Run like a Diva

     Let me start off by saying Run like a Diva is one of the BEST RACES ever! As a woman, it was so empowering to be cheered on every step of the way. You get 13.1 style treatment even while running the 5k. Is it a happy coincidence because they are there for the half runners? Yes. Do I care? Not one bit. I think I cried once every mile. Jordan even asked "How long was your run" when I told him I cried 3 separate times. Not crazy crying just tearing up. I'll cry at a dog food commercial so this really isn't a stretch here. Women of all walks of life and every color, size and shape did their personal best for that day. It was beyond inspiring. Some people were running, others walking, and the best part is it didn't even matter. Everyone was proud of everyone.
     I ran with my cousins in love and my sister and had a blast. The only thing I didn't like about this race was the actual start. The finish and start were two separate areas. After walking past the finish and seeing no one huddled near it we knew we needed to keep going to figure out where we should be. This race was very clear that if you aren't here on time, you don't run. Around 6:58 we settled in with the MASSIVE group of runners and took a few pre race selfies. At 7:01 a half runner says "Oh the 5k has already started" WHOOPS. Queue mad dash from millions several others who didn't hear anything. It was like the running of the bulls. No lie. We pushed, "excused me", and shoved our way through until we reached the "parting of the sea" at the end when people finally moved over for fear of being trampled to death us to get through. I was pissed. Normally races decide your placing based on gun time or when they say "go" and not when you actually cross the start and finish. Luckily this race is awesome and goes by your official time. So I wish the would have asked halfers to move to either side while we made our way up. We were also pushing time so I'll let it slide ;)

Pre-Race selfie

      The first mile and a half was like an obstacle run for me. I was dodging slower runners and the occasional runner who slammed on the breaks when she saw a fireman to take a picture with. After that I hit my pace. I felt like I was barely on the ground. It was just one of those races where everything fell into place. My breathing was great and so was my stride. I couldn't have asked for a better run. The only what if's I have from this one is wishing I didn't have to bob and weave so long and thinking about how that might have changed my time a bit. Couldn't have done THAT much better though because I'm thrilled with how I did finishing 65 of over 1500 overall and 6th of 113 in my age group!




My sister Katie and Me

              Champagne Finish with Katie, Lindey and Rachel!                

 

      I can't tell you how proud I am of these girls! They seriously rocked their first 5k and I can't imagine not doing this with them. I will be there next year, I'm thinking I will be in the half marathon. If the 5k was that awesome I think I'd be blown away with the half. We will see!

Oh HEY!

         Since my half I've been really absent in the running world. I've only run two races since then and I have to say I've missed the feeling that came with lacing up everyday after work. A lot has changed since 2013 which has really affected my desire to hit the pavement. I won't say ability because I know that if you want to badly enough you WILL find a way. I've let life be an excuse...sort of, I'm still working out though so that counts right?
         For starters we moved! We had been living with my in-laws who are absolutely amazing. We lived there for a year. Most people never would have survived but we made it fun! When Jordan works now, I find myself thinking about how quiet it is. It's strange and I've had to acclimate myself to it all over again. I don't think I would have picked up running like I did if we never would have moved in with them. There are so many responsibilities with being a homeowner but when you move in with your parents, you don't have to worry about that (thanks Diana and Jed). We organized a nightly dinner duty and I only had to cook one night a week. It allowed me to come home, change and run wherever and for how ever long I wanted to AND be able to come home to food :)
        Apparently when we moved to Johnston county which apparently is the land of snow. Seriously what was up with this winter? I've seen more snow this year than I have my entire life it feels like. I went to college at UNCW then Jordan and I bought a house in Leland and saw zero accumulation of snow. Then came here and are the real life Frozen (Let it Goooooooooo).  You're welcome. Try to get that out of your head now.
        I did start up Jillian Michael's 30 day shred and now moved on to her Body Revolution which I love! It's not repetitive like the 30 day shred so I never remember what comes next. I'm half way through it now and I will probably turn around and do the 2nd and 3rd phases again when I finish; this is because I have a reoccurring issue of paying a gym and then never showing up :)
        Lifting weights has definitely changed my body but I can't even describe what running has done for my stress/mood/overall well being. Running let me release so much frustration and negative energy I had. There just something therapeutic about the rhythm.To be honest running allowed me to let go of things that I have no control over. I'm a self admitted control freak. I want to control every (within reason) aspect that I can. I like to plan, to have a head's up, last minute changes stress me out. Running helps ease that for me. I've set a goal for myself for the rest of the year: one race a month. Super excited about this! My next run is in Myrtle Beach with my sister in law, her mom, and cousins. So excited for this one!

