions--making them that is. I've never been much on the follow through (which could explain the extra 15 pounds I've been carrying around since I finished law school in '05). I read an interesting post on resolutions on Kristin Armstrong's blog. This is my favorite part:

It can be overwhelming in the face of all that needs to be done, to consider what we really want to do. I'm talking about getting back in touch with the desires of our hearts. That's why this year instead of thinking about what I want to do in the year ahead, I am going to try to shift my perspective and consider who I want to be at this time next year. If I can figure out how to get my 'I am's' to fuel my 'to-do's' instead of the other way around, I think it could be a year of great growth. If we aren't paying attention, the way we fill our time defines who we are by default.

Read the full post here.

So last night I did a lot of thinking on this. I listed 5 things I want to be at this time next year. Then I listed specific things I can do under each of the 5 things to help me achieve it. #5 on my list was fitness related:

Who do I want to be at this time next year?

#5 An active, healthy, self-confident woman.

1. Take a multivitamin and drink 2L of water everyday.
2. Establish and maintain a consistent exercise routine with 4 components:
• Cardio
• Strength training
• Stretching
• Deep breathing
  
3. Learn more about and practice good nutrition.
• How to shop for and cook healthy foods
• Be in tune with what my daily diet should consist of (e.g. get the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, etc.)
  
4. Practice mindful eating and moderation. (I am the queen of mindlessly gorging on high calorie food and beverages.)
   
5. Cook more.
6. Eliminate negative self talk.

As for running related goals, I'd really like to run about 15 miles a week and participate in one race a month. I think the race will help shame me into keeping up with my workouts.

Have you made any New Year's Resolutions?

Week 1 of 4: Houston Half Training Report

M: 3m (skipped)
W: 4m (skipped)
R: 4m (skipped)
F: nothing planned, but ran 4 miles
Su: 10m (skipped)

Yep, you read that right...I only ran once last week, and for the very first time, I skipped a long run! Yikes! Can you say slacker? It was extremely tough to get motivated over the holidays, and well, I failed miserably. I'm going to get back at it this week. I've decided to just do two runs a week plus a long run (instead of 3 runs a week plus a long run) and make 1 of my mid week runs a speedwork or tempo workout. I used Smart Coach on Runner's World to come up with a training plan for this half. I'd really like to get my 2:30 so I think a little speedwork and tempo work might help.

I did manage to get one run in over the holidays. There is a neat Rails to Trails trail in Jonathan's hometown. His sister and a family friend ran with me. We ran 2 miles out and 2 miles back on the trail. It was a lot of fun. It was really windy out, and neither of them are used to running 4 miles so we just stopped and walked when anyone needed to then started back up again when we felt like it. We chatted along the way which really made the time pass. Even still, we finished in 12 minute miles which I was pleased with. I love running with other people with no time pressure; the talking makes the time pass so quickly.

Here's to hoping the second week of my training is a lot better than the first!

Recovery Week and Jingle Bell Run

Though my feet looked like they had been through a blender (the moleskin didn't work!), overall my muscles felt better than they did after the DRC Half. I took the entire week off. It felt so good!

Saturday was the first time we ran since the half. We ran in the local Jingle Bell Run. It was an untimed 4 mile run through Wolflin (an older neighborhood in town) to see the Christmas lights. It was COLD! Jonathan and I ran it together and went slowly, walking a few minutes after about 25 minutes of running. We had hot chocolate afterwards and visited with friends. We hope to make the run a new Christmas tradition!

More White Rock Pictures

(There's music with the slideshow so you'll want to pause the music at the bottom of my blog to avoid hearing two songs playing over each other.)

Mulligan Race Report (with pictures)

Friday: We left work that afternoon and went to Mineral Wells to spend the night with Jonathan's dad. They had a nice visit, and I went to bed early and got some quality shut-eye. Aren't they a handsome pair?

