Let's be honest...

I really suck at blogging!!!! I am a runner who occasionally blogs, not a blogger who runs :) Now that we have that straight, I do have a new goal. I would love to keep my new goal of blogging once a week. So we will see how it goes :)

This weeks workouts looked like this:

Monday- 8 miles on the waterfront w/Nicole 8 min pace

pm-3 treadmill miles 8:30 pace

Tuesday-9.5 speedwork on the treadmill

Wed- 9 miles with lots of hills

Thurs- 9 recovery miles around 8:15 pace

Fri- 11 miles (Ran all 3 courses of the Turkey Trot that I am putting together) 7:30 average pace

Sat- 11 miles 7:25 pace

Total miles-60.5

I am having a really hard time planning my racing schedule for next year. After a lot of self reflection I feel that this is pretty reflective of my whole life right now. I feel like for so many years my life was pretty much planned and I followed the plan. For the 1st time in my married life I have no plans to get pregnant, I am not pregnant, nursing, or taking care of lots of little kids. My 3 oldest are pretty self sufficient and I find myself with more free time. I could easily fill that but I want to fill it with things that are going to help me accomplish my goals. I have been trying to figure out what my goals are in this new phase of my life. What do I want to accomplish in life? in my running?

Midlife crisis? I would not call it a crisis, just a crossroads. My goal is to find balance between all of the things that I love and are most important to me. So as I figure out who I want to be and what I want to do I am giving myself a break and have decided not to choose any races right now. Instead I am to do some research and deciding what it is I would like to accomplish next year in my running life, then I will be able to decide what races will help me reach my goals. I also would really like to get back to the fun of it all :)

Most of all I want these guys

to know that they are the most important things in my life.

Hopefully this next week brings more clarity of mind and lots of running fun!!

Runaway Pumpkin 1/2 marathon

My racing this year has exceeded my expectations! I have accomplished more that I thought I was capable of doing so I did not expect this race to be what it was. What is it you ask? The race that would test my mental and physical strength. I had not planned on racing again this year but when Nicole suggested that I come run this race with her of course I had a hard time saying no. I am glad that I did this race, it was fun to run with Nicole and I do love races. My life has been really crazy lately. We just moved and October is already the craziest month for me as a Mom, lots of birthdays and activities. My running has not suffered, I always seem to find time to fit it in, it keeps me sane. So what the heck happened yesterday? From the time I registered I just could not wrap my head around this race. I think that I have been so physically and mentally tired over the past month that the thought of racing hard was not appealing but I really thought that at race time I would be able to get my head in the game.

Well...

I got up at 4:45am after about 5 hours of sleep, not the greatest but that is usually how it is, right? Anyway I got all my stuff together and left to meet Nicole and then head down to Lebanon, Oregon. We had to make several potty stops but that is always better than having to stop in the race :) We got there with plenty of time to spare.

All smiles waiting for the bus to take us to the start line :) We picked up our packets, dropped our bags, did a little 1 mile warmup, decided we were overdressed, picked our bags back up, changed clothes, used the potty again, then we were standing at the start line :) I still was not feeling it, not a good sign. Still hopeful that once the race started that the adrenaline would kick in and I would love every mile.

Mile 1- Actually felt good and easy. I was hopeful that it would just get better.

6:49 pace (Maybe too fast but I figured I would atleast try and PR and if I was going to do that my average pace needed to be sub 6:40)

Mile 2-Still feeling pretty good but things were starting to roll. Toward the end of the mile, my legs were starting to ache a little. I started to worry a little.

6:51 pace

Mile 3- I really started to question what I was doing, it was getting harder to hold my pace and so I slowed a little.

6:56 pace

Mile 4-I remember Nicole told me that between miles 4-8 there was a small elevation gain. There were more rolling hills than I expected and the thought of 9 more miles seemed inpossible to me.

7:01 pace

When my watch beeped at 4 miles I came to a complete stop, I really did not want to go on. I was not going to quit but I wanted to sit down and have a time out. What the heck , who does that in a race? I guess I do.

