10/31/2010 First Full Marathon

Well, the day is finally here. After months (years) of training and having injuries and deferring from last year it all comes down to this. There is so much time spent running, walking, physical therapy, chiropractor adjustments and it is over at the end of the race. I put so much pressure on myself to finally finish it and maybe it goes how I imagine maybe not so much. My race shirt came out exactly how I imagined and so glad I took the chance and had it done. Last night we realized that I should probably drive myself to the Metro since the dog would have been alone for way too long. I put on my temporary tattoos and was ready to go. Driving there I realized that I had left my camera at home and was upset that I would not have it at the start line. I knew that I would be able to get pics though so let Tom know to bring it and hand it off to me when I see him. The Metro was empty when I got on it and I had plenty of time when we got to the Pentagon. It was a long walk to the start line! I was meeting Dave and other Marathon Maniacs at the corrals for a group pic. He was nice enough to invite me to jump in and represent the Half Fanatics. I felt pretty good had some small issues with my stomach but not too bad. I probably should have stretched more but we finally started and it was great having my name on my shirt-all I heard was people yelling my name! It was like I had friends & family throughout the entire course. We ran through Rock Creek and over the Key Bridge-when I came over the bridge heard my name and it was Tom. I was surprised since he was suppose to be at Mile 10 and this was Mile 5. He had gotten off the Metro and just followed people and there he was. We were running out and coming back around mile 8 I would see him again. He would end up walking all the way to the Lincoln where he would see me at about Mile 16. Georgetown had so many spectators and that was great. I was looking for my sister at Mile 10 but it was sort of in the back of the Lincoln and didn't see them. Coming up at Mile 11 saw them holding signs-my sister, sister in law and my brother. It was great seeing them although I wish I had snapped a picture with all of us. I knew that I was coming up to Hains Point which has always been hard for me to run throughout the other races I have run through there. At this point I started to get calf cramps which has been so long since I have issues with this. This whole race I was also taking my Endurolytes every hour so I don't know what was going on. Since I wasn't even halfway done yet I was hoping I was going to make it. I stopped at the medical tent to try and get some salt which they didn't have but got some chips. I knew that I would see family at Mile 16 and would full up with more Endurolytes. I got to Mile 16 with my Dad telling me to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I still had a lot of people behind me and knew I would make the cutoff if I kept up the pace. At about Mile 18 I saw the car that said Stay in Front of to Beat the Bridge! And it passed us-I was like where are you going. I know there was no way that we would not make it but it did speed a lot of people up. The back of my shirt said "Beat the Bridge" because that was my first goal and everyone kept asking "are we going to make it?" Made it to the bridge and took pics with the busses behind me. A lot of people slowed to a walk and it was very hard to keep running. I know I still had about 3 miles to see my family again. Saw my family in Crystal City and changed my shoes although I am not sure it helped at all. There wasn't many people running at this point-some people were dragging others along. I just tried to keep up my run/walk and knew I wasn't going to make it under 6:15 but that I could make it under 6:30 if I kept it up. I did stop and took a picture at Mile 26 because I am not sure when I will see that one again! I knew the final .2 is straight up hill and I was running but just couldn't make it all the way up that damn hill. I did run to the finish and high fived all the Marines along the way. It was great have the medal put around my neck-that was the only point I got a little choked up. I had finally completed this journey and am now a Marathoner. No matter how slow or how fast once you cross that finish line it will change your life-so true.

Marine Corps Expo

Went to the Expo tonight before the 1st timer event. It is a nice, big expo with plenty to look at. I really wish Ryan Hall was there tonight but he will be signing autographs tomorrow. Maybe I will get a chance in the future although I did see him in Philly warming up. Anyways, the expo went pretty smoothly I did order my frame to commerate my accomplishment-Lindsay helped me decide which was nice since I am so indecisive.. I got a visor to complete my race day outfit wish it was blue/red but anyways I don't need to match. Probably should have bought a shirt but I have so many and if I still want one maybe after the race they will have some merchandise left to choose from. From the expo we went to the first timer event which was the first time they did it so didn't really know what to expect. From the email it seemed liked we good get dinner off a special menu but that wasn't the case. We had finger foods and met some other first timers. We planned on getting dinner after but the Metro spoiled that. Of course the line I have to ride to get back to my car was stopped because someone jumped. Was this a preview of what was to come? I hope not I really don't want any metro headaches on race day. Luckily, Lindsay parked at the convention ctr and she drove me to my car after taking a taxi. Saturday I have nothing to do but hurry and wait!

