Greeting A New Home, A New Day And Worcester Half Marathon

It feels so awesome to be sitting here at my computer with a few minutes to start writing. I can't say I will get through writing this post in one sitting yet I am OK with that. This has been the longest that I have gone without writing and blogging. In part it was my choice though I will admit I missed it something fierce. I enjoy writing and this blog has been such a great outlet for me. Not to mention the connections I have made and other blogs I love to read. All of that was pushed aside as we got ready to move into our new house. Between work and trying to sort through boxes I feel like I haven't had any down time. No worries, I have managed to get in my running. Priorities my friends! 
 

Run, Rest, Repeat!!!

Here I am actually sitting at my desk writing this. I finally have an office which I can work from and write. I work part time and most of that is from home. For the past couple of years my desk has been the kitchen table. Though sitting down as a family for dinner is something very important to me I will admit there were nights my trusty laptop accompanied the meal as it was pushed aside due to not wanting to unplug and relocate when I would need it later. Now I have my own little cozy spot where I don't have to worry about the kids screaming or me having to apologize to clients for the ruckus in the background. There is still plenty of noise and ruckus, it just is a muffled now.

Finally, a place to work!

The other exciting thing is that the other side of my office is now where mama can exercise. Plenty of space and no need to move the sandbag, hand weights or yoga mat to and from another room. My hubby even scored me a used treadmill. As for the "dreadmill" I am not sure if my relationship with her will ever flourish. For the five years I have been running I run outside. Yes, even with living in Vermont all my runs are outside throughout the year. I have run through sun, rain, sleet, hail and snow. I have jumped snowbanks and fallen flat on my ass after slipping on ice. I hate the cold. Not sure why I even live in Vermont (oh yeah, family, that's it!) Despite that I actually enjoy running outside even when it is cold out. It has become a normal to me and running outside will never be replaced by a treadmill for me. I decided to give her a try the other day, just 3.1 miles. It was awful! Thank God it was a bonus run for me because there was nothing enjoyable about it! My time and speed was slow, I sweat like a pig and I couldn't wait to get the hell off it. I suppose she will come in handy when the hubby goes away or I want to get in an extra workout. As for her name, I am still working on that. Yes, she deserves a name! Even my Camelbak has a name! 

Sharon & I Pre-Race

The last post I wrote here on this blog was my preparation for the Worcester Running Festival Half Marathon on June 19th. This was Half Marathon #9 for me as well as my first out of state race. More importantly my dear friend Sharon ran her second race in the 5K portion of it. It was so fun spending the weekend with friends and sharing a memory like this.

This is Joshua, He will never know it but he kept me going!

As for the race itself, it was not what I expected. It was pretty poorly organized starting off with the Port O Potty's not being delivered on time. This left runners with two bathrooms in the town building to share. The race was suppose to start at 7am and was then pushed back to be sure everyone got their potty break in. The course itself was challenging in the beginning with some promised hills during the first five miles. Honestly I thought they were going to be worse than they really were. I did love running the streets of Worcester since I use to live in Massachusetts. The streets were familiar and comforting. I was able to reminisce in my head of years ago, even those crazy Becker College days where WPI Frat boys threw some damn good parties. There were a couple parts of the coarse which were not marked very well and even one part where you were actually running down the middle of two way traffic. Not exactly safe for runners. Crowd support was minimal which surprised me. I did pace with a nice guy the last half of the race which kept me moving at a decent pace. I finished in 1:39:22. I was 55 overall out of 556 runners and the 10th woman to finish the Half Marathon Portion. 

The best part of any race: seeing these faces when I am done.

June's mileage was 130 miles which was lower than I had wanted. Even the past couple weeks my longer runs have not been as long as I have planned. Time seems to be an issue these days and I am hoping to find a better balance now that I am getting settled. Lots of running in the early morning to beat the heat. Some mornings are a struggle to get out of bed yet I never regret it once I am out the door. I really enjoy starting my day with my feet hitting the pavement as the sun rises.

Sunrise run

This month there are no big goals. I am tossing around the idea of another Half at the end of the month yet that is to be determined. It's a busy work month for me and I will admit it has been nice to just enjoy my runs the past few weeks without feeling the pressure of another race. Sometimes we need to be reminded why we run in the first place. It's nice to reflect and just be one with myself. I have needed those runs in the chaos of life these days. Stepping into a new home has been a blessing. It has also been one of the most stressful things that I have done. I am ready for life to level out so I can enjoy the walls that surround me. It's time for new memories and laughter to fill these walls. It's also time to figure out new running routes even though I am not that far from the old place. Some mornings I get thrown off. #Runnerproblems! It adds to the adjustment period for sure!