Saturday: Saturday we left mid-morning to meet Christine and David at their apartment. We pit-stopped at Walgreen's to get some water, Gatorade, and moleskin for my blisters. My feet looked horrible, and I thought I'd try moleskin out. I know you're not supposed to try anything new on race day, but my blisters have been horrible every single race so I didn't feel I had much to lose. We got the 30 second tour of the Stroud's apartment then headed for Dallas to meet her family for lunch. After a yummy lunch, we went to the Expo. It was huge. We picked up our packets, got some free stuff, made a few purchases, then went to the hotel to check in and rest up before dinner. Jonathan took a nap while I did my nerdy work of organizing our gear and sorting through our Expo bags. I just love the planning opportunities these races present!


We had dinner at Macaroni Grill with Christine's family and my sis and her friend, Steph, and went over our plan for the next day.



I was worried about Christine since she hadn't been feeling well and I could tell she was really nervous. This turned out to be a good thing for me because it allowed me to focus all my energy on her and not think about my own race! I didn't sleep hardly at all before the DRC Half, and I was worried I wouldn't rest well this evening either. I slept really soundly until about 4:30am though then slept off and on until it was time to get up. I actually felt pretty rested race day!

Sunday:

Expectations: NONE. While I had initially hoped to run a 2:30, or at least beat my DRC Half time, I knew this was a long shot. First, I had not trained like I should. Second, the weather was slated to be horrible...in the 70's and WINDY (as in 30mph). I threw both the 2:30 and goal of beating my DRC Half time out the window and decided I'd walk the thing if I had to. My objective was to finish and go cheer for Christine so I wasn't even that worried about the whole thing. I was dreading the wind though--no doubt about that!

Race morning: I felt rested, and we got to the race in perfect time. We were worried about the traffic and parking, but we called a cab, and this turned out to be a great plan. I called Christine after we dropped our items at bag check, and immediately got worried because she had just arrived at the race site (she was supposed to be there before us so this meant she was late). Again, a "good thing" for me because I could focus my nervous energy on her (I knew she wouldn't be happy arriving a little late)! She found us and we hustled around until it was time to get in place at the start. We took pics and gave hugs all around, then we all went to our respective starting corrals.


The Race: I found the 2:30 pace group at the first of the C corral. While my bib said I was in the B corral, I lined up with them in C. After the National Anthem, F-16 fly by, and confetti, we were ready to roll...sort of. It took me 8.5 minutes to even get to the starting line because of the crowds! This was not a problem for me though; I was in no hurry!


Miles 1-6: We were slammed by a gust of wind the first turn we took. Wow! "This is is going to be a long 13 miles" was all I was thinking. It strengthened my resolve to throw any time goals out the window. There was a long incline in the first 6 miles, but I was surprised at how doable it seemed. Literally, every mile for the first 6 miles I thought, "I can't believe that's mile 2 (3, 4, and so on). It was awesome! I felt like I was on cruise control. Neither my IT band nor my knee hurt at all. Even my calves and shins felt good!

Miles 7-10: Mile 7 was the first time I started looking for a mile marker. I kept thinking, "where in the world is mile 7??". Miles 8-9 were a long straight and turn around. It felt like I would never get to the turn around. You saw people heading back toward you so you felt like it was just a few yards further, but you never seemed to get there; it was very deceptive! The wind was at our backs and it was a downward incline on the way to the turn around so you knew what you'd be facing when you got to the turn around--not anything to look forward to! I didn't enjoy this part of the course. There was a pretty bad incline up to mile 9, but again, I was amazed that it seemed very doable. I was keeping with the pace team, but it grew more difficult because of my routine of walking 1 minute at every mile. This meant I would fall behind when I walked; I really had to book it to catch up with them after my minute passed. This proved exhausting. Finally, at mile 10, I gave up on them and decided I wouldn't try to catch back up with them after I walked for a minute. I knew the big hills were over so I wasn't worried about finishing alone.

