I am either crazy or motivated!

Last Thanksgiving while in WI visiting with my sister-in-law and family, my brother-in-law and I made a pact to do the Green Bay Cellcom 5k. My brother-in-law had been a runner for years, yet never entered a race and I was a non-runner. We followed through and finished the 5k in May and had a BLAST. This brings me to this thanksgiving while out to dinner on Saturday night my brother-in-law and I decided that we would do the half marathon at the Green Bay Cellcom. Was it the drinks? Was it the nostalgic feeling we had discussing our previous race? Was it that enough time had passed to forget the ugliness of training? Or was it that we really did catch the running bug and were ready for the next challenge? Regardless of what it was, it happened, and we agreed with a smile that we would do it knowing that we certainly wouldn't win, but we would finish. Hell yes we would finish the race.

Training starts tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. on my dusty lonely treadmill. Wish me luck, good god I need it!

Happy Fall!

Fun family fall project. Press leaves in a catalog for a few days, or if you are like me and live in 2009 and don't have a catalog in your home (ummm hello online shopping) iron the leaves flat between 2 paper bags. Seal with clear contact paper (one sheet on each side) cut out in desired shapes (they make fun placemats too). Easy as that! They last for many years as well, just store them flat!

.........

........I hate my treadmill........just thought you should know........that's all for now........

I am a slacker, and I paid for it today

Good god life has been busy and I let my running go on the back burner (I haven't ran in so long I am embarassed to admit just how long it has been). I started my first job as a nurse about a month ago and I have been working 40 hours a week training. Summer with 3 kids means softball games at 5:30 pm, summer cook-outs, beer, sun, and family time. I have a 5.7 mile race in October to prepare for and yesterday I decided ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH and I needed to get my ass back in gear. So this morning I headed out on my usual course. IT SUCKED. It was as if I had never ran before. My lungs, my legs, and my mind were all a mess. My legs felt like rubber bands that were pulled tight. My head was telling me to dive out in on coming traffic as an easy way out of the run, and my lungs were telling me if I didn't stop I would pass out, oh and I seriously thought at any minute I would puke. Yep I had that much fun. I did 2.6 miles and really it was a walk and not a run. It was LAME. But out of all of my misery I learned one thing. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR GETTING OFF TRACK. YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF. I know I can do it, I have done it before, and I will again. I am pissed at myself for getting off track, but I will focus that energy on getting myself where I want to be.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh

So my life for the last few weeks has consisted of studying for the NCLEX (Nursing Licensing Exam) I took it on June 19th and I PASSED! WOOOOO HOOOOO!!! I even got my license from the state in the mail already......it feels great. So now the job hunt continues!

My family went to Wisconsin Dells for a week and returned home yesterday. We had a blast as we always do.......we just love it there.

So needless to say my running has been lack luster for a few weeks. I need to get back on track. I will get back on track, I have a race in October to prepare for! Samantha is doing great with training and I bet she will soon be able to run circles around me. I am VERY proud of her!

And I have a taker!

Sammy and I are in for the Great Turtle in October! WEEEEEEEEEEE Mackinac here we come!!!!

I plan on following the Novice plan by Hal Higdon. I am excited for another goal, for motivation to keep up with my running, and for Samantha to start training. This is something that we can do together! EXCITING!

I ordered a new Garmin Forerunner 201, I am waiting very impatiently for it to get here....UGH. It has been a week! WHERE ARE YOU?

Mackinac Island

Those that know me, know that Mackinac Island is one of my favorite places. It has become a ritual for my husband and I to go in August for my birthday.

If you aren't familiar with Mackinac Island, click here: Mackinac Island Info

So anyway, it is one of my favorite places to be and I will never grow tired of visiting. It is the most romantic place, so charming, a perfect getaway. Now that I have just finished my first race, I am ready to plan my next. I need a goal, something to train for and to look forward to. I came across these:


Click here: 39th Annual Eight Mile Run

Click here: Great Turtle Half Marathon and 5.7 mile run/walk

PERFECTION! So now I must decide if I want to train for the 8 mile in September, or attempt to train for the half in October! Anyone want to join me?

