13.1 Atlanta Race Report

First and foremost, I am sorry that it has taken me this long to write this report. Alright, the best way to tackle this one is to break it down into three parts. The good, the bad, and the ugly, but perhaps not in that particular order.

The Bad

So, this race was not a PR, it wasn't even close. I was doing well, and I was on track for a PR for the first half, then I fell apart. This race was also on one of the highest mileage weeks I had eve had, so that didn't help the situation either. I let my mind take over and all of a sudden, I was feeling every pain and discomfort in my body but amplified. Don't forget, I am the mayor of Crazy Town, and CRAZY is how I roll. I made hills into mountains, and let all of this get the best of me. All I could think about was the marathon, and it wasn't pretty. Plus, I felt like I was letting Danielle down during her first half. Oh, did I forget to mention that I didn't charge my camera and I forgot to put an sd card in it. That might make me the worst professional photographer ever... not winning.


The Ugly


The ugly in this race was kept to a minimum. The worst of it was having an upset stomach, but it wasn't the worst I've ever had. I don't think I was paying attention to what I was drinking with the gels which more than likely caused the problem.


The Good


The miles really seemed to fly by, especially the first 9. When I wasn't letting the crazy take control, I was actually having a pretty darn good time. We were joking, chatting and being silly. Danielle and I made a new friend with a pretty darn awesome chick who was running her 2nd half. We dubbed ourselves the Booty Brigade and were silly and stupid. This race reminded me that running doesn't always suck. I sort of get irritated by the fast people who were going the opposite way who were saying things like "looking great", "you're doing so well", and my personal un-fave "you're almost there" (I always want to say "look skinny fast b*tch, you and I both know my fat ass is not almost there"). So, I decided to turn it around and start yelling things at the fast people like and a few of them seemed amused because I got in touch with my inner Drill Sergeant when I was yelling at them. By far, the best part was crossing the line with Danielle and Melissa, it was just an awesome moment.

The Pics

Danielle and I before the start

Four miles in! (thank heaven for the phone)

Waddling along

Half marathon #2 is DONE

The best part was the celebratory cupcake.

BOOYAH!

So, I haven't written my 13.1 Atlanta race report because I had conflicting feelings about the race but after tonight's run, I've decided that as soon as I get back to Atlanta, I'll get it posted. In case you didn't know, Patrick and I brought B to South Georgia to the Okefenokee swamp. Plus, I wanted to see some gators, and did I ever see some gators today. On a side note, I am slightly disappointed that I didn't get to wrestle a gator, maybe I watched one too many episodes of Swamp People. I guess, gator wrasslin' is best left to the professionals.

Tonight's run, in one word was INCREDIBLE. After today's long car trip and swamp exploring, imagine my surprise when my legs felt great. I got to the hotel after dinner, got my gear on, left Patrick and B watching the UGA game in our room and I got to it. I got on the tread and started it on a 15:00 pace, started flipping through the channels and found Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 on tv. SCORE!! The time on treadmill flew by and I even sped up and held a pace that I felt I could be proud of and before I knew it, my run was over. My legs felt great and I couldn't believe how great I felt. After beating myself up this week, about my runs and marathon training, this was just what I needed.

The site of the AWESOME run.

Marathon Training Week 21 In Review and Weight Issues

Guess where I went during last week's training? Remember, that place I visit every once in a while... yup, you got it, Crazy Town.

Photo Source

During last Monday's long run, I once again claimed my spot as the mayor of Crazy Town. My mental state was absolutely awful, I was darn mess. I was doubting myself and my ability to finish the marathon and I was wondering if I was making the biggest mistake of my life. This crazy train, went on for most of the run and it swear it made me feel super sluggish. Then at around mile 12, my stomach went on strike, I was going to explode from every end. I ended up slowing down for the last four, it felt like a death march. I ended up getting sick later in the day, after I got home and when Patrick got home, he told me that his stomach had been unsettled all day too, so it may have been a little stomach bug. 

Did I mention that my ipod broke during this run? Well, the screen is separated from the casing, it's a mess. I can use it on the ipod docks for my Zumba classes but I am scared to run with it because I think it might shock me. Look... 