Miles 11-13: These last 3 were a struggle. I extended my walk break to 2 minutes at mile 10, 3 minutes at mile 11, 3 minutes at mile 12, and back to 2 minutes at mile 12. Through mile 10, I was on track for a 2:30 finish, but I really slowed down the last 3 miles. I knew after I lost the pace team, that 2:30 was out of range so I decided sub-2:35 would be my goal. I know I said that time goals were out the window when I started the race, but I just could not get over how good I felt! Even in the horrid conditions! While the last 3.1 were pretty brutal, I stuck to it, and finally, I saw the finish. My sis, Steph, and Jonathan met me at the line. I finished smiling! (and I finished under 2:35--2:34:36!)


Reflections on the Race: I really can't believe how well it went. I certainly didn't set any speed records, but I did set a new PR and really enjoyed myself. My goal for my next one is to really work on those last 3.1. I felt really good for the first 10 and was on pace. Unfortunately, the last 3.1 ate my lunch. Hopefully I can stay more consistent through the full 13.1 next time.

Cheerleading: After post race pics with my sis and Jonathan, Lori and Steph left for home. Jonathan and I hung around and visited with his sis, bro-in-law, and our niece and nephew. (Aren't they cutie pies??)


Then we lined up and waited for Christine to cross the finish line. Initially, I had planned to run around with her sis and parents and cheer for her, but it proved to take quite a bit of time so it didn't work out. Jonathan and I grabbed a spot near the finish and watched for her. While we waited, we kept getting moved to tears! There was a man without legs who finished, and the crowd's response was incredible! We both cried at that awesome sight! Then as some of the parents would near the finish line, their kids would join them to cross the line with them--also moving! Finally, Jonathan yelled, "There's Christine!" I yelled uncontrollably and started crying! I knew how hard she'd worked to finish her first 26.2, and I was so proud watching her near the line!

We all congratulated her post race then went to enjoy copious amounts of calories at Pappasitos!

Congrats to All!

Everyone set a new PR at White Rock despite the awful conditions! Hurray for David, Lori, Jonathan, and Christine for a great race! So glad to have #2 behind me and so very glad to have such fun memories in the memory bank (after all, the race was just something I had to do to have the opportunity to enjoy all the fun---spending the weekend with my sis and friends!).

Preview of Mulligan Half Race Report

Oh, yeah. That horse bucked again, but I hung on this time. All things considered, it was actually a pretty great race. Pics and full report to follow...

Ready or Not, Here it Comes

Forecast for Sunday: low of 58, high of 72, and winds blowing 25-30 mph. You have got to be kidding me! If I was supposed to get up on Sunday and run 13 miles, and I saw a weather forecast like this, I'd stay in bed and run 13 another day. I do not do well in heat. Let me repeat that. I. Do. Not. Do. Well. In. Heat. If it is hot, I stay inside. I am fair skinned, and I don't want a sun burn among other things. I am a fair weather runner. I do not run in the heat. I do not run in the rain. I do not run in the snow. I do not run when it's windy. (This sounds like a Dr. Seuss book, but I digress.) I know that's contrary to most runners, but I've already confessed I'm not a runner, I'm a non runner. I was really feeling okay about this thing, but this recent news disturbs me. Sure, one might think, "at least we'll all be dealing with the wind and heat together" might make me feel better. It doesn't. Most of the people out there are not fair weather runners. I'm discouraged.

On a more positive note, Jonathan and I got bundled up and went for a run around the neighborhood last night looking at Christmas lights. It was great! No pain or fatigue whatsoever really. No watch. No idea how far we truly went--just out and about looking at lights. That's what I'm looking forward to after all of these halfs are over...just running about with no watch, no distance, and no goal really, other than to keep moving and be outside.

