The reunion of lizmattliz

I believe we have officially started a tradition - this year we ran the Candlelight Tour Run for the second year. And once again, I had a BLAST. :) I think our common sentiment was that it didn't see to last as long this year as it did last year. I think it helps that we've gotten a better perception of distance and whatnot, so it doesn't seem as long. Plus we were having a pretty awesome time. :) And a HUGE shout out to Sarah B for breaking her record from last year! She's already determined to break 30 minutes next year. :) So proud!

So Matt, Liz, and I all stuck together the whole time since all three of us were not entirely prepared for the run. For example, I haven't run since the half haha. Although Liz and I were joking around that if we ran up the first hill, we had already improved from last year. And we totally ran up that dang hill. Just not the rest of them. Needless to say, we definitely took advantage of the downhill and flat parts of the course! And me being me, we made a new friend while running. :) To round off our tradition, we ate at IHOP on the way back at 1:00 in the morning. Which was also quite delightful, despite the fact that it was dang COLD in the room we were sitting in.

I'm definitely a little sore in my quads today, but that's what I get for not running in the last three weeks. On the downside, since I haven't really had a job, the marathon in January at Disney World just isn't going to happen this year. :( It took a while for me to really reconcile that because I've been set on it for a long time, but I just can't afford it without a steady job. :( But there's one in October and hopefully at some point I'll get one under my belt in the new little while!

I'm really hoping that I'll start getting back into the groove of running at a regular basis. I'd like to keep up that motivation, even if there's isn't a race coming up. :) But the moral of the story is that last night was crazy fun and I really enjoyed it, despite all the hills. :)

HONK!

Still can't believe it

Matt and I did a half marathon. Whhhhhaaaattttt???? I know, right? It's a little intense. The course wasn't that hard in my mind in comparison to other races we've done. I mean, it was longer, but I didn't think it was that hard course-wise. If that makes sense haha. I'm really proud that we did it and didn't die, although for me the last three miles could've easily taken me out. I wore the same compression shorts I wore for the Peachtree Road Race in order to cut down on the chaffing issue I've got. Well, during the last three miles that I thought I was gonna die, my legs started to really hurt right below my shorts line. I kept pulling down my shorts to cover the lovely burning sensation on my thighs, but it didn't really last.

Still in those last three dreadful miles, I just kept looking for the 5k marker because I knew I was almost done. I saw it and did a fist pump. I was that excited. And I don't even watch the Jersey Shore. Then I knew once I got to a certain house, I was even closer. As I got back in to the downtown area, there was a DJ playing music and he started talking to me and this other guy that were coming in about the same time. "I see you runners - don't give up!" and other really bad encouraging remarks. Of which all I wanted to do was punch him in the face. I was making my way to the finish the best way I could, thank you very much. I just completed a crap ton of miles and I know I'm almost done. So please hush your mouth and let me finish! Yep, I was kinda cranky. I just wanted the whole thing to be over!

Back to the chaffing (haha). I didn't realize how bad it was until Mrs. Kerry told me I was bleeding. Sure enough, my legs had rubbed together so long that it was nice and gross. Now it just looks like I have road rash. But that's what happens when your thighs are like mine. The plan for the next time would be to wear compression capris/pants for the really long runs.

Overall I'm really glad that I finished. I'd really like to do it again next year. It continues to amaze me that we're on this crazy journey and our bodies are able to accomplish so much. Plus it's just fun to commiserate and complain about our soreness together. :) Now it's time to get ready for the crazy intense, hilly, IHOP filled Candlelight Tour Run!

HONK!

week 5ish

I ran 5 days last week. FIVE! I never over-achieve. I am a chronic "do the bare minimum" kind of person concerning exercise. I kinda can't believe I did it. I ran day 1, day 2, day 3, then day 1 twice again for the extra runs. Now I have to step it up a notch for week 6 though. and soon after that, its on to only "long" runs. I would really love to be able to continue to do more than the bare minimum. normally i even have a difficult time not cutting corners and just drag my feet when it comes to getting out there and getting it done. i think i've sort of always believed it was just intrinsic and i wouldn't be able to move beyond it, but low and behold, at least for one week, I did. i'm crossing my fingers i can continue the trend.

my knee has been feeling better, but my right hip flexor has been acting up a bit. i've really been trying to stretch before and after i run every time to help prevent any further problems. plus i'm just really inflexible, so I need the stretching.

ok, thats all i suppose.

Get the ambulance ready

I changed jobs back in July right around the time of the Peachtree Road Race. Since then running has been pretty difficult for me. Working nights and taking care of AJ during the day and on days I don't work has left me with little energy for, well, anything really. But I recently started back in preparation for the Boston Mini-Marathon this weekend. I have to be honest, my motivation for starting back was solely based on not wanting to let Liz W. down. I told her I would run the race with her and whenever possible I try and be a man of my word. So thank you Liz for once again providing me with the motivation to get out there and run.

I have to be honest about something else too. I'm scared to death of this race. 13.1 miles is a lot. I thought the 15k was bad enough and its only 9, aaaand I trained a lot harder for that one than this one. But I do have hope because not only will I be running the same race as Liz W. but we are actually going to run the race side by side. I'm very excited about this. I have yet to run any race truly "with" someone and I think it will be great.

Here's to a good race! See you on the other side!

Oh, and HONK!

Matt

welp. i'm back in the game. good thing, as the 5K is fast approaching.

today i ran the week 5 day 1 plan. in three weeks hopefully i'll be able to run most of the "race." i am on vacation this week, so my idea is to run 5 days a week this week at least, and really i hope to continue that til the race but we will see. i was really encouraged because my knee held up through the entirety, and only my right hip gave me any trouble. i'ma have to start stretching a couple times a day regardless of if and when i run to help ward off any more trouble.

ok it was a short post, just to establish i'm back. woot! and honk, of course.

And she's off!

I must make a confession. I didn't go on my long run on Saturday. Oops. I did kinda have a reason - I didn't have anything clean to wear haha. I think there's also a part of me that's just a tad worried about the long runs and how they'll go. But I'm staying positive about the whole thing. Let's just hope that I can get a long one knocked out this week before I go to New York for the weekend.

Now on to today's run. I didn't run yesterday because my knee was pretty sore after frisbee on Sunday. Today it was just fine, which was a bonus. The downside is that I had a bout of shin splints, especially toward the end. The other is that I definitely started faster than I should have. Which then resulted in having to alternate walking and running the last mile and a half. But I'm glad to know that I can go faster. :) I really do want to get my time down, even if just a whole minute. :)

So here's to hoping my time will get better and that I'll get a long run in this week! HONK!

I am not alone, dang it!

Today I was going for 4 miles. I wasn't sure how it was going to be, but I went into the gym pretty determined. Once again I listened to the lovely Mumford and Sons, which was perfectly fine with me. :) And once again, another song just punched me in the gut with the lyric "you are not alone" which definitely put me in a better mood. It really hit that I'm not alone in this whole process, and haven't been since day 1. Which, of course, I've known, but at that moment in my run I was really wondering if I was going to make it the whole 4 miles. But knowing that I had this whole support system with ya'll totally helped. So yeah, once again gotta love the power of music. :)

Like I said, I was struggling to get the miles done. I was fine the first mile, mile and a half, but once I got to the 2 mile mark, the struggle began. Then I just had to turn the thinking around and know that once I got to mile 3, I was home free. And this is when the lyric popped out and totally helped me out. :) Funny how things work out that way. :) The other part is that I've been bumping up the speed these last couple of runs. It's not a lot, but it's something! And then the last mile I bump it up even more. I think this comes from both the desire to be faster as well as the desire to be done already. And the latter probably outweighs the former just a bit.....or more.

I was wondering how my legs would do today since I went climbing last night. And then tonight I played ultimate frisbee. So there was a bet going on in my head how long my legs, more specifically my knees, would hold out. But surprisingly they worked out pretty well. I was happy with how I didn't really have any pain or anything. So yay!

Tomorrow is 3 miler and Saturday I'm going to try to conquer 7 miles. I want to find a track somewhere around here, like at a school or something so that I don't have to drive all the way to Piedmont Park crazy early in the morning. I'll go scope out some schools tomorrow. :)

Here's to hoping for Saturday's run to go well! HONK!

Awake My Soul

I bought new music this weekend, which is awesome because I love new music, and what's even better is that it's a great album to run to. Of which I totally did today. Who is this new awesome group? It happens to be Mumford and Sons. I had it on shuffle but made a point to play "Awake My Soul" first. The song starts out nice and slow and then speeds up toward the end, which is nice to warm up to. :) The song is about heartbreak essentially, but some of the lyrics are just really awesome: "now my heart stumbles on things I don't know/my weakness I feel I must finally show" and "in these bodies we will live/in these bodies we will die/where you invest your love/you invest your life" with the chorus just repeating "awake my soul," which is a nice way to start off a run haha. Anyway, it was a really good start to my run - and I highly recommend looking up Mumford and Sons. They're pretty awesome. :)

I was determined to go three miles today. If you've been keeping up with our trials and tribulations lately, 3 miles has been the feat to conquer for the moment. I went to the gym determined to make that happen. And thank goodness I did! What this means for me is that I'm ready to pick up the training again. Yay! So I think this week my long run will be 7 miles. That won't put me back too far so that I can be ready for the marathon in time. :)

Tomorrow I'm planning on going 4 miles. Let's hope I didn't kill off my legs too badly between playing frisbee and the 3 miles today. Yay for getting back on track! HONK!

