It Just Looks Like Slow Motion

Dancing Lights Run

2012-01-25T03:57:00.000-08:00

Those forecasters seemed to have gotten it right, guys! The weather was picture perfect for an amazing display of the Northern Lights, and you bet your ass I was running during the time.

Northern Lights aren't really that common this far south in Alaska. People in Fairbanks see them all the time, but it's pretty rare to catch a glimpse of them here in Wasilla. I only saw them once last winter and it was in March. Plus, the sky has to be clear and it has to be bitterly cold outside. Tonight was perfect. I postponed my run until about 11 p.m. Late, I know, but I was really, really, really hoping to run when they were on display, and they usually don't appear until late at night, or really early in the morning. It's 2:30 a.m. right now and they are still on full display!!

They. Are. Gorgeous.

They literally look like they're dancing. Swaying, ever so slightly, disappearing, then reappearing. Becoming brighter, then dull, then bright again. The movement is what's so amazing about them, not just the bright green color.

I turned off my headlamp tonight during my run, and just couldn't keep my eyes off the sky. Not only were the Lights breathtaking, but the stars were out in full force, too. There is nothing like seeing the sparkling Big Dipper shine behind the waving Northern Lights.

Hands down, this was the best 4 mile run I've ever done in Alaska. Was it cold? Hell yes, it was cold (-5). But you don't just sit around inside cuddled in a blanket when the Northern Lights are out. You layer up, and then get yourself out there. And run.

First thing I'm going to miss about Alaska when I leave: Northern Lights. How often does anybody get to see the lights, let alone go for a run during them?!

Today was a good day to live in Alaska. :)

A brief explanation as to what causes the aurora borealis: The scientific explanation for the lights may be less poetic, though still fascinating. Auroras are born of the sun, when large explosions and flares throw great quantities of particles into space, carried outward by the solar wind. The aurora is an electro-static phenomenon that occurs during when these charged protons and electrons in the magnetosphere collide with atoms and gases in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. When the particles meet the Earth’s magnetic shield, they are pulled into two great ovals around the Earth’s magnetic poles. As they interact with the upper layers of the atmosphere, approximately 60-150 miles above our heads, the energy that is then released appears as a luminous, moving glow, typically visible in the night sky in the polar zones at particular times of the year.

For a more accurate display of what I saw last night, click here: Anchorage Daily News pics

They are pictures submitted by people in anchorage and wasilla.

Aurora borealis run

2012-01-24T16:57:00.001-08:00

Word on the street is that there is an "extreme" possibility of northern lights tonight in Wasilla. I'm really hoping this will happen during my run. I'll report back tomorrow!

Alaska has my heart, but it's time to go

2012-01-23T03:17:00.000-08:00

So have you guessed yet?

I'm moving. Five thousand miles away from where I currently reside, to be exact. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm ready for the change.

Alaska, well, isn't for me. The winters are hard. They're beautiful, but hard. The single life is, well, for lack of a better term, meh. Here's the thing -- Alaska was just what I needed while I was recovering from my divorce and rediscovering the new me. I don't regret Alaska. I love Alaska, even though I know I've done a fair share of complaining about the awful winter weather. But I feel my life progressing in a different direction. Honestly, if I was still married I'd probably stay here forever. This is a perfect place to raise a family. Lots of outdoorsy things to do, low crime rate, very family and community centered. Alaska has some good, hard-working people here. People with the kind of values that I'd one day like to teach my children. But for where I'm currently at in life I know Alaska isn't the place I need to be. And let's be real here -- there just aren't enough races close by. ;) Only a runner would use that as an excuse to relocate somewhere else. I want access to races, and not red-eye all-day flights kind of access.

I feel like I currently have the freedom and luxury to do what I want in life, and I'm not going to be young forever. Soon enough I'll be settling down, starting a family, and really making a life for myself. So why not take the opportunity to experience the things I've always wanted to, but never had the chance to because I was tied down so early in life? So here I go. I'm moving to the Washington, D.C. area. Virginia, specifically, but still in the DC metro area.

Say hello to my new roommates:

Holly and Preston Mitchell

I seriously can't wait to live with these two kids. And I seriously can't wait to be close to other runners. Runners that I've met through Ragnar, and that have remained dear friends of mine -- Amy, Josh, Alisha, Eric, Ozzie, Helen, Brant, and even Holly herself. It's good to know that going into this move, I already feel like I have a lot of support.

I'm going to miss Alaska. Mainly because I've met a lot of great people here. People that mean a lot to me, and have been unknowing supporters during this transitional period of my life. It hasn't been easy, and I haven't always held myself together. But the Alaska friends made all the difference in the world.

On March 13, I make the big move. I'll be stopping in Salt Lake City to spend some time with family, and then off I go. It feels right.

Snow, Sew, Sick, and Schedule

2012-01-18T02:30:00.000-08:00

Yes. It's snowing here. Non-stop. You've read all the stories and heard the latest news that Alaska is getting record-breaking snowfall this winter, right? All of you Midwesterners wondering where your snow's at? It's in my driveway. You're welcome.

Uggghhh. If it'll ever stop snowing, and maybe, just maybe, get above 10 degrees I might actually decide to go for a run. Until then, I've been occupying my free time with sewing.

I said it. Sewing. It's quite relaxing, actually. A bit therapeutic, too. It's nice to remember that I'm actually still good at some of this "wifely" stuff. hahaha. So far I've made six adorable braided jersey-knit scarves, and one even more adorable apron. I will post pics later. So cute!

Not that I would've been able to run, anyway. I've been captured by a week-long sickness. I blame it on the -23 degree weather we've been having. No joke, folks. NEGATIVE 23! These Alaskans -- they're tough stuff. Sarah Palin, one tough chick, but I can also see why she's one crazy woman, too. Alaskans may be tough, but keep 'em here long enough and they're just not right in the head. This place should not be inhabited by humans. (Joking aside, I will say that there is no better place in the summer than Alaska.)

Which leads me to my next "S".

My 2012 race schedule. I'm fairly excited about the lineup so far, and I'm anxiously waiting to add more races to the list. But I must be patient for certain things in my life to fall into place. Here's my pending list:

March 17, 2012 -- Rock 'n Roll USA Half Marathon -- Washington, D.C.
March 24, 2012 -- Run Rogue 5K -- Fairfax, VA
April 27-28, 2012 -- American Odyssey Relay -- Washington D.C. and surrounding states
July 24, 2012 -- Deseret News Marathon -- Salt Lake City, UT
December 4, 2012 -- Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Marathon -- Las Vegas, NV
January 2013 -- Florida Keys Ragnar Relay -- Miami to Key West, FL

You may have noticed that none of the above are in Alaska. Very keen observation, my dear readers. It's true. And you may also have noticed that the first three are all located within the DC area. Hmmmm...something is up. But what can it be?

I think I'll keep you guessing for a week or so. It's more fun that way.

Cheers and happy snow shoveling!

My badass-ness only goes so far

2011-11-16T19:33:00.001-08:00

Today has been a mentally difficult day. I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, and most of those things are centered around making some big decisions in my life. I'm a terrible decision-maker. And while I know I made the right decision to get divorced, some days I really miss having someone else in my life to help me work through those decisions. Someone to help weigh the pros and cons, and to discuss every aspect of that looming "thing." It's easy being a team. It's much more difficult to tackle it alone. Whatever "it" is. Usually I don't let days like this get me down for too long. There's no point in being a Sad Sally and dwelling on things out of my control. BUT. Today is tough. And I blame the weather. Let me just take a second or two to vent.

HOLY SH*#! IT'S MOTHER-F***ING COLD OUTSIDE!!!! EFF YOU, ALASKA! EFF. YOU.

*sigh* Now that that's done...

Seriously. It's hard to get rid of Sad Sally when every time I walk outside I'm accosted by 40 mph wind gusts that blow stinging snow directly into my eyes and face. It's so cold that it hurts. Literally hurts. See that temperature up there? 14 degrees? That's not so bad, really. I can handle the teens and single digits. It's the -14 degree windchill that sucks that life out of me. How on earth is it possible for WIND to change the temperature by almost 25 degrees?! And this, my friends, is when my badassery ends. I will not run outside in this. Won't. You could probably even threaten my life, and I'd still say I'm staying inside today.

All I can say is this: Thank the heavens above for P90X and Tony Horton. Because Sad Sally needs an ass-kicking and she sure as hell isn't going to get it from running. Not today.

And also, thank you all for letting me vent and have a bit of a bitch-fest today. I needed it. And I already feel better. And I know I'll feel even better when I'm done with Tony and the gang. I promise that my next post will be joyful and upbeat and optimistic. Why? Because of some 2012 racing plans in the works...and I can't wait to tell you all about them. :)

Super stormy in Alaska

2011-11-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard, an epic super storm has hit Alaska. Hurricane-force winds? Yup. Coastal floods? You betcha! Villages seeking higher ground and refuge? Yes and Yes.

Fortunately for me, Alaska is a gigantic landmass. I live hundreds of miles away from the brunt of the storm (thank god). All we're getting here in the Mat-Su Valley is a shitload of snow. Man, it hasn't stopped dumping! Never fear, my friends! I went running anyway! (woot)

Say hello to...NINJA CHRISTY!

I'm so badass, it almost hurts.

And I'll also happily admit that I've been enjoying these snowy runs. So pretty outside (even in the dark), and so awesome to hear the snow crunching beneath my shoes.

Mother Nature is cruel

2011-11-07T21:12:00.001-08:00

So I'm now just realizing how much I'm not ready or prepared for the winter. In the past few days I've shoveled my driveway clear of 6 inches of snow, just to wake up in the morning to the realization that Mother Nature dumped an additional 6 inches of snow on my driveway. And everyone else's driveway. I'm not THAT special. So I get home from work; shoveling begins again. This is a lot of work. And it's only NOVEMBER 7TH.

So here I sit. It's 8 pm. I just finished shoveling. Did I mention my driveway is reaaaaallllly long? And I still need to lace up my sneaks and go for a run....yeah...did I also mention how amazing a bubble bath sounds right now?

Night running is now my only option. The sun doesn't rise until 8:45 am and just a few short hours later it starts setting at 4:30 pm. Morning runs, night runs, doesn't matter. It's going to be dark. And cold. I'm jealous of all of you who are experiencing temps in the 30s and 40s. My current temp is 20 degrees with a "feels like" 9 degrees.

Meh. It is what it is. I'll wrap in layers tonight, strap on my headlamp, and outfit the kicks in chains. A night-runnin' I go...for the next 7 months. Hmph.

Did I also mention that I think I moved to the wrong state? hahaha. I crack myself up sometimes. Alaskans are masochists.

Race Report: Ragnar Relay Washington DC. (best race ever)

2011-09-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

I'm just warning you all now. This is gonna be a novel. And VERY picture-heavy.

Before you read my post, read this article. The Washington Post wrote a story about Holly, Shane, and the Ragnar Relay DC. A few things that I'm going to talk about reference that article. Get your box of Kleenex. You've been warned.

NIGHT BEFORE THE RACE
So I flew to Washington D.C. Wednesday night from Anchorage for the Ragnar DC. My flight left at 8:30 pm Wednesday, and I didn’t arrive in DC until 2:30 pm the next day. Wowza. Not a lot of sleep, and I knew I wouldn’t be getting a ton of shut eye during the next couple of days either. Note to self: Do not fly 5,000 miles on a red-eye flight two nights before a Ragnar. Bad, bad, bad, idea.

So I arrived in DC Thursday afternoon, then hopped on the Metro to meet Holly in Fairfax. She picked me up from the Vienna station, and we were off to Wegmans to purchase our weekend food rations. (And let me just take a minute to describe my love for Wegmans! This grocery store is luxurious! I mean, luxurious. Their pumpkin muffins are seriously enough to get me to move to the East Coast immediately. Mmm.)

Holly and I were just too excited and anxious to really think about what we would need to buy for the relay. Seriously unprepared. Our conversation?

Holly: So what else are we gonna need?

Me: Ummmmm.

Holly: What about stuff for sandwiches?

Me: Nah. There’ll be food along the course.

Holly: But we should definitely get these Snickers.

Me: Absolutely.

Bahahaha! Seriously. So we bought a few snack items: Snickers, Wheat Thins, grapes, bananas, carrots, pretzels, and Twizzlers. (The essentials, obviously. Duh.) Then we went to Target and bought sunglasses and a tarp. All while browsing other unessential items in the store. Like dresses and purses and jewelry. Because, duh, we are women. That’s what we do.

Anyway, after packing and getting ready, I didn’t get to bed until midnight, and I had to be up 4 hours later. And let’s keep in mind that I only slept for about 2 hours on my red-eye flight.

2 + 4 = 6 = Insufficient rest in 48 hours = FML.

THE TEAM
First, let me introduce you to the fearless and tough members of Team 1: Speed Sold Separately.

L to R: Cynthia, Helen, Brant, Eric, Gerald, Brady, Ozzie, Christy, Holly, Alisha

The entire team at the start line

VAN 1
Runner 1: Holly Mitchell
Through the course, Holly will tackle almost 13 miles of rough terrain, foggy nights, and sleep-deprived delirious morning runs. Basically, she is a superstar.

Runner 2: (We love and miss you Shane Mitchell!!!)

Runner 3: Eric Lacey, aka EZE
This dude runs hills for fun. Not just any hills. 1,200 ft hills, to be exact. Masochist? Maybe. Here he comes to save the day!

Runner 4: Yours truly, Christy Archuleta (who may or may not be related to David)
Call me the ultimate runnerd of the bunch. I’d be the only one to flutter around Maryland in a tutu and take no shame in it.

Runner 5: Brady Jones, aka BJ (take that name however you will…)
Brady isn’t afraid of a little rain. Hell, he isn’t even afraid of pouring rain and mud puddles. Ladies, watch yourselves! He’s no longer on the market.

Runner 6: Ozzie (Osborn). No, seriously.
Welcome to the 20-mile club, friends. This tough dude knows a thing or two about longevity. (Though at one point he did get chicked by a girl in a red tutu…shhhh, don’t tell.)

Runner 7: Alisha Lacey
Wife of EZE, and another member of the 20-mile club. This woman laughs in the face of hills and distance, but does it so sweetly you’ll never even see her coming as she speeds right by you at mach 90.

VAN 2
Gerald, Brant, Helen, Cynthia

Runner 8: Gerald Patten, aka General Patten
This mighty runner doesn’t let a steep climb get in his way.

Runner 9: Helen Oliver, aka The Captain
Our fearless team captain. She knows no bounds, and tackles extra hilly mileage with a vengeance.

Runner 10: Cynthia Linton
Sister of The Captain, and our resident Texan. Howdy, y’all! She’s the woman behind the video camera.

Runner 11: Ummm…..can we say last-minute dropout? We had no Runner 11.

Runner 12: Brant Oliver
Husband of The Captain. He keeps calm in the face of danger and extra miles. No runner 11? No problem!

RACE DAY
Before I write anything more, let me just take a minute to express my amazement and admiration for my friend, Holly Mitchell. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes. She demonstrated so much strength and resolve, and I don’t think there are many people out there who can do what she did, who can go back to the place where her husband died on the one year anniversary and run the exact same race. She’s more than words can say. Love you, Baby Jaguar.

The 2 ½ hour drive to Cumberland, Maryland was scenic (and early). I fell asleep for part of it. As we got closer and closer, Holly began to feel a bit nervous/nauseous. Read this article to understand why. I think we were all feeling a bit…hmm. Lots of different emotions, I guess.

We arrived at Rocky Gap State Park and proceeded with check-in. Ragnar staff came to say hello, and I introduced Holly to Kent Phippen, the DC race director. Kent has been a huge help this past year as we’ve planned this race, and he was pretty excited to finally meet Holly. (Thanks to Ragnar, especially Kent, for being flexible and understanding, and going above and beyond anything expected.)

Holly, Kent, Me, and Maria (Kent's wife)

9 a.m. was quickly approaching, but before lining up at the start line we did what normal people would do; take jumping pictures. Wait…what?! Normal people don’t take jumping pictures?! Could’ve fooled me.

Helen and Cynthia have mad hops!

Alisha and Eric, husband and wife, are here to save the day!

The men of Speed Sold Separately

Holly and Christy (it was my turn to make the *ugly* face)

Holly eventually lined up at the start line, and at 9 a.m. off she went with a smile on her face (seriously amazing).

Leg 1 is a loop trail around the lake…about 5 miles worth. So we headed to our vans to do a little van decorating before Holly would loop around to Exchange 1.

About 50 minutes later we saw Holly come around the bend. I met up with her to run the last hundred yards or so with her. Exchange 1 was a big moment for her and us. As noted in previous posts, we decided to leave Shane’s runner position open. No one would be running his legs. So this means that Holly would be passing the bracelet to no one. Tough. Holly was met with cheers and hugs from her team. She cried a little. I cried a little. Kent from Ragnar gave her a dozen white roses, and other spectators began clapping for her. GO HOLLY! She did it. She even ran it faster than she did last year.

During the next hour our team had planned to go to the spot where Shane died. To remember him. Leg 2 this year was changed, so the spot where Shane died during last year was no longer on the current course. We were a bit grateful for that. It offered us some privacy as we took the time drive there and remember him.

This was the part I was most anxious/nervous for. I remembered the spot where I found Shane very vividly, and I knew those memories would still be fresh in mind. As we were driving to the spot, I kept thinking to myself, “These were Shane’s last steps in life.” Over and over. I had butterflies in my stomach. But then I kept looking around and thinking, “This scenery is beautiful. At least his last steps in life were in a place this pretty.”

Ozzie and I were on the lookout for the spot, and then finally we drove upon it. I felt immediately sick. We all got out of the van, and I walked over to the spot where I found him lying in the brush. Images of finding Shane kept coming back, and I was on the verge of tears, but I wanted to stay strong for Holly. She cried, and then told us all to start eating donuts. They were Shane’s favorite food. We all laughed, cried, hugged, and ate a donut for Shane. Holly left the flowers that Kent gave her, along with a donut, on the side of the road.

The smile donut

Then we drove on. Alisha was awesome enough to snap some pictures of the area. Beautiful. Shane died in a beautiful place.

So the tough part of the race was over. We got through it. It was good to remember Shane. And now it was time to finish this race.

We drove to Exchange 2 to drop off EZE for leg 3. Holy crap, this leg was tough! Over 1,200 feet vertical climb in just over 7 miles. Eric was a frickin’ champ! I didn’t envy this climb. It was drizzling rain a bit at this point, but he just kept climbing. And climbing. And climbing. Super human strength, I tell ya!

Before I knew it, it was time for me to line up at my exchange point. Eric slapped the bracelet onto my wrist, and off I went!

Ready to go!

I was feeling good. The adrenaline was really going at this point. I looked down at my Garmin and realized I was running under a 9-minute mile, but knew I’d need to slow it down, and slow it down quickly. I had a 400-ft climb at the end my 4.6 mile run. I needed to save some juice.

It was really humid, a bit foggy, and drizzling rain. I would guess it was around 70 degrees, too. This was hot for me, as I’ve been running in Alaska and it hasn’t gotten above 55 degrees in a long time. But I can’t really complain because the scenery was gorgeous. And the pine trees smelled soooo good. I’m pretty sure I had a smile on my face the whole time.

The support from my van was fantastic. Thanks Van 1!

At about mile 3.5 I hit the steep climb. Wow. Holy crap. Steeeeep. But I kept plugging along, and I finished strong. I still managed to run under a 10-minute average mile for the entire 4.6 miles. It was definitely a good run.

Phew! Done!

The number 3 for the number of ROAD KILLS!

I passed the bracelet to Brady and he began another steep climb. And then it began pouring rain. Pouring! Poor guy…. But he tackled it like a champ. Go BJ!

Muddy, muddy!

Brady passed the bracelet to Ozzie, still in a complete downpour, and Ozzie began his run.

Brady giving Ozzie some water and manly support. And I don't mean a jock strap.

Then it was Ozzie to Alisha. Alisha is a trooper. This woman is strong and fast!

Why is it necessary to wear a head lamp at 2 pm?! haha

Once Alisha finished, we drove to Exchange 10 where Brady would run Leg 11. As mentioned above, we had a runner drop out the night before the race, and unfortunately his first two legs were loooooong (9.1 miles, 9.6 miles). So Brady offered to take Leg 11.

At this point in the race I was pretty exhausted. Only getting 6 hours of sleep in 48 hours, and flying for 10 hours, etc. really put a damper in my energy level. So I slept for an hour or so. Much needed, for sure!

Once I woke up, Van 2 was awaiting Cynthia to finish her leg, and pass the bracelet to Brady. We enjoyed the company and the random ponies!

The team, minus Cynthia

We drove ahead to Exchange 11 to wait for Brady to finish the 9.1 mile leg. The view at Exchange 11 was beautiful! The sun was setting, the fog was rolling in, and it was simply breathtaking. I seriously love being on a team. Anticipating your runner's arrival, cheering for them, getting to know each other...nothing better!

Me, Holly, Eric

Me, Holly, Alisha

At this point in the race, we were all starving, but opted out of eating dinner before our night runs. And so the night runs begin...

I. LOVE. NIGHT. RUNNING. These are always, by far, my favorite runs. A few candid shots of Van 1 getting prepared for our middle of the night runs:

Me, Holly, Ozzie, and Brady looking a bit bright

Alisha! Always all smiles!

Eric knows how to wear that bandanna with style...

Holly was pretty nervous about her night run. She'd never been running at night before and was concerned about it. Plus, it was pretty foggy at this point. Sometimes you could barely see a few feet in front of you. But as usual, she was a champ. Brant arrived, passed the bracelet to her, and she took off. We kept a close eye on her, making sure to mainly keep her in our sights as we drove ahead. We needn't have worried. When she finished her run, she happily exclaimed that the night run was awesome, she was fast, and she'd never, ever, ever had a run that felt so fantastic! Welcome to the world of night runs, Holly!! Aren't they amazing?!

Soon enough it was my turn to run again. I opted out of the tutu for this run, and instead wore all pink, including knee-high tie-dyed pink socks.

My second leg was 5.3 miles. I loved this run because it was just so peaceful. There were times when it was completely pitch black except for the small light from my head lamp. We were in what felt like a remote part of Maryland. The town I was running through couldn't have been that big. It was wooded, and in a way I was wishing it was light outside so that I could really take in the scenery. From what I could tell, it seemed beautiful. It was fairly foggy during the run, but I didn't mind. I ran the 5.3 miles in exactly 50 minutes. I was satisfied with it, and I even passed two other runners. Love getting me some road kills!

The night runs continued without a hitch and then we drove to Exchange 24 to get some much needed and deserved shut eye. Holly, Ozzie, and I were the spoiled ones and slept in the van. Alisha, Eric, and Brady...notsomuch. But they are troopers and toughed it out in the open air, in sleeping bags on a tarp (see! the tarp did come in handy!). Thanks, you three, for sleeping outside. We owe you!

6:30 a.m. rolls around and we are informed that Brant, runner 12, has begun his run. So we had to wake up and I don't think any of us were quite ready to do that, but we all made the most of it!

Ozzie looking a bit tired

Toooooo early!!!

Brady, our resident jokester!

Holly wasn't quite ready for her last run. I would say this picture pretty much depicts how she felt about waking up and having to run a few miles. Haha!

(Holly, you have full permission to kill me later for posting this pic!!!)

Holly handled her run just fine, though.

DONE!!!

We drove through Shane's leg, and then dropped Eric off to start his final leg. He did a fantastic job, then passed the bracelet to me for my third and final run.

I was ready to go! Clearly.

My third leg should've been my easiest. It was only 3.7 miles, fairly flat, nothing to write home about. But lack of proper nutrition and much sleep deprivation made this leg my most difficult. I actually felt really good for the first mile. And then I was just...done. Spent. Out of gas. There were a lot of stoplights on this leg, too, so I was constantly having to start running and then stop, over and over. Thank goodness for my van-mates. They gave me support more than they know. I wanted to walk a million times, but I kept moving and running. Thanks guys!

Once the exchange chute was in sight, I gave it the final push and sprinted to pass the bracelet to Brady.

This is the "I can't take one more step" look

Brady smoked his fourth and final leg. Even clad in completely inappropriate green shorty-shorts. Seriously, ladies! I already said he was off the market! Brady became our first runner to join the 20 Mile Club.

Ozzie had an 8-ish mile run to conquer. I think his face shows just how excited he was to get started. Hahaha. He became the second member of the esteemed 20 Mile Club.

Alisha was a superstar. She took on an extra leg (6.4 extra miles, to be exact), which subsequently placed her in the 20 Mile Club. Loving the distance, lady!

Van 1 is finally finished! Time to head to the finish line to await the arrival of Van 2, but not before the ladies of Van 1 took snapshots of our awesome costumes (next year, Holly, you WILL be in crazy socks, at least!).

We are super heroes!!

Once we arrived at National Harbor, we chowed down on free pizza and beer. Oh, wait. I was the only one to drink the beer...bahahaha! Water for the rest! We had a couple of hours to kill before Van 2 would be reaching the finish line, so we sat around and chatted, Holly and I walked around the harbor, and we met up with her son, Preston.