Week 4 of 5: Mulligan Half Training Report

M: 3m (did 2)
W: 4m (skipped)
R: 3m (skipped)
Sa: 8m

This has been more of an "I'm Not Training Report" lately rather than a "Training Report", but nonetheless...

After such a great 9 miler last weekend with my sis, I laughed at how easy my 3 miler would be on Monday. Trust me...it laughed back! From the very beginning, I knew it was not going to be a good run. Every step felt like that very first run---awkward, labored, and "just off". I've already mentioned this "non-run" in the last post; I'll not belabor it here. Awful. So awful, I took the rest of the week off until my long run.

I was determined to get 8 miles in on Saturday. Jonathan and I went out to Wildcat Bluff and ran an 8 mile out and back course. I enjoyed last week's run so much with my sis that Jonathan and I decided we'd give it another shot together. We really enjoyed ourselves! We decided we'd run on the way out together and separate on the way back since I can usually run the hills on the way out, but I walk a lot of the hills on the way back. Funny thing is--I managed to make the whole way out and back without any unplanned walk breaks (I still walked a minute each mile) so we stuck together. It was awesome!

A funny thing happened this run...I forgot my watch. I must say that I am tempted to not wear a watch on Sunday during the half! I got to each mile and walked 60 steps and never had any idea what pace I was at--so there was no reason to be discouraged or down on myself when "I was going too slow", etc. I just ran, walked, then ran until I got to 8 miles.

I also tried a new little tactic with wanting to take unplanned walk breaks on the way back, especially on the hills. I would only look a few feet in front of me and tell myself to make it to the next ________. "Just make it to that rock and then we'll talk about a little break." Pretty soon I would be over the hill and the talk switched to, "You can't walk on a downhill; that's a waste. Just get to the bottom and then we'll talk about a little break." Of course, you know what happened when I got to the bottom of the hill. "You're not far from the mile marker now, and you know you get a walk break at mile markers. Keep it up until the mile marker." This worked amazingly well. My mind can only process a run in very small pieces--one step at a time. I hope to focus on this in the half on Sunday. We'll see!

Who Signed Us Up For This Thing?

Seriously...whose idea was this to run White Rock anyway? That's the question Jonathan and I have been asking ourselves lately. We've been bad little runners. This was supposed to be my "back on track week". It hasn't been. I ran Monday. It was supposed to be a 3 mile run. I walk/ran for 2 (mostly walk), then gave up and tried to do the last mile on the elliptical (only lasted a half mile). I don't get it. I ran 9 miles on Saturday. Why can't I crank out 3?? Pretty pathetic. I was supposed to do 4 at lunch yesterday; got wrapped up in work and didn't make it to the gym. I was supposed to make it up today, but thankfully Jonathan got wrapped up in work and we didn't go to the gym either. Zero motivation. Zero. I'm going to run 8 on Saturday; no way around it.

I'm going to stick it out for 13 next weekend, but I'm already starting to dread it. I really haven't started dreading it until tonight. My attitude has been to walk run and mostly walk if I feel like it. Just keep moving for 13 miles and have fun over the weekend being out of town, being with friends, and being with family. I know I haven't trained well for it so I've been lowering my expectations, and I've truly been okay with it. But now, I've realized how many people will be there that I know, and my pride is starting to kick in. While I'm sure none of these people will be giving me or my sad "wog" (walk-jog because can I really call what I do a "run"??) a second thought, I have just enough pride left that it's starting to bother me. Of course, my training is now so far down the tube that there's not a thing I can do about it. Wogging it is!

Such is life. That's my whine for the night. Why in the world am I doing this???

