Run for Justice 5k

There I am before the start of the Run for Justice 5k. It was a cold morning. Temps in the low 40s! BRRR! I wore my puffy vest right until it was time to head to the start line. I also had on tights underneath my shorts. I also opted for a long sleeve shirt under my short sleeve shirt which I later regretted during the race because I got hot! David and I got there early and had plenty of time to grab my bib and check out the scene. It was a smaller neighborhood race, but a lot of lawyers came out. Many of the big firms had "firm shirts" and ran as a group. I saw some girls from Women in Law, but decided to run on my own.

Soon it was time for the race to start. I said goodbye to David and followed the crowd to the start line. I was very close to the front of the start with the "real runners." I was scared to be this close, but then I thought about all the times I've stayed back at the start line and wished I had been closer instead. I hate bobbing and weaving at the beginning of the race. I positioned myself perfectly for this race and I took off fast. Here I am right after the start. There weren't many people around me at this point as we broke away from the pack early.
I felt good here, but knew that my pace was pretty fast for the first mile. I hesitated to look at my garmin until I had set a comfortable pace. About .7 miles in I noticed that I was on track for an 8:15 mile which is pretty good for me. I was thinking that it would be more like 8:30. Anyhow, I was feeling good, so I kept pushing on with the same amount of effort. About 1 mile into the race an older guy (probably in his 60s) started running right next to me. Usually I would be annoyed by this. I don't particularly enjoy running right next to strangers, but I could feel that this was different. We were running the same pace and really motivating each other. At first I thought that he was just going to run next to me for a few seconds, but that turned into minutes and then miles. He was awesome. We running with almost the exact same stride and although we weren't talking to each other I could feel that we were pushing each other. I knew I was going fast and that it was possible I would PR, but I just tried to focus on one step at a time.

We had about half a mile left and I was starting to hurt. The cold air was burning my lungs and I knew I was really going to have to push it to keep this pace to the end of the race. Thank goodness for my new running buddy. We were really pushing each other to run as hard as we could. Also, my garmin kept me going. I constantly checked it as we got closer to 3.1. Before I knew it we were only about .2 away and my new running buddy started to pick up the pace. I was spent and had almost nothing left, so I couldn't keep up with him, but I didn't let him get too far ahead. He was about 15 feet ahead of me and then I saw the finish line. It gave me a burst of energy - especially when I looked at my garmin - 25 mins! I knew this was near PR time. I saw David getting ready to take a pic, but I couldn't bear to smile. I was in some serious pain as I flared me arms back and forth and tried to get to that finish line as quick as I could.
I turned around and saw a girl about 10 feet behind. I was determined not to get passed. At 25:10 I was crossing the finish line. I checked my garmin - A PR!!!!
I couldn't breathe as I grasped for a pencil to fill out my finishing time card.
When I went to turn in my finishing time card I realized only a few people were ahead of me in my age group. I tried to count them (the official was getting annoyed with me so I stopped), but I think there were only three or four other women in my age group in front of me!! Are you kidding me? Top 5 in my age group? I was so pumped. David said that only 12 women total finished in front of me. AWESOME. That felt good. And even better, it was unexpected. I definitely didn't think that was going to be one of my fastest races. Granted, it was a smaller race, but I was still so excited. What a great feeling!! Here I am after the race. It took me awhile to catch my breath - my lungs were burning from the cold weather, but I managed a smile and a thumbs up...
Great way to spend my Saturday morning :)

I heart you Chastain Park.

So I have been bummed out about daylight savings time. I kept thinking about how I wouldn't be able to run with the sun starting to set at 5:30 p.m. So I came up with a grand idea - run after work, like right after work. I just bring my clothes to work and try to leave by 5:15 or so, change in the restrooms, put all my stuff in my car, and hit the street right from my office parking lot. It has been GREAT. Although I won't be able to do it everyday. I am not sure my bosses will love that I am gone everyday by 5:15, so it won't be something I can always do, but it is a nice option.

The best part is that my office is only a mile from Chastain Park!! I get to watch the sunset over this beautiful golf course. And they have a great running trail packed with people. I love it!!
It is so refreshing to see so many other runners out there. I love seeing all the buckhead stay at home moms and wives walking and talking on their cell phones. It is either that or they walk in pairs and talk about their days. Meanwhile I stare at them and secretly hope that one day I will be walking with one of my girlfriends in this neighborhood and chatting about my day! How fun!! I enjoyed Chastain so much because it was so different from Blackburn near my house. Usually Blackburn is filled with kids playing soccer and not too many runners. But Chastain had runners everywhere. It made me happy and encouraged! When other people are running too it doesn't seem so bad. :)

I haven't even had my ipod with my the last two days and I have enjoyed running just the same. My course is only partially annoying at the Roswell Rd and Piedmont intersection - so trafficy! I usually get stopped by at least one light - as it's a long one. The awesome forerunner though is programmed to stop my time if my pace gets higher than 14 mins a mile, so it stops when i stop. Pretty cool! I am still trying to figure out all of the cool features of this thing, but I plan on playing with it more this weekend.