The Awakening Statue at National Harbor

After a couple of hours we catch sight of Van 2. We made Preston a team shirt, so that he could run through the finish line for Shane. It felt complete. We all ran through the finish line together! After 30 hours, 38 minutes, and 48 seconds of running, Team Speed Sold Separately crossed the finish line of the 198 mile race!

Running into the finish with little Preston in hand!

Corissa Taylor (Ragnar staff) giving Preston his honorary medal.

Preston Mitchell and Holly Mitchell

WE ARE DONE!! 30 HOURS, 37 MINUTES, 48 SECONDS!!

A Night Running I Go!

2011-09-19T14:21:00.001-07:00

Before I run a Ragnar Relay I like to get at least one night run under my belt just to remember how it feels to run with a headlamp and vest. For me it's more of a mental preparation thing than anything else.

So I ran at night last night.

And I was immediately reminded why I love the night runs during the relay. Nothing gets your adrenaline going like the night run. It can be a tad scary, running in the dark with nothing to guide you but the tiny lamp strapped to your head. It only illuminates the way a few feet in front of you. Sometimes you stumble on a small rock or two, sometimes you run into a dead bush that found it's way into the middle of your path, sometimes you lose your stride when your foot hits a small pothole. Shit happens.

But the best part of the night run? Looking up and seeing a black sky spotted with thousands of stars. Turning off your music and just listening to the sound of your own breathing. And during a relay, catching a glimpse of that blinking red LED light a quarter of a mile ahead, then thinking to yourself, "I'm gonna pass that runner. Watch me."

I'm SO excited for the Ragnar this weekend!

Pumped Up Kicks

2011-09-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, outrun my bullet..."

I ventured into Anchorage this weekend to attend the best damn event on this side of the northern hemisphere: The Skinny Raven Annual Sale! What's that, you may ask? Oh, only the best running store on the planet having their biggest sale of the year on the sexiest shoes ever made.

I now have me a pair of these:

Say hello to my new Asics Gel Evolutions! Aren't they gorgeous? Can't wait to give them a test run tomorrow morning!

Three Things Thursday

2011-09-15T12:35:00.001-07:00

I think I'll jump on this Three Things Thursday bandwagon. I have to admit, I miss reading Redhead's TTT posts, so I'll try to fill the void with my own post. So here goes:

1. Have you all seen the Hood to Coast movie yet? I'm a little late hopping on that train, but I finally broke down and bought the DVD on Amazon. OMG. Best thing I've seen in a long time! I'm a veteran relay runner myself, so following each of the 4 teams featured in the documentary reminded me of bits and pieces of the relays I've done in the past. I'll admit that I was moved to tears on more than one occasion during the movie (especially the parts involving Team Heart and Sole and Team R. Bowe). It reminded me so much of what happened at Ragnar DC last year. Hmph. Good movie. It really captured the spirit of relay running. If you haven't seen it, go check it out.

2. I'm thinking of relocating next summer. For the most part, I've enjoyed Alaska. But let's face it, it's too far away from pretty much everything, and it's a bit remote and small for my liking. Ultimately, I think I'm a city girl. I've been thinking about possible relocation cities for a few months now, and I've narrowed it down to three: Las Vegas, Washington DC, or Denver. Which one would you choose?

3. I have my first running "date" this weekend. I met another runner the other day, and of course we couldn't stop nerding out about running. He is super nice and super cute (!!!), and I'm feeling nervous about this run. This will be the first time I've ever dressed down for a date. Let's face it, no one looks good in mid-run. Haha. So there you have it. We are running, then going out for lunch.

Who needs priorities? Me.

2011-09-10T02:23:00.000-07:00

I know my blogging has been hit and miss this past year, but I think I'm finally starting to really settle in and get my life in order. There's been so many changes in my life, and with each change comes what I like to call a "trial and error" period. In a lot of ways it's been a lot of fun. In other ways, notsomuch.

In the past year I've:

Stopped attending the LDS church
Moved to Alaska
Had my running life flipped over when a friend died during said sport
Gotten divorced
Started dating again

None of the above bullet points are small things. None. So here I've been trying to juggle my new life and lifestyle.... with running. All of these things. All at once. I may have failed a few times. So let's address this bullet point by bullet point, shall we?

Stopped attending church

This is the only item in my bullet list that actually gave me more time to run. I definitely won't go into details about religion on my blog. But in a nutshell, this is how being "religious" (and Mormon) was for me: Stressful, anxiety-filled, time-consuming, and quite honestly, suffocating. Not to mention a lot of other little things. I dreaded Sundays. Hell, I dreaded Saturdays because that meant I had to prepare for Sunday. (But this is already too much detail for my running blog. I'm an open book when it comes to discussing my reasons for leaving the LDS faith behind, so if you're curious, email me. I'll respond.) Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that having the weekends free, means I have more time to run/workout/relax etc. I also don't have those stress/anxiety/guilt feelings constantly hanging over my head. Needless to say, this was a good move for me.

Moved to Alaska

Holy dark freezing tundra, Batman! I moved here just over a year ago. Which means I moved here right when the leaves were falling, the mountain tips were snow-dusted, and 50 degrees was a good day. And those good days only lasted about two weeks before it was full-blown winter. (Oh, and we're losing about 6 minutes of light per day.) So lacing up my shoes when I got home from work when it's pitch black outside, it's only 15 degrees (or less), and the sidewalks were covered in ice, was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to be cuddling up in a blanket, drinking hot chocolate, reading a book on my couch. Climate shock, that's for sure. It was an adjustment.

Finding the motivation to get outside and run proved difficult, but I eventually found a good balance for that. I learned that I'd always regret not running, and I'd never regret hitting the pavement (or ice). And when I'd run outside in the dark and cold, I learned to feel...bad ass. Especially if I came home and my eyelashes had turned to icicles. That's bad ass. And on the really, really, really terrible days (ie., 60 mph winds and -10 degrees or less) I forced myself to run on my gym's treadmill. Heh. Alaska. She can be a bitch if you let her.

Running Takes a Halt after Ragnar Relay DC

After Shane died, I sort of stopped running for a bit. It was just too much for my heart to handle. I had a lot of emotions I needed to work through, and eventually I did. But it was a slow process. My running during those first few months was so irregular. Run a day here, run two days there, take a three week break, etc. etc.

I kinda threw myself into P90X for a bit, so that helped keep me kinda in shape, but I was losing my endurance level quickly. And once you lose the endurance, getting it back feels more difficult than gaining it in the first place. I'd have thoughts like, "I use to be able to run 6 miles and be fine. Why am I gasping for air at Mile 1?!" "I ran a frickin' marathon, and I can't even crank out 3 miles tonight." And so on and so forth. I finally had to get to the point where I resigned myself to being back at square one. That I was a beginning runner again. Once I figured that out, and let myself get excited that I just ran 3, or 4, or 5 miles without walking, I was able to find that endurance again.

Got divorced

Yup. It is what it is. Going through the emotions of that process was always a roller coaster. Up, down, left, right. Happy, sad, angry, jealous. On really bad days I'd just come home and go to sleep. "Who cares that I have a race I'm training for? I'm going to sleep." I missed a lot of runs. But again, I eventually got to the point where running was therapy to me. It helped me work out that anger, aggression, hurt, guilt, etc. I never used to be able to run when I had bad feelings harboring inside. But during my divorce I learned that I could put that energy into a run, and 100% of the time I came back home feeling better.

Started dating again

Man, oh man. You think getting a divorce is a roller coaster? Not compared to dating. Don't get me wrong. Dating has been one of the most fun things about my life during this past year. But it's also one of the reasons it's been hard to make running routine. Let's put it this way: Let's say I have a 12 mile run scheduled for Saturday morning, but then on Thursday i get asked to go on a date Friday. So I go, but then I'm usually out pretty late, and the last thing I want to do Saturday morning is wake up and go running. Especially is you've a weeeee bit too much to drink, if you know what I mean. Hangovers = worthless Saturdays.

And then there's the times when a first date becomes a second, then a third, until it finally gets to that point when you want to see each other more than a couple of times per week. And you're getting together almost every night, and you'd rather make dinner together, or go to a movie, or whatever. And those mid-week runs get skipped.

I've never been a morning person, let alone a morning runner. I know the simplest solution to this problem would be to get my lazy ass up earlier in the morning and get my runs in then. I say it every night, and then every morning I hit snooze over and over. Let's face it; I'm not a morning runner! haha.

So for those of you who are single and dating, and night runners...I'm open for any and all suggestions about how to balance running, dating, and social drinking.

So there ya go. My life is so completely different than it was a year ago. But what i've realized during all of these changes is this: I couldn't have made it through without running. Running is a part of me. And I love the feeling it gives me. I'm glad I'm figuring things out. And I'm glad I've come to the realization that running is something I need to make a top priority.

Speed Sold Separately: Running for Shane

2011-09-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Van 1 from last year's race

From L to R: Ozzie, Me, Holly, Shane, Gerald, Eric

In two and a half weeks I’ll be returning to Washington D.C. to run the Ragnar Relay DC. For those of you that have been following me for over a year will know what happened last year during that relay. If you haven’t, take a few minutes to read it. It’ll help explain a lot of what I’ll be writing now.

This year’s relay will be THE most important race I’ll have run. Ever.

Following Shane’s death, Holly and the rest of our team planned to finish the relay this year. For Shane. For us. Obviously we didn’t finish the race last year. How could we? But our team has reassembled and we’re ready to rock and roll. I think Shane would want us to. I think, for the most part, we want to.

We’ve decided to leave Shane’s runner position empty. No one will run legs 2, 14, or 26. Those are Shane’s. I’d like to think that he’ll be there, in spirit, running those legs and cheering for each of us as we run our individual legs. We will finish as a team. All 12 of us. I have no doubt.

But, no worries dear readers. Team Speed Sold Separately is definitely ready to have a blast and rock this relay. There will be costumes. There will be nerdy headbands. There will be capes. (Capes? No Capes!) There may even be a tutu and a wig. Get ready, folks. Hilarity will ensue.

Here’s a breakdown of my legs:

Should be grand, right? I can’t wait!

Race Report: Moose's Tooth Marathon

2011-09-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well, my friends, I finished. As usual, my marathon freakout was just a bump in the road. I did just fine.

I’m a little lost about how to go about this race report. As this is only my second marathon, I really have nothing else to compare it to but the DisneyWorld marathon. And these two races are on opposite sides of the spectrum in everything from location, to support, to number of people, to scenery, etc.

When I ran Disney, I was 1 of 20,000 runners. When I ran Moose’s Tooth, I was 1 of 300. Talk about pressure to not finish last! Haha.

Let’s start with the cons. There aren’t too many. It was a good race, just sooooo very different from Disney.

1. The spectators were sparse. Most of the course was run on a trail system throughout Anchorage, which has its advantages, but I really missed having spectator support throughout the journey.
2. Planning for this race was a little difficult. I carried my fuel belt, because there wasn’t much information about where aid stations would be. But my fuel belt only has room for so many GUs and so much water, so I had to figure out where a few of my friends could meet me on one of the trails to refill my belt.
3. There were only 300 marathon runners. 300 runners can get fairly spread out during 26.2 miles, and it felt like I was all alone on the course at times. Kinda freaked me out a bit.

And the pros.

1. The course was beautiful. And shaded. I had coastal views of the Cook Inlet most of the time. And let me tell you, Anchorage and its coast are gorgeous. It was a clear and sunny day (still a bit chilly…55), and Mt. McKinley could be seen in the distance. I was hoping to spot a moose during the run (which I have on this trail before), but it didn’t happen on marathon day. Bummer.
2. The aid stations were just as well stocked here as they were at Disney. They were placed about every 2 miles apart, and some even had food. This would have been good to know beforehand because I probably wouldn’t have carried my fuel belt, but it was still reassuring to know that there was support on the course. I was worried about that.
3. There were only 300 marathon runners. This is both a pro and a con. The solitude was nice. It gave me the opportunity to just run with myself, and push myself, and challenge myself, and not compare myself to the runner in front or behind. It was just me and my tunes and my thoughts.

So my results? I didn’t PR. I sort of expected not to, but surprisingly I’m not bummed about my result. After all, I finished 1 minute, 29 seconds slower than Disney. Which is awesome because Disney was as flat as a pancake. No hills, nothing. Just a flat and fast course. And this course was, shall we say, a wee bit more challenging. Hills EVERYWHERE. And, who puts a 150 ft hill at Mile 25.8? Alaska does. So finishing a tad bit slower than Disney doesn’t really make me feel bad. I’m actually quite astonished with myself. Proud, even. And no, I didn’t finish last!!!

My time: 4:51:23.

Just think what I can do on another flat course. I can’t wait!

Marathon freakout

2011-08-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

My marathon is on Sunday. SUNDAY.

Commence freakout.

Though, I'm pretty sure I've been freaking out since I got sick a couple of weeks ago, and missed my 20-miler because of it. It put me out of commission for about a week and a half, so I also missed my 12-miler (the taper long run) the week after.

And then I went to Vegas this past weekend, and of course, didn't get any running done. Good intentions, but it's Vegas and I got sucked in.

So what does this mean? It means I ran an 18-miler about a month ago, and since then I've run a couple of 10s, and then lots of other shorter runs. GAH! THIS IS NOT ENOUGH! I've been having dreams about backing out of the race, and this morning when I woke up I seriously contemplated dropping down to the half.

I WILL NOT BACK OUT.

Deep down I know I can finish this. Deep down I know I will finish this. Sure, this course is much more difficult than the Disney World course. It has hills. Lots of them. But I think what I need to do is stop worrying about time, and concentrate on just finishing. It's a good possibility i won't PR. That's okay.

(I will be okay, I will be okay, I will be okay, I will be okay)

Alaska. Running. And stuffing my face with pizza.

2011-08-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

It may appear to you, my dearest readers, that I've completely jumped off the running bandwagon. I haven't. I'd like to say I've more or less jumped off the blogging bandwagon, which quite frankly, makes me altogether sad. Blogging is what helped me push the limits of running, and push the limits of fitness. I've let both of those things slip a bit lately.

So here I am, making a pledge to you and to myself, that I will commence blogging about running again. I need to do this. For my health, for my motivation, and for my sanity. I need people to understand my obsession about running. And, let's be honest, I need encouragement. Especially when I'm surrounded by so much temptation at home to not run or workout.

I certainly haven't stopped running. In fact, I'm running a marathon in two weeks. Doesn't mean I'm ready for it, or that I've trained the way I should have. My training has been spotty, so to say. I do really well for a week, then the next week I have things that "come up", then the next week I do really well again. Rinse. Repeat.

I'm sure that in the coming weeks I'll explain a little more about my sporadic running life. I know I will. I need to dissect it in order to fully understand why I fell off the bandwagon, and then I need to address it and fix it. But for now, I'll stop being Negative Nancy. Let's focus on the awesome things that I did these past few months. I ran some races. And I had a blast.

Race #1: Spring Break Up Run 10K
In April I ran Break Up Run 10K in Anchorage near UAA. You may see "break up" and think it means two college lovebirds realizing they wanna have a kickass time in Mexico during Spring Break. Well, here in Alaska, "break up" means the ice is finally melting. It's literally breaking up. With that said, here's what the ENTIRE course of the 10K run looked like:

Yup. That's not slush. That WAS slush the day before, but turned to solid ice overnight...just in time for the race. Hooray. Alaska is awesome, right?

Despite the treacherous course (I was a little worried for my ankles and knees on more than one occasion, including one "almost" face plant on the ice...), I PRd! I finished 4th female overall, and ran it in 59:45. Go me!

Me and Tawnya

Race #2: Ragnar Relay SoCal
We all know I love a good relay. I can't help it. These will forever be my favorite kind of race to run in, mainly because of the people I get to meet during the race, and for the new friends that I create. I love love LOVE the team aspect of the relay.

I had one of the easier set of legs to run, which was fine by me. I'd been super sick for about a week before hopping on the plane to Los Angeles. I honestly didn't know how my body would hold up in the heat, and at the same time continue to fight off the flu virus, all while running 13+ miles.

Our team, Sugar Coated WhoopAss, finished the 200 mile relay in 31 hours, 9 minutes, and some change. Here's a few pics to highlight the race:

Race #3: Skinny Raven Twilight 12K
This was my first 12K. It felt like such an odd distance to me. I didn't quite know how to pace myself, so I ended going out way too fast, and crashing during the last 1/2 mile. Especially because the last 1/2 mile had a KILLER climb! (Come to think of it, every race in Anchorage ends this way...it's the only way to get off the coastal trail and back onto downtown streets). My time? 1:11:49. Definite room for improvement. Oh, and this race doesn't begin until 7 PM. It's funny, I prefer to train at night, but come race day, I wanna hop out of bed in the early AM and get going!

Before the race, at Skinny Raven Sports in downtown Anchorage

Race #3: Mayor's Half Marathon
So how does it feel to run a half marathon undertrained? Just ask, because I did it. Yikes. I didn't come close to a PR, but I was fully expecting this. It was just good to know that I still had 13.1 miles in me. What did I do to celebrate? Stuffed my face with pizza and beer. Then promptly took a nap. :) (Maybe next time I'll run more than 8 miles before attempting to complete a half marathon again! haha!) I finished in 2:13:something. Better luck next time!

I will be on warm, sunny beaches soon

2011-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm breathing a sigh of relief.

It finally reached the 40s today in Wasilla. The 40s! Spring seems to have sprung everywhere else in the country, but has failed to reach the far north. January and February were difficult. March has been...a fight. I almost cried when the 75 mph winds came back, and the temps dropped to the single digits again. Brrr. Winter has lasted far too long for my liking, and I'm beyond ready for warmer temps. Which is why I was so delighted to get out there today and tackle my run outside instead of on the treadmill. Deep breath. Relief.

At least I can say I've survived my first winter in Alaska. It's taught me a lot of things about myself, actually.

1. I need sunlight. It doesn't have to be warm sun, just SUN. During those few dark weeks when the only time the sun shined was while I was inside a building, I became quite familiar with Mr. Tanning Bed. Who knew that UV rays for even 15 minutes per week could get me through winter.

2. I'm a bad ass winter runner. I may have done a fair share of my runs indoors, but when I did get my ass outside I felt...effing hard core. Who runs outside in -5 degrees, when it's dark, with a reflective vest, headlamp, blinking LED tail light, and all manner of layered clothing?! Only hard core winter runners. Like me. ;)

3. I'm much stronger than I ever would've imagined. I don't want to go into the details about why I think this. Let's just say that emotionally, physically, what have you, I've improved. It was a bit of a roller coaster for a few months, but being alone in frozen Alaska, in the dark, without any family within driving distance. Tough. But I made it through.

So, yeah, winter was hard, but I got to do and see a lot of awesome things, too. Alaska has a lot to offer, and I definitely got to partake of it.

1. I got to fly in a small airplane, land on a frozen lake situated between two glaciers, and then play jungle gym on the glaciers.
2. I went snowshoeing in the backcountry.
3. I SAW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS for the first time in my life.
4. I went snowboarding and enjoyed a kick-ass view of Anchorage while I was at it.
5. I ran with reindeer. Seriously. It was kind of like the Running of the Bulls...Alaska-style.
6. I met A LOT of amazing people. New friends abound here in Alaska, and I'm grateful for every one of them.
7. Oh, and on Sunday I'm going ice fishing for monster rainbow trout. Kind of excited for that.

Okay, so now for the real reason for this post. I promise, I didn't expect to start rambling on about Alaska. It just happened. So back to the post. SUNNY BEACHES.

I've mentioned it before, but I'm running the Ragnar Relay So Cal on April 15 and 16. The reason for this race actually came about in a strange way. A couple of months ago I was reeaaallly wanting a vacay to somewhere warm. And a couple of months before that is when I first discovered Mumford and Sons (go ahead, check them out here. So, I did a little research and found that M & S were playing at Coachella in California on April 15. MY best friend from high school, Michelle, lives in Los Angeles, loves live music, so I figured it'd be a good excuse to fly to California. See my friend, go somewhere warm, and see my new fave band, all at the same time.

So I booked my flight. Then I went to buy my Coachella ticket. SOLD OUT. I was in a panic for a few brief moments. At least I could still visit my friend, right? Right. But then my mind started wandering in a million directions. "Michelle is a runner, but has never been in a race before." Hmm...so the search for southern california races began. It didnt take long before I realized that the Ragnar Relay So Cal was happening the same weekend that I'd be there. I mentioned it to Michelle, she got suuuuper excited, we found a team, and wha-la!! We were hooked.

Michelle is Runner 5, and I'm Runner 6 of Team Sugar Coated WhoopAss! Distance-wise, I'm not really running that far during the relay. But I don't really care. I'm just there for a good time! And good times definitely await! RR So Cal starts in Huntington Beach and wraps up on Coronado Island, right by San Diego. Here's what my legs look like:

LEG 6 -- 2.7 miles

LEG 18 -- 5.4 miles

LEG 30 -- 4.3 miles

I'm actually sort of excited that I'm not running more than 13ish miles total. Usually when I participate in these relays I try to find legs that have considerable distance to them. I am a distance runner, after all. But my goal for this relay is to attempt to blow my usual times out of the water. Like that first leg of 2.7 miles?! Yeah, I want to run 8:15 miles. And I can do it.

And for the second leg I'd like to run at an even 9:00. It's mostly all downhill, so I won't be surprised if I do it even faster.

And for the last leg, my only goal is to keep running. It's got a SIGNIFICANT climb, and by this point in the race my legs will be tired, especially if I leave it all out there for my first two legs. I don't want to take a walk-break up that hill. I WILL keep running, no matter how slow.

All in all, I'm pretty stoked. Mostly to see my friend and to be somewhere warm, but running in relay just adds a little frosting to my cupcake, yeah?

Race Report: Frostbite Footrace 5K

2011-02-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

To say that this race was a milestone for me is an understatement. Which is strange, because the only time I’ve ever considered a 5K to be a “milestone” is when I ran my first one back in 2007. But this race was definitely a major milestone.

This is the first race I’ve participated in since the Washington D.C. Ragnar Relay. The relay was over 5 months ago. And if you’ve been reading my blog since then you might remember what happened that day, and how it affected my running state of mind. It’s kind of hard to explain because I feel great about getting back to running, and I’m doing well, but I didn’t know how it’d be to be back in a “racing” environment. I was nervous. Anxious. A little scared.

But I was also confident. Strange, right? How is it possible to have so many conflicting emotions? See what I’m saying? It was a milestone.

But now to the race report. I don’t know what compelled me to try for a PR, but decided that no matter what, I was gonna leave it all out on the table and give it my all. Honestly, I didn’t think I could beat my previous PR of 26:18. The conditions for that race were perfect for a PR: downhill, 70 degrees, I’d run that same course countless times, and I was in good shape. The conditions for my 5K on Saturday were less than ideal: 12 degrees, slightly windy, ice on the roads, no downhill anywhere, and my nerves were a nightmare.

In the likes of Adam, here are my goals:

A Goal: Sub 26:00
B Goal: Beat 26:18 (previous PR)
C Goal: Sub 27:00
D Goal: Don’t come in last place

So I chose my spot at the start line on 5th Ave in downtown Anchorage, got the iPod ready, turned on Speedy to begin locating satellites (Speedy is the name of my new Garmin Forerunner 110!!!!), then the gun went off! I’ve never been in such a clusterf**k of a start line before. I think every single walker decided to line up at the front. Grrr. I tried getting around a line of walkers, and when I finally did, I ran into a giant orange cone. Seriously. It was tipped over, so my shins went HARD into the bottom of the cone. Ouch. Ouch. And more Ouch. If I would’ve fallen, I would’ve been trampled by runners. This is was my thought process at that moment, “Yeah. That just happened. Effing walkers!” And then about 30 seconds later, “Yup. That literally just happened. How did I miss a giant orange cone?!?!?!”

Bruised ego aside, I kept running. The first mile went by without a hitch. I looked down at Speedy and realized I was running at an 8:20 pace. “Good. This is good. I can do this. Just keep this pace.” At the halfway point, I saw Erin and Jessica, my two lovely friends who woke up early on a Saturday morning to freeze their asses off to watch me run. It was awesome to see them and it gave me a little extra boost of energy.

Coming around the turn, wearing my ninja mask. Click to enlarge.

The last mile was a bit more difficult. I hit a MAJOR wall at about Mile 2.2. I’m not used to such a fast pace, and I seriously wondered if I used all my energy too soon. But I refused to give up. I pushed the pace as much as I could. I knew this last mile would be slower than the first two, but I felt like I had enough of a buffer to still get my PR.

Eventually the Finish Line was in sight, and I gave it that last-minute sprint to the end. PR attained!

Almost there!

Erin caught me in mid-celebratory-jump!

Stats

Time: 25:54 (PR by 24 seconds!)

Place: 35/222 females

Mile 1: 8:19

Mile 2: 8:09 (whoa! Where did THAT come from?!)