(Oh--and did I mention we're signed up to do the Houston Half Marathon in January? Now isn't that just the most ludicrous thing you've ever heard? Way back when we started this whole running bit, I had an inkling I wanted to finish a half marathon. I thought Houston would be "fun" (I was delusional) because we could go back and see family and friends from when we lived there, and the Houston Marathon is a really big deal. So...without telling anyone (not even Jonathan), I signed us up---way back in July, right before it filled up! But I didn't tell a soul (not even Jonathan for awhile) so that I had the option of backing out (I was at least thinking clearly on this). Then, we decided to do the DRC Half with my sis and Christine and David, then this horrible White Rock idea came up (again, delusional), and now, this Non-Runner will have completed 3 half marathons in 3 months! How's that for the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? Not a good idea. Not a good idea at all.)

Week 3 of 5: Mulligan Half Training Report

T: 4 m (skipped)
R: 12k (only did the 2 mile)
Sa: 6 m (did 9 miles)

Well, it wasn't as much of a fail week as the previous weeks, but it still wasn't good. Fortunately, my billing year is complete, and I can get back on track. Unfortunately, now it's time to taper, but I don't have much to taper about since my mileage never got up to where it should have.

I didn't run the 12k in the Turkey Trot as planned. As usual, I was dreading the race. I knew there would be hills which did not help my motivation, and I also knew I'd be by myself, which further decreased my motivation. There were plenty of people to run the 2 mile with and talk with and laugh with so I just ran it. I'm glad I did. We really had a lot of fun (again, "fun" and "run" is a new concept for me).

On Saturday my sis and I got up and ran for almost 2 hours. I was dreading it right through the first 3 miles, but then ended up having a good time. It was nice to run with someone and talk (sure did make the time pass "quickly"). More than anything, running and visiting with someone distracted me from thinking about how much (or what little) time had passed and what was aching. I ran 10:30 then walked 1 minute throughout. It worked out well. I never walked longer than planned and even extended some of the running segments. My knee started hurting at about 1:45:00, but it held up pretty well overall. It was really cold out, and I tend to think that helped it a little (my legs were pretty numb from the cold).

I was beginning to wonder if I really would be able to finish the White Rock half marathon with as little training as I've been doing and as much as my IT band and knee have bothered me, but Saturday gave me a vote of confidence that I'll be able to finish. I no longer have any preconceived notions about beating my previous time though. I'd just like to finish and feel proud about it. I have a feeling that will mean sticking to my walk 1 minute every mile schedule and power walking the hills, but I'm okay with that.

Turkey Trot 2008 Pics

We had such fun at the Turkey Trot on Turkey Day! I ended up running the 2 mile instead of the 12k. I just wasn't "feeling it". If I ran the 12k, I knew I'd be running by myself, but several people "my speed" were running the 2 mile so I knew I'd have running buddies in it. I'm glad I "chickened out" and just ran the 2 mile--it was actually fun! Sis and Jonathan ran the 12k (and both did awesome). Hopefully it will become a new tradition!

Happy Turkey Day!

Yep, 'tis the season of giving thanks, spending time with family, and gluttony!

We're doing something a little different this year---participating in a Turkey Trot. A what? A Turkey Trot! Many towns sponsor fun runs on Thanksgiving Day so you can get out into your community, run with your neighbors, and start your day of indulgence off with some exercise. Jonathan and I, my sis, my little brother and his wife Amber are all running in it. Should be a great way to spend time together, do something good for our hearts, and mitigate the copious amounts of calories we will inevitably consume!

To find a run in your area check out the Turkey Trot race locator at active.com.


Happy Turkey Day!

Week 2 of 5: Mulligan Half Training Report

M: Rest
T: 4m (skipped)
W: 6m (skipped)
R: 4m (skipped
Sat.: 12m (did 10m on Sunday)

Ummm...another FAIL week as far as training goes. Sadly, I could have squeezed in a run twice this week and simply chose to do something else instead. It's cold in the mornings so staying in bed always seems to beat out a morning run. I've had lunch meetings so lunch hasn't been an option. If I wait until after work for a run, it is highly unlikely it will occur (which is why I like to do it in the morning or at lunch). Oh, well. This is the last week of my 2008 billing year, and I'm convinced my training will get back on track if I can just survive this week! My goal for this week is to run tomorrow, to run in the Turkey Trot 12k on Thanksgiving Day, and to get a run in on Saturday or Sunday.