For now I have put off looking for a gym. Although I know I will be forced into LA fitness eventually. Especially when it gets cold. I don't do cold weather. The one thing I do love though about the cold weather is that I can run in the afternoon and sleep in. In the summer mornings I'd have to get up early and run to avoid the heat, but in the winter I can wait to run till 2 in the afternoon if I want!

Here was my time from yesterday. The forerunner is the bomb.com - LOVE!

I am so excited about new route! And it is even better with the forerunner. Only a few more weeks left till my 18-week marathon training schedule officially begins!! :)

My Forerunner - I'm an official runner now :)

That's me after three miles with my new awesome forerunner. It is the coolest thing ever. Ok, maybe it is kind of big and dorky looking, but I don't care. It's a must for runners (or that's what I've been told). I have been talking about this thing for months. I told David that if I signed up for Marathon that he had to buy me one. He never really agreed with that proposal, but much to my surprise he bought me one the other day because amazon was having a great sale. I was sooo excited to get it in the mail. I have always heard that a forerunner will change the way you train and I can already tell what people mean. It is so motivating to look down at your pace and try to push yourself. When I am going up a big hill and look at my pace at 11 minutes I'm like, "oh no, come on!" It is so cool. And then GPS is amazing. No more planning out all of my runs. That was so obnoxious. I would always have to plan where I was going to run which meant I would run the same routes A LOT, but not anymore. I can just hit the road and go. I haven't even sat down and read about all of the features yet, but I can't wait to figure it all out. Comments welcome!

And there is my first official forerunner after-run pic. Not the most amazing time, but not too shabby for an after work run. I am obsessed with this thing! :) I can't wait for Marathon training with this new gadget! It's going to make such a difference!

Day Three

Day Three!!! Lets do this! Still so stoked!

Day 2 - loving the cool weather

That's not a peace sign (my usual pic) that's a two for "day two" -wow, I'm creative. Today I was feeling good! I had to get a quick run in before small group tonight. I did my usual 3 mile out and back through Blackburn Park. I say it is three miles, but I've never actually figured the mileage. I usually just run 15 mins out and then turn around. If I am running at 9 mins a mile then that equals at least three miles. Ok, I know it's not the fanciest thing. I am dying to get a forerunner because I know it will change the way I train. It will obviously make me more precise. Now I just have to talk the hubs into it. I thought I could wait till Christmas, but...

I could feel that I was running faster than normal today and my time was definitely under what I usually run. The weather has been so much cooler and it was drizzling slightly tonight. I can feel such a difference in these falls runs compared to this past summer. I was just dying in the heat and could hardly get through my runs without gasping for air and stopping for water. Now with the cooler weather and low humidity I really feel so much better while I am running and I can actually breathe! What a concept! It has been so nice to have the weather cool off. I love fall.

I am still just so psyched about signing up for the marathon and it's showing in these first few runs. I am super motivated and loving running right now. I know as I type this that I will soon enough be at the point where I am so sick of training that I will just want to quit, but I am hoping I can look back to these posts and remember how excited I was feeling. I am looking forward to these next couple of weeks with this renewed feeling of excitement. It is great to be back! :)

Base Training - Day 1

There I am after my first base training run!! Just 3.1 miles, but it felt great. I think I am still so excited about the fact that I am actually signed up for a marathon that I am just feeding off the adrenaline. It's awesome. I woke up this morning and thought, "omg, i actually signed up for a marathon last night." It kinda freaked me out to be honest, but now it has me excited about running. I really needed something to get fired up about. I have been playing tennis almost every week since the summer season and just changed jobs. Between tennis and the new job I just haven't had time for running. It feels so good to be back with a new goal ahead.

The Marathon is April, 30 2011 in Nashville. Believe it or not, Nashville is one of the few cities near Atlanta that has a "big" marathon. I really didn't want to run the ING Marathon (now sponsored by Publix and called the Georgia Marathon?) here in Atlanta. I did the half last year and it was tough with so many hills. I hear the full is even more brutal. Plus, I wanted to travel if I was going to run a marathon! It makes it more exciting, but at the same time I don't want to fly somewhere.

This is my first marathon, so the goals were #1) nearby (drive-able), so that my boo AND my parents would be there to cheer me on #2) a BIG race (gotta have lots of people to make it that much more exciting, and #3) a fun a city. Nashville is definitely drive-able. The Rock n' Roll series is a big race known for its HIGH energy. Also, I know that Nashville is a fun place to visit because I have been there a time or two. By the time I make it to Nashville in April it will have been over 4 years since my last visit. I am hoping to make some new, fun, and life-changing memories this next time :)

Back to the training plan - for the last two half marathons I have followed Hal Higdon, almost religiously. I am again following Hal Higdon's advice for the marathon. I am even going to buy his book and training guide. These next 8 weeks will be my base training. I haven't been running consistently for quite awhile, so I need to build a solid base before training for a marathon. Hal suggests running 4-5 days a week, averaging 20-25 miles a week before beginning any marathon training plan. Definitely do able.