Ahhh, I feel better! I actually wrote this post in one sitting. Granted the kids did interrupt once but hey, that's not bad! I hope to be posting more and visiting my favorite blogs more too! Until then, Happy Running! xo


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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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7 Life Lessons That Running Has Taught Me

When I began running I had no idea how it would change me. I started running to get into shape, be more fit, and live a healthier lifestyle. I never understood all the other things it would give me until some time and miles later. Running would not only physically change me, it would also become a metaphor for many things in life. Today I do my best to apply many of the  lessons I have learned from running into each day. Today I will share them with you.

1- Always Believe You Can: It is amazing to me what one can do when you apply this mantra. There was a time that running a mile was difficult. Running five miles became a monumental milestone. Completing my first Half Marathon was epic to me. I would have never reached any of these goals without the belief that I could do it. I knew it would be difficult, I knew it would take dedication, discipline and devotion. Everything in life requires these things. I truly believe we are capable of so much. Each one of us can reach our goals as long as we believe that we can. It starts within us before it can be a part of us.

2- Set Goals and Chase Your Dreams: I find that when I set running goals for myself I push myself to limits I may not have if those goals were not set. Those goals give me something to fight for. They give me the drive I need to push on when I want to stop. It is the same for myself and my family. I have aspirations, dreams and goals I want to complete. It is also important that my children see me set goals. I want them to dream big, create their own goals, and pursue whatever it is their hearts yearn for. Because remember, you can do anything you put your mind to if you want it bad enough!

3- Be Realistic: It is important in setting your goals that you set ones that are attainable. After years of running I have come to know what my body is capable of. In that same sentiment I also know what I am not able to do or what may require more patience. One of the hardest things in any sport and in life is facing disappointment. We want to perform the best we can. We want to do and be better than we are. Absolutely nothing is wrong with wanting more. There is nothing wrong with striving to be a better you and creating a life that exemplifies this. First, stop for a second and think about this: Is what you want for your life reasonable? Be honest, stay true to yourself and always be realistic.

4- Have Patience With Yourself: Patience is not always my strong suit. This is something I continue to struggle with on a daily basis. Running has proved to me that as long as you make a commitment, put in the time, and be patient that it all becomes worth it. When I first started running I didn't step outside my door and run ten miles. I had to take my time and slowly increase my mileage. I still remembered running two miles and the feeling I had when I completed it. The first time I hit six miles was a milestone for me, as was miles 7,8, and 9. I try my best to apply this patience in my own life, with my children, in my relationship and in my own personal battles. We have to take time to stop in moments. We need to realize that anything worth fighting for does not happen overnight. Stop, breathe life in, and be patient with yourself.

5- It's not always easy but it is always worth it: Saturday morning I did a long run and it was amazing. Sunday morning I woke up, felt great, got out there and had a shitty run. Each step I took felt heavy, the first mile felt like five, and I wanted to quit much sooner than I actually did. I wanted to, but I didn't. Instead I pushed myself to a mental goal. When I set out to do any run I have a mile goal in my head that I want to reach. No matter how the run turns out, I am going to reach that goal. I love running, running has become an outlet for me. I may love running, but not every run is easy. The end result, every run is worth it. No matter what life throws at you, however beautiful or sad, it happens for a reason. Though some moments are more challenging than others it is always worth it when you reach your goal. It is worth financial struggle, personal growth and those relationships that we live in. Life is not always easy, but it is one hell of a ride. Hold on tight, it's worth it!

6- Be Grateful: Running is a humbling sport. There is never a run that I have where I don't take time to thank God for being able to use my legs. Running has taught me, it has healed me, it has given me strength. I am grateful for each run. I am thankful that I am able to use my legs. I am thankful for my life, my children, my husband and family. I am thankful that I can breathe. I am grateful. We must always take moments to offer thanks and be grateful for everything we are given. When you think you have it bad just stop and remember that there is someone else who is hurting more than you. Each day be grateful!

7- Have Fun: Last, but certainly not the least valid: HAVE FUN! Enjoy what you are doing. Dance, laugh, sing, jump, run, walk and skip. Do one of these, do all of these, just do it with a smile on your face. Life is too short, it is a sacred gift. We are fortunate to be here and it is our job to live it as if each moment were our last. So no matter what you are doing try and do it with a smile. Find fun in every day even when it is the darkest of days. Look around you, it truly is wonderful to be alive. 


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"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.