Half Marathon Unplugged Recap

Saturday was my first Half Marathon of the year. I have spent the winter preparing for it and was ready to take it on. I didn't exactly have a "plan" of how I wanted this race to go. I was not going for a PR yet I did want to beat last years time of 1:44:53. This is the second time I have done this course. It is different in the sense that where you start is literally 13.1 miles from where you finish. The start begins at Airport Park in Colchester, Vermont and takes you on the bike path along Lake Champlain where you finish in Burlington near Switchback Brewing Company. The course is pretty and serene, offering views of the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain.

Pre Race 

The week prior I began my carb loading, resting, and mental preparation for this race. I took two days off of running before race day to give my legs the much needed break before pounding the pavement. I was sure to do some stretching and got in a yoga practice as well with my foam roller. The night before I made myself a dinner with fettuccine with olive oil and pesto topped with spinach, kale and jumbo shrimp. It was delicious and exactly what I wanted.

Runner's World Yoga

I always need to feel prepared and ready for my race. This always includes getting my outfit and running gear together the night before. Everything gets laid out on my kitchen table. This way I can check to be sure I have all the things I need: fuel and clothing.

Have to be prepared!

Race Day

My father was running in this race as well and we had decided that he would park at the end of the race course and bus over while I met him with my car at the beginning. Last year we both bused over then had to wait over an hour in the wind and cold, with no cover, until the race began. Since the forecast was to be over ten degrees colder at the start than the year before we wanted to keep warm until go time. It was a smart decision for sure! On my way over to the park I suddenly realized that my prepared self had forgotten my wallet. I had no money or ID. I called my husband and pretty much demanded he bring it to me (nicely of course). Hubby came to the rescue which also allowed me to see my kids one more time before the race started. I needed that! My children and husband are typically waiting for me at the end but due to the temps I felt it was best they get to stay warm.

Dad & I Pre-Race

I was feeling pretty good! I had showered and had breakfast before I took off (something I do before every race) and was keeping hydrated and started fueling as we waited. It was around 30 degrees out but Mother Nature had given us a little break by bringing the sun out. I was feeling ready and excited. 

I have to admit I was pretty happy to see these when I parked

As I waited at the start with my fellow runners my Garmin decided to lose satellite and go back to the time. It was a clear, sunny morning and I am not even sure why this happened. I frantically started my Garmin again while watching the words: searching satellite and that black bar slowly and painfully loading. The start was declared and off running I had to go while fidgeting with my Garmin. It was around three fourths of the way   on my first mile when it finally started to work. I realized that it was past the point of being helpful for me as far as miles went. This became strike two (strike one was forgetting my wallet) and I wondered what strike three was going to be. I stayed positive and decided I was not going to let that ruin this run. I was still able to use my Garmin to focus on pace and keep myself in a rhythm. 

I started the first couple miles at a 7:30 pace and wondered if that was going to burn me out. I typically run a 8:00 minute mile once I get into my runs. 7:30 pace is something I hit on my speed runs. I knew that I could consistently do this pace for six to seven miles but was not sure I could maintain for all 13.1! I was feeling great though and decided I would stick with it. I kept an eye on my pace, allowing myself some slack here and there. It wasn't until mile eight where I questioned my endurance for another five miles. I knew it was all in my head and I could do it! I had done this before so why should this run be any different. I had trained hard for this race and I was going to finish this race strong. I pushed myself the last four miles to stick to a 7:20 min mile and was pretty thrilled to finish at 1:37:28!

Post Race

The one downer about this particular race is there is no medal. On the plus side there is beer! It is sponsored by Switchback Brewing Company and they graciously had their facility open to runner's post race to eat our food and have a beer. I am a fan of their beer yet had never been inside the facility so it was pretty cool to check out how the magic happens. 

Check out the Foosball table in the right hand corner. They need to take breaks while brewing right?!  

Not only did we get to check out the brewery but I got to run into one of my favorite people! This chick also broke her own personal PR this day! So exciting to hear of other runner's/friends victories. This sport is truly rewarding! 