Mile 5- I decided to keep on moving but it was still tough. I just kept plugging along. I thought about listening to my ipod but decided against it. (I wish I had!!) My tantrum cost me some time. :)

7:22 pace

Miles 6-8 All about digging deep, knew that if I could male it through the half way point that mentally this would give me a boost mentally. I was finally able to pass the one woman that I could see if front of me. That felt good :)

7:10

7:07

7:11

Mile 9- I felt good during this mile, I was starting to remember why I loved running :)

6:53

Mile 10-Only a 5K left :) I started passing some more guys and that was encouraging.

6:58

Mile 11-I needed a kick so I decided to plug in. Why did I not turn my music on sooner? I usually do not listen to my ipod during races but I needed it! Nothing a little "Push It" can't fix :)

7:02

Mile 12 & 13 were tough but I knew I was almost done and I was passing a few more guys :) I could see the finish area and I had a little bit left in the tank. I crossed the finish line and they announced my name and that I was 3rd female. I was happy about that!

7:15

6:52

1:31:53 3rd female, 1st in my age group

As soon as I got my medal, I knew that Nicole was not far behind me and I started to jog so that I could cheer her on. Sure enough I saw her coming. I yelled for her to push it. She was flying, that girl has a fierce kick!

After the race :) Do you like my halloween arm warmers?

This was an awesome race, especially for it's first year. They had quite the spread of goodies after the race and great door prizes and gift baskets for the top three finishers.

Nicole and I both took 1st in our age groups and got these lovely glasses

I have had plenty of time to think about this race and while initially I was not happy that I had such a hard time it has made me realize that I needed this race. It has made me realize I am not superwoman, I can not be on everyday and that is okay. We all have runs where things just feel hard and sometimes it happens on race day! I am happy with my time, it was not my fastest half but I fought harder for this one than any other that I have run. I am happy that I did not give up, and believe me I wanted to.

Boxed in

I am in the middle of packing my house, not fun! I hate packing and moving. Feeling very boxed in!

Just a glimpse of part of my garage. Where did all this stuff come from is what I keep thinking;)

In an effort to relieve some stress today I decided to do a speed workout. For some of you this is not a big deal but for me this is the first time I have done structured speedwork. I did not really have a plan but I wanted to push myself so I texted Amanda from Runninghood and asked her if she had a good speed workout. I knew that she had done many a speed workout on the treadmill and figured that she would have something for me, I was right. :) Thanks Amanda! I was already on the treadmill when I read her response. So here is how my first speed workout looked-

2 mile warmup @ 7:47 pace

2K @6:58

recover for 1/2 mile @ 7:47

1K@6:27

recover for 1/2 mile@7:47 (got the text from Amanda and decided to try the 10x400's)

first 6x400's@6:00 pace with 400 recovery @7:42 pace

Last 4x400's @6:08pace with 400 recovery@7:42 pace

Cooldown

This kicked my butt!!! I had sweat dripping from everywhere!

I know I have a lot to learn but I am ready to start pushing my limits :)

So today I am grateful for the stress of moving and feeling "boxed in" because it pushed me to push myself to my 1st real speed workout :) Alright back to packing :)

St George Marathon 2011-We were there!

I ran the St. George marathon last Saturday with my sister Katie. So proud of her!!! Character shines when things don't go according to plan. She fought for that finish and we were there Katie. Love you!

21=Fun, what?

Today I ran a 21 miler and I had fun doing it :) I am running St. George with my sister in her first marathon and so I decided that I needed to get at least one 21 miler. I have always basically raced my long runs, run faster and I am done faster. Isn't that the way to do it? I am learning that the body needs a break sometimes from running fast and thatI will be able to get faster if I slow down. Makes total sense, right

So my goal for this morning was to take it easy and have fun. I love running with groups and chatting, so much more fun than solo. So I set out on my adventure hoping to finish feeling good, fuel better than I normally do, and have fun. I am happy to say that I accomplished all three goals. It was a beautiful morning for a long run and the sunrise was gorgeous as well as my fav part which was crossing the St. Johns Bridge.