Mile 3: 8:33

Mile .1: 0:55 (avg pace 7:49)

I am ELATED!

Also, can we please note the damage produced by my new nemesis, Orange Cone:

This pic doesn't even do it justice...

A new post!

2011-02-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

Well goodness. So much for trying to blog more. It's just sad, really. But here's the good news:

I've been running!!!!

Yes, my running friends of the blogosphere, I've been a running beast. And I love it. It took me weeks (and I mean weeeeeekkks) to get out of my running slump. I blame it on the rough end of the year. 2010 definitely threw me for a loop. But the good thing about it is that I'm feeling quite optimistic in 2011. Which is a bit crazy, because I'm actually a pretty pessimistic person normally, but for some reason I feel good about things right now. I feel good about where my life is headed and I feel good about getting my running legs back. And they are back. My running legs are baaaaaaaaaccckkk!

So here's what I've been up to:

1. Stalking 2011 races.
I've been making lists, then deleting races, then adding races, the crossing off others. There are so many good races to run, and I want to make the most of my time in Alaska. What better way to see this place, right? My first official race of 2011 is next week in Anchorage. It's called the Frostbite Footrace 5K, and it's run through the streets of downtown Anchorage. Side note: I've been known to frequent downtown Anchorage on the weekends for, uh, "extracurricular" activities. It's been fun. Apparently this is a costume race, so I have to somehow come up with a killer costume to wear during the race. Something more than your average run in a tutu, if you know what I'm sayin'. They award cash prizes for best costumes! So....ideas? This race is part of the Fur Rondy celebration, so maybe something to do with hunting, fur trapping, etc?!?!? HELP ME COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS!

2. Planning my trip to Southern California in April
I've booked my flight and I'm ready to go. My bestie from high school lives in LA, and I haven't seen her in ages (well, actually I saw her over the summer....but that doesn't count, it was only for an hour or so). So I'm going to her stomping grounds and we're gonna party like it's 1999. Or 2002, however you want to see it. And just for the hell of it, she and I signed up for a race. This will be her first race EVER and I can't be more excited to run it with her! So, in two months she and I will be running from Huntington Beach to Coronado Island via the Ragnar Relay So Cal! (Excitement!) I'm Runner 6, she's Runner 5...good times await! I'll give you the low down on the race in the next blog post or so.

3. Running!
Like I mentioned before, I've gotten my ass back into gear and I've been tearing up the streets (and treadmill). So far I'm only averaging around 20-25 miles per week, but considering a month ago I was averaging 5 miles a week 20-25 sounds fabulous. Actually, it IS fabulous. And pretty soon 20-25 will become 25-30, then 30-35, then 35-40 because, yes. I'm training for MARATHON #2!!! Marathon #2! It sounds so good to say it. It feels so good to actually be in the midst of my training schedule! I'm obsessed with that training schedule. I'm obsessed with crossing off day after day of workout completed. It feels good to have that goal again. Yay running!

4. Enjoying winter in Alaska.
I love Alaska. I really do. I never in a million years thought I'd say it, but I love it here. Even in the dark and the cold, Alaska never stops surprising me. there's so much here, so many beautiful things to see. Did I mention I got to fly a plane? And climb glaciers?! And for a while there I thought I'd never see the sun again, but praise the heavens above IT'S GETTING LIGHTER! The sun now officially rises around 8, and when I leave work at night, it's still light outside. It makes. My. Day. Give it a few more weeks and we'll have more daylight than all you folks in the Lower 48. And you best believe I'll be rubbing it in your faces. hahahaha. Summer is almost here!

Weekend preview

2011-01-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

This is what I did today. And it. was. AWESOME!!!

More pics of lakes, glaciers, and me flying a plane coming soon!

Logging the miles...

2011-01-14T01:03:00.000-08:00

How have I not caught on to The Daily Mile before now?! It's bamboozling, really. So this may be quite a bit late, but I finally got my butt in gear and joined. Perfect Another online social networking site that'll suck my time away from me. Sarcasm aside, I feel like Daily Mile might actually be freaking awesome. As in it does everything I've ever wanted out of a running site. I mean everything. I might be in love.

So if you're on Daily Mile, be my friend. And if you're not on Daily Mile, well, where the hell have you been hiding? Join!

Tonight I logged a 4 mile treadmill run. I'm not loving the treadmill, but when the winds are blowing 75 mph (ultimately making it feel like -10 degrees outside and making it impossible to run against the wind) I have to force myself to love it. The run actually felt quite good. I ran at a 10:00 pace for the first two miles, then picked it up to a 9:30 for the last two. I'll probably be saying this a lot within the next couple of weeks, but it feels good to know that I still have this running thing in me. I was quite worried for a while, honestly...

One notable item of mention: I still love it when I'm running next to someone and kick his or her ass. Especially when it's a young, athletic-looking guy. For some reason it just feels so good when I know I'm making his 5.8 speed look like shit. I mean, c'mon, man! You're getting chicked! (by someone who hasn't been running for 3 months.....)

Side note: Is "chicking" allowed on treadmill running?

And because I feel like this blog needs a little spicing up, here are a few random pictures of what I've been up to here in Alaska these past few months. Enjoy.

Laughing with friends. At home, at bars, at movies, everywhere. Laughter is sorely needed.

Meeting American Idols in random Anchorage bowling alleys

Getting dressed up all snazzy with friends on New Years

Taking my dog on dark walks

Re-learning how to drive in the snow

Snowshoeing in back country Alaska

Sleeping over at the cabin. Good times. This pic was taken when Holly came to visit. I miss her...

Attending "real" hockey games. Alaska hockey games. Doesn't that make it more real?!

Glacier-viewing. Cant wait until summer when the trails to the glaciers are open again.

And just because I think this picture is effing beautiful and so very Alaskan. This picture was taken at 1 p.m. This is as high as the sun gets during the day. I kind of love this picture.

Run 2

2011-01-10T00:35:00.000-08:00

Two consecutive runs hardly qualifies for being "back in the saddle" of running. But, friends, I'm gonna say it.

I'm back in the saddle.

And it feels goooood. It's amazing how quickly the adrenaline and the rush came back to me. How quickly my feet and legs seemed to find their stride. How quickly I remembered how to push myself. How quickly I remembered that I am totally capable of this running thing. Sure, the pace and endurance needs work. But, Running...I've missed you! I'm so glad we're friends again. Can't wait until we're lovers again.

I have 18 miles total scheduled for this week. I'm gonna knock out a 4-miler tomorrow, 3-miler on Thursday, then a 5-miler on Saturday. Saturday's run should be quite grand. Why? Because it will be in the daylight. Actually, I can't really say "day"light. More like "dusk"light. Because the sun never really fully shines here in the Last Frontier. I will take pictures. I'm guessing icicle eyelashes are in store. Y'all are definitely in for a treat.

My ass needs kicking

2011-01-06T00:28:00.000-08:00

I'm in a funk. A serious, deep-rooted funk that's lasted over 3 months now. Or maybe over 4 months. At this point, who the hell knows, right? One thing is for sure, I deeply miss running right now, and I'm struggling to find my motivation to get back out there and just RUN.

Winter in Alaska has been an adjustment. Running in winter Alaska has been an experiment.

First of all, it's dark here. All. The. Time. The only time it gets light is when I'm holed up in an office with a tiny little window with darkening shades, which basically means I never see the sun. I get up and drive to work when it's pitch black, and when I commute home it's pitch black. Darkness = depressing. I've been resorting to tanning just so that I can "pretend" like I'm in the sun. But with all this darkness I'm finding it extremely difficult to get out there and run. Because running in the dark (and cold) requires extra effort. More layers to put in, more gear to fuss with, more excuses to not run.

And the cold. Oh, the cold! If properly layered, it's really not that bad, but when it dips below zero...let's just say that being outside is almost unbearable. And my eyelashes get covered in icicles. Seriously.

Deep breath.....

That was Negative Nancy speaking. I needed to let her rant and rave for a moment, and now the moment's gone. For good.

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions because I usually end up breaking them, but I do feel a renewed sense of...acceptance and motivation. Acceptance, because I need to face the fact that running has been basically non-existent for the past few months and I can't go back and change it. Motivation, because I'm ready to kick my ass and I'm ready to train for some races.

So my plan is to run a race at least once per month during 2011. It's a very reasonable goal, I think. January is null and void because I'm in Alaska and there are no races here in January. Unless, of course, I were to drive 5 hours north to Fairbanks for a 5K, but no 5K is worth a 5-hour drive. So, January doesn't count.

Here's what's on deck for 2011 (and I'm most excited about the events in bold):

February 26th - Frostbite Footrace 5K - Anchorage, AK

March 19th - Shamrock Scramble 5K - Anchorage, AK

April 9th - Spring Break Up Run 10K - Anchorage, AK

May 7th - 20th Annual Salmon run 10K - Anchorage, AK

May 28th - Trent/Waldron Glacier Half Marathon - Anchorage, AK

June 3rd - Skinny Raven Twilight 12K - Anchorage, AK

June 18th - Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon - Anchorage, AK

July 23rd - Dog Jog 5K - Anchorage, AK

August 27th - Lost Lake Run 16-miler - Seward, AK

September 23rd - Ragnar Relay DC - Washington, D.C.

October 8th - Layton Marathon - Layton, UT

November -TBD

December - TBD

I feel like this is a good mix, yeah? A couple of 5Ks, a couple of 10Ks, half-marathons, full marathons, and relays. It's basically like the rainbow of running, right? Lame analogy? Yeah. *shakes head in shame*

As I have more time to contemplate my goals for these races, I'll be back with more info. Right now my only goal is to get out there and start base training. start RUNNING again. I don't care if it's only 2-3 miles a day for a couple of weeks. At least it'll be something. So, friends, keep me motivated. I need the encouragement, and I need the support. 2010 was a difficult year, and I'm ready to start fresh in 2011. Who's with me?!

I love new bloggy friends

2010-12-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

I was recently tagged by none other than Alma over at the Average Woman's Running Blog. Yay. This is exciting, merely for the fact that it gives me somethin to blog about. Usually running gives me ideas, but my running has been a little...shall we say...sparse. Without further ado, here's some random running information you may or may not already know about me.

1. What is your favorite time of day to run? Why?
I've never been a morning person. EVER. I value sleeping more than I value some people's lives. Well, I won't go THAT far, but it's pretty damn close. Suffice it to say that I prefer to do my running at night. I know one day that'll have to change, but for right now I'll make the most of being able to run at night.

2. If you could have any job in the world what would it be?
I think this question is so hard to answer. There's a lot of jobs I'd LOVE to have, it's hard to narrow it down to just one. So I'll be vague. I want a job that lets me travel. All over. Not just in the states, but all over the world.

3. Do you have a guilty food pleasure? (i.e what is your favorite empty calorie food)
Do I have a guilty food pleasure?! Ha! This questions cracks me up. I am the queen of guilty food pleasure (and I indulge far too often). I love sugar in any form. Candy, pastries, you name it. Basically I should be one of Santa's elves from the movie Elf. Sugar is my favorite food group! hahahaha

4. How and/or why did you start running?
It wasn't planned. I didn't start running to lose weight, to begin training for a race, or even to become more active. A friend of mine convinced me to run a 5K with her two days before the race. I signed up, showed up, ran it in 33:46, and became immediately addicted.

5. Do you have any special Christmas time traditions?
I think every family in America has this tradition, but my family always opens one present on Christmas Eve night. Other than that, nada.

6. What race/event are you most looking forward to in 2011?
I'll be honest and say that I haven't really put much thought into which races I'll be running. It's probably because I'm in Alaska, and there really aren't that many races even scheduled until the summertime. I know for sure that I'll either be running the Mayor's Half or Full Marathon on June 18 in Anchorage. But I have to say that I'm most excited for the Ragnar Relay Washington D.C. in September. My team from this year is going to finish the race that Shane wasn't able to.

Thanks, Alma, for the tag!!

Alaska is freezing my face off

2010-12-08T01:16:00.000-08:00

I'm giving myself the award of Worst Blogger Ever. Really. (Thank you, thank you, you're far too kind!)

Sorry about the ~~non-existence~~ lack of blogging. Alaska is...well, cold. And dark.

And I actually don't mind one bit.

That's a lie. Occasionally I mind. But only when we have 80mph wind gusts blowing snow drifts in my way, making the usual 15 degrees feel like -10. THAT'S when I mind. But for the most part I've really enjoyed running here. What little I've done of running, that is. But, really, running in Alaska is pretty great. There's something pretty invigorating about running in the snow in the dark with my now ever-present headlamp to light the way. The snow glistens and sparkles, and I LOVE hearing the crunch of the ice and snow underneath my feet as I make my way along my route.

Sure, it's cold. But I've upgraded from warm-weather running gear (basically nothing), to bundling in layers upon layers. Layers, people. You can never have enough. Especially layers on your ass. Seriously. Does anyone else have this problem?! I like to wear a pair of shorts over my Under Armor Cold Gear running tights. And even with that extra layer of clothing, my ass cheeks are still frozen solid by the end of the run. But the rest of me? Just fine. Just fine, indeed. Oh -- and my YakTrax! I don't run without them!

For all of you cold weather runners, what's your must have for winter running? What can't you live without?

Spur of the moment 5K...from a distance.

2010-10-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

I found at yesterday that Holly had randomly signed up for a 5K in her hometown in Utah. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. She hadn't run since the Ragnar, just before her husband died. But she signed up for the race, anyway. When I heard about this, I knew what I had to do.

After a few text exchanges with her, it was agreed that I would run 3.1 miles here in Alaska at the same time she was running 3.1 miles in Utah. But listen to how awesome this is: her mother-in-law (Shane's mom) was going to do the same thing. Then I heard from other members of our Ragnar DC team that said they were going to run, too. At the same exact time. And one of my besties that lives in California said she would run with me, too.

Think about it -- we had friends and family from Alaska (8am), California(9am), Utah(10am), Idaho(10am), all the way to Virginia(12pm) running at the exact same time, the exact same distance. All with each other in mind.

I don't know how the others felt about it, but I'll tell you my experience. I haven't run since before the Ragnar DC, and if you've been reading my blog you'll know that I've really been struggling with wrapping my head around running again. But knowing that Holly (who suffered a much more significant loss than I did) was getting back on the wagon, well, it was the push that I needed. And I knew that I could get through the run. Because Holly was running with me. And I was running with her.

My alarm went off at 7am, and it was still pitch black outside. And cold. So cold. It was a brisk 32 degrees, actually. i ate a slice of bread, drank some water, and began the pre-race clothing assembly. I bundled up in my arm warmer sleeves, running shirt, running jacket, gloves, and beanie. I strapped on my iPod (I made a special 30-minute playlist just for this occasion), grabbed my camera and phone, and exactly 8am on the dot, I took off.

See! Snow and semi-darkness!

I think I actually started out too fast, I had a lot of adrenaline going!! I knew that somewhere in Utah, the gun went off and Holly was running, too. And I got a text from my friend in Cali telling me she had her shoes on, ready to start.

It was cold, I could see my breath, there was snow on the mountains, and I was smiling. The run went by fast. I thought about Holly, and I thought about all of my friends and teammates who were running somewhere in the U.S. And of course, I thought about Shane. In my head I feel like he was watching all of us, cheering for all of us from the sidelines. When I was feeling tired, I felt his cheers. At one point during the run I had a significant hill to climb (unavoidable in AK), and I was feeling spent. And I thought to myself, "Okay, Shane. I see you at the top of the hill. I'm coming!"

I finished 3.1 miles in 31:18. Sure, not even remotely close to my fastest 5K, but I wasn't going for time. I was just freakin' excited that I ran more than a 1/2 mile, and I didn't have a panic attack. And I finished.

I texted Holly and my Cali friend (Michelle). I found out Michelle finished in 31:27. I want to share a couple texts that Holly and I exchanged after our run.

Me: "Finished in 31:18. I love you. It felt good to run knowing you, your mom, and our team was running at the same time. I think Shane was cheering for all of us at the finish line. :)"
Holly: "34 something. Slow but steady and never stopped! That was for my Shanerd!"
Me: "I didn't stop either! And I bet he was waiting for you at the end yelling, 'Go Holly!' It was a good run."

And it was a good run. I imagine that if Holly and I were actually in the same state, we'd look a little like this:

Sorry, Holly! Our faces are just too priceless! I love your guts! And good job on your fantastic run!

We'll just call this "blog fluff"

2010-10-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry readers. I'm giving you fluff. Filler text, if you will. Since I'm not up to running so much right now, I've got to fill this blog with something. But I figure you probably don't mind learning a little bit more about me, right? That's what I thought. I'm pretty much just that cool.

P.S. I stole this idea from The Boring Runner. Go on over to his blog. His posts are generally much more hilarious and candid than mine. Basically it makes for some ~~cheap~~ good entertainment.

Without further ado, 10 random things you probably didn't care to know about me:

1. The first two CDs I owned were Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, and TLC's Crazy, Sexy, Cool. I got them both for Christmas in...1996? Maybe 97? I can't quite remember, but I was in middle school. Don't these two albums bring back some awesome memories?! To this day, I'm still in love with every song on Alanis' CD. "An old...man...turned 98..he won the lottery...and died the next day..." Man, I love that CD.

2. I've only ever run one 10K in my running "career." One. And it was almost 3 years ago. In fact, I ran it when I still thought it was totally normal to run in cotton t-shirts. And to run in my glasses. Just take a look. I get a kick out of this photo every time I see it. There's no one else around me which just goes to show that I either finished the race first, or dead last. I'll let you guess which one. And the cotton t-shirt...hahahahaha. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until spring or summer to run another 10K. Racing season is already over here in Alaska.

3. I just bought P90X. I figured since I'm on a running sabbatical I still need to keep in shape, which is something I've utterly failed to do since just before the Ragnar Relay DC. And I've heard fantastic things about P90X -- mainly that I'll get so ripped and fit that even Tony Horton will be put to shame. Seriously can't wait. Should be awesome. On a serious note, have any of you actually done P90X, and if you did, how was it? Epic? Ass-kicking? Sweat-inducing? Lame? Babies could do it?

4. I'm a lotion whore. Growing up in a desert will do that to you. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I lotion my hands and legs during the day. But let's just say that in the morning after my shower, my entire body gets its first daily lotion ration. From there, my hands (and arms if I'm wearing short sleeves) get lotion about every two hours or less(I carry a tiny bottle of lotion with me in my purse at all times and I have a bottle at my desk...it's a permanent fixture). If I'm wearing shorts or a skirt, I'll even lotion my legs that often, too. Then before I go to bed for the night, I apply my second daily ration of full body lotion. Let's just say I have some of the softest skin around. My favorite lotion scent: cocoa butter.

5. I just bought a new car about a month ago, just after I moved to Alaska. My old car that I've had since I was a senior in high school finally gave out (Goodbye, 2001 Dodge Neon! It's been real.), and since it would no longer make the trip up to Alaska, I decided to fly here then peruse the vehicle lots. After just two days I found it, and it's a beauty. It's a little bold, but at least now other cars will see me, right? It's a 2008 Jeep Patriot, leather interior, heated seats (which, by the way, I've already been using every morning for the past few weeks), and a sunroof. I'm loving it. I love driving it, and I'm pretty excited for the 4WD come snow time. P.S. There's already snow in the mountains here. I'm guessing it won't be longer than 2 weeks before I'm plowing the roads in my Jeep.

6. I discovered a new TV series over the summer, and I can now fully say that it's my new fave show of all time. DEXTER. I watched the first four seasons in a span of about one month, and now I'm currently enjoying the season five episodes. Love. This. Show. Michael C. Hall? Yes, please. Who knew that a serial killer could be so irresistible? Damn. Any of you watch Dexter?

7. My favorite job I've ever had was when I worked at The Herald Journal as a copy editor. I loved it for multiple reasons: (a) my schedule, (b) the people I worked with, (c) the kind of work I did, and (d) birthday Fridays and Meegan's baking. Let's go through this point by point, yes?

(a) My schedule. I worked a swing shift. 3 pm to 11 pm, or earlier depending on when we got the newspaper finished. Most people would hate this shift, but because I'm such a night owl, I enjoyed it. I got to sleep in however long I wanted, I went running in the late morning, I got errands done. It was perfect.
(b) People I worked with. I loved my boss, Chris. He made working at the copy desk so enjoyable. He was laid back, funny, but definitely still cared about the work you produced. And because I worked the night shift, I was obviously there with all of the sports writers and editors. A few words: All men, all addicted to sports = hilarious, never-ending fun. We'd watch games on tv, sitcoms, whatever. Most laid back atmosphere ever. And I also loved my fellow copy editors. This is, in fact, where I met Holly. We had good times at the copy desk, that's for sure.
(c) The work I did. I love editing, although it probably doesn't seem like it from my horrible grammar and sentence structure on my blog! But trust me, I'm a great editor when I need to be. Not only did I get to edit, but I got to design the pages of the newspaper. I got to write headlines. I got to write feature stories. I got read news from the wire. I've never been as up to date on current events as I was when I worked there, and it's something that I miss.
(d) birthday Fridays and Meegan's baking. Maybe this wasn't so good for the waistline, but every Friday we celebrated "birthdays." We made popcorn, people brought food, it was delish. And Meegan's baking...mmm. She was one of our photo journalists, but she was an amazing baker. She'd bring in treats once a week without fail.

8. I'm a Republican through and through. I like politics. I don't usually discuss politics on my running blog, nor will I now. Each to their own. But I can at least say that I'm a Republican for a reason, and because of a lot of thought and research through the years. I went through a stage in life where I really tried to figure out where I stood concerning my political affiliation. Eventually, I needed to stick by my instincts, and it just so happens that those instincts match more closely with the GOP party. I hope in 2012 I can attend the Republican National Convention.

9.
10. My mind's a blank.....

Baby steps back to running

2010-10-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I went on a run/walk last night. It started out as a walk. I just wanted to walk. I wanted to get outside and feel the cold air on my face (already in the 30s and 40s here). So I did what I didn't think I could do.

I laced up my running shoes.

I walked, then decided I'd give running a try. Good news is, I'm okay. Bad news is, I only made it 1/2 mile before I was overcome with emotion. But it's a step in the right direction.

During my walk/run I thought a lot about what happened last weekend. I thought about Shane. I thought about Holly. I thought about myself. On my walk back home I decided to not take running for granted anymore. I think I take it for granted all too often. There are days when I'm perfectly able to go outside and hit the pavement, yet I choose not to because "I don't feel like it." I'm wasting those days. I'm wasting my capability to actually go running. I'm able to run. So I need to run. For those that can't. For Shane. For everyone.

Emotionally, I'm not fully there yet. I think that'll take time. But 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile, I'll eventually get there again. I will. Because I can. Because I'm able. Because I love running. Because it's a part of me.

Because Shane can't run anymore, and so many others (for whatever reason) can't run anymore -- I will run for them. I have to.

Shane Mitchell Memorial Fund

2010-09-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

To everyone that's been asking about a memorial fund for Shane's family, we've set one up. Please visit this website for further information:

Shane Mitchell Memorial Fund

You have two options to donate. You can either go to a Wells Fargo bank and donate to the Holly Adams Mitchell, Memorial for Shane Mitchell, or donate to a PayPal account. Either way, all funds will be saved for little Preston until he's ready to hit the books and go to college.

Please pass this link on to anyone you'd like. Thank you again for your outpouring of love and support. It has been felt.

Just a little scared

2010-09-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid to run.

It's hard for me to just to say that. But it's true. I'm afraid to go running.

I've got a whole variety of emotions tumbling around in my head right now. Sadness. Anger. Fear. Anxiety. Guilt.

My heart is still aching for Holly and Preston and I think I'll feel that way for a while. But now that the initial shock of Shane's passing has gone, I'm discovering new emotions that I have to work through. My usual defense to feeling sad and upset is to go run and work off some of that emotion and to get those endorphins rolling. But this time the stress that I'm feeling stems from running.

I thought about going for a run today after work. I thought it might help me focus and clear my head. But when I thought about lacing up my running shoes and heading outdoors all I felt was anxiety. I immediately thought about Shane. I thought, "Shane was healthy and fit. And he died while running. I'm healthy and fit. That could happen to me too."

See, I've read about tragedies like Shane's death in news articles all the time. You know, the athletes and runners who experienced heart failure, who otherwise seemed healthy. I've known that things like that happen often enough. But I always think, "Thank goodness it's not me. Thank goodness this will never happen to me." But my reality is now so very different. There's a difference between reading about someone dieing in a running event, and finding a friend in a ditch on the side of the road then trying to bring him back to life.

There's a huge difference. And I can't get that moment out of my head. And because of that, and because of the fear that it gives me, I can't put my running shoes on. In fact, when I think about going for a run I want to take my shoes and throw them at something breakable. I'm so angry! And more than that -- why am I still able to run, but Shane is not? What's so special about me? He was healthier than me. I feel guilty that my feet are still able to take me places. Fear, anger, and guilt. Not a good combination.

