Ups and Downs with a Friend in Town

This week has been a challenge in my weight loss journey in that one of my husband's (and my!) best friends from Spokane has been in town for a visit. And we have eaten out. Every. Single. Day. The good news is that we are having a blast, and have explored some new restaurants in addition to some of our all-time faves. It's kind of cool, but I wish the food was calorie free so I could just eat and eat and eat. It's all been so good!

Karl came into Dallas on Monday, and the boys ended up going to Fuzzy's Taco. This is one of the best taco places in Dallas, in my opinion! They put cilantro and feta on their tacos and they are just plain crazy delicious. Fuzzy's also serves alcohol and is home to a Blue Moon Margarita (they take a regular ole margarita and then float a bottle of Blue Moon beer on the top). That's pretty much one of my favorite ways to drink a margarita. For supper on Monday, we had some which wich? Which is good. See what I did there? ha! I think we're becoming which wich? addicts. We've eaten there 3 times in the last two weeks.

Tuesday, I got up early and went to the track to meet some of the ladies from my running group for a tempo run. This was really my first "real" tempo run. In other words - the first that I knew what I was doing. Let me just tell you...I tore that track UP! My normal pace is somewhere between an 11 - 12 minute mile. For this tempo run, I did one lap around the track (1/4 mile or a "400" as fancy runners call it) at an average warm up pace. Then I started doing 800's. I did two laps at a 9:30 pace with two cool down/recovery laps at a 10:30 pace. Then I repeated that. Then I walked a lap with the ladies and then I slow jogged a few more laps for a total of 3 miles. I am so surprised and astounded that I kept my pace up. I've never run anything at a sub 10 pace. As I've said before, I'm slow. And this was really fast. And it was awesome! Our group has decided to now do tempo runs every other week (and do hill intervals the opposite week) to help build up speed. I'm completely down with that and hope it ends up with me being able to run a little faster.

After that I went home and we went to the pool for some fun swimming time. It was still early in the day so the pool water was a little brisk, but we all had fun and it tired out the kids. Piper came home and took a long nap. Danny as usual refused to nap. For supper we decided to try a new place one of my McKinney friends suggested: Whiskey Cake. Oh.My.God. This place was fantastic!! As the name suggests, they have whiskey. And scotch. And tequila?? Our waiter suggested that we start our meal with a "Texas Appetizer" - which is a shot of tequila. Karl and I obliged and greatly enjoyed it. Even though I'm not a huge tequila fan. We also had some food appetizers: fried green tomatoes and a meat and cheese plate. The fried green tomatoes were out of this world good. They had a nice thick batter and were fried to perfection. The sauce they were served with was also killer. The meat and cheese tray had a few different slices of meats/sausages and then 4 different kinds of cheese, a small loaf of crusty bread, some apple slices, and a slice of cantaloupe. The adults went to town on that, but really, it was Danny that surprised me by eating as much of the meat and cheese tray as he could get his hands on. He is his father's son! For supper we all ended up ordering the same thing (Derek felt silly doing this, so he changed his order and got a turkey burger). I got the BBQ Banh Mi. And I didn't think this meal could get any better than the appetizers! This sandwich was moist and spicy and everything I wanted. It was perfect. I had intended to only eat half of it, but by this point I had drank three more drinks (a Peach Pit and two Great Escapes) and when I drink I tend to eat more. So I finished it off. And then ordered cake :) The cake was good too - moist and with a crusty toffee layer. Luckily for my diet, we got one slice of cake and split it three ways. And then we rolled out of there (literally) and went on home. Oh, and did I mention that Derek and Karl both got glasses of scotch. That were $25 a glass?? It tasted like turpentine to me, but they choked it back and pretended to like it.

I was supposed to get up Wednesday morning and do hill intervals, but after a total of 4 drinks (followed up by a beer once we got home and played Castle Panic), I decided against it. Sweating out whiskey was not something I was up for! Instead I got up and determined that I would not blow my diet since my weight increased nearly two pounds from Tuesday to Wednesday. Yikes! So, I ate a small breakfast and then when we went to Torchy's Tacos for lunch, I made sure to mind what I was eating. I calculated points and everything. I was on fire! Actually it was my mouth that was on fire from their Diablo Sauce. I love that sauce!!

After that I did some work. And then we did some house decorating. And then I went to target and bought things to redo Piper's room. I'll post some pictures soon once I get it all done. But it's super cute (and she loves it!). Following my Target trip, I went to my running group and did 5 miles in 96* heat. Oh Lord it was hot! I drank over 100 ounces of water on my run. And that was just during my run - I'd had probably another 100 ounces earlier in the day. I came home to find the boys had ordered some Papa John's pizza. But I wasn't really hungry. I think the heat had gotten to me. I ate one piece just to have something in my stomach, but wasn't inclined to eat more. And then this morning when I woke up, I had lost my 2 pounds that I gained Tuesday night.

We're going out again tonight - sans kids - so I'm sure we'll have some drinks and yummy food. I'm planning on trying to get in a run this afternoon before we go so that I can work off some of the calories I plan on taking in. I want to be able to enjoy my time with Karl and eat out and have fun, but I also really want to lose or at least maintain my weight. So this week might have ups and downs for my weight. I decided that I would relax my eating habits two nights during the trip (Tuesday and again tonight) and then watch what I'm eating the other 5 days. And to just make sure I'm still running and getting those calories burned off as much as I can.

Boredom, Running, Food, and Friends

The past week or two, I've really been struggling with boredom. I have things to do - like work, cleaning the house, minding the kiddos, going to my mom's groups, running, etc - but in my downtime, I've just been plain bored. I've found myself sitting on the couch just starring off into space and genuinely feeling bored. I haven't felt this way in a long, long time. I think part of it is that we had a few weeks where we were constantly doing something fun - family visits and two mom's groups play dates on the same day. Not a lot of downtime. Plus, I finished up a big grant about two weeks ago for work, and didn't have a lot of pressing things to do for work. I started reading 50 Shades of Grey and despite it being hailed as the best ever (and yes, it is QUITE steamy!), I just find myself not getting into it that much. So last night, I decided that I would get a new book (for my kindle) and make a list of things I'd like to get accomplished this summer. I'm still working on my list, but I did start reading the new Jennifer Weiner book. As usual, I'm hooked :) AND, on Friday I had a meeting via phone with my boss that got me motivated to write some more grants. On Sunday, Derek went and found a desk on craigslist for me. He even hooked me up with double monitors. I feel like I'm at work now when I do work. It's super nice!