Marathon Madness

Well, it is now less than 3 days until I line up to start on my marathon debut at the Marine Corps Marathon. I have been on vacation this week which I am not sure was the best idea since I can't stop thinking about it. I really didn't have much choice because I would have rather been off all next week. I got a massage tonight and go to the chiro tomorrow morning. Now with the shootings around the Marine Corps buildings there will be more security involved. I am hoping everything goes smoothly with the Metro since I don't think I can get there any earlier than 5:30am. I usually don't like standing around at the start but I want to make sure I have plenty of time to stand around and be nervous. I am hoping I just don't start hyperventilating or crying right at the start. I will be going to the expo tomorrow and the 1st timer event after that-hopefully it is nice since it is the first year.

Hershey Half Marathon

Enjoyed running through the Sweetest Place on Earth. The swag bag had chocolate bars in it and cookies from Hershey Lodge. Checked into the Hershey Lodge and got more chocolate bars when checking in. They let the runners use the park from 6-9pm which I can say I have never ridden rides before a race especially the Fahrenheit! We ended up not eating until almost 9:30pm which probably was not the best idea. When I got up the next morning my Garmin was not charged so I ran without a watch to do intervals. The walkers started an hour before but the race still had a 18 min pace which most can still walk that. At the start had pictures with the characters. Tom stayed at the hotel since it was at Mile 5. The first couple of miles were pretty lonely since there weren't many back of the packers. After mile 5 though passed some people and ended up passing walkers later in the run. I did go the wrong way when coming out of the park since I had no one in front of me. The gave out Hershey bars at Mile 12 and of course had to try that but not sure if that was the best thing. I finished in 3:11 which was better than Philly and I have 2 more races in a row so we will see how I feel.

RNR Philly 2010

After two exhausting weeks at work during this conversion it is time for the Philly Half. It was a long drive up with traffic but we go there and went to the Reading Terminal Market. Tom waited in line at DiNic's for a roast pork sandwich and I ended up getting a turkey sandwich at The Original Turkey. It was great. I also got some ice cream at Bassett's although I had wanted to go to Franklin Fountain Shop but figured we may end up ditching that one. We headed over to the Expo at the Convention Ctr. Similar to all the other RNR expos we had been too except they didn't have the Brooks Bus which I wanted to have my gait analyzed so I guess I should have done it at Va Beach. We went and checked into the Best Western which was the closest hotel to the start line. We walked around the Art musuem and saw some of the set up for the race. We found this little italian restaurant Illuminare and it was really good and no wait. Went to bed early even though it was a late start. We got up the next morning and went down to the start and saw Ryan Hall warming up pre-race. I went back to the hotel since it was so close instead of standing in line for the potta potties. Got back in time to see the start of the race which I have never done before. I was planning on running this race since I wanted to get back to the hotel to shower and be out by 1pm. It was nice course but a little warm out for the day. Running along the river seemed to take forever. It was a flat course and would definitely do it again. I actually spotted Dave Mari (Half Fanatic) at the start of the race and took a pic with him.

Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half

Walked my first half ever-it was disappointing but my goal was to finish and that is what I went out there and did. It took the stress off the pre-race jitters and I actually missed the start of the race but knew I was not starting until at least 7:30am so I took my time. It actually felt harder walking it and trying to keep my pace going. I had blisters last week so I came prepared and did have to take my shoes off and reapply ointment at about 6 miles in. I also stopped and gave someone bandaids because they had their shoes off and were rubbing their feet. The weather was perfect in spite of Hurricane Earl and enjoyed the beach on Saturday and Sunday after the race.

Blisters oh my!

Today I met the group and decided to walk the 10 miles instead of take a chance on having a long run with back pain. I have never experienced blisters before with running and I have walked but I guess the walking really rubbed my feet the wrong way. Two huge blisters on the bottoms of each foot on the ball of my feet. I couldn't believe it do I really have to deal with this a week before RNR Va Beach! I had to actually pop the blisters because I couldn't walk only on the outside my feet. After popping them it is still painful to walk I am just hoping that they heal for next week or I will definitely be in trouble! Walking next week I guess I need to make sure I have my bodyglide all over.

Miserable!

I thought my knee was going to be my biggest issue-well my back decides to start acting up. I usually don't have too many issues (knock on wood). Usually it will ache some after a long run but now it is bothering me while sitting at work which probably makes it stiffer so I have been trying to get up and stretch. I took almost a week off after the Run Amuck and did 10 yesterday. Not sure if it was a mistake or not. The rest of the group did 17 miles-so now I am feeling behind yet again? From the beginning of the run it was bothering me and part of me was like what am I doing-is it really worth this. I stuck it out to get the 10 miles that I was determined to do but I walked a lot. My feeling is that if I don't feel worse after the run that keep running but I am not so sure. I also wonder if it is mental-am I really feeling this pain-yes! Is it just another excuse in my book of excuses-is this really something I want to do. I really want to run a marathon this year because like last year I am not willing to go through this again. I have gotten so close I feel yet the start line feels so far away. Do I have enough time to get this back issue resolved-I guess we will see...

