I'm working to revamp this blog...so stay tuned!

A new month, a new theme

So, wow lots to catch up on here since I haven't written for the past month. Life kind of escaped me these past few weeks.

Brief rundown:
August 6 - I claimed 1st in my age group at the The Legend 10-Mile Trail Run at Sleepy Hollow State Park.
August 19-20 - My friends and I took over Chicago for my best friend's bachelorette party.
August 26-28 - I headed up to the Manistee National Forest for the North Country Trail run and came home with a 3rd place age group finish, bottle of wine, and a husband with a broken foot. He was 43 miles in to his Ultra when he hit a root just the wrong way and broke his 2nd metarsal. Six weeks in a giant boot with crutches and no pressure on it. Weee!

So this past week was a bit rough with Nick's injury and then we were welcomed to the neighborhood by a friendly car thief who broke into my hubby's car. Awesome. Needless to say, that was the stick that broke the camel's back (or whatever that saying is) that prompted us to give a 30-day notice to our wretched apartment complex. We're now moving across town to a much safer, nicer place. Yay. I will be doing all of the packing since Nick's out of commission for the next few weeks.

It's been a bit of a whirl-wind month, wrapping up on a few bad notes but I'm looking forward to a fresh start at the new place.

I'm also planning to revamp my workout schedule and take some time away from running this fall.

On a fun note, I'm almost done with the 4th Harry Potter book. Hoping to finish the series in October!

August already?

Wow, I can hardly believe how fast this summer has zoomed by. It seems like every weekend is packed with something to do or somewhere to go. Time sure flies when you're having fun.

This reminds me of my favorite quote "The days are long, but the years are short." I picked it up in a book I highly recommend: "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. My days at work tend to be long and boring and this quote puts into perspective for me just how fast time goes by.  Reading Gretchen's blog and reminding myself daily of this quote helps me jump back on track to making each day count.

So, let me catch up on the past month. I didn't complete my goal of Insanity. Crap. BUT I did have a wonderful, relaxing vacation with my husband and got in some good, long runs. I came with 2 minutes of my PR time at a destination half-marathon in Erie, PA. I finished in 2:07-something. It was hot & humid and pretty miserable for the last 3 miles, but the first half was awesome. I was under 10 minute miles from the beginning until about the 9.5 mile mark. Yee haw. The rest of our vacation I spent vegging on the boat or dock, drinking delicious adult beverages, kayaking, reading and basically laying around like a cat. It was glorious.

Last week I put in a nice workout routine. Monday was a trail run of 8 miles, Tuesday a 16-mile bike ride, Wednesday Hip Hop class, Friday 4 mile run/walk and Saturday a hot & steamy 16-mile run up in Plainwell. So far this week, I have been a slug hiding out from the humid, high temperatures.

Tomorrow I will change that with a run in the evening and dance class. Thursday is up in the air and Friday I will take off for home for the weekend. I'm planning to run The Legend 10-miler on Saturday morning and then hopefully put in 5-6 easy miles on Sunday morning in O-town.

Whew that was a lot of catching up. My goal for this month is write EVERYDAY, even if it's just a sentence or two. I'm gearing up for a larger challenge I plan to pursue in November. But that's for another post.

9 days of H-E-LL update report

Tuesday: Ran 5 miles and did 30 minutes of flexibility yoga.
Wednesday: Insanity in the AM and Hip Hop class in the evening.
Thursday: Skipped Insanity (I was really sore from the day before) but ran 5 miles of trails.
Friday: I've decided to take the day off and rest. I'll probably do some stretching and abs when I get home from work but that's it.
Tomorrow I'm planning a 11-14 mile run and then another session of yoga.

So I've deviated from my original plan a bit, but I think it's important to listen to my body. This way I will get a GOOD workout in rather than a so-so workout.

9 Days of "H-E-Double Hockey Stick"

So yea, I haven't quite kept up with Insanity and blog writing. But before I give anyone the wrong idea, it was much needed break from both. This past weekend just whizzed by with all kinds of activities.

Last week I ran a total of 29 miles. I should have run that extra mile Sunday morning to even it out. Oh well! Last Tuesday, I ran 6.5 miles out in Schoolcraft, Thursday a nice 5 miles on the Al Sabo trails, Saturday morning I ran/walked a nice 7-mile trail at Yankee Springs and I finished out the week on Sunday with a pleasant jaunt around Gull Lake for a total of 10.5 miles. Not too shabby.

