Category Archives: Running

Getting Nervous!

Running, , , ,

Happy Thursday! It’s been a pretty ‘blah’ day here in SGF. The sun isn’t shining. There is dirty snow covering almost everything. And it’s not quite the weekend yet. Meh. But I’m trying to stay optimistic. I got in a nice run this morning despite the weather, and I will hopefully have a full Jazzercise class tonight. That is, if everyone decides to come out of hibernation. 🙂

My run yesterday morning and this morning were pretty similar in that the snow slowed me down a little bit, but at this point, I’m just happy that I can get out and run at all. This winter has been a harsh one, and lucky for me, I’m training for my first long-distance races in it! I did get some new running shoes though, and they are fantastic in the snow/ice so far.

photo(134)They have a nice, wide toe bed for stability, and a lot of traction on the bottom for not being trail running shoes. I’ve worn them on the snow a couple times since Christmas, and they have been great. And now I have 2 pairs of shoes I love so I can alternate between them instead of just running my Brooks into the ground (literally)!

This morning went I got back from my run and checked off my mileage for the day on my training plan, I got really nervous! I’m only 16 days away from my first half marathon, and I think my mind is just now finally realizing this. I’ve been training for so long (it seems) that it’s hard to comprehend that my race is finally here!

Before I know it, I’m going to be right back there in Forest Park in STL on a Saturday morning getting ready while Nick tries to calm me down.

20131228-180616.jpgIf I’m nervous now, I can only imagine how I’ll be on race day! I may not have the fastest time ever, but I know I will be able to finish strong after months of training. I can’t wait!

And on a lighter running note, my Diva Dash 5K has been rescheduled for this Saturday!

Screen Shot 2014-01-09 at 2.19.50 PMThis will be a nice, easy run with my girlfriends. And I can’t wait to debut my rockin’ tutu. The weather is supposed to be much nicer this time around, so there shouldn’t be anything standing between me and this fun race!

The only draw back is that I am technically supposed to be running 16-17 miles this weekend. So I’m deciding how to divide up my time and my miles on Saturday and Sunday. At the moment, I’m not really sure what I’m going to do. With the snowy sidewalks, I need to get my running done early in the mornings to not fight so much traffic. Or I can hope that one of the local trails are cleared off. OR I can split up my miles between Saturday and Sunday and have an extended long run. We’ll just see how things work out. 🙂

Tomorrow’s forecast is gloomy and rainy, so I think I’ll finally return to the gym in the morning. I haven’t been since before Christmas, and I’m actually missing it! (Not something I thought could ever happen!) I’m also hoping that tomorrow I can con Nick into picking up my packet for me for the Diva Dash. Pickup only goes until 6 pm and I teach Jazzercise until 7 p.m. Maybe if I make him a nice dinner, he’ll be willing to go brave the crowd of divas for me? Let’s hope. 🙂

Have a great Thursday, and I’ll see you later!

Winter Blahs

Running, Workouts, , ,

Happy Tuesday to ya! The sun is shining and it is finally above freezing here today! Yay for melting and warmth!

So I set my alarm this morning to get up and go to the gym. I heard it blare at 5 a.m., and I rolled over, turned it off, and went back to sleep. Yup. I just turned it off like it never happened. WHAT?! Me – the queen of waking up before the crack of dawn to get in a good sweat session – completely ignored my alarm and slept until the very last second. And it wasn’t only today. This ‘lazy’ trend started last week when I got sick the Monday before New Year’s. And now that I’m better, I can’t seem to get out of my funk! I’m calling it my ‘Winter blahs’.

WinterBlues_Car__Web1_I’ve come down with a bad case of the blahs, and I’m trying to push past it. Being sick last week + all the snow Springfield has had is turning me into a lazy, hibernator, and I’m not loving it! At first, I was afraid I was experiencing some running burnout. Which, to an extent, wouldn’t shock me. I’m in week 12 of my half-marathon training. But then I realized, I’m not sick of running. I don’t dread going out on my next run. I dread leaving my warm house and heading out into the cold and snow. That’s the main reason I didn’t get out of bed this morning: I was scared my car would get stuck on the side of the road at 5 a.m. with no one around to help.

To set myself back in the right direction, I’m going to teach my normal 2 Jazzercise classes tonight, and then complete a 7+ mile run tomorrow. And I’m going to love every minute of it! I’ve learned some new songs I’ll teach tonight. And as for the run tomorrow, I’ve already told myself that it is going to be challenging with all the snow on the roads. I will be fighting traffic and icy sidewalks, but whatever I don’t get done in the morning, I can finish in the gym tomorrow night with Nick. I just need to sweat and remind myself of why I love exercise, regardless of the crazy weather. 🙂

My first half-marathon is in 2 weeks and I can’t wait! And this also means that I don’t have time to be lazy. I need to push myself this week and then slightly taper my workouts next week to be in tip-top shape for the 25th. I can’t believe I’ve already been training for 3 months for this sucker!

photo(133)It has felt so good to mark off each training run as the weeks have passed. And I can’t wait for the half-marathon to be over so I can make new training plans for the Little Rock Marathon, and then the others halves that I’m signed up for this Spring. It’s going to be a fun and busy race season!

Tonight will be busy with Jazzercise, and I’m thankful for that. Otherwise I would probably go home and eat all the leftover brownies I made on Sunday. And I already had two with my lunch today….I’m just about brownied out!

Have a good evening!!

15 miles and More Snow

Daily Life!, Running, ,

Happy Sunday! It’s a snowy one once again here in Springfield. We’ve been hibernating all day, and I’m loving it. Sometimes it’s nice to be forced to stay home and just relax!

Today has consisted of cleaning, cooking, and learning new Jazzercise routines! I learned almost 10 new routines so my mind was on overload. Therefore some baking needed to happen. You know… To let my mind relax and regroup. Haha

20140105-202328.jpg
I was craving chocolate! So Nick and I had an awesome dessert tonight. Brownies are always a good thing.

And I couldn’t feel that guilty about having some sweets. I did run 15 miles yesterday after all. 🙂

20140105-202530.jpg
This was my most physically and mentally challenging run so far. I expected that though. I made it through and even beat the winter blast that came Saturday night. So I’m happy with that!

I spent the rest of the day trying to recoup and rehydrate while lounging around in sweats and my compression sleeves.

This morning my Jazzercise class was cancelled (obviously!) but I was determined to move my stiff and sore body just a little. I thought I would attempt to run. It was the worst idea ever.

20140105-203303.jpg
I’ve run in snow several times and made it just fine. But today was hopeless. The roads hadn’t been plowed. And there was about 4.5 inches of snow on them. Needless to say, I made it less than 3 miles before heading home and making some coffee!

Tomorrow morning should be interesting as we try to make it to work. Slow and steady should hopefully get me there safe!

Be careful out there and have a good night. I’ll see you all later!