Bailout Plan

I've been putting off writing this post for a couple of weeks now. This coming Saturday is the Bentonville Half Marathon...and I'm not running it. My training was going great for about 5 weeks, and then I got sick. I stayed sick for two solid weeks, and I just didn't have the energy for any workouts. But you know how we runners are -- compulsive to check the boxes on our training plans -- so I still ran my long runs on the weekends as scheduled. No exercise at all during the week, then 7 miles. No exercise for another week, then 8 miles. Was this a good idea? NO.

It didn't take long until my still-sensitive hip was screaming at me, and I knew I had done too much. I haven't re-injured myself, but if I had continued on that path of not being smart about building up my mileage, I could tell injury would be imminent. So I backed off.

Can you spot where my training fell off a cliff? Um, yeah.

I went back to running shorter miles and tried to build up again gradually, but there just isn't enough time before the race to build up as gradually as what my body needs. Having an old lady hip is the pits. So no half marathon for this gal.

But I have a bailout plan! The nice race people let me trade my 13.1 registration for the 3.1 registration! So I can still participate, and it's only one number different. It's practically the same. OK, maybe not, but at least I won't have another race shirt that I shouldn't wear.

Since I decided not to run the half, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted. Now that I'm not following a plan, I can run mileage as short as I want, which means Trea can run with me again! He stopped training way back in February, and when I continued on, I was running too long for him to be able to go, the few times that he actually had time and wanted to go. So last week, we ran twice together -- 1.5 miles each time. It didn't take long, but it was so nice to run together again. So we're both building up gradually, with no real race plans as of yet, but we'll get there. Until then, I'm running for fun, so glad to be able to run the 5K this weekend, and I'll be wearing my new favorite shirt. Because if you're not running happy, then what's the point?

I think I can

Last week, I learned I can run at work over my lunch break, and that little revelation has changed my running life. Running in the sunshine! On a Monday! I discovered showers in my building (no clue how long they've been there), so I can put in a couple of sunny miles, get cleaned up and be back at my desk in no time. Because of my midday workouts, I was able to exercise 6 out of 7 days last week! That never happens -- ever. But I'm determined to get back into an active routine because... I have a half marathon to run. 

I signed up for the Bentonville Half Marathon in April, and training starts today! I'm following Hal's novice plan, same as last time I ran this race, because even though I'm an experienced runner, I haven't been running very often or very long since my injury. So, better safe than sorry because I don't want to overtrain again.

Trea is planning to race with me, and Saturday we went for our first run together since the Turkey Trot 5K. Our performance wasn't pretty. In fact, it was pretty awful. But the day was gorgeous, and we had a fantastic time for the first 10 minutes before things started to hurt. When it's 62 degrees and sunny in January, I won't complain about a terrible run.

We ran around Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on some new trails we hadn't explored before, and we found a sculpture crafted in my likeness.

And one for Trea.

I have 11 weeks to whip myself into shape, and I'm already a little bit behind because I'm starting the training plan a week late. But my runs have felt pretty good lately (with the exception of Saturday's), so I'm hopeful I can catch up and be ready by April. 

I think I can!

Bentonville Half, from the sidelines

Trea and I went to the Bentonville Half Marathon yesterday to cheer, even though I couldn't run. This is the biggest race in my area, and I ran it last year as my first half.

Head artist hard at work

I seriously considered staying home and feeling sorry for myself because sometimes I'm still incredibly sad about my stupid stress fracture. But then I remembered how I felt last year when people cheered for me, so I hobbled out to mile 10 on crutches and put on my biggest smile. 

This sign almost always gets a smile out of tired runners!

Yesterday was beautiful, but it was way too hot for March, and these runners were suffering. It was sunny, not much of a breeze and almost 80 degrees by 10:00. We went to the Slaughter Pen trail just after the 10 mile marker. Every runner I know HATES this part of the course. The first 9.5 miles are through town and neighborhoods on the street, where you at least have houses and cars to look at. But the last few miles are brutal -- on walking trails where you're less likely for you to see any spectators. Or anything at all. It's just a concrete path, grass and more grass. No shade and no distractions. This is the area last year where I wanted to lay down and die. Not only is it tough because it's near the end, but it's extra rough mentally. Oh, yeah, and the runners are greeted by a massive hill right at the end that brings people to their knees. It sucks.

My mom and dad cheered too!

So I think folks were extra happy to see us! Trea was honking a crazy bike horn because we couldn't find a cowbell, and I clapped till my hands went numb and yelled till I was hoarse. We had so much fun! I saw exhausted people coming over the bridge toward us, eyes glazed over, feet shuffling, and when they saw our silly sign and were startled by the bike horn, they perked up, smiled and picked up the pace. Tons of runners commented on Trea's sign, and I was surprised at how many strangers, huffing and puffing, used a precious breath to say, "Thank you for being here!" as they passed by. Runners are the BEST. 