My running is going good. I'm still right on track for the Tyler Rose Marathon. Although, I think my insistence that I *can* do this marathon is wavering a little. I looked at the elevation chart and read some reviews and it looks like it is a killer course. And not only is it a killer course, but signage for the run seems to be bad too. People were getting lost and cars were coming at runners. Safety is a big concern for me when I run, so I'm not sure if I want to do it or not. I would absolutely HATE to have a DNF on my record for my first marathon - or to have something happen (like get hit by a car or get incredibly lost!). I would be a little sad, to say the least. There is a 6.5 hour time limit on the marathon. I'm still going to train for the marathon, but I'm very anxious/curious to see how long it will take me to do 18-20 miles. I think when I get up to that distance, that will be my deciding factor as for if I will or will not do the October marathon. I'm worried that the hills will totally wipe me out and that I won't have enough time to finish. So, we'll see. I still want to do it, I'm just starting to be a little more realistic. I read that the second half is worse than the first half (hill wise), and that makes me a little hesitant. I am going to start training on hills this week, so maybe that'll make me a little more confident.

Today was my weigh-in for my "Lose a Marathon" weight loss challenge. I'm down a total of 4.8 pounds. Woo-hoo! It's looking like I'm losing roughly a pound a week, so I'm rethinking my original goal of a 26.2 pound weight loss and looking to lose a half marathon (13.1 pounds) as a more realistic goal. I think re-evaluating your goals is crucial to success and finishing strong. If you notice that your goal has become unrealistic - whether for weight loss or exercise or any other type of goal you have set for yourself - re-analyze your goal and change it if need be. This week, my goal is to at least maintain my weight and not gain. I have been giving myself small rewards for losing each week. This week I gave myself a new pair of running socks. For this coming week, if I maintain, I'm giving myself a new running skirt. If I lose, I'm getting a pedicure. So if you see some polished piggies - you'll know I had a loss! It's going to be a challenge because we have a friend coming into town and plan to eat out. A lot. My mini-goal for the week is to just keep writing everything down and being accountable for what I eat, and the exercise that I do.

Between my moms groups and my running group, I really feel like I'm starting to make friends here in Dallas. I am a strong believer that it takes about 6 months after you move somewhere to really start making it feel like "home." I'm happy to say that Dallas is feeling like home. In fact, I feel like this is where I belong. The sunshine makes me happy, being with my kids makes me happy, working from home for a great company and with even great co-workers makes me happy, being close to my sister and mom makes me happy, knowing that my husband has a fulfilling job makes me happy, and so does the fact that I feel like I have people here in Dallas that I can call my friends and could count on. Life is good, and I feel like I'm able to enjoy it in ways that I wasn't able to in Spokane. Maybe it's the fact that I don't work full time and have more time at home with my kids and family. I don't know what it is, but I do know that I love it and I'm happy here!

26.2, 26.2: I'm Dreaming of You!

I feel like lately all of my thoughts have been consumed with three little numbers (and one decimal point): 26.2.

One of the ladies in my running group is planning on doing her first marathon on October 7, the Tyler Rose Marathon in Tyler, TX. I have had my marathon training plan taped to my fridge for (no joke!) 8 months now. I have looked it over and over and over; psyching myself up for this monumental race. When the Tyler Rose Marathon came up during a run, I came home and looked over my training plan. And guess what? I have just enough time to train for this race. Like exactly enough time. I had planned on the New Year's Double (full marathon on New Year's Eve followed by a 5k on New Year's Day) being my first full marathon. But for the past week, I have been really considering the Tyler Rose Marathon as my first. I feel nervous, excited, and a little bit scared. Can I really do this?? And if I can do it, should I do it when I have already signed up for the New Year's Double? Two marathons in the span of three months. Is that crazy??

My final decision has been to wait to sign up for the race until closer to race day. Then I'll be able to see where my training has led me and if doing the full mary is really something I am capable of doing in October. I have also been considering a trip to Nashville to see my side of the family and a trip to Maryland to see Derek's mom's side of the family (who have never met our kids!) sometime in the fall, so I'm not sure how those two events will fit in with a long distance running training plan. I really don't have much wiggle room (okay, so NONE to be exact) in my training plan so I would either need to take the trips after October 7 or just make sure I am running during the trips. Oh running, who knew I would love you so much and that you would take over my life the way that you have??

The number 26.2 is also in my thoughts in regard to weightloss. About 3 weeks ago, I joined the Run With Jess Marathon Weight Loss Challenge (the challenge is officially closed to new members; yes, I'm a bad blogger and didn't post it to my blog for all of you to see and sign up for!). The challenge is basically a group weight loss effort to lose the equivalent of a full marathon (ie, lose 26.2 pounds) during a 13 week time frame. For sending in your weekly weight, you are eligible for prizes. I started this the week before our San Antonio vacation. I lost the first week, then gained during vacation, and then lost last week so I'm down 2.6 pounds total for the three weeks we have been doing the challenge. If I actually reach the goal of losing a marathon, I will be at the weight I was before I got preggers with Miss Piper. Even if I lost a half marathon (13.1 pounds), I would be ecstatic. For that matter, any weight I lose makes me happy. 

I'm doing weight watchers (on my own  - not going to meetings so that I can save money. I'm technically still a Lifetime Member, so I just need to get back to a weight within two pounds of my goal weight - 159 - so that I can go back to meetings for free) to eat healthy and have been setting weekly mini goals for myself (drink x amount of water, eat 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day, positive self talk, etc) to challenge myself a little more. I know weight watchers works (I lost 60 pounds with it back in 2005 and kept it off for about a year before work and grad school got the best of me and I stopped going to weight watchers meetings). I just need to follow it so that I can lose. The Marathon Challenge time frame is tight though, so I'm not sure if I'll actually lose 26.2 pounds. 15 - 20 sounds more reasonable to me. Still....26.2 would be nice!

So I've been thinking of 26.2 constantly and eating right and exercising and basically telling myself that there is no room for error in this one. I need to be - and stay - strong. Through family and friend visits. Through moms night's out. Through play dates. Through rain, heat, humidity, and any other weather related challenges Texas throws my way. Through my own self-doubt. I've said it before, but running - and weight loss - is primarily a mental game. I just need to push through the next 10 weeks...and then I can start training for the New Year's Double :) 

Caffeine and My Run

Today I did a 9 mile run. I felt fantastic - even kept up (or could at least still see them!) with my running group's 11 minute pace - until mile 6. And then I hit a wall. A big ole brick wall where I had to stop running. I begrudgingly walked. And walked. And walked some more. I walked for a whole mile. The whole time, I was contemplating why I had hit my wall. Here are some things I came up with.

1. I haven't been keeping a regular running schedule. Because of our move, my lack of a gym, our week long family visit/vacation, and my hesitation of outdoor running (until recently that is!), I haven't really been running consistently at all. I did an 8 mile run a few weeks ago, but that was the first long run I had done since my half marathon on Memorial Day. I am now feeling more confident about running outside, so it's just a matter of getting out there and doing it.

2. It was hot. It wasn't as hot as it has been, but it was still probably in the 80's during my run. Once you add in the humidity, it got downright sauna-ish out there. Being so hot, I had started sweating before I even got out of my car. By the time I was three miles in though, I had stopped sweating. Which is never good. Your body uses sweat to cool off, so when you stop sweating, the logical thought would be that you start overheating. And overheat I did! I was really dehydrated. I had bought a hand-held water bottle that holds 20 oz of water earlier this week, and then I also bought some Nuun. I had drank about 40 oz of water and then one 20 ounce bottle with a Nuun tablet (which, are you supposed to take the whole tablet, or break it up? I'm new to Nuun). Still, it wasn't quite enough for me I guess.