Wednesday, I had speedwork and it was a tough one because I was just not motivated and I just wanted to be at home sleeping. I trudged through this one, but I was pretty happy because I had a movie on my phone which helped pass the time. The only issue is that our gym treadmills have a one hour time limit, so after an hour the treadmill automatically switches to a cool down, so I have to get creative because this run was 8 miles and I'm slow. So, I did my warm up, stopped the treadmill, and restarted it and did the speedwork, after that was done I had to restart the treadmill again to cool down. A lot of work, but I have to be creative. 

Friday, I had 3 on the schedule but I was only able to finish 2. It was an incredibly busy day and that was all I had time for because I had to squeeze it in. Nothing to write home about. 

Now, for the weighty issues. I have been so embarrassed and ashamed about this but I have gained weight, and not just a little weight... a whole lot and it's time to own up to it. I've gained 15 pounds, and I am not proud or happy about it. That being said, I am not going to let this hold me back and I am already working on coming back from this. I'm back to journalling my food, and making smart and clean choices. This isn't going to stop my weight loss journey which had sort of stalled out, it's bump in the proverbial road and I am going to come back from this stronger. 

With the marathon around the corner and the weight thing, it's time to put the nose to the grind stone and get to work. It's crunch time! 

Next post, is the 13.1 Atlanta race report... stay tuned. 

Back In Business!

I'm no longer feeling like death...SCORE!!! You know what that means? I'm back in business, and back on track with training. Monday was the first longer run since I got sick, I had 8 miles on the schedule. I had K join me for this run. It was slow and it was tough but I was pretty jazzed about being out at it again.

Then Wednesday, I had 14 miles. I was so worried about this one because it had been so long since I had covered that kind of mileage. I'll be honest, it was TOUGH. As always, the first 4-5 miles are hard for me, I usually get into a good groove between miles 5-10 and this was the case with this run as well. Last long run, I resorted to some silly mind games to get through. The funny thing about this run was that there were some shirtless dudes running and little did they know, they pulled me along for a while. Is there anyway, these guys want to slow down their pace a little and come with me to my next races? Maybe I should ask. I got the miles done, and on the way home, I stopped at a gas station and picked up two bags of ice. Oh yeah, I took an ice bath, and I liked it. I've done this before and I might be a freak of nature but I like the ice baths, yes, you read that right. Getting in that tub is tough but those 10 minutes in the ice bath are sort of glorious.

As for Friday and Saturday's runs... they were a struggle. Friday, I was dragging after having taught my class. Saturday, I was just thinking about everything except the run and my head just wasn't in it. The funny thing about not having my head in the run is that, later that afternoon I went to pick up my race number for 13.1 Atlanta next Sunday. Yup, I'm back to racing too and October is going to be a busy race month for this girl. See, I'm back in business!!!

Hitting The Trails

I posted about doing my first trail run here, and I am sure you were wondering why I would do that. Well, the wonderful people from The North Face Endurance Challenge contacted me and gave me the opportunity to participate in their race that's coming to the Atlanta area in October. I'll be honest with you, it definitely out of my comfort zone, but like I tell B all the time... "How do you know if you'll like something unless you try it?"So, here we go, I'm trying it and getting ready for The North Face Endurance Challenge 5k, I chose the 5K because this is my first trail race and I did not want to over do it for the first race. So, stay tuned to hear all about my new adventures in trail running.

Check out this video about the race.

Want to join me? Just click on the picture below and come join the fun, it's going to be an incredible race. You're not in the Atlanta area? Well, you can always come to Atlanta and join me, or check out any of the other races they have going on around the country.

I Don't Hate Running

So, I've decided that it was the anger talking yesterday when I said that I hate running. I actually love it, I know, I think I am some sort of masochist. Someone was talking about running before my Zumba class this evening and I perked right up, and I could have sat there and chatted with her if I didn't have a class to teach. I realized right then and there that I really do love running, and my ranting and complaining yesterday was mostly due to the fact that I was a Bitchy McBitcherson yesterday.

So, since everyone is in bed and I have a run in the morning, I decided to make a new playlist. I went to jog.fm and looked for some inspiration. The funny thing is that I had all of these songs in my collection, I just needed to have my mind jogged a little (no pun intended). Check out what I came up with, it's pop-tastic, old, new and in between.

Do you have a pump up song? If so, what is it?