City of Oaks Half Marathon

I can’t believe it took me a week and a half to write this. It’s official: I FINISHED A HALF MARATHON! Didn’t do too shabby either if I say so myself, 2:12 (even though afterwards at lunch there was a marathon on tv and the winners ran their 26.2 in 2:09, barf).  I don’t know when I’ve ever been this proud of myself.

That being said, let me just say that stuff was haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddddd, physically and mentally. I had come in out and of my mental “you got this” only once or twice until mile 11.5. At that point I knew exactly where in Raleigh I was and exactly where I wasn’t; close enough to being finished. For a minute I thought about how I wasn’t going to be able to do it anymore and then I saw the marathon folk spilt off and continue and I thanked God that wasn’t me. I slowed significantly there but still finished which was my number one priority.

I will say up until my 11.5 mile meltdown of confidence.  It was a good run. My running buddy, Brooke and I cruised through. We even ditched our pace group fairly early on because in training we had been running a fast 5 mile pace and staying with them felt like our strides were all jacked up. I never would have been able to run this thing without Brooke training and running it with me.

Did I say it was hard already? I honestly thought I was going to come through the finish line with tears and a huge smile but it was more of a look of disbelief that it was over and I had come out alive. After that fuzzy moment my family appeared and reminded me of what an awesome feat I had overcome. Seeing Jordan’s face come through the crowd with a huge grin and rose (he’s a keeper) was more than enough recognition. I value his opinion more than anyone else’s and although he told me several times he was proud, he didn’t have to, his face had it written all over it.

My mom and dad also came which was super sweet of them. I’m a lucky girl to have such a supportive family backing me and my goals.

After the race I couldn’t even think about running without feeling sick. I really felt dead the rest of the day. I do know now that it’s because I didn’t replenish electrolytes during the run and so my body had a hard time recouping the rest of the day. Next time (If there is a next time) I will be sure to eat my GU gummies and save myself the rest of the day.

After saying for so long “I’m not a runner, I can’t do that, I’ll never be able to go out and just run”, it’s a truly amazing feeling to be able to slap my 13.1 sticker on the back of my car. I’m already gearing up for more (also I love the bling, I'm a sucker for it now. If you thought a free t-shirt with entry was awesome, just wait 'til they put that medal around your neck). I didn’t run the entire WEEK after my race, mainly as a “you go girl” for me but I do know that most of the motivation is gone to seriously train. That being said I signed up today for a 10k J

 

Shoe Perfection

After 174  miles I had to say goodbye to my first real pair of running shoes. Generally speaking, I let them go a little early but I could tell it was time. Here's what clued me in:

                  1) One of my toenails bruised and got blood under it...just waiting for that sucker to fall                   off now :)
                 
                 2) I felt like I had zero support underneath my foot. It felt like all the cushion had been                  squeezed

                 3) My feet started to go numb during my longer runs. It was making me panic a bit                  thinking that I just wasn't built to do 13.1.

                 4) I began developing a lengthening list of semi-injuries, ankle pain, knee pain, the toenail,                  IT band pain, and although these things do accompany longer distances I really felt like                    something was off

With all that said my sweet hubs took me to a running store Saturday and let me talk to someone. It took the guy 3 seconds to look at my shoe and tell me it was too small. Opps. I went up an entire shoe size just like that. Luckily the shoe was still the correct fit for my stride which was something I had worried about. I do think that I killed my first shoes so fast from a few different factors. I was heavier when I started by 10 lbs which doesn't seem like a whole lot but I felt like it made a difference. I know my stride has changed drastically from when I first started really running. I finally feel like I have a good rhythm to my runs which is nice compared to before when I felt like I was all over the place.

