4 Miles

I'm not really sure what it is about 4 miles for me. These runs either go very well or very badly. It can really go either way, but mostly the later.

Tonight however, I had a fantastic 4 mile run. I had an amazing pace going and I felt great. I felt like I could have gone forever at that pace. I love when I settle into that. It's comforting and nothing can stop you. Which may include the treatorous winds we dealt with for a bit. I think I'd like to say that this was the first of many brilliant 4 mile runs I have ahead of me in weeks ahead. We were on a great path and I think it did something for me.

Being Behind

I guess this one means a few things for me right now. It has context in school and my running.

In school, I'm a bit behind literally. I've been attempting to a play a little bit of catch up seeing as my admission and financial aid was a bit of a spur of the moment. I've been doing everything I can to get things done and work my schedule so everything gets equal value. I'm not going to lie, it's a bit rough right now. It's never fun going into a new semester at a new school and already being behind.

I'm finally getting into the swing of things though. I'm not as behind and by the end of the week (which finishes in a  test and a paper), I should be all set. It will be a very nice weekend in that way! I'm hoping to have an amazing semester and I'm doing my best not to let the stress get to me just yet.

As for my running, being behind doesn't have anything to do with my training. I'm actually right on track with my running buddy Anna. Let me just say again how lovely it is to have someone to hold you accountable and keep the runs entertaining. My behind is in the time. I have been struggling a bit with slower times due to the 3 month hiatus I took at the end of the year. I realize it will take me some time to build that speed again, but it's still a little frustrating.

For now, I'm doing everything that I can to focus on completing my mileage so I can have an amazing race at the end of March. Even though it is so far away, I'm getting a little more excited each day. I know that completing the mileage will be the most important goal in our training and we are doing a pretty fantastic job so far at it!!

Rest Days

I have to say that at the end of a very long week my Sunday rest day is fantastic. This week I had 4 run days, 3 gym days, and my 2 a days for stretching. The latter of which is not really a workout, but I'll count it because it consumes 20 minutes of my day.

I'm hoping that I have done enough resting to start up a fantastic week of training. I have my 4 running days planned with hopefully 2 or 3 gym days to do some arm strengthening. We'll see how it goes.

My total weekly mileage from last week was 13 and this week it will be about 15. I'm hoping I can get it all in with the meetings and work schedule I have. I might have to maneuver a night run to a morning! Yikes! Hopefully I can work everything in to my very busy life.

For now, I rest on.

Busy Saturday

Today is, as the title suggests, a very busy day! On my list of things to do:

-run 4 miles (my first "long" run! Which will be run in the prarie. Pray I don't run into any gators!)
-see T play rugby! (Always a good time)
-study, study, study!! (This includes a lot of reading and note taking unfortunately)
-make more turkey burgers!*

*While on my run last night the only thing I decided I needed in my life was a burger. So much so that I was a bit of a diva at the grocery store. They didn't have premade burgers to cook and I didn't want frozen patties. Lucky for me the best of the best ground turkey was on sale. For just over 4 dollars for a pound of the organic, farm raised, stress free meat. I made 2 patties about 1/4 lb a piece and added a bit of Italian seasoning. I will never look at another turkey burger the same again! These were delicious beyond my wildest dreams!! I could tell the major differences between the regular ones and these natural ones. I think I found a new favorite!

Planning, planning, planning

All of a sudden I'm back into running and just like that I'm attempting to plan a really nice race calendar for the year.

Feb 5k
Adventure at the end of March
September duathlon
November half and full marathon

Now, only the February 5k is set in stone, but I'm really starting to look for some good races.

I want the best race calendar I can get! I want to do big things this year! I need to keep it coming!

Getting on Track

It is so nice to be getting back into running and being on a plan again. I think running is my structure for all things. As long as I can run, everything else will fall into place. Currently I am relying on this for my homework that I am behind on. I have a lot to do, but making time for it and running has helped me start to organize my nights a little better. Considering I keep adding to my plate, organization is my life saver.