Before last weekend I felt that running was such a huge part of my life. I felt that running defined a lot of who I was. Will I ever be able to lace up my shoes again? I hope so. And I'll fight hard to overcome all of the emotions so that in the future I can put those shoes back on. But for now, I think I need a little break. It may only be a few days. It may be a couple of weeks. It may be months. I don't know. I'm just not ready to put my running shoes on.

Any advice? Any help?

Thank you all again for your love and support. Keep those good vibes going to Holly and little Preston.

Thank you!

2010-09-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

To all my readers and fellow Ragnar runners:
The amount of love and support that you've expressed in the past day has been overwhelming and amazing. Your thoughts and prayers have been felt.

Many of you have expressed contributing to a memorial fund for Holly and little Preston. Holly, and a few of her Ragnar teammates are working with Ragnar to get a memorial fund established. Holly has expressed that the funds will be saved for college for Preston. When we get this set up, you'll be the first to know about it. Be checking back in the next couple of days and I'll have that information for you.

Again, thank you all so much for the love and support. It's most definitely been felt.

Running really sucks sometimes

2010-09-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

I have bad news. It's more than bad, actually.

On Friday I laced up my shoes with 11 other runners to compete in the Washington D.C. Ragnar Relay. Holly Mitchell, one of my very favorite friends from college, was runner 1. At 10 a.m., she started us off with a 5 mile run. An hour later, her husband Shane was waiting at Exchange 1 when Holly passed off the slap bracelet to him. Shane also had a 5 mile run ahead of him.

At about Mile 2, we had stopped to give Shane support and water after his giant climb. He made it up the steep hill so fast, we were so amazed. He looked great, we cheered, and we sent him on his way. We hopped back in the van, drove about 1 1/2 miles down the road and stopped to give him more support and water. And we waited. And waited.

About a half an hour went by, and we began to get worried. It was super hot and humid, and we were also concerned that maybe he took a wrong turn. It's been known that runners do tend to get lost during these relays. We searched and searched for him. We drove back up the course numerous times, drove around all possible detours he could've taken, etc. We finally got Ragnar employees to help us search for Shane. At this point it had been almost 3 hours that we was missing. I had split up with my team and hopped in a van with Ragnar employees.

It was a miracle that I turned my head when I did, but I could faintly see Shane lying in the brush, off the side of the road, slightly down a ditch. I'm not going to go into any of the details, because it's too fresh in mind and too horrifying to try to put into words. I found him. Our dear teammate and runner, Shane Mitchell, passed away.

We are baffled as to what happened. He was only 28, he was athletic and in shape, he'd been training for this race for 6 months, he has no history of medical problems. The medical examiner said it looked as if something happened to his heart, but we won't know for sure until we get the results from an autopsy.

Shane's wife Holly was one of my good friends. My husband and I would often get together with Shane and Holly and have game nights. Shane and Holly have been married for only 4 years, and they have an 18-month son named Preston. My heart is broken. For Holly, for Preston, for Shane and their family. For our team. I'm completely heartbroken. I can't shake this horrific incident off my mind. Please pray for peace and healing to all those involved.

Update: To donate to the Shane Mitchell Memorial Fund, please go here. You can either donate via PayPal, or walk into a Wells Fargo bank and ask to make a contribution.

Holly, Shane, and little Preston

In memoriam: Shane Mitchell, father, husband, son, and friend. d. Sept 24, 2010

Farewell to Utah run

2010-08-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

I ran my last run in Utah a couple of hours ago. It was 10:00 pm, the weather was perfect, and it was a good run. Good. Run.

I took it easy, running at a 10:30 pace for 5.2 miles, and was reminded how nice it is to actually take it easy on a run. It was refreshing and it brought me back to what I love about running. I've forgotten that over the past few months, so it was fantastic to be reminded again.

And in about 12 hours I'm hopping on a plane to Anchorage to begin my new life...complete with new full-time job! I've been super nervous about this move -- the logistics of it are a complete nightmare. I've been falling apart at the seams these past couple of weeks just trying to get things in order, but it seems things will eventually work out the way they're supposed to...I hope.

One thing's for sure: I'm pretty damn excited to start running in Alaska.

A new kind of running hazard

2010-08-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling that living in Alaska will provide me with a load of interesting and random topics for this blog. Let me give you one example.

While I was in Alaska I was talking to my friend Holly on the ride into to Anchorage to catch my return flight. It was just the usual friend-to-friend chit chat, and somehow we got on the topic of bears. Literally, bears. And how to survive them.

Holly: "You never play dead with a black bear."
Me: "Why?"
Holly: "Black bears play with their food before they eat it."
Me: (in my head) Huh?!
Holly: "Don't play dead with black bears. Get away from it."
Me: "What bears do you play dead with?"
Holly: "Grizzly bears. Basically, playing dead is your only choice. But you'll probably die anyway."
Me: (in my head) I'm gonna die in Alaska....

And then we promptly began discussing how getting eaten by a bear would be the worst way to die.

I thought cars were the only things runners needed to pay attention to. Apparently now I have to watch out for bears. fml.

Pondering the slump...and doing something about it.

2010-08-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bummed out about not being able to run another marathon at the end of the year. But I'm a firm believer that certain things happen for a reason, even when running is involved.

You see, things in my life have been all over the place lately. Up, down, you name it. In turn, my running has followed that same pattern. Up, down, lots of miles per week, no miles per week, stagnant, no progress, frustration, even a redemption run or two. It's been utter chaos, really. A lot of it has to do with, well, life. I've taken the past couple of weeks to to really reflect on why my running has been "off" this year. Let's review, shall we?

January: I ran the Disney World Marathon.
It was amazing. It was emotional. It was the biggest accomplishment of my life. But it was also a bit exhausting. At least the training was, anyway. After the marathon I think my body decided it needed a bit of a rest period. I was still running, of course, but I obviously wasn't hitting the same kind of mileage that I was during training. And here's where my problems started -- I didn't make any short term race goals, and if I don't have a race to train for, I don't train at all. I casually run.

March: I ran the Gate River Run 15K, went on a week-long cruise.
I set a goal for this race, and had it in my mind that I was going to train for it, but I didn't train like I should have. I think I still had it on my mind that, "I just ran a marathon. What's 9.3 miles compared to 26.2? My body can still run 9 miles, no problem!" Wrong. Lackluster training = lackluster run.

March and April: Husband in Las Vegas for internship #1, I get laid off at work.
This is where life started to get in the way. I was all alone in Florida, was just laid off from work, and didn't really have any motivation to get off my butt and do anything about it. I didn't run any races because I didn't want to go to them alone (husband usually comes to cheer me on), and because I was just laid off, funds were low. I spent most of April sleeping away my sadness. It's tough to admit that, but it's true. In fact, the only time I got out of the house was to go running (thank heaven for that!), and it was only a couple of times per week.

May: Decide to move back to the homeland (Utah) to find work.
I immediately start to actively job hunt. If any of you have been unemployed, you'll know job hunting is exhausting. Not fun at all. Mixed in the job hunt I attempt to do some running in my home state, and then I'm quickly reminded how much my body isn't used to altitude. Literally, every run for the first month was a struggle. Every. Single. Run. It felt like I was gasping for oxygen, couldn't keep a steady pace, and always felt like giving up. As my body adjusted to the altitude (slowly), the runs eventually got better. And then.....

June: I started work at Ragnar.
The only person that can even begin to comprehend how busy my life was during this month of employment is Morgan (and only because I tricked her into volunteering at one of our races! hehe!). My life at Ragnar was go, go, go. Especially during race weeks, which just so happened to be two out of the four that I worked there. I worked 60+ hour weeks, and on race weekends I probably worked 48 hours straight. And when I say "work," I don't just mean sitting behind a desk all day. I mean physical, back-breaking work. Setting up cones, moving supplies, organizing our trailer full of equipment, etc. (Side note: don't just thank your volunteers, thank your race directors!) Sleep was a hot commodity, taken at any given chance. At the end of each day I was so physically exhausted, I didn't even think about going for a run. All I wanted was sleep. I remember thinking to myself, "I finally have a job in running, but I can't even find time to run." Also, with lots of traveling comes lots of eating out. Not good for the body. Maybe in hindsight not getting the job permanently was a good thing? *shrugs*

July: Depressed about not getting dream job, and job hunt.
Oh, July. Can I just erase you? I was pretty disappointed and sad about Ragnar. Despite the hard work, I loved it. And having something you truly love to do, then have it taken away from you, well, it sucks. The first two weeks of July were just horrendous. Not a lot of running, a lot of binge eating, and a lot of job hunting. P.S. I LOATHE job hunting now. The last couple of weeks in July were a bit better. I had some job prospects, and I was starting to get back into running.

August: Things are looking up.
At the end of July I flew to Alaska for two job interviews. I've now (as of 16 hours ago) been offered both of them. I spent 10 days in Alaska with my friend Holly, and I managed to get in 3 runs, two 5-milers, and one 10-miler. Those three runs have made all the difference in the world.

So, let's get back to the original point of this post. I do have one, I promise!

I neeeeeeeeed to set a race goal for the end of this year. And because the marathons are now a no-go, I've set my sights on a half-marathon in October. This isn't just any old half-marathon, though. I feel like I have enough of a base to be able to run a half-marathon within a month if I really had to. It's not about the distance this go around. And it's not just about crossing the finish line just to finish. It's about the time. I'd like you to take a gander at the left-side of my blog. Go ahead, take a look. Under the section titled "Personal Records" what do yo see? Yes, folks. A half-marathon PR of 2:05:45.

I'm going to attempt a sub-2 hour half-marathon. Do I think this is possible? Absolutely. Do I think it's going to be easy? Hell no.

Thankfully, Runner's World decided to write a little 1:59:59 training plan in last month's issue. It's 10 weeks, and it just so happens to be 11 weeks from my half-marathon. Which means I would start training on Monday. Perfect!

I haven't even told you the best news yet. Going for a sub-2 hour half marathon isn't enough, my friends. But going for a sub-2 hour half marathon dressed as a zombie, well, that takes the cake. You heard me right. I'll be dressed as a zombie.
Say hello to the 2nd Annual Zombie Half Marathon, taking place on October 23 in Anchorage, Alaska! It will be cold. Possibly snowy. But what can be better than running through a crowd of the flesh-hungry undead?! Pizza and limbs served at the finish line.

In all honesty, maybe I'm glad my running has been "off." Sometimes it's good to be able to recognize your weaknesses, so that in turn, you can work on and improve them. I don't ever want to get this lazy again, even when my life isn't going the way I'd planned. It affected my endurance level, it affected my waistline (yikes!), and most of all it affected my overall mental health. Running makes me happy, so it's good to have a plan to get started again. I miss running.

The next Running Adventure of 2010

2010-07-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

How can it be that 2010 is more than half over and I've run a whopping total of THREE races? THREE. I'm usually a once a month race kind of gal. In an effort to immerse myself back into the world of running, I've set my sights on another relay.

At the end of September I'm heading some place I've never been. Some place I've always wanted to go, but never have. See, I have this new philosophy about running. I can use running as an excuse to go places I've never been. I can run through cities and mountains and beaches and farmland. I know this isn't a new concept, and that many runners now and before me have used their sport as an excuse to see the country, or the world. Now it's my excuse.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm heading to Washington D.C. to run the Ragnar Relay D.C. This 197 mile relay starts in Cumberland, Maryland and ends in our nation's capitol. I'm pretty much jumping out of my seat excited for this relay! What better way to see 200 miles of scenic country than to run through it?

It looks like I'll be Runner #5 on Team 141, Speed Sold Separately! Take a look at my legs:

LEG 5: 3.9 miles - Very Hard
I'm most excited about this one. How about a 7% grade climb for over a mile and a half? Yes, please. Sign me up.

LEG 17: 4.4 miles - Easy

LEG 29: 7.4 Miles - Moderate

So, yeah. I can't wait!

Time to be hardcore

2010-07-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Just letting you know it's rainy, windy as hell, and a balmy 85 degrees outside right now. And I have 5 miles on deck.

Looks like this girl is going to smell quite ripe when she's done running tonight. Or at least like a wet dog. Just sayin'.

Feeling flabby

2010-07-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Remind me never to take an almost 2-month break from posting something. Not only has my blog suffered, but my running has suffered as well. Bah. But I'm back in business, folks. I need to be. I'm feeling all flabby and gross from not running very much, and I fear my body is yelling at me to get back to work.

Screaming would be more like it. In my head, I think this is what it's saying to me: "Christy! Do you feel this extra roll that's grown around your belly? Yep. That one. It's squishy and it's taking up too much room. Roll thinks he owns the place, and let me tell ya, Abs is here to stay. If I need to break out the daily crunches, I will do so. Trust me, if Roll keeps growing I will show you no mercy. Oh. And Cellulite Bum says hi. Should I kick his ass as well? Love, Abs."

So in the past two months a lot of stuff has happened. Both good and bad. I think I want to start with the good. This blog needs some cheer, so I'll postpone the bad for another post. Okay, so the good...

I ran a 5K yesterday. Sadly, it was the first race I've run since the Gate River Run 15K back in March. Yikes. Before I give you the obligatory race report, I need to preface this with how my running has been lately. In case you haven't guessed, it's been sporadic at best (hence, aggravated Abs). I haven't done a run longer than 5 miles, and I've definitely slowed down. So when I signed up for this race, I had no intention of doing well. In fact, I was preparing for a personal worst. Seriously, folks. My running has been THAT bad. But, I needed a race to get my motivation back. And at a whopping $1, I couldn't pass it up. And, yes, you read that correctly. ONE DOLLAR. I'm a girl who can't resist a bargain, so away I went!

My thought process about 5 minutes before the gun went off: "F*#k it. I feel like sprinting."

So I ran.

And ran.

Until I about spewed my last meal.

It was hard. I could feel the effects of my lack of training every step of the way. And then at about mile 1.75 I walked. (Walked?!?! This is a 5K, right? What. The. Hell.) It was a short break, maybe 20 seconds, but seriously. I WALKED. In a 5K.

And then I kept running at full speed ahead. I looked down at my watch and realized that despite my walking, I was booking it. Really booking it. And then a thought popped in my head.

I can PR. What?!?! I CAN PR!

The last mile was hell. I wanted to PR, but I was already so tired from running at such a fast pace. It hurt. I wanted to puke.

And then I crossed the finish line and checked my watch. 26:18. A PR by 3 seconds. The first thing I thought? "Damn. Why did I have to walk?!" HAHA! Bet someone really regrets that walk break, huh?

Time: 26:18
Pace: 8:27/mile
Overall place: 36/152
Women 20-30 age group: 4th place

I about killed myself, but it's good to know that the runner is still inside somewhere. It definitely gave me the motivation to get back on the training bandwagon. And that's what matters.

P.S. I'VE MISSED ALL OF YOU SO MUCH!

P.S.S. Also, I've seriously effed up my blog. I'm trying to figure out this new "design" tab and apparently I'm a retard. Yikes. Sorry about the weird appearance. I'm working on it.

Back from hibernation

2010-07-24T15:18:00.001-07:00

For reals this time. I'm back for good. I obviously have a lot to fill everbody in on, so it may take a couple of posts. But for now...

A NEW PR!

So, it's only a PR by 3 seconds. Three. Freaking. Seconds. You'd think I could've kicked it in gear to at least knock off 10 seconds, but nooooooo. Apparently I've forgotten how to kick it in gear. Seriously. But, it's still a PR, so I can't do too much complaining.

Race report coming soon. FYI - it was a 5K.

I just can't keep my mouth shut anymore! :)

2010-06-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Work has been busy, which has in turn been keeping me away from blogging. Do any of you ever feel so time-crunched that you can’t get to the things that you really want to? Especially blogging? It makes me sad. I miss reading blogs and most definitely miss writing on my blog. But, I can’t do much complaining because work has been fantastic. It’s busy, and hectic, and a bit stressful at times, but it’s definitely been cool to see how these races are put together.

I won’t leave you hanging any longer. If I happen to not get the job permanently, I’ll still feel okay about the company, and still run in their races, and such. And just in case that happens, my ego may be slightly damaged, but I know you’ll still support me in whatever happens. Plus, it’s just so awesome and I can’t help myself...I HAVE to tell you where I work!

This company is obviously based out of Utah, and if any of you have even remotely heard of this company or heard me talking about them in previous posts, you’ve probably already put 2 and 2 together and made a pretty good guess. I mean, I literally talk about them all time and rave about how much I love their races. Still haven’t guessed yet? ...Jeopardy music playing in background... If I were Alex Trebek I’d make you answer in the form of a question. Okay, okay! I’ll tell you. It starts with an “R” and rhymes with Bagnar. (sometimes I amaze myself with my stupidity...um, I mean cleverness)

That’s right, folks! I now work the Ragnar Relay Series!!! squealing with joy right now…literally In case you’ve never heard of them, they’re the company that hosts the Wasatch Back relay, the one I’m currently training for. They also did the Florida Ragnar Relay which I ran, and so did Morgan and a whole list of other FL bloggers. And they did the Las Vegas Ragnar, which LB ran. They’ve also got lots of other relays located across the country: SoCal, Washington D.C., Washington state, Minnesota/Wisconsin (along the Mississippi River), New York, New England, Florida Keys, Tennessee, Boston…..and coming to you in 2011, the relay race that I’ll be directing…CHICAGO! (squealing for joy again!!!)

I’m actually in a plane right now on my way to Chicago with another race director. Ever heard of the MC200? In a nutshell, that race is now (I mean, in 2011) part of the Ragnar Relay Series. I’m flying out there because the MC200 is happening this coming weekend, and I’m going to help out on the course, learn everything that I possibly can from the current race director, and then once the MC200 is over, it'll be will be turned over to me to transform it into one spectacular Ragnar Relay! I know y’all want to come to Chicago in 2011, right?! Right?

I’ve only been working there for a week and already I’ve been as busy as ever. I never fully understood what it takes to make a race happen, especially an overnight 200 mile relay. Holy geez! These race directors work HARD. But they love it. They’re passionate about running, and they’re passionate about the participants. I can see why the company makes “must be a runner” a qualification on the job description. Because if they weren’t passionate about running there would be no race. I’m pretty sure this goes for all races, from 5Ks to marathons, too.

Don’t worry that in the entire job search hullabaloo I haven’t forgotten to run. Last week I ran a total of 21 miles (which, if you’ve been reading my blog you’ll know that 21 miles is quite an accomplishment). Granted, 12 of those miles were done at one time, but miles are miles, right? All joking aside, that 12-mile run was brutal, but also really amazing. For a while there I was having doubts that my body would even remember how to run double-digit miles. I didn’t pick an easy course, either. Most of it was uphill (loving the mountains for this very reason...good training), and not just easy uphills either. I’m talking 5-7% grades at certain points. If I remember correctly, MapMyRun even showed an 8% grade. Yikes. I finished it in about 2:08, and was pretty proud of it.

I haven’t been running since then, but I started a new job and then I immediately decided to get a really nasty cold. Awesome. I’m finally feeling better (how is that for a first week on the job?!), and I plan on a little 3 mile run tonight in Chicago. Fantastic.

Well, that’s all for now. Wasatch Back in two weeks!

NEW JOB!!

2010-06-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

It's funny how I looked and looked and looked for jobs in Florida for months before I found a job. And in Utah it only takes me 3 weeks. Lesson learned: less population, less job competition. Simple as that. Oh, and the economy in Utah isn't in the tank like it is in sunny Florida.

You're looking at the newest employee of a running series. It's true. I'm officially a RACE DIRECTOR for a new race being announced for 2011. (I get paid to do this?!?!?) I can't quite tell you all the details yet, as I'm still under a 30-day probationary period, and I'd be really embarrassed if I told you what company I work for and then it turns out that I did a crappy job and they decided to hire someone else. :( Hopefully that won't happen, and they'll see how amazing I can be. So if I get the job permanently, I'll definitely let y'all know who I work for and what race I'll be directing. But for now, know that I'm extremely happy that I've been given this chance to prove myself as a competent race director, and I'm so excited to create a race for people just like me -- runner nerds. I love you guys!

A new running partner

2010-05-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

Ugh! Utah running is kicking my ass! I can't keep blaming it on the elevation. Shouldn't I be adjusted to it by now? I swear, every run I've done so far since arriving in the Beehive State has been...how should I put this? LIKE DEATH! I've done two five milers, two six milers, and one 3-miler. I know, I know. You can congratulate me later on my fantastic running mileage.

So I finally got around to running with Whitney from It's What Moves Me and we originally planned to run 4 miles around Daybreak Lake, but it ended up only being 3 miles. She's 16 weeks pregnant and is literally kicking my ass. I blame it on the "hilly" run. Every tiny little incline I kept saying to Whitney, "This is so hilly!" Even though the "hills" were minuscule, and I'm sure Whitney was probably thinking, "What?! Hilly?! This is FLAT, girl!" HAHAHA. Not to me, Whitney. Not to me. What has Florida done to me?

Also during this run I've come to the conclusion that I am NOT READY for the Wasatch Back. Holy shit, people. My month of lackluster running has taken its toll. It's amazing how fast you lose your endurance when you don't work on it consistently. And while that isn't a new concept, every time it happens to me I'm always amazed that it has happened. Shouldn't it be, "once a distance runner, always a distance runner?" As of right now, I have four weeks to get my body to remember what it's like to be that distance runner again. Which means only healthy food and more miles. More miles, people! And no more eating crap.

On the job front, job searching in Utah is remarkably easier than job searching in Florida. It's amazing, really. I applied for jobs for months in Florida before I even got a call for an interview. I've been in Utah for just 2 weeks, have applied for a fraction of the jobs I applied for in FL, and currently have 2 interviews scheduled for next week. Thank you, Utah economy!

Where the hell have I been?!

2010-05-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

Where the hell have I been?! Has it really been almost an entire month since I’ve posted anything? Geez. If my recent posting reflects my recent running, well, they’re pretty similar, actually. While my weekly mileage hasn’t been zero, it’s been hovering around the 10-12 miles range. Sad, I know! Let’s not talk about it anymore. It makes me feel all lazy and mushy. At least that’s what my body feels like these days.

This past month has been a lot of stress. I mean LOTS of stress. And when I get stressed or sad I don’t feel like running. I feel like curling into a ball, hiding under the covers, and falling asleep. Yeah, I obviously deal with stress pretty well, right?! Long story short, I’m back in Utah. At least until the husband graduates PT school in April (yes, I said April…2011), then it’s off to wherever he gets a job. Anyway, my life hit a bit of a hiccup and due to some unfortunate job circumstances (i.e. there are no jobs in Jacksonville), it’s been decided that I will return to my homeland and pursue a job there right now, instead of waiting until mid-August like originally planned. So, there you have it. And yes, Derrick did get back to Florida from his two-month internship in Las Vegas on April 28th. And it looks like I won’t get to see him until August. If I can land a job fairly quickly then we’ll see about making a trip to FL for the 4th of July or something. Life knows how to throw you a curve ball right when you’re not expecting it. Eff life!

On the bright side, at least I’ll have some running partners now. Even the only person I’ve ever run with in Florida is moving back to her homeland, too. I’ll get to run with Whitney (so excited!!) and my original running partner-in-crime, Amanda. Don’t worry that they’re both pregnant – it just means I get some good recovery runs. Although, Whitney isn’t too far along and she’s still whipping out 9 minute miles like it’s nobody’s business. And as an interesting aside, both of these amazing women are on my Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay team. TWO pregnant girls…our team is so hardcore!
Speaking of the Wasatch Back, IT’S IN FOUR WEEKS!! Holy cow, that crept up on me. I’m really hoping my month of lackluster running hasn’t left me too far behind in training. I’m going to start cranking out those miles again, don’t you worry folks! Procrastination is my highest skill, and I seem to perform better under pressure anyway (don’t take that the wrong way, pervs!). I’m going to try to fit in a few runs with Whitney and Amanda, too. They seem to know their way around the Salt Lake City running trails and I’m going to need some guidance. I may have lived in Utah my entire life, but running was never a part of it, therefore I have no idea where to run. At least it’s a familiar city. And at least I’ll have some canyons to run in to practice those hills! And at least I’ll have some altitude to challenge myself! Wait…did I just say I wanted altitude? Who am I kidding? The altitude has kicked my ass for the first run or two.

Okay. So I have a lot to talk about. I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t blog for a month. As a side note: I promise I’ll try to catch up on all your blogs in the coming days. I feel like such a bad bloggy friend. I haven’t commented (or read) any blogs in at least four weeks, but I promise I haven’t forgotten you, dear readers. Sometimes I think you’re the only reason I keep coming back. If it wasn’t for all of your support and witty humor, I don’t think I’d blog at all. Let’s face it. I don’t think I’d run at all, either! Thank you, Runners of the blogosphere!

A little update on the St. George Marathon. I entered the lottery. And the lottery decided it didn’t want me this year. Bitchy thing to do, Lottery! Thanks a lot! I should give Lottery the benefit of the doubt, but I just don’t have it in me. I was your girl, Lottery, and you rejected me. Bummer. So it looks as though I’ll have to put Plan B into action. Remember Plan B? I do. It means instead of running St. George I’ll be running the Mesquite Marathon about a month later. All in the name of qualifying to be a Marathon Maniac. I’ll have to run Mesquite, then 14 days later run the RnR Las Vegas Marathon. Can I do this?! Is my body able? I question it sometimes, but I’m going to try anyway.