The extra size feels awesome. My foot finally has some breathing room in the shoe and can shift down when I land which it didn't have room to do before (hence the blackened toenail). The sales guy explained how running shoes aren't meant to be like street shoes that should be laced tightly (guilty) and that you should tie them comfortably. I ran 5 miles yesterday and they felt like I was on a cloud. I had so much spring to my gait.

Here's a picture of the new shoes. I'm a believer of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", so I didn't. My other shoes were Brooks Ghost 5's and my new ones are Brooks Ghost 6. Basically the same shoe, minor differences that aren't really noticeable to me but I was told all about them. Cool thing about most running stores is that you can return them even after running outdoors. Inside Out Sports in Cary has a 14 day return policy for running outside and a 90 day for inside which is awesome. I don't foresee returning these though because they're awesome.

 

3 more Sundays until 13,1!!!

Fuel Up: The Mind and Body

 

 

On Sunday I ran my farthest distance to date: 8 miles. To say I had scared the crap out of my self before hand is an understatement. From the moment I saw 8 miles on my training calendar, I had a knot in my stomach. Running is so mental for me. I still don't have that confidence to go into a long run KNOWING that I am going to rock it. That's what training is for, building that stamina physically but also, for me, it's a confidence builder.

 

The run started ok. Brooke and I decided to run a new route which was fun but sometimes not doing your research can really mess up your mojo. We ran a trail (we normally run pavement) and it was only 1.5 miles one way (we don't usually backtrack). It's amazing to me that a tiny give in ground can affect you so much differently that pavement. I felt this run in every muscle I had. I made it non the less and after walking a ton and feeling like I was going to throw up a ton, this is what I looked like :) Eat your heart out:

 

 

I have a few suggestions for going out on a long run:

1. Run in a familiar place. Don't get a wild hair and go rogue: it may not work in your favor to switch surfaces ,altitude, route, etc. Also for me, when I run a familiar route my brain doesn't have to think as hard and my pace stays steady, Running in an unfamiliar area I'm much more inconsistent and never feel as confident about what's ahead.

2. Time is only a number. A mile is a mile no matter if you do it in 6 minutes or 15. Sure you'll burn more calories the faster you go but finishing your distance will feel much better than running half of it and stopping due to fatigue. (If you run a 6 minute mile, Scott Brown, you're a freak of nature)

3. HYDRATE. Big mistake I made Sunday. I drank 10oz of water. That's it. Not a good idea for any run but especially a distance run coupled with unseasonably hot weather. I was so dehydrated I just knew this would be the first time I threw up on a run :) lovely image. 

4. EAT! I ate 3 granola bars the day of. That was breakfast and lunch. Stupid. I'm not going anorexic I just decided to have a lazy morning and got a little carried away :). I did not fuel my body with enough calories or carbohydrates to get 8 miles. It's a miracle I'm alive (jk)

5. Eat during the run. I really like the GU Chomps! They taste pretty good and can give you enough umph to push through and complete your run. I didn't do that either. (see the trend)

6. Stop and stretch. There's no shame in stopping to stretch. If you're tight, stretch it out. The rest of your run will thank you for it. Remember this isn't the end, you're in it for the long haul and not stretching out a tight muscle can lead to an injury that can put you out of the game.

 

So now that I have written down some tips I will hopefully follow them and not break nearly every suggestion I wrote like I did on Sunday :) That being said, I ran 5 miles last night and got my confidence back. I BEASTED it. It was easily my favorite run. I never thought I would say 5 miles and easy in the same breath but it was. We kept a great steady pace and were easily able to hold a conversation throughout the run. I really needed that confidence boost after Sunday. It just goes to show that fueling your body with ample water and food will give you great results!

 

Only 4 Sundays until 13.1!!!!!!

 

What's Motivating You?

This post has been started and deleted more times that I can count. Every post so far has been relatively easy to write until now. Maybe because the others have been fact oriented or just a little glimpse into what I'm doing, I don't know. I do know that admitting things aren't always 100% gravy are hard for me to do. Let's see if I can get this thing going finally.