3. I had switched up my nutrition. And this, my friends, is where the caffeine comes into play. I have been using Clif Chocolate Cherry Double Shot gels for my running nutrition. They taste fantastic, and they have the equivalent of two cups of coffee in them. But, I thought that the caffeine and the chocolate taste in the heat my have adverse affects on my stomach, so I went to the GU Vanilla Bean gels. I took one at mile 3, and expected it to kick in at least by mile 4. But it didn't. I was dragging. So at mile 6 when I felt like I just couldn't go on, I took my Clif Chocolate Cherry Double Shot gel. And bam! At mile 7, I felt renewed energy. It was really miraculous. When I got home, I started researching the effects of caffeine on running and found that there is new(ish) research showing that caffeine is actually beneficial to long distance athletes. They used a lot of fancy words, but the gist of it is this: caffeine helps your muscles recuperate faster. This might be why, after my last half marathon when I took a 5 hour energy, I felt great for the rest of the day. So my new theory is this: until I actually physically get sick from my fave gels, I'm just going to keep using them. Messing with your nutrition really messes with your run!

So there are a lot of reasons that I might have hit my wall. But the good news is, I was able to work through it and finish my run. I even shopped around Walmart for an hour afterwards and then took the kiddos for a half hour swim afterwards. Then, I spent the rest of the day on the couch :) And ate which wich for supper and loved it! I had a buffalo chicken salad. It was yummy!

The Patriot Half Marathon

You might have guessed it, but I'm a little behind on my race recaps. I have still been running my one (or more) races a month, but I just haven't sat down and written all of it down. I'm trying to catch up with the races now that our move and vacation are over, so just bare with me - I'll be flooding the blog with race recaps. 

The Patriot Half Marathon took place on Memorial Day 2012 and was my third ever half marathon. All I can say is, I love this distance! The half marathon distance is the furthest I have ever run; I wonder if I will like the full marathon distance as much? 

This race in particular was H-O-T! Luckily there was some cloud cover so that it wasn't too incredibly unbearable, but it was pretty toasty. And there were hills. And I had to run up them - it felt like in both directions (it was a keyhole course I believe). The course started at the high school football stadium. Which was seriously nice because there was lots of room for vendors, parking, and my absolute favorite: REAL bathrooms and not port a potties. Oh how I loathe port a potties! 

I went to the bathroom about 30 minutes before the start, and headed down next to the start line to watch the start of the 1 mile kids fun run. They announced that the half marathon would be starting in two minutes. And I immediately had to pee again. I didn't think that there would be time to go back up to the stadium and back to the starting line before the actual start of the race, so I just held it. Running 13.1 miles while having to pee sucked big time. I really should have just gone, but, I REALLY hate port a potties and my pace was AWESOME so I didn't want to stop and use the port a potties they had set up along the race course. I think next race, I really need to wait until the last minute to use the bathroom and not go so early. Anyway, that's enough about my having to pee :) 

Like I mentioned earlier, I had an awesome pace. For me anyways. I kept about an 11 - 12:30 minute mile pace for the race. My last half marathon's average pace was 13:15. This time, I didn't even dip into the 13 minute mile pace once. How cool is that?? As I also mentioned, it was pretty darn hot. I'm talking in the 80's around the start of the race. Or at least close to. Plus humidity. For the half marathon, they had 15 water stations. I took water at each station just because I was worried about dehydration due to the high temps. They also provided towels dipped in water to wash your face off or put on the back of your neck. That made a huge difference in my body's core temperature. They were supposed to have gels at mile 7, but I didn't see any of those. Luckily, I had crammed about 4 gels in my SPIbelt and was able to just use my own gels for the race. 

Another cool feature was pace groups. They had a nice range of pace groups as well. I started out with the 2 hour pace group (knowing that I would not be able to keep up), and was passed by the 2:30 pace group. But guess what? I was NOT passed by the 2:45 group. My goal was to finish this race around 2:45. I did 2:38:55. How AWESOME is that???? This is yet another PR for me and I could not be happier. I'm already signed up for my next half marthon - The Hottest Half in August. The heat will definitely be a challenge at this race and I am trying to mentally and physically prepare for it by running outside more and more. Actually completely since I no longer have a gym membership. For that race, I'm hoping to be around 2:35 for a race completion. I'm thinking the heat (and my general lack of running the last three weeks) will affect my time, but we'll see. I love racing! In fact, I already signed up for the 2013 Patriot Half Marathon for next Memorial Day. I hope next year I can totally rock that race and manage a much better time. Each race shows a slight improvement. Can't wait to see how far I've come next year!! 

Setting Your Own Pace

I went out with my new (ish) running group last night. I say it's a new (ish) running group because I originally joined about a month or two ago, but haven't been able to go since I joined. Well, I went once with the kids but that turned out B-A-D. Last Wednesday I went, but didn't RSVP and so was not told the group was cancelled due to a hail storm that went through the Plano/McKinney area. I still ran last week, but it was by myself and I mostly walked and talked on the phone to my sister. So when I got there last night, I was really excited that there were 5 other women ready to run as well.

It was 90+ degrees outside, so the women said that they wanted to go "slow" at about an 11 minute mile. I told them that 12 minute miles was my fast pace. Eek! The whole reason I joined the group was to work on my pace, so maybe it's good that they are way faster. I am just competitive enough to push myself a little further than I would normally when I am with a group.

We started running and I went to start my Garmin and I guess I pressed something funky because I couldn't get it to reset from my last run and I only messed with it for a minute and then gave up. We ran the first mile at an 11 minute pace. And I kept up! I couldn't really talk much and I was huffing and puffing away, but I kept up. At about 1.25 miles, though, I had to walk. I watched the group get further and further away. One other girl started to walk too and as I walked and then ran and then walked again, the other girl got further and further behind me. When I was probably about 1.75 miles in, I decided to turn on my Garmin just so that I could pace myself.

It was really, really a struggle to pace myself in 90+ degree weather and having tired legs and feeling kind of like a failure because I couldn't keep up with the rest of my group. I had to constantly remind myself that just because I was having to break and walk that there was nothing wrong with me. I am still a runner, and really the problem was that I started too fast and wore myself out. I should have started my Garmin immediately and paced myself and kept my 12 - 12:30 minute pace that I've been working on and not tried to prove something to the rest of the group by keeping up with their pace. I'm just not there yet.