 

Maureen and I post race

Race Overview 

I had an amazing race. I felt good, I had trained hard, and I performed better than I had anticipated. I beat the previous years time by 7 minutes and I was only 45 seconds off from my PR (1:36:43). An entire year has come and gone and I am able to now look at what a better runner I have become. It didn't happen overnight and I continue to work at it. It has taken dedication and discipline. It has not always been easy, some days I even struggle to train. Getting to where I am now has taken time and patience. It was not an overnight phenomenon that occurred, it was a result of a commitment to myself. My runs are not about who I can beat, they are about becoming stronger and more fierce. The only person I compete against is myself, and I will continue to challenge the woman within with each run or race. Not every race has to be a PR, but every race is about growth and strength.
 

Post Race Recovery

If I can inspire even one person to reach for their goals, whatever that may be, than that makes me happy. Running has taught me to believe in myself, to push myself to limits I never imagined, and to never give up on a goal or dream. Next stop...VCM on May 29th where I will do my next half splitting the marathon with my father for our third year in a row. This is my favorite event! Time to continue training!

P.S. My hubby did come to the rescue one more time; he made me an awesome dinner with swordfish kabobs on the grill. He's a keeper! 

Happy Running!!! 

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The Final Countdown: Half Marathon #7

It's April and not only does that mean spring is here (or at least she is suppose to be, she is a little confused right now) it also means that race season begins for many of us runners. Only four more days until the Half Marathon Unplugged. This also marks my seventh Half Marathon! It still is crazy  to think that I have done half a dozen Half's and there was once a day that just doing a 5K was a challenge for me. Now my challenges are bigger and require more determination. I have set my goals higher and I am ready to start my 2016 race schedule!

March turned out to be an awesome running month for me. I really wanted to be ready for this weekends upcoming race and decided I needed to get out there as much as I possibly could. I even added in a day of short stroller runs (pending weather). Running while pushing fifty pounds is not exactly euphoric to me. I love running yet running and pushing weight is very different. I guess it should count as strength training more than an actual run. I always hate my times and feel like a turtle trying to hurry to cross the finish line. It does strengthen me as well as adds more miles in for training. There is a silver lining at the end of a stroller run.

I was not specifically going for a certain amount of miles this month...at first. Then I saw that my weekly mileage was higher than usual and decided 140 would be fabulous. I was pretty thrilled to actually finish the month with 150 miles! That makes March my second highest month in mileage. Ever! Typically during race season I average about 120-130 miles a week. Anything over a 100 makes me happy.

The weather is not looking very promising for Saturday's race. Thankfully we are not going to get hit with a blizzard but it is suppose to be in the 20's with snow showers. The course is set along the bike path and Lake Champlain. Last year it was windy yet it was also 40 degrees. This year it will be ten degrees colder and possible snow covered grounds. Gotta love living in New England! The extended forecast shows just a couple days later temps in the upper 40's. Mother Nature is truly confused! I am afraid we already had spring and now she is bringing back winter! The only up side is that I have run in all conditions: rain, snow, sleet and even hail this year. If I had to run in one of those it wouldn't be the first time. This race I trained for could very well turn into a long run with hundreds of my fellow runners rather than attempting to beat last years time for this race. That hope may be diminished by Mother Nature. Sometimes she is such a bitch! 

I am going not not even focus on that right now. What I will focus on is how awesome it is I get to run my first race of 2016. This will be Half Marathon #7 and in some way I will CONQUER it.  There's a reason that is my word of the year. It's time to follow through with the commitment I made to myself. A PR would be great but when it comes down to it I am just excited to be a part of a sport that challenges me, strengthens me, and makes me feel fierce. 

The rest of this week I will be happily fueling my body with carb-a-licious foods and taking a couple rest days at the end of the week in order to be ready for Saturday. No matter what, this race will be awesome because I am going to choosing it to be!

Happy Running! 


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My Fourteen Mile Adventure

It's a new week and I am hoping for a healthier house this week. Towards the end of last week my five year old brought home the gift of germs from school which has gone through our house like the plague. All of us got the nasty cough and the two little's got hit with high fevers and no appetite. Luckily the fevers broke and did not come back. I hate seeing my kiddo's sick. It doesn't make it any easier when I have been up coughing all night and feel like I got ran over by a truck. Needless to say life still goes on.