Laura clapped for US as she zoomed by.

We saw Laura, Jennifer, Charles, Jessica (running her very first 13.1 ever! Woot!), and even a few folks from work who I didn't expect to see. There was a lady as old as my grandmother trotting along in a sparkly skirt, two girls dressed like Mario and Luigi -- mustaches and all -- a girl dressed like a bunny, and one dude wearing flip flops. But not Old Navy summer flip flops. I'm talking homemade sandals strapped to his feet by rope, Tarahumara style. He was so hard core that we couldn't even cheer for him. We all just froze, went silent and stared at his feet. True story. 

When the pack thinned out and we thought most of the last runners had made their way through, we packed up and went to the finish line to cheer for them all again at the top of the hill. I get choked up at every race when I see a runner spot the finish line. Or when a little kid runs in with a parent. There's just nothing else like it. We stayed and cheered for quite a while and hollered for some of the last people crossing the line. The ones who struggle and walk, they need encouragement the most. Believe me, I've been there. 

I had been dreading this day, worried about feeling jealous of my friends and sad that I was missing out. But I didn't miss out at all! We had a fantastic time, and it was an excellent reminder that I'm still a runner at heart, even if I'm not the one getting a medal. Running isn't just about running. It's about being part of a community; we celebrate successes together, but we also encourage each other through the hard parts. And I'll be out there next year, hoping there's someone to cheer for me. 

A year in pictures

I'm shamelessly stealing this post idea from Katie.

January

Training began for the Bentonville Half Marathon -- in the snow.

February

Still training...

...in even more snow.

March

I survived my first ever 10 mile run!

April

I ran my first half marathon,

 then celebrated our anniversary and my 30th birthday...

in paradise.

May

My dad walked a 5K.

June

My first 10K

July

I fell in love with running cool(er) shady trails.

August

I almost melted setting a new 5K PR (which I will beat in 2012).

September

I played in the mud with a bunch of hillbillies.

October

I remembered why I love running in Bentonville.

November

I ran 20 miles!

And then I took a break.

December

I ran my first marathon. 

Whew! No wonder I'm tired. 

Mother Road Half Marathon Recap

I've been putting off writing this because I felt like roadkill on the Mother Road last weekend. I ran this half as a training run with Trea, Jennifer and Lori, and it was definitely my worst race experience to date. Also, it was not what any of us expected it to be.

We arrived in Joplin early Saturday evening and went straight to packet pick up at City Hall. The "expo" consisted of about four tables in a small room - two advertising other races, a chiropractor I think, and a group of ladies who asked us to donate $1 toward the production of a Route 66 quilt. Um, no thank you. Luckily, the local running store, The Run Around {which happens to be awesome}, was just across the street and having a sale, so we scored some good deals.

I thought the "expo" was odd, but that was nothing compared to our goodie bags. Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for...the horse head necklace. {Which I graciously left behind for the hotel maid. You're welcome.}

Before we settled in for the night, we drove the race course so we'd know what to expect Sunday. It started in Baxter Springs, Kansas and followed Route 66 back to Joplin, Missouri. This race was advertised as following the "mother road" through two states {three states for the full marathon}. So in every email from race organizers and all over their website, I've read that I would be running down a highway. But, because I'm stupid, it didn't really sink in until I was driving the course that I would be RUNNING DOWN A HIGHWAY. A big, four-lane divided highway in KANSAS, kind of like an interstate -- with absolutely nothing to look at -- for 13.1 miles. Awesome. I thought even though Kansas would be boring, it would at least be flat. Wrong. Giant hills. And I mean giant. They weren't terribly steep, but they were long. The kind where you look toward the horizon and all you see is more hill and it ends in the sky.

If you'll recall, I got sick on my runniversary, stayed sick the whole week leading up to the race and was still under the weather on race weekend. {Side note: There will be no weekly training recap post for week 8. I trudged through a grand total of about 8 miles for the week before this race and spent the rest of the time clutching a box of Kleenex.} I was very worried about how I would do and was concerned about even being able to finish. I was also nervous about getting ready and dealing with breakfast in a hotel and freaked out about it in this post, but everything went fine leading up to our arrival at the starting line.

There were about 260 runners in the half, and we all lined up in the middle of nowhere on a narrow country road - the historic part of Route 66. I planned to keep an easy pace the whole time and just focus on finishing -- no PRs and no race paces. But just two weeks before, I had reached 13.1 in about two and a half hours -- 4 minutes faster than my time at the Bentonville Half Marathon -- and I wasn't really trying. So even though this wasn't a real race for me, in the back of my mind, I hoped I could PR by a minute or two because I had already done it in training. Silly me. I started out way too fast, and I knew my pace was going to come back to bite me, but I felt good and just kept going. I kept checking my watch, and my pace was below my 10K pace, which is pretty stupid since I still wasn't feeling well and wouldn't have been able to maintain that pace for 13 miles even if I had been at 100%.