My legs did start to get a little tired around mile 17 but other than that I felt good . I fueled better than I normally do but I know that I can still do better in this department.

If you have any suggestions or things that work for you I would love to hear them.

Today I love running more than I have in a while. Maybe the burnout is over :) Slowing down a little to enjoy running is just what I needed :)

Hood to Coast-I Love Body Fat!!!

21% that is :)

The name of the team I was lucky enough to run on this year was 21% Body Fat.

This was my 2nd time doing this relay and I LOVE IT!!!! Don't get me wrong there are times during the race that I ask myself, "I really paid to do this?" Sleep deprivation is always the hardest part.

I had not met anyone on my team until the night before which was a little crazy but it could not have turned out better! I loved everyone on my team!

I was runner 5 which means tough legs and 19+ miles.

Here I am at the start looking all fresh and excited :) The scenery of this race is amazing!!! If you EVER have a chance do run this, do not hesitate!!!

After cheering and supporting the first 4 of our runners, it was my turn. While waiting for Toni (runner 4) to get to the exchange I started chatting with a guy that was also waiting, he was on team #190. He asked my pace 10K pace and I told him that I had not run a 10K in so long and then I told him my 1/2 pace. Well as I walked to the exchange point I guess he and his teammates were doubting my speed and were talking about it while my teammate Rachelle was still standing there. I took the bracelet from Toni and I guess they saw me take off and started to believe me. I only share this story because for the rest of the race you better believe that our team was gunning for #190 :) Yes I do love some friendly competition!

Leg #5- HOT!!!! I took off fast and paid for it, it was way too hot! 90!

6.08 miles in 44:35, 7:20 pace, dang heat!!

Leg #17- the night run, I loved it!!! It felt so great compared to my first run. My guy from team #190 had taken off about 5 minutes before me and I was trying to catch him the whole time.

7.18 miles in 49:30, 6:54 pace

Leg #27- Poor Emily got injured so I picked up 2.15 miles of her leg before Rachelle took over the rest

2.15 miles 15:20 7:02 pace

Leg #29-the dreaded A frame. Up and over the mountain, it was too warm but it could have been much worse. The encouragement from all the vans was amazing!!! My calves were screaming at me all the way up and my legs felt like lead, I tried to push harder but it just was not happening going up the mountain. After the crest I was holding about 6:45 down the backside. Quads screaming a little on the downhill.

6.11 miles 48:35, 7:54 pace

Total miles:21.52

Oh and just in case you were wondering we did beat team #190 by 27 minutes, but who's counting :)

Happy to be done and now it was time to wait for Van #2 with sand between my toes :)

Everyone was so amazing!!! I love runners!! Everyone is so encouraging and inspiring!!

We did it, snowy peaks to sandy beach in 28:30:46 !!!!!

Love me some Body Fat!!!!

Vacation with a race, best way to do it :)

I would blame my lack of blogging on my 2 1/2 week vacation but then if you look at my track record I just am not good at blogging everyday or week for that matter. Maybe someday :)

Just got back from an awesome vacation with my family, I was not ready to come back to my reality! A house being built which is exciting but also scary because our current house is still on the market and time is getting shorter and shorter. Long term stress and I do not do well together!! While on vacation I decided to take a break from technology also. Not a complete break but I wanted to be more present with my family. While the break was good it also means that coming back I had a ton to catch up on.

Running while on vacation was great. Altitude made it tougher but I felt like I was getting stronger. I have never run so many mountains but it was great training.

Ran the Timpanogos half marathon while in Utah and loved it. The best part was running it with my husband, sister, and 4 of my sister-in-laws. They all did awesome and I felt like a proud Mama. It is so fun to share my love for running with others.

Also got a new PR 1:27:34

2nd in my age group

8th overall female

I'm the one with the shirt :)

It has been way too long since the race so I am not going to bother doing a race report.