Even though I wasn't feeling 100% on Saturday I still got out there for my long run. Rest is important and I know I need to take care of myself but I was feeling well enough and properly hydrated before I headed out the door. I made sure I brought  "Dianna" along to accompany my journey (My Camelback, I had to name her! And if you didn't catch on...Dianna aka Wonder Woman). I planned for this to be my long run of the weekend with a goal of 13-14 miles.

The route I chose was rather challenging. Where I live there are not a lot of options for doing a long run without hitting rolling hills, and lots of them! Truth be told I have a love/hate relationship with hills. Yes they suck in the moment, my glutes and calves start screaming obscenities at me, yet at the top of each hill there is that runner's high that I get for having reached the top. Hills make you stronger as a runner. Running hills can increase your speed, endurance and you burn more calories! Heading out the door  Saturday morning there was a part of me trying to talk myself out of the route I planned...there was another part of me saying I would kick this runs ass.

I had decided that I would not focus on time or pace and instead focus on getting the miles in. I felt pretty good for the first five miles. The sun was shining, my breathing was good, I had just taken a GU and then my mojo got challenged by a growling dog that ran right after me. I could hear the growling and snarls as I pushed harder to get away from him. I even screamed. I thought for sure he was going to bite me. Suddenly I heard him stop and it was rather abrupt. I am assuming maybe his owner had a shock collar on him and stopped him. This is the third time this has happened to me over the past year. I do carry mace on me yet in the moment I am not thinking about getting my mace out. I am not sure I would even have enough time. I love dogs but seriously owners, put your dogs on a leash!

After that miles six to eleven were pretty good. It was those last few miles that really challenged me. Some of the toughest hills were upon me and they felt like they were all running together. I hit mile thirteen and struggled to hit 13.5. Those damn hills I love were starting to kick my ass and that was not the plan! I happily hit 13.5 and decided I was going to just power through to hit mile fourteen. I do this often when I run. I set a goal and then when I hit it, if I am feeling good, I say well I will do "x" amount more. As I was running that last half mile I saw my husband driving by and my five year old yell out the car window: "Hi Mama", which made me run even faster to finish. I was still 3 miles from home so I was excited that my troops had come looking for me. I hit fourteen miles and I finished strong and felt good. For not focusing on time I was still pretty pleased with finishing under two hours and keeping an average pace of 8:10.

My first Half Marathon of this year is in three weeks and it feels great to be ready this year. I have been pushing myself to get in more miles and have stuck to four to five days a week. I finished last week with 37 miles which I was ecstatic about. The week before the race I will take it down a notch so I can be well rested. The past two weeks I took Thursday and Friday off from running in order to be ready for long runs on the weekend. It is just something I thought I would try out and it has served well for me both times.  

Sadly it looks like this weeks miles will be depleted due to that plague I mentioned earlier. I may need to lay low this week so I can get better. Of course my running schedule also depends on life along with the weather. Nothing is ever set in stone. I also have to rely on the hubby to be home and with spring coming means longer hours for him and possibly less runs for me. For now I will take every opportunity to run that I can. Every run is its own adventure.


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Spring Training In Motion

I am getting excited to kick of 2016 with my first race. April 9th will mark my first Half Marathon of this year as well as my 7th Half Marathon! 7 has always been my favorite number so I am going on a vibe that this will be a great one. Last year I did this race for the first time and used it as a training run for the VCM that I do a 2-person relay with my dad. In all honesty that was the original plan for this year as well. This past winter I had decided that I would take a step back, work on strength training and take my focus off of running. I just was not able to completely stick to this one, I needed to run.

Last year in Vermont it was a pretty rough winter. We had a ridiculous amount of very cold days along with enough snow to keep Olaf alive for centuries. We were clearly living in the set of Frozen making it not always enjoyable, or even safe, to get out there and get miles in. This winter has been awesome. We have gotten little snow and the temperatures have been like a dream. Yes, clearly I live in the wrong state. I hate the snow and cold! Despite that, I always pound pavement year round. It has been amazing to be able to get out there more this winter. Even though I was suppose to put running on a vacation, I couldn't stop myself from getting in some miles!