One Year

I have to say it has been a wild year. But probably the best year of my life. A lot crappy has gone on for me this year but between having a child and the amazing camaraderie and friendship we built through this shared experience, this year will certainly rank towards the top for many years to come.

I have to thank the two of you for keeping me going. Your friendship pulled me through some tough spots this year and your encouragement has kept me running (although this last month has been kinda rough for me running wise). From the Candlelight run in the essentially dark, to the River Run, to the Rose City Run to the Peachtree Road race. You guys have been with me the whole way and all those races have been some of the best experiences of my life.

I'm going to buckle down and get to it this year, I'm going to beat my times in all those races and set new times in new races and with ya'lls help I have no doubt I can do it. Thank you guys so much.

HONK!

Matt

It's been a whole year!

Happy Running Anniversary to us! We've been on this journey for a whole year, as of July 31st, at least. :) I'm really glad we started this whole shindig - I know that I wouldn't have been able to do this without the encouragement from both Matt and Liz. It's been quite the ride (run?) and hopefully we'll keep it up. :)

Well, the two weeks off from running was quite detrimental to my running. Which is totally sad. But the little running I put in last week definitely helped my run yesterday. I ran 2 miles straight yesterday, which is an improvemnt from last week, which included walking with the run. Hopefully next week I'll be able to get back on track with my training for the marathon. This week I'll just be building back up to the three miles that I used to be able to do. The hard part now will be keeping up with the training and making sure that I'm ready for the marathon. This can't be like other races we've done where I'm only partly ready for the race. This is the big one - I have to be as prepared as possible in order to finish in time and injury free. So I'll definitely be needing all the encouragement possible over these next few months. But I know I can count on y'all for that! :)

Here's to another year of running and getting our bodies into shape! Much love friends - HONK!

Back in the ole running shoes

Today was my first day back after taking two weeks off. Here's why I was off the pavement for the past two weeks: one week of camp (I totally took my stuff to run, but it didn't happen...go figure), and one week of a mission trip (of which I didn't even take my stuff b/c I KNEW that wasn't going to happen).

So today I made it to the gym with my shoes and a prayer that I could make it my base of three miles. I made it the three miles, but I had to walk some of it. I could tell that my legs have not moved like that in a while. They just felt a little funny underneath me and they were definitely tired by the end of the run. This week I'm just trying to get my legs back and then next week it'll be back on schedule. Well a couple weeks back than where I ended, but I've gotta start back somewhere!

Here's to hoping these dern legs get moving the right way. HONK!

Another on the record books!

The Peachtree Road Race got OWNED by us! Well, not entirely - we did share the road with 55,00 other people. :) I enjoyed the whole experience, even though I still had the chest cold issue. My time was pretty slow, but that just comes from being sick and not getting enough runs in prior to the race. The good part is that I was on pace for the first 3 miles, but then I totally walked up the hills in mile 4 & 5 haha. A bonus is that my chest didn't really bother me until the end and then I thought it was going to explode because it was so tight and whatnot. But it didn't. So that's positive. :) I really enjoyed the atmosphere and I'm excited to do it again next year. :) But without the chest cold. I'm proud of all of us for finishing though - shout outs to Matt, Sarah, Tiffany, Mitch, and Savannah! :)

I've still got the chest cold going on, but it's getting better I think. I hope. I ran today for the first time since the race, and it went really well. I went to the gym to get on the treadmill so that I could regulate my pace better. I wanted to go 3 miles to just get my legs back under me and to ease back into the training. I went a little slow, but that's okay because I got it done. :) And really that's all I wanted - I just wanted to make sure I still had "it" even though I haven't been able to run a lot lately. I ended up upping the speed toward the end just to get my legs really moving and to kinda train my body that by the end of any run or race, I'm probably gonna want to pass out and be done with the whole thing, but I've gotta keep going and push through. I'm pretty proud of that part haha. Thankfully my legs didn't give out and I didn't fall off the treadmill. That coulda been bad. But kinda funny. Hah.

Anyway, hope everyone stays hydrated while running out there in this crazy Georgia heat! HONK!

It's almost here!

The Peachtree Road Race is only one day away! I'm pretty excited about it. I got my number today at the expo with Matt & Amanda. The expo was pretty cool - I liked looking at all the fun stuff people put up. Plus there was even a Waffle House booth with tech shirts that said "I'm running so I can go eat at Waffle House" or something along those lines haha. But it was cool to just walk around for a bit and get all excited. :)

The downside is that I've been sick with a chest cold/congestion ickiness since Sunday afternoon. Which means I didn't run the first part of this week. Which wasn't what I was planning at all. Thankfully I did get the chance to run on Wednesday. Today I just went to the gym and got on a bike for a little bit. Just wanted to get the legs moving at least. I'm pretty much banking on the fact that the first three miles are downhill so that my time won't be too bad haha. And hopefully it's not gonna be crazy hot when Sarah and I start at 8:51, unlike Matt, that lucky dog, who's starting at 8:05. Let's especially hope the weather is cooperative when Tiffany starts at 9:00! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! :)

So here's until after the Peachtree -HONK!

There's a first time for everything

I made it to the double digits! I *finally* walked/ran at Stone Mountain (I know I've been saying I was gonna do this for a while, but I totally did it!), and it was really nice. The loop around the mountain is 5 miles and I just needed to do two loops and I'd have my 10 miles. I took 3 bottles of water (no need to be dehydrated!) and froze two of them halfway and the third, my Nalgene, 3/4 full. In the morning I filled it the rest of the day with water, that way it'd stay cold while I ran. I left my second bottle by my car tire so I could just pick it up and switch out the water bottles when I was halfway done. Then I'd have a cold drink left in the car when I was done with the run.

The route was really nice actually - most of it was in shade and it was more fun on the first lap because there were more people out. The second lap had a lot less people haha. I'd have to say it was fun just because I enjoy people watching while running. :) For example, one lady cyclist passed me probably 3 or 4 times, no doubt. Then there was a guy who wore a PRR tshirt from 2007 and on our 2nd passing he was like "You're doing a good job" and gave me a thumbs up. Of which I smiled and said "You too!" Then on my second lap these two ladies walking together stopped me and asked me if I was on my second lap. And I was. And the other lady was like "You're going 10 miles?!" Of which I totally said yes haha. It was just really funny. Their faces were in total shock haha. There were also some running etiquette issues with some ladies being plain rude and not getting out of the way for oncoming runners on the sidewalk. As in, they're walking side-by-side and then stay that way and only turn slightly for me to run by. So rude! But most of the people were courteous people. Who knew the walking/running etiquette. Yay for polite runners & walkers! :)

The back 3 miles of the mountain has the most shade (go figure), but the road also turns into a one way road for vehicles. The other lane is split in two - one for bikes and one for pedestrians. And then there's the sidewalk. I just really enjoyed the shade and whatnot. :) But the road itself went up and down in varying degrees the whole time - some short inclines and some a little more steep (I mean, I am running around a MOUNTAIN for goodness sake), but totally doable. It was good since I haven't really practiced hills and the Peachtree Road Race had got a couple pretty killer ones.

It seems that it doesn't matter the distance, but when I know I only have one mile left, that last mile is KILLER. It could be 3 miles or 10 miles and that last mile will be the one that is the most obnoxious and hardest to finish. But let me tell you, when I got back to my car, I dumped the rest of the water from the first bottle on my face and it felt sooooooooooooo good! I was worried that my body would have the same result that happened after the 15k - it would be painful to just move. But thankfully it only felt like it normally did after any other run. I was sore in the same places, but it wasn't like I couldn't move. I also thought that maybe today would be also painful and sore, but it's just the normal soreness. I'm so proud of my body! :)

I went into the 10 miler knowing that I wouldn't be able to run the whole thing, and the cool part is that I was okay with it. I ran most of it and I was proud of that. And I've never gone this far before! I've said since the beginning that once I got to the 10 miler and did that, THEN I'd be impressed with what I'm doing just because I've never gone that far before. And I'm totally proud of myself. :) I'd like to run more than walk, and I'm still going to try for it, but I'm okay with the fact that for the marathon I'll probably walk some it. :) Which is a long way from where I used to be. I used to get really upset and mad at myself if I didn't accomplish what I set out to do on a run. Now I revel in what I do and I'm happy with what I accomplish on a run. It's a definite turn around from the beginning.

So yeah, this was really freaking long. Sorry bout that. Now here's moving on to next week, whether it's a repeat or not! HONK! :)

I found a quarter!

Today I took my sweet time. It was freaking hot and the last thing I wanted to do was pass out and have a freaking heat stroke and puke on the side of the road. So I took full advantage of the shady places along the route. I didn't get out the door until after 5 so my morning runs have been moved to later in the day. Which means it's even hotter. Fail. Another factor that kept butting in was that my calves were totally sore in a place that they haven't been sore in a long time. The nice little stops also gave me the chance to let my legs rest and stop the nice little burning sensation. I blame climbing last night as the culprit.