This race was more about everyone else that was doing it. I was so proud of all of them and so happy that everyone made it to the finish line and did so awesome!!! I think a few of them are addicted :)

The crew minus Shelley

Polka Dot Girls! Love you!

Mike and I, we will see if he ever runs another one :)

Sauvie Island 1/2 marathon...finally

Okay let's give this a try again! On Wednesday I finished my whole blog post and then somehow lost it, so frustrating. This might be an abbreviated version though.

Since my last 1/2 on June 11th, I had been feeling a little burnt out. My runs had been hard and I was just not feeling it. Mentally I was not into it and I felt a lot of pressure because I had set a goal and shared it. I was seriously doubting myself and my ability to pull off a sub 1:30. I wanted to run for fun not race. Tell me I am not the only one who ever feels this way!

Luckily the night before I was able to talk to the ever encouraging Nicole from I Dream of Running who helped me wrap my mind around the race and gave me a great pep talk. It always helps to have someone else who understands and believes in you even when you are doubting.

It was a beautiful morning and I was excited to run and then get on with all of the 4th of July festivities with the fam :) I decided to just drive myself because I did not want to risk having my family miss the parade later if they came to see me and we did not make it home in time. I was a little sad that I was not going to have any of my family there but I was hoping to meet up with several blogging buddies and my running friend Eric was running this race and we planned to run together and hopefully pace each other to new PR's.

I arrived plenty early and just chilled in the car for a while then went and visited the port a potty a few times. Before I knew it the marathoners were taking off and then it was only 15 minutes until the start of the race. I did about a 3/4 mile slow warm up and then made my way to the start. This was the first race that I had ever done any sort of warm up for and I will be doing it again. I lined up pretty close to the front and luckily Eric found me. We talked game plan and luckily we were on the same page. For the first time I was going to try and go out slower than race pace and then drop down to race pace and then hopefully be able to kick it in the last mile. I was nervous about this plan because I was worried that I would not be able to make of the time after a slow first mile but I know this is how all the elites do it so there must be something to it.

So the goal was 1st mile around 7:20 and then drop down and hold at 6:50ish through mile 12 and then see what I had left. How did I do....

Well I tried to go out slow

Mile 1- 7:07 Shortly after mile run I saw Nicole on the side of the rode on her bike waiting to take pics of her friends and cheer us all on. How fun to see her :)

Mile 2- 6:43 Feeling good, chatting with Eric and hoping that the miles were going to fly by. Still doubting a little bit that I was going to be able to pull it off.

Mile 3- 6:52 Made myself slow a little just because there was so much race left and I wanted to have something left in he last couple of miles

Mile 4 - 6:42 This was the pace that was feeling good at the time so I went with it. There was a short out and back here. Always fun to see the competition :)

Mile 5 - 6:41 Nicole rode up and we chatted for a bit, it was nice to have someone checking up on me and pushing me.

Mile 6 - 6:41 Started running into a headwind, it was not too strong but I was feeling it. Took 2 energy blasts.

Mile 7 - 6:51 My legs were starting to hurt and I remember telling Eric that I was hurting, he told me toto draft behind him and it seemed to help some.

Mile 8 - 6:47 Felt like I was already having to dig deep which made me wonder if I was going to hit a major wall. Took another energy blast.

Mile 9 - 6:51 Turned and had a little bit of a tail wind which helped.

Mile 10 - 6:46 I remember thinking just another 5K, I can do this!!! Wish I had been able to carry on more conversation but I was pushing hard and it was not happening!

Mile 11 - 6:53 My legs were hurting but we could see the building where the finish was and we started discussing our strategy. Although I was not sure I would have anything left, I was going to give it everything in the last mile.

Mile 12 - 6:45 Can we be done yet? Although I had been taking Nuun or water at every aid station I was thirsty but was just going to gun it out.

Mile 13 - 6:35 Eric left with about mile left to chase down a couple of guys in front of us. I wished him luck and was on my own but only for a few seconds before Nicole rode up. Thank heavens she did, she pushed me through the last half mile, calling out splits, giving me encouragement, getting water at the aid station when I turned it down, making me believe that I could push harder. When she saw the clock she told me to kick it as I was going to be able to break 1:28. What? My goal was to break 1:30, was this for real?