Green Bay Marathon ---spectator report

When I was done racing at 7:45 a.m., I had a few beers to celebrate and then I put my racing bib away and put my spectator hat on. I was cheering on my friend Crystal who was doing the half, and Kim and Nigel who were doing the marathon. We had our map and an idea of where we would catch the racers on the course. Before we set off we got to see the first 5 finish the half, they finished in 01:05:00! WOWZA! Talk about exciting to see them zoom in, we had our signs out and cheered them on. We set out to see our friends with 3 kids in toe. Now 10,000 racers means tons of road closures, spectators, traffic. We spent the majority of the time either lost, or sitting in traffic. We completely missed Crystal on the course and at the finish. I FELT HORRIBLE. We should have just stayed at Lambeau, but we really didn't anticipate being trapped or lost. We some how found our way to mile 20 and stood on the bike path, I was getting text updates on Kim so I knew she was close to us. We cheered on the racers and waved our signs. 90% of the racers nodded or thanked us for the encouragement. We saw Kim would looked great as if she was just out for a leisurely run, it was great to see her and to hopefully give her a bit of motivation to finish strong. We weren't getting text updates on Nigel so we were unsure of where he was, we decided to head back to Lambeau to hang out with Crystal and wait for Kim to finish. We had a hard time getting back due to traffic or road closures. We ended up walking about 5 blocks, at this point our kids were exhausted (having been up since 5:00 am) we found Crystal and I greeted her with a hug and congrats--we were so proud of her! We saw Kim finish and I snapped some pictures for her. I loved cheering and watching the runners, it gave me so much motivation to kick my running up a notch. Only once did someone respond rudely to my cheering, it was at mile 25 and I got an "enough already" ....I suppose since he was at mile 25 I will let it slide HA! Being there was an amazing experience. I encourage anyone who has the chance to be a spectator at a marathon to do it!!

CONGRATS to Crystal, Kim, and Nigel---you are my inspiration!

Green Bay Marathon ---my 5k report

Whew what an experience! I am totally recharged and ready to kick my running up a few notches, I am totally inspired! So Friday on our way down to my sister-in-law's house we stopped at Lambeau to get my packet as well as my brother-in-law's packet. We got there about 3:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the expo/packet pick up opened and there was a line outside. My youngest came with me (as she is going through this phase where she can't be parted from me) and my other two and my husband waited in the car. Once inside I got our packets, scanned our chips to make sure they were programed right, got our tshirts, goodie bags, and posters, I took a quick look through the expo and headed out to my waiting family. Considering I had no idea what I was doing, just following the crowd, it was very smooth and quick!

Sunday morning we got up at 5:00 a.m., I ate a protien bar and drank water, got dressed (it was 35 degrees outside), woke up my three children, packed the car (as we were headed back to the U.P. after the race) and headed to Green Bay. My brother-in-law has ran for a while, but this was his first race as well. We parked right at Lambeau, snapped a quick picture, our familes headed off to cheer and Chris and I headed to find a bathroom and the start line.



I hit the bathroom and heard the announcement for 2 minutes to start, we hoped the guard rails and slid into start, we were towards the back and had just a moment to get our iPods situated and we were off. There was no time to be nervous! My first race, 6 months after I started running, only one month after I had ever ran in public. There I was, feeling strong and confident, excited and ready. There were so many people, I was weaving in and out of people, hopping the curb and up on the grass to pass people the entore way. Looking back I only remember 2 songs on my iPod, one at the water station, and the other while running through Lambeau. I was focused and so in the moment that I am not sure I even heard my music. I saw my family and my sister-in-law and her kids at mile 1, it was great to have their support, all the crowd was amazing. I know now how important support and encouragment is, it meant so much to me on my little run, I can only imagine how it feels on long races.

The water station was at the half way mark, I stopped briefly to drink a bit of gatorade and I was off again. This is another part where I was up in the grass dodging people, kids, wagons...There was one small hill on the course and I ran up it, I said in my head "I love hills" it worked. I ran past strong looking men who were walking up it, it made me smile. Once I saw Lambeau around the corner I knew I was in the home stretch. I ran down into the building which was so bloody hot I thought for a split second I could puke, ran out through the tunnel onto the field. This is where I remember my iPod and started singing along to the music as I was feeling tired, my family was in the stands cheering me on with their signs, it was great.








Back into the tunnel where again it was so hot, I was tired, I am sure I looked pained, I was a rookie and didn't smile, didn't put my arms in the air etc. If a picture was taken it will suck. I looked up at the time and saw 38 and felt ok about it, my goal for myself was 35 minutes, I was happy to learn that my offical chip time was 00:35:49. Not bad for all the dodging I had to do, certainly that ate up at least a minute LOL.