The Good, The Bad, & The Badass

The Good 

Friday, I finished my very first trail run. I'll have to be honest with you, I didn't think that I would enjoy it at all, but I had a blast. I thought it would be the perfect place to test out my country music playlist, ok, it was just a lot of Taylor Swift and some Dixie Chicks (don't judge, I don't care about their politic views, I just liked their music). Anyways, check out the run in pictures.

Love that this is right here in PTC, it was conveniently located on the way home
from my Friday morning Zumba class.  

 Overly dramatic reaction - "Oh my goodness, I can't believe I'm actually going to do this."

Here we go...

Came across this, it was so serene

Trotting along trying not to trip and fall flat on my face. 

One mile down, and I haven't broken anything.

When I saw this, I knew I was almost done.

Who was rocking out to some T-Swizzie and finishing up her
first trail run? This girl! 

The Bad

Last Week's Speedwork - I had a bad workout and I couldn't do the workout as it had been set out for me. I was having trouble keeping the pace and it was an all around mess. I got the miles in but it was not at the assigned speeds.

The Badass

Monday was my very first run over 13.1 miles, I finished 14 miles and I didn't die. That being said, I had a few moments where I thought that I was going to drop, the heat and humidity were killer. K, whom I hadn't run with in a very long time joined me today for the first 11 of the run. I'll be honest with you, it was weird to have someone run with me again, I have been on my own for most of my runs this training cycle that I guess I'd forgotten what it was like to have someone with me. I enjoyed having some company but it also threw me off a little because K talks a lot, and sometimes the conversation wasn't always too motivating. Don't get me wrong, I love to chat during a run but yesterday just didn't feel right with K and the conversation was sometimes a little irritating. OK, I will admit that I was being a little unreasonable about the conversation thing, but this was after all an important run for me and I wanted it to be just right. Plus, I was in a bit of a mood when we started, so just add something else to the stink pile.

The weather during the run was pretty miserable, it was hot and humid, but I kept trying to remind myself that it will eventually cool down and not all my long runs are going to be this hot and sticky. I was sweating like a pig, and smelled like a garbage can after the first 3 miles, I still had 11 more to go, and I can only imagine the scent that the people we passed got to experience. As the run went on, I just got stinkier and sweatier. Oh yeah, and guess what I had again... CHAFING. I rushed through the chafe cream application and I learned a hard lesson about it. I will never again rush through the application process...OUCH. Also, I think it's time for different shorts, by the end of yesterday's run, they were irritating me. So, during the run I also had the hanging skin on my arm irritate and slap me a few times, it was like my own personal portable cheering section. Then, there were the knees and hips, they were definitely talking to me a few times during the run. Alright, let's cut to the chase, everything and everyone was irritating me, I was a crabby bitch.

Speaking of crabby, I may have blurted out some less than stellar things like....
- This is so stupid, why am I doing this?
- I hate running
- Why the f- did I sign up for a stupid effing marathon?
- Why is it so f-ing hot?
- This is the stupidest thing I've ever done.

Obviously, it was the heat and general irritation talking because 14 miles is pretty bad ass even if it wasn't pretty to get it done. I did have to walk a little more than I would have liked but I covered the miles and that's still pretty bad ass. You know what else is bad ass? ICE BATHS! I did the whole ice bath thing after the run, and it was an experience like none other. I set the timer, put on a sweater and plopped myself in the tub. Oh buddy, it was something else, but I think it was worth the discomfort. 

Marathon Training Week 15's Long Run and Giveaway Winner

Let's break down today's run in bullet point form. Why, you ask, to you I say why the heck not. 

• I had a TON of fun during this run today! I sang a little, had a few dancey moments, you know my usual.
• I had a ton of cyclists and people in golf carts scare the begabbers (to use B's term) out of me.
• Apparently, I suck at taking pictures of myself while running. See below for evidence.

 

•  I saw some thoroughly amusing graffitti. Peachtree City is about as gangsta as June Cleaver.

• The weather was awesome because it was hot but it didn't feel like I was in some sort of torture sauna. 
• I was on my own again, but I was actually ok with that. I managed to push myself when I needed a little push, and keep it going.
• I didn't take my normal route exactly. I started at a completely different spot and did the first six of the run, on part of the paths I don't normally run, I did the three mile route I knew twice, and then crossed the road to the marked 6 mile loop around the lake. It kept the run interesting and fun.

Now, for the announcement, the winner of my very first giveaway. I used Random.org to pick the winner.