Run Amuck

I finished my 3rd Run Amuck. It was actually doubtful and I wasn't even sure if I was going to attempt to do it since my back/hip has been bothering me. I figured I would just walk if I needed to. I felt ok running especially when we were on the trail. The obstacles are a different story though. The barricade was a little higher than last year and coming down didn't feel so good coming down. I was disappointed that it was not the same course as it has been. It was a lot easier than previously none of the hills which might have been a blessing with all my issues. I always say I will be in better shape next year and hope that is the case. I really have my figures crossed that I can dig deep and make it through the next two months. I really don't want to disappoint and feel like a failure for not completing what I set out to do. I feel like the first half of the year went so well why now??

Run Amuck

Well, I completed my 3rd Run Amuck today. My right side has been killing me for the last week or so. I never fully recovered from the 15 mile run last week. I was worried about the obstacle course since I have run it for 2 years and seriously considered not doing it. I figured if I was not feeling it I would just cheer on Lindsay. Of course getting there I just decided to run and if I had to walk so be it. They changed the course completely I had thought they just reversed it but no-it was not nearly as challenging as before. I guess it was good today since I am not sure how many hills I could take. For people that had never done it before I wonder what they thought of it? We heard that too many people got hurt last year-that is why we sign away all our rights hello we sign up to get beat down. I really hope they go back to the original course!

Long Run

Well, it was 15 long miles today. I guess that I should have expected to be off since I did the Chicago Half RNR on Sunday so only 5 days off in between and we did a lot of walking. It seemed as if everything hurt-hamstrings were especially tight even from the start on my right side. It seems once one thing stops hurting (knee) something else pops up (groin pain). I don't know if my muscles are acting up causing that pain but it was a long way back to Bethesda. I did a lot more walking than usual and I am concerned about doing 17 miles in two weeks!

T-Minus 7 Days!

So it is officially just a week until I will be in Chicago. Went on a long run today for almost 12 miles-started a little after 5:30am since it was already 84 deg out and going to go up to over 100 today for a record. My knee didn't really bother me I say that b/c I think the heat was affecting me mentally and just about everything else hurt on my body. When I have been foam rolling for the last couple days on the inside of my left knee feels like a knot is there. I did get a massage today and that was great-haven't had one since the beginning of June and it was much needed. I will start to panic soon since I have to pack and worry about flying and airport security etc. I guess I am just planning on carrying on what I need to run in on Sunday and hope the rest makes it to Chicago!

T-Minus 2 weeks

Well, it is two weeks until I leave for Chicago! I can't wait and hope all goes well. I did a long run today of 10 miles and next week is 12 miles. I have been keeping up with the 3 short runs during the week. I think the week of Chicago I will probably take it easy and try and taper and rest my knees. It is not pain so much more stiffness, achey feeling especially going up/down the stairs. I felt it somewhat during the run but managed to finish strong. It was very humid out also. I have so much to do-lists to make, itinery to finish and the packing. Since we are flying I will have to keep it to a minimum. Fingers crossed that I feel great and all goes smoothly since we are leaving very early should not have a problem with getting there in time to pick up my packet at the expo!

July 10th-Long Run

So-as it happens on Wednesday which I didn't run at all that night going up the stairs I felt a twinge/pain in my left knee. Do I really jinx myself after talking about a marathon and now this. I just hope it is something tweaked and I have something else bothering me in a couple of weeks. Not trying to have knee pain at all-don't I have enough with the hip issues just let me work through that. Anyways-today we did 12 miles so that was good-didn't feel that off but it was the longest 6 miles on the way back. It was pouring rain through the whole run and I was miserable near the end. I couldn't have been happier to have it over with to me honest. My shoes were filled with water and sloshing around. Now for a day of ice and rest. Hope this week goes by without too much of an issue. I have Chicago in 3 weeks and that is too important for any new problems to show up at this last of a date.

4th of July

Had a great day for the 4th. Ran 11 miles yesterday at least it was cool in the morning. Today just did some swimming in the pool (deep water running) while the kids were in the pool. We enjoyed some crabs and good times with the family. Chris, Ashley and Avery going back to Cali tomorrow=( Avery gets so big each time I see her!