I just watched Spirit of the Marathon the other day. Holy moly, that was inspirational. I wish I would’ve watched this movie before I ran Disney. Seriously, folks. If you haven’t watched this film, stop everything, and watch it now. If you are a member of Netflix you can watch it instantly online. Do it. Go now. It’s amazing. I especially loved the glimpse into the life of the elite runner. I tell you, Deena Kastor is my idol! How does she do it? How do any of them do it?! It really is amazing what the human body is capable of, isn’t it? I can barely finish a half marathon in the time it takes these elites to run a full marathon. Amazing. Effing amazing.

Recently a few old high school friends of mine have contacted me about running. They’re just getting into the sport and want to run a half marathon in September. And they’re asking me for advice. It seems weird that I’m considered an “expert” now. I’ll be the first to attest that I’m no expert runner, but it does feel pretty good knowing that they are willing to come to me for help. It just got me thinking about when I first started running back in 2007. I was clueless. But totally inspired by what others were doing. And I wanted to do it, too, dammit! I remember my first “training plan” and my first 5 mile run, and my first 5K, and my first half marathon. I don’t know if I ever told you all this, but the longest run I’d completed before running the 2008 SLC Half Marathon was 8.5 miles. I was scared shitless the morning of the run. Although I still get nervous before every race, there will never be a “first” for me anymore (unless of course I decide to ever run an Ultra…probably not.). It makes me a bit nostalgic. How cool were those “firsts”?! First 5K, first 10K, first double digit long run, first half marathon, first MARATHON. I’ll never forget those experiences. First time I GU’d, first time I had to make a bee-line for the toilet during a run because I felt like I was about to poop myself, first time I cried during a run, first time hitting the wall. Even the bad “firsts.” They’re still firsts and I’ll always remember those as well. Every one of those firsts made me the runner I am today. And although I get a bit nostalgic for that virgin feeling, it’s awesome to see the progress I’ve made, and it’s awesome to know that I can do it. It feels good to be the “expert.” Or whatever that means…

Anyway, this has been a bit of a ramble of thoughts, I know. I’m a bit scatterbrained right now, I guess. I’ll just blame it on the complete lack of posts this past month. It makes me sad because I’m sure I had an entire bundle of running thoughts going through my mind this past month that would’ve made great posts.

One final thought. As this racing season is just starting to get into full swing, what’s the next race on your schedule? For me, it’s the Wasatch Back and I CAN’T WAIT to run it again.

The hills are alive

2010-04-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

Last night I did my first hill workout in who knows how long. Probably since last year when I was training for the 2009 Wasatch Back Relay. Literally. Since I'm not in beautiful Utah anymore, I don't have my usual canyon to go run up. Here in Hades...I mean...Florida...I have no canyons. Or hills for that matter. I have a few bridges, but I find that for hill workouts, they just don't cut it. The bridges close to me aren't that huge, and I want it to hurt. I want it to burn. I want my legs to feel like I can't take another step without crumbling to the ground.

I want control over my hill workouts. So I use the infamous treadmill. Some of you may laugh in my face and say it's not hardcore, but trust me. It's hardcore. For Florida, anyway.

Because it was my first hill workout, I took it easy. I wanted to run a total of 6 miles, running at a 3% incline for 6/10ths of a mile, then running at a 0% incline for the remaining 4/10ths...and so on until I reached 6 miles.

Holy shit! I forgot how hard hills are. Three percent is an ass-kicker. By the third mile I was already feeling like I wanted to kill over and die. Either that, or stab myself in the eye. But I didn't give up. I continued to drag myself through the remaining 3 miles. It took me around 62 minutes to run the 6 miles, with 3.6 total miles at a 3% incline. Hell yes. I'm awesome like that.

In all reality, I have a long way to go in my hill training. Last year I was running 6 miles straight at a 2-3% incline during my hill workouts. Need to work on that. I'll get there. Technically, I have no idea why I'm running hills. This year I won't be running any major uphills during the Wasatch Back like I did last year. But I figure, what the hell? It can't hurt to get conditioned for it anyway.

How do y'all feel about hill workouts? Love them? Hate them? Where do you do your hill training?

I don't think I can look at that photo anymore

2010-04-12T16:38:00.001-07:00

Therefore, I'm writing a new post. To spare my eyes and yours as well. Every time I clicked on my blog....I had to witness that awful photo (why did I put it there?). I kept thinking to myself, "Self. You NEED to post something ASAP. Your readers will soon desert you."

First, I'm happy to announce that I hit every single one of my workouts last week. One hundred frickin' percent, baby! That's the first time I've done that in...oh....I CAN'T REMEMBER! Let me tell you something: My body misses running 25+ miles per week. It really does. It gets through the first 20 miles, and then it says to me, "This feels good. Let's keep going. You and me, we've got this in the bag."

My 11-mile long run on Saturday was perfect. It's crazy because last Saturday's 10-mile long run was great, too. I usually don't have back-to-back great long runs. But this 11-miler, *sigh* It sure as hell didn't feel like 11 miles. It felt like 3. Like I said before, my body wanted to keep going. I don't want to jinx myself, but I really feel like I'm in the groove right now. (knock on wood) I'm going to keep running with it, too. See how far this grrove can last. I'm not delusional. I know this euphoric feeling can't last forever. It never does. I will have a bad run one of these days, but at least when I do, I'll have this time to look back on and gather strength from.

So, someone mentioned in one of my last posts about running the three marathons I have picked out, that it would qualify me for Maniac status. I think, Jesse mentioned it, but correct me if I'm wrong. And it got me thinking, "Really?! I need to check this out...." So I wandered on over to the Marathon Maniac website, and what did I find there, you may ask? I found that I would indeed be a Marathon Maniac. What?!?! Hell yes!

On the off chance that I don't get selected in the St. George Marathon lottery, I'll need to find another marathon to run either at the beginning of October or end of November. So I did some digging and found the Mesquite Marathon on November 20th. By running that one and the Las Vegas Marathon (only 15 days apart) I'll still be eligible for Maniac status. Hooray!

I seriously CAN'T WAIT to start training for these marathons!

Please don't try this during a race

2010-04-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Warning: Rated R material below.

W. T. F?!?

I have no words. But I do love the look on the spectators faces.

Imposter on the run

2010-04-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Some days, getting the motivation to run isn't easy. Some days, motivation looks you straight in the eye and laughs out loud. Motivation: she's a bitch.

Today was one of those days. I'll not keep you in suspense by holding back the "Did I or Didn't I?" information. Yes. I did go running. When Motivation laughed in my face, I gave her the middle finger, laced up my shoes, and ran 7 miles at a 9:45 pace. I had a lot going on in my head during the first few miles of my run. Do you ever start running, and within a minute or two are thinking to yourself, "I'm not a runner. I can't do this. This is what fit, skinny, Olympians do. I'm just pretending. I'm a fake."

This thought process doesn't happen every time I run, but it surfaces every now and then. Especially on the days that I don't want to run. I don't know why I struggle with confidence issues sometimes, but sometimes I really truly feel like an imposter pretending to be a runner. Weird, I know.

After Mile 4 I finally started getting into my groove and the positive thoughts came back. Whew. Good to know I'm still a runner.

Does this ever happen to you? Or am i just a freak who needs some self-esteem?! ;)

Feeling ambitious

2010-04-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks to everyone for being so supportive and helpful with my decision to get a tattoo. I still have no serious plans to get one right away, but it is in the back of my mind, and I'll be sure to keep y'all posted when I do make that choice.

Now on to running. This is a running blog, right? :)

Let's first get to last week's training schedule:
Monday: yoga and cross <----Check!
Tuesday: 5 mile run <----Check!
Wednesday: 7 mile run <----Check!
Thursday: 4 mile run <----Ummmm....nope.
Friday: stretch and strength <----Check!
Saturday: 10 mile run <----CHECK!
Sunday: rest <----Does this count as a check?

So, not perfect, but 86% isn't bad, right? In school terms, that would be like a B. And if we go by how well I applied myself in school, well, then I'm right on track. haha. My 10-mile long run on Saturday was perfect. The weather was perfect, the run was perfect. I haven't had a long run like that in a while. It was one of those runs that again solidified my love of running. I just kept on running, letting my thoughts wander away to anything and everything, and before I knew it my 10 miles was up. I could've kept going! I was enjoying my time and my thoughts. I love how running provides that escape for me. You know, the times when I need to be just completely by myself, with only me in mind. When I'm out there on the asphalt it's just me. Not School Christy, not Work Christy, not Wife Christy, not Friend Christy, just Christy. Just me. Runs like that make me feel so motivated, so powerful, so capable of doing whatever I want. Maybe it's a bit selfish, but I think we all need that kind of escape in life, whether it comes from running or not.

So I was looking at my calendar and realized that my second bout of marathon training starts next month. Wait....what!? Yeah, that's exactly what I said. But it's true. May 15th. It will begin again.

I may be a little ambitious, but I have high hopes of not only running one marathon at the end of the year, but three. Yes, my friends. Three. First on the list: the Top of Utah Marathon on September 18th. I'm fairly familiar with this course, and it's always been a goal of mine to run this marathon. It's located near Utah State University, where I attended college. If you remember, last year I ran the Top of Utah Half Marathon, and the full marathon course is basically the same. It starts about 7 miles further up the canyon, and ends about 6 or so miles past the half marathon finish line in the city of Logan, Utah. I'm hoping for a PR.

Next up is the St. George Marathon on October 2nd. This is contingent upon me getting selected in the lottery. Which, speaking of the lottery, is open right now and ends on May 1st. So if any of you are thinking about running the St. George Marathon, you'd better head on over to their site and enter. Hold that thought. Maybe you shouldn't enter. More chance for me to win the lottery.... Anyway, I really, really, really want to run this marathon. I love this area of southern Utah. Red rock, rolling hills, and the course touts a -2500 foot elevation change. Can we say (all together now!) PR?!?! If I don't get selected in the lottery, then no big deal. I'll just find another random marathon to run in October or November. Maybe the Mesquite Marathon? I'm really shooting for 4 marathons in one year (including Disney). Is that too ambitious? Probably. But for right now, I'm going to go with it.

Then, to finish off the year just right, I'll be heading south to Sin City where I plan on running the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon on December 5th. First of all, I love Vegas. LOVE IT. Secondly, I've been wanting to give the Rock n Roll race series a try, and I figure there's no better race to try than the Las Vegas one. I'll have to celebrate with a little roulette action on the Strip. :D

And finally, this week's training schedule:
Monday: yoga
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 7 mile run
Thursday: 4 mile run and cross train
Friday: stretch and strength
Saturday: 11 mile long run
Sunday: Rest

To ink or not to ink...

2010-03-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

i'm just going to come right out and say it. Ladies and gentlemen, I've been contemplating getting a tattoo. It's true. Ever since the completion of my first marathon, I've been toying with the idea of getting some sort of small tattoo on my right foot to commemorate that accomplishment. I want to always remember that my feet carried me 26.2 miles in a few short hours. When I'm middle-aged, old, whatever, I want to be able to look down at my foot and be reminded that I'm capable of accomplishing big things. And who knows, what if I become a lazy ass? Having a permanent reminder on my body might inspire me to get my body moving again. LOL!

But I'm stumped for ideas. The only for sure thing that I know I want is "26.2" and then....???????? So I come to you for help. What would you do? I don't want anything flashly. I want it simple. And small. Really small. Like no bigger than the size of a nickel. I like the shoe with wings look, but I've seen a lot of peole who do that. And I want to be original. Or, at least, semi-original.

Am I crazy for wanting a tattoo? I've never been inked before, so I have no idea what it'll feel like (from what I've heard the top of the foot is one of the more painful places to get a tattoo), and I have no idea if I'll regret it later in life.

Hmm.

The future holds...

2010-03-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have a goal to run 1,000+ miles in 2010. So far I'm not really on track. Between injuries and vacation, I haven't really been keeping up with my end of the running bargain. But starting tomorrow my plan (and training) is getting kicked into gear.

Now that I've completed my first marathon, and successfully PR'd my 15K two weeks ago, what's next for this runner girl, you may ask?

My biggest race plans are scheduled for the end of 2010, but I do have a couple of races scheduled in my immediate future. First, I'll be running the Run for the Trees Jeanette Genius McKean Memorial 5k on April 24th in Orlando with none other than, you guessed it, Morgan. At this point, would you expect anything less of me? I freaking love this girl. We enjoyed each other's company so much before and during the Gate River Run 15K, that we've decided to reunite for another race. I'm not really sure what my goals are for this race yet. I don't think my body is capable of a PR, but I'd really like to try for a PR. Plus, this race is supposed to be pretty scenic, so maybe I should just take it easy? Dunno. As of today, this is the only 5K I have scheduled for 2010. What do y'all think? My PR is 26:21...can I do it? Or should I "enjoy the race?"

I have no races planned in May for a couple of reasons. First, May is when Hades decides to unleash all fury and vengeance on Florida. It's hot. And humid. And from what I learned last summer, I despise running races in Florida between the months of April and September. Kill. Me. Now. Secondly, I'll be in the midst of training hard for a race I have planned in June. You knew this was coming....wait for it....wait for it...

The Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back!!!!!!!!!! This will be my third year running this race, and as always I'm so stoked to be a part of it again. A little background info - the Wasatch Back takes a team of 12 runners from on a 190 mile relay race from Logan, Utah to Park City, Utah. It summits 3 mountain passes, winds through some of the most beautiful places in the West (imo), and I. Freaking. Love It. My favorite part of this race is that I've never run the same portion of the course. My first year I was Runner 4, last year I was Runner 6, this year I'm RUNNER 1!!! My 3 legs will total a distance of 21 miles. Take a look (click to enlarge):

Leg #1: 7.9 miles, net elevation change 123 feet

Leg #2: 8.3 miles, net elevation change -1,523 feet

Leg #3: 4.8 miles, net elevation change 54 feet

The leg I'm most worried about is Leg #2. Sure, some of you may look at that and think, "It's all downhill. What's worrisome about that?" Folks, I've seen people run this leg and it is BRUTAL. It's usually done at around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, no tree cover, no shade, temps between 85 and 90 degrees, and it's all hot black asphalt. And although I love downhill, I'll have to be really careful not push it too hard and fry my quads. I'm sure I'll be fine, though.

So those are my two immediate races. I'm excited for them both. For now, this is what my training looks like for this week:

Monday: yoga and cross train
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 7 mile run
Thursday: 4 miles or cross train
Friday: strength and stretch
Saturday: 10 mile run
Sunday: Rest

Goals for the week: STUDY HARD!!

Remember to hold me accountable for this week of training!!

Running while rocking

2010-03-24T20:58:00.001-07:00

I've been slowly getting around to getting my things unpacked from the cruise. Yes, I realize I got back from the cruise 3 days ago. And no, I'm not embarrassed to admit that it takes me days to unpack. I dislike packing, but I loathe unpacking.

I had an ambitious goal during my cruise to still maintain my training schedule. It's ambitious only because I never run on vacation. I don't know what it is, but for me running is so routine, and vacation is so not routine. All my good habits usually die quickly the second a vacation starts.

But I will say this: I may not have hit every single run last week, but I at least ran 3 out of the 5 scheduled running days. Yay for me. Really, it's a big deal for me. I actually ran on vacation. Sure, they were only 3, 4, and 5-milers, but I'd like to think of them as bigger than that. Hell, 1/2 mile on vacation would've been a big deal to me.

If you look really closely, you can see the ocean through the window. It almost made me feel like I was running super-fast on water, like Dash on the Incredibles (I love that show).

Have any of you ever run on a cruise ship before? Talk about hard to keep your balance. It's really quite hilarious, actually. I'd be in mid-stride, the boat would rock one way or another, subsequently causing my foot to strike somewhere I wasn't expecting. There were a few times I actually had to grab the side bars to steady myself. Quite the sight! Maybe that is what drunk running feels like? I've never drunk-run before, so you'll have to let me know. Come to think of it, I've never been drunk before, so you'll also have to let me know what that feels like.

Aside from the extremely cheesy smile and wave, how about them lights?! I didn't know gyms needed Vegas lights. Only on the Fun Ships, I suppose.

I was feeling a little under the weather the last couple of days of my cruise and it carried into this week. I haven't been running to help my body get some much needed rest, but I finally cranked out 7 miles today and it felt fantastic.

A non-running cruise-related post will be coming shortly, so prepare yourselves for that. Lots of gambling, dancing, laying out in the sun, eating, exploring islands, you know the usual stuff people do on a cruise. I can't wait to tell y'all about it because I had such a blast! Stay tuned.

Race Report: Gate River Run 15K

2010-03-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation and ready to get this 15K race report done. I can't believe it was only 1 week ago....it feels like forever. Vacations will do that to you, though. On to the race....

As I stated before, Morgan traveled to my lovely city of St. Augustine to spend the night totally nerding out about running and life. And just in case y'all are wondering, yes, I did indeed make a pasta dinner and it was delish. I love playing house. Hahaha. She went into pretty good detail about the night before, so go read about her race recap here.

Alarms went off at 5 a.m. Saturday morning, and away we went. I had my usual piece of toast with PB, and Morgan ate her toast with PB, and a banana. Funny side note: Morgan brought her own PB. To most people this might sound ridiculous, but to us runners...completely normal. We were out the door by 5:45 a.m. we're about a block away from my house when I think to myself, "Why are the street signs so blurry today?" Then out loud, "I forgot to put my contacts in!! We have to go back." FML! Morgan and I started cracking up at this. Maybe a sign of things to wrong today?! I hoped not.

So we get back to my house, I run inside and attempt to put my right contact in. For those of you that remember, I am a newbie contact wearer. Morgan's waiting patiently in the car while I fumble around with this contact with no luck. FAIL. Apparently I can't put contacts in while "under pressure." (Cue David Bowie/Queen song.."dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun...under pressure!") so I grab my glasses, my contact case, and opt to put them in when I get to Jacksonville.

We picked up my friend Corrina who was also running, and about 45 minutes later we made it to the start line. What do runners do when they first get to a start line? Find the port-o-potties, of course! Let me just break it down this way:

Trips to the loo
Christy: 2
Morgan: 3
Corrina: 1

Morgan FTW!!!

We were in the starting corral for about one hour, but it didn't feel like an hour. We talked about everything, including all things inappropriate. One such story included an unfortunate poop experience in a corn field in Idaho. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to tell you what happened, but for now you'll just have to sit and wonder WTF?

My stomach felt a little queasy, but I didn't say anything because I figured it was just part if the nervous pees or something. Soon enough we were off. Morgan was there to be my pace keeper. I didn't wear a watch because I knew she had her Garmin and I knew she'd keep me in line and track my pace and mile splits.

Mile 1 - we went out faster than expected. Amazingly enough we weren't trapped in the inevitable crowd of Mile 1 walkers/slow runners. How that's possible, I have no idea. We weaved in and out of runners fairly easily. Not even five minutes into the race we see a guy totally eat it on the asphalt. It was BAD! We banged up his face pretty good, and I don't know if he could've continued on after that. Literally, it was THAT bad. He was right in front of me, but I have Jedi reflexes and moved out of the way before I tripped on him and went falling forward myself. I always feel a little bad when I see runners fall and I don't stop to help them. It's kind of like driving by a bad car accident moments after it happened, and you know the driver is thinking, "Help me!" but you just keep on driving....not so Good Samaritan of me at all. But I was chasing a PR, people!

In Mile 1 we also encountered a guy I'd like to call Jackass. He was super mean and super loud. There were a group of girls walking and he says to them loudly, "This us the Gate River RUN. So RUN!" WTF? Sure, maybe they shouldn't have been walking so close to the start, but it was still so mean. He kept being loud and obnoxious, and he asked, "Where's the bridge?" And another runner yells out, "Turn left now!" as we were all turning right. BAHAHAH. Mile 1: 9:38.

Mile 2 - This took us on our first challenge of the race as we ran over the St. Johns River via the Main Street Bridge. No, this is not the gigantic bridge that this race is famous for...that's at Mile 8. Still an uphill, but I ran it just fine. Morgan is the best pacer EVER! We just kept right on going. Mile 2: 9:44.

Miles 3, 4, 5 - had us talking and giggling the entire time. Are we really in our twenties?! We were chatting like a bunch of 12-year-old school girls! I love running with Morgan! In these miles we ran past a lot of crazy stuff. First, a celebrity sighting of Betty White. It wasn't really Betty White, but Morgan and I both saw her, and immediately turned to each other and she said, "That looks like..." and we both said at the same time, "...Betty White!" Still cracks me up every time I think of that moment! We also saw a Hillary Clinton look-a-like, a "Mimosa Station", and people handing out Dunkin Donut holes. totally random things. The craziest part is that people were actually getting drinks at the Mimosa station...hmmm, not sure if that would sit well with my stomach! Mile 3: 9:30, Mile 4: 9:52, Mile 5: 9:58.

Mile 6 - I was feeling great, but just a little hot. Okay, not a little hot. A LOT HOT! The sun was a killer. It's amazing how Florida has been having below average temps for 3 months, and the one day it decides to remind me that I'm still in Florida, has to be the day I run 9.3 miles at 8:30 in the morning. Fantastic. But I powered through the heat, ran through some beautiful neighborhoods, and enjoyed my conversation with Morgan. By this point it started to become more Morgan talking, me listening, because I was feeling my speed and my queasy stomach, but I was determined to keep going and shoot for my PR. Mile 6: 9:38.

Mile 7 - ohh, mile 7, how I loathe thee. Last year, this was the stretch of road where I hit a wall. I think I psyched myself out thinking that I'd hit the wall again, and well, I didn't hit a wall, but I was reaching my puke threshold. It was a combination of the heat, the sun, and my queasy stomach. I had to take a walk break. Morgan was a good sport about it, and said it was totally fine that i walked. I was sort of bummed because I wanted to run the entire distance, but I'm over it now. That walk break helped me to charge through the upcoming hill, and helped me not get over my puke threshold. No puke = good thing. It's funny, I've never reached that point during a race where I've felt like I needed to puke. I've felt tired, sore, achy, but never pukey. Maybe it was something I ate the day before? Mile 7: 10:13.

Mile 8 - Before we knew it the gigantic Hart Bridge was in front of us. This bridge is no joke, my friends. 186 feet climb in a little less than a half mile. Last year I couldn't make it up the bridge without walking. My only goal for this mile was to do it without walking. I wanted to conquer this bridge running, even if it was slow running. And this is the part where I need to give a HUGE shout out to Morgan. Without her there I would've walked. I have no doubt in my mind that I would've said to myself, "Screw this sh!t. I'm walking, I can't do it." Because my mind can get the best of me, and in that moment, those were the exact thoughts running through my head. She was running a little ahead of me, helping me keep the pace. My pace was slow, but she was there in my sights, keeping me going. It. Was. Hard. But I did it. I felt a little like crying, my legs didn't feel like they were attached to me anymore, but I did it. And I didn't stop running until the finish. The downhill I wanted to take conservatively. I could've powered through that downhill and made up a lot of time, but I knew I needed to save it for the last .3 miles, which were going to be flat. Plus, despite my best efforts to get rid of it, the puke threshold was still there, looming in front of me. I had to keep it easy. Mile 8: 11:11.

Powering up the bridge

Mile 9 - all downhill, but like I said before I was keeping it easy. The breeze while on the bridge was amazing! I was feeling like I was going to DIE in the heat, and the gusts of wind were fantastic. And the view of downtown Jacksonville was breathtaking. I LOVE running on bridges, I really do. They offer the best views of everything. It was everything I needed to keep my mind off how tired I really was.

Mile 9.3 - Once I crossed the 9 mile mark I was ready to kick it up a notch. And I did. Morgan and I crossed the finish line with hands in the air and smiles on our faces. Mile .3: 8:51.

As soon as I stopped running the puke threshold returned. I thought I was going to puke. I pushed it at the end, harder than I've ever done during a race before. I never knew what it was like to feel like you're going to puke, but now I do. We were getting ready to get our medals put around our necks when I said to Morgan, "I need to puke. I need to find a garbage can now." In my head I was thinking/praying, "PLEASE don't let me be THAT runner. Please, please, please, don't let me puke. Oh no. Oh noooo." And then I didn't puke. I don't know how I didn't, but thank heavens I didn't! Smiles all around.

My official chip time is 9.3 miles, 1:34:16, 10:09 pace. PR by 4 minutes 28 seconds!!
Garmin stats: 9.46 miles, 1:34:20, 9:58 pace.

Post-race thoughts:
1. I definitely want to do better next year. I know I can. My training was lackluster, and I was impeded by my nagging butt muscle injury. I know I can PR this course again!

2. I didn't meet my ultimate goal of 1:30:00, and at first I wanted to put the blame on the weather (aka: heat of Hades). But the bottom line is, I didn't train very well. It was half-hearted at best.