So...I attempted 12 miles again yesterday. Same story---first 3 miles felt awful, the middle miles were great, and at 9.5 miles, my knee gave out. It's like I can't even bend it when it does that. I made it to 10 miles then walked the last 2 miles to my car. I was hurting. Every muscle in my body hurts today---the bottom of my feet, my IT band, my knee---yikes! I'm hoping this is the suffering I must endure for skipping so many workouts, and the aches and pain will disappear when my training is back on track.

Week 1 of 5: Mulligan Half Training Report

M: 4m (skipped)

T: Rest (ran 2 miles that night)

W: 5m (with hills)-(skipped)

R: 4m (skipped)

F: Rest

Sa: 11m (10.5 miles on Sunday)

My, oh my. This was a FAIL week as far as training goes. Talk about life getting in the way! November is the end of our billing year so I'm scrambling to get my hours finished, and this is my bestest friend, Christine's, last week at work so I was busy getting together a farewell party for her. I planned my work, but I definitely didn't "work my plan"! I ended up working late almost every night and was exhausted--physically, emotionally...I was beat. So I skipped my workouts. I did get in 2 miles on Tuesday night late. It was cool out, and I really enjoyed it (enjoying running is kinda new to me).

I kind of missed my workouts this week. I missed doing something physical and the stress relief and endorphin rush I get from exercising. I was really nervous about my long run since I skipped so many workouts. I was also nervous about running so long alone (not for safety reasons---just for boredom reasons). But to tell you the truth, I was itching to do something physical! I worked most of the weekend and was emotionally spent from my buddy moving so I just wanted to get out there and zone out.

It was incredible! The first 3 miles were pretty painful--my body was protesting after so much time off. But in mile 4, I hit my stride. I tried a new tactic this run. I ran 1 mile then walked 1 minute. I did this throughout. It was a success! In fact, I hit my mile markers (even with walking) faster than 12 minute miles (which is what I did the last time Jonathan and I ran 10 miles together). It helped to break down the run for me. All I had to tell myself was, "you get to walk in 1 mile." For some reason, this made the run seem less daunting.

I tweaked my knee in mile 7. It didn't hurt immediately, but I could barely walk (much less run) by the end of mile 10. I planned to run 11 miles, felt so great at mile 5 that I decided 12 was possible, but after the pain at 10, I decided to call it good. I'm going to make another run at 12 miles next weekend.

And running alone...I really enjoyed it. I didn't feel the pressure of keeping pace with Jonathan; I didn't even think about too much (I tend to get carried away when I have too much time to think so this is definitely a good thing). It was a gorgeous day, and I just enjoyed being out there and doing something physical. I've wondered if I really will be able to run the half alone, and after today I know that I not only can, but I think I will enjoy running alone. It just felt like so much less pressure. I'm really glad to discover this.

Until the end of November, my schedule is pretty brutal. It will be tough to get in all of my workouts. I'm going to try to take it easy on myself and work them in when I can and cut myself some slack when I can't. I'm actually looking forward to trying for 12 next weekend.

Let Freedom Run!

Since today is Veteran's Day I thought I'd post a cool story about a father (a 75 yo retired Marine) and son (44 yo) who ran 112-days and 3,330-miles from San Diego to Washington, D.C to raise money for wounded veterans (Tom and Warren Knoll's Freedom Run). Wow! And I whined about 13.1 miles!

Here's their stats:

Running the Numbers

3,300 Miles in Tom and Warren Knoll's Freedom Run

14 Total pairs of shoes they wore through

9 Number of hours their van driver stood in line to try out for Deal or No Deal to get publicity for the run (no deal)

$35,000 Money raised for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Project, and The Sunshine Foundation

How awesome is that? You can read the full story at Runner's World.