The first few miles stayed on a country road, and it was actually really nice. I had been dreading this awful course after we drove it, but it was cool outside, the sun was shining, I could hear cows mooing as we passed by, and I was having fun. Since I had decided not to care about my finish time {even though I totally cared about my finish time} I slowed down to take some pictures.

Somewhere along the way, maybe around mile 3 or so, a girl ran right up beside me and started staring at me. I just kept running, thinking maybe she was looking at something in the distance on the other side of me. She kept running with me and kept staring, and finally she said, "Are you Anna?" I said yes, and then she introduced herself -- it was Amy of Amy Does Life, one of my friends on Twitter and Daily Mile who I had never met in real life! She recognized me and Trea and asked if I was feeling better after being sick all week. It was so funny to me to just start talking with someone I've never actually met, but who knows a thing or two about me. I guess I will always be amazed by the internets. Amy ran with us for a while until my pace started suffering on a huge hill. {Amy, it was great to meet you, and congrats on your PR and your first half marathon!!} 

There was a massive hill just before the 6 mile marker, and I walked when I got to the top. This was the beginning of the end. I started walking at water stops. Then I would walk through water stops and just keep walking. I could not find the energy to make my feet run again. Trea kept urging me on with pep talks like, "There are only 12 people behind us. We're gonna finish dead last." Thanks a lot. These pep talks don't help AT ALL.

At mile 8, I was seriously struggling. Trea had issues of his own. He hurt his ankle a couple of weeks ago and was running in a brace, and he started having a lot of pain. On top of that, he had forgotten to wear band-aids and had to take his shirt off so he wouldn't end up with bloody nipples. It was miserable. By this time, it was also hot. And we had seen about 5 spectators along with a whole lot of nothing.

By mile 10, I stopped caring. I just wanted to be done. I was running with my phone in my SpiBelt, and I was seriously trying to put together a plan to quit and have someone come pick me up. Race exhaustion makes you really dumb. All the miles started running together, and I don't remember how much I walked or ran at this point. I know I walked a lot, and the more I walked, the more discouraged I became. I was eating ShotBloks along the way, but I was feeling nauseated and couldn't stand to eat or drink as much as I should have. I ended up being very dehydrated. Trea was ready to hustle to the finish just to get it over with and also because his ankle hurt and he didn't want to prolong the pain, but he stayed with me and walked when I walked.

I was almost in tears when we got to the finish line because I was so embarrassed by how much I had walked and how poorly I had done. But my time was only about 4 minutes slower than my PR in Bentonville, and after being sick and feeling so awful, I was just happy I hadn't barfed on my shoes before I reached the end. I felt like I had been running all day, but we FINALLY made it.

This was not a fun race, but I wasn't prepared to race either. I was still weak from being sick, and since I hadn't been feeling well, I did not hydrate well enough at all in the days leading up to the race, which we all know is super important. So running directly into the sun, into a 20 mph wind, climbing a total of about 400 feet in 13.1 miles with a tummy full of antibiotics was kind of a perfect storm for disaster. The Mother Road was...a mother...but I lived to tell the tale!

Race travel and freaking out

This weekend is the Mother Road Half Marathon in Joplin, and it will be my first out-of-town race. I'm getting nervous about remembering everything I need to pack and getting ready/having my pre-run breakfast in a hotel instead of at home. I'm also nervous because I'm STILL sick, and I might not even be able to run at all. I went back to the doctor today for a stronger antibiotic, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will wake up feeling like a million bucks Sunday morning for the race. We'll see.

This race is point-to-point instead of a loop, so we'll have to take a shuttle to the starting line in Baxter Springs, Kansas and then run to the finish line in Joplin, Missouri. So of course I'm stressed out about shuttle schedules. And what is this I keep hearing about gear trucks? Should I pack a bag that will be waiting for me at the finish line with dry clothes and stuff? What do you put in your bag? What kind of bag do you take? A backpack? Small duffel? Gallon-sized Ziploc? I am totally serious about these questions.

Trea and I have our long run routines down pat, and I'm more than concerned about changing things up this weekend. The morning of our long runs, Trea always makes a trip to McDonald's for egg McMuffins, or I make homemade ones for us, and then we don't leave the house for another 45 minutes or so to let everything settle. We normally eat around 5:45 and are running by 6:45 or 7:00. But at this race, the last shuttle arrives at the starting line at 7:00, but the race doesn't start until 8:00! So we'll still need to get up early and eat early, but I'm worried my McMuffin will be "wearing off" by the time we're ready to start. Maybe I need to get two... {Trea is allergic to both peanut butter and bananas -- runners' favorite fuel -- so our pre-run options are limited. PowerBars and ClifBars are out for him too.} We're running with friends, so ideally, we'll be able to drive one car to the start and leave it and take another car to retrieve it later. This would relieve tons of stress...as long as the race folks will let us do that.