Running is for me:

My stress reliever;
My therapy;
My strength;
My plan;
My structure;
And one of my loves;

Running is the friend I never knew I had. Or maybe just the friend that I never expected or wanted anything to do with. The first thing I said when my friend Danielle said you should run a half marathon with me was, "I can't." For some reason though, as she continued talking about all that I would have to do and how far away it was, something in me stopped. I realized that the only thing holding me back from running a half marathon almost 4 months later, was me. The only thing that ever holds me back is me. For whatever reason, in that moment I made a decision that changed everything and set me on a path to greatness.

It may have taken a year, but I'm in the right spot. The things I want to accomplish this year are more than I ever thought I would be able to accomplish or even attempt. Yes, I was an athlete in high school. I was and still am very competitive. I wanted to achieve greatness and be the best I could be.

Running is different. I feel like it is more than anything I did in high school. I'm GOING to run a marathon this year. It's going to happen. I never thought I would say that in my  life. Well maybe I wanted to at some points, but I never thought twice about it or formulated any plan. It was always "one day". Then one day, with a little help from a friend, I seized hold of my life. I decided that "I can't" isn't in my vocabulary. I may be scared to try something, but I'm honest with myself about that fear.

I know I can accomplish more than I ever imagined and I'm on my way to accomplishing those things. I know wherever my dreams take me, that is where I was meant to be. This is my time and if it had been any other time it wouldn't be right. With everything falling into place, now is it.

Fate is my best friend.

I have a plan

I officially have a race plan for my adventure at the end of March. I've decided that using a half marathon training plan will be my best bet. I found a quick 10 week plan from Marathon Rookie that I have technically already started.

I'm not going to lie I'm a little nervous jumping into a program like this so fast. I've been off for 3 months and then I had a 2 mile run and a few gym days before I ran my 3 miles Monday (which went swimmingly, although slow). I realize this might be a bit much to sink my teeth into, but I know I can always modify my training if I feel like I'm on the path to new or worsening injury.

I think this is going to be the best bet for me and hopefully it will work for Anna as well ( who is in quite a bit better shape than I am at the moment).

Again, I am so excited to have a running buddy! I just don't want to hold her back! That is never a beneficial partnership, but I think we'll make it work.

To a new training plan and new adventures!

Running Buddies

I am going to be running tonight for the first time with my new running buddy Anna. I am so excited to have someone else to pace with and push me. While I was running before, T would ride his bike behind me with our pup Daisy. This usually worked becuase I got words of encouragement, I wasn't alone, and Daisy got exercise. BUT now I have a brand new partner! This gives T the ability to do more in the gym that he wants and Daisy still gets to run her heart out with Anna's puppy Wednesday.

I think for me it will help the runs go by faster and we can discuss what's going on in our running, training, and lives. I'm really excited to have a race buddy as well. We are both very driven and I'm looking forward to seeing the times that we can help each other improve!!

Tonight will be a short 3 mile run that I hope will be the beginning of our training for a pretty hefty race at the end of March! More on that to come later! For now, run on!

I'm Back!!

It's been a long three months. At the very end of September, a few days before I was to run the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 miler at Disney world, I injured my hip during a short taper run. It hurt so bad I almost cried and I cut my run short. I ran the race in a decent time considering the heat and humidity of the night. I had only run twice more in the three months before today and they didn't go well.

After a few people adivising me that it might be my hip flexor, I reluctantly scheduled a doctors appointment and went just a few days ago. I discovered that it was not in fact my hip flexor, but my IT band was tight. They are tight on both sides with a little bit of bursitis in my right knee (the injured side). My doctor advised me that with stretching, Tylenol, and easing into it, I was free to run.

FINALLY!!

So much time waiting and hoping that resting would fix the problem, logic won out and now I can get back on my road to great things. I have some big things planned for this year including a marathon and convincing my boyfriend to run a half with me just the week or two before.

This was the best thing I could ask for and I'm jumping right back on yhe road with a short 2 mile run. I'm ready for the year ahead and all that it will bring me. It is finally my new year.