Other fun facts of this run:

1. Thanks to Tiffany, I got to use my handy dandy new headband. :) It's a Halo headband and I really freaking like it. It totally kept my man sweat out of my eyeballs, which made my run a little less salty in the face region. PLUS it advertises that it absorbs odor and dude I totally smelled it just to check and it totally didn't smell like my man sweat! Okay so yeah, thanks Tiff! :)

2. I always feel that the second half of my run will go easier than the first half. And I'm always wrong. Especially when I know I'm close to being done. I need to remember that the second half is usually the more painful. And sweaty.

3. So there was this runner that passed me three times. The first time was the normal way - she was going the opposite direction that I was. We did the runner smile and that was it. The second time we had switched directions and she was on the other side of the road (she had a pink visor so it wasn't like I was specifically looking out for her....I ain't no creeper....gah). The third time, I was still headed back to my house and the girl passed me on the same side of the road, going the opposite direction. I'm assuming she went around a block or two, but geez manetti! Homegirl was a machine! This time we did the runner's smile AND the friendly wave.

4. I found a quarter! It was on my way back and I stopped in a shady place at a gas station, look down, and there it was! You can overlook pennies and nickels, but not a quarter! Totally put it in my little bitty runner's shorts pocket and it jingled the rest of the way home with my house key.

At this point I usually have one more short run before the long run on Saturday, but my schedule got a little screwy when I postponed my run the other day and that we've got the Vocare Meeting & Reunion on Saturday. So I'm gonna try to bust out the 1o miler on Friday. Oh lawd it's gonna be painful. But who knows - hopefully somewhat successful?

HONK!

omg. hottest run ever today. i'm down at orange beach, AL and i decided to be all ambitious and take a run. once i got on the street behind Brit's, there was ZERO breeze and it was suuper sunny. Not only that, but my playlist sucked. I couldn't stay interested for like any entire song. I apparently need to do some weeding out of the songs i'm just not really feelin. Either way, i ran 20 minutes even though i felt like dying. plus i think i was a little dehydrated so that didn't help. i would love to increase my runs to 3 30 minute runs per week minimum. but this week i think it was like 2 20 minute runs. oh well. slow and steady wins the race. i'll be a runner someday. i'm actually starting to like it a little bit even though today's wasn't a ton of fun.

i think i need to do some like... mantra reciting before i go to sleep like: i love running and how it relieves my stress levels and gives me time to think.

hm. we'll see. heh.

Not quite the mountaintop experience

This morning I had planned on getting up early, around 7, get dressed, and head to Stone Mountain to run my 8 miles. The first sign that today's run was not going to go as planned was when I hit the snooze button. For an hour and a half. Yep. When I finally got up, going to Stone Mountain seemed like such a hassle. There's sign #2. I finally get out the door a little after 9, and all I can think of is that I totally don't feel like running haha. Today just wasn't going to be a successful run. Sure enough, it's hard for me to get past a continuous mile, and right under 3 miles I decide that this was it. I was almost out of water, (dude it got crazy humid really quickly today), and my legs just didn't want to move. I turned back and did something I haven't done in a while - I walked the rest of the way home. It took me what felt like forever, but I finally made it back.

Now for the positives of today's "run." I bought a new dry fit tank top (Nike, of course) yesterday. I really want one for the Peachtree Road Race since I sweat like a man. I still was sweating like a man, but my shirt felt so much better than the normal ole cotton tshirt. I wanted to get something that wasn't too clingy and showed all my curves - good ones and bad ones haha. Thankfully the one I found fit just like I wanted, so yay! And as much as I've made fun of Tiffany for wearing a headband while running, I finally caved in and decided that I need one......haha. Stylin' and profilin' with the headband!

Of course I'm a little sore from trying to get my body to move today. A tendon in my foot (a different one than normal - go figure) is not doing too well, and neither is my left knee. I've been throwing the ice packs on there a few times during the day, and will continue to do so the rest of the day. I think next week I'll push forward and see how it goes. I do want to run at the mountain, so hopefully that will happen. If you've been keeping up with our handy dandy blog, you should know that I get frustrated when I don't do what I set out to do on my runs. But now I'm okay with it. I still feel good that I at least tried today. I would've felt much worse if I didn't even try. I'm really enjoying this new outlook I have with running haha. It's much less stressful. :)

Alright friends - until next time - HONK!

Like walking in & out of a shower.

My run today was pretty much like I expected - not easy and a little painful. It started sprinkling right at the beginning, then stopped, and then rained a little harder, and then totally stopped. Like my dad always would say with these summer showers, it's like walking in and out of a shower. It felt good, but dude I already sweat like a man, which makes my tshirt totally soaked, and add in the rain, it was rough. Not the best tshirt situation, but I made do.

Today's run was a lot like my runs used to be - lots of tendons burning and calves being sore. I kinda expected it since I took those days off, but geez manetti I was ready for it to be over! The last mile and a half was KILLER. My legs felt like lead - it was really hard to pick them up off the ground to keep going. Needless to say, I was really glad to be done with my run. It's a good thing tomorrow is a rest day. Hopefully the next run will work out better. As well as the long run on Saturday. :)

Oh! The new braces didn't feel much different than the old ones. Maybe the knee braces helped a little bit more, but we'll see. Either way, it was probably a good idea to get new ones.

HONK!

Oooo wee!

So for those of you who don't know, I had to take a break last week for a few days. My body was getting pretty tired of running, which equaled into flared up tendons and painful knees. In order to not completely break down, I decided to take a few days off to recover. I started back today and I was a little worried because I'm the type of person that it's really easy for my body to lose whatever kind of athletic-ness I've gained in a short period of time. This week I'm working on Week 4 in the schedule, and tomorrow will be the real test (5 miles), but today went really well! I was really proud of myself and it wasn't nearly like I thought it would be. I was expecting lots of pain and getting tired really quickly. But there wasn't a lot of that at all! Yay! Tomorrow will be interesting, but we'll see.

I finally got new ankle & knee braces today. I really wore out the ones I've got, so hopefully tomorrow's run will go just as well with the help of the new braces. I've gotten where I ice down my knees a couple times a day (they're aching right now, actually), which is good practice I think. Overall I think I'm doing pretty well. I think some time soon I'll start doing speed work since I do want to get a little faster. :)

Hopefully this week will go well and I can move on up! :) HONK!

i love nature :)

so i'm back in the game. a week or two? ago i started running again. not following a program this time. just increasing my time bit by bit, not really closely following the frequency of my runs, but i think it must average about 3 days a week. today i ran for 20 minutes straight. my knee did start to complain by the end of it... i didn't do a good job of stretching beforehand, so it makes sense. i'm still encouraged that i ran that long. whoa. i just realized i haven't been able to run that long continuously since like october i think. man. i can't believe its been that long, but go me regardless.

tonight i ran on the greenway near lauren and patrick's. i'm totally obsessed with it. its just like, trails and boardwalks through the forest and marshy kind of areas. i saw a big turtle and a mom and about 6 ducklings, a bluebird, and a cardinal on my first run there, and tonight i saw a deer!! it was so cool, just grazing through the trees. it was also raining, which was fun, but then i got nervous because it was late-ish (8:30) and it seemed a little deserted and i was scared i'd get kidnapped. so there were parts that i totally sprinted through haha. which might have not helped the knees... oops.

yeah just wanted to post an update. now i need more running clothes!

Ahh, that's good. :)

Saturday I finished up Week 3 with a whole 7 miles. It felt really good to just go out the door and run it straight through without stopping. I was pretty proud of myself. :) Granted the rest of the day my knees were PISSED at me, but still proud of what I did. :) I wasn't sure beforehand how the run would go or if I would think I needed to repeat this run or not, but I'm totally moving on to Week 4. I'm assuming I'll have to repeat that run, but we'll see.

Chapter 3 in the handy dandy book I've got said that one way to get a good run is the level of excitement about the run. Too little excitement and too much excitement equals a bad run. Well, that totally makes common sense, but the idea is to make sure that there isn't a crazy expectation of the run or else there's a chance of it not going well. Anyway, this is all common sense, but it was good to see it in writing, ya know? There's just something about advice coming from someone else instead inside my brain. Hopefully the next long run goes well - ahh!

HONK!!!

Week 3 has begun!

Today was the beginning of Week 3. We'll see after Saturday if I feel the need to repeat it or not haha. For the first half ish of the training each week starts out with 3 miles, so I'm getting pretty good at this 3 mile thing. I went to the gym today to run and totally wanted to get on the treadmill but they were all taken. So I had to go on the track. Which wouldn't be bad except that it's such a small track that you have to go around about a bajillion times in order to get a mile done. Which totally takes out anything nice or easy-ish out of the run. Just makes it redundant a whole lot faster.