Running is just as much of a mental sport as a physical one. That's part of the reason I love it - especially distance running. You have to pace yourself and tell yourself over and over that you CAN do the distance and you really have to work to make sure you are not overdoing it too early. But when those negative thoughts creep in, they can really be a detriment to your run. And when it's Texas hot out there, and you just feel like giving up and walking entirely, that can be a detriment to your run as well! I think yesterday the only thing that kept pushing me was that I didn't want the girl who was behind me to pass me. I'm competitive like that, but at the same time I felt bad for her because if I was feeling this crappy, I bet she wasn't far behind me.

I finished my 4 miles and met up with the rest of the group and we all chatted for a minute. They asked me how I felt and I was honest - I wasn't as fast as I thought I would be and I was incredibly hot. The funny thing was, they all said the same thing. Then I didn't feel so bad about my crappy time (I think it took me almost an hour to the 4 miles). On the way home I started to think about it, though, and I was quite proud of myself. I learned a new lesson about pacing myself when running with a group, I got out there and RAN, and I hopefully made some friends in the process that like doing something that I like doing as well. And really, I do want to increase my speed and hopefully these more experienced ladies can help me find ways to do this. I'm going back on Saturday for a long run (hoping for 8 or 9 miles). I will be smarter this time and go at my own pace. And I will bring a towel so I can wipe the sweat off my face because goodness gracious - sweat in the eyes was NO fun. I kind of feel that I'm learning to run all over again by starting to run outside instead of on a treadmill. It's a totally different experience. One that I love!

Race Recap: Run Like A Mother 5k

You might have guessed it, but I'm a little behind on my race recaps. I have still been running my one (or more) races a month, but I just haven't sat down and written all of it down. I'm trying to catch up this week now that our move is over, so just bare with me - I'll be flooding the blog with race recaps. 

The Run Like A Mother 5k was a Mother's Day race. I ran it with my Mom and it was her first official race where she got a race bib number and a timing chip. My mom is awesome - she runs 5 miles a day pretty much every day. She is genetically tall and super model skinny (Why oh why did I miss out on this gene???), but has some cholesterol (or maybe it's blood pressure??) issues that cause her to exercise to keep it in check. That and she just likes to exercise and be physically fit. I keep trying to talk her into doing a half marathon with me, but she keeps saying she doesn't know if she can do it. I think she can. We'll see who wins :)

The day before the race, my mom, Danny, and I headed out to Run On to pick up our race packets. And were pleasantly surprised. In addition to the normal t-shirt, we got a super cute bag with the "Run Like A Mother" logo on it. It's a nice bag - big and roomy - and is made of a plastic-y material so it wipes up clean easy. You know - perfect for a mom who is constantly on the go and carrying 18 bajillion toys, sippy cups, sunscreen, matchbox cars, crayons and coloring books in her bag. I use the bag on a regular basis now and absolutely love it. I also wear the shirt quite a bit too. I was a little bummed about the shirt - only because I ordered an X-Large thinking it would be a woman's sized t-shirt and thus more form fitting; however it's pretty loose and I easily could have worn the large. It's still nice, just next year I will have to remember to get the Large instead. My Mom ordered the right size and hers is adorable. I just love the Run Like A Mother logo. That's actually why I wanted to do the race.

The day of the race, my mom and I got up early and drove down to Dallas for the race. We got there with time to spare, so we got to talk and hang out before the race started; which was nice because usually when my mom comes to visit we busy with my kiddos (who had stayed home with Daddy and were meeting us post-race for mother's day festivities). The day before our race, I had ran 10 miles, so my legs were still a little tired, but nothing major. I felt pretty good and ready to run. They had a 1 mile kid's dash before the 5k and oh man! Those kids were FLYING! I was very, very impressed with how fast those kids were going.

The time came for our race to start, so mom and I lined up in the front-middle and when the starting buzzer went off, we took off. My mom had kept telling me how slow she was, and how I should wait for her at the finish line and I kept telling her that just because I run long distances, doesn't mean I run fast. I don't think she believed me until the race was over (and she totally smoked me!). But I digress, let me talk about the race course.

The course was on the Katy Trail. It was a nice place to run and if I lived closer, I might go run there often. As it is, though, it's a good probably 45 minutes from where I am now, so I'll stick to my little running trail that I discovered at my new house. Anyway, it started out pretty flat and then there was a killer hill. And I mean KILLER. It was steep and my quads were screaming. I honestly should have walked up it and saved my energy. Like my mom did. I, though, chose to run up it and wear myself out completely. Which - hooray for me! - I did. After the hill, I slowed WAY down and couldn't get my energy level back up. I started walking and watched as my mom passed me just before the turn-around point for the out and back course. She was bookin' it!

With sweat pouring down my face, I crossed the finish line at 35:06. Which was a PR, but not really what I wanted. I think I've been doing a lot of distance running and not really focusing on speed. I should be happy with the PR, but honestly, I wanted to be somewhere a little closer to what my mom did. My mom rocked a 32:56 for her first timed race. I think that's pretty awesome!! After we crossed the finish line, we were handed roses and invited to go over to the food table - which was a pretty decent spread for a smaller race. I think my mom and I both guzzled about 3 bottles of water each post-race. It was pretty warm!

Derek was meeting us with the kids for a playground and lunch mother's day extravaganza at the park where the race started, so mom and I hung out to listen to the race winners. And guess what?? Mom came in 2nd in her age group! How sweet is that?!?!? Even sweeter, her "win" was a free entry into next years race. So I guess this is our new mother's day tradition :)

All in all, I would definitely do this race again next year. It was a fun way to celebrate being a mom and get some running in as well.

The McKinney Move

We moved! It was stressful and crazy and full of eating out and hot, sweaty days, but we did it. We moved from Rowlett, TX to McKinney, TX. And I absolutely LOVE it!! Rowlett was a nice small town, but I absolutely without a doubt love McKinney 100% more. Our community is tucked back and not in the center of "town" where it would be crazy busy, but it is close enough to everything that it is just a very short drive away. We're actually really close to Allen, which is nice because that is where my husband works. It's only about a 10-15 minute drive for him now. He's been home pretty much every night by 6:30pm at the latest. That's almost a 1.5 hour difference from when he was getting home. And that makes an INCREDIBLE difference.

Our community has a community pool with a splash pad and a play ground. We are still waiting on access keys from the owner of the house, so we haven't been yet - but it looks super nice. I already bought the kids some little Puddle Jumper floatie/life jackets so that as soon as we get the keys we can go. My kids love to swim, and the pool is only two blocks away from us. It's going to be a perfect beat-the-Texas-heat place. The little play ground has a big kid area and a little kid area. I honestly have only seen one or two families playing on it, so I guess my kids will have the run of the place.

Since we moved into a higher rent house, we had to cut a few things out of our lives. I had already cancelled my gym membership, so I decided to see if I can forgo joining a gym and just exercise outside for a little while. I discovered a running/walking trail about half a mile away, and have run on that twice now. There are a lot of people that run on it, so it looks like it is well populated (which always makes me feel safer). I've never really run outside consistently before, so this will be something new for me. The only downside is that I have to get up at 5:30am to go run because otherwise it's too hot out there. It's going to take a while to get back to getting up that early!