Chris finished his first race with a 00:27:31! We celebrated with a few post-race beers at 8:00 a.m.!

echo

This blog is lonely! (pout)

so my first race is in 5 days! YAY! MY FIRST BIB NUMBER! We are headed to the Green Bay Cellcom Marathon. I am doing the 5k with my brother-in-law and a few others, I have a friend doing the 1/2, and two friends doing the full marathon. Is it bad that I am more excited to cheer the others on than to run myself? I can not wait to experience the marathon, I KNOW that it will be HUGE motivation for me to kick my running up a few notches. My children and I are making signs tonight to help encourage our friends on their long treks. So yes this is it. This race is why I started running in November, this was the goal. Now I am NO WHERE where I want to be, or as far or as fast as I thought I would be. Nursing school kicked my ass this winter and put a damper on running. But I am here, I will be there and I will run. Something I never thought I would do. Hell up until last month I had never ran in public in my life. I never played sports growing up, nothing. So yes I am here, I will finish, I will not be the fastest, but good god I will not be the slowest. It is about the experience, about setting a goal for myself and following through, about improving and being active, about my beginning as a runner. Bring it on!

A few of my favorite things

Products I can't live without....what are yours?

First up my iPod Touch. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this thing. It is the coolest little thing I have ever owned. It holds my calendar, my pictures, videos, games, all my nursing applications, tracks my running, talks to me while I run and tells me my pace and how far I have gone, it has all my music, has a calculator, internet, and on and on and on. I LOVE IT.



LUSH! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lush products! Especially their Godiva solid shampoo. It is $9 for one disk and it lasts me 6 months. I LOVE IT so much!



I also love this mask from Lush. It is heaven on my face....I am going to try it on my tired running feet next.





My Keen sandals. I LOVE THEM. And they are purple! Weeeeeee! They are so comfy, I would live in them if I could. So worth the $$$$$$.



My Gymboss! It is so neat, it is a perfect light interval timer. It can beep, vibrate, or both. It is so much better than watching your watch or the clock on the treadmill. I LOVE IT.



Fiber One bars. Easy snack that I don't have to feel guilty about.



Lean Cuisine pizzas. I eat one every weekday for lunch and I have for years. I was on a garlic chicken kick for a year, now I have moved to the spinach mushroom.

ya mon!

I got new shoes!! Brooks Dyad 5 and they are FABULOUS! I regret now not documenting via photos the shoe purchase process for this blog, (hey I am still learning this blog thing) but it was quite the fun. My first offical pair of running shoes! I tried them out for the first time while in Jamaica on vacation, what a fun way to break them in! Jamaican running feet:



I tried them out on my treadmill today, man I struggled through 1.5 miles, too many pina colodas on vacation! HA! Really though, I am buckling down and kicking my running up a notch now that I am back from vacation.

Gymboss

I am thinking about getting the Gymboss
Website with all info here: http://www.gymboss.com/?src=IAP



I think it will be helpful for tracking my run/walk intervals, especially when I venture off the treadmill. Anyone use this?

I AM NOT A JOGGER
I may waddle when I run, but I'm running all the same
By John Bingham

PUBLISHED 09/19/2007

The late Dr. George Sheehan, beloved Runner's World columnist and arguably the first running boom's premier philosopher, once wrote that the difference between a runner and a jogger was a signature on a race application. (For the youngsters out there, there was a time before online registration when you actually filled out a paper application, signed it, attached a check, and mailed it in. Quaint, I know.) As succinct as Dr. Sheehan's definition was, it made the point. If you were motivated enough to train for and participate in an organized running event, then you were a runner. Anyone willing to risk public failure in order to be a part of the running community--no matter what his or her pace per mile might be--was a runner. Period. Kind of hard for anyone to argue with that logic.But a few months ago, an ad ran in this magazine that drew a very hard line between runners and joggers. I immediately heard from tons of readers who were upset by the distinction. To me, however, such definitions are meaningless, since those of us who call ourselves runners already know why we call ourselves runners. Your reasons may be different from mine, but here's why I know I am a runner:

I AM A RUNNER because my runs have names. I do tempo runs and threshold runs and fartlek runs. I do long, slow runs and track workouts. My runs are defined, even if my abs are not.

I AM A RUNNER because my shoes are training equipment, not a fashion statement. The best shoe for me is the one that makes me a better runner. I choose the shoe that goes with my running mechanics, not my running outfit.

I AM A RUNNER because I don't have running outfits. I have technical shirts and shorts and socks. I have apparel that enhances the experience of running by allowing me to run comfortably. I can say "Coolmax" and "Gore-Tex" in the same sentence and know which does what.

I AM A RUNNER because I know what effort feels like, and I embrace it. I know when I'm pushing the limits of my comfort and why I'm doing it. I know that heavy breathing and an accelerated heart rate--things I once avoided--are necessary if I want to be a better runner.

I AM A RUNNER because I value and respect my body. It will whisper to me when I've done too much. And if I choose to listen to that whisper, my body won't have to scream in pain later on.

I AM A RUNNER because I am willing to lay it all on the line. I know that every finish line has the potential to lift my spirits to new highs or devastate me, yet I line up anyway.