I went slower than I'd like, but that's just how it went. I know that I shouldn't put a goal time on how fast I'd like each mile to go and that I should just be happy that I can do it, but I totally want my mileage time to be faster haha. Maybe it'll happen later on in the training. I'd like to get under a 13 minute mile, which I've done before, but it takes a lot for me. I'd like to be at a comfortable pace under 13 minutes haha.

Anyway, we'll see how this week's long run goes - hopefully pretty well!

HONK!

Week 2 Repeat Complete!

Today I finished up my repeat of Week 2. It was the 6 miler and it didn't go too badly. The weather was overcast and humid, but not too bad. The run started out pretty good, and that totally made me happy. It was the second half that was hard. More specifically the last mile and a half. At that point my body was pretty tired. Plus I sweat a LOT so my tshirt was far from dry haha. Usually my calves go through some pretty intense pain, but this time it was totally my butt muscles haha. Especially toward the end. All my jiggly parts hurt at some point! ;)

I went a different route this time, which was pretty good since I'm getting pretty bored with the normal routes. Overall I think my run went pretty well. I did stop a few times toward the end just because my body was really wanting to be done and back home, but it went pretty well. I'm thinking that it might've been better since my last run went so well. Maybe it's a turning point in my running? Eh, who knows. ;)

HONK!

Treadmills are funny that way.

Yesterday's run was really, really good. I went to the gym to get on the good ole treadmill for the 3 miler. The last time I went on the 'mill, it didn't go so well. So my expectations weren't very high, but I really don't like their track so I thought I'd give it a go. And man alive, it was so, I daresay, easy! I felt really good and got it done in the normal amount of time it takes me. And my legs felt really good, too. There wasn't any calf or ankle pain and it was pretty awesome. I think I'll do my short runs up there just to give me a break. I might do my 4 milers up there, but it depends on what time of day I'm up there. They like to have a time limit if it's really busy. But if it's not busy, they don't really care how long you're on the 'mill. I don't really think they enforce it, but it's just common gym courtesy really.

It just felt really good to finally have a really good run with no stops along the way. It reminded me that I really can bang out 3 miles and be okay. I don't really know what's going on in my head sometimes when I run outside, but I'm just really glad that yesterday went so well. I needed a good one to happen. :)

Saturday is the long run - 6 miles once again. I just really want it to be a good run without a lot of pain and whatnot. I'm going to run a different route, so hopefully that will make the run better. We'll see.

Till next time! HONK!

A little better.

Today was the 4 miler. It was better than yesterday, so that was positive. The new CamelBak water bottle worked out really well, so that was a plus. It was good to not have to stop to drink water or have it spill all over if I attempted to drink while running. I definitely tried to keep on truckin', of which I did pretty well. So today's run gets an A-. Which is totally better than yesterday haha. There was a nice breeze, which was wonderful as I love a good breeze.

The downside is that my knees were not happy later this afternoon. They just didn't like me and they're still hurting a bit. Good thing tomorrow is not a running day. I went climbing tonight with Sarah B & Sean H, so I know tomorrow my arms and legs are gonna be a bit sore. Which is another good reason that I'm not running tomorrow haha.

I'm still hoping that my 6 miler will go pretty well on Saturday. I really want it to go well and top of my week on a good note. Here's to hoping!

HONK!

Week 2 Complete! Now repeat.

I finished up Week 2 on Saturday with the long 6 mile run. It wasn't that easy. It was freaking hot and I ran with water (which has been my best idea yet, I think), so in order to drink it and not spill all over me I would stop to drink. I think the water pretty much saved my life haha. And my run. If I keep up that pace (without the stopping and drinking), then I'll be on point for my goal time for the Peachtree Road Race.

I bought a new CamelBack water bottle today so that it'll be easier to drink while running. That way I won't have an excuse to stop running hah. I think I've started giving myself allowances or excuses to take breaks while running. I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I have good reasons to stop (calves on fire, water), but other times I stop and think to myself "I have no idea why I stopped running." I'm not really sure what this is all about, but I don't like it. Fail.

Today's run was just hard. It was hard for me to get moving and my legs just did not want to move. It was obnoxious. I decided to repeat Week 2. I really want to get that 6 miles down pat. So hopefully this time around this week will work out better than it did the first attempt. But anyway, I'm really hoping that this week will go well. Each day it's either a good run or a bad run. It's been hard finding a balance lately. But I'm keeping my eye on the prize - gotta get through that marathon! :)

HONK!

Go Speed Racer, Go!

Today was the first day of Week 2 and I only had to go 3 miles. So for some reason I wanted to run fast haha. I think it was partly because I just wanted to get it over with and the other was just to see how it'd go. I picked up my feet and pretty much hauled it haha. Which was definitely kinda crazy. It was pretty cool today, so I wasn't worried about getting dehydrated. That and the fact that it was a short run.

My legs definitely felt it, and still do actually haha. I have to admit that I had to stop a couple of times to stretch out the calves and to catch my breath since I was a running machine today. And my calves are still a little sore. I've got to figure out a way to rub them down or something when I'm down with runs. Something more than stretching. That way they'll be less sore the next day. I'm open to suggestions. :)

The different part about today was that I could only find one ankle brace. So only the left ankle was all wrapped up. Which was kinda nice because I'm not really a fan of wearing freaking braces all up and down my legs haha. But I totally remembered why I wear them haha. And I think it's time for new ankle braces again. Ugh. Dang legs! But I'm glad they made it through one more day of training. :)

HONK!

Bright, sunshine-y day!

Today was the long run day. It was Week 1 Day 4 and I had to go 5 miles. It was really nice this morning, too. The wind was really nice and I made sure to run with my water bottle. I decided that I should probably run with water now so I can prevent feeling/getting sick and dehydrated. So I took my time and would stop every now and then to drink some water and catch my breath.

Of course the first half was pretty good and not that difficult. The second half of the run was a bit harder. But at the end I didn't feel crazy spent, which was really cool. I ran all the way down through downtown Decatur and back since I knew it'd be the right mileage. I really like it! And on one of my water breaks, a woman ran by me and told me I was doing a great job because she had seen me a ways back and thought it was cool I had made it where I was in the time since. So that was cool to get encouragement from someone I didn't know. :)

Next week has the same mileage except for the long run and it really depends on how I'm feeling during the run if I'm going to repeat the length for this week or push on. So who knows. :) I'm really glad that I have a schedule that I like again hah. I'm still excited, but we'll see once I get up in to the really high miles!

HONK!

Goodness!

Yesterday I ran Week 1 Day 3, which was only 3 miles. But it was a hard 3 miles! My breathing was all kinda crazy and difficult. I had to keep stopping to stretch out my calves and catch my breath. I drank a lot of water all day, but apparently it wasn't enough because I really thought that if I had to go more than 3 miles, I was gonna get sick haha. But I didn't. Which is good.

The long run is Saturday - 5 whole miles. The funny part about this week is that I've run these distances before. The problem is that for a while there I didn't have the energy to go more than 2.5 miles. Stinkin' stress! I think I might repeat Week 1 just to get it all under control. But then again I'll just have to see. Week 2 is the same except for the long runs - those go up a mile each time. I guess I'll just have to see how I feel during the long runs to see how far I'll go.

So. Moral of the story: drink a CRAP TON more water since it's getting hotter and hotter. Can't pass out or get sick while I run!

Still excited about this whole journey - just have to survive it! HONK!

Not that easy.

Today was Week 1 Day 2 of the marathon training. It wasn't horrible, but I knew when I woke up this morning that it wasn't going to be an easy day of running. My calves were still a little sore and tight from yesterday, but I still wanted to get up and go. I wanted to go somewhere else to run - I'm really tired and bored of running at my house haha. So I went down to Piedmont Park. Sarah and I ran down there last week and I just really wanted to do something different.

The weather was really nice and I really liked the change of scenery for the run. Like I thought, my calves were still pretty sore, but I tried to truck through it. I stopped occasionally to stretch and just give my muscles a rest because 4 miles is long! Haha :) And you know me, it was a pretty slow run hah. But I was determined to get it done, and I totally did. Word.

The next run is a short run like yesterday - just 3 miles. I'm not sure if I'll run tomorrow or not. It really depends on my legs and seeing how sore or tight my muscles are. So we'll see. :) I'm still on the "I'm starting a new thing" high, but we're gonna hope that it stays this way. :) And I'm proud of myself, even though it's only been two days!

HONK! :)

I am a marathoner.

Today was the first day of my marathon training. It wasn't hard but it wasn't easy, either. I only had to go 3 miles, hence the reason it wasn't crazy hard. Our good friend Tiffany recommended a book to me called The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. It's really interesting so far and I really like it. It's a 16 week program designed by two professors from the University of Northern Iowa. It's a pretty successful program (it was up to when the book was published in 1998), and I'm excited to have a program I think is easy to understand. Each chapter is a week and is broken down into three parts: the physical part, mental part, and then advice and whatnot from actual students that took the course. So yeah, I'm pretty excited. :)

The main point so far in the book is that the mental aspect is just as important as the physical aspect. So from the get go, the writers are telling you to tell people that you are running a marathon and that you are a marathoner. I've spread the word that I'm running a marathon, so you hear it here first: I AM A MARATHONER. Word.

