Tag Archives: marathon

Happy National Running Day!!

Running, , , ,

Hey there! It’s been a while… But I thought today was the perfect time to pop back in to talk about one of my favorite things: running!

If you haven’t already heard, it’s National Running Day!! And for this avid runner, it’s kinda fun to think of it as a ‘real’ holiday event though it’s not! So in celebration, I got up to do a nice 7-miler before work today.

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It was hot and I was grumpy the whole time. The temps only got down to 74 degrees over night, so I was completely exhausted and drenched in sweat when I arrived home. But I was thankful to have it done!

So my celebration of this holiday left me stinky, sweaty, and miserable… Why do I like running again?? I guess it’s hard to explain unless you’re a runner. But the runners high you get when you cross the finish line is unbelievable. Here’s a quick recap of my 6 big spring races this year.

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First up was the Frostbite half marathon in STL. My first half marathon! Rocked it and finished in 1:56. 🙂

Number 2 was the Little Rock Marathon. Crazy whirlwind of a weekend. But I finished despite all odds in 4:13.

Number 3 is the Go! STL marathon. A much better full marathon experience with a fun weekend at Nick’s parents house. Finished in 4:03. Woot!

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Number 4 was the Go Girl Springfield half marathon. Easy course around my own city with a 1:54 finish.

Number 5 was the Divas Half Marathon in Branson. Woah, those were some crazy hills!! Thought I might die but we made it. 1:59, slowest half marathon time but it was the toughest course by far.

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And last was the Go Girl Columbia half marathon. I haven’t done a recap on this race yet because, well, I have mixed emotions about it. I finished in 1:57. Not my best, not my worst. The course was tough and partially on gravel trails which I was not prepared for! I had a lot of negative thoughts about this race for a couple different reasons so I’ve been hesitant to do a big vent-fest on the blog about it. I think I need one more week to cool down, and then we can chat. :). Haha! Just know that everything really did go OK. Long story short, I think I’ve become a bit of a race diva after my short racing season this spring!

Along with all these big races, I also ran a 10k and a 15k – both local races. Just for fun!! For a girl that could barely do the 1-mile run in PE class in high school, I’m pretty darn proud of myself. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the ginormous race medals laying around my bedroom. 🙂

Now what am I gonna do with my time this summer while I’m not training?! Well I’ll just keep running when I can. And I’ll focus on Jazzercise a bit more – we just got new routines!! Speaking of, one of my fav students hit 100 classes last night for 2014 so far!

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Aren’t we attractive after 2 hours of class?! Haha Lora’s an awesome student and I’m thankful to have her in my classes each evening.

And I’m also just going to relax and enjoy my summer with Nick and Mac. I’ve been a busy racing lady, so I’m ready for a little down time at home with my fav guys.

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Love love love! Side note – Mac went swimming over Memorial Day and didn’t like it much…. Haha!

Allrighty guys. I hope you’re enjoying your day. Get out there and celebrate the day with a run! Let my finisher picture from Colmbia Go Girl inspire you. 🙂

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Awkward Hydration Belts

Running, , , ,

Happy Friday everyone! I’m so excited that we’ve made it around to the weekend again. It’s been a crazy past 2 weeks with the holidays, so I am MORE than ready for a normal weekend at home for a change.

Sickness update: I’m still sick. Ugh. Still fever-free, but I’m coughing/congested/sneezy. My throat was pretty sore after teaching Jazzercise last night, so I’m hoping class tonight will go smoothly. If I have a small class, I’ll just cue with as few words as possible. 🙂

Awkward Hydration Belts

For anyone that has ever been a runner or watched some long-distance races, you know what I’m talking about. Those huge, tacky, 4-8 bottle hydration belts that are basically fanny packs on crack.

1363894005_3503_imagesYes, they are kinda a necessity for 26.2 miles, but no one looks good in that. And no one really wants to have all that business going on around their waist when there are already so many other things that have the potential to cause chafing.

Nathan-beltHoly smokes.

IMG_3967The backpack type is also a little too over the top for me. So I may just buy the awkward one and get a nice, thick dog to carry it for me.

IMG_0163HA! Just kidding. Mac would be jealous.

I’ve been avoiding buying one up to this point because I honestly just don’t want to wear it. My waist is so slim in comparison to my hips that I’m guaranteed to have a hard time keeping that sucker in place while I bounce up and down. Hence the reason I wear a wireless mic for Jazzercise and not the wired type that require a battery pack belt. It won’t stay in place!

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will need one to get me by during my first marathon. There will be aid stations every mile but having a bottle with me at all times seems like a good idea. So I’m thinking about something fairly small like this:

SwiftsThe purple one is pretty! I just want enough water to get my gels down between stations. Other than that, I can use the water and Gatorade on the course to keep me going.

Any suggestions from other runners out there? My runner friend, Heather, said she tried one but it leaked all over her. So I’m hoping I can get a nice, quality belt with a good bottle that I will just love (and that doesn’t leak!). And look super awesome wearing it too, of course.

Tomorrow’s long run would probably benefit from having a belt, but since I haven’t found one yet I love, I’ll just make a pit stop by my porch to get a good drink around the mid-way point. I’m shooting for 15 miles to set me on the right track for my full marathon training, but the sidewalks and side roads are still covered in snow and black ice. So if I can scope out some good/safe paths, I’ll be good to finish. If not, I’ll get as far as I can without getting stuck in the middle of a crowded road!

Have a great night and a great weekend everyone. See ya later!

Decisions, Decisions

Daily Life!, Running, , ,

Hey there! How’s your Thursday going?? It’s a cloudy/dreary day here in Springfield. I’m hoping we might get a little sunshine tomorrow before all the rainy gross stuff comes this weekend. Fingers crossed I can get out and do a long run on Saturday before the monsoon!

And speaking of running, I’ve been faced with a small dilemma. I guess I should call it more of an internal struggle. One of my girlfriends and old sorority sisters is moving to the east coast in January. She is already registered for the Little Rock Marathon that is March 2nd. She’s offered to transfer her bib/registration over to me.

imagesI’m struggling with the decision to just stay registered for the marathon (and switch my half marathon training schedule over for a full marathon) or to switch the registration over to the half marathon. But I’m not sure I’m going to be ready for a full marathon by March! In the back of my mind, I want to do it. I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I’m just really stinkin’ nervous to say I’m for sure going to run my first marathon before I’ve completed my first half!

ecard-marathonPlus, training lately has been difficult with the holidays. I want to eat and sleep and be fat jolly. So it’s been a struggle to get out there and run when the roads are snow-covered and it’s 15 degrees! I haven’t made up my mind yet. Maybe after I get in a nice long run this weekend, I can get a better grasp on how I feel about the 26.2.

Breakfast

I started my morning with 4.1 miles in 35 minutes – woot! So by the time I got to work I was hungry. I decided to try out the Pumpkin Spice Clif Bar today.

photo(125)It was good, but I must say, it wasn’t my fave. It was like a yummy and dense pumpkin pie, which I liked. But what I didn’t like were the large chunks of almonds I kept finding. I like some texture, but it was too much.  And I also had some Greek yogurt on the side for extra protein.

image(17)Yum!

Tonight will be Jazzercise along with lots of mommy and Mac. I’ve been missing my little man lately!

photo(52)I need me some doggie snuggle time!

Have a great night everyone. See you on Friday!