Training Run-Group

So I started my first training run with a group today. It met down in Bethesda which I have run the Capital Crescent Trail so at least I am familiar with that. Of course I am the slowest and was probably about at least a mile behind. I finished the 9 miles and one of the coaches came back to finish with me. We went to Cosi and just go some drinks. I am hoping it will at least keep me motivated to get up early and get in a long run. I did look at the full schedule now and of course the long runs that I want to get in with a group are on weekends I am out of town in September. That is my luck. Now I have to see if I will add on mileage after my halfs that weekend which will be hard to do. Or on the alternate weekend when they drop down in mileage I do a longer run on my own (which I pretty much am anyways). There is one woman that was like "glad there is someone my pace" but she has a hurt foot and didn't run yesterday-again my luck. After the run I went to Nancy & Pop's. All the kids were there and I was helping watch them when everyone went to April's wedding. It was a fun time but exhausting. We went in the pool 3x for me not for long but the first Chris was with Avery. The next two times took in Madison with Pop and than Avery and Madison. They sure like jumping off the deep end step and I am lucking I have my deep water running belt because it makes it easier to trend water while they are jumping.

Baltimore 10 Miler

Another hot, humid run today. At least it was only 10 miles because I don't think I would have made it 3 more miles honestly. I had said I was going to bring a washcloth with me of course I didn't but they did hand them out at the end which was much needed. Watermelon was given out also. We started at the Maryland Zoo and ran out to Lake Montebello and back to the zoo. I would have like to have cloudy weather instead of the full sun but that has been my luck lately. I went by myself because after Tom's schedule changed for the 3rd time he was working. I finished in 2:12 which was a lot slower than my last 10 miler but what can I do-I should be happy just to finish but I really want to break 2 hrs at some point.

Zooma Annapolis-6/6/10

Ok-so it was super hot & humid today. I threw any thought of a time goal out the window when I knew it would be 90 degrees outside. I saw people on the ground and Tom saw people fall out after finishing. The course itself was not too bad-the B&A trail was nice and shaded but I thought the turnaround would never come. They ran out of water at Mile 9 and my Ipod died-first time for that. Maybe I should have left it charging over night. That was my mistake. Let me tell you it was a long 4 miles with the sun in my face and no music. I also was looking for water after mile 11 but I guess they thought the finish was close enough-no! Someone had a hose right before mile 12 and was spraying us which was nice.

May 24, 2010

Well, it has been a long week back at work. I had been feeling off since the Frederick Half. I got up quickly and my balanace was off. A couple of days later I felt like my left ear was clogged and needed to pop. Never had any issues with my ears even with my long history of allergies. I took a long car trip to Indy without any issues. Coming back to work I saw the RN at the health ctr that said there was a lot of fluid in the left ear and thought it was an onset of sinus infection. That would be explaining my balance issues. Started on Mucinex 2X a day for 7 days to try and drain me. Just started nasal spray yesterday 5/23 but when I woke this morning and opened my mouth I felt clicking on my right ear. Just what I need right-I am a mess and it just seems like it takes something else than I forget about my current issue. I am going to schedule an appt with an ENT if I still feel like this at the end of the week. Going on the internet does not help either since people say they have the clogged feeling for years-what!!! I can't live like this. Feeling nauseous in the car whether driving or riding. I am hoping I can say I feel normal soon...whatever that is.

Marine Corps Historic Half

Went down to Fredericksburg with Lindsay to run the Marine Corps Historic Half. The weather was getting warm again we went to the expo and picked up the packet and bib. Glad Lindsay was there to show me around we went to University of Mary Washington and looked around where she went to college. We ate dinner in downtown at Sammy T's which was good. Went after to get custard at Carl's which I usually don't stray from my normal pre-race meal but hey it was good. It was an early start the next day at 7am but that gave us enough time to get back and shower before heading home. I was expecting the first half to be all downhill. Hello, there were hills I am not sure what people were talking about. There was a miniature horse and therapy dogs at Mile 5 and of course I had to take pictures. Marines were all along the course which was nice. Saw Lindsay at Mile 7.5 with a great sign. The last 3 miles were brutal. It was sunny and warm out and the hills were killer. I finished in 2:54 which I am happy with-of course I always want to do better than 2:45 but I guess finishing is an accomplishment. Stopped at Sonic before going home and got a Powerade slushie-yum. Had my birthday celebration when we got home-a whole lot of food and great gifts-Coach sunglasses...what a surprise can I actually retire the Oakleys???

Pics from Indy!