I guess I didn't slack, per se, but I definitely didn't put any effort in with Insanity. Now I have a goal over the next 9 days to basically put my body through the ringer. Here's my tentative schedule:

July 5 - Run 4-6 miles, do abs & arms workout
July 6 - AM Insanity, Hip Hop dance class
July 7 - AM Insanity, Trail run at the Arb
July 8 - AM Insanity, Yoga
July 9 - 15 mile run
July 10 - Trail run at Fort Custer
July 11 - AM Insanity, Trail run
July 12 - AM Insanity, Run
July 13 - AM Insanity, Hip Hop
July 14 - AM Insanity, Trail Run
July 15 - AM Insanity, Yoga

Wow, typing that out makes it look really scary. But at the end of this craziness is a nice week-long vacation. Of course, I'm running a half marathon during this vacation and definitely running a few other days, but that's besides the point, right?

Ouch! I hope it's worth it

So yesterday I started a crazy exercise program called Insanity. And yes, the name fits the program. I had to do a 25 minute "fit test" to tell me if I was even capable of beginning the program. After 25 minutes of 8 intense moves (plus warm up & cool down), I felt ready to collapse. Just the fit test was T-O-U-G-H.

This morning I woke up an hour earlier than usual (yup, that's right folks) and got my butt out of bed for Day 2 Plyometric Cardio Circuit. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Well after warming up for 15 minutes, I had to do about 10 minutes of yoga-esque stretching and about fell on my face because of the intensity of my legs shaking from just the warm up. Talk about intense. Then I found myself drenched in sweat and barely able to breath as I finished out the rest of the cardio circuit training. At least the people in the video looked to be in the same amount of pain that I was feeling. I honestly don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life.

Now I feel like someone beat me up in a street fight. I'm walking like a grandma and bending down to pick something up, well that's another story. I'm so sore! (whine, whine, whine).

Positive thought: I'm looking forward to the kick ass results this thing promises.

Such a slacker...

Wow, I really need to get better at this whole update my blog thing.

Abbreviated version:
Took time off after the marathon, ran Sunburst Half Marathon June 4 - it was HOT HOT HOT. PR'd Sunburst by 2 seconds. Hooray. This past week was unbearably HOT, temps in the 90s with high humility, so I only ran one day so far this week. Planning for a 8 to 10-miler Saturday and a 12-miler Sunday. Sweet.

I am going to take this blog in a bit of a different direction. In addition to writing about my active lifestyle, I am also going to shed some light on simplifying my life and re-energizing. I've been struggling, seriously struggling with my career and other life choices for the past 9 months. So, I am going to take this opportunity to STOP, BREATH, and try new things that will help me get out of this funk. I hope I'm in for some adventures...

Wow...I'm so behind

So I guess I need to play a little catch up?

Well for starters, I successfully finished the Kalamazoo Marathon -- I have the medal & photos to prove it.

Crossing the finish line. Chip time 4:49:08

It was a beautiful day with clear skies and highs in the 70s.  The first 13 miles went by like a breeze, laughing and talking with my fellow runners. The crowd support was excellent for Gull Rd, on The Mall, on Stadium Dr, at the beginning of BTR park, but the neighborhood that wins best crowd support goes to Winchell, hands down. The race organizers made sure to have bands scattered throughout the course, but the folks in Winchell put together their own block party and let me tell you, that was my favorite part of the race (aside from finishing, I guess).  After mile 16, our group began to separate until I was running only with Kate. We stuck it out miles 18 through 26.2. Mile 24 to 25 was a challenge for me with all the rolling hills through Kindelberger park, but the last hill about a half mile away from the finish I plowed through knowing that I was almost there. Two little girls tried to give me a popsicle, and boy did I want that ice cold treat, but I couldn't stop, I just kept going. I used all the energy I had left as a coasted down "runway" towards the finish line. Everyone was cheering and I couldn't figure out whether I should laugh or cry. I just accomplished 26.2 miles of road running. Over 4.5 hours of nonstop RUNNING. I was exhilarated. High on endorphins and so thankful I had the courage to complete what only 1% of the population can pull off.

I would like to thank the following: my hubby and constant inspiration to push myself past my comfort zone; my marathon running buddies Angela, Tonya, Kate, Angie, Jason, Annie for all the laughs and good times along the course; Julie for the super cute necklace & her "Running Widows" pit crew for the crucial Gatorade & cheering; my Mom, Aunt Tracey, Uncle Steve, & Grandma & Grandpa Gooch for coming out to support me during the run.

So now what? Well, the journey continues with more races this summer and another marathon in the fall!

22 & ready to go!