Running has become the best habit I ever picked up. As much as I had planned to change my focus it was not possible. Running means more to me than just staying fit. It means more than the muscles in my legs and the bones that carry me for miles. It means happiness, peace, acceptance and growth. In ways I did take my focus off the miles. I put that focus back into myself. Therefore getting out there and running was simply integral for me.

Once February hit I decided that I was going to start training for Half Marathon #7. I wanted to feel and be ready for this race. Using it as a training run got swiped off the board and added to the things I "must" do. I have managed to run four to five days a week. January's miles exceed last years miles by 40 miles. February's miles were 38 more than 2015! This was just what I needed to set the fire under me for this year. I have new goals I want to accomplish which means I will need to work harder than I previously have. I need to get those extra miles in. I need to be sure I am putting in more time, dedication and effort into my runs this year.

Strength training has been going great. I feel like I have found a good balance with the Sandbag and video workouts I do. Some days I do my own variation of exercises for strength training. I do my best to try to switch it up so there isn't a  monotony I am creating. The last thing I want is to get bored and fall off track. I want to be stronger, faster and better with each run. I keep this in mind on the days I want to skip a workout. I truly do love running and working out yet there are days where I it takes more effort than others. I don't skip my workouts though. I am always reminding myself why it is I do this and the end result is such an awesome reward.

I have always logged my runs. Every mile and my time on every single run! This year I started using the Believe Training Journal. I really like the layout. There are prompts to each week to get you to think of a focus. It is also filled with quotes, inspiration and useful running info and tips. Not only am I logging my runs and my workouts each day, I am taking the time to put an intention on it and dig deeper within myself. I also have been logging my routes just in case I want to go back and repeat a certain one. I even try to make a note about how I feel after each run. I definitely recommend this journal to any runner! 

Things are right where I need them to be and I am feeling confident in my training. I don't use any specific method, I have taught myself and know what works best for me. Three Half Marathon's are already on the book for 2016 with two others I will add in the fall. I would like to squeeze one more in if I can. Then there is the 30K in September I plan to challenge myself with. Needless to say I am getting excited for spring and all the races I have planned. I am eager to add in the miles and push myself farther than I have. 


"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about".
  ~ PattiSue Plumer


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Time For Training, Races And A Giveaway!

A couple weeks back I talked about my Word Of The Year and why I chose it. For those of you who missed that post I chose CONQUER. I have been reflecting on my chosen word and using it as a focal point for my runs, workouts and moments through the day when I need that extra push. Those moments when I just want to escape and not follow through. Yes, I do have those moments. It is not everyday that my runs are amazing, that my workouts make me feel strong, or that I feel like I have this parenting thing down. Each one of these things takes commitment, devotion, patience, acceptance and discipline.

With choosing a Word Of The Year I wanted to have it on a something as reminder to me to always push forward, to take control of my life, to overcome my fears and doubts, and to remember that this is my life and I am ultimately in control of it. I started to look at the Endorphin Warrior Bracelets and when I saw that they had my word of the year I knew I had to have that bracelet!

The bracelet itself is beautiful in person, pictures do not do it justice. I chose a black band with the word Conquer. The band is soft and it snaps shut for a nice fit. I like that they have sizes XS to LG. I have a little wrist and I wanted to be sure it fit snugly. I really dig the sleek look of the silver plate. This is jewellery you can wear on your runs, workouts or as everyday jewellery. I plan to wear this bracelet for training and on my race days. Motivation comes in all forms and having my Word of the year on my wrist is a reminder of what I plan to accomplish in the year ahead.

Speaking of training, I have a few races on the books for 2016 and am anxious to add more. This is what it looks like so far: 

Unplugged Half Marathon on Saturday, April 9th  

Vermont City Marathon/ Doing a HALF as a two person relay on Sunday, May 29th 

Worcester Running Festival Half Marathon on Sunday, June 19th

Having races already on my calendar helps to keep me accountable. Last year I did the Unplugged Half Marathon and used it as a training run for the Vermont City Marathon Half that I did. This year I plan to be ready for the Unplugged! This will be Half Marathon #7 for me and this race is an easy, pretty run along Lake Champlain.