Even though it stinks to be sick on ANOTHER race weekend, I'm still looking forward to this experience because I think it will be a good dress rehearsal for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon in December. Much better to figure out our out-of-town/hotel routine now than in downtown Memphis at our first full marathon! I just found out only 262 runners are registered for the Mother Road Half, so this is going to be a tiny race. This is terrifying because my chances for finishing dead last just increased dramatically, but having a small turnout might be easier on us as we learn how to handle racing far from home.

I'm treating this weekend like a training run, so I'm not shooting for a certain time or anything. Since I've been sick for a week now, I'll just be happy if I'm able to run at all. I actually have 15 miles on my training schedule this weekend, so if I'm feeling better, I'm planning to run a mile or so before the race to warm up, and then whatever is left at the end as a slow shake-out run.

So, expert out-of-town racers...how do YOU get ready to race when you're away from home? 

How do you handle racing during training, when the race is shorter than your training distance? 

Memphis Marathon Training: Week 7

Some training weeks are better than others, and this week definitely did not go my way. After my 14-miler last Saturday, my Achilles and calves were pretty cranky for a few days. Then I felt like I was fighting off a cold almost all week, and it finally caught up with me this weekend and kept me out of a 5K I was really looking forward to, as well as my long run. I've missed several cross training workouts during my training, but this is the first significant run that I've missed, and I'm completely stressed out about losing endurance and not keeping up with my mileage. But when my nose ceases to function and I'm stuck in bed with a fever, my options for training are pretty limited.

Next weekend, I'm supposed to run the Mother Road Half Marathon in Joplin as a training run, so I'm hoping that missing my 10-miler this weekend doesn't set me back too much. 

Monday
Speed 4 Easy
My legs just weren't up for a speed workout after running 14 miles Saturday. I'm learning that these pace-focused runs don't always work out because I usually need more than one day of recovery in between. Instead of pushing myself to the breaking point, I just focus on getting the miles in rather than running at a crazy intensity when my legs feel less than 100%. I ran 4 miles by myself in downtown Bentonville and had to stop several times to stretch. I got some new Asics Kayanos, which offer a little more stability than my Nike Zoom Structures, and this was my first time to run in them. So far, I think I like them, though they are noticeably heavier.

4 miles/42:21/10:35 avg. pace

Tuesday
Cross train Rest
Trea and I went to Little Rock for the day to be with his mom while she had surgery (she's doing OK now). It was a long day with lots of driving, so there was absolutely no time for a workout. But we had a fantastic dinner on our way home at a new Greek restaurant in Conway! We stopped at Layla's Gyros and Pizzeria when we saw it had a 100% rating on Urbanspoon, and it did not disappoint! I had hummus with pita, falafel, a gyro meat pizza with tzatziki and I ate most of Trea's chicken schawarma. After our feast, I had homemade baklava and Turkish coffee, which they served in tiny little cups. This place is super affordable, and the staff was so friendly and helpful. If you're ever in Conway, stop in at Layla's.

Wednesday
8 Tempo
I ran with Laura on the bike trails around town. I always hate these longish mid-week runs, so we ran an out-and-back route so I wouldn't be tempted to cut it short. If you run 4 miles away from the car, you have to go 4 miles back! It was hot when we started, but it got dark before we finished, so it was nice and cool for the last couple of miles. I took 5 minutes off my previous 8-mile time!

8 miles/1:27:30/10:56 avg. pace

Thursday
Cross train Rest
I skipped spin class again. AGAIN. I really have to get back on the cross training bandwagon. I felt like I was coming down with a cold, and wanted to just go home after work and rest. I thought if I could keep chugging EmergenC and get lots of sleep, maybe the sickness that's plaguing my entire office wouldn't get me. I was wrong.

Friday
Even more rest
Have you ever seen so many rest days?!

Saturday
10 Long and Go Literacy 5K Nyquil coma
This was my "runniversary," the one-year anniversary of my first 5K. I was so excited to run the same race again and blow my previous time out of the water, but I woke up with fever and all kinds of nastiness that kept me from even going as a spectator. Not cool. I spent the morning at a walk-in clinic, but Trea raced and won first in his age group!! He set a new PR and finished in 24:52! I'm so proud of him, but still sad that I wasn't there to see him get his medal. Next year, Literacy 5K. Next year, IT IS ON.

Not only did I miss out on my race, but I also wasn't able to get in my long run. I had hoped that after getting a steroid shot yesterday and a good night's sleep, I would be able to run today, but I still feel awful. Let's hope I can still make my way through 13.1 at the Mother Road Half next weekend! Even though I'm just using it as a training run, I'm more than a little worried about it now.