I'm really excited about this journey I'm about to embark on. Today's run was really good. I enjoyed it, which hasn't happened in a while. I felt like I could've done a whole other mile! Running has just been something that I know I need to do. Lately it hasn't been the best experience. Hopefully this is a good sign that most of my runs will be good ones that I enjoy. But we'll see hah.

This should be fun! And probably painful haha. HONK!

So freaking annoying....ugh.

These past few runs have not been very good. It's been really freaking hard to get through just 2 miles. I ran the day the pollen count was over 5500 and it was like the yellow brick road outside. My shoes didn't even make an imprint in all the pollen. It was pretty intense. And I'm pretty sure I ate some. Now I can go pollenate some flowers.

The Rose City Run is this weekend and I'm not ready. But I have a plan - stick with Matt and I'll make it through! Running with him pushes me and I really think that if we stick together, we can get a good time and run the whole time. :) When we did the 15k we were timed at an hour and a half for a 10k so I'd like to make that time or under. So we'll see how it goes.

I came to the realization that all this stress from school is really affecting me and my running. When I'm doing well and mainly stress-free, running is good and it usually ends up pretty well. But lately I've been so busy with school and this dern exit paper that every time I am able to relax and don't have to work on anything, it's really difficult for me to get out the door and run. Like today. I wasn't very motivated and it took every thing I had to get out the door and run. And during the run it was hard for me to make it a continuous run. I just could NOT get my body in gear. Fail.

Hopefully once this whole school/job search/move gets done things will go better, but that's still what feels like a LONG TIME AWAY. Even though it's only about 3 weeks. Hopefully. But here's to hoping! HONK!

Finally!

Yesterday's run wasn't easy, but dag gummit, I was determined to hit that 3 miles. It took some pushing and lots of heavy breathing, but I did it dang it. I wanted to run today, but I woke up sore. So yeah, running wouldn't have worked out very well haha. My pace is still slower than I'd like, but I'm getting there so that's positive. It was funny because mile 1 and 2 were horrendous and then the last mile was pretty nice. Not really sure how that happened, but yeah. I'm glad it did! Tomorrow is my long day at school so I'm not really sure if I'll feel up to running by the end of the day, but if not tomorrow, then definitely Thursday. Gotta get these legs ready for the next run! :)

HONK!

Not too great....

Every run since the 15k has not been very exciting. I was hoping to be back up to my pace and hitting 3 miles, but it's been hard to get up to just 2 miles every time. So yeah, that's been a bit of a bummer. I'm really hoping that this week I'll be where I want to be, but we'll see. If not, I'll definitely be behind my goal time for the Rose City Run back in the ole hometown. I haven't really been disappointed about how hard it's been; I think it's more of a learning curve for me. I know that taking time off reduces your athletic prowess, and week isn't (for a normal person) supposed to be that detrimental. But for me, it's definitely been difficult to get back into the swing of things. I think that until I get really fit, taking time off will cause me more of a set back than normal people haha. But I'm okay with it at this point.

But yeah, every run has been hard to get through and even harder to get my body in gear. My body just doesn't want to move haha! I'm gonna definitely try to make this week the turning point and hopefully it'll be on the up and up from here! :) Gotta get ready for the next run! :) HONK!

W1D2

its a little weird to be back at the beginning. especially since i feel like i've got old wounds i'm trying to overcome. the knee is still an issue. but i found some really good IT band stretches online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9aJtO0VCqw (a video is nice to actually see what is going on)

http://coastalsportsmedicine.com/patient-info/articles/iliotibial-band-syndrome/ (this one has some good exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles)

http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/knee-pain.php

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0415/p1545.html

http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/ss/ITBstretches.htm

hopefully i can actually be consistent about these, since i found a couple that don't seem too awkward, so i'll be more likely to do them. I started having pain around minute 11 or 12 i think. i'm hoping that i can get that to be later and later. (because if not, it would seem i'd have to take a serious break from running-- on purpose this time). oh i also ran in normal shoes today, just to see if my beloved toe shoes were the cause of my troubles. turns out it doesn't seem to be the case. i think i'm going to try to wear my toe shoes all week at the beach to get used to walking in them, and then start running in them more regularly (if all goes as planned with my running in general). it was a strange feeling to be running in warm weather, but an awesome one.

my ankle is jacked up

Ankle: "oh hai! You thought u were going 2 be able to walk 2 nite?? Me: "why the eff are you doing this to me?!?" Ankle: *shrugs*

That was my facebook status last night. After my wonderful Saturday morning run I came home and laid down and slowly and surely my ankle started to hurt, so much so where I had Amanda get me some frozen corn (not whole ears) to put on it. But when I got up I couldn't hardly walk, like I really could have used crutches. After some sage advice from Liz W, I wrapped it up in an ankle brace and tried to stay off it as best I could. It feels much better this morning but still not ready to run on it.

Keep me and my ankle in your prayers.

Till next time

Matt

Saturday morning run

Nothing particularly special about today's run other than it happened on Sat morning which i never get to do because we are usually out of town or doing something. It went well. 2.27 miles. or so Nike+ says. Sometimes I feel like Nike+ is off a little. I still have leg pain after running for a long time, which seems like a no duh statement. But my right leg especially from the knee down. My foot gets kinda numb feeling, which is probably bad. The weather was nice. I'm taking a break until Tuesday though, maybe Monday...we'll see.

Till next time

Matt

Yep. True story.

I spent the past couple of days at Lake Blackshear and goodness gracious I didn't want to come back. But this means that I ran in BEAUTIFUL weather both times I ran this week. :) Yesterday's run went pretty well. It kinda made me realize that even though I may not always run the fastest or look the best when I run, or even look like the typical runner, but I am RUNNER. I had yet to make this realization, but I think running in the awesome weather provoked this thinking haha. So yeah that was a pretty proud moment. :)

I didn't run very far yesterday - I'm still trying to work up my mileage for the 10k at the end of April in the hometown. :) Later in the day and last night my left knee and shin was in a lot of pain, though. Not really sure where it came from, but it definitely didn't feel good. It was bad enough that it kept me up last night. I had a really bad night of sleep. :( But today it doesn't seem that bad. I was going to try to run today, but I really think I should wait until tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm on my way to building up my mileage for the next race and I'm excited about it! HONK!

3 miler

I went to the track today after work and ran. During the week I haven't been running all that far since the River Run and today I wanted to run longer than 2 miles or so. I went into the run thinking 3 miles and about halfway through I wanted to not only not do 3 miles but stop and walk. There is a quote out there that says something like "the pain of losing is temporary and the pain of quitting lasts forever" That is essentially how i feel when I run. I can deal with the pain that I feel when I run or God forbid the pain of putting up a slower time than I would like but to quit and not finish a race or to a lesser degree stop to walk, would be too much for me. Is that extreme? probably. Does it keep me motivated? absolutely.

Liz and I have been talking a lot recently about why we keep running. Why this is something we have stuck with when we've quit other exercise routines. The biggest reason I've stuck with this is I'm doing it with two of my best friends. They have kept me motivated and knowing that someone else is going through the same pains as you and the same triumphs as well, really helps.

Coming in a close 2nd for me is my competitive nature. Except this time I'm competing with myself. I set standards for myself and push myself so hard that if I don't achieve them I still have accomplished something great. But not achieving them is not an option. Stopping and walking today was not an option. Is it healthy emotionally or mentally? maybe not. But I'm going to keep running because of that mentality and until my body won't let me anymore, that's the way its going to be.

superfast update:

I'm back to square one, but that is better than not even being on the board. I went out for W1D1 workout yesterday in my toe shoes. It went well, i did have the obnoxious knee pain by the end of it, but i'm hoping with advil and a lot of stretching i can get back on track without having to stop for a week right at the beginning. actually the knee pain got infinitely worse at work since i had to walk up and down the halls all night long. i started looking up stretches while i was there, i made an ice pack; it was intense. ok well i have to go get ready for work round 2 of 2 so i can relish in my looong weekend off after that.

On the road again.....

So I took a mini vacation from running. Only meant for it to be a week, but with the crappy weather Monday and Tuesday morning, I just couldn't do it. Especially since I knew awesome weather was to come. :)

The week off was good - it was hard to not run, but then again it wasn't too bad haha. Right now I'm on spring break from school and decided to come down to my dad's lake house at Lake Blackshear to work on my exit paper for school. That way I could get away from the hustle and bustle of my house and just sit and type for hours on end. Exciting, I know. BUT - I knew I was coming down to awesome weather that would be perfect for running. And so far I'm totally right. :)

I ran this morning for the first time since the race and I was a little nervous. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel or how my muscles would do. When you run it's not like you have anything to prove to anyone except yourself, and that was definitely how I felt this morning. I really just wanted to bang out two miles and take it slow since it's been a bit since I had run. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't incredibly hard, either. Don't get me wrong, I was totally counting down on my Nike+ to that 2 mile mark, but I was definitely proud of myself for being able to do that. Now I'll just start to build up my mileage back and start a training program for the half marathon.