January I was happy to get in 126 miles for the month. Last year I only hit 82 miles in January so I am excited that I was able to get in the miles I did. Truth be told, I wanted to hit 130 but I am happy with 126. The goal this year is to hit 1,500 miles, and I will make sure I get there!

Strength training has been going great. I have been doing a Ultimate Sandbag Training twice a week. I really enjoy the workouts and like how it challenges me. On the other days I work with my hand weights or do a video workout. I try to switch it up and be sure I am targeting different parts of my body. Creating a strong core is a focus of mine. A stronger core means a stronger runner. In order to be a stronger runner I have to put in the work and believe that I can be better. I must focus on the fact that there is always work to do, form to perfect, a pace to strive towards and a PR to beat.


Now, let's start the week off with another giveaway! In the beginning of this post I told you about my new Endorphin Warrior Bracelet. The awesome team over at Endorphin will give one of my readers a bracelet of their own where you can choose from one of their five words. Click on the Rafflecopter Giveaway to enter! 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!! If you don't win you can use a special code of: CrystalR15 for 15% off at checkout until February 29th, 2016. Please feel free to share! Have a fabulous week!

Disclaimer: I was provided with an Endorphin Warrior Bracelet for review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are proudly my own.

A Little Luck And A Little Training

The number Seven has always been my lucky number. It was the number I wore when I played  softball as a young girl. I wore that number on the back of my shirt and as the years rolled on I felt connected to that number. The number seven would become my lucky number for years to follow.

I am not into numerology by any means. In some ways I am superstitious I suppose; I never pick up a penny if it is on tails, I believe bad things happen in threes, and when I am passing a graveyard if I may just do the sign of the cross. This year it is not the number seven but the number five that has been the "lucky" number.

2015 has had wonderful things happen. It was 5 years on Valentines Day that Jay and I celebrated "us" at the same restaurant we have made a tradition going to each year. It was on this day this past V Day that Jay proposed to me. It has been 5 years that we have lived in our home together. We may not own this place but we have created so much love within this house. 5 years of growing, babies, and laughter; that is what makes a home. This weekend was also my 5Th Half Marathon. This was meaningful as well as spiritual for me.

Photo from RaceVermont

The Charlotte Covered Bridge Half Marathon was a first for me. I had run part of this route on a 10K that I did last year but the Half Marathon coarse was new gravel for me. It was beautiful, peaceful and inviting. This year the Half Marathon added a 5K and 10K division to the race. With that it was still a small race with around 300 people. The weather was perfect; overcast to partly sunny skies and around 60 by start time.

I felt good Saturday morning. I made sure to get everything together the night before. I only had one beer (hey, I needed one drink since it was Friday) as I got my running gear gathered up. I got to bed by 9:30PM to try and get some sleep in. With two toddlers in the house (and one in my bed) this is almost impossible. I was awakened by the 4 1/2 year old at one and four am. Lucky for him me I had gotten some descent sleep in between. 5AM was my time I wanted to be up. I always shower and eat breakfast before my races and planned to leave the house to pick up my sister in law who was running her first 10K.

This was my first Half Marathon that I didn't feel nervous. This summers runs and two previous Half Marathons this year had brought me some confidence and solace that this run would be awesome. The morning sunrise was another sign that it was going to be a great morning. I had to pull over to take a picture and savor the beautiful sunrise that God had granted me this day. It wasn't just the beauty of nature yet a sure sign that the day would be one filled with good things.

The race began a few minutes after 8AM. The start goes up a slight incline to bring you away from Shelburne Beach to Orchard Road where the coarse begins. I could feel the tears gathering in my eyes and lump forming in my throat as I heard the voices of children cheering on their mother. This was my first Half Marathon where my own children would not be waiting for me at the finish line. It is always a motivator for me as well as a sweet reward to see their faces after my races. I continued on trying to push past my emotion and fall into a pace that felt good for the first half of this race.

The first six miles I picked a couple of different runners to pace with. By the half way point of the coarse I was worried that I had maybe been going too fast. It was here that I worried about burning out. I had been running an average of a 7:30 minute mile. I was feeling really good and still felt good at the half way point but knew that I was not near done yet.