I AM A RUNNER because I know that despite my best efforts, I will always want more from myself. I will always want to know my limits so that I can exceed them. I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far.

I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.

Waddle on, friends.

If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. ~Michael Jordan

We what a difference a few weeks can do. I returned to school after my nice long 5 week break. I am back to LONG clinical days at the hospital. I am back to fighting with my children to do their homework and clean their rooms, back to practically living at the ski hill with my son. Back to reality. I am also happy to report that my running has continued on. Today I ran for 15 minutes without stopping! YAY! This is a first without even a 20 second stop for water or to wipe my nose (what is with that? My nose POURS the whole time I am running! ANNOYING!) FINALLY I broke through my slump and it feels FANTASTIC!!!

My wonderful friend Jess sent me the Nike+. http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html

http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/features/nike.html My iPod Touch and it work beautifully together, it is the coolest little thing. For me, a running virgin, it is a perfect little gadget to help me track and record my runs. I love that it announces your time, minutes left etc, it is a nice little motivator! Oh and incase you are wondering my power song? Push it by Salt-N-Pepa!!

THANK YOU JESS!!!

It feels good to be back on track, with a head clear of frustration or doubt. I know there will be challenges, but I need to remember they will pass and I need to keep on keepin' on!

Pathetic Pity Party Post

HELP!

I am embarrassed to post this after my post below about how encouragement comes from within, but this is my blog and a place to dump my feelings. And today I am discouraged. Running has SUCKED this week. I am religious about my work-outs, I have been since right before Thanksgiving. This week has been bad. I am dragging, and it is a mental vs. physical battle each second of each run, and lately mental is winning. I KNOW I can do more than I am, I know I can push myself farther, but I am not. My mind is stopping me. This week I couldn't break through that. I continued to walk on the treadmill after I wanted to get off. But as far as training goes, this week was a waste. I did not improve, I barely maintained. On a positive I continued, I didn't stop. At least I can say that.

I want a partner. I want someone running beside me. To encourage each other along each step of the run. I want someone else there so that when I want to quit I won't. I will keep running because my pride will overtake my mind. I mean I can't stop with someone there watching me!

I become a mother at 18, I have never had me time. Running is a solitary sport. Which why many love it, which is why I wanted to join. I wanted me time, something for me, something I could do alone. And the irony is that now I have that, and am doing that, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT! Alone time? I am lost.

So today, just for today, I ask for encouragement. Tell me you have been there, or are there, tell me it gets better, or tell me it doesn't and all I can do is push through. Tell me something, I feel so alone in this journey!

Let it snow!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

Welcome 2009!

So my last few runs have been rough. During my last run my legs were just so heavy and stiff, no fun. Today I felt really tight, like my muscles were rubber bands stretched out, my calf was tight and my right hip gets so sore. I know I need to start stretching, but I am so green! I have no idea what I need to be doing. Before and after? One or the other? Sigh, I need to search YouTube for ideas. Any recommendations/suggestions are welcome, whether it is articles, videos, books, what have you. I also wish I had a running group to join. I have googled, but like my venting post below, there don't seem to be many amateur groups in my area. I need a partner! I need motivation! I need direction! I feel so lost.

So today's run I was feeling discouraged with my time. I felt like this running thing is something I will never be able to own. I felt sore and just bad in general. Then I thought about my running friends, how much they have accomplished, I wanted to get off the treadmill and call them to cry and complain. I wanted to hear some motivation from them. Then after I ran a mile, after I felt like my time sucked, after I wanted to hear encouraging words from my friends, after I wanted to get off the treadmill and give up. I realized something. I had just ran a mile, no my time may not have been what I would have wanted, but I just ran a mile! The week of Thanksgiving when I started running I could barely run 30 seconds without having to stop. I had not deliberately exercised in longer than I want to mention, I was already doing so much more than I had been. I needed to stop and remember that. I also realized that my friends can be great support and sounding boards, but the true motivation and encouragement need to come from within.

I finished my run, and then after I thought I couldn't go anymore I walked another mile. I was sore and stiff (still need to look into stretching) but I did it. When I logged into my email I had this quote from http://www.runnersworld.com/ waiting in my inbox:

"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical." EMIL ZATOPEK

What perfect timing for such encouraging words. I need to stop and remember that I will not get this overnight. I need to remember that I am improving. I need to remember that sometimes you need to be stronger mentally than physically, because most of the time it is your mind telling you to stop, not your body. I know I will learn so much more via this running venture than how to put one foot in front of the other, I look forward to all that it brings.

My goal for 2009 is to continue to run. Plain and simple. If I continue, I will improve.