It has been a little crazy around here with cleaning out the Rowlett house, steam cleaning the carpets, getting boxes unpacked here in McKinney, and trying to meet new friends here in the McKinney area. I joined another meetup of moms in the McKinney area and that has been a huge help in meeting new people (the ladies are amazing, really) and getting the kids out of the house. It's been great, but keeping up with a total of three meetup groups activities (still meeting up with my original mom's group and my running group as well) while moving in has left me a little exhausted! We are officially out of the Rowlett house though - as of Sunday - so now we can just focus on the McKinney house. And get all of those boxes unpacked!! Life will feel so, so much more relaxed when the house is unpacked, the garage cleaned up, and we put pictures on the walls. I can't wait till that day!

Tapering starts NOW!

Today has been a great day so far. I finally was able to sleep through the night and felt fantastic this morning. I got up and did 9 miles in 1:49. I felt like I could have done 10 in 2 hours, but I had gotten to the gym late and the child care area was closing. 
Today's run was my last long run before my half marathon next Monday. I'm feeling really good about the half and can't wait to see how it turns out time-wise. Still hoping for a 2:45 half. But now its taper time :) welcome to my favorite part of racing: easy runs and cross training and not feeling the pressure to make a certain time. 
This morning I was still in the 160's too. See? Good day!  Now if only the air would clear up so I can breathe....

Bullet Point Wednesday

My mind is a bit here and there today. So here are some bullets. I should call them bullet-graphs because they are kind of long....

• Danny was punished this past weekend by not being allowed to watch his current favorite movie - Wall-E - for 4 days. He didn't mention it AT ALL for those four days. This morning, he woke up and said, "Mommy, can I watch Wall-E?" Is my son a genius and really count down the days until he was allowed to watch it again, or did he just forget about it until today?? 
• Ran a 4.3 mile tempo run today. Felt AMAZING! I would have kept going, but I remembered that I have my indoor triathlon on Sunday and I should probably be mindful to taper a little for it and not wear my legs out. Oh, and that pesky muscular injury thing....
• I am making these for supper tonight. Put these on the kind-of unhealthy list and make them anyways. I'm using my 97% fat free hot dogs and only a little, itty bit of mayo and cheese on mine to lighten them up. And I'm only having one and adding green beans and salad on the side to fill me up. And then I'm leaving the house. Because I *will* eat the whole pan!
• Tonight is Mom's Night Out with my mom's group. Can't wait! I'm limiting myself to only 2 drinks and no appetizers though so I can a) make it home in one piece and b) not gain 45 million pounds. We're going to a Mexican place (can't remember the name), so it's going to be hard because you just know that there going to put a basket of chips and salsa down RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I just have to remind myself that I am not meeting up with people to eat and drink. The purpose is to go out with other moms and have fun - without the kids!
• I was reading this and found myself seriously wondering if I should be vacuuming more. I usually do 1 - 2 times per week, but according to her findings, I should be vacuuming about 4 times per week. Crap! Just when I was starting to feel like I was ahead of the curve by vacuuming twice a week. 
• I am so happy that it's almost summer because this means fresh fruit! I have already eaten two pre-cut bowls of watermelon this week, and I am hungry for more. Why oh why is watermelon so delicious?!? I also can't wait for cherry season! I think I might go to the farmer's market this year and buy lots and lots of tomatoes too. I used to eat those all the time fresh off the vine with a little salt. Yum!
• I am really looking forward to moving again! Our rental agreement is up on our current house at the end of June and we are hoping to move closer to my sister's house and Derek's work. I'm guessing we'll be in Plano/Allen area. Right now we take the tollway everywhere because it's so freaking convenient and we live so far out, but it costs almost $5 roundtrip to my sister's or Derek's work. And that's just insane! 
• I'm really interested in doing the White Rock Racing marathon build-up series (the timing would be PERFECT for my 12/31 marathon), but they are currently upgrading their website and everything is kaka. They list out the events, but don't say how much they are or how to register. Very frustrating since I am planning out all of my end of year races (doing one race a month for 2012) and want to pay before prices increase - especially if I choose to go with other races for September, October, and November. I lack patience...
• I want to do a sprint triathlon sometime this year. I don't have a bike (although my sister said I could borrow hers) and I don't have a pool to train in (although, my sister does have a pool at her apartment complex....), but I still want to go for it! I was looking at one in June, about 2 weeks after my half marathon on Memorial Day. The only problem is that it's $50. And that's a cheap triathlon. $50 may not be much to some, but since we'll be moving at the end of June, we are having to save up for new deposits and moving expenses (as well as having to replace the timing belts on BOTH of our cars). I wish my hobbies were cheaper! 
• My friend from college, Erin and her husband Tim, are going to Africa NEXT WEEK to go meet their little girl and attend a court date to begin the actual adoption process. I'm so proud of Erin and Tim! I really do admire them for committing and following through on this adoption. After they get to meet their little girl, they will have to go back home to Washington and wait until the end of summer to actually go get her and bring her home. It breaks my heart to know that Erin will get to meet and love on her little girl and then have to leave her in an orphanage for months before getting to bring her home. I can only imagine how hard that will be : ( Erin and Tim were fortunate enough to receive a grant for this trip to Africa, but are still looking for funds for their return trip to Africa when they get to bring Harper home. If you want to donate, please do so here. They are also trying to get together supplies to take to the orphanage in Ethiopia so I'm sure if you messaged Erin, she would tell you how you can help with that. They are taking supplies next week and then again when they go to pick Harper up. 

Peace

I'm officially feeling much less stressed than I was earlier. I have even more work on my plate (this is a good thing though!), the kids were super wound up all night, my house is a mess (really it's just the dishes that need to be done and the trash needs to go out, so it's not TOO bad), and the husband is STILL at work. BUT, I went for my run. And it felt awesome! Every time I'm feeling frustrated and angry and just overwhelmed, I just need to remember to put on my running shoes and get out of the house. It really made a big difference in my attitude.

I got in 5.3 miles. I'm trying to up my speed, so I did some faster running mixed in with a little more walking than usual. Since I now know I can pretty much run a half marathon, my next goal is to run the whole thing - and do it faster! Tomorrow I'm hoping for a 7 - 8 mile run. It felt so good today; hopefully I'll feel this motivated tomorrow too. On Saturday, I'm hoping to do my first weight training class. Before I had Piper, I lifted weights twice a week by myself and once a week with a personal trainer. I was so very in shape. It was awesome. I'm really crossing my fingers that the weight lifting will re-shape my body, help me shed some of this my-husband-just-got-laid-off and the we're-moving-out-of-state-for-a-job weight, and make me stronger to go further with my running.

Anyway, just wanted to give a brief update and let you know that I am no longer frustrated. Although, when I went to pick up the kids from the gym daycare, the daycare worker told me that Danny was absolutely wild. So, I guess it's not just me that thinks he's being disobedient. He better get out of this disobedient phase soon. It's making me a little crazy!