Indy Mini Marathon 2010

Traveled to Indy for the largest half marathon in the US with more than 35K participants. We drove on Thursday and stopped over in Richmond, IN which was about 70 miles from Indianapolis. We left early the next morning and was actually able to check into the hotel early which was nice. We walked from the hotel to the Indianapolis Zoo. Weather was nice but there were so many field trips so that meant tons of kids. The coolest part of the zoo was getting to pet the dog sharks that swim around in the shark pool. We went back to this twice. Saw the dolphin show that was lively and loved watching the dolphins. Legs feeling a little tired after walking around all day. We than went to the expo to pick up the bib and look around and take some pictures. We left making the decision to go to dinner early (4pm) and would go back to the expo later to look around. We went to the Old Spagetti Factory and it was a good thing that we went early-got seated and the food came quickly. When we were leaving there were people waiting for tables. We went back to the hotel which by the way was right at the Start line-they gave warnings that music would be playing at 6am and also they were doing breakfast early and had special grab bags. After relaxing for a little bit we ventured back to the Expo even though it had started to rain and the wind picked up. There was a tornado warning for the area. Went to bed early trying to get so good rest-woke up to sound checks and couldn't believe it when I looked at my watch and it was only 4:20am. I thought I would be able to sleep until 5:30 but no chance of that. I guess the wind may have knocked things down but this was way early! I wanted to make sure I was in my corrals by 7am because they made it seem like they shut down walkways (which they didn't). I had a mini meltdown when I couldn't find my Garmin-had to take a deep breath and luckily it was found. There were so many people it was crazy. I got in my corral and waited to start moving which was about 20 min after the start we finally go to the front. Off we went and the miles seemed to go a lot quicker than last weekend. I made the decision to go the bathroom before entering the Speedway even though the line was long. Note to self-use it inside the Speedway next time there were no lines! I took a lot of pictures in the Speedway it was just cool seeing thousands of people doing a lap around-2.5 miles is the lap. After the Speedway we were on the way back to downtown. The countdown was on from 3/4 left but I never saw a finish line-usually you can spot it far away. I heard the wind was the issue. The day was very windy especially on the way to the Speedway it was 30-50 mph wind gusts. I bought a finisher's shirt and we looked around-it was hard to tell if the tents were for us or running groups. We didn't have beer tickets and I didn't go into the garden to see if it was free. Maybe it should have been clearer. We went back to the hotel and went to eat at PF Changs-Tom's birthday lunch. We went to the 500 festival at the Speedway which was somewhat disappointing. We did go to White Castle after so check that off the list. We ended up packing a lot into Sunday and went to the Speedway museum got our pictures taken in an Indy car and took a lap around the track in a bus-wish we could have gotten out on the track. We rented bikes and rode around for an hour. Sun was out and we got lawn tickets to the baseball game. Since it was a long day we ended with dinner at the hotel-TGIF!

Great weekend-wish it wasn't so far away otherwise I would be back next year. Maybe 2012 we will be able to go back.

Frederick Half Marathon 2010

Well, what can I say-hot, hot, hot! I knew it was going to be a difficult day when I walked outside at 5:30 am and it was a steambox. I was obsessing all day yesterday about the heat and it hit me right away. It was very slow going and I knew I would be way behind it my time. I wasn't going to come close to my previous time so I just focused on finishing because I did have thoughts of not starting or just going with Tom at mile 10. I got to Wal-mart and Tom was there with cold water and Powerade just what I needed! I had run through some sprinklers throughout the course and people had hoses out for us. After mile 10 there was just so many people walking I couldn't believe it actually. They changed the end we used to go farther up and come into the fairgrounds very close to the finish-this year we turned in and had to go all the to the track where the finish was. I along with a lot of others stopped and walked-I did sprint to the finish and according to my watch finished in 2:58 but I also stopped it for the bathroom break and when I stopped with Tom. I was glad to be done and hoping that the humidity would go away by Saturday for the Mini in Indy.

-Stomach bothering me from the start
-Glad I took the back way to the fairgrounds-easy in and out
-Lost my bottle after the bathroom break-even went back and looked for it
-Glad the sun only came out a few times otherwise it would have been unbearable

Frederick Half Marathon Weekend

I can't believe it is almost 90 degrees out this weekend. All week it has been on the cooler side until we are about to run a race. I am definitely obsessing about the heat-went out and bought a white visor. I don't ever wear a visor or white-hopefully it will deflect some of the heat off my head and keep me cool. I am also hoping that with the 6:30am start we will be done before it gets too warm-the course will also be very sunny with little shade. I am always hoping that I will beat my previous time but I am just be happy with under 2:45 or just finishing. Since about Tues/Wed of this week I have been having the same issues with my arms again as last year. And it is the same time of year which is strange. My arms feel so heavy/weak and I have tingling/numbness again. I feel like I am in a fog especially when driving hope from work at night-I just feel out of it and of course I just keep thinking about it. Last time it lasted for months-had tests, mris and brain scans couldn't find anything. Tested for lime disease and did other blood work-hopefully this just goes away also.