The winner is #9, none other than Fruit Fly herself. Shoot me an e-mail at runchunky [at] gmail [dot] com.

Stay tuned, I have a few other giveaways coming up. I also have a guest blogger tomorrow, so there's lots of fun stuff coming up.

Ch-ch-changes

This week's theme- Change

This past Monday was week 14's long run, and it was 11 miles. First things first, I made that 11 miles my b*tch, just thought you should know, even if I did it rather slowly. This also happened to be B's first day of second grade, and let's touch on that before I tell you about the long run. The morning started out with little Miss "I've Been 7 For A Whole Week So I think I'm Grown" copping quite the little attitude. Then,  when we got to school, she was too cool to take more than one "first day of school" picture. I also can't forget to tell you guys that I got in trouble when crossing from the school to the parking lot because I didn't cross at the crosswalk. Mind you, there were no kids out, the bell had already rung, and I was a little misty eyed at the thought of my baby not being a baby anymore. Yeah, so after that I cried in my car for a minute, because mad emotional is just how I roll somedays. After, I had a coffee date with a friend, so we could have our official first day of school date, like we had last year.

So finally, I was off running after an interesting start that morning. I decided to run my usual route, but backwards, and added miles by running through neighborhoods that butt up to the paths. Of course, I ran into a bunch of people I know when I looked like an awful hot mess, and about to melt into the pavement. One of the people I ran into was Celia, who follows the blog, and stopped me because she recognized me from the blog. I almost felt like a celebrity, thank goodness I managed to keep the paparazzi at bay. Also, I kept oscillating from incredible miles, to miles where I thought I saw snails moving faster than me. Thankfully, when I saw Celia, I was having a rockstar mile, so I probably didn't look like that much of a mess, or at least I didn't in my head. I had the tunes going, and it was a nice mix of everything under the sun, we're talking Britney, Poison, Barbara Streisand... it was AWESOME! Somewhere around mile 9, I think I started to lose my head a little, the heat and humidity was killer. See, I have photographic evidence.

 

Somehow, I managed to waddle on through 11 miles. I was pretty darn happy, even if it was slow... so slow in fact that I think I got Granny'd by a lady near the Senior Citizen's complex. This my longest solo run ever, so I had some stuff to celebrate. Also, did I mention there was some new chafing?! I thought I had covered all the important spots with my chafe cream but apparently, I missed a spot, because I had some serious chafe action. OUCH! *TMI WARNING* I had never chafed in the spot where on my bum on the spot where the undies rubbed it, but let me tell you that I have now. My butt was on fire, not a good situation.

So, this week the schedule was mixed up so I can now officially have two rest days, and I couldn't be happier about that. Now, I get to chill out on Thursdays and Sundays, which means no pilates for me until after the marathon, but I can deal with that. It felt great to have Thursday off, seriously, I almost didn't know what to do with myself. Ok, that's a bit of a stretch, the day was busy, but it was weird not going to the gym. 

This change means that I did my speedwork on Wednesday, and it was a tough workout this week. I seriously thought I was going to die and/or fly off the treadmill. I am not a fan of this, but I have to remember that it's going to pay off. It will pay off, right? Lie to me if you must. 

This past week was all about changes. Changes to the schedule, B's back at school so my life can return to normal, oh yeah and a new place to chafe. Ok, not that many changes, but good and welcomed changes nonetheless. 

Three Things Thursday

1. My mom is in town, and B is just on cloud nine. She loves her grandma, but only until my dad get here tomorrow when grandpa will be the center of her universe.

2. I did some hill repeats today, and I was pretty sure that my legs were going to fall off. They were definitely talking to me, and I know I'll feel them tomorrow.

3. Have you entered my very first giveaway? You haven't?! Well, just click THIS link, and enter for your chance to score a shiny new Sweaty Band.

Marathon Training Week 12

Monday morning was week 12's long run, and it was a doozie. Let me explain, this week I put B in a dance camp, and it's only a half day camp. So, Monday morning we both slept in and all the time I had scheduled before camp to get organized was officially out the window. We were running out the door and I was barely presentable to the civilized world but I got B to camp, but I had to get home to get my stuff and get ready for the run. By the time I started, I was an hour late from when I had planned on starting the run, but I had to get the run in anyway I could.