Catch Up

I feel like I haven't been on here in forever when in reality it's only been like 3 days. I've just been super crazy busy and had taken all these pictures that I wanted to incorporate into my blog. But I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to dig through pictures and decide which ones I like/don't like, and which to put up here. I know, big decisions, right? I was starting to miss blogging though, so I decided I would post now and do a picture post later.

So I'm officially 30 now. I used to always think that 30 was old. Now that I'm here, though, I'm starting to second guess that. I feel so much more alive that I did in my teens - so much happier! I had a lot of 'stuff' going on in my teen years that contributed to me just being unhappy. I was overweight, depressed, and listened to way too much of The Cure than is good for any one person. My 20's I was still trying to 'find myself' and still felt VERY shy. While I'm still trying to discover who I am, I feel a lot more confident with myself, my body, and my choices. I have a great husband and two amazing children, and I feel like I've found my place in the world. Plus, I am much more active and healthier, which I think affects so much in your life. I'm happy!

Speaking of being active, I have gotten a few runs in. Although, they've been pretty quick! Yesterday, I only made it 1.5 miles. For lunch yesterday, I made Pioneer Woman's jalepeno poppers (got from her cookbook), and OMG! They were SOOOOO good. So good, in fact, that I ate 22 of them. They were really low weight watchers points, and so incredibly delicious that I just kept eating until they were all gone. Awesome. Anyway, after putting it off for most of the day, I decided to get out there and run. So off to the gym I went. And discovered that eating 22 jalepeno poppers was NOT the best "fuel" for running! My stomach was twisting in so many knots that I had to stop. Lesson learned. If I'm going to eat 22 jalepeno poppers, I should do it on a non-run day!

Other than running, I've been working and cleaning house. Yesterday I got in 4 hours of work (go me!), and then cleaned like a crazy person. My father in law found out that he was going to be attending a training in Dallas, so he is coming in tonight and leaving on Saturday. It's been almost a year since he's seen the kids, so I know he's excited to see them. After he leaves on Saturday morning, my mom is coming into town to celebrate Easter with us (she arrives Saturday afternoon, and will stay until Sunday afternoon). Then, next Saturday, my dad and grandma are driving from Nashville to Dallas to spend a few days with us. It's total parent overload - and I love it! It just makes me so happy to have family around, and for the kids to be able to interact so much with their grand-parents (and great-grandma!).

My Dad is coming in late Saturday night, and then we are turning around and doing a super-sprint triathlon on Sunday morning. It's a 10 minute swim, 20 minute run, and 30 minute bike ride, all indoors at a gym. I think I got everything down except the swimming. I can swim, but I'm not the best at it. So, 10 minutes is going to feel like forever. My friend in Virginia wants to do a half-Ironman (70.3 miles) and I said that I was interested in doing it as well. We are shooting for October 2013. I really need a bike to be able to do the triathlons though. My sister said she would loan me hers, so I might get that from her and start training. I honestly haven't ridden a bike (non-stationary) in years, so I'm curious to see how that will go!

Anyway, better head off of here. Just wanted to stop in and say hi. I have to a lot more cleaning/picking up I want to do before the father-in-law gets here tonight.

Yesterday

Yesterday was a busy day. I had to finish up two grants for work and get them submitted. Those grants sucked my will to live this past week, I swear. I was so mentally exhausted (and physically from the half marathon) that after I wrote grants for the day, my day was pretty much shot. I did get them submitted, though, by about 3pm - 4 whole hours before they were due. I could have totally procrastinated 4 more hours :) I did find out that a grant I wrote for about 2 months ago was granted to my company yesterday, too, so that was a little bit of a mental boost!

I did a 4.3 mile run yesterday. I started out walking a good 10 minutes and then did 10 minutes of running, and then it all kind of went back and forth from there. My gym was about 80 bajillion degrees and I was getting hot and sweaty by mile 1. By the time mile 4 came around I was seriously about to die. I had wanted to do 5 miles, but I was so tired that I called it at 4.3 (plus the gym daycare was going to close in a few minutes so I wouldn't have even been able to walk the remaining .7 miles). I don't know why, but I was just ticked off that I only got 4 miles in. To me, 4 miles doesn't seem like a "real" running distance. You either go hard and run your butt off in a 5k, or you make it to 5 miles. One or the other. You don't stop at 4. Four is just an in-between distance that you do when you get done with your 5k and feel like you go a little further, or you give-up on your 5 mile run (which I did, and is probably why I was grumpy about that distance). Either way, I did it, and it felt good and I didn't hurt. Which I guess is what I should really focus on and not gripe about distances.

After my run and my grant writing, I had planned on doing a total house clean up and going shopping for some shorts before my Mom showed up from Shreveport. My mom, however, ended up only having to work a half day, so she showed up about 1 hour after I finished grant writing. Yeah! She had just missed a family dance party too. The kids were being wild and D was hitting P, and things were getting out of hand. So I turned on my Ipod and blasted it and we danced like crazy for 4 songs, and then things calmed down. It was actually a bit of fun and it did make D not hit P anymore....Anyway, I had gotten some of the house cleaned, but still had a ways to go. My mom is always nice enough to overlook the mountain of toys strewn throughout the living room and the piles of clean (but unfolded) laundry in baskets in the hallway. She even helped me fold laundry last night. She's great!

We had supper at Chik-fil-A. I had intended to be really good about eating there. I ordered their Fruit and Chargrilled Salad (which is so stinking good!), but then P didn't eat her fries and I didn't want to just throw them away, so in my mouth they went. Then after a bout of shopping (where I bought a super cute running skirt and some new flip flops from Ross), we got her and the kids a yogurt parfait from McDonald's. Again, P didn't eat hers, so I finished hers off. Ahhh! Oh well, it's my birthday weekend, and I'm not too worried.

Today we are going to an Easter Egg Hunt and then hanging out with the family (and drinks later tonight!). It's been a good birthday so far. I'm 30 - yippee!

Recovery

I'm so lucky to be able to work remotely for my old company back in Spokane. I don't know how much longer it's going to last, but I seriously love the work and being able to dictate my own hours. Right now, I have two grants that are due by 5pm on Friday. I have so much work to do on them, but my mind keeps going elsewhere. Like - have any new blog posts gone up? What's a good book about running marathons? Did White Rock Racing make their registration for their events live so I can register/see how much they cost?? Man. Right now all I can think about is running and blogging. Probably because I'm new to both. And I want to do better.

My running hero right now is Skinny Runner. She is doing 3 marathons over the course of a week in April. Cra-Zy! I can't even imagine being able to run that far. I just don't have the stamina. BUT, I find it very inspiring and cannot wait to hear about her running adventures. I've also been reading another blog by Running Aimlessly, who is training for a 50k  50 mile race. Holy crud! People do that?!? I'm just so incredibly impressed by people who run long distances. Just everyday folks, running. A lot. It's just incredible!