Having the race right here is great-got right into the expo and out easily. I am hoping parking is going to go as smoothly. I plan on taking the back way this year to the fairgrounds. The expo was better than last year but can't wait until Indy which will be huge!

Flying Pirate Inagural Half Marathon 4/18/10

Traveled down to the Outer Banks for a nice long weekend and to run the Inagural Flying Pirate Half. It is the first half of the OBX Marathon which has gotten great reviews and I did read about the course and viewed it online but the hills didn't look so bad but I should have known when it said "as you crest the dune to be one of the first to finish"-what running up a dune? And at the end... So here is my race report-took the shuttle to the start not knowing it was about .25 mile up the road and we could have walked-oh well next time. Got a lot of great pictures at the start. There were 3 corrals and a cannon was suppose to start each one a couple of minutes apart. After the first corral started everyone started running we stopped before crossing because we were suppose to wait but the director waved for us to keep going. So we are running down the road and I am basically last-there was one woman walking. It was peaceful until I heard my corral actually start with the cannon and was engulfed by a hoard of people. It was nice and scenic running along the sound/bay and on paths with the sun coming up. The weather was great the whole weekend by the way. I was thinking how much more scenic this was compared to the fall half and maybe I would add the full marathon to my list of to dos. Coming up to mile 8.5 around the Wright's Brother Memorial I was wondering if Tom had actually made it to that point to meet me. As I was coming around the corner I could see him and luckily he was getting my water ready because I was all out and it was getting warm out. My pace was about what I expected and wanted to get to 10 miles by 2 hrs. I filled my water bottles and ran on. I got to 10 miles about 2:02 and I was trying to beat 2:40 of course from the Shamrock. The last 3 miles were through the Outer Banks Nature Reserve-it was packed sand and rocks to begin with and going uphill. It was nice with the shade and trees but after awhile I was wondering when we would be done with tbe woods. At mile 12 I turned on Rocky and thought I was going to just run it out and was hit with another hill and than another hill... I couldn't believe it to be honest. About 12.6 I could hear the finish line and annoucer but we were running on mulch and facing a huge hill-at the end... Got to the top and it was straight down to the finish-I almost thought I was going to take a tumble it was not the easiest to run on but I finished not in the expected time but 2:45:22 so I am pretty consistent. It was the hardest last couple miles of any race than I have done-I have run harder but usually it is throughout. The end took me by surprise but I will run this one again! Love the theme and love the OBX.

Flying Pirate 1/2 Marathon

In the Outer Banks getting ready for the inaugural Flying Pirate Half-can't wait since I have heard a lot about the 1st half of the OBX marathon course. It will be new so it will be exciting. Having a great time so far and the weather was great especially Friday when we got here-80's. We were on the beach all day today after hiking up Jockey's Ridge in the am. I am missing Lexy though and hope she is doing ok and knows that we are coming back for her...

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

Had a nice time yesterday going to the expo. Got my picture taken and bib signed by Joan Samuelson! Had a great time talking to runners on the metro and expo. It is so early to get up-I hate 4:30am!! We seemed to get to the metro and downtown much earlier than last year. Also, we walked from the metro center which saved a lot of time wasted getting on another train to get closer. It wasn't a far walk either. My legs have been really tight even though I got a massage yesterday. The weather was great and the sun out-sunscreen didn't really do much though. I finished the first 5 im 59 min so was doing really well and wanted to finish 1:59 and that was possible. I slowed in the second half didn't totally cramp up like last year though. It was hot and stopped at all the water stations to fill up. The second half was about 1:01 so I finished in 2:01:32 just missing my goal but better than last year at 2:07 and I felt somewhat better. My knees are killing me but I hope I can make it through these spring races and hope it is not too hot out there! Marine Corps half is at the end but is very hilly from what I hear.

Happy Easter!

Great weather for an Easter Egg hunt! Can't wait wish we had got more goodies to go in the eggs though-of course it was last minute purchase. Had a great time at Brayden's BD party yesterday also. I ran yesterday about 3 miles and than walked Lexy for a little over 2 miles. Need to get a move on and walk her right now.