Total miles for the week: A measly 12

9 weeks till Memphis!

Bentonville Half Marathon Recap

This weekend, I ran my first half marathon. It was a fantastic day and I lived to tell the tale! The days leading up to the race were unseasonably cold and rainy, so I spent a lot of days last week resting because it was too nasty to run. But the day of the race could not have been more perfect. Cool, sunny and just down right lovely.

At the race expo on Friday when I picked up my number, there were signs posted that said, "Due to the unprecedented number of registrants in the half marathon, if you finish higher (slower) than 800, your medal will be mailed to you within 3 weeks." Boy, oh boy, I had this medal on the brain and was SO worried about not getting one. I don't know why in the world it should even cross my mind. I'm SLOW. I'm not going to WIN. I'm doing this just to see if I can finish in the upright position and didn't even have a time goal. But for some reason, the idea of not getting a medal - that everyone receives - just made me crazy, and I wanted so bad to be in the top 800. (Spoiler alert! I got one!)

The night before the race, I was a nervous wreck. I had spent a considerable amount of time mulling over the perfect playlist, and of course, iTunes completely stopped cooperating when it was time to sync my iPod. So I stayed up way too late fiddling with the computer, then couldn't go to sleep, and tossed and turned until my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. I had my usual long run breakfast of PB & J on whole wheat toast, but I was careful to only have half a cup of coffee and barely any water. I had been drinking like a camel for days and did not want to have to stop in the middle of the race for a port-o-potty nightmare. I never run early in the morning, so I was A) concerned about how my tummy would respond to early morning shaking around, and B) getting out of the house in a timely manner. Trea and I always run whenever we feel like it, so getting to the race on time was our first victory. 

We arrived in plenty of time to get our gear ready and warm up. I met up with my two favorite running Twitter pals, Lori and Jennifer, and we were a giggling mess of nervousness. I love these girls!

It was cold when the race started, so we brought throw-away clothes, and I looked like a yard sale with my 10-year-old brown hoodie and purple gloves. I think it was around 45 degrees or so, which is perfect for running in the warm sunshine!

There were A LOT of runners all squeezed in at the starting line, and we tried to position ourselves in the middle of the pack. We ditched our jackets before the gun went off but hung onto our gloves for a while. When the race started, everyone slowly started shuffling forward. It took us about 30 seconds to get from our spot to the official start mat after the gun. After only doing a super small, manually timed 5K, this was quite a change of scenery for us. I kept my music off for a while because I was entertained enough by the folks around us trying to find their pace in the crowd. I was so excited and wanted to take off and run a pace that felt good, but I kept a close eye on my Garmin and made myself not go faster than 11:30. I knew I had a long way to go and didn't want to make the mistake of bursting out at the start and fizzling at the end. It was SO hard to let people pass me and remind myself to run my own race - especially as Trea kept checking his Garmin and glancing back at me, seemingly annoyed at my slow pace. I know we were both wondering if 800 people were already in front of us.

At mile 1, there was a band playing some '90s favorites, a little "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and Foo Fighters. It was so much fun! Trea and I have been practicing running the course, and it was awesome to see people at the end of the driveways that had been so quiet and empty all these months. Kids and moms were in their PJ's cheering at the edge of their yards and urging us on. And there was a HOBY conference here this weekend so the HOBY kids came out to spectate the race!! I'm a former HOBY kid, so it was extra special to me to have them posted throughout the course, doing all the silly cheers I remember from high school.

I ran with a hydration belt even though I knew there would be water stops every 2 miles. It seemed that an unexpected number of runners had registered for the race and I was worried the water stops would be crazy and crowded. I ran through the first few and only relied on my own water because it seemed easier. But the crowd thinned out considerably after a while, and I came to love the ice cold water offered by happy volunteers and the few steps I got to walk while I drank so I wouldn't spill water all over myself.

I was amazed at how great I felt, but at mile 4, I could feel my energy dwindling, so I had a few caffeinated sport beans. After that, I had three beans every two miles, and it worked out perfectly to get me to the end. I didn't really get tired until mile 9, mostly because of the spectators. They were awesome! I wore a pink headband, pink shirt and pink calf sleeves, and I was so glad to hear strangers yelling, "Go Pink! You're doing great!" There weren't a ton of people along the course, but the folks who were out were full of energy! It was so fun to see kids cheering for their parents. I saw two little kids holding a sign that said, "Go Mom Go!" and she stopped to hug them and then they ran alongside her as long as they could keep up. It was so sweet. There was one husband and tiny curly haired boy who seemed to show up on the course every couple of miles to cheer on their wife/mom. At one point, the husband appeared and hollered, "I got McDonald's for you!" and was waving around a breakfast sandwich. Apparently, she needed a snack.