I ended up chatting with this guy Chris who I had been pacing with and started to pass as we were going up a hill. His words of "You go girl" made him my new runner friend. I held back so we could chat for a minute. I let him know I was sticking behind him and that he had actually helped me during my run. This was his 4Th Half Marathon and he didn't have a goal as he was using it for his training run for the Marine Corps Marathon which would be his first Marathon. I instantly liked this guy and even though we stopped talking I found a comfort in his presence as we continued on. Around mile ten I pushed past him and was running alone again.

By mile 11 I could feel my legs starting to get soar. I still felt good but it was getting harder. There was only a couple miles left and I was not about to slow down. I had another runner come up on me who encouraged me as I encouraged her. We both agreed the faster we went the sooner we would be done. She went on ahead but keeping my eye her helped me push myself. Then there were the two runners that were some of the first to get to the half way point and leave us all in their dust. At mile 12 I was able to smile, say good job, and push past them.

I was ready to be done. Running at that pace for an entire Half was exhausting. About a 100 yards before the finish line I heard loud footsteps pounding the pavement to reach the end. It was a woman who I had not yet seen accompanied by Chris, the guy who I met back at the half way point. They both flew by me and finished before me. She, the unknown female runner, pushed me out of the top 5 overall for women but I was too happy for Chris who had a great run and came in just seconds before me.

I finished my 5Th Half Marathon with a new PR: 1:36:43. I placed 14th out of 178 runners, 6th overall out of women, and 2nd in my age group. My average minute mile was 7:23. My children and husband may not have met me at the finish line but when I came home from work that night (yes, I went to work after!) I came home to an awesome Lobster dinner that my husband cooked on the grill. My son Chase said: "Mama, this is the best present!" He was right about that!

Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was all my training. I like to think it was a little of both and that is why my 5Th Half Marathon turned out to be the best one thus far! The only thing I would do different is apply more Run Guard! Chafing in certain spots is not what I call a reward!

Happy Running!!

Crushing Goals And New Races

I love the feeling of setting a goal and not only meeting that goal, but also CRUSHING that goal. Since I am in training mode for my next Half Marathon on September 12th I wanted to hit 130 miles this month. Last month's goal was 120 and I logged 122.

To reach 130 I knew I needed to be consistent with my runs and be sure to get significant mileage on my long runs. I ran most weeks 4 to 5 days a minimum. At the end of July into August I had an eleven day running streak with one day rest followed by a seven day straight running streak. I got up early mornings to avoid the humidity and scorching sun. Not only was I starting my day with some "me" time, I felt great all day and have been sleeping better.  I am ecstatic to report that in August I hit a new PR for miles logged for me as well as exceeding the miles I wanted to hit. Final miles logged: 165.3!

Another goal I had set for myself for 2015 running goals was to run a distance of 15 miles, making that the farthest distance for me. I completed this back in April. When I did this it was unplanned for that specific run. I find that is how I hit most of my PR's, whether it be in a race or on my own runs. It is when I don't plan on it and just fall into a rhythm. It becomes my personal dance with the pavement. My feet carry me on and I am lost in a place I find comfort and solace in. Last weekend I had one of those incredible runs and I hit 16 miles! Take that 15! 16 stomped you out of the PR!

I feel ready for my Half Marathon coming up as well as I am looking forward to it. This particular one will be a first time for me. Ahh yes, I am a virgin to this particular race. I love running new, unfamiliar roads. I enjoy the sense of discovery it brings, seeing new landscapes and losing myself on new terrain. This will be my fifth Half and for some reason this entire year has had good things happening around the number five.

Yesterday morning I decided that I needed to get it one more Half before the end of the year. Why not right?! I registered for the GMAA Half Marathon in October. I did this last year and loved this coarse. It was beautiful, quiet, and the coarse is simply serene. 

Soon the temps will be dropping and my favorite season is upon us. Fall running is my favorite. I love the smells in the air, the sound of crunching leaves under the soles of my shoes, and the crisp of the air on my skin. I welcome a run where I do not return home covered in sweat as I have to pry off my clothes which seem to be glued to my body. 

I am already brain storming for my running goals for 2016. I have a few things in mind but I will save that for another post. The actual goals may take a little more commitment. And no, I will not be running a marathon anytime soon. Someday, maybe. 