I signed up for the New Year's Double here in Dallas. On New Year's Eve, I'm registered for the full marathon, and on New Year's Day, I'm registered for the 5k (planning to walk/crawl that one!). I'm so excited and nervous for the marathon - and it's still 9 months away! I just can't wait to get started on training. However, I know I have to do a few things in order to be able to run the marathon. First, I need to increase my speed. My half-marathon this past Sunday was done in 2hours, 53 minutes. I would really like to shave off at least 15 minutes by my May half-marathon. In order to accomplish this, I'm going to start incorporating some weight lifting into my work out routines, making sure I'm doing some good core exercises. I'm hoping that gaining some more strength will allow me to propel myself a little further, a little faster. I'm also going to start training at a faster pace and doing some interval training.

My first goal, though, is to get my legs back to feeling normal! Yesterday, I did a short, very slow (like 3 mph slow) walk at the gym. My legs were still killing me and it hurt to move. Today, I woke up feeling lots better, but still took it easy at the gym. I did 3.5 miles, but at 3.9 mph. Since I am fairly new to running, I am not really sure how long I should really take recovering from the half marathon. I'm assuming that 5 days is a decent amount of time to take it easy. I'm taking a rest day tomorrow, and then hopefully Friday I'll be able to run 3-4 miles at a regular pace. After the weekend, I hope to be back to a regular training schedule.

Okay, I have sufficiently procrastinated! Now back to writing grants.

Rock N' Roll Dallas Half Marathon

Half Marathon Finished in: 2h53min
5k Finished In: 35:32
10k Finished In: 1:15:48
Pace: 13:15

In the words of my daughter's favorite TV show character, Dora the Explorer, "We did it! We did it! We did it! Hooray!" Yesterday, my dad, KL, and I all ran 13.1 miles. What an exhilarating experience! My Dad got in Saturday, and then we went and picked up our race packets at the Expo. I discovered Sweaty Bands were at the Expo, and my Dad bought two for me for my birthday. He also got me the CUTEST little SPIbelt that I have ever seen. Pink plaid?!? Yes please!

After that, we had some BBQ for supper and then my Dad spent some time hanging with the kiddos. He hadn't seen them in a long time (since D was 20 months old and since P was 6 months old!), so he was excited to get in there are play with them. My kids are usually a little stand-offish, but they both jumped right in there and loved on their Papa. It was awesome! After they went to bed, we stayed up a little and got our gear in order and made plans for the morning. My first half marathon (and only other previous half marathon) I did, I was super late to the start line and started about 15 minutes after everybody else and didn't have my number all the way on, and it was just a nightmare. It was nice to be prepared and even early this go-around.

KL showed up bright and early at 6am, and we were off to Fair Park for the bus to the start line. The bus line moved really quickly, and it was already pretty warm out (although I was cold, everyone else said it was warm). The buses were super nice - they even had seatbelts on them. Fancy! When we got to the start, we waited in the lines for the ever-lovely port-a-potties. I hate public bathrooms. Port-a-potties are like my arch nemeses. For realz. I despise those things. I always walk out feeling like I need a shower. Ick! After that, we went to our corral (Number 11!) so that we could line up - the other corrals had already started while we were in the icky-port-a-potty line.

The race started, and I plugged in my Ipod and took off. Generally, I'm a s-l-o-w runner. But when you put me in a race, I want to prove myself and run fast. This does not work to my advantage in long runs, because I get tired. It took me until about mile 4 or 5 to really find my pace and settle into it. As you can see from my times at the top, my 5k was done in 35 minutes. That is pretty fast for me! I was proud of that number. I had to walk a little after mile 2 (only probably a quarter mile or so) and then I started running again. I was totally unprepared for the number of hills that were on this course. I'm sure I could have actually *looked* at the elevation information provided by RNRDallas, but that would have too smart of me. I just assumed since most of Texas is flat, that the course would be flat a well. That was not the case. Holy F! There were a lot of hills! Nothing as bad as the dreaded Doomsday Hill from the Spokane Bloomsday Run (that is one killer hill!), but still some pretty long, low-grade hills that felt like my calves were on fire as I was running up them.

We ran through a gorgeous park with a reservoir/lake thing that had lilly pads throughout and flowers and it was just beautiful, and then we also ran through some neighborhoods that I would just LOVE to live in. Giant mansion like houses with impeccably manicured lawns and flower gardens. Seriously, I could get used to that. Around mile 8, I had to walk another quarter mile or so. By that point, I had just downed my third energy gel thing, and I was fading fast. I told myself that I could do it, and put my feet in motion again. At mile 10, I was starving. My peanut butter toast and banana I had for breakfast was long gone, and I was just exhausted and soo hungry. I took one more energy pack and ended up walking from mile 10 to mile 11. When I hit 11, though, I told myself that I had to do this. I had to RUN. I made it 12. Exhausted, hot, tired, and REALLY having to pee (but not wanting to stop to wait in a line for a port-a-potty). I thought about running into a Starbucks I saw and using their bathroom, but thought if I stopped, I might not be able to start again. So I kept on trucking. I told myself that I was bringing it in. Only 1.1 miles to go, and I could do this! I saw the Dallas Star ferris wheel that is in Fair Park (the end of the half), and I put my energy into it. When I got to 13 miles, I sprinted. I passed people left and right. I pumped my arms, propelled myself forward and finished in under 3 hours. Wahoo!

I went to the designated meeting place and waited for my Dad and KL. I felt really shaky and just not good. I grabbed a water, a banana, a high-protein cookie, and a Gatorade. I sat down and tried to do some gentle stretching, but man, my muscles were screaming!! KL and my Dad shortly joined me. This was KL's

I was silly and didn't ice anything yesterday, so I am sore today. My calves don't really feel that bad, and I am giving full credit to my Zensah compression sleeves for that. Way to go compression sleeves - you DID it! Seriously, compression sleeves are my new BFF. I now want compression leggings because my hips and thighs are hurting so bad. So bad, in fact, that last night I had trouble sleeping. I also got a pretty decent sunburned face, and some hilariously awesome compression sleeve tan lines on my legs. I have taken some tylenol and am hoping that my soreness lessons by tomorrow. I'm planning on doing a 2 - 3 mile walk tomorrow to ease myself back into exercise. It would be nice to not feel like kaka while I'm doing that. I totally pushed myself on this race. Normally, I only run about 1 mile, then walk a 1/2 mile, then repeat until I'm done running. I only walked 1.5 miles of this whole race. I'm pretty sure that is why I am so sore. Either way, I am proud of myself and looking forward to improving my time on my next half marathon in May!

9 miles

Last Sunday, when I was working  over at my sister's house without the kiddos' constant distractions, we took a little break and went to a running store called Run On. KL needed some new running shoes - well, she needed running shoes in general as the shoes she had been running on were cute, but not really meant for running - and I wanted some sports nutrition. We both left with a little more than we had intended, but our extra purchases were so worth it! I bought my first pair of compression sleeves - Zensah hot pink calf sleeves. They were $39.99, which seems to be a few bucks less than a lot of other brands I've heard of. I also walked out with a variety of sports nutrition gels to try out as well. KL got new shoes, running socks, and sports nutrition as well.