The next race for me will be the Rose City Run in my hometown of good ole Thomasville, GA haha. It'll be pretty cool to run in my hometown, especially since I never thought I would run it! Then it'll be the Peachtree Road Race! That one will really be the big test since I've heard it's quite the beast haha. But it's all really exciting. :)

I must say that I'm really proud of myself. I think the 15k was a bit of turning point for me. It made me realize that I can do this type of running and that yeah, I'll have some rough runs and it'll be hard, but the reward of crossing that finish line is all worth it. It really helps to have such support from everyone and getting that push from my running partners in crime to keep going and keep at it.

Alright enough sentimentality - HONK!!

"to nice outside not to run" run

I just couldn't help myself. I told myself "self, you need to take a few days off from running to let your body rest." Having run a 15K one Saturday and ran during the week after then a 5K the following Saturday, my body was feeling it. And I was doing good there for a couple days but today rolled around and it was just so damn nice outside! So I ran. It went pretty well. My Nike+ plus said I ran a slower pace than the 5K on Saturday in Adel but it sure felt like I ran faster. I felt like I was pushing myself pretty hard. But regardless of what Nike+ plus says, I was pleased with myself tonight.

I plan on running as soon as I get off work Thurs, which should be around 3 and running like last week, then going to the track with Amanda while she does Couch to 5K. Good day to be a runner!

Till next time.

Matt

Adel Kiwanis Club 5K

Yesterday morning I ran the Adel Kiwanis Club 5K. It was really cool to be in my hometown. The race started and ended at the track/football stadium which was cool. Brought back a lot of good memories. The race itself was kind of rough to be honest. Having just run a 15K a week prior I feel pretty okay with my time of 37 mins 3 secs. That is the slowest time since my very first 5K, but still faster than that time by more than 3 mins.

I have to say that at several points I wanted to stop and walk which is something I don't do (walk that is, I want to stop and walk all the time). I maybe even wanted to stop and walk during this race more than during the 15K. I just felt like my legs locked up on my from the knees down about a mile into the race. They were tight and burning almost the whole way and I really had to concentrate hard on my iPod while I was running (not just stare at it but concentrate on the music being played, smart ass).

All in all it was a good day. I got to see several friends from high school, including my two best friends Amanda Taylor and Tabitha Jenkins, who came out to cheer me on, thanks ladies!

I've decided to take a page out of Liz's book and take a few days off. I'm only going to walk while Amanda does her Couch to 5K runs at the track (she completed Week 1 Day 3 today!) and I'll probably start back Thursday with some hardcore running.

Till next time

Matt

busy afternoon run

So yesterday I had things all planned out: Get off work at 3, have a nice run, wait for Amanda and AJ to get home then go to the track with them and walk AJ while Amanda completed Week 1 Day 2 of the couch to 5K. Well all that happened but with a big steaming pile of crap right in the middle.

We had a girl call in sick to work today and I had to cover part of her shift from 5-7. So I did end up going home, having a nice run, then going back into work, then I went to the track, fed AJ, pushed him in the stroller while Amanda ran, then went home. All in all a busy afternoon.

My run went well. 2.67 miles or so around my neighborhood. I have this route worked out to maximize the distance while not really feeling like it takes me as long. Basically I combine laps around the block with figure 8's around the block and it doesn't feel like I'm running as much as I actually am. Plus it has the added bonus on eliminating street with the bigger hills and I actually run downhill more (I know that doesn't seem possible but I promise it works, either that or my neighborhood defies the laws of physics...). But I'm pleased with how things went.

I have a race in Adel in the morning! I'm very excited, bringing my running prowess to my home town! Woot Woot!

Matt

new things

So the first run after the River Run 15k was a night of new things. We tested the running stroller and I have to say I hated it. 100% pure and simple. When you run your arms move plain and simple. In situation where you run and your arms potentially don't move, like on a treadmill, you can hold onto some handles and what you're holding onto has some weight to it. Not the case with a running stroller. Any weight you put to bear on the stroller will immediately pop the front well and it just makes for very awkward running if you aren't used to it. So we'll see if its something I can get used to or if we may not be making much use of the running stroller.

The other new thing (and much more exciting if you ask me) is as of last night Amanda officially started the couch to 5K program! She did great and today she said she was pretty sore but felt good overall. The plan is for us to stagger our running days so that on days when she run I'll have AJ either just at the house or at the track and I'll walk with him and vice versa. I have to say I'm really proud of her and I'm already looking up potential races to be her first.

Big things a doin in the Harrell household!

I still can't believe it!

I ran a 15k. Wait, what? I actually started and finished a 15k. Dang. That's intense.

I'm still in shock and happiness that this actually happened. You wouldn't have thought this would have happened at the start of the race because, as Matt can concur, I was slightly freaking out as we were waiting to start. I was starting to get nervous and anxious about the pain that could come during the race. If you've been keeping up with our little blog, I have some tendon and knee issues that cause me a lot of pain. Sometimes this pain comes on pretty early in the run and sometimes not. So I was definitely worried about the amount of pain that could happen. This freaking out didn't start until we were lined up and time was getting closer and closer to crossing that start line. It was kinda crazy. Matt just kept looking at me saying, "You can do this - it'll be okay." And the crazy part is that once I started running, all those feelings of nervousness and being anxious went away. It was like I was doing something normal......just with about 15,000 other people.....all at the same time haha.

Like Matt said, the course was awesome. We ran by the river and over the river - twice! It was awesome. Once we got to the river I just wanted to stop and look at the view. The people of Jacksonville were awesome, too. It was like this was a party and everyone wanted to come out and play. At the river, one of the girls held a sign that said "You're not slow, you're just enjoying the view!" Which definitely made me laugh and even agree because I was totally enjoying that river view! This is also the place were the mimosa station that Matt mentioned was. We went through really expensive houses and the frat like houses, and all the folks were having a good time. Lots of people were grilling out and one house had a beer table and and liquor table. Some folks even had stereos outside turned up so that the runners could hear the music. It was just an awesome environment.

I did have to walk a few times, but I totally ran the majority of it. Here's a testament that God answers prayers. I prayed good and hard to not have the type of pain I've been going through, and sure enough I was good to go the whole time. And I kept Matt in pretty close view when we weren't running together. But let me tell you - the minute I knew that we were coming up on the last mile and half ish and that last bridge was next, I was PUMPED. I knew I wasn't running up that dern incline, but I knew that I was busting my tail to get to the end once I got to the top. And I totally did. I was so excited I was grinning like a fool. Especially when I could see the end. It was an awesome feeling knowing that I was about to accomplish something that I never thought I would ever do. And getting to the finish line knowing that I was under my goal time was awesome.

I could go on and on about how cool this experience was, but I'll cut it down. :) Here's a shout out to Leigh Hall - they totally played the Chariots of Fire theme song at the start of the race. Definitely thought of you. :)

Many, many thanks to Amanda, AJ, Sarah, and Terri for cheering us on this weekend. It was awesome to see and hear them both at the beginning and the end of the race and then dealing with us whining about how much it hurt to move the rest of the day. And lots of thanks to Matt and Liz B. for thinking up this whole running scheme and allowing me to start with you. Ya'll have been so motivating and supportive and it's just been freaking cool. It's been awesome and I can't wait until we all get to run together again!

I can't wait until next year's race - it's gonna be awesome!

Gate River Run

So yeah, we did it! Liz and I finished the race both of us under our goal time of 2 hrs and 30 mins. I have to say I am very proud of both of us. I've had a least one person tell me who had run this race before that it wasn't an easy race and I tend to agree. There is a lot I could say but here are the highlights. We ran through some of the coolest and nicest neighborhoods in Jacksonville. The people of Jacksonville treat this race like it is a part of their city and it showed. People lined the streets to cheer on the runners and even stuck around for the people in the back like me. There was a "mimosa station" (not an official station of the race, it was in someone's front yard). Many of the racers had their names on their number sheets that were pinned to their shirts and when you ran by they would cheer you on by name, which was really cool.

As for the race itself, it wasn't easy. That actually had very little to do with the terrain, save one or two places. But overall it was flat terrain with some inclines. Very scenic though. I wish I could say at this mile I felt like this and at this mile I felt like this but its all a blur. It was easier at first then it got hard towards the end. Thats about as much detail as I can give. Liz and I stayed within eyesight of each other the whole time which i was glad about and I finished just barely ahead of her. We both wanted to pace ourselves and not expend to much energy early. In fact we stayed together for the first mile and a half or so, doing the first mile in almost 15 mins, which for our shorter runs during the week would be slow but for this was about what our pace ended up being.

The worst and the best part of the race for me was the Hart Bridge. It was a loooong steady incline that seemed to last forever but once it turned into a downhill slope and because we were so close to the finish line it was the best part of the race. At the end everyone got medals and while I wanted to keep wearing mine around like Kurt Angle (okay so I did wear it Cracker Barrell after the race) it's hanging on my wall instead.

Lastly I have to say thank you to my running cohorts, Liz and Liz. Girls I couldn't have done this without you. At several points along the way I've wanted to quit and you guys whether by texting or IMing me saying "go run!" or just by getting out there and running yourself you motivated me to stick with it and I love you for it (I love you for other reasons too but thats another blog for another time). So thank you and I can't wait for the next race!

this is just a shout out post, because the world knows i'm not even pretending to run these days. so without further ado:

WAY TO GO LIZ AND MATT!!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!! HONK!!

