Resolution Retrospect

As 2014 draws to a close, I thought it an appropriate time to look back at my 2014 resolutions to see just how well I did at sticking to my goals for the year.  Let me go ahead and warn you, this isn't going to be pretty. 

 

 

Here goes....

 

1. Running with water.  FAIL.  Despite receiving not one, but two, running water bottles (one to strap around my waist and one to slip around my hand) for Christmas in 2013, I still managed to complete all of my training runs while carrying no water whatsoever.  Don't get me wrong, I know how terrible this is.  I know how important hydrating is.  I just couldn't seem to remember to grab one of my water bottles on my way out of the door.  Maybe 2014 was the year of memory loss.  Luckily for me though, there are numerous water fountains along the trails I run, so even though I didn't carry it with me, I was able to hydrate some while I ran.

 

2.  Running with buddies.  UBER FAIL.  With the exception of this one half marathon I ran with two friends, my runs were spent in solitary.  I just never get asked to run with anyone.  Maybe it's me??

 

3.  Hills.  FAIL.  Are you starting to pick up on a trend here?  I could have probably guessed I'd fail on this one the minute after I wrote it back in 2013.  I do not like hills.  In theory, I'm a huge fan of them.  In execution though, nope, hate 'em.  I know hills are amazing for your training and I know I should work them in more often (you know, even just once), but 2014 was the year of flat runs.

 

4.  Foam rolling and stretching.  MINOR FAIL.  Okay, so on this one I wasn't a complete and utter failure, but I still wouldn't say I was great.  Foam rolling is something that I do pretty well.  This is probably because it's done laying down (my favorite position after a run)and  I know what a huge effect it has on my legs.  I realize that foam rolling is one of the best preventative measures I can take to avoid knee pain and avoiding knee pain is a huge motivator for me.  But stretching is another story.   I've really been terrible at stretching this year.  I think this year has felt especially busy and especially rushed, which caused me to cut nice long stretches out of my post-run routine.  Thankfully, The Bar Method forces me to get some good stretches in at least a few times a week. 

 

5.  Races.  PASS(ish).  This year I completed one full marathon, three half marathons, and one 5k.  I am very proud of the number of long distance races I completed.  However, I'm a little less proud of myself for only entering one 5k.  5k races are so fun and great Saturday morning starters.  I think this one will have to be a rollover resolution into 2015.

 

6.  Warming up.  FAIL.  Yeah, I just suck at this.  Sure, I start slow, but it's not so much for the purpose of warming up as it is simply out of necessity because my body is usually screaming, "Oh hell no.  Not this again." 

 

7.  Rest.  WORK IN PROGRESS.  I'm working on it.  I'm really working on it.  And, I think I'm getting a little better at it.  I know it sounds crazy to say that resting has become one of my major life goals, but with my recent health issues, I truly have moved rest on up around no. 1 on the resolutions list.  2014 started off crazy, hectic, and overwhelming, but lately, I've started to make real progress in the slowing down and relaxing department.  Just ask my waistline.  Now I just need to find that happy medium between rest and lazy.  Like I said, work in progress.

 

8.  Enjoy running.  SUCCESS!!  I can honestly say that I have enjoyed running this year more than any other year in my life.  In 2014, I finally feel like I've hit my stride as a runner.  I actually told someone the other day, "I'm a runner," and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was telling the whole and honest truth.

Holiday Greeting

Well hello there!  I just wanted to check in and say I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season.  I hope your Christmas was filled with holiday cheer and new running gear!!

Rocking one of my new running shirts.  We runners really look forward to Christmas.

I decided to take this holiday time to do exactly as the name suggests...holidaying. No work. No writing. No worrying. Just friends, family, relaxation, running, eating, and drinking. Oh, the eating and drinking.  So much eating and drinking!  As you know, time like this is very rare for me and I have a feeling I will pay for it when 2015 rolls around, but for now, I'm going to just enjoy it. 

On a side note, the most amazing thing happened. There was an official race picture taken of me with both feet off the ground. Finally, proof that I really run these things.  Normally, my "action" shots look as if I've entered a beginner speed walking contest. 

Two things: 1) Yes, I'm too cheap to buy the race photos and 2) A picture I'm finally proud of and the arm muscles of the lady behind me totally show me up.  Dang, those are guns!!

The First Mile

The other morning I was on the elliptical machine reading about female runners who had lost a significant amount of weight running when I read this quote and it hit home like crazy.

"And even now, the first mile is still the hardest."  TRUTH.

You should know that this morning, as I sat down to write this blog (it's been on my mind since I read the article), I realized that I was being hypocritical.  I could not write to you about the lesson unless I was willing to learn and live it myself.  So, begrudgingly, I slipped on my running shoes and my Garmin and set off on my first long run since the BSC Half Marathon.  It was a run I knew I needed to do, but I kept putting it off and putting it off because I also knew it would be hard.  And, it was hard....for at least the first 2 miles, it was hard.  But then, like it always does, the run stopped being so hard and started being a great.  After I finished,  I was so happy to have run and I couldn't remember for the life of me why I was putting it off.  That's the thing in life, the first mile is always the hardest.