3. The weather this year was far worse than it was last year, so I'm confident that my body is in better running condition than it was in March 2009. Good. Hard work really does pay off.

4. Am I sad I didn't get my goal of 1:30? Yes. But am I still ecstatic about my PR? Abso-freakin-lutely!!!!!!!!!!! A PR is a PR, my friends!

5. Morgan is a rockstar!

A day at the races

2010-03-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Well folks, I PRd!!!!

You'll have to wait for the entire race recap until I get home from the cruise, but let's just say it was Ah-ma-zing. Difficult, but amazing.

Stay tuned for appearances by Betty White and Hillary Clinton, unfortunate sweat patterns, a guy eating the asphalt in Mile 1, and lots, lots, more!

Carbo-loading

2010-03-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

Guess who'll be at my house in T minus 1 hour?! That's right. The one and only Morgan! YAY!! She's hanging at my place tonight and in the morning we'll be heading up early to J-ville for a little 15K action.

I'm such a nerd, though. I guess I miss having my husband here because earlier this week I wrote her an email asking what she liked to eat for dinner the night before a race. I'm totally going all "domestic wife" on her and cooking a delicious pasta meal. And don't worry. It'll be ready and on the table when she gets here! And yes, I will have an apron on. Wow. Total nerd.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll all be so anxious to hear about my 15K PR *crosses fingers* but you'll have to wait an entire week for that race report. As soon as I get back from the race I need to head on over to the airport and catch my flight to Miami for my cruise. SO EXCITED!!!!

(And thank you all for your encouraging words. It means a lot. Update: I'm feeling much better about things, and although I still miss the hubs terribly, life is good.)

Pity party...over.

2010-03-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

I'm over it. My personal pity party, that is. I've learned a lot of things about myself and how my mind works this past week. As you all heard, my husband is in Las Vegas for 8 weeks to work as a physical therapist intern at a local hospital. Las Vegas to St. Augustine = 2,252 miles away from my love. For 8 weeks.

I'm not going to lie and say I've been handling it well. I haven't. In one hour he'll have been gone for exactly one week, but let me tell you, it's felt a lot longer than that. I've done a whole lot of sleeping, eating, not working out, and watching movies.

Lesson #1 I've learned about myself: I am an emotional eater. I'm too embarrassed to mention what I've eaten within the course of one week. To sum it all up in three words: junk and carbs. I think I've always known that I'm an emotional eater. That's why I was always a bit on the chunky side growing up. I lost that extra poundage when I got to college and became a lot more aware about what I was putting in my mouth. Plus, if I ate a lot of crap, my roommates would've noticed, and that would've been embarrassing, yeah? But here I've been for a week, all alone, with no one to notice all of my bad eating habits except for my dog (which I'd venture to guess he's been enjoying because he gets a taste of whatever I eat...lucky dog). But this time, I noticed my emotional eating habits. And they're BAD.

Lesson #2 I've learned about myself: I need good vibes to want to run. Most people are probably opposite. I've heard a lot of people say they run to work off aggression or sadness or whatever. Not me. If I'm feeling sad or hurt or angry, I don't want to run. In fact, if I do run when I'm feeling that way my run always, without fail, sucks with a capital S. My energy is non-existent because it's too wrapped up in what I'm thinking about. It can't focus on the task at hand, which is running.

Lesson #3 I've learned about myself: When most people would run to work out their feelings, I sleep. And I sleep a long time. Sleep is my escape. Because when I'm sleeping I don't have to think about how sad I am, or how angry I am, or how hurt I am, or how (insert emotion here) I am.

Lesson #4 I've learned about myself: I can only watch so many movies before I want to shoot my eye out.

Lesson #5 I've learned about myself: I can fix a broken toilet all by myself. (Triumph!!!! *raises arms in air*)

Lesson #6 I've learned about myself: I appreciate my dog more than he'll ever know. Dogs really do have a sixth sense, I swear. He knows when I need comforting. He knows when I need to be alone.

But that's it. It's been a week, and I'm sick of being lazy, and feeling sorry for myself, and crying. After all, it is only 8 weeks. It's not like he's gone forever. Two months compared to forever is relatively small, wouldn't you say? I agree.

I did manage to get in a 7 mile run on Saturday, a 3 mile run yesterday, and a 5 mile run today. After all, I do have a 15K coming up on Saturday. No more slacking because I want to kick this 15K in the ass and show it who's boss. As in, "I'm going to slaughter my old PR" kind of boss. And that, my friends, is definitely something to look forward to. Plus (and this is a big plus), my good bloggy friend Morgan will be driving up from Orlando to run the race with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Annnnnnnd. And. (See, life isn't so terrible...) I'm going on a cruise this weekend! After I run the race this weekend I have to quickly get ready to hop on a plane to Miami. Because for 7 days me and 5 of my old sorority girl friends are cruising the Caribbean. We'll be making stops in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk. Warm weather, white sand beaches...yes, please.

So, my pity party is officially over. Finito. But, there are some things I have planned to combat those ugly lessons I learned about myself. That's a whole different post, though, so stay tuned for that tomorrow or Thursday.

By the way, the Accountability Challenge is still on. Here's my weekly schedule (2 days late, but whatevs):

Monday: 3 mile run + yoga (done and done)
Tuesday: 5 mile run (done)
Wednesday: 4 mile + strength
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Gate River Run 15K
Weekly goal: No more self pity!

Accountability challenge

2010-03-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Earlier last year I posted something I called the Accountability Challenge. Basically, once a week I posted what my weekly training schedule looked like, then reported back about how well I met my challenge. If I failed, then you all would see me fail. I'm not big on public embarrassment, so I pretty much stuck to it. For the most part.

I'm doing it again. And I want anyone else who wants to be held accountable for their weekly training/goals to do it with me. So here's my plan. Every Sunday I'm going to post my weekly workout schedule and any goals I've set for myself that week. The goals can be anything from "eat sweets only one day this week," to "study an extra hour per day," to "run with my dog 3 times this week," etc. etc. They don't have to be fitness related, they can be whatever I want. Then a week later I'll do quick weekly recap and y'all can make fun of me, boo me off stage, get on my case if I didn't meet my goals. Like I said, I don't do well with public embarrassment so if I happen to FAIL one week, you bet your ass it isn't happening again. Who wants to play?!

In other news, I'm still in training for the Gate River Run 15K which takes place in *gasp!* 10 days. Well, THAT crept up on me fast. I'm not nearly as ready as I'd like to be, but I'm gonna go ahead and blame the injury on that one. Okay, Injury isn't 100% to blame. Lazy and Procrastination each get at least 10% of the blame, too. (What's that I heard you say? I'm to blame? Hahaha. That's funny.) Anyway, training continues.

And in some other big news, my husband left me. No, no, no, no. Not in the "he left my ass because he hates me" way. I'm talking about in the "he left to spend 2 months in Vegas as a PT intern" sort of way. Whew. Glad it wasn't the former. It's true, though. I'll be alone in Florida for the next 8 weeks and I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind and attitude around it. He's been gone less than 24 hours and I already miss him like crazy. Like, crazy crazy. It's just sad. :( It's funny, you get so used to depending on your significant other for certain things, and when he/she isn't there anymore it's like, "Well, what do I do now?" As if you were never even capable of doing those things yourself, say, when you were single. Computer problems? Husband's job. Picking up dog poop? Husband's job. Bills? Husband's job. Cheering me on at the finish line? Husband's job. At least it's only 8 weeks, I suppose.

(OMG!!! As I was typing this, my towel hanger in the bathroom just fell off the wall!!! Household repairs? Husband's job!!!! What the hell am I going to do now?! Eff my life!)

I need to go running.

Please note:

2010-02-28T09:20:00.001-08:00

I haven't forgotten about you, dear giveaway winners. Just super busy. Be looking for an email from me later tonight.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

2010-02-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

The votes have been cast and the results are in. Except there were no votes, just entries. I tallied up the entries, assigned each entry a number, and then went over to the handy Random Number Generator, and here's what it told me. The TEN winners of a new set of Yurbuds are:

Lisa from Lisa Runs? Wait...what?
LB from Muddy Runner
Rick at Marathonman Runs Again!
Whitney at It's What Moves Me
Tamantha at I'm Getting There...Running
Brea at BREAthe.Train.Live
Adam at I Am Boring
Tara at Colorado Runner
Jesse at Run to the Border
RunnuRMark at The Life and Times of RunnuRMark

To all the winners, email me at christylynne.lyons@gmail.com so I can get you set up with your new yurbuds! Congrats everyone!

A spectator frenzy

2010-02-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend was pretty freaking awesome.

On Saturday I met up with Jill and Redhead in Jacksonville for lunch at Panera Bread. This was the first time I met Jill, and aside from the quick photo-op from the Disney Marathon, this was the first time I met Redhead as well.

I was sorta nervous. I mean, sure we've conversed through our blogs and through e-mail, but you never really know what it's going to be like actually meeting up with someone in person. All the worry was for nothing, though, because these two girls were so easy to talk to and I enjoyed every second of our conversation. It just reiterates the fact that blogging is more than just...blogging. I've "met" a community of people that I can relate to, connect with, and get inspiration from. Before we knew it, over two hours had flown by. They had to check into their hotel room, so I said farewell and wished them luck on their half marathon.

I came home Saturday feeling super tired, so I took a 3 hour unplanned nap. Not a good idea when you have to wake up at 5:00 am Sunday to get to Jacksonville in time to be a 26.2 with Donna marathon spectator! I didn't fall asleep until almost 3 in the morning...and I slept through my alarm! I woke up at 5:35, and had to be out the door by 5:45 to make it to the JTB bridge (my chosen spectator spot) in time for the race to start. BAH! Let's just say that it's a good thing there were no cops out on I-95 that early in the morning!

But I made it! The spot I was spectating from was at Mile 1-ish, but also Mile 12 (half-marathon), and Mile 25 (marathon). Here's a few pics of my view from the bridge as the sun was rising. Beautiful.

Before I knew it, the elite runners were making their way past me at Mile 1. They were SO FAST! The feeling of awe and admiration never fails me when I see those elite runners at the front of the pack. Also, take a look at this pic. Awesome. (click to enlarge)

Not even 10 minutes later I catch a glimpse of Jill and Redhead in their tu-tus, we take a couple of pictures, and then I told them I'd see them in a couple of hours. They were lookin' good at Mile 1! (But, who doesn't look good at Mile 1?!?!)

Just in case you're wondering, I was in full spectator gear. Green hair, pink headband, pink leggings, yellow poster, pink tamborine...I looked ridiculous, but I knew the runners would appreciate it. Turns out, my poster was a huge hit.

Everybody loved it. I can't even begin to count the number of times it got a laugh out of the runners. It made me feel good that my simple little poster could make a struggling runner feel good, give me a thumbs up, and smile. Hey, I know what it's like at Mile 12 and 25 and at that point, you need a pick-me-up. Even if it's a funny poster held by a crazy girl in a green wig.

At about 2:20-ish, Jill and Redhead were making their way up the bridge. They both looked fantastic! I swear, it didn't even look like they'd already run 12 miles. Of course I screamed and jumped, and yelled, and did my best cheerleader impersonation when I saw them! It's so exciting to cheer on your friends. I've always been the runner, never the spectator, but it's almost as exciting as running the race.

After a minute or so, I sent them on their way to get their finish on! I stayed for the duration of the marathon to spectate for everbody else. What an experience.

Cool moment #1: A guy, maybe in his 40s, came up to me at Mile 25 and said, "I saw you at the beginning four hours ago...you're still here?" Then I said, "Well, you're still out here, so why shouldn't I be?" And then he gave me a kiss on the cheek and said thanks.

Cool moment(s) #2: Watching the breast cancer survivors (some still bald from chemo). How hard is it to have to go through what they're going through, and then run a marathon on top of it?! Inspiring, and I'm pretty sure I was desperately trying to hold back tears. Just amazing.

Cool moment(s) #3: The t-shirts. A few notables: "Running to save second base", "Anything to save motorboatin'!" <---maybe slightly inappropriate, but funny nonetheless!, "Team Tough Titties", "Feel your boobies", "Running to save my girls", and countless others. I love the creative stuff people come up with!

I love that this race is 100% non-profit. Every penny of your race fee goes to breast cancer research. I plan to run it next year and hopefully I can convince my sister (a survivor) and aunt (a survivor), and cousins to run it with me. Even if we just do the relay, or the half, I want to run it. And I want to run it with them.

I need to wake up in 5 hours

2010-02-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

For reals. It's midnight, and I need to be awake in 5 hours to start making my way to Jacksonville to spectate the 26.2 with Donna. But I'm so excited. I can't sleep (and I took a 3 hour nap today). So I'm blogging instead.

In some really good news I survived my 3-mile injury recovery trial run. I didn't feel a thing in my hip/butt/leg. *grins from ear to ear* I promised myself I was going to take it really slow, so I didn't do anything faster than a 9:50 mile. I finished in about 31 minutes, so not bad. But it felt so good to run again. I was super aware of every little small ache and pain, trying to assess whether it was injury related or just running related. Conclusion: I'm healed.

Time to get back to training for the Gate River Run 15K, but I'm still going to take it easy. Instead of running 5 times per week, I'm going to cut it down to 3-4 times per week, and try to cross train and strengthen more. I still want that 15K PR!!

In some other good news, one of my favoritest readers has started her first running blog. Let me give you a little background info. Whitney and I went to high school together in Utah. She's a year younger than me, but we were in choir together. We became friends in that class, but became even better friends when we went on choir tour to California my senior year/her junior year. Then life happened. We went out separate ways, went to college, got married, and then we found each other again on Facebook and through our personal blogs.

I haven't physically seen her since high school. Seriously. But we've totally connected again through FB and my blog. And guess what? She's a runner. I don't know if she's always been a runner (maybe I should've asked that?!), but she is now. I wasn't always a runner, and I most definitely wasn't a runner when I was in high school. Those were my chubby/"I hate exercise" days. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I feel like we are closer now than we ever were in high school. And it's all because of running. I run. She runs. We run. I blog. And now she blogs. YAY!

I'm so excited to read about her running adventures, and I thought I'd introduce her to y'all. Meet Whitney. <---- Go check out her blog!!

Whtiney, don't kill me for posting this picture! :)

How long have you been running and why did you start running?
I started running in January 2007. Thanksgiving 2006, one of my sisters gathered the family together and challenged us all to participate in the upcoming Salt Lake City marathon together. 7 of us chose the half marathon and the other 3 chose the 5K. I was completely freaked out, because the last time that I had seriously tried running was my 9th grade year for the high school track team. And I thought that I could do sprints and hurdles. Let me just tell you... I never once jumped over a hurdle, and only ran 100 meter dashes, and always came in 6-7 out of 8. I am not fast. Anyway, I started training and it was tough, but it was worth it when I finished that race in April 2007. I'm pretty sure that I cried. <---The SLC Half Marathon was MY first half, too!

Favorite running gear and why?
My favorite running gear is my Garmin. I only got it last September and I love it. It's really helped me so how slow I can get when I'm not paying attention (which is often). <---SOOO jealous! I want a Garmin more than anything.

What do you listen to when you run?
I listen to a VERY wide range of music when I run. My current playlist has Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga, Led Zeppelin, Glee, The Ramones, No Doubt and Linkin Park (to name a few). Zeppelin is my fav.

What is something you cannot run without, and why?
My music. It helps keep SOME of the head games away.

What race distance is your favorite and why?
I guess my favorite race distance is the half marathon. It's the only distance I've raced. I've done 5 of them. <----Now she has all these other distances where she can get instant PRs!

What time of day do you usually run, and why?
I run whenever I can find the time. Saturdays are my long runs, so those are in the mornings, and just recently I discovered running on my lunch break at work. So that's where I'm at right now.

Treadmill, streets, or trails, and why?
I hate the treadmill. HATE. And I've only ever run on streets and paved trails. I would like to try a real trail-run soon. Streets are the easiest for me. My regular route is to run from my house up to a lake that is 1 mile from my house, run around it on the paved trail and then back home. It's a 5 mile loop and I love it. There are lots of other runners for me to wave and smile at. I'm big into waving at other runners and flashing a smile.

What has been your most significant running-related learning experience to date?
Stretching really does help. I don't really stretch well (and I don't ever warm up before going out on a run - I know, I'm a sinner), and for the last two seasons I've had IT band issues. I've learned stretches that have really helped me, and I'm trying to do better... but I still don't do it regularly.

What advice would you give to someone new to running?
You are stronger and more capable than you think you are. Running isn't easy (at least, it isn't for me), but it does get easier if you keep at it. <----Love this!

Short-term and long-term running goals?
Short-term: work on speed. Long-term: I'm almost afraid to say this - a marathon.

Mileage goal for 2010?
I haven't ever thought of a mileage goal for the year? What's a good goal? I haven't a clue. Let’s say: 500. Is that too small? Too much? I really don't know! <---Whitney, I think you can do 750, at least!! I bet you already ran over 500 miles last year without even realizing it!

Do you have a blog, blog(s), or a website you’d like to share? If so, please list them.
I just started my running blog. I really don't know what I'm doing, and I'm not a great athlete, so I'm sure that no one will read it or enjoy it. But I did it for me. I like to log all of my info after I run, so I can see how I'm progressing.
It's What Moves Me

Three Things Thursday

2010-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

Three Things Thursday

1. Injury update:
I'm going to attempt a 3-mile run tomorrow. It will have been 12 days of not running, and I think I'm feeling ready. The husband has been doing daily therapy massages (on my butt...hahahaha), I've been doing daily stretch and strength exercises and my pain is absolutely 100% gone. I can even do other forms of cardio without feeling any pain, so I think it might be safe to try running again. I'm going to take it slow, easy, and will stop immediately if the pain comes back.

I think the biggest factor of me attempting to run again is the progress I've felt during the therapy butt massages. The first few daily massages were painful. Painful, painful, painful. The husband did not hold back and let me just say one thing: deep tissue massages are not feel-good massages. They're pure torture. I have a low tolerance to pain as it is, but I did not expect these massages to hurt so much. They brought tears to my eyes. Literally. I had to shove my face into a pillow, bite to keep from not screaming....just thinking about how much it hurts makes me want to cry again. Tears flowing down my cheeks -- it's embarrassing to admit. But now the massages don't hurt as bad, thank heavens.

Unfortunately, as the husband points out, Piriformis syndrome is a difficult thing to get rid of entirely. It's going to require constant diligence on my part to do these stretch and strengthening exercises everyday, especially on run days. A few of you mentioned you've had problems with your piriformis -- what do you do to combat it?

2. This weekend I'm meeting up with Redhead and Jill for lunch on Saturday in Jacksonville. They're all running the 26.2 with Donna, the breast cancer marathon on Sunday (although, technically they're doing "13.1" with Donna....). I'm SO EXCITED! And to add a little icing on the cake I'm trekking back up to Jax on Sunday to spectate the marathon/half-marathon! This will be my first time spectating a race and I can't wait. These girls better be prepared for me dressed a little crazy, posters in hand, jumping up and down, screaming to them to get their run on and finish strong!

3. Due to a couple of circumstances that have just occurred, some of my race plans for this year have changed (losing full-time job, and husband's internships). First of all, I'm not going to be able to get in as many Ragnars as I would have liked. I was planning on running the Northwest Passage, Wasatch Back, and Washington D.C. Ragnar Relays. This will have to be cut back to just the Wasatch Back. I've already paid my entry fee, so I can't go back on this one. Plus, I plan to run this spectacular race every year. I love it and can't wait to be Runner #1!

And, I just found out today where my husband is going for his second and third internships at the end of the year. And I plan on going with him, at least for part of them. From August to October he'll be in Alaska. ALASKA! It just so happens that one of my best friends lives in Alaska in the area where his internship is, and she just so happens to be a runner, too. So, there's this 16-mile trail race that she mentioned running. It's called the Lost Lake Run, and it's on the Kenai Peninsula. Sixteen miles of running through the Alaskan woods! INTENSE! I can't wait!

Then from October through December he'll be interning in SLC, Utah! Going back home, baby! This will make the St. George Marathon a very real possibility for me, and I def plan on running the Las Vegas RnR marathon. Vegas is only a hop, skip, and jump away from SLC, plus we have family there and can stay for free.

Yay for new running plans!!!

P.S. If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, do it now!! Only about 48 more hours to enter!

Injured...but there's a giveaway!

2010-02-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

I realize today is not Sunday. I also realize that I haven't posted in over 2 weeks. Just put a big, fat, red FAIL stamp on my forehead for Sunday blogging. Better late than never, right? I have a lot of random things on my mind right now -- running and non-running alike.

First of all, I want to congratulate one of my fave blog buddies, Muddy Runner, for his fantastic first marathon a couple of Sundays ago! LB ran the Surf City Marathon with a time of 4:42. LB is an inspiration to me. Three years ago he weighed 308 pounds...and now he just completed a marathon, weighing in at around 190! Amazing. If you haven't stopped by his blog yet, do so now. I'll wait... There's nothing better than a virgin-marathoner race report!

As you might have already guessed from the title of my post, I have suffered my first running injury. And it's a tricky one. I'd never heard of it before two weeks ago...when the husband diagnosed me. Let me tell you my story:

A couple of weeks ago I stood up at my desk at work and felt a sharp pain on the outside of my left hip/thigh, sorta close to my butt. I figured it was nothing, the pain subsided, and then later that day I went to the gym for running and lifting. As soon as I hopped on the treadmill the pain came back. It wasn't as sharp as before, but it was pretty bothersome. I ran through it, thinking if I ran a little bit it would work out the kinks. The pain lessened to a dull ache and I ran for 4 miles. The pain wasn't anything like I'd never run through before. It just felt like, well, pain you get sometimes because you run. Make sense?

So after I finished running my scheduled 4 miles I hopped off the treadmill and, whoa! I couldn't walk without limping. That's never happened before. Not even after the marathon. So I went home and promptly asked the husband to check me out. No, not "check me out", you pervs (although he is allowed to do that!), check me out, as in use his physical therapy skills and find out what's wrong.

Side note: Have I ever mentioned how much it turns me on when he gets all professional, and talks "physical therapy" to me? Because it does. He's learned so much, I love it. He is going to be an effing great PT when all the school is said and done.

So, the husband had me do some stretches, then he would bend and twist my hip/leg this way, or that way, and ask me if it hurt or not. Then he did this one stretch/move...I don't what you call it in PT terms...he had me lay on my back, bend my right leg so that my knee was elevated with my right foot on the ground, and had me prop my left ankle on my right knee. Then he pushed down on my left knee and....FML!!! OWWWW.

Me: "That hurts!!"

Husband: "I know exactly what it is."

Me: "Please tell me it's not a stress fracture..."

Husband: "You'd need an x-ray for me to tell you that."

Me: "Eff my life!"

Husband: "It's your piriformis."

Me: "Piri...what?"

Husband: "Your piriformis muscle. It's probably too tight, and it's probably pinching your sciatic nerve. That's where the pain comes from."

Me: "How do I fix it?"

Husband: "Rest."

Me: "I hate resting."

Husband: "You should probably do some strength exercises on your hip abductors, too."

Me: (In my head) "Eff my life."

So, the husband went online to one of his scholarly websites, did some research, and came up with the following:

* Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or otherwise irritated by the piriformis muscle causing pain, tingling and numbness in the butt and along the path of the sciatic nerve descending down the lower thigh and into the leg. <--- This is totally where my pain is at.

* Runners are very susceptible to piriformis syndrome because of the constant forward motion. It can be avoided if the runner does lateral stretching and strengthening exercises. <---I run. I hate strength, and I (oops) never stretch. FML! Lesson learned the hard way.

*Repeated forward motion, with no lateral (side to side) movement leads to disproportionate weak hip abductors, and tight hip adductors. This causes the piriformis muscle to shorten and severely contract, which pinches the sciatic nerve. <---This is totally me. The husband tells me I have the weakest hip abductors he's ever seen.

* Piriformis syndrome is also caused by overpronation of the foot. <--- FML! I'm a "severe" overpronator with the flattest feet possible. Boo.

So there you have it. I took my husband's advice and rested...for 2 days. What can I say? I really wanted to run. Stupid, stupid Christy. It didn't improve. Still hurt. I've been doing increased stretching and strengthening exercises that the husband told me to do, and I finally gave in and didn't run. Last Monday I went to my yoga class, did some awesome stretching, and there was no more pain anymore. So I decided to test out another run last Tuesday. It felt great for the first 4 miles. Then the pain came back. Stupid Christy prevailed and decided to keep running for 5 more miles. It was just a dull pain, but it was still there. After the 9-miler, I went home frustrated. I've finally come to the realization that rest doesn't mean "only a couple of days." I'm going to continue to do my stretching and strengthening to make my weak areas stronger, and I've been taking a rest from running. My last run was over a week ago. I'll play it by ear. I'm going to try a short run this weekend, test it out, see how I feel. The husband said two weeks off from running should be okay. I'll still go to the gym and do other forms of cardio, but I guess I need to heal.