I crossed the finish line at 1:27:49

1st in my age group

6th female overall

6:42 pace

I honestly could not believe that I had done it. Eric had crossed about 30 seconds ahead of me and we were both so happy. Nicole went back to pace some of her friends, seriously that girl is amazing!!!! I know it must have been hard for her to be at a race that she so badly wanted to be running. She was a lifesaver and I am so grateful that she was there!

Lessons learned:

• Starting out slow does pay off in the end
• Warming up does help
• Although I do take something at every aid station, I think that I probably need to give hydration belts another try. Any suggestions?
• My body is capable of a lot more than I thought :)
• It is amazing what it does when someone believes in you :) Thank you to all of my friends and family who constantly believe in me.
• If it doesn't feel a little uncomfortable I am probably not pushing as hard as I can. It felt somewhat uncomfortable the whole race.

It was an amazing race! I left it all out there and finished strong.

Running on air :) Coach Nicole pushing me!!!

Mission accomplished :) Race report coming soon!

It was a beautiful day for a race :)

My goal was sub 1:30 and I ran a

1:27:49

6:42 pace

1st in my age group

6th woman overall

More to come but for now there are too many 4th of July festivities to attend to.

Happy, yes. Tired, yes. Worth it, you betch ya!!!!

Pressure

So I have decided that I should not have shared my goal for my race on monday because now I am feeling the pressure!!!! Does anyone else ever regret sharing their goals? Maybe it is good for me, it will make me push myself, right? How do I deal with these nerves?

If anyone reading this has any ideas I would love to hear them!!!!!

Until I figure it out I will just try and go to a happy place :)

Balance

Between these,

This,

and this,

I am feeling overwhelmed and so out of sorts. How do I find balance? Usually running is my outlet, and it helps, but the past week I have felt sluggish and generally tired after. How do I get my mojo back?

Feeling overwhelmed trying to be a good Mom, keep the house show ready, and train like I want to. Something has to give, any advice? I am hoping a least a few people read this and have some great solutions for me.

Helvetia Half 2011 race report

I need to document this race before I forget all the fun :)

So I was pretty nervous for this race because I knew that had the ability to beat my time and I really wanted to!! I trained hard but I still found myself doubting that I would be able to pull it off. Friday was busy and my hubby had to work the night shift at work so that meant that I got to do a late baseball game and then get the kiddos down. I had great intentions of having all my gear laid out early in the day so that when I got them in bed I would be able to get to bed not long after. IT of course did not help that our house is on the market and someone wanted to come and look at it while my family was going to be at the race. So after I got the house "show" ready I had my ritual prerace fuel.

Yes, I love McDonalds ice cream cones :) So I got to bed at 11pm, which is pretty good, all things considered. The race did not start until 8am and is just about 10 minutes from where I live but the race organizers had been stressing getting there early. I was trying to follow the rules and there is nothing worse than sitting in traffic and having major anxiety about getting to a race late and having to start after the majority of the runners. I really wanted to give myself the best chance at reaching my goals.

My alarm went off and I really wanted to hit snooze :) Up and at em I was in the shower just to wake me up and dressed and ready to get the show on the road. Picked up my friends Dar and Becky and made it to the parking lot by 6:50. I had brought my oatmeal to eat in the car while we chatted about all things racing. I did not look at the clock but when my bladder was full we decided that it was time to get out and hit up the bathroom and check our bags.

There were so many people! I think 5,000 between the 10k and the half. The port o potty lines were so long so we headed to the stadium hoping the lines would be shorter. No dice!! They were just as long if not longer. It was now 7:45 and after standing in a couple of lines for a few minutes we decided it was a better idea to check our bags and stand in the port o potty lines near the start. Finally got through the line ducked under the fence, got to the front just as the national anthem started. 3,2,1 and I was off!