This run was on my own, I had a good mix of music going, and was feeling good. The heat of course was an issue but then again, it'll be an issue for a few more months so I just have to suck it up and deal with it. I was a little wary doing this run on my own, but I think it's mostly because I've never run 9 miles on my own. Obviously, it didn't kill me, but there were a few points where I had to remind myself that I didn't need someone else to push me, I could push myself. At 5 miles into the run, I frantically texted Lesley and let her know that I only had time to finish one more mile before I had to get Bella, and asked if it was ok to finish the last three on the treadmill. She ok'ed it, but told me to minimize the time between, and I busted over to camp to pick Bella up in record time and we were off to the gym. I finished the last three on the treadmill but the legs felt heavy and I was just feeling sluggish at that point, but I got it done even if I had to get a little creative.

Tuesday, I had to get a mile in, and I needed it after the Zumba class I had. I had a front row diva, who decided she was going to be a distraction during the whole class. She would stop dancing at certain points, made faces, had snide little comments, and even hid in the bathroom during one song she didn't like. I am going to talk to her about it next week if she decides to be a pain again on Tuesday. Anyways, I was fuming after class, and I didn't even run with music, I was just angry and needed to get it out.

Thursday was my speedwork day, and I was a little scared and dreaded it just a little. To make matters worse, I couldn't get it done in the morning because I had a photo shoot. Not a total loss because momma got paid, I liked getting paid, and getting paid to do something I love. Anyways, this evening I headed to the gym to get it done. I had music ready to go, but the tv on the treadmill kept me thoroughly distracted, and I needed to be distracted. I also brought an extra exercise towel to cover up the treadmill display, because looking at my speed, time and distance messes with my head, so after the warm up, I covered that puppy up. I peeked occasionally, but I really made an effort to not look and mess myself up. It was going well, and I was almost done when this guy came up behind me and scared the begabbers (Bella said that sounded better than snot). I nearly fell off the treadmill, and I scared a few people working out around me, I wish I had it on tape because I am sure it HILARIOUS. He wanted to move the fan that I had pointed at myself, I told him to take it, as long as he didn't scare me again. Anyways, I hit my pace, I had some moments where I had the urge to slow down but ultimately I finished the drill and didn't slow down.

Saturday, I have a 4 miler on the books, and I am tempted to run The People's Health Day 5K. Not sure, if it's a good idea because we have some prepping to do for B's birthday. We're having a little family get together at MIL's on Sunday and also having lunch at the American Girl store. Then on Monday, her actual birthday, she wants to watch The Smurfs movie and go to lunch with a few friends.

Tales From The Treadmill

Due to the heat and the fact that I'm cheap and don't want to pay a sitter every time I have to run, I've been making friends with the treadmill. You might even consider us besties, next thing you know we'll have matching BFF necklaces and inside jokes. As soon as I step foot on the treadmill, the song "You're My Best Friend" by Queen plays...it's magical.

On Thursday though, I wasn't exactly happy with the tready. I thought I was going to die during the speed work session, obviously, I didn't but I wasn't happy with my dear friend tready. The workout was tough because it had been a LONG time since I had done any speed work. To add to that, whole body was sore from having gone to Group Power class instead of training with Amy the day before and pilates class before the run. If you aren't my dailymile friend then you haven't seen me complain about pilates, the class has been getting ridiculously challenging since she announced her pregnancy. I'm a little scared that the next couple of months in pilates might be the death of me.

Today, I got four miles in on with my BFF, I just felt the run out, watched a bit of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, chatted with K for a bit who was in the gym as well. It was nice to just enjoy the run, and not worry about anything in particular. Nothing too noteworthy about the run, it was just a good time. I'm going to spend the rest of the day with B and work on some choreo for my Zumba classes. Here's one of the songs that I am trying to work on.

Wright Socks Review

The people at Wright Sock gave me the opportunity review some of their socks. They sent me three pairs of socks to review. I've been wearing these socks for all but one of my training runs during this training cycle. 

Wright socks have a double layer anti-blister system, and they wick away moisture. I was intrigued by the double layer system because it's unlike anything that I have seen before, according to their site it helps reduce friction and eliminating skin shear. 

Click here to get more information on the double layer anti-blister system. 