 

The hardest part of any task ahead of us is just the getting started part.  I have been running for years, logging countless miles along the way, and never once has the first mile been easy.  Okay, who am I kidding?  The first three miles have never been easy.  Getting started is always the worst part.  The miles ahead are always daunting and intimidating.  No matter how many long runs I've made, there is still a voice inside of me asking, "can I do this?" 

 

Here's the thing, yes.  Yes, I can do it.  And, you can too.  No matter what the road ahead of you looks like, take the first step, make the move, commit to getting through the first, hardest part and before you know it, you'll be on the other side of it.  You can do anything you want, need, or have to.  You just have to decide you can do it and take that first terrifyingly hard step.  I promise you, after that step, they each get easier.

 

On The Road Again....almost

After a few days off from running, I'm back on the road again....well, almost. 

 

 

I'm back on the treadmill. People, it's cold out there.  Actually, it's not really that cold out there, I just can't seem to find the motivation for a long run outdoors just yet. After leaving it all out on the road last weekend, I've been giving the legs a bit of a break with just a teeny bit of running thrown in.  It was a week of mostly elliptical training and it felt good to take it easy. My body worked really hard to hit that half marathon PR and now it deserves a little R&R (rest and relaxation, not road running). 



Told you it was just a teeny bit of running.

My road running days aren't over. In fact, I imagine I will get back out there for a nice long run over the Christmas holidays. Because nothing says, "I'm ready for all of the Christmas candy, cookies, and wine that I can get my hands on," like a long run. 

 

 

 

Race Recap: BCS Marathon + Half Marathon

Full disclosure:  I already knew I would love this race well before I lined up in Corral 2 on Sunday. 

For one thing, the race was held in the same town where I went to college.  I was really looking forward to running through campus, by my old apartments, and down the streets where I spent many a night with a Miller Light in hand.  What can I say?  I guess I'm getting nostalgic in my old age, but it's always fun to visit where you "grew up."  We get back to College Station about once a year for football games, but then we mostly just stick to the stadium and never get to really look around town.  Doing it on my feet over 13.1 miles was something I was looking forward to.

Second, and probably the biggest reason I knew I was going to love this race, was all of the pre-race communication.  Almost daily, the organizers updated the race Facebook page.  Sometimes with free giveaways, sometimes with random running facts, sometimes with sneak peeks at race swag, and sometimes just general race info.  Each time I would see an update I would get a little more excited.  It's awesome to feel like such a part of the entire race process, even months out.  It also let me know that the race organizers really care about the race and those running.  If I had to give only one kudos for the best thing about this race, I would have to say it was all of the pre-race updating.

Okay on to the race recap....

Pre-race:  First of all, after telling you that I'd double, triple, and quadruple checked my gear, I still managed to pack the wrong socks!!!  Seriously.  How???  Thank goodness we scored free Swifwick socks (my absolute favorite race socks) in our race bag.  Total lifesaver.  And, only you other runners will know that I'm not exaggerating when I use that term.  Socks can make or break a run.  

 

Hubs dropped me off for the race around 6:40 a.m.  The first thing I noticed: how awesomely uncrowded (word??) the corrals were.  Often you get packed in like sardines before a race, but this race had the corrals perfectly spaced and perfectly marked with all pacers holding clearly marked signs.  This meant, I felt totally comfortable about where I should start the race and I also had plenty of room for pre-run stretching, warming up, and general nervous tension moves.

Before the race started, the race organizers showed a motivational video on several screens at the start line.  I can't lie, I got teary.  I wonder if this happens to anyone else, but I get so emotional before a race.  Tears come really easily for me in the corral.

  

The race started off fine enough.  I know I'm always updating you on the weather, so what I can tell you about race day weather is that it was way better than I'd expected.  Yes, it was humid, but the temperature was perfect (meaning all of the spectators were in coats and hats and all of the runners were in tanks and shorts) and it was dry (thank goodness!).  I have no complaints about the conditions in which we started to run (I do think for the marathoners though, it did start getting really warm near the end --- sorry full marathoners. My sympathies are with you for multiple reasons). 

 

The crowds were great.  Now, this is a "smaller" race (says the girl who is used to running the Houston Marathon, which is HUGE) of only 4ish thousand runners, but still the spectators were awesome.  I've written about it before, but there really are no words I could ever put together to adequately describe how I feel about all race volunteers and spectators.  THANK YOU!!!  Thank you for your signs, your bells, your high fives, and your free fruit.  Races wouldn't be near as much fun without you. You inspire me. 

Running so fast, the picture blurred....ha ha.