My goals for this race were to PR for this course (previous PR on this course 1:35:23), finish feeling strong, and fuel properly.

This is the first time I have raced this race with my Garmin and I was happy to have it.

Miles 1-3 were fast. Not the best racing strategy to have Mile 1 be the fastest of the race. Someday I will run a negative split, why is this so hard to do?

A trainer named Hayley from the gym I go to was running this race and we are about the same pace. I knew she was trying to run a sub 1:30. I knew if I was close to her that I would accomplish my time goal. So with in the first mile I found myself right behind and I started to psych myself out. I looked at my watch and realized just how fast I was starting out but I really wanted to stay close to Hayley. Then I started to question whether or not I was going to be able to hang with her.

Mile 1: 6:27

Mile 2: 6:37

Mile 3: 6:41

About mile 3 the hills started and I decided to slow a little so that I would be able to finish strong. The hills on this course are numerous and pretty big. Everytime I run this course I swear that I will not run it again.

Mile 4: 7:09

Mile 5: 7:44 Big Hills here, one after another

Mile 6: 6:57 Downhill to the turn around, I was pushing pretty hard and knew that I needed to fuel soon. It was fun going down and seeing the leaders flying back up the hill. At this point I also got to see that I was the 3rd female. Incentive to keep pushing :)

Mile 7: 7:03 I really like the turn around because I got to see a lot of my friends going down as I go back up the hill. It took my mind off the fact that I was going uphill. Time to pull out my fuel out of my back pocket and throw my gloves which I had been carrying since mile 1. My new favorite fuel are Energy Blasts from PowerBar. They seriously taste like candy. Finally out of the major hills it was time to get through the rolling hills that I always forget about.

Mile 8: 6:52 Feeling good and really hoping for somebody to talk to. I usually find someone to chat with but I really was alone most of the race. I thought about turning on my ipod but decided against it.

Mile 9: 6:50 Chatted with a girl who passed me but then she slowed and we ran side by side for a while. She was running her 1st 1/2 marathon and rocking it.

Mile 10: 7:00 Not a huge fan of the gravel road and the worst part is turning back onto the pavement. Once I turned onto the pavement I pulled away from the girl that I had been running with.

Mile 11: 7:08 Ran with a guy that was running his 1st 1/2. We chatted a little bit but we were both pushing hard and it was just nice to have other people around :)

Mile 12: 7:00 This mile seemed to last forever!

Mile 13: 7:05 I was so happy to almost be done :) I could still see Hayley and I knew I was going to accomplish my goals but as I was reveling in my near completion, I got passed by a woman! I was not happy about this but she was cooking and I was not going to be able to match her. She had a guy pacing her and I was jealous! I wish that I had someone running with me! I pushed as hard as I could but knew that there was no way I was going to catch her. :(

My friend Dar met me with about 1/2 mile left and ran with me for a minute. It was so nice to see her!

I love the finish of this race! You run into the stadium and they call your name over the loud speaker as you cross the finish line. It is so fun! Running down the chute I saw so many friends and my family, it was awesome.

Finish 1:32:05 Course PR by 3 minutes 18 seconds

5th woman overall

1st in my age group

I was so happy to have finished strong and get a course PR. Let the fun begin! I had a lot of friends running this race and it was so fun to see them finish and see them so happy!

Hayley and I talking shop right after we finished. She finished 50 seconds in front of me.

Nicole, Becky, Me, and Jillyn

Orange smiles :)

Yeah, we did it!!!

My little Lily eating my Helvetia burger :)

My buddy Dar, thanks for helping me believe :)

First place ribbon :)

I think that I fueled pretty well during the race. I think that I could have fueled a little sooner and maybe had more in the end but I am learning.

I think that I need to believe in myself a little more but I am getting there. I am actually starting to believe that I can run fast.

We will see what I am able to pull off on July 4th on a flat course. Hopefully sub 1:30?

Maybe I should follow the "rules" more often :)

Helvetia Half

1:32:05 -PR for this race by 3minutes 18 seconds

1st in my age group

5th out of 2731 women

I am happy:) and tired!