CoolMesh II

CoolMesh II

The first pair I tested were their CoolMesh™II, and I was pleasantly surprised by these socks because I was used to running in a more cushioned sock. When I put them on they felt light, fit extremely well, but at first I wasn't sure how I would feel about these socks on a run. Imagine my surprise when I started running, and I enjoyed having these socks on. My feet stayed dry, the socks were comfortable and I didn't miss my old socks during the first run with these socks. These socks have become my go to socks for the summer, especially living in Georgia and running in the nasty heat here. I have also worn these socks for my Zumba classes and they were equally comfortable, and kept my feet comfortable. They are definitely my favorite of all the pairs I've tested. The overall fit and feel of these socks is impeccable, I will definitely be ordering a few pairs of these socks. I thought I loved super cushy socks until I tried these.

Cushion DLX

The Cushion DLX socks were the second pair of the wrightsocks that I tested. I wore these during some of my long runs of the marathon training cycle, as well as treadmill runs and during some of my Zumba classes. First of all, let me just say that these socks deliver on the cushion factor, they were comfortable and have felt great during all my activity. That being said, I preferred these socks for Zumba and just going to the gym, but that's just me.

Running II 

The third pair is the Running II sock. These socks were thinner than than the cushioned sock, but slightly bulkier than the cool mesh. They too kept my feet cool and the fit and feel of these socks were wonderful. These too have become some of my favorite socks, no blisters, no discomfort, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Do yourself a favor and check out Wright Socks, they are well worth it. Also, check Wright Socks out on Facebook.


Wright Socks provided me the product in exchange for my honest review of their products. 

Marathon Training Week 11

Can you believe it's already 11 weeks into marathon training?! I certainly can't but I think that the ankle issues sidelining me has made it feel like I'm not that far into it. I am confident that I will be ready come November 5th, I have a sticker that needs to go on my car, there's work to be done.

So, yesterday was my long run and I ran this with Danielle and Karen, Karen joined us for a 1.5 miles, because she had somewhere she needed to be. It was a great run, it was slow but it was hot so it all balanced out. We chatted the whole way, about a little of everything, nothing like a run to work out all of life's problems. Guess what?! I had a milestone during this run, I usually stop to use the restroom during my long runs and this time I didn't stop. I am sure that most times when I stop, it mostly because I have trained my self to stop as opposed to actually having to go. That being said, I was pretty happy to see the toilet when I got home, because I've had a kid and sometimes there is only so much bouncing my bladder can handle. Alright, that's enough pee talk, I'm sure that's not what you want to know about, the real draw is hearing about all the stuff we run into during the runs. It's summer and there is just a whole lot of nature going on around here, so we have a lot of redneck Disney Princess like moments with wildlife on the paths. Sadly, this run we were dodging a lot of woodland creatures that were not so lucky.Do we get bonus points for the weaving and dodging the whole way? Did I mention that after this run, I am going to have to retire some of my favorite socks? My experia socks actually rubbed my feet during this run and hurt. I am officially going to be running in my wright socks during the hot weather. Anyways, we did well with the run until mile 6, then we hit the wall, we were ready for the run to be over, it was a mix of heat, and just physical exhaustion. We finished but it wasn't pretty, and to be honest with you, I was ok with that. I got home, iced myself down and took a little nap because let's face it, naps are AWESOME.

Today, I had a training run scheduled before I taught my Zumba class and for the second week in a row, I've had to get the mile in after class. Unlike last week, I didn't nearly mess my pants, so I see that as a win. I love the treadmills at the gym that I teach at on Tuesday nights, they have Nike+ on all their machines, so the workout gets stored right onto my ipod. I listened to some Me First And The Gimme Gimmes to offset all the latin music I've been listening to lately trying to spice up my Zumba class.

Here's a little Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, I've had the Billy Joel version of this song stuck in my head for a few days.



I'll have some giveaways for you guys coming up in the next few weeks, I'm even going to have one that'll be for you local followers, so stay tuned.

The Treadmill Doesn't Always Suck

This morning I had 5 miles on the schedule, Patrick was working, and I didn't want to pay for a sitter, so off to the gym I went to get the miles in on the treadmill. I had been reading my Mental Training For Runners book before I headed out, and decided to use a few of the tricks that the chapter I was reading had just started to touch on. Plus, before I even walked into the gym I made the conscious decision that I was going to have a good run. This run wasn't good, it was great! I normally dread the treadmill, and when on the actual treadmill, staring at the numbers and praying for it to be over as quickly as possible. Well, this time was different. I had a movie loaded on my phone, I had good music, I had a plan to make this run work. I started out and I felt a little achy but as soon as I got warmed up all that went away. I felt great during the run, I watched the people in the Zumba toning class and listened to my music. For the first time ever, the treadmill did not feel like a chore. To add to the general awesomeness, the ankle felt great and so did the knees. EPIC WIN!