At mile 7, we had to run by a cemetery, and there was an official race sign that said "Plots Available," ya know, in case we couldn't go any farther. I've learned that races should be run with a camera because you never know what you'll see! There was also a Chevy Tahoe that appeared in two spots along the course BLARING, "Eye of the Tiger."

Miles 10 through 13 were on paved park trails rather than the road, and those were the WORST. I'm sure they would've been hard anyway, but running out in the middle of nowhere after all that entertainment was tough mentally. Our trails are beautiful, thank you very much City of Bentonville, but they don't follow any roads, so there were hardly any spectators along those miles. At mile 11, we had to run by the wastewater treatment plant, which, thankfully, wasn't too smelly that day. There was a sign nailed to a tree that said, "Lincoln Jr. High School Runners Don't Stink!"

At mile 12, I was miserable, and we were just about to climb our own little version of Heartbreak Hill on the Crystal Bridges trail. I've been practicing that hill on my shorter training runs, and I've barely conquered it after mile 3. I was not hopeful about running it after 12 miles. When I came to the steepest part, I decided to walk. When I saw how pitiful my running pace was at that spot, I knew walking wouldn't cost me that much time and I could conserve a little energy for the finish line. As I was trudging toward the top, I spotted a photographer capturing people on the climb up! I immediately put on my happy face and kicked up my feet and ran! By then, I was at 12.5 and almost to the finish! There was a spectator dressed like the grim reaper holding a sign that said, "Run! For the end is near!" So I did.

I ran and ran as much as I could. I just kept looking at my watch and telling myself I was almost there. Some folks from work had said they might come out and see me, so I was anxious about having some kick left at the end so I could run strong across the finish line. All this time, Trea was still sticking with me, and I was so glad to not be by myself. When we came down the final stretch, I spotted my best friends, Laura and Michael, who had come out to cheer us on and take pictures. Laura was trying to get her camera ready, and for some reason, seeing familiar faces made me run faster. Trea was punching me and telling me to slow down and pose. But I waved like an idiot with both hands and ran by them as fast as I could! And then I saw my VP from work and waved like an idiot to him. And then I saw sweet Kelly taking pictures with her phone and waved like an idiot to her without even attempting to slow down for a good shot. She barely got us. And yes, I will be purchasing some longer shorts.

I crossed the finish line in 2:34, which is about 10 minutes faster than I estimated. Someone told me to turn in my chip, so I bent over and huffed and puffed while a kind volunteer cut the chip off my shoe. Then I spotted Jennifer, who was screaming my name and saying, "Good job!" And I saw the medal hanging around her neck and yelled, "You got a MEDAL!!" And she yelled, "Yeah! You got one too! Look!" And then I realized I wasn't done yet and there was another volunteer holding a medal out for me. Meanwhile, Laura was waving from the other side for me to look at her camera, which I'm pretty sure I didn't do. Running makes me delirious and socially awkward.

I got a medal. I finished. I was greeted by my favorite people at the end of a very tough, but happy morning. Kelly brought me a huge bouquet of beautiful flowers. It was the perfect race, and I know that I did my best. I had no leg cramps, no side stitches, and I didn't hit a wall and quit. The sun was warm but not too much, and the wind was just breezy enough to keep me cool. It was a perfect day, and I couldn't be happier about it.

I was so proud that I came in under 2:40!

And I immediately rewarded myself with a 780-calorie banana pudding shake from Chik-Fil-A. It was my first, and it will be my last. But it was delicious!

It was worth every single calorie, and I'm still pleased as punch with our fabulous first race experience. Since then, I've done nothing but ice, rest and relax. I got a well-deserved massage and am taking it easy until after my birthday vacation next week. Also, I learned that volunteers and spectators are SO important to running a good race. I hope to run more races, but I'm also going to choose some events to spectate, whether I know anyone or not. Every runner needs a boost, so I'm going to test my sign making abilities and go do some cheering!

Going the distance

This blog post title is brought to you by Cake and my new favorite running song. I have a little more than two weeks to go until the Bentonville Half Marathon, and on Sunday, I finished my first ever 10-mile run! I averaged an 11:48 pace, which I was satisfied with, and I didn't take any walk breaks. I am going the distance, but I am obviously not going for speed. Running longer distances has presented a whole new set of challenges, and I'm still figuring out what works for me and what doesn't.

Here's what I know so far:

Pain
Running long hurts in a whole new way and in new places. To help with recovery, I invested in some pretty pink leg hugs, also known as Zensah calf sleeves. This is how I spend my weekends now.

These calf sleeves are magical and I am not ashamed to wear them on the run, on the couch or to the office under my pants.