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Time to Train: Running Goals For This Year

I may not have made a New Years Resolution this year yet with fitness I decided it was important for me to set some goals. Last Year I ran my first two Half Marathons and logged a total of 1,188.77 miles. Running a half marathon was an incredible experience. Both half's were completely different than the other and challenged me. If it is not challenging, why do it? Challenging myself creates growth. We all know by this point that I love running and that it has become an important part of my life. Fitness and health play their part in my everyday routines, and diet, in a way I never imagined they would. With a new year now upon us I knew it was time to start making some new goals for myself. When I finished my second half in November I decided that the following year I wanted to do three to four Half Marathon's. I believe three is reachable, four may be pushing it. We will see what the year ahead brings.

Yesterday morning I woke up early to jump on the computer to be sure I could reserve my place in the Half Marathon Unplugged on Saturday, April 11th, 2015. There is a limited amount of runners allowed with two waves. The coarse offers beautiful views as well as the selling point of "no hills, no frills." I thought this would be a good Half to get me in training mode for the Vermont City Marathon on May 24th. (Let me clarify I will only be doing a Half for this as well! No marathon for me!) Here we are, just under 3 months away from the race. Signing up is an extra kick in my ass to get moving on training. I have been running throughout the winter yet my miles have decreased. I now have something to work towards. I know this race is coming and having trained for two half marathon's before I know what I need to do in order to be ready. It's go time!

The weather has not been my friend these days. It is not the cold weather (which I do hate) that makes running difficult, it is the conditions it creates. I have been fortunate not to fall on my ass this season (been there, done that). I also am getting over a nasty cold which has thrown me off. Because of this I missed a couple of runs. I hate missing a run. When I get something in my head I stick to it. That is the determination which pushes me to complete my runs. I may not always want to get out there for the run yet I always feel happy about completing my runs. It is harder to find my motivation this time of year. Knowing now I need to be ready for April is exactly the push I need to get more miles in.

Running these races not only takes dedication, passion, and strength.  I could not do it without the support of my friends and family. Most importantly, running with my father is special to me. He inspires me. My father has been running for as long as I can remember. I love that we are able to do these runs together. Indeed, I am my fathers daughter. I hope that someday one, or both, of my boys will fall in love with running like I did. I hope to share in new races and running memories with them. It took me in my 30's before I started my love affair with running. If it is not running that I instill in them, I hope to at least teach them the importance of self respect, exercise, and living a healthy lifestyle.

"Oops! ...I Did It Again"

I did it. I signed up for my second Half Marathon. The 44th Annual GMAA Green Mountain Marathon and Half Marathon. This one will take place on Sunday October 12th in South Hero, VT. I had planned to do one more Half before the winter but was weighing in on what one I wanted to do. I chose this one because how beautiful South Hero is. I think with the time of year, the scenery, and more training that this race will be a good one.

Now the anxiousness begins. Sure, I completed my first Half Marathon back in May. This should be cake right?! It's funny, I still got the butterflies and nervous feelings when I signed up. It's a good nervous, excitement fills you. A thousand butterfly's dancing in your body. Like a first kiss or waiting for the arrival of a baby. The anticipation goes throughout your body. Though I know I can do it, it still feels like the first time all over again. I think that's a humbling feeling to have and to hold on to.

Rounding the last corner before the finish line

I have been running consistently. I get my 4 days in and there have even been a couple weeks where I managed to sneak in a 5th day. My "long" runs had withered down a bit since I was no longer in training mode, simply in therapy mode. In anticipation that I would be doing another Half in the fall I have tried to kick it back up the past couple of Sundays. 11 last Sunday, 10 this Sunday.

Almost there!

I have been happy with my times. I have tried to push myself a bit more and my pace is consistent. I am one of those runners that logs each run. I log the date, my time, and how many miles. Every, single, time! I have even had times where my GPS wasn't working for whatever reason then went to track mileage with my car. Yeah, I am "that" runner.

Question now is will I try to beat my last time? I would like to think I will just go with it. I am not a competitive person. But what I am is determined. I like the challenge. It's not me running against anyone else. It is my race against myself. No matter what, I win every time.

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”― Martin Luther King Jr.