This is part of the reason I haven't blogged. It's depressing, not being able to run. When I go to the gym and see everyone on the treadmills I get this sense of...longing. It sounds so cheesy, but it's true. I hate not being able to step on that treadmill, or step on the asphalt and get going. Running is what I do, and what am I supposed to do if I can't run? I know, I should stop whining. I'll be able to run soon, and there are lots of runners out there with worse injuries than mine. I should be grateful it's not something worse.

*sigh* I hate not running.

Moving on.

In some good news for blogging, I may rescind my "blog on sunday only" policy. Good news for y'all, bad news for me. Just last week I was informed that the clinic that I work for in the hospital is being shut down. Which means starting yesterday, I no longer have a full-time job. I'm being placed as a PRN (as needed) employee, so who knows how many hours I'll get during any given week. If y'all remember my post awhile back about my job situation since moving to Florida, it hasn't been a good one. Go back and re-read if you want the full story.

So anyway, while this puts financial strain on my little family of two, I'm trying to see this as a blessing in disguise. I now have loads of time to study for my English tests, which is good. I've been feeling so time-crunched for studying, and I've been freaking out that I won't be prepared for the exams. Plus, it means I can give myself an hour every day to blog. Yay!

And now for the best part of this post, and probably the only reason you kept reading through this novel of a post -- a giveaway! A totally real and awesome giveaway. Not a fake giveaway, a REAL one. Hooray.

First, let me give a little background info.

I have earphone/earbud issues. Ever since I started running with my iPod I've had problems with earbuds staying in my ear. I've tried all kinds, all brands. Skull Candy, Bose, apple, Sony, etc. You name it, I've tried them. Apparently my ear holes are teeny tiny. (ear holes....hahahaha, sounds funny) Everything is too big, and I'm constantly having to jam those things back in my ears during my runs. Annoying.

A while back I given the chance to try out a pair of yurbuds. These things are amazing. Freaking amazing. They are custom-fit to your ear, and while they look a little funny, they are so comfortable. The best part? They haven't fallen out of my ears. Not once. *yayyyyyyy!* Oh, and just in case you're wondering, they fit over most brands of earbuds. So you don't have to buy new earphones for these babies to work.

But that's not the only thing I love about these things. The sound quality is fan-freaking-tastic. I don't have to turn my iPod's volume up as loud as normal, and it seriously sounds like I've got a home theater surround sound system in my ears. No joke, folks! Here's mine:

So, the folks over at Yurtopia have kindly offered to give 10 of my readers a pair of Yurbuds, too! Not just one pair, but TEN pairs!!!! So here are the rules for this giveaway.

1. Become a follower of my blog, and get one entry. Let me know you did this in a comment. If you're already a follower, let me know that, too.

2. Post a link to this giveaway on your blog, and get TWO entries. Let me know you did this in a comment.

3. Post a link to the Yurbuds website, and get one entry. Let me know you did this.

4. In a comment, tell me what kind of earbuds/earphones you have. Do you like them/hate them? Tell me why. Get one more entry.

All of this can be done in one comment. I don't need 4 different comments for the same person. Unless you really want to do that, of course, but one comment is just fine. Contest ends Saturday, Feb. 20 at midnight EST.

Please note that I received my yurbuds free of charge from Yurtopia, and this review is given honestly and of my own free will. If I hated them, I'd tell ya, I promise!

Oh, and if you like this giveaway, I'm pretty sure you'll love this one. Adam, over at I am Boring, is hosting his first ever blog giveaway. Go check it out and enter to win!

First week of studying...check!

2010-01-31T15:27:00.000-08:00

First, I just wanted to say thank you. Before writing my last post, I was super sad that I wouldn't have as much time to blog as I normally would have. Seriously. Blogging is a hobby. And blogging is one of the main reasons (if not THE main reason), I've come so far with running in the last year. You guys inspire me to keep going, to reach for higher dreams (hello....at the beginning of 2009 I had it in my mind that I would never run a marathon as long as I lived!), and to never give up. So thank you for being so understanding that I have to take a small step back in blogging to accomplish one of my other dreams -- teaching English to middle school or high school kids!

So it's true. I'm studying English. I majored in English in college, but I didn't take the teaching route. I took the oh-so-boring technical writing and editing route. What was I thinking?! I have a degree in English, but I am not certified as a teacher. But I will be.

I'd like to compare this portion of my studying to the high mileage weeks leading up to the marathon. During those weeks you sacrifice your time, your work, your relationships, and your mind. Everything is run, sleep, eat, run, sleep, eat, repeat. But instead of only two or three weeks of high mileage, I'm in two months of "high studying." (BTW, I still get confused about whether or not to put the period inside the quotation mark or outside...someone enlighten me, as it's sure to be on my test!)

Rest assured, I'm not letting my running slide. I'm still going strong. I ran an 8-mile long run on Saturday and besides the fact that it was on the treadmill, it was fantastic. I was hoping to run outside again, but Mother Nature didn't want to cooperate again. It was raining buckets. If it was just a quick 3 or 4 miler, I would've sucked it up and just went with it. But I didn't really feel like drying out my shoes for two days.

But it felt good. I even ran faster than the dude on the tready next to mine. I love it when that happens. I love it even more when they can't keep up, and then have to stop for a walk break. In my head I was thinking, "That's right, biotch, you just got chicked!" bwahahaha.

New subject.

I've been thinking about marathons I want to run someday. If I could only run one more marathon in my lifetime, which would it be? Oooh, there's so many. But it came down to this: the Big Sur Marathon. Not Boston, not London, not Chicago. The Big Sur. It would be a challenge. But a beautiful challenge. I'm all about scenery when I run, and those big city marathons just don't appeal to me.

So I'm asking you, if you could only run ONE marathon in your lifetime, which one would it be and why? I'm guessing most people will say Boston. If it is Boston, tell me, but I also want to know what the second best marathon you'd pick to run and why?

Oh, and stick around. I've got a killer giveaway coming up soon!

I'm beggin'

2010-01-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

Life has been a little busy.

Okay, I take that back. Life hasn't been a little busy. It's been EXTREMELY busy. Busy beyond belief. Between work, studying, running, working out, running errands, I've had no time to blog. It makes me more than a little sad. The thing is, I really need to buckle down and study for my upcoming teaching certification tests. And I mean I REALLY need to buckle down. And by "buckle down" I mean I need to be studying at least 2 hours a night during the week, and at least 6 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday. I kid you not. It's crunch time, folks, and because of my seriously awesome procrastination skills, it's time to study.

The thing is, I'm a blogger. I blog because I love connecting with people who share my same interests, and because it's sort of a therapeutic exercise for me. The writing, I mean. But then I get sucked in. I not only write a blog, but I READ blogs. Lots of them. More than I'd like to admit to anyone. You can see where this is going, right? Writing blogs + reading blogs = time eater.

So I've made a plan. I don't like it, but until those tests are done, I have to stick to it. I'm limiting my blogging to once per week. GAH. How is this possible?! I have no idea because your blogs will be calling to me. Slowly, you're witty words, funny jokes, sarcastic comments, and overall likability, will be luring me to the computer every day. But I MUST RESIST! At least until the end of March. So there you have it. I am giving myself a few hours on Sunday to blog/read blogs/leave you comments. I won't forget you. But you may not see a comment from me until days after you've written a post.

So I'm beggin' you. Please don't leave me! (I sound like a desperate ex-girlfriend, don't I?) I love all of my new readers, and I love your comments. I do, I really do. So I promise an entertaining post every Sunday. It will have all the good running gossip, race reports, and training woes that I usually have, just crammed into one giant post.

Okay, now that I've basically gotten down on my knees to beg....

I'm still in training for the Gate River Run 15K. It's been going pretty well. I've made it a goal of mine to run faster than normal, and I've done that. Instead of running at a 10:00 pace, I've been running at about a 9:40-9:45 pace. I figured, I'm running that fast during races, so why not pick up my pace during training runs? I've been doing speed work once per week ( I love intervals!!!), and I can already tell that they've made a difference.

I don't know about you, but I love speed work. L O V E, love it. I feel speedy, powerful, and freaking awesome. On Tuesday, during my 8 X 400m repeats, I seriously felt like Kara Goucher for each of those 1/4 miles. Hilarious, right? But speed work makes me feel, well, fast! (duh, Christy, that's why they're called "speed" intervals).

I've got an 8-mile long run planned this Saturday and I can't wait. I used to dread my long runs. Well, not dread, but worry. I used to worry about my long runs. But ever since the marathon, it's like I know I can do that distance, no problem. I love my long runs! See what kind of confidence a marathon can instill in you? I love it. (still basking in the afterglow...)

And other thing: I got contacts! For the very first time in my life...it took me 20 minutes to put them in. Please tell me it gets better...

Random weekend musings

2010-01-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah! It's Friday, and this weekend just couldn't come fast enough. Not that I have anything fun and exciting planned, but I definitely need this little 2 day break from work. It was just one of those weeks, if you know what I'm sayin'.

Tomorrow I have a 7-miler planned, and if the weather decides to cooperate unlike it did yesterday (helllloooooo, monsoon and tornadoes!), I WILL be doing those 7 miles outside. I've had a new route planned out that I've been anxiously awaiting to try, and I really don't feel like doing those 7 miles inside this weekend. I want to be out. Because the rest of the weekend I'm putting myself under house arrest to get some studying done.

I'm not kidding, either. I plan on at least 6 hours of studying both Saturday and Sunday. Trust me, come Saturday afternoon when I'm nose deep in notes about the movements of American literature, I'm going to NEED that 7-mile run break. It'll be calling to me. Screw The Great Gatsby, give me some "Tik Tok" and fresh air!

Which brings me to another topic. I have a lot of catching up to do to be prepared for the literature portion of my teaching certification test. I've been thinking that because I spend so many hours running, maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. You know, "read" while running. Have any of you ever listened to books on tape while you run? Side note: Why are they still called books on "tape", when technically they are mp3 files or CDs? Shouldn't they be called "Books on iPod" or "Books on Compact Disc"? I've been wanting to give it a try, but I worry that I'll be too preoccupied with running that I won't pay attention to the words being spoken. Any insight would be helpful.

New topic. Sorry, it's completely unrelated to running, but it's such good news, I have to share.

I'm going on a cruise!! That's right, folks. Me and a few of my gal pals from back home are heading to the Caribbean in March for a week-long party on white sandy beaches. What does the husband think of this? He's all for it. Unfortunately, grad school is taking my husband away from me for two months for his first physical therapy internship. He'll be ~~living it up~~ working really hard in Las Vegas, while I'm here in Florida. Just me and my dog. So he thought it'd be a good idea to take a little vay-cay with the girls. What a good man!

New topic. But this time totally and completely related to running.

I've mentioned before that I'm running the Gate River Run 15K on March 13 in Jacksonville, but I have some fantastic news to add to that. I've recruited a pacer to run with me, keep me going, and keep me speedy. It's none other than Morgan, from Caution: Redhead Running! She and I have conversed through emails as of late and decided that we are totally going to run this race together. I'm looking to PR at this race, and she's just the person I'd love to help me stick to it. The race is 2 weeks after she's running the Gasparilla Marathon, so she wanted to take it slow, not overdo it. Haha! I love how her really slow pace is my really fast pace!! Cracks me up! Anyway, I'm super excited to run with her and I know it'll be a good time. Yay for bloggy friend meet-ups!

Happy Friday, everyone!

"It's a major award!"

2010-01-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

Unbeknownst to me, Alicia, over at Alicia Runs gave me a most prestigious award. It's just a little somethin', somethin' that's been floating around the running blogosphere as of late. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with my major award!*

Thanks, girl! The rules of the award are as follows: Post 7 random facts about myself, and then give the award to 7 other people. Sweet. So here they are. Seven random facts about yours truly that you probably don't really care to know, but may find interesting just the same.

1. I strongly dislike washing/styling my hair. In fact, dislike is too nice of a word. I LOATHE it. This doesn't mean that I'm a dirty girl, with greasy hair. I still wash it every day. Every morning when I wake up and think about how much time I'm going to need to spend on my hair (which really isn't all that long...20 minutes, tops?), I want to curl in a ball and hide under the blankets. Why, oh, why can't I be a man sometimes? Wake up, shower 5 minutes, rinse off hair, and go.

2. I was a choir nerd in high school. Hard core choir nerd. It was my life and I embraced it full-heartedly. That's probably where I get my strong love for Glee. Love that show.

3. I am also a font nerd. I love fonts, and can argue with the best of them whether or not the right font is used in certain contexts. That's my document design background, for ya. Word to the wise. Don't ever use Comic Sans. I cringe every time I see that font. The font is just as it sounds -- comical, and should not be used in professional settings. Rant over.

4. Last January was the first time I'd ever been east of the Mississippi. For reals. It's like a completely different world over here on this side of the country! So many people!

5. I spent my honeymoon in Vegas. Yeah, baby! I love The Vegas!

6. I'm currently in the process of obtaining my teaching certificate for secondary education. I will officially be able to apply for teaching jobs in the fall. Yay.

7. Sometimes I can be quite the domestic goddess. Last year I planted my own vegetable garden, and come fall, canned every last one of those veggies. Who knew pressure cookers could be so fun?

Tricia, over at Endurance Isn't Only Physical, has posted yet another giveaway. Be sure to head on over there to check out the RoadID she's giving away free of charge. Damn! Why can't I be popular enough for companies to send me stuff to giveaway?

In running news, I did 7 X 400m repeats last night. Wow. I've lost some speed. Need to work on that. Also worked out my legs and abs for the first time in who knows how long, and I'm def feeling the effects today. One word. OUCH.

*Five points for the first person to name that movie.

FAIL

2010-01-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

I'm finally back into the swing of running again. My little after-marathon break from running was quite nice, but I've realized just how much going more than a few days without running makes me antsy.

I went for a short 4-miler with the dog yesterday around the neighborhood trails. I must've been distracted by Marley* (my dog) because about 2 or 3 minutes into my run I realized I forgot to start my watch. FAIL. Most of the time I really enjoy running with Marley, but he was super preoccupied yesterday and all he wanted to do was sniff the ground, then sniff the grass, then yank me to the side, then not watch where he's going and run into me, then pull me in the direction of a squirrel, then pee, then sniff another dog's butt....yeesh! Can a girl catch a break?! I felt I used more muscles just trying to keep him next to me than I did trying to run.

About 10 minutes into the run Marley decided he need to go pee, and I tell you, it was the longest pee I've ever seen! I stopped my watch while I waited for Niagra Falls to stop...once he finished his business we were back to running again. Not more than 5 minutes later I look at my watch and realized I had forgotten to start it again after the pee break. FAIL #2.

So I start it again, thinking I'll just have to estimate my time when I get home. About 15 minutes later Marley decides he needs to not only take another pee break, but also take a massive sh!t. And when I say massive, I freaking mean it. During this colossal poop I look down at my watch and realize I forgot to stop it while he did his thing. FAIL #3. Eff my life!

At this point, estimating my time was futile. Screw it. I cleaned his mess, promptly found a garbage can and threw it away, then went on my way. As I was finishing up the run I thought to myself this could make a good post, but then I realized maybe y'all will think I never let my dog outside to go to the bathroom, and turn me in for animal abuse. I swear to you, I let him outside not 15 minutes before our run! Just sayin'!

One more thing worth mentioning: Oh, how easily I've forgotten the unrelentless Florida humidity and heat! It was 64 degrees during my run, humid as hell, and I thought I was going to die! I've been spoiled with this semi-cold weather we've been having, that I've quickly put it out of my mind how much I hate running in Florida humidity. Don't worry, Mother Nature made sure I didn't forget. Bitch.I suppose it's back to tank top and shorts...

Already dreading the summer... *shudders*

For your entertainment, and because I just can't stop gloating/thinking about my marathon, they've finally posted the official race pictures. Take a look.

Totally love how my celebration arms look like I'm about to knock out the lady behind me.

Hard. Core. With a giant sorcerer's hat in the bg

smiles!

*Yes, I am fully aware that "Marley" is the trendiest name for a dog right now ("Hansel...he's so hot right now."). In my defense, I did not name my dog. My husband didn't name him, either. We rescued him when he was 9 months old, and decided it was just too cruel to change his name. Poor guy might have identity issues....although given the chance, I'd name him Chuck. Short for Chuck Norris.

If ya ain't first, you're last!

2010-01-17T09:59:00.001-08:00

So maybe y'all will think this is funny, too, or not, but I just thought I'd share.

The other day I was talking to my dad about the marathon, and he goes, "Well, that's great, did you win?"

HAHAHAHAHA! I love parents for this very reason. They always think the best of you, no matter what you're doing. It was kinda sweet, but totally funny at the same time. "No Dad. I came in 6,000th place."

To which he responds, "6,000th place?! Did you come in last or something?!"

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad!

In giveaway news, Tricia at Endurance Isn't Only Physical, is hosting an iFitness belt giveaway. It ends tonight, so you'll want to hurry over there and enter to win!

What's next for me?

2010-01-14T15:11:00.001-08:00

I'm a little sad to post something today because it will remove my marathon recap from the top spot. I'm still basking in the afterglow, and I still get a little teary-eyed just thinking about that accomplishment. But alas! The blog must go on...

I haven't done any running since the race on Sunday, but I plan on a quick 3 or 4 miler tonight. I don't want to set anything in stone, but I do feel the itch to get back out on the asphalt and crank out a few miles. I have no set path, no set distance, all I know is that I'll walk outside my door tonight and get my run on! My legs finally feel like they can handle a run again (wowee....Monday and Tuesday, notsomuch...hellooooo sore muscles).

Now that the marathon is over, what's next? I've decided to take the month of February off for racing. BUT. This is a big but. I will, in fact, be volunteering for my first race. I'm already signed up and ready to go. I am officially a part of the "Bridge Brigade Cheering Section" for the 26.2 with Donna, and half marathon. How cool is that?! I get to "volunteer" to be a spectator! I chose to volunteer at this particular race because the foundation behind it is near and dear to my heart. My aunt and sister have both been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past, and have both beat it. Amazing! Support breast cancer research!

I just found out last week that Redhead will indeed be running the Donna half, so I think I'll return the favor of her spectating the Disney Marathon, and I'll make sure and bring bright posters, crazy ass balloons and a cowbell or two. If any of you are also running, please let me know. I'd love to cheer for you, too!

The next big race I have on my schedule is the Gate River Run 15K. This little gem of a race just happens to be the USA 15K championship, and hundreds of elite olympic athletes turn out for it every year. Can we say Deena Kastor? She's a staple of this race. If you don't run it, you should at least spectate just to see the sheer awesomeness of Olympic athletes. Over 15,000 people run the Gate, and having run it last year I can tell you that it's one of the sweetest courses I've raced on. Lots of entertainment, lots of crowd support, and a giant bridge to conquer around Mile 8. I loved this race last year and I definitely plan on beating my previous time.

One more thing, I just want to say hello to all of my new readers! I'm not sure where you're all coming from, but I love it, and I love that you are reading my blog. I promise I'll add y'all to my blog list as soon as I get a spare second to update my page. If you have any questions for me, or want to meet up at any races, or talk relays, or whatever, please feel free to email me at christylynne.lyons@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by and leaving me all of these wonderful comments. For reals. I love it. Keep 'em comin'!

(Can you tell I still have all the warm fuzzies from the marathon?! So upbeat and cheesy today....)

Race Report: Disney World Marathon

2010-01-11T15:49:00.001-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I AM A MARATHON FINISHER!

Today I'm sore, tired, and recovering, but extremely giddy and happy. I can't stop thinking about the marathon.

First of all, I don't know if y'all heard or not, but Florida has been in record low temps for the past few days now. I never expected to run my first marathon in sub-freezing temperatures, but apparently Mother Nature had other ideas in mind. the race officialy started at 5:40 a.m., but I was up at 2:40, and out the door by 3:10. The husband and I drove to Epcot, and there were already a line of cars waiting to park. Crazy traffic! Anyway, it was COLD! Good thing I was wearing my hat, gloves, and jacket. I'd had previously planned to run in just a tank top and running capris...damn weather. I said goodbye to the husband to go wait in my corral, but not before taking a picture with a GI Joe. How awesome is that?!

For the next hour and a half I froze my toosh off. My toes eventually just went numb, and I started to worry that that would affect my running. Nothing I could do, though. It was cold, and the race hadn't begun. What was funny, and I wish I would've snapped a picture of it, was the runners who had on these throwaway hazmat suits. At least that's what they looked like. Hey, whatever keeps them warm, right?

Just before the race started Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald came out (totally dressed in track outfits!!! *smiles*) to get things started. We counted down, the fireworks went off, and then off we went! The husband was fortunate to get this awesome pic of the start line. You can sort of see the start line in the bottom middle of the photo, just under the row of 5 fireworks. Click to enlarge.

I was so hyped up on adrenaline the first few miles flew by without a hitch. When I reached Mile 4 I realized I needed to pee, and I needed to pee BAD! Damn. I was hoping to run the marathon without stopping in the port-o-potty, but I just couldn't wait. Good thing I went, because it was the longest pee I've ever had. Or maybe it just felt like that. And let's not talk about how long I had to wait in line to go pee. I was antsy to get back out there to run. Every second in the port-o-potty was a second added to my overall time. In all, it probably took 3 minutes or so do my business (waiting in line included).

For the first few miles we wound our way around Epcot. It was still dark out, but the park was alive with light. It was def cool to run through the park, view the rides, see the sites, and see the Disney characters. It was a big distraction. I didn't even think about running, or feeling tired, or anything.

Miles 5 through 10 were on a stretch of highway in between Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. I felt great. My plan was to eat a GU every five miles, and I only carried two GUs with me (I was planning on meeting up with the husband at Mile 12-ish to grab some more GUs from him), so I ate GU at Mile 5 and Mile 10, and honestly, I had to remind myself to eat them. First, because I wasn't feeling tired, and second, the race was just so freaking awesome and there were so many things to see, that I wasn't paying attention to mileage.

Just after Mile 10 we entered the Magic Kingdom through Tomorrowland. I wanted to stop and take a picture with Buzz Lightyear, but the line was too long. I would've waited for at least 2 or 3 minutes, and I didn't want to wait that long for the picture. Oh well. I figured there would be more opportunities to take pics with the characters. After Tomorrowland we wound our way to Main Street USA and there were spectators galore! It. Was. Awesome. You could see Cinderella's Castle in the background, and I was most anxious about running through the castle. Just before I reached the castle I got in line to take a picture with the crew from Peter Pan. Wendy, Peter, Smee, and Hook...

Then I saw the castle. And, of course, i had to take a picture of people running through the castle. I felt like a princess! Minus the glass slippers and frilly dress...

I don't really remember much of Mile 11. The only thing I remember thinking was, "Geez, this is the farthest I've run without stopping to walk. Awesome! I bet I can make it until the halfway point before I stop for a walk break..."

At Mile 12 I was expecting to meet up with the husband so he could refuel my SPIbelt with 3 more GUs, give me a hug and words of encouragement, and send me on my way. But I didn't see him. Anywhere. I was on constant lookout, too. Once I reached the Mile 13 marker I started to panic. I didn't have any more GUs with me, and I really needed to see his face. Sometimes a runner just needs to see a familiar face, you know?! The next place we planned to meet up was the finish line, so....yeah. For a mile or so I was really upset about not seeing him. I NEEDED to see him, and I needed those GUs. I needed support. Physically and emotionally.

After Mile 14 I put Plan B into action. Since I didn't have any more GUs with me I started drinking the Powerade instead of water at the water stops. Which is something I never do, because Gatorade usually gives me an upset stomach when I run. I guess Powerade works, though! YAY! No upset stomach. And I decided to eat the food at the food stations. Originally I wasn't planning on eating during the race. I've NEVER eaten anything besides GUs while running, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I saw the bananas and immediately took one. Pretty sure I downed that thing in 30 seconds or less. I was worried how that would affect my stomach, but all the worry was for nothing. It tasted great, and it gave me energy.

Miles 12 through 16 were on another stretch of highway between Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom. I was startting to get a bit tired during this point, so at Mile 15 I stopped for a walk break. Fifteen miles...no walking!! Awesome. I also stopped a couple of times for some character pics. I figured, why not?!

Say hello to safari Donald and Daisy!

And my favorite character pic of all....it's Minnie!!

Running through the Animal Kingdom was pretty sweet. I think it was my favorite park to run through. We ran past Everest, and the dinosaurs, and the musicians were playing tribal music, and basically, it was just cool. It was a good distraction to how tired I felt. I was still a little sad that I didn't see my husband, but I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't see him until the end.