I was really excited to try all my running gear out. I felt like a "real" runner - even if hot pink calf sleeves are the opposite of sexy. Especially when paired with capris and a green t-shirt, which is what I did yesterday when I went for my long run. I'm sure the ladies at my gym thought I was a weird-o with no fashion sense. I might have looked like a fool, but my run was amazing. I did my 9 mile long run for my half marathon training, which is QUICKLY approaching! I had been kind of dreading it all week long because of a little running funk I had been in recently. I think part of the reason that I didn't really want to do my long run was because when I did my 8 mile run, my legs HURT. For days afterwards hurt. It was not particularly pleasant, and I was really not wanting to go through the pain again. However, now I had my new compression sleeves and the gooey goodness of the gel sports nutrition to get me through.

And get me through they did! I took/ate/drank a goo packet about 10 minutes before I started running, and took another one about one hour into my run. I have to say, I was a *little* skeptical of sports nutrition. I wasn't sure if it was really important, or just a gimmick to make you buy something that you didn't really need. I'm here to tell you, that salty goodness was worth it. I was really trying to get all 9 miles in before I had to get the kids out of the gym daycare (they have a 2 hour time limit), and with my speed, I knew I was going to be pushing it to finish it and get a cool down in. So I had been running at a little faster pace than was my norm. With the goo, though, I was able to make it through and not feel like I was going to pass out. Which is always a bonus!

I had put my calf sleeves on before I started running, and left them on for about 4 hours afterwards. I love them. I will now religiously wear them for my long runs, regardless of how silly I look in them! Throughout the run, my legs felt nice and strong. After the race, the compression did something miraculous to my legs. That's the only way to describe it because today, I feel no pain. None! If you've been thinking about getting compression gear, stop thinking about it and just go do it. Seriously, it made a huge difference. The one complaint I have about compression sleeves (and this is in general, not just relating to the pair that I bought) is that there is no information on how long you are supposed to wear them for to receive the maximum benefit. Reading some blogs, I gathered that some people leave them on overnight, but I don't know if that is what you are supposed to do. I figured 4 hours was a decent amount of time, and I don't feel any pain today so I guess that was a good time limit. Maybe it's supposed to be subjective??

Running has been a learning process. And not just learning about gear. I'm also learning about my body, how my body (and mind!) reacts to short vs. distance runs, how those first 3 miles are HELL until my runner's high starts kicking in and I get into a good rhythm, and how at peace or zen I feel after a fun. Running is so much more to me than just getting in shape and looking good. It is my "me" time, my time to test myself and my strength, to reflect on the day or just focus all of my thoughts and energy into getting to the next mile. I love it. Love, love, love it!!

Work It Out Wednesday

Last May (2011), I ran my first half-marathon. I was able to "run" the whole thing and felt like a complete rock star when I finished. Tired as I was, I still had enough endorphins pumping through my body to go out dancing later that night. In 3 inch heels. Like I said, rock star.

About two weeks after that, my sister came and visited me in Spokane and I slacked off on running. Her visit was followed by a visit from my in-laws, which was followed by a visit from my mom, which was followed by news that the husband would be losing his job. Needless to say, my running stopped, my stress level rose pretty darn high, and my stress induced indulgences sky-rocketed. In short, I gained 20 pounds from the end of May 2011 until we moved to Dallas in late November 2011. In six months, I gained 20 pounds, lost my strength, and gained about 6% body fat. I felt like one unhealthy momma, on many levels.

My self-talk was pretty horrible too. I saw a quote on pinterest the other day, "If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?" Isn't that true? When we moved to Texas, I felt pretty horrible about myself - I've got to admit. I don't know if I would have been my friend. But, really, who wants to be friends with someone who constantly puts themselves down?

Remembering how I felt when I was a runner (and that runner's high! <3), I decided to join a gym. I'm sure I could have just run outside, but a 1 year old and a then-2 year old were not my ideal running partners. And my little side-kicks were not going anywhere. That is why a gym works for me: childcare! I can sweat it out (and believe me, I do sweat like a crazy person. Like I just got drenched with a super soaker. It's pretty gross.), and D and P can run and play in the childcare area.

Following the lead of one of my junior high BFF's, I decided to register for a race every month in 2012; as a dedication to getting fit and getting back into running. In January, I did a MLK 5k pushing the kiddos in a stroller on one of the most humid January days I've ever experienced. You can be sure that I was extra sweaty after that one! In February, I did an adventure race: the Zombi Race (and yes, I left the 'e' off of zombie intentionally). It was approximately 5 - 7 miles and had zombies who would chase you as you tried to find clues to create a 'zombie survival pack.' It was fun, and I did it with my mom, sister, and one of my sister's friends, so that was fun too. I'm doing my first half-marathon, the Rock N' Roll Dallas, on March 25. My Dad and sister (did I mention that KL is really my step-sister....well, to be technical, ex-step-sister?) are doing that one with me. It's only like 2.5 weeks away!

I've been training since I joined my gym back in December. I cannot run 13.1 miles, though. I can barely run 3. But, with a combo of running and walking, I am hoping to complete this half marathon in about 3 hours (a half hour behind my previous half-marathon timing). I am following the Hal Higdon Novice Training Program, and am supposed to be doing 9 miles this week. That's a lot! To get me through it, I have started using sports nutrition. At my last half, I used gels, gummies, HEED, and stingers on race day having never used them before. Everyone told me that having done that was pretty dangerous because some people get sick to their stomachs the first time or two they use sports nutrition. Woops! This time, I decided to add them in a little earlier. I am trying out a couple of different products to see what works best and does't taste disgusting. I have tried one that had a God-awful after taste. For reals, I thought I was going to get sick. But, the good news is, I tried them BEFORE the race, so I know what will make me want to vomit now rather than in the middle of 13.1 miles (and thousands of people). I'm hoping to do a little product review here shortly, when I have tried a few more flavors/brands.

Today, I ran 6.5 miles in 91 minutes. It was incredibly hard to do. I was completely unmotivated and for the first 2 miles, you would have sworn I was a man with a cold (is it just me, or does every man seem to act like the BIGGEST baby when they get a cold??!!??). I was whining (in my head, not out loud. That would have been weird), and my legs hurt, and...okay, wait. I'm starting to whine again! Anywho, after I got through the first two miles, I made it to 3, then 4, and then my motivation completely left and I had to do a S-L-O-W mile where I just convinced myself that I would be proud of myself when I got to 5. All I had to do was get to 5. When I got to 5 though, a really good song was playing, so I upped the speed and ran for 1 mile to make it to 6 miles. Then I just wanted to show myself I could do it, so I did another another half mile. And I was right, I did feel pretty proud. On a day when I felt like calling it quits at mile 1, I didn't give up. I did 6.5 miles. Rock Star. Now I can't wait for tomorrow's run!