Let freedom run!

I'll Take a Mulligan, Please!

I like Wikepedia's definition of 'mulligan'- a mulligan is a retaken swing, usually due to a previously errant one.

Yep-that sounds about right. I'm going to start referring to my first half as a "previously errant swing". I'll take a mulligan, please. My mulligan? The Dallas White Rock Half Marathon. I'm not that concerned that I finish in a faster time really (though it would be nice). My goals for "running the rock" are:

1. Give myself permission to walk.--I know. I know; you're thinking...what? You walked a heck of a lot at the DRC Half! It's true. I did. But I went in thinking, "I will not walk until predetermined water stops." So when I needed to walk earlier and more frequently than that, I just felt like a giant loser. It got me down on myself and started the mental battle that I eventually lost. I'm going to be nicer to myself this time. If I need to walk, I will walk. Not if I want to walk, but if I need to walk.

2. Listen to the crowd, see the crowd, and take it all in.--This thing is supposed to be really neat; I want to enjoy it. I don't remember much about my surroundings at the DRC Half. I don't think I looked across the lake once (though I distinctly remember looking at the edge and wondering whether the odds were greater I could run/walk to the finish line faster than I could dive in and swim it).

3. Smile when I finish.

I'm going to start on Week 6 of the half marathon training program on Marathon Rookie. I'm also going to train at Wildcat Bluff once a week so I can get some hills in.

So here goes...I'll take a mulligan, please!

Recovery Week: Half Training Report

M: Massage!

T-F: Rest!
Sa: 6m with hill work


Ahhh...recovery week. Just what I've been waiting for! Can I tell you how much I needed a mental health break from running? We had a super busy week, and it was so nice NOT to have to worry about when I'd squeeze a run in. Some things I've said say "run easy", other say "don't run for a week." Can you guess which advice I followed?

I was sore this week. Very sore. My muscles. My pride. It was all hurtin'. The massage worked wonders on my muscles, and writing massaged my bruised ego. I'm better now.

Saturday's 6 miler actually went well! I think I may be officially done with trying to run with any sort of speed (I use the word 'speed' loosely)! Hurray! I told Jonathan I was going to go at my own pace and enjoy my first run after the half so "feel free to take your own car." He ran with me the first 3 miles then smoked past me. I didn't mind. I walked some of the hills on the last 3 miles and was otherwise fine. I ran slow, but it felt comfortable. It was a gorgeous day--no wind, cool, sunny. I'm not ready to totally concede this yet, but I was kinda glad to be out there. You might even say I kinda missed it!

Running with Your Mate

So you may remember that one of the reasons we started this running bit was to find a form of exercise we could do together (this being more important to Jonathan because he really likes to exercise and wants me to as well). We've tried working out at the gym together. Never seems to work because (in my humble opinion) he's always instructing me, and frankly...I don't take instruction well (no surprise there)! We've tried tennis. This didn't work either because frankly..he's really good and I'm really not, and I don't much like doing things I'm not really good at. [Is anyone else seeing a pattern here?] Now why we thought running would work since we have a pattern of failed attempts at exercise with one common denominator [me!] is really beyond me, but off we went! And, as you've read in my DRC Race Report...we will add running to our list of failed exercise attempts.

The whole idea to finish races together was encouraged by an article in Runner's World where Natalie Morales discusses she and her husband finishing marathons together. "That's neat!" we both thought. For whatever reason though, it just doesn't work for us. At first I thought it was because of our painstakingly different athletic abilities. However, I know couples who are a similar pace who can't seem to make it work either. As I looked around the race on Sunday and saw so many couples running together and seemingly enjoying it, I started to feel like we were the only ones who couldn't make it work. But after I posted my race report on the Runner's World forum (essentially the same report I posted on this blog), and read the flood of comments about feeling the same frustration about running with their husbands (who in message board world is called "DH"--I have no idea why), I'm starting to think there's something to this!