I started pretend running (that's what I call that time frame because looking back it's hysterical) a year ago. I was "training" (loose term there) for a 5k I planned to do with my sister in law. We had to run x number of days a week or fork over $5. It worked because I didn't want to part with money. I ran a mile at time. Mainly out of breath and demanding water when I came in. I lost 0 pounds and ended up paying for and not running the 5k :) I was scared I couldn't do it so I didn't even try. CHICKEN. I'm so embarrassed to say that AND if you know me, I'm pissed I don't have that T-shirt. After being separated from my husband for 3 months, getting an AWESOME job, and being reunited with the hubs, I still didn't feel like myself. It was like I didn't even know who I was anymore. I was lazy, always needed a nap, "I'm tired" was my auto response to nearly every question asked. When I was teaching allllllll of these things were true with an addition of "I'm pissed, frustrated, tired of my job, tired of children (except my cheer babies; they rocked) and miserable". Once I realized I'd hit the job jackpot at NCSU, I realized none of these things should be in my vocabulary. I knew I had to do something and thus began running.

I remember running my first 5k ( thought it would be a bucket list type thing, one and done). I had my runner's high for 1.5 miles and realized then I was going WAAAAAAAAAAAY too fast and needed to slow it down if I wanted to cross the finish line. I also remember thinking "this is so dumb I paid $25 to run and it SUCKS. I hate this. Why did I sign up for this torture". Then the magic of the finish line happened. My husband surprised me and busted his butt to get there after getting off shift that morning and was able to make it just in time to see me cross the finish line. He looked like a Cheshire cat grinning ear to ear. He was so proud of me which, made me proud of me. I don't think I realized that until today. That first race I was more satisfied with him being proud than recognizing my own accomplishment.

That race motivated me to do others because I liked that feeling (I'm a people pleaser). Once I really began logging more miles and races I realized I was pretty proud of me. I love looking at Nike+ and seeing how many miles I've logged.  The continual running and eating healthy made the weight begin to finally shed which was awesome. and another reason to keep it up. I really don't want to go back to the weight OR the person I was 10 pounds ago.  A motivation for running a half marathon was to get the last bit of weight off. Writing it down seems so dumb. I can't help feeling like I will be more pleased hitting my "goal" number. I know that I will be content momentarily and that will then turn to wanting to change something else but is that a bad thing? That's what is keeping me going the days I DONT WANNA GO.

My hubs is a huge motivation to me to stay exercising. He hates to run and on the days  I can con him into going with me I love it. I'm faster keeping up with his gazelle stride (or trying). My non-existent children are also a motivation. I want to be an active mom who can play and have fun with their kids and keep up. I also don't want to gain 90 pounds (ain't hating if you did, that's just not going to work for me) when I am pregnant. I can thank my friend Renee (hey girl) for that. I didn't know her through her first pregnancy but I did for the second and she rocked it. I've never seen someone so energetic and up for anything during pregnancy or post-pregnancy. But most of all I want to do it for ME. I want to be the best me I can be, all the time, healthy and happy. For the moment running is doing that for me. How's all that for motivation?! So today I will ask: What is motivating you?

Blair

1st Annual Mountaineer Mud Run

This past weekend Jordan and I went to Boone with our best friends for the first annual Mountaineer Mud Run. First off: if you've never done a mud run DO IT. Even if you only do it once. Most fun I've ever had running! People of all shapes and sizes were there and everyone had a blast. They are doing it again in May if you're interested.

The cool thing about a mud one of this size and caliber (there are always exceptions like the Spartan Race), is that they are fun. You're not trying to beast the run and PR because there's mud and walls that you have to have a team to get over. Our sweet husbands even helped out a few loners who had lost their way. I really would recommend doing this run with a team and staying with them. Which is the point. I'm not a life rule follower but in games and sports I play by the rules. It was frustrating for me to see "teams" cross the finish line one member at a time. Who you trying to impress? I just wanted to scream out DQ every time one of these lone rangers passed me BUT I held back because it was a fun race. One guy even flew past us at one point, sans his team, and NO MUD?! WHAT. Why even sign up, you can do that at home buddy. I guess he's allergic and has no friends. I'm not judging, whatever.

I had only one down to this race ( besides the cheaters) and it was probably 1/2 way through. I got mud in my contact and had to pull it out and finish with one eye. If you knew my vision, you'd know this is true. All in all I'd love to go to Boone and do this race again. Jordan and Scott were a huge hit with the ladies and race goers, They wore their fire turnout gear and played like children in every mud hole. Naturally they made the websites page, losers. Here are some pictures.