Lazy Blogger

I've been a lazy blogger lately, I had a ridiculously busy week last week. So, I was back to running last week and if felt great. I was a little worried about the ankle but it held up really well, which was a pleasant surprise. The issue that I had going on last week was the HEAT! Georgia's turned into a sauna, seriously, a friggin' sauna. Last week's runs were all fairly slow and I think that the heat and humidity played a hand in my extra slow runs. In the end, it didn't matter because I was so thankful to be running again. I had missed running, but I didn't realize quite how much until I was out there again. Oh, and in case you were interested, I've been running in shorts and I couldn't be happier. I think that next on deck will be a skirt sports skirt or a sparkle skirts tech skirt.... living on the wild side.

I am working on my first giveaway to help one of my very best friends who is running her first half marathon with DetermiNATION in November. Anyone have any tips on how to run this giveaway smoothly and maybe get some sponsors on board? So far, I've just purchased some things to give away.

Independence 5K Virtual Race Report

Monday morning was my first official run back since the ortho told me to lay off the running to let the ankle heal. Since, it was Fourth of July and since Lesley had me down for 3 miles, I decided why not make it a 5K and join a virtual race at that. 

I meant to wake up at 5:00 so I could get this run in as early as I could fathom doing it, sadly, I ignored my alarm and slept until 6:00. Not too bad under normal circumstances but I had to be back home in time for Patrick, Bella and I to head to the Fourth Of July parade. I got myself dressed and headed down to the lake.

The view was gorgeous

I decided to stick to 4:1 intervals for this run because I was terrified that I would kill my ankle if I just went for it. I started out and was pleasantly surprised when the ankle didn't bother me at all, except there was something else that was bothersome... my knees. Oh well, I didn't let it stop me although it did slow me down.

One mile in and I was feeling good.

Remember how I wrote about needing to buy some shorts and getting over my issue with wearing them. Well, I bought some shorts and I even wore them for this run. I assumed because it was so early, it would be a good way to get over my issues because there wouldn't be so much traffic on the paths. What I forgot to take into account was the fact that everyone and their brother was on the paths going to claim their spots along the parade route and where I run on the paths was very close to the parade route. So most of Peachtree City saw me in shorts, and to make matters worse it seemed that almost every golf cart that passed me had someone I know riding in it. I guess that was one way to get over my phobia of wearing shorts in public.

Almost done... hot, sweaty and a general mess.
(Just ignore the hanging arm skin...yuck)

The miles passed fairly quickly in my mind, I was people watching and enjoying seeing all the decorated golf carts. Every time I felt like walking and it wasn't a walk break, I kept reminding myself that I had to hurry it up and get home to shower and head out with the family, and it was pretty good motivator. I do have to say that the heat and humidity was a HUGE pain, I was sure that I was on my way to melting into a puddle. Gotta love Georgia in July! I finished the run, and was slightly bummed with the time but that was quickly overshadowed by the fact that I was out running again. How can you not love that?! I was so happy to be running again, I'd missed it a lot and had a bad case of running envy.

Not my best, not even close but it was the first run back after all. 

Runaway Bride/Diva Dash 5K Race Report

This race report is only about 3 weeks late, but who's keeping tabs?! The day started well enough, I met my friend Brooke at the location and I knew she was getting dressed up for the race but imagine my surprise when I saw exactly how much she got into the costume thing. The race directors encouraged people to dress up and get into the spirit of it, but Brooke took it to the next level. She is SHAMAZING!!! (That means the sh*t and amazing)

B and her beloved Miss Brooke

Brooke and I before the race.

We picked up our numbers, took advantage of the pre race goodies they were giving out and we took some pictures in the photobooth that was set up there. We also met up with Brooke's friend Lisa, who also ran with me during the 5K at B's school. We all made our way to the start and got ready to run like we stole something.

Brooke and her friend Lisa

Lisa got into the spirit of the costume thing too! 