Then guess what?! Just after Mile 17 I look to my side and see my husband frantically trying to get my attention!! I was shocked. And relieved. I had to hold back tears of relief...I know, I was emotional! I ran over to him and said, "How did you get here?!" (As a side note, Disney is pretty strict about the places people can spectate. There are only a certain number of places that people without park passes can get to, and Mile 17 was only for Animal Kingdom park pass holders...my husband didn't have a pass.) He basically said he missed me at Mile 12 because the transportation for the spectators was insane and busy, and he didn't make it in time. Once he realized he missed me, he did everything he could to get to me before the finish. He knew I needed him. So he did what any loving husband would do and jumped on a bus to Animal Kingdom (I think it was a bus for volunteers and people with park passes), and made it to Mile 17 about 2 minutes before he spotted me. Just in the nick of time!! I said, "I thought I missed you! I was so sad." He said, "I know. Did you think I'd leave you stranded?" *heart flutters and melts* He gave me GUs, retied my left shoe (it was too tight), and gave me a huge hug and sent me on my way. Love him.

Miles 18 through 22 were hard. There were lots of hills (who knew?!) and it was just a boring stretch of highway. At Mile 20 I realized that every step after that point was farther than I'd ever run at one time before. In a way, every step was a milestone for me. I was starting to hurt. My feet felt like lead, and I started to have doubts about finishing. Pain. Aches. Ouch. Hills. Hurt. I needed to snap out of it, so I started envisioning the finish line. It worked. I just kept running. I came to the realization that I would finish the marathon. If I had to baby step, walk , or crawl myself to the finish line, I would do it.

At Mile 22 we reached Hollywood Studios. We ran by Mickey's giant sorcerer's hat, down Hollywood Blvd, and through the costuming department. SO COOL. I stopped to get this picture because I'm basically obsessed with The Incredibles. Love that movie.

I'm not going to lie and say Miles 22 to the finish were easy. They weren't. That last 10K was the hardest 6 miles I've ever run in my life. Every step took will power. Every step felt painful. I walked a few times. One foot in front of the other. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....."

At Mile 25 I was looking forward to running into one of my favorite blog buddies. She lives in Orlando, and had planned to be the official blogosphere spectator for the Disney Marathon. Shortly after the Mile 25 marker I saw the bright yellow poster, and knew it was her (even though I'd never met her before that moment!). The Redhead was there with Running Spike, and let me tell you, it made my day! It was just the boost I needed to finish strong. Thanks Morgan!!!

I had less than a mile to go, and I was happy. I turned off my iPod and just ran. The gospel choir was singing, and then I saw it. The finish line. THERE IT WAS!!! Almost done! I picked up my pace (as much as my tired legs could muster), held back tears, and crossed the finish line. I finished. I finished the marathon. The husband snapped a few pics as I was coming into the finish.

My stats?

Time: 4:49:54 (my goal was to finish under 5 hours...yay)
Overall place: 6578/16883
Gender place: 2315/8152
Division place: 489/1533

When I saw my husband at the end, I walked into his arms, and cried. Yup. I cried good, too. I was happy! I was in pain, but I finished. I DID IT!!

You better believe it. I gave my Mickey medal a big kiss on the lips!

It's hard to put into words how I felt about running my first marathon. There were so many good things about it. So many awesome and magical (hey! Disney will do that to you) moments. So many fantastic memories that I'll have forever. I've never felt such a personal sense of accomplishment like this in my life. It tops graduating from college and getting a real job. I've never done something that's required the amount of hard work, dedication, motivation, and will power to train for, and then run, a marathon. I know that sounds crazy, but I'm one of those people who gets an idea about something, tries it for a little while, and then quits when it doesn't work or gets too hard. Running was different for some reason. But I'm glad it was. I'm glad I stuck to it, finished what I started. Because guess what? I'm gonna do it again. I'm addicted. I WILL run another marathon. (Hopefully this year if all goes according to plan....)

The next time you'll hear from me...

2010-01-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

...I will no longer be a marathon virgin.

This is me signing off. The husband and I will be driving to Orlando tomorrow after I get off work, and there will be no time to post anything.

I'm nervous.

I'm excited.

I'm happy.

I'm ready.

Full race report to come on Monday!

3 Things Wednesday

2010-01-05T15:49:00.001-08:00

I know. The whole "3 things" thing only makes sense on Thursday, but I have 3 things worth mentioning today.

Numero uno
The Disney World Marathon is on Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just in case you can't tell how excited (and nervous) I am, here's a few more exclamation points for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately I've come down with a nasty cold and I'm not feeling too snazzy, but I'm trying to fight it off and get as much rest as possible, while still getting in my last few taper miles. Sure, getting sick during marathon week is not ideal, but I guess I'll have to live with it. I'm running this marathon come hell or high water. Still, it's hard to believe that I'm actually going to run a marathon. Not a half. A full freakin' marathon! And just because you know you want to, you can track me throughout the race. How cool is that?! You can sign up for text alerts or email updates, and they'll send you an email/text whenever I cross certain splits and the finish line. So, if you want to, go here and search for me (last name is Lyons, first name Christy): Track a runner I AM SO EXCITED!

Numero dos
Santa was good to me this year in the running department. I got lots of new gear and have been trying them out ever since.

First, I unwrapped two boxes of Gu. Strawberry banana flavor and mint chocolate flavor (holy moley!! Can they PLEASE make this an all-year flavor?!? Delish!). I've been saving the mint chocolate flavor for my marathon.

Then I opened three packages, each containing a new Nike driFIT running tank. These are my absolute fave tanks to run in. I already have two (one magenta, the other one pink striped), and now I have 3 more colors to cycle through. Debating which one will be worn in the marathon....any suggestions? Gray, turquoise, or orange?

I also got a SPIbelt (pink of course, for the marathon...to carry my camera...because there will be LOTS of photo ops!!), and some new Nike lightweight running gloves. I've taken both the belt and gloves out on two runs with me already and I'm loving them. It's been so cold here in Florida (30s....GAH!) and the gloves have come in handy.

And I of course saved the best for last. My new ride. These shoes must've been sent directly from the running gods because they are a-ma-zing. Now, I'm sort of a brand whore. I've never stayed with one brand for more than one pair of shoes. I feel like I'm still trying to find that "perfect" fit, and in order to find that shoe you have to play the field, right? First it was New Balance. Then Adidas came along. Then Nike swept me off my feet with that hot pink swoosh of his. But ladies and gentlemen, I think I've found my soul mate. Here they are in all their glory:

My new Asics Gel Evolution 5's. Never in my life have I felt something so perfect, so breathtaking, and so comfortable. They even smelled of perfectness when I opened the box, pulled back the tissue, and took my first breath. They are fan-freakin-tastic, my friends. It's like having a shoe-gasm every time I go for a run.

Numero tres
Goals. Everyone's talking about goals and resolutions these days. I haven't really put much thought into my goals for the year, but I have put a bit of thought into which races I'm going to participate in. So here's my list, month by month:

* January - Disney World Marathon
* February - no races set in stone, but I AM volunteering at the breast cancer marathon in Jacksonville, the 26.2 with Donna. This will be my first time volunteering for a race and I can't wait! Especially for a cause that is near and dear to my heart.
* March - Gate River Run 15K
* April -
* May -
* June - Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay (I will run this every year, on the same team...LOVE IT)
* July - Northwest Passage Ragnar Relay
* August -
* September - Washington D.C. Ragnar Relay
* October - St. George Marathon (IF I get in with the lottery)
* November - Shut Up and Run XC 5K
* December - Las Vegas RnR (IF I don't get in the St. George Marathon)

Obviously, I'm out to run me some relays! They're my fave type of run, and it's my life goal to run in every Ragnar Relay, so I might as well try and get some done now before kids enter the family life....

I want to fit in a couple of half-marathons and a 5K or 10K or two, but I'm not really familiar with all the halfs around northern Florida. Any suggestions about good ones to run?

Everybody's doing it

2010-01-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone's doing it, so why shouldn't I? My year in races post. This year has been a big year for me in terms of running. I've come a long way. Seriously. At the end of 2008 it hadn't even crossed my mind that I would be training for a marathon in just a few short months. Didn't think it was possible.

Anyway, 2009 was good for me in mileage, too. i suppose marathon training will do that to ya, right? I didn't start keeping track of my miles until March 1st, so this number is slightly inaccurate. I didn't do a whole lot of running during January and February, but I'm thinking we can add about 100 miles or so to this number. (Resolution #1: Keep track of all miles during 2010)

Total miles in 2009: 867.65

I ran nine races in 2009.

In January I ran the Matanzas 5K in St. Augustine. This was my first race in Florida. I remember showing up at 8 a.m. in 40 degree weather wearing a short running skirt and long sleeved cotton shirt. Everyone around me was wearing full-on winter gear. Hats, gloves, ankle-length running tights, long-sleeved jackets. I remember laughing because 40 degrees wasn't cold enough to be THAT bundled up (keep in mind that I just moved from Utah about 3 weeks before...). Forty degrees felt so nice! (How quickly I've acclimated to the weather. 40 is COLD!!!) Anyway, I finished the race in 30:31. Not my best race.

Right after my poor showing at the Matanzas 5K, I decided I needed to find a race to train for. I needed to get my butt back in gear. So I signed up for the Gate River Run 15K (the national USA 15K championship!!!) and in March I ran it in Jacksonville. This was my first and only 15K and I loved it. The weather was perfect. It was overcast, slightly humid, and included a giant bridge to conquer at mile 8. I finished in 1:38:44. It was a blast and I hope to run it again in 2010. I definitely plan on smokin' my time!

My next race wasn't for a couple of months, but I spent those months training hard for it. In June I flew home and ran the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back with my team from the previous year. Unfortunately I got pretty sick the day before the race and ended up running it with the flu. I was bummed because I had trained my ass off for that relay (many hill runs and intervals on the tready...no mountains to run in here!). Despite running with the flu, I did great. I ran a total of 18.1 miles. A little slower than expected, but considering the circumstances I was happy with it. Plus, it's always a good time with Ragnar. My team finished the 188 miles in 28:54:53. I've already paid my entry fee for the 2010 WB Ragnar!

In July I ran the Bridge of Lions 5K with my husband here in St. Aug. This is when I first came face to face with the Floridian summer heat. GAH! It was hot! Nothing much to say about this one except that I finished in 29:04, and felt like I was going to pass out at the end. I hate Florida summers with a passion...

My next race (and best personal accomplishment of 2009) was the Top of Utah Half Marathon in August. As you may know, I rocked a new PR! Not just by a little, but by 32 minutes. The course was beautiful, and it was the perfect moment to see my mom and husband at the finish line when I crossed at 2:05:45!!! That was the first race that my mother ever came to. Perfect. Moment.

In September I ran the Pink Up the Pace 5K with a teenage girl from my church. She wanted someone to pace her and keep her going strong to the finish line, so I told her I'd run with her. It was a lot of fun to run with someone else, and to be her motivator. The race benefited breast cancer research, so I made sure to wear my hot pink skirt and pink tank. Oh, and a pink ribbon in my hair. We crossed the finish line in 32:42.

In October I signed up for the University of St. Augustine 5K and was in it to win it. No, not really, but I WAS in it to smash my 5K PR (27:52) in the ground. And I did. I ran as hard and as fast as I could until I didn't think my lungs would keep up. I finished in 26:40, beating my old PR by over a minute! Little did I know that that PR wouldn't last long...

My next race was the Ragnar Relay Florida in November. I've mentioned it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again and again, but I'm IN LOVE with the Ragnar Relay series. I think relays are for certain my absolute favorite type of race to run in. I don't know a lot of runners out here in Florida so I randomly signed up with a team that needed an extra member. Until the day before the relay I didn't know single person on my team. But the race still kicked some serious ass! My team ran from Tarpon Springs (on the Gulf Coast) to Daytona Beach (on the Atlantic coast) in 33:04:15. I ran a total of 21 miles, and as the last runner brought my team through the finish line. Pretty cool.

Just 5 short days later I ran the Shut Up and Run XC 5K on Thanksgiving Day. I ran it because it's a new tradition of mine to run a 5K every Thanksgiving. I didn't really want to run a XC race, but it was the only race close to home. Never in million years did I think I'd get a new PR, especially because I was still recovering from the Ragnar, but I did. I finished in 26:21, beating my old PR by 19 seconds. It was a great finish to the end of my 2009 racing year!

And that's all, folks! Stay tuned for my Christmas gifts post...coming soon.

HAPPY 2010!

A word about that 20-miler

2009-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Let me just open this post with a lengthy excuse as to why I haven't updated yet. Or better yet, how 'bout I skip the excuse and just post? That works for me. Really though, sorry for not posting when I said I would. Life.

Alrighty, so my 20-miler...I have mixed feelings about my 20-miler. I was originally supposed to run it in Celebration, FL, while I was on a mini vaycay with the husband, but it didn't happen. We went to Disney World the day before I had the run scheduled and let me just tell you, not the best of ideas. I figured I'd just be walking around all day, and walking isn't running, so therefore it would've just been a regular pre-long-run day. Wrong. And let's be real, I did more standing in line than walking, and standing on those two feet of mine all. day. long. left me with some serious arch pain in my feet. I woke up the next morning to get ready to go run, and I knew my feet couldn't hack 20 miles. Ten, maybe 13 tops. Not 20. So, rather than risk getting injured, I postponed my 20-miler until Tuesday after work. It makes me sound like a pansy, but I swear to you, my feet HURT. My feet don't even hurt that bad after my long runs.

So anyway, back to my 20-miler. I made sure to eat balanced meals on Tuesday to prepare myself for the run. Normally I would never schedule a long run after work, but I needed to get it done. No more procrastinating. So as soon as I got home from work I ate some pasta and veggies, let it digest for two hours, and then went on my way. It took me around 3:42-ish. That's sort of what I was expecting, but I didn't end up finishing until after midnight.

So how do I feel about the run? It was hard. In previous runs I've always felt like I've hit the infamous "wall," but I must've been delusional. Now I know what it's really like to hit the wall. It was excruciating. The first 13 miles felt fine, but I really started to feel fatigued after that. My feet, my legs, my ankles, my calves, my hips, every part of my lower body was hurting. Knowing that I still had 7 miles to go was scary. I've never felt so much pain during a run. Ever. Probably at mile 17 or so I shed a few tears. Seriously. I just felt so defeated, and I wasn't even finished yet. Anyway, I finished. I did it. It may have beat me to the ground, but I did it. In a way, I'm glad it pushed me to my limit. Hell, it probably pushed me past my limit. But at least I'll know, if something like that happens during the marathon, I'll be prepared for it. My body can do it. It may hurt and I may be screaming inside to stop running, but I can do it. And now I'll know how to handle a totally defeating moment like that "mile 17 cry my eyes out" moment.

After my run I went home, opened the door, and my husband said, "How'd it go?" I didn't say anything. I just cried and he opened his arms to give me a hug. And then we talked about it. I told him it sucked, that I was scared for the marathon, and that it was hard. And then he gave me encouraging words and I felt better. I couldn't move my legs, but I felt better.

I can't believe it's 12 days away.

In other news, Christmas was fabulous, and I got loads of new running gear, so be looking for a post on that in the next couple of days. New shoes included!!!!!!!!!

Busy as an elf around Christmas time....

2009-12-24T07:55:00.001-08:00

No worries, I haven't been run over by a reindeer. Just busy. I promise full updates on my 20-miler, Christmas, and whatever else I feel like writing about later tonight.

Stay tuned!

The Many Miles week

2009-12-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

This is it, folks. The week I've been dreading ever since I printed out my marathon training schedule on that crisp white sheet of paper back in September. The high mileage week.

This week, if I hit all of my runs (which I will), I will be up to 42 miles. Forty-two! The most miles I've run during the course of a week is 35. That was the week before last. Let me say this one more time. 42! 42! 42!

Ahhh. Now that that's out of my system, I feel a little bit better. Want to see what the week looks like? What was that you said? No, you don't care? TOO BAD, I'm tellin' ya anyway.

Yesterday: 5 mile run
Today: Speed intervals (which will roughly add up to 2.5 miles)
Tomorrow: 10 mile run
Friday: 5 mile run
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 20 mile run

Although, I can't really consider Saturday a rest day, as the husband and I will be traversing through the wonderful world of Disney. I'm sure the walking miles will add up. Maybe not, though. I mean, how big is Disney World, anyway? I mean, it's not like you can run a marathon through it....oh, wait. That's right. Yes you can.

And as a last minute funny, remember a few days ago when I posted my 3 rules of running and spitting? Remember Rule #3? Apparently last night I had a complete disregard for rules, and as I went to spit I didn't pay attention the wind direction. I'm sure you all can see where this is going, yeah? Yeah, spit. All over my shoulder. Damn head wind.

Getting ready for the big 26.2

2009-12-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

As I gear up for the Disney World Marathon (27 days!) I've been thinking that I need to get a couple of things in order.

First of all, my iPod is in serious need of some new tunage. Some of the songs that I currently have rotating on my running playlist have been on there for over two years. iTunes reported a few of those songs being played well over the 100-count range. Oh dear.

No wonder I'm bored these days at the gym. My tunes need a makeover. So I'm coming to you, fellow runners, for input. What songs should I download? I'll need enough for approximately 4 1/2 hours. Sure, I've got plenty of songs that I'll keep on the playlist for the next few months, but they won't last a marathon.

I listen to almost anything. I've got 80s, 90s, pop, rock, punk, country, rap, etc. As long as it's uptempo, I'll put it on there. Okay, I take that back. I only have ONE country song on my entire playlist, but it doesn't mean I won't take country suggestions. But let's err on the side of country pop, yeah?

Some tunes I've been enjoying lately:
For Your Entertainment - Adam Lambert
My Life Would Suck Without You - Glee cast
Resistance - Muse
Uprising - Muse
I Belong To You - Muse
My Oh My - The Wreckers
You Are the One - Shiny Toy Guns
I'm Shakin' - Rooney
Kings and Queens - 30 Seconds to Mars
Funhouse - P!nk
Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

Secondly, I want to take my phone with me during the marathon. To take pictures (Disney characters will be there in full force!), and to call friends and family if I need encouragement. I've noticed that a lot of you take your phones with you during your runs, but where do you put them? Is there some sort of arm band attachment that you can buy? Or do you just hold them? I could always try to put them in the place where my GUs go, but then where would I put my GUs? I'm clueless. Help.

Third, what else am I forgetting? Any suggestions for race day preparations?

*UPDATE: I added my current iPod running soundtrack on the right-hand side.

Holy spit!

2009-12-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this topic has ever been discussed in the running blogosphere before, so if it has, I apologize in advance. But it seems we, o ye faithful bloggers of the running community, don't really care about discussing the same topic multiple times, even within the course of the same week. So here goes.

Spit.

Yes, spit.

I was thinking about this last night as I was running outside in *gasp!* 50 degree weather. I went for a quick 4.5 mile run and decided not to take my iPod. You heard me right. I decided to leave the iPod at home. I feel like this is a huge accomplishment in itself, and...oh, wait! I'm not talking about my iPod here. I'm talking about spit. Back to the topic, Christy!

Anyway, I think I realized it because I didn't have my music to distract me, but I was spitting a lot. Have I always done this?! I mean, I know I spit when I run, I just didn't realize I did it so much. I suppose there's nothing like getting all that backed up phlegm out of your mouth, right? Get rid of it, I say. We already look like zombies when we run, no need to add in the whole "rabid dog" look, too. You know what I'm talking about. Think Hooch, from Turner & Hooch (one of my fave Tom Hanks movies BTW). Yeah, nobody wants to run next to THAT! And I don't care if it's unladylike to spit. I'm a runner, dammit, and being "ladylike" while running doesn't even cross my mind.

So, I'm a spitter. But, no worries, ladies and gentleman, I follow proper spitting etiquette. At least I think I do. According to yours truly, these are the spitting rules I live and die by:

1. During a race, never spit in the middle of the road. Nobody wants to step in your spit. I always run on the right side of the road during races, so I'm always near the shoulder. Convenient for spitting, to say the least.

2. Always take a quick look behind you before spitting. Nobody wants to get hit in the face with your saliva. For reals, man. Dis. Gust. Ing.

3. Be aware of wind direction. Need I say more?

What do y'all think about running and spitting? Do you do it? What rules do you follow? I really am curious, for shiz. And as a last minute aside, this may be one of the reasons why running outside is better than running on the treadmill. There's nowhere to spit when you're in the gym!

And one more thing...

Morgan, over at Caution: Redhead Running is the winner of my very first giveaway. Congratulations, Morgan! Send me your address so that I know where to send the goods. Don't worry, I'm not a Creeper McCreeperson, I won't distribute yor address for money, yada yada yada.

In the spirit of Christmas

2009-12-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

*cue Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation*

Drum roll, please.....

For the first time ever! ....*drum roll*.... Christy at It Just Looks Like Slow Motion! ....*drum roll*.... Is hosting the most spectacular (spectacular) giveaway, the likes of which have never been seen in the Running Bloggyland!

"What are you so selflessly giving away!?" you may ask. "A new Thriv shirt?! A pair of Nike running shorts? A $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods? Oooo, maybe a copy of Windows 7??!!!?" (Why can't I get the hook-ups on new software? Dang.)

Don't get your hopes up too high, my dear readers. My blog isn't THAT awesome. Not even close. But I am feeling generous (tis the season), and I figured I might spread some gift card love.

I have in my hand a $15 gift card to Adidas Outlet. $15? Is that missing a zero on the end? Sadly, no. Just $15. But, hey! Fifteen is fifteen, right?! Right? And, yes, it's only good at an Adidas Outlet location. And you can't use it online. Bummer, I know. It has to be used in an Adidas Outlet store location. Turns out, there are lots of them around the country, and if you want to see where your nearest Adidas Outlet store is located, go here.

One more thing, it's only good until December 31, so get out there and make good use of it before the end of the year. I'm thinking new socks. Or a sports bra. Whatever you choose, just use it soon. (Can this giveaway get any worse?!)

Oh! And because I do this every year for my friends during Christmas, I'll do it for the winner of this giveaway, too. I make delicious homemade holiday chocolates (I know! Just what every runner dreams of eating before a long run!) and a holiday CD with some of my very favorite holiday tunes. It really is a can't miss!

So, how do you enter to win?

Glad you asked.

For one entry: Leave me a comment telling me you want the gift card. (And maybe how totally awesome, selfless, and humble I am!)

For two extra entries: Become a follower of my blog, and let me know you did so. If you don't let me know in the comment, you won't get the two extra entries. If you're already a follower, just let me know you want to be entered in the giveaway, and I'll automatically give you two extra entries.

For another two extra entries: Post a link on your blog telling others about my blog/giveaway, and let me know you did so.

So, technically, you could have a total of 5 entries. Holy awesome odds, Batman! I'll put all entries into a hat, draw one at random, and let you know who wins the grand prize. Oh, and you only have until midnight Friday (EST) to enter. I'll announce the winner Saturday afternoon.

I was wrong about my PR

2009-12-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

It's true. I lied about my PR. The official race results took over a week to be posted and so I just went off the clock in my finish line photo. It turns out that I didn't PR by 16 seconds at all. I PRd by 19 seconds!!!

HOORAY!

So, my official result from the Shut Up and Run XC 5K is 26:21.

And it gets even better. I came in 54/248 overall. That's amazing for me. I'm usually in the middle of the pack.

I was the 10th female to cross the finish line.

And best of all, I was 2nd in my age group. I was only 30 seconds behind the first place finisher.

I freaking love small races. They make you feel like you're so fast!

And in other news, I ran my first 18-miler yesterday. I was afraid of not having the endurance to do it, but I did it. I finshed in about 3:07, so it was about 7 minutes slower than my goal, but at this point I don't care. I still finished. I felt pretty good for the first 10 miles. I was running at a 10:10 pace because I didn't want to go out too fast, which turned out to be the best idea I've had in a long time. At mile 13 I felt spent. I was tired. More than tired. It felt like I was running with lead shoes.

I needed a little encouragement. So I did what any 25-year-old woman would do in a dire situation. I texted my 3 best girl friends. It's true, I did. One of them lives in Alaska, and the other two live in Utah. This is what my text said, "On mile 13 of an 18 mile training run. Tired. Need encouragement."

Sure enough, a few seconds later I got the encouragement I needed.

From Holly in Alaska, "You are awesome! You can run and text at the same time?! Love you girl, you are my hero!"

From Amanda in Utah, "You can do it! Only five more miles, you could run five miles in your sleep! Let me know when you're done, good job!"

And from Jami in Utah, "Oh my goodness! 18 miles?! You amaze me! I just love you. Finish the last five miles!!!"

I love those girls. And really, those texts were just what I needed. It gave me the boost of energy I needed to finish those last 5 miles. And on that note I need to say that I'm thankful for friends. I'm especially thankful for the friendship of those 3 girls, who, despite the fact that I live thousands of miles away (and a 4 and 2 hour time difference), keep in touch. Can't wait to move back home!

After my run, I quickly hopped in my car, bought a couple of bags of ice, came home, bundled up in swimsuit bottoms a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie, and had myself my first real ice bath. It was excruciating. I only lasted 10 minutes. How do athletes do this on a regular basis?! I kept trying to wiggle my toes and eventually they just went numb and I couldn't feel them anymore. After about 5 minutes I think my entire lower body was numb. That was the worst form of pain I've felt in a long time, but I'm glad I did it. I'm not so sore today. Besides a little tightness in my left hamstring, I feel like I only ran a 5K.