Last Saturday, I headed out with 90 other KAR runners to tackle our longest run before the big race. We ran the Kal Haven trail 18 miles into Bloomingdale, MI and did an extra 2 miles out and back to complete 22 miles for the day. I was a bit worried about the run because the week I had a blowout with my running shoes. I ordered some Brooks Launch and only had 10 miles on them before the 22-miler. Plus, the weather wasn’t looking very favorable.

With the weather, new shoes and long distance weighing heavily on my mind, I prevailed and finished feel rather great. The sun came out for about 10 minutes during the run and I experienced only 5 minutes of pouring rain (in the last 3 miles). I only had a few brief minutes of negativity playing out in my head around mile 15 or 16, after that it was smooth sailing. My running buddy, Angela and I pretty much talked nonstop the whole journey.

Afterwards, I felt pretty good despite my legs being sore. My feet were sore, probably from breaking in the shoes and of course the 22 mile distance. My run time was 3:42something but that doesn’t include the breaks every 2-3 miles. I used coolrunning.com’s fancy pace calculator and figured out I’ll finish the marathon in 4:30/4:35 if everything goes well. Just typing that sentence gave me the chills. The marathon is so close!

I want to thank Angela, Annie, Sheila, Bruce, The newfie owner, Angela’s mom Carol, and all the nice folks who put out the water stops, you all made the 22 mile run enjoyable and attainable.

Now time to TAPER! 

Martian Half Marathon 2011

After a great 20-miler the week prior, I set a PR at the 2011 Martian Marathon in Dearborn, MI. In 2010, I struggled to finish with a 2:30somthing and this year finished with a 2:10something. Quite a change! I felt great the whole race and really kicked it into gear the last 3 miles when my MP3 player decided to take a crap. I finished the smiling and pretty darn pleased with myself.

Not only was I victorious, but many fellow runners set PRs at the Maratian, including my superhero hubby who pulled off a 2:58 in the full marathon! Congrats to everyone who ran!

Later that night we headed out to Royal Oak to celebrate our victories at the classiest bar – Black Finn. OH wow, grrrrreat people watching there. Check out this video to see what I mean.

Who ran 20 miles? This girl!

Last Saturday I hit my furthest distance to date – 20 miles! The weather was a bit chilly;
I believe it started out at 19 degrees. Fortunately, the sun was shining and as I headed
out I slowly warmed up. I was lucky enough to run with 3 wonderful women and we
kept up our spirits up throughout the whole run. We stopped about every 2 to 3 miles
for Gatorade, water, GUs, pretzels or Twizzlers. I felt great up until the last mile when I
began to lose steam. Once I saw the finish line, I felt renewed and finished strong.

All and all it was a GREAT run. Afterward, I scarfed down pancakes & hash-browns at a
local diner with my fellow runner, Angela. Then I headed home for 15 minutes in the hot
tub to relax my sore muscles before jumping into cozy, warm clothes. I spent the rest of
the day in relaxation mode and I felt fantastic Sunday morning.

It’s amazing to think that at this time last year I was struggling, seriously struggling, to
run 9 miles. Now I can run up to 20! It’s amazing what proper training can do and the
right amount of motivation.

This weekend I’m planning to run the Martian Half Marathon in Dearborn; the same race
I ran as my first half last year. I’m looking forward to the wacky costumes & a much
better finishing time. J Also, there will be tons of my running buddies from KAR to
party with after the race.

If you’re looking for a great pastime with lots of camaraderie and awesome fitness
benefits, I suggest getting some running shoes & joining a running club.** It’s
transformed my life!

**Disclaimer: You may become addicted to running and find yourself scheduling
weekend trips to races in fun places with cool medals.

Unorthodox training

I’ve been slacking a bit with this blog, so I’m playing catch up now. Today’s post is all
about what you SHOULD NOT do while training for a marathon. Last week was a bit of
a doosey for me and I strayed a bit off my normal, healthy training plan.

Last Thursday was St. Patty’s Day and of course I had to partake in the celebrations.
Nick and I met up with some friends for dinner and dinner ended up turning into a few
more rounds of drinks than planned and a much later bedtime. (I usually turn in at 10PM,
Thursday it was closer to 1AM). YIKES.

After very little sleep and too many adult beverages, work on Friday was a bit of a
struggle. I looked forward to a relaxing Friday night and LOTS of sleep and good food.
Too bad fate had other plans. Needless to say, I was up most of the night Friday night
too, but all for a good reason this time.

So now it’s Saturday morning, I’m running on about 8 hours of sleep since Wednesday
night and I decide to stop in at the WORST FAST FOOD chain ever. Those who know
me know I don’t eat FAST FOOD unless it’s Subway or Penn Station (I’m a sucker
for their fries!), so this is totally out of the norm. I scraff down my hot cakes and hash
browns. I’m feeling guilty because A) I missed my 18-mile training run & B) I just put
nasty, greasy FAST FOOD in my body. Nick offers to run 18-miles with me and I agree
with a little hesitation.