Fuel
Longer runs require fuel, and my first attempt at hydrating on the run was a disaster. I got a cheap fuel belt with two water bottles, washed them in the dishwasher and now everything I put in them tastes like lemon soap. FAIL. I couldn't find the right kind of bottles for sale around here to replace the ones I ruined, but my local running store had an extra lying around and gave me one. So now I have a two-bottle fuel belt and only one usable bottle, which means my fanny pack doesn't sit straight on my fanny. After several miles of struggling with my cheapo bouncy belt, I came home and ordered an iFitness hydration belt, which should be here any day now!

In addition to chugging H2O, I also have to eat something along the way, all while not choking and not falling down and maintaining a decent pace. I tried walking while I reload, but I run so slowly anyway that this really set me back. I learned that Clif Shot Bloks make me want to die, but eating a few tiny Sport Beans (with caffeine!) every few miles is kind to my digestive system. Trial and error, my friends. Trial and error.

Mood
So much of running is mental, and I have to really focus to stay positive. If I let my brain wander down a negative path, I might lose confidence and cry on the sidewalk at mile four. (Not that that's happened.) (Ahem.) I've read some articles that suggest choosing a mantra to repeat to yourself when you get overwhelmed. Something short and easy to remember, like, "Farther, faster," or "Be strong, keep going." I think this is a great idea, but somehow my mantras always end up to be, "These are side-stitches of death," or "This hill is trying to kill me." Music helps me cope best, as you can tell from this post's title. And my new favorite things on the planet are Yurbuds, which keep my quarter-sized Apple earbuds from falling out! These things have changed my life. Buy some.

My 10-miler also made me weak in the knees, and not in a good way. I have been in some serious pain these last few days, but I'm trying not to obsess about it. I felt better today, so I ran tonight for the first time since Sunday and only made it 2 miles before all the pain came back and I called it quits. It's not so painful that I couldn't run through it, but it's the kind of pain that I know I shouldn't ignore. I'm hoping ice and rest will solve the problem, along with some strength training for my quads, hips and glutes. After the race, I can relax, recover, give my knees a break and focus on quality strength work before adding any more miles. Just two and a half more weeks to go!!

And now for your listening pleasure, CAKE.

Running on empty

I'm just completing my third week of half marathon training, and man, I am exhausted. I do nothing but work, train and sleep. In the last three weeks, I've been snowed in twice, and I was assigned an incredibly stressful and time-consuming project at work. Finding time to train would be hard under normal circumstances, but with these added obstacles, it's been a miracle for me to get my miles in. I was diehard at first, running on the snow and ice to meet my goals. But after three weeks of walking around like a zombie, I've missed two or three days of weekday training. BUT, I've already run 31 miles this month (and I have a 5-miler tomorrow {Eek!}), which is more than I've ever run in any month ever.

Before I started training, I was running about 2-3 times a week and doing nothing else. Now I have 6 days of activity, whether it's running, cross training or yoga class, and my body is feeling the strain. I'm following Hal Higdon's half marathon training plan for beginners, but I've altered it to fit my schedule -- making my long runs on Saturday, since that's when the race is, and adjusting some of the days so I can go to speed training with a local running group and hit a Sunday afternoon hot yoga class to stretch out the kinks after my longest run of the week. Here's my plan below (hopefully you can click on the image to see it larger). I followed Hal's schedule for one week before realizing it didn't fit with what I need, so that's why the first week is a little weird compared to the rest.

Because I'm serious about being able to run all the way through this nightmare my goal, I've decided that snow isn't going to stop me from training anymore. Already this year, I've seen too many of these days, when I can't drive anywhere and the roads are too slick for running.

So now this baby greets me every time I come home, and there's no excuse not to lace up my shoes.

And now I know why people call it the dreadmill. Probably doesn't help that the only place I have space for it is in my garage, so I get to spend 3.5 miles staring at my lawnmower.

Tomorrow I have a 5-mile run on the schedule, which is farther than I've ever tried to run. I'm nervous about being able to make it all the way, but at least I'll be able to enjoy an abnormally warm day of 65 degrees and sunshine before we have another snowstorm next week. It helps that this little fortune is stuck to the fridge with my training schedule, always reminding me to push through the pain and stick with my plans.

Happy weekend, y'all!

Baby, it's cold outside

Training for my first half marathon officially began this week, and it coincided with our first snowstorm of the year. Here in Arkansas, we are experiencing sub-zero windchills and more snow than we know what to do with. I worked from home yesterday because I can get much more done that way, but today I didn't have another choice. Roads were icy and slick, and since I already had my laptop at home, there was no reason to risk driving to the office. But after two full days of being here with two whiny dogs who don't want to stay inside but don't want to go out in the cold either, I was going stir CRAZY, and I went for my first snowy run.