So for now I am just concentrating on building my base and basically getting back to where I was last fall. This time last fall I had just completed my first half marathon and had many months of running behind me. I have signed up for some 5ks this fall (maybe a 10k in there somewhere) I and will just keep working on building a foundation to prepare.

In mid-March I will run the Georgia Half Marathon which will be great practice. And before you know it, it will be late April and the Marathon will be here! I am pumped (even though it's pretty far away)!

Thanks for all the love and support I've already received! This is going to be quite the journey!!

Running Rut :(

I am in a running rut - I admt it.. After the ING Half Marathon I was exhausted from training. Also, we moved into a house about a week later, so I was busy busy and really ran out of time to run. Now that we are in the house I have been consuming myself with "fixing" it up - painting, working in the yard, decorating, etc. It has been crazy around our house. I have just stopped running all together.

A couple of friends wanted to run the Big Peach 5k a couple weekends ago. Of course, I was excited to do it - especially since I would actually get to run it with friends! I barely ran in the weeks beforehand because I was busy with the house. Also, David's dad had been in a motorcycle accident the weekend before and we'd been in Pensalcola for a few days. Before I knew it the race was only a few days away and I had barely run. The week before I attempted to get some solid 3 milers in with hills just to make sure I was ready. That week I was overwhemed with stuff to do, so I only managed to run a couple days of the week. Then there it was - the day of tha race. I didn't think it was that big of deal that I hadn't run a lot over the last couple weeks. I thought, 3 miles? Pshhh. No problem.

Well, it was a problem. I started off feeling ok, but knew right away that I wasn't in my best shape. My goal was to keep up with my guy friends (which I may have actually been able to do if I'd been training), but there was no way that was happening for this race. Within the first 5 minutes, the guys were off and I couldn't even seem them in the distance. I kept my pace steady, but with every 1/2 mile I felt it slipping. We were not even at mile 1 when I felt a horrible cramp right near my ribs. I'd had cramps before, but never one right there basically in my rib cage. It was miserable. With every breath I took in, my ribs just ached in pain. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" I thought. "What did I eat this morning?" 3/4 of a Luna Bar and a small glass of water. I couldn't figure why this cramp was here. I just pushed through it, thinking it would go away pretty soon, but no. I had that sucker almost the entire time. I think it finally passed with 3/4 mile to go. Just my luck. I think I knew it was bad when I saw this huge hill near the last mile. It wasn't huge in terms of steepness, but it was a steady incline that just seemed to last forever. In my opinion, they are the worst!!! I'd rather take a steep incline any day. About halfway into the hill I just felt like I was just done - like I just wanted to walk because I couldn't breathe. I thought to myself, "You just ran 13 miles about a month ago - COME ON!!" With pure anger at myself I made it up the hill. I could see the finish line in the distance, but I had no energy to speed up. I knew that my time would be one of my worst.

I saw a girl from college passing me. She probably didn't recognize or even see me, but I saw her as she passed by. I was so mad at myself because I could tell that I was overall in better shape then her, but she was the one passing me! This is usually the point when I feel like I can give 120% and push through it, but I just felt even more defeated as I got passed. I already felt like I was giving 120%, but that I had nothing to show for it. Two blonde, skinny moms, with their DOUBLE wide stroller started to pass me by. Are you kidding me!??!?! I tried my best to just put it all out of my mind and just focused on continuing to run. One foot in front of the other and no stopping!

I saw David right before I crossed the finish line smiling at me. I hardly looked at him bc i was trying to focus on just making it across the finish. I am normally smiling and waiving, but not that day. Finally I finished with a time of 26:53. Sick. That was definitely my worst time ever. I was mad, but I knew that I hadn't trained at all to get a good finishing time, so why was I suprised?

So here I am - with a disappointing race behind me and busy schedule infront of me. I know one thing, without running I felt a little lost and kinda sad to be honest. I definitely don't feel as good about myself. I need the exercise. I WANT the exercise! It makes you feel better all around. So today is THE DAY! I have 7 weeks until Peachtree. This year the Peachtree has qualifying times that determine what start group you will be in. I had a pretty good qualifying time from the US 10k, so I should get a good starting group. I am hoping to simply beat my time from last year, which I think it definitely possible. So here, I go again. I am glad I taking a step in the right direction.

The plan for this week?

Monday: 3 mile run + strength
Tuesday: 3.0 miles
Weds: 35 minute tempo run
Thurs: 3.5 miles + strength
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 4.5 mile Long Run
Sunday: some kind of cross training