Full race report coming soon!

Trying to be good :)

So I am trying to be good and let my body rest some before my race this weekend. I usually run like I do every other week during race week, I don't get enough sleep, and I am probably not hydrated enough going into most races ( I have done 3 of my 5 marathons at altitude and I live at sea level).

I decided that this week I am going to try and run 25% less than normal, get more sleep, drink a lot of water, and decide when and what I am going to fuel with. I know for many of you these are the things that you do before most of your races but I always break the "rules".

I know what my body can do on tired legs but I am wondering what it can do on fresher legs. Hopefully is is better otherwise I may never follow the "rules" again! :) I probably need to get a coach if I want to meet the goal that I have in my head. I need someone to tell me what to do!! No, I am not going to share my goals just yet, maybe soon. We will see how it goes :) Hoping the results are this...

Couldn't leave this one at the store :)

Yesterdays workout:

11 miles-some good hills- 7:12 pace

Todays workout:

Killer spin class, 15 minutes elliptical

1/2 Taper Advice needed!!!!

So I am really bad a tapering before a race and usually do not do it before a 1/2 marathon at all.

Some recent history, in April I ran a 1/2 and it was miles 39-52 for the week. It was a hilly course and I ran a 1:35:39. After the race I wondered what I could do if I had not run so many miles that week before the race. So I have 1/2 this Saturday and it will be the 4th time that I have run this race. Last year I ran a 1:35:something and won my age group. I would really like to beat my PR for this race (would love to PR but, this course is hilly and my PR was on a downhill/flat course) and feel like I have a good shot if my left hamstring cooperates. I am still going to run this week but I want to try and cut back and see what I can do on fresher legs. Do any of you have any advice? I am crazy and have a hard time Not running! I know I am not the on;y one who suffers from this disease so share your thoughts with me, things you have tried that have worked for you, or things that you have read about. All signs point to that I should be able to do it but because I did so well last year but I have a goal this time and I am putting a lot of pressure on myself. I would love any and all thoughts :)

Anything but soggy

Today was an epic weather day in Portland! Sunny, no clouds, perfect 75 degree weather. Went out for a run not sure how far I was going to go, just me and my Garmin. It was fabulous!

10 miles 7:15 pace Hoping to run below this next weekend at Helevtia :)

Did I mention that I washed my Ipod? Yes it is dead! I tried putting it in rice, it did not work. I know I can go buy an new one but, I use a shuffle for running and they changed the design and I am not a fan. Anyone have any other tricks to try to restore it?

Shout out to Amanda from Runninghood who is running the Newport Marathon in the morning and shooting for a 3:15. Good Luck!! She is a fellow Portlander :)

Last but not least, I just wanted to give some advice to any new runners or want to be runners out there. Running is a fairly simple sport, while there are a lot of gadgets out there, all you NEED are shoes. While tempting to go to the store and buy the "cutest" shoes, it is important to get your running form evaluated at a running store to see what type of shoe you need. This will help keep you from getting injured. For years I bought the cutest shoes but I am no spring chicken anymore and I have to be nice to my joints :)

National Running Day

So today is National Running Day! Did you get your run on today?

I did 3.5 miles of speed work, mostly because it is national running day. I mean I could not just not run!!! That would be crazy! Cross training is for the birds! I did some but I just had to run :)

What did you do to celebrate? If you haven't yet, get out the door and go for a run :)

Me vs. the elements (aka-no more pretty shoes)

So today I woke up and decided that I needed to run the course of the 1/2 marathon that I am doing in 2 weeks. This will be the 4th time I have run this race. I usually do not drive or run a course before a race. My philosophy has been, it is what it is and unless I am going to back out, race day might as well be the first time that I actually see the course. I know that a lot of people have the opposite view and that is just fine :) Maybe I will change my ways. Any way since I have run this race 3 times before I thought it might be good to refresh my memory because I actually have a goal this time. I won my age group last year and would love to get a PR ( atleast for this race) and win my age group again. Did I really just reveal that?