The first 2 miles I feel like hurling up all that FAST FOOD, then the feeling subsides and
I ease into a nice pace. Everything is going great – the weather’s cool, but sunny and the
birds are chirping. I’m feeling fantastic despite my crappy diet & minimal sleep from the
past two days.

As I approach the 15 mile mark, my cheeriness starts to subside. I stare down that
hypothetical WALL. I can’t feel my legs and my brain is telling me “STOP, YOU
CRAZY WOMAN! I NEED REST AND NOURISHMENT AND YOU’RE TRYING
TO RUN 18 MILES!” So, I slow down, walk a bit, speed up, slow down, drink some
Gatorade. Nick attempts to talk me out of it, and slowly it begins to work. He distracts
me with random conversation and finally we close in on the last 2 miles. At a ½ mile to
go, I can see the red caboose that marks the end of the run. I fling my arms in the air as I
finish.

Ugh. That was rough. Never again will slack so much while training. I learned my lesson
big time.

Tomorrow is a 20-miler and I’m feeling good about it. I’ve eaten & slept properly – I’ll
let you know how it goes!

When 8 feels like a 3

Today was an awesome day for running. The weather was PERFECT. I ran a nice 8-miler, rather hilly, but it felt good. On the way home from the run, I told Nick I really didn't feel like I ran 8 miles, hilly miles at that. He said that's what happens when you get up there in your mileage, what used to feel so unbelievably long begins to feel easy. Folks, 2 months ago I never thought I'd meet feel this way, and here I am happily typing away about how an 8-miler felt like my old 3-miler. Awesome!

Last year at this time, I was STRUGGLING to put in a 9-miler as my long run, now I look forward to pushing 18 to 20 miles this upcoming Saturday. Pursuing this marathon has really changed my perspective on how much I can actually push my body. I never in a million years would have predicted I could run 16 miles, and I've already achieved that goal last weekend.

For those of you who don't know me personally, I was NOT a runner, sure I played soccer and did my required laps for cheerleading but nothing close to what I am doing now. That's why I want to make it CLEAR that ANYONE can run a marathon. Seriously, yes, it takes time -LOTS OF TIME- to train properly. It also takes some mental stamina - this helps having a running buddy or two or 10. But I seriously believe ANYONE of you that reads this can do it. I was just a "normal person," sure I was active, but I've met plenty of folks who were couch potatoes and have turned into amazing runners. So, are you pumped to sign up for your first 5k, 10k, half marathon or MARATHON, yet? I challenge you to turn what you feel is difficult into something achievable. Turn your 8 into a 3.

Extra miles & new shoes

Last weekend I woke to rainy, cold conditions yet had a great 15-mile run. I missed all the rain and felt pretty good the whole time. It always helps running with other people. The last mile was a bit trying but just knowing I was going to complete another distance I hadn't done before pushed me to the end. I ran 15 miles in about 2 hours & 45. Not to shabby. I'm looking forward to a challenging route this week with 16 miles.

I also purchased some new fancy shoes. So far, I've put 6 miles on them this week and plan to take them outside tomorrow evening. I cannot wait until the weather breaks...I hate running on the treadmill.

Next week I am going to focus a lot of increasing my mileage (as long as the weather & body lets me) and I'm also going to get in some more core workouts. I've noticed that after the long run my lower back is achy, so I'm going to work on my abs & back muscles to help combat this. I'm also planning to schedule my first massage appoint. Ahhh should be relaxing & a good way to get rid of all those after run aches & pains.

Looking forward to great rest of the week!

A new month = harder training

Saturday, February 26, 2011 I ran 14.22 miles. The longest distance I had completed up to that day was 13.1. I was planning on a nice 13-miler Saturday morning, but I ended up missing my turn around and before I knew it I was on track to run 14 miles. Luckily, the weather was decent and I had adequate water/gatorade stops to fuel me along the way. For technical purposes only, here's what I ate & how I dressed for the day.

Breakfast:
1 packet instant Maple & Brown sugar oatmeal
1 orange
Water


Fuel on the road:
Either Gatorade or water every 2.5 miles
Mandarin Orange Gu pack at mile 5

Dress (Temps low 20s up to 30s):
Two layers skins
Thin under top layer
Kzoo Marathon running jacket
Hot pink fleece vest
Mittens & hat

Boring, yes, I know but a good thing to keep track of.