 

Actual running:  I was really focused on running my own race.  I was getting passed left and right as the race started.  So many people were passing me that I kept double checking  the pace runner in front of me, expecting to see that I had lined up with the wrong pace runners.  To say it was discouraging having runner after runner fly by me, is to significantly understate the truth of it.  It was very hard watching so many people overtake my pace.  But, I stuck with it.  I was convinced that I could make up any losses I accumulated in the first few miles.  As people ran by,  I kept repeating to myself," This is your race.  Run it your way. Don't worry about anyone else. They don't know what you are about to do."  It was just before mile 6 that I got sick of being passed  decided then and there that I was going to run the hell out of the rest of the race.

And, run the hell out of it, I did.  I began really kicking it after mile 6. My focus literally shifted from external to internal.  I was laser focused and very determined.  I found myself in a bit of a hole by mile 8.5 and I was willing my legs to keep turning.  By Mike 10, I knew I could get close to my PR, but I knew I had to push to do it (keep in mind, I didn't realize at the time how off my Garmin was). This is when you start playing games with yourself. You start saying, "this is only a 5K, I can run at 5K pace."  With one mile out, I was trashed. My knee was killing me (mom, don't worry. It wasn't injured, just hurting) and I was exhausted. But, still, I kept at it. I was close to my PR pace (again, so I thought based on my Garmin) and I wasn't going to get that close and miss it. Then, came the greatest race gift of all: A DOWNHILL FINISH!!  Thank you BCS Marathon. I have never been so grateful to see downside of a hill in my life. 

I finished leaving it all out on the course and I was greeted by a young man with Down Syndrome who placed my medal around my neck and told me good job. You know what else he did? He hugged me. A solid, way-to-go, awesome hug. And I can't tell you what that meant to me. For 13.1 miles, almost 2 hours, I was running my race. Surrounded by people, I was alone in my head and in my race. To get that physical acknowledgement of what I had done and from such a special person brought tears to my eyes (yeah, I know, more crying. It's kinda my thing). I should also note that the race organizer stands at the finish line and literally greets every single run, from first to last. Like I said, it's a special race. 

Now to the good stuff: the food and drink.  I skipped all of the post-race food. Mostly because we had brunch plans after my run and also because right after a race like that, my body is not ready to chew/digest anything. But it looked good. What was GREAT though, post-race, were the free margaritas. Oh my gosh. The margarita was amazing. Forget post-race beers. Ritas are it for me.  Ritas forever. Thank you BCS. 

And, about an hour later, I say my exhausted legs down with this in front of me: 

 

The restaurant was along the full marathon route and as I ate I watched them run by. I knew the journey they were on and I was all at once inspired by them and jealous of them and also so grateful to already be in my chair gorging on fried deliciousness. 

As you can tell, I loved this race. I would recommend it to anyone. I can't think of a better ending to racing in 2014. 

Spoiler

My recap of yesterday's race will follow soon, I promise. But in the meantime, I thought I would send out this one small spoiler beforehand.

Nailed it (though, today it feels like I'm the one who got nailed). 

I set a new PR for myself.  And in my world, this blows away my previous PR from several years back of 1:56:46.  I, honestly, could not believe my time.  What I mean is,  I truly refused to believe this was my actual time until a couple of hours ago.  You see, my Garmin was apparently way off.  I know it was because it gave about the same time as the actual gun time on finish line, which I knew was wrong since I didn't start near the front or gun time.  But, I still couldn't believe that I had shaved so much off of my pace.  My legs could believe it (OUCH!!!), but I couldn't.  The Hubs kept telling me that the results were right because he was watching my starts and splits times the whole race and he swears it all matches up.  I've even stalked all of he comments on the race Facebook page to see if anyone has reported too-fast results.  Nope.  Apparently, this is legit.  I actually killed this race.  I think it set in just as I typed it.  A new PR!

One Day And Counting....

We are at one day and counting for the BCS Half Marathon. Actually, as I write this, it's 11 hours and counting. 

I woke up feeling really sore and tight this morning, so I spent about half and hour foam rolling and then another half hour stretching. I keep a yoga sequence saved on my tv for days like this, but this morning I wasn't feeling it, so I just searched YouTube for 'stretching for runners' and found a great video (do you still call them videos?!?  I guess "video" died along with Blockbuster stores, huh?). 

Pigeon Pose

After doing around-the-house chores for the rest of the morning, it was time to pack up for the race. Let me tell you, this is very stressful for a runner. The idea of getting all of the way out of town without my socks or Garmin or Lord-forbid, my shoes is terrifying. I must have ticked off my running list five times before finally deciding I had it all (please let me have it all!). 

We drove straight to the expo for packet pickup. Expos are always fun. I rarely buy anything, but I love looking. 

Luckily, I have an amazing friend from college who lives up here and she is letting us crash at her place (visit a long-time friend and have a free place to stay, this race weekend is already awesome!). She took us out for dinner tonight at Amico Nave and the pasta was AMAZING.  Of course it would have been better with wine...

Not my actual meal.  I ate mine way too quickly for there to be pictures.

And now it's all about the couch and bad Saturday TV movies.