So I usually am a very simple runner. Shoes on and go run, but this time I actually took a water bottle with 1/2 water and 1/2 G2 in it, I also had some GU Chomps in my back pocket, (decided I do not like GU Chomps and have already purchased some other fuel :). So with that I was off, of course with my Garmin which I just got in December. I held off for a long time thinking that I would not like knowing my pace all the time, but I love it!!!

About 1 1/2 miles into my run it started raining and of course I was on a dirt trail at that point, say good bye to the pretty shoes! I had mud dripping down my legs, it was all good though, it is all part of the experience. So the hills started about about mile 3.5 and everything was feeling good. Have i mentioned how much I dislike carrying anything when I run? Well I do so at about mile 5, I ditched the water bottle and my gloves. I knew to conquer the giant hills coming I needed to be able to run with good form so see ya water bottle. I was so happy to get over those hills and onto some less steep terrain. Ate a few Chomps at mile 7 or should I say choked them down, they were gross! Miles 10 and 11 were a little tough but then I decided to see what I had left in the tank and tried to kick it in to the end (similar to what I hope to do in the race). The last 3/4 of a mile I was running low about 7:08 and a guy thought I was racing him, it was pretty funny especially because I was beating him :) Any how it was a great training run and I really needed it. I train on the treadmill a lot so I always love the change of scenery.

It was a great day to run even with the little bit of rain :)

13.12 miles in 1:36:20 overall pace 7:21 Really happy with this and know that the race will bring adrenaline and hopefully faster running :)

We need to talk fuel, I need to get better about fueling and I will share some of my fueling disasters. I know you can't wait!

Pay no attention to the bulge on my bum, just those yummy Chomps in my back pocket :)

You do not have to run...

Crazy amounts of miles to run a 1/2 or full marathon, you just have to train correctly.

I am so excited for the Timpanogos 1/2 marathon that I am running on July 30th. Not because it is a race, and I do LOVE races but because my sister and 2 of my sister-in-laws are doing it too. My sister got into running last year after moving to St. George (yes, I am jealous of the amounts of Vitamin D that can be soaked up there) and for my 2 sil's it will be their 1st 1/2 marathon. This excites me to no end :) Both are pretty new to running and one just had a baby in Feb. So I came up with a 10 week training program that will get them to the finish line and hopefully keep them injury free! Here is to crossing this off your bucket list Mandie and Heather :)

If you want to see the program leave a comment and I can send it to you.

Had to include this cutie! We start them early around here :) I am not the only one who is in love with my new shoes (Mizuno Wave Elixir 6). bright spring color, fun shoes :)

My workout-

8.6 miles 15 minutes elliptical (just to look at the People magazine)

Embracing the Runner Girl

For so long I have been referred to as the "Runner Girl", I have fought this identity because I felt like I was more than just a runner. A couple of weeks ago I was talking with a friend and telling her that I needed a new identity. She said to me," just embrace it." Simple but so profound, at least to me. I have spend years trying to make a new identity for myself and still always come back to being known as the Runner Girl. So without further adieu I am going to embrace my identity and see where it takes me. I know that I am not just a runner, for I am also a wife, mother, friend, teacher, learner, and so many other things.

Heres to the future and the endless possibilities that it holds. After so many years of searching I am finally okay with me and that is a good feeling. Heck, it only took me 35 years :)

It has been so long....but

I am back and this blog is going to be my new way to chronicle my running adventures. Lately can not get enough of reading running blogs. It is my new obsession and because of this I really need to do keep up with my own :) I never posted my Boston 2010 report so 13 months later, here it is.

http://marathonmommies.blogspot.com/2010/04/boston-marathon-2010.html

I just read my race report again and it brought back so many memories. I am going to get back there sometime soon.

Todays miles:

9.6 treadmill

*my left hamstring is still giving me problems, I am going to try and stretch and roll more. I am so bad at it! I think I just need to carry my roller with me everywhere.