In theory, running like we stole something was a good idea. I didn't account for the incredible heat of that particular morning and the fact that my ankle would cause me trouble during the run. So, we set off and I was trotting along nicely but before I knew it the ankle started bothering me, and it did not let up during the run. I ended up walking... A LOT! I ended up walking with Lisa for a while, she too was having ankle issues and was walking. We chatted, and kept each other company for a while, which was nice because with the ankle and the awful heat I would have faded fast on my own. There came a point in the course where TONS of people were cheating and cutting a big part of the course. I WAS PISSED! The kicker is that it would have not been that difficult to have someone there making sure that people were staying on course. I broke away from Lisa, and ran for a while, I tried to stick to 4:1 intervals because the heat was unbearable. At one point the course was on a main road, which is normal, but the lack of traffic control is not. We were running and there were cars whizzing by and scaring the snot out of me. I had some major issues with the course, it was poorly laid out and dangerous in spots. I finished, but not in any time that I felt proud of.

After the race, we stuck around waited to see if Brooke had won an age group award as well as the costume contest awards. She took the costume award and they mentioned about using pictures of her for future races because she looked a lot like the girl in their logo. I guess it doesn't hurt that Brooke is creative, is a makeup artist and hair stylist extraordinaire. Also, there was supposed to be a kids race after the 5K was over, but they didn't do the kids race and Brooke's boys and Bella were heart broken. At least they were given all sorts of little toys and treats which obviously made everything better.

Showing off her prize for best costume.

Three Things Thursday (Toronto Edition)

1. We showed up a whole day early to take Bella to see The Lion King yesterday. WHO DOES THAT?! Apparently, I do, not sure why I didn't check the tickets when we printed them up.

Taken before I had to break the news to her.

2. Did my treadmill run today and my ankle was definitely making itself known. STUPID ANKLE!

3. I am having a hard time not eating everything in sight lately. This is not boding well for the weight loss efforts. I really have to FOCUS!!!

Marathon Training Long Run #4

Alright, so I am such an airhead and somehow managed to miss my runniversary and blog-ivesary. On May 18th, 2010, I started this little blog journey and little did I know how much my life would change and how little I knew about running. So, let's see what this second year of blogging and running fun has in store for me.

This morning, I set out for marathon training long run #4. This morning's run was a little different because I had a brand spankin' new running partner with me...Danielle. She's a friend that I met during my last time doing "Lost It At The Club". To be honest, I was a little worried about running with her because it's someone new, and I didn't want to have a bad experience. Thankfully, it went really well, she slowed to my pace and then pushed me at the end where I felt like giving up. The time flew by with chatter about this and that, the conversation came easily and was thoroughly interesting and amusing. I knew that Danielle was awesome but I didn't realize how awesome. She's going to be writing a guest blog post for me sharing her story soon. I'll give you the short version, she's lost a lot of weight, but more importantly she has truly been given a second chance at life. A few years ago, she was in a car accident that resulted in a brain injury. She had to re-learn how to do so many things we take for granted, and she even had to re-learn how to walk, and now she's running and kicking butt. To listen to her tell her story, you can't help but feel inspired. I really can't wait for her to share her whole story with all of you because I could never do it justice. Did I mention that she's going to do 13.1 Atlanta with me as well as the full in Savannah?! I love surrounding myself with those who are awesome and awesomely bad ass!

The run started well, and we kept the 3:1 intervals, we stuck to the plan, and trotted along nicely. I was a little worried about my speed or lack there of but Danielle said she enjoyed the pace and stuck with me. I was grateful for the company because I know that I would have lagged a lot more had I not had someone with me. Also, I was super grateful to have her with me because at about 6.5 miles, I started to drag and Danielle didn't let me wimp out. During the run we ran by an aid station, a local running club had an aid station set out and they were kind enough to offer us some gatorade and even gave us some powerbar gels. Gotta love the kindness of other runners! There were lots of people out on the paths today, and can I just vent about how annoying the others on the paths not calling that they were coming. We had a handful of cyclists nearly run us down, incredibly rude. Then right around the point where I started to drag, I noticed that there was Memorial Day ceremony going on and we had to run right behind where the speakers were. We ran as fast as we could and tried to run around it as much as we could. The heat was starting to get pretty brutal by the end of the run and I was super glad that we started as early as we did.

This little gem was on the radio today... gotta love 90's weekends on Star 94 (one of the only reasons I listen to them).