15 WHAT???

If you don't want to read gripes and pains, skip down a couple paragraphs to the happy part. :)

This weekend is the 15K in Jacksonville. Goodness gracious. It's definitely not going to be easy, that's for sure. Once I hit the 5 miles and then the 7 miles, my body decided that it was TIRED. Every time I've run after each of the long runs, it's been really hard. For example, I went out on Sunday with the expectation of going anywhere from 2-3 miles, no problem. I ended up having to WALK for 2 miles because my legs could not get it together. Each time has been a real struggle to find my pace and get in a good rhythm. Tomorrow is the last time I'm getting out on the road until the race on Saturday. I just really want to be comfortable out there, but it's been really hard.

The day I did 3.25 miles, it was awesome. I had a good pace, a good rhythm, and nothing hurt. I felt like I could've just kept going. I LOVED that feeling. And now I'm frustrated that I can't find that feeling again. I haven't been able to feel that good at the end of a run since then. That's just freaking frustrating. On one hand, my body has never had to run this much continually EVER so it could still be getting used to all this. But on the other hand, I've done all this and come this far - why can't my body just do what I want? I'd rather feel the pain of a good run/workout than the pain of an agitated muscle/tendon/overall body. I really hope that once I get over this hurdle, it will be back to good runs/workouts.

Alright, now for the happy stuff. :)

I did 7 miles. And it was FREAKING HARD. But I think I have a way of focusing my thoughts away from the pain that comes with all this running. Listening to a book on my iPod. Now, the book that I needed to pick would have to be something that would keep my attention and not seem like someone just droning on in my ear. So my book of choice? Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows. I've read all the books, so I know what's going to happen, but I also know that it will keep my attention and keep me interested. I used it when I did the 7 miles, and let me just tell you that I didn't pay attention to the time or anything. I stopped and stretched when I needed to and it really just kept me calm and not worried about how fast I was going or what was hurting. So I'm really hoping that it'll pull through for me this weekend.

I'm definitely excited about this weekend. I'm excited to see how I do and just plain excited to be somewhere other than home. Like a mini vacation. With a 9,44 mile run that's gonna make me want to die haha. And I get to see some of my family and hang out with them for a little bit, so I'm definitely excited about that. :) It's going to be a good weekend and I'm pretty pumped. So the next time you see me update, it will be post 15K and hopefully a good post at that!

HONK!

Just.....weird.

I don't recommend running the Monday after a totally exhausting Vocare weekend. My body just couldn't handle it haha. My legs immediately felt like dead weight so I ended up only going a little over a mile. I need to remember this for the future - no running after exhausting, exhilarating, tons o' fun weekends.

Yesterday's run wasn't too bad, but it was kinda weird. It's like my brain couldn't communicate with my legs very well. For some reason I had a problem regulating my pace. I've started wearing a knee & ankle brace on my right leg, so that's taken a little bit to get used to. The knee brace is really retraining my leg muscles, so my calves are needing a stretch quite a bit during the run. But for some reason the ankle brace is really not as comfortable as it is on the other foot, so I stopped and took it off for a bit. Then my ankle needed it again and I finished out the run with it on. Which wasn't too terrible.

But yeah, so I really couldn't get my speed going at a regular pace this whole run. It was just really weird.....I was going a lot faster than normal (usually a 13/13:30 minute mile to a 12:00 minute mile) and I had to keep stopping to catch my breath. But no joke, I couldn't slow down! Goodness it was just strange. And when I tried to slow down, my stride was all wacky. Weird! I ended up going 3 miles, so that's positive. I'm going for 4 either Thursday or Friday, so let's hope that works out hah.

Only three weeks left - ahhh! HONK!

Bad and AWESOME.

I ran kinda yesterday. I went to the gym to get on the treadmill since it was so freaking cold outside. It didn't go very well. I could barely make it to a mile. My shins were in so much pain that I couldn't even fight through it. My foot hurt a little bit, but not nearly as bad as my shins. I was so mad at myself and the fact that my body wouldn't let me accomplish what I wanted to do. Last week I finished the week going 1.75 miles straight and all I wanted to do was make the 2 mile mark. Hence the major reason I was so mad.

Now to today's run. I decided that I was going to run outside since the treadmill and I didn't get along so well the day before. But first I had to go get a new ankle brace because mine was shot. Let me just tell you how much of an improvement my new ankle brace made. My foot felt so much better than it has in a while and that was already an improvement when I started out today. Now, I said that I would never run in the freezing cold again, but......I did. And let me just tell you that one of the first thoughts in my head was when your parents joke with you that "Watch out, your face might freeze like that." And I totally thought my face was going to freeze with the "Oh my freaking gosh it's sooooooo cold!" expression on my face. It was so freaking cold. That wind was just so intense - it could just cut you in half. Goodness gracious I'm not cut out for cold weather.

But I digress.....

So my goal today was to get that 2 mile mark, and if I was lucky, 2.25. I start on my way and I'm getting to the 2 mile mark and I'm totally excited. I'm feeling pretty good so I think "Oh well let's see if I can add on another quarter of a mile." I totally get through that. So that puts me at 2.25 miles. I start to think I could keep going. I add on another .25 of a mile. Which makes 2.5 miles. I'm feeling pretty good and I think that maybe I could keep going. I add on another .25. I am now at 2.75. At this point in my run I'm at the crosswalk to start the last leg of my run toward my house. And without thinking, I start running. And then it hits me, "Am I really going to do this?!" So no joke, I stop for a minute and take a deep breath and answer myself (this was all totally out loud), "Yeah, I think I am!" I do a couple of chugs like a train, take a deep breath, gear myself up, and I'm off! I hit the 3 mile mark before I got home and I was like "I always run down to the mailboxes - today isn't going to be any different. Can I add it on?" So I go up and down the little inlets at my little neighborhood, to the mailboxes, and back up to my house. I ran 3.25 MILES STRAIGHT!!!!! Say WHHHAAATTTT??!!! I know, right? Just plain freaking CRAZY. I got inside my house and I looked at my mom and told her what I did and told her that if I could do a happy dance I'd totally do it. My mom did the happy dance for me. :)

I stopped a couple of times before I hit the 2 mile mark to stretch out my calves, but it really was only twice. Which is a lot better than normal. My shins felt better, as well as my ankle and that really helped. The whole idea today was to keep a little slower pace than normal since I was wanting to add on more distance. Apparently it worked! Once I got past the 2.25 mark, I had to really push through the tired muscles and the pain that comes on with pushing your body to a new level. But it didn't last long and the rest of the run went pretty well, just like the first part. My body was on autopilot today. It was like it knew what to do and just did it. It was really awesome. I still can't believe that I did that. Heck freaking YES!

I think today was really a breakthrough for me. I know what my body is capable of and I know that I can push myself to new levels. And I'm able to do that. I think that was a big realization for me today - I can push myself and I'm not going to die doing it. It was just a really awesome moment each time I accomplished another quarter of a mile. :)

Alright, that's enough from me. We're totally gonna be awesome at the 15k! HONK!

Kids, don't try this at home.

I ran in 28 degree weather yesterday. It started out pretty well running 1 1/4 mile the first go round, but then the second round didn't go as well. The cold just really affected me and I wasn't expecting it. I stretched a lot the whole time though. My calves have been really tight after each run so I've had to stretch a lot. Which is really good, but it would be better if my calves weren't so tight to begin with haha. So I stopped a few times during the run to stretch out my legs. But let me tell you, the second time around, my legs were NOT happy. My chest was starting to feel the affects of breathing in cold air pretty heavily so yeah, my body was just not happy about running in 28 degrees. On the up side, it was 33 by the time I got back home! If I can help it, no more running in the freezing weather.

Today's run went pretty well actually. I went to the gym, so there's a step up right at the beginning. :) I stopped a little less to stretch so that was good, too. I did a short run because goodness gracious I had to go to the little girl's room so badly! My bladder was yelling at me....a lot. So I only did 2 miles, which is shorter than normal, but guess what?! I only walked 1/4 of that! I ran 1.75 miles straight today. :) I was planning on just doing a mile and a half, but I decided to push it and see if I could tack on the other 1/4 mile. I'm pretty proud of myself. This means that maybe by the end of next week I'll be close to 3 miles of straight running. So crazy!

I think this cycle of running I'm taking a little more seriously. I mean, I took it seriously when we started this whole process, but now I think it's more than just me doing this with my friends. I think now the end goal is me being a healthier person, while also enjoying it like before. I mean, at the beginning, yeah the healthy part was just an added bonus, but now it's more of a focus than a plus. If that makes any sense haha. So yeah......hah.

I'm really proud of us continuing on with our handy dandy little project. HONK!!

My legs, my legs!