Shamrock Half Marathon-3/21/2010

Completed my 2nd Shamrock Half Marathon this weekend. It was great weather in the low 70s and sunshine. We got down to Va Beach about 1ish and went to the expo. Looked around picked up our packets and took some pictures. We went to dinner early but the food took awhile-I was so hungry. Woke up the next morning earlier than I wanted 4:30am but I was up. Went down to the lobby and got a grab and go from the hotel. Put my temporary tattoos on and drank some powerade. I probably drank too much because we walked to the starting line and got there about 6:45 and the race started at 7. The lines for the potta potty was too long so I waited and waited and ran the whole time without stopping. I had a moment where I thought I may actually get close to 2:35 but it wasn't meant to be. I finished in 2:40 so about 2min slower than last year. But-was 10 min faster than my last 1/2 two weeks ago and most of my times have been over 3hrs lately. Hopefully training and crosstraining will help me with the speed. Jess finished in 2:20 and was stretching on the beach when I finished. We went back to the hotel and I grabbed the signs and cameras and ran back to the finish to get Pop and Erik coming down the boardwalk. I thought I was going to have more time but they finished in 3:30 which is really good. Lindsay finished in 3:18 she ran with me until about Mile 5. I did get some beer in the finish tent and irish stew! I also went into the ocean and soaked my legs some-it was fun. Went into the pool and jacuzzi after and relaxed some before dinner at Lynnhaven-yum seafood! It was a great weekend-I know next year Erik/Jess is planning on Las Vegas during that same time-I really unsure about what to do especially since that involves flying for hours! I love doing the Shamrock-it gives me motivation through the winter to keep at it.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Getting ready to go to Va Beach this weekend to ShamRock On! I can't wait and am hoping for a great weekend. I would like to be able to horseback ride-probably should do after the race. I saw it last year but didn't do it-hopefully they will be out there this weekend. Trying to keep my nerves under control. Also, hoping the rain holds off on Sunday-says chance of thunderstorms so hopefully later in the afternoon. Taking it easy-no running trying to change around the basement so the treadmill and t.v. are in transition. It is nice weather this week should get outside and enjoy.

Another Runner Dies

A runner at the Dallas Rock N Roll half marathon died after crossing the finish line. I have to read the whole story but it just seems to see it more and more often and it is scary. He was young at 32 and was an athlete in college prior. It is scary that it happens so suddenly without symptoms. It really makes me what to make sure I am in the best possible shape that I can be in.

Daylight Savings

Not sure why I was up so early today especially since we lose an hour. I hate springing forward-it seems to mess up my whole week actually. Ok-maybe I am exaggerating. So I went to the gym which is a good way to spend my time-not sure why I thought it was a good idea to try the advanced step class. The instructor was like when was the last class you took-um maybe 10 yrs ago. I can't remember when I last took step. Oh well-good workout and I didn't fall or run into anyone. It was a little hard to follow the first time and next week I will be in Va Beach so I will try and go back the following week. I am really trying to get this scale to start moving-probably need to keep track of food because it should be coming off more easily especially with my lunch gym breaks and training sessions.

B&A Half Marathon

Today, was the B&A trail half. I did this race last year and actually it is the first time I am repeating a race-would have liked to beat my time though. I was doing pretty well until the hill at Mile 7 and a major hill. I haven't been under 3 hrs since last May so that is something to be proud of I just have to stop beating myself up. My hip didn't real bother me it just seemed everything else did. My upper thigh has been bothering me whether is is from the hip/back I haven't figured that out. I did run through the finish and didn't get any calf cramps which is good. The weather was great especially since last year it was snow and ice-how did I not beat that time=( I felt strong through the race just my mind thinking about what was hurting. Very sore after the race and exhausted! Went to Annapolis and had lunch was a great day and a lot of people were out enjoying the hint of spring. Let's hope I am good to go for Shamrock-trying not to kill myself but definitely want to be under 2:45 or less-last year was 2:38 so I can always shoot for the stars.

Long Run

Ran our long run this week with Jess. It actually felt pretty good although after the run and driving home I was really sore/tight. My calves were tight also. I am getting ready for the B&A Half this coming weekend. If I try and keep up with Jess maybe my speedwork will increase because she is speedy. Maybe I will try and keep her in my sights at Shamrock-I would love to be under 2:30=)

2/15/2010

Well, my grandmother died today. I knew getting a call from my brother wouldn't bring good news. She was 90 and had dementia the last couple of years which is hard.

Happy Valentine's Day

Still a lot of snow on the ground. We were going to go to Baltimore this weekend but will probably be too much trouble with walking around, etc. I haven't done too much this week. My thigh was feeling better until back to work on Friday. I walked during lunch just slow and maybe the sitting all day didn't help because I felt it again. I go to the chiro tomorrow so maybe they can loosen something up. I also have a massage next week missed the one last week due to the snow. I need to get back to the gym and start biking again and cross training to help. I have a half in 3 weeks-wow coming fast. Hopefully, it won't be as cold as the last one and hope not to be last=)