Why is it that some couples just can't run together? I think the #1 reason we can't make it work is different expectations. I know my expectation of running together was to talk and enjoy each other's company while we ran (Jonathan prefers to strictly listen to his iPod), to leisurely run and walk when we wanted, and to finish certain distances together ( while Jonathan prefers to see how fast and far we can go). So it's really no wonder it doesn't work for us. We're constantly frustrated because our expectations aren't being met! I'm frustrated because he won't take the earphones out and because he's pushing me to go faster and farther than I want to go, and he's frustrated because all he wants to do is listen to his music and push faster and farther!

So for us, we've resolved to continue running "together" in the sense that we'll follow the same training plan (we'll just do the runs at different paces), and we'll go to the races together. This way we can still share the overall experience, but each be able to satisfy our own individual expectations. We'll see how it goes...

I just have to share some of the comments about running with your mate from my Race Report (RR) post on Runner's World:

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Wow, I've never run a half, but I've experienced almost all of the same stuff as you, including cussing (and hitting) my overly chipper DH! Major kudos to you for finishing, as these things usually call a halt for me. Go you!!!

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Well that was one great race report. And I am so glad you are going for it again next Month. I think if you follow that #6 tip, you will be just fine.......

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Congratulations on a great run (even if it wasn't at the time) and you have the medal to prove that even if your mind battle had you on the bottom, you still pulled through!!! My husband and I will start races together, and agree to meet somewhere after the finish line. We've learned when he's tried to train with me that we're not the same pace!

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I know you are disappointed with your race but you persevered! I certainly don't mean to make light of how you felt at the time but you wrote it in a very entertaining manner. I can't believe your DH would run a mile time trial in the middle of a half marathon which he is supposed to be running in support of you! No worries, I think most would agree that he does indeed have a hot wife!! LOL! Sucks about the blister. You might look into wearing either some friction free socks or just rub your feet in Vaseline before the run. A piece of advice...leave the DH on the sidelines for the next one!

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I loved your report and your sense of humor! Even though it wasn't the way you had envisioned it, you persevered! If you husband is reading, yes you do have "a hot wife"! However, don't be doing a mile time trial at the tail end of a half marathon where you are supposed to be supporting your wife! Stay on the sidelines next time! LOL!
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Great report! You cracked me up, and you nailed how I feel about running with my hubby as well! Great job! Thank you for such a fantastic RR, so entertaining. Congrats on your finish and time!
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My husband and I make a great team but running together?!?!?! HA! We tried to do C25K a year ago together, and it was almost grounds for divorce. Now we run on our own. Your honesty was so completely refreshing.

Product Review: Band Aid Blister and SPI Belts

You may remember my "Freak Out" post. Two of my issues were what to do about my blister and where to carry my GU.

1. Blister--While I didn't find anything that worked for the race, I did find a product to use for everyday care. It's Band Aid Advanced Healing for Blister, and it's awesome! They come in all different sizes (I have a giant blister on the ball of my foot and a nasty looking thing on my pinky toe--tough sizes to find). I have "large" and "toes". You put it on a clean sore, and it stays put for days. Buy them if you have a blister.


2. GU holder--you must buy an SPI (small personal item) belt. Sure, it's just the runner's version of a fanny pack, but it's awesome! It's tiny (but expands freakishly), totally comfortable, does not bounce (AT ALL), and comes in tons of colors. Oh...and it's only $20! I put my hotel key, my list of goal splits, folded up train schedules, and 3 GU's in mine. A friend had her GU and a small BodyGlide in hers. I couldn't believe how comfortable it was. I pushed it lower on my hips and wore the bag in back at first (so as to avoid the true fanny pack look). However, it did bounce at the back so I moved it to the front side. Much better. Totally forgot it was there. Here's a picture I took of me in mine:


Stop laughing. Just buy one.