Since I was home in the middle of the day, I was able to run in the daylight, which is a novelty lately, and even though it was wicked cold, the sun was shining bright and melting the snow a little bit. When I left, it was 19 degrees with a windchill of NINE. I bundled up in my warmest running clothes - two pairs of socks, the best pants on earth - Nike dri-fit thermals, a toboggan covered with a fleece headband, my super warm running jacket from Target and one of Trea's Buffs. So what if I couldn't move my head? At least it was warm.

As soon as I stepped outside, I realized the roads were worse than I thought, and I immediately began to worry about slipping and falling. But according to Hal, I had 3 miles to run, and I was too afraid to try driving to the gym. I walked very carefully around my neighborhood until I found a dry stretch of road that was in direct sunlight. It was only about 0.15 miles of snow/ice-free surface, so I just ran back and forth until I got my 3 miles in. And it was mostly a hill, so...bonus points for hill training. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was crazy running back and forth up the same stretch of road, but everywhere that was shaded by trees was covered in snow and ice.

My weather.com app did a great job of terrifying me of the risks of frostbite, which is why I opted for the Buff. It actually worked pretty well at keeping my face warm - until it froze from the steam from my breath. And then it was like wearing a big fat ice necklace. Thank goodness I didn't have to go more than 3 miles!

I haven't been running much the last month or so because of a minor knee injury, so my weekly mileage has been crazy low. One of the most important rules of running, I'm told, is to increase mileage by only 10% each week to avoid injury. So because I've only been logging about 5-6 miles a week, I can't just dive right into my training as I'd hoped. Hal's plan calls for 12 miles in the first week, which would more than double my mileage. Not smart to do this probably, so I ran/walked the last mile today, and I'll be hitting the gym more frequently these first couple of weeks for some elliptical action and stationary bike training. According to Coach Pink Girl, this will give me the cardio, leg work and mileage without pounding my knees.  

My snowy run wasn't ideal. It wasn't comfortable. My pace was ridiculous because I walked so much to keep from slipping on ice. But I felt so good for getting out there and sticking to my plan. So bring it on, Old Man Winter. I have 81 days to train, and it's gonna take more than a little wintry mix to slow me down.

Down and out

I have good news and bad news.
The good news: I'm going to run the Bentonville Half Marathon in April!

I'll get to the bad news in a minute. I've never run much farther than 3 miles, but I think if I start now and train diligently, I should be able to handle 13.1 by April. Right? Sure. I was able to run a 5K, and I never thought I could. So I'm hoping this will work out too.

I have a good training plan, thanks to Mr. Hal Higdon, and I'm confident that if I stick with it, I can do this. The training plan is 12 weeks, and there are 17 weeks until the race. So this should allow enough time for repeating weeks when necessary or getting off schedule due to nasty winter weather. My only goal at this point is to be able to finish the race without collapsing. Unfortunately, the race director thought it would be fun to run the last mile UP the Crystal Bridges trail hill. See that squiggly line in the center of the map right below the number 12?

That's the STEEPEST, MOST TERRIBLE hill I've ever tried to run. I think they had to make it crooked because cyclists would probably reach 80 mph by the time they got to the bottom. Seriously. It's ridiculous. And to make this the last mile of the race is just plain mean. I tried running it once and vowed never to go back to that awful place. Yes, it's pretty and scenic and all that, but it is wicked steep! I guess I know where I'll be training now.

And now for the bad news.
Remember my one good run? Well, there are occasionally days like that, and then there are days like yesterday when you quit your run 2 miles early and cry tears of frustration all the way home. I had an awful run last night because my left knee is injured. It was injured by a chiropractor who was asked to fix my right hip. Confused? Me too. I've had a wonky hip for a couple of years, and running has aggravated the problem, but the problem has never stopped me from running. Still, it's an annoying pain that I notice all day while sitting at work, while running and walking, and now it even affects the way I sleep. So I went to a chiropractor who also does PT and is known for helping injured athletes. However, after three "treatments," my hip is no better and on my last visit, he somehow tweaked my left knee while stretching my right hip. I knew as soon as it happened that it was a bad kind of pain, but the damage was already done. It hasn't stopped hurting since, and when I try to run, I feel a stabbing pain on the inner side of my knee. Not cool, doc. Not cool. I guess on the bright side, I've focused less on my hip.

Therefore, week one of half marathon training? Not going so good. In fact, not going at all. I got through ONE DAY before it all went kaput. I can't run. I'm terrified that this is an actual injury that's going to leave me sitting out a while. I talked to the doc about it today, and he apologized profusely and is a little baffled about the situation, but there's not a lot we can do except stretch, foam roll until I'm dizzy and rest, rest, rest.

Oh, and to add insult to injury, my husband is following the training schedule that I chose for the race I want to run. And I have to be nice and say, "Good job!" when he reports that he ran the prescribed number of miles at a 10:22 pace even though I can't run. And if I could run, I know I couldn't do much better than a 12:00 pace. Being a sidelined supporter is hard.