2/10/10

So, it was been a record breaking week! Starting snowing last Friday and we closed work early. Got home okay and was snowed in all weekend. Finally got out on Monday to get to work around 1. There was only 3 of us working but hey. Closed early that night and Tuesday. I did get my training session in on Tuesday left work at 6. Didn't seem bad in Va but after Germantown I-270 was totally covered couldn't see any lanes going about 10 mph honestly. I couldn't wait to get home. Once I got on I-70 that was unbelievable. I had to put my hazards on and just prayed I would get to the exit ok. Took so long but I made it home with some slipping and white knuckles. We were closed on Wednesday and today I still cannot get to work. I am getting bored out of my mind. I should get myself on the treadmill because I haven't been on it since Tuesday? I feel like my body is in withdrawals-I have not been eating good since I have not been at work-no salad bar=( I will be back at work tomorrow and than time for a 3 day weekend. Wanted to go to Bmore this weekend but now with the snow that will not happen. Need to get back to things-B&A is coming up quicker than I want to think about and Shamrock is about 5 weeks. I have been having some front of thigh/groin pain again so of course I get paranoid. Hey, I slept on the couch last night because I thought the roof was sure going to collapse! There is a lot of snow on it.

Blizzard 2010

Cloud Snapple Half Marathon

Finished my first half marathon of the year! And it was soooo cold out there. My eyebrows and eyelashes were frozen. I am proud of myself for going out there and finishing it. My toes were killing me again on my right foot-am I curling them or what is going on. I have plenty of room in my shoes. That lasted for a couple of miles. Maybe I need to stretch better. I was never so happy to finish but it was 1/2 mile walk back to the car. The roads were horrible and going only about 10 mph. There were so many slide outs I couldn't believe it. I stopped in Frederick to wait for Tom because it was so bad. I probably should have taken my chances though. I was wet, cold and hungry. Went to lunch at Cracker Barrel than off to home when Tom got off. I was so happy to get in a hot shower!!!

1/21/2010

Worked out with the trainer on Tuesday-I am still sore and feeling it! I have another session tomorrow so I am hoping I can get through it. I have been pretty much walking on the treadmill and doing a slow jog. Not too much running with my quads screaming. I was hoping to lose 2 lbs this week but it is my week to retain water so maybe I will hope just to stay the same. I guess we will see what the scale has in store. I was glad not to have gained anything after the last 3 day weekend. Stress this week-walked Lexy on Monday when it was warm weather and the next day she was limping but this time it was her back right leg. Can't seem to ever win she seems to be doing better now but only time will tell. I guess it is better than being her same front leg because we know how much that will be-almost 5K but she is worth it. Also, it seems like money issues never cease. May not be able to spend the money to do all the races I want or I guess maybe I will have to travel on my own. That way we don't have to board Lexy which is an added expense!

Zumba

Went to Zumba today and it was great! I got to the gym about 1/2 hr early to ride the bike and of course all 3 expresso bikes are out of order. What the heck-pretty much what I go to the gym for. We will see how long it takes to fix until I start to send emails to the manager. I did the crossramp for about 30 min and than did the class. This week has gone really well with eating and working out. I did a training session on Thursday and felt it in my shoulder blades the next day. I am going to take advantage of it and do it twice a week since it is free. I really want to get about 10-15 lbs down by March and Shamrock! Maybe it will help take some minutes off my time.

Feeling Good!

Feeling good this week with my workouts. I see the scale moving in the right direction and that keeps me motivated to stay on track. I lknow what I have to do I just can't get sidetracked. I get stuck but have to keep pushing. I have a 30 min training session today we will see how that goes! I would like to be 179 by Feb 1st so we will see if I can achieve that goal.

Sunday

Well, I did 90 min on the treadmill. I alternated running/walking 3:1. Watched the Biggest Loser so the time seemed to go by faster and have a couple new songs on the Ipod to listen to. I would like to lose 6 more pounds in the next 3 weeks which is definitely doable as long as I don't get sidelined. I need to control the eating especially when I am stressed or bored and find something also to do. Also, the snacks at work are not helping either...

1/9/2010

So this week has begun with more pain again. Just waking up in the middle of the night with groin pain. Since I had the Mri back in September and the results coming back normal, I have just really been dealing with hip pain. The groin pain I had then just seemed to go fade away. I am starting to think maybe it is just in my head and it is driving me crazy. I am like what if they missed something and there really is a fracture. I just never thought it would last this long. Running has never been easy but I have never experienced pain just soreness. Now every little pain or twitch is driving me crazy. I have a 1/2 coming at the end of the month so we will see how that goes.

Happy 2010!

I hope that 2010 goes a lot more smoothly than 2009. I know there will be bumps in the road but I would like to be able to continue running and run my first (and maybe last) marathon in October. I do have a lot of 13.1s on my to do list also to try and move up levels in the Half Fanatics. Starting out the new year with a massage and need to get serious and get some of this weight off also.