I ran the first 5.5 miles with my group and then somehow got split up when I stopped for a restroom break at Arby's...I am SO glad I listened to one of the other runners as they said to take a slightly different way back and even more glad I printed my map. I am still getting to know Kalamazoo, so I was a bit nervous I'd get lost. The weather held off, but the roads turned to a sloppy, slushy mess on the way back into town. I felt GREAT, literally GREAT, up until just after mile 13 -- the snow-covered sidewalk I ran for the half mile prior really took a toll on the what energy was still left in my legs. I owe most of my energy to proper fueling and a fabulous playlist on my MP3 player. Hooray for Jock Jams 1&4, Jock Rock 1 & Daft Punk (not sure which record). By the time I reached my car, I was spent and the bottom of my pants and my shoes were drenched. I was so happy to jump into my car and head home to warm clothes & food.

On the ride home, I turned up my music and sang at the top of my lungs - I was so ecstatic that I had run further than I had planned. I was so proud that I "went the distance."  I was on top of the world the rest of the weekend.

Now as this Saturday approaches, I'm getting nervous to accomplish my next goal of 15 miles. I'd really like to put in 16 miles, but I'm aiming for 15 in hopes I'll want to loop back a 1/2 mile and add on the 16th mile at the end.

Marathon training is tough. Physically, I mean I'm running LONGER distances every week now than I have ever run in my LIFE. Mentally, I'm nervous, excited, terrified, pumped, literally a ball of emotions. It's a great feeling to accomplish these goals every week and also it feels like I'm back in college wondering how well I will do on the next exam.

Here goes to another week of training!

(PS. Sunday, Feb. 27 I put in an "easy 4 miles." My legs felt like lead -- but I did it!
Monday I took the day off. Ahhhh...relaxation.
I did a measly 2 miles on the "dreadmill" this morning -- rough night of sleep makes for a difficult morning workout. I'll do better next week.)

So far so good

I'll make this brief because as much as I'd like to write right now, I'm ridiculous exhausted. Seriously this head cold is kicking my butt. For training today, I did a 20-minute morning ab workout consisting of crunches & plank holds. I warmed up with a few minutes of jumping jacks and in place jogging. Tonight I ran a 7-miler from my apartment onto campus. It was glorious having sunlight until 6:30ish tonight...I can't wait until it's holding on until 10PM. The weather was cool (okay, COLD) but comfortable with zero wind and it was just an all around good run with good company. Basically, it was a great way to end a less than stellar work day.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a nice early morning 4-miler (on the dreadmill) and then taking the rest of the day off. It's my hubby's birthday!

Back on track

Welcome to my personal space to rant & rave and hopefully rave some more about running, health & happiness. I've started this blog to document my marathon training & then some. To date, I have 74 days and counting until the 2011 Kalamazoo Marathon -- my first! I'm about halfway through my training (okay, so why start this now? it's better late than never, right?) and I'm now getting into higher mileage than I've ever run before. (Background -- ran my first half marathon last April and a second last September.) So...it's time to get to the nitty gritty and stay focused on my training.

I said to myself last week that I was going to get down to business with training & then mother nature decided to give me the head cold from hell. I was down for the count for 5 days. 5 days! I was so disappointed that I missed my Saturday long run with my training buddies from KAR (Kalamazoo Area Runners) that I made a HUGE, 20 ft long paper chain counting down the days until the marathon. Yes, I know, I am a huge nerd. Today I was happy to get back in the saddle and run a nice 45-minute treadmill workout. Woo hoo, 4 miles for this week. One more paper chain link away from the big race.

Now that I'm up to speed I'd like to thank a few folks who have inspired my running in general. First, my husband, the craziest, most fit individual that I know. He's constantly pushing himself and constantly succeeding -- it's just awesome watching him. Plus, he's always encouraging me -- especially with awesome running gifts like the the official Kzoo Marathon running jacket. Weee -- what can I say? I like gifts.

Secondly, the my running pals from KAR. You ladies are the best, seriously. I'm so glad I've found such a nice group of people to share this passion for running.

Lastly, I'd like to thank myself for mostly putting up with my ever protesting brain. I have a tendency to complain (who doesn't!) when the weather isn't right, my running outfit isn't comfortable, or it's just too darn early (Saturday morning 7:30AM runs) but once I get my running shoes on and get through that first mile, I'm feeling good and proud I got my body out there. That inner dialogue changes from "what are you thinking?!" to "good job -- keep it up you're having a blast!"

Running is freeing...it makes me feel healthy & happy.

Kalamazoo Marathon running jacket. After Valentine's day run.