Today was Calibration Tuesday! Except that it didn't like the mile that I walked. But the mile I ran went well haha. I ran yesterday and I was pretty proud of myself. :) I did a mile straight at a time with only a quarter mile walk in between. My legs started to feel like jelly toward the end, but goodness gracious I was determined to make it! I was definitely sore once I was done, but I was hoping that it wouldn't be too bad today. Except that I was still sore when I got up this morning to run. So yeah, my one mile calibration was pretty intense because my legs were just not happy. I was having a few shin issues both yesterday and today, but I just ignored it and pushed through it - no pain, no gain! Let's just say that I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day! Maybe this week I'll actually get in my four runs that I wanted to do from the get go. I can say that it's a good soreness though - makes me feel like I've accomplished something. Plus it means that I gave my legs a good workout/run. Yay!

I'm still hoping to get my mileage up enough in time for the race, which may be a pretty optimistic hope, but hey - ya never know! :) I'm still pretty excited about our race - it's gonna be pretty awesome!

HONK!

Dude I'm totally on it.

I ran on Thursday and I ran today. My times for each are a little longer than before, but it's not too bad. I'm okay with it. :)

I decided today to try for a straight mile, even though I really wasn't going to try until Monday, but I decided to go for it. And I totally did it! I even felt like I could make it a while longer, but I didn't want to push it. I walked for a little bit and then ran again for about half a mile before I quit because of time. Just as a bit of background, I was in Savannah this weekend for the Diocese of Georgia's convention, so I just ran around Becca's neighborhood. It started sprinkling/raining while running, but it wasn't too bad.

I'm planning on calibrating my nike+ on Monday, so I'll walk a mile and then run a mile. But hopefully next week will be the start of running a mile or more at a time. I'm excited.:) And I am officially committed to running the marathon at Disney World next January. Matt has said that he would run and there's a possibility that Liz B will run.....so we'll see. :) I'm just excited that my friend Jody brought it up. It'll be awesome! But first I need to get through this 15k haha.

Anyway, so far so good - let's keep it up! HONK!

i'm hardcore.

Finally!! A successful run!

I set out today, with Sean's tips for not getting a side stitch, and the expectation of taking it slowly.

Weirdly, my heel started hurting almost immediately after I left the house, and then I looked down and my ipod was so nearly dead. However, I didn't let that stop me. Also, let me remind you that it was abooouuuut 35 degrees at this point (I wore a LOT of layers). But I started out, and only ran for maybe a minute or two, and made myself pause for a bit, and then got back to the running. I started alternating running 4-6 minutes and walking a couple, and I continued in that manner for almost an hour!! I also got further than I ever have thusfar. So yeah, I am still pretty proud.

On the downside, BOTH my IT bands are really in pain. But I'm hoping to start actually stretching consistently to take care of it.

Another link!

this one is thanks to sean, and explains the cause and remedy for side stitches:

http://www.makeithappen.com/wis/readings/sidest.html

"You grew it, you move it!"

My college band director, Dr. O, used to tell us that all the time. I think it's pretty appropriate haha.

My run times per mile are getting better each time I run, so that's positive. The running four times a week hasn't really happened yet, but I'm trying! My current plan is to bump up my mileage each week. So far I've gone up a quarter of a mile at a time so right now I'm at 3/4 mile and next week I'll be up to a mile at a time. At that point, hopefully I can go up a half mile at a time. Hopefully haha. My run today went pretty well and just proved that I'm on the right track. It got pretty uncomfortable closer to the 3/4 mark, which meant that I was training my body in a pretty good way. So yay!

On a side note, it's been freaking COLD. I bought a Nike thermal shirt on sale a couple of weeks ago and bought another one (still on sale) today. Those things are just freaking comfortable as all get out, and once you get warmed up, it's not overpowering like other thermal wear gets. If that makes any sense haha. Basically it means that when I get warmed up, the thermal doesn't automatically put my body in to "I'm gonna heat up lots and lots!" mode haha.

Okay, anyway, enough about the comfy thermals.....

I'm really hoping that I can get my mileage up before the race. If I can get up to 8 miles in one run, actually running, then I'll be good.

Here's to hoping! HONK!

link!!

my aunt sent me this article, and i obviously loved it because it totally makes me feel validated for the barefoot thing. just thought i'd share!

just call me shoeless liz... well maybe not.

yikes.

so the run today was psychologically pretty good, and physically terrible. it started out promising, i felt strong, the weather was great, my ipod was picking good songs. and then i got a side stitch from hell. that wouldn't go away. i walked for a few minutes, tried to run again and barely lasted a minute and a half. so again i tried to walk it off, and had to alternate walking and jogging for short intervals for the next 10 minutes or so, then it took me like 15 minutes to walk back home. in the intervals, my knee started hurting, then a couple bones on the bottom of my foot, then my hip, then my toenails actually. so yeah. i'm trying to wear my toe shoes more even when i'm not running so my feet can get more used to them, and in places stretch them where they might need it. and to build up my feet and ankle muscles. well at least i got outside today. this week is going to be a, have to stay outside for 30 minutes each session, week. even if that means walking. hopefully next run will be better and i'll start to see some improvement.

Doggies make me smile

I ran today. Which is good since last week I only ran once. Oops. But I totally have a plan! Instead of running three times a week, I'm going to shoot for four. I really want to run the whole race, so since I've been a bit of a slacker I feel that I need to step it up a bit.

Today's run went okay. It was cold, but not freezing, so that was positive. I ran a different way than normal and that added something different to my run. Which was totally good because I couldn't find my earphones so I couldn't listen to music. I got a few stitches in my side, which wasn't pleasant, but I totally pushed on. I'm still in the walking/running phase, but hopefully soon I'll be at the straight running phase. That would be good. At the end of my run there was a guy walking his adorable doggie and it made me smile. And keep going. :)

I'm trying to get back to drinking the recommended amount of water (8-10 glasses/day), so needless to say, my bladder was not happy haha. But it'll be good for me - it's water! :)

I'm still excited about our race, even though I'm totally behind haha. And I registered! So it's official - I have committed to the race. Money has left my hands, therefore there's no going back. We can totally do this! It's gonna be an awesome weekend. :)

On a side note, for those followers out there, Matt is now a daddy! Little AJ is just cute as ever and Team LizMattLiz are totally excited about it. But I'll leave all the details to the daddy. :)

HONK!

And I quote "We're gonna own this race!"

So as Liz Baker put it, we're totally going to own this dag gum race. And as Matt pointed out to me, we're totally gonna die by the end haha. But it'll definitely be tons of fun! :) I think that a good distraction for me would be to put a book on cd on my ipod. That way I won't be so focused on what pain may come or if I get tired haha. But that's just an idea. ;)

So I ran on Monday, and it was a little better. I think that my plan is to up the amount of running each time/week, depending on how the run starts out. I'm up to 4:30 running sections with 3-4 minute walking. Although the last running section I did on Monday I ran for 5 minutes. Yeah......totally had a side stitch. Oops. But I was proud. :)

My foot kinda hurt a little bit, but once I got past the initial pain, it was more like a warm sensation through my foot. Don't really know if that's good or not, but it wasn't a big painful experience. The weird part was that at one point my shins were hurting, which I was totally not a fan of. But that stopped at some point.....I think. I don't remember haha.

I'm running again today, so hopefully that will be pretty excellent. I got the Glee Volume 1 soundtrack for Christmas, so that's been my running music currently.

I'M STILL EXCITED! HONK!

still icy :/

It was icy more in temperatures than actual ice. I am really ready for 10 degrees warmer weather. At least. So my newest plan is sort of hard to explain, even though the concept isn't that difficult. Last week (and today, because today I was doing my third run from last week) I was running for 20 minutes. The first day I did the Week 1 times, the second day I did the Week 2 times, and today I did the Week 3 times. This week I'll go for 25 minutes, running the Week 2, 3, and 4 times. Next week it will be 30 minutes for Week 3, 4, 5's times. So I'm bumping up 5 minutes a week, and making the intensity of each workout go up by following the times of consecutive weeks (with the first run always coordinating with the actual week I'm on). I don't know if I made that concise, or just confusing. Luckily I know what I'm doing haha. Now I just have to hope it works. :)

Still no IT band pain! Unfortunately the hip flexor is still acting up. I started adding some sit ups, lunges, pushups, and toe raises before my warm up, as an indoor prewarm up. To actually warm my body up and increase my circulation so it isn't so harsh when I go outside. The toes just get so chilly in my toe shoes. I'm hoping the lunges might help with the hip flexor as well. Ok I guess that's about all for now.

Totally pumped

I didn't run today. :( It's still icy and freaking cold, so no running outside or getting on the road to drive to the gym. So I only got in two runs this week. The second run I couldn't use my nike+ because I forgot to charge it. But I went the same distance pretty much. This time I upped the running by 30 seconds each time. I lost track of the walking part at some point so when I felt like I was rested enough I'd start back running. But I was pretty proud of myself. :)

Let me just say that I'm totally pumped about our running haha. I looked up the race website and they have a training schedule up for beginners and we aren't too far behind I think. I've talked to my cousin about hotel suggestions, so that's pretty positive. :) I'm just really dag gum excited haha.

Anyway, hopefully this ice will be gone by Monday so I can get back in the gym. I want to start doing some strength workouts, too....I think. So we'll see how that works out haha. But I'm definitely still pumped about our efforts. :) Yay us! HONK!