Bit of a Slump

To say that this month has been a bad training month would be a huge understatement.  Today has actually been the first day I have ran since September 1st.  So I haven't been running really at all and I have been eating the worst food possible, fast food; and a lot of it.  I am spending the last few weeks enjoying my time with MRM and he wants to eat so I am eating with him.  I don't feel good about myself and it has just been a hard month.  I know we all have them and it doesn't help that the rain has stopped here in South Georgia and the heat has remained, too hot to run.  I have made a bit of a vow to myself recently that on Sunday the 29th, I would jump right back into half marathon training, right where I left off because I was about to start an easy week.  Now that things are official I can share that MRM is getting ready to deploy which is why we have been eating and why I have taken care less of myself and more of him.  So while he is gone I have planned out my running schedule, workout plans, renovations to the house, and trips I want/need to take.  It has been awhile since we have dealt with a deployment around here and we have added 2 furbabies to the family since the last one which means I've got a little more on my plate this time around.  I am going to try to stay as busy as possible by throwing myself into working out and eating better.  I am looking into clean eating but I am a pretty picky eater so I'll have to see how that goes, or I just need to cut out fast food.  I am going to use this time as a time of reflection and to better myself.  Hope everyone is having a good month and since training is officially back on I promise to write more, I know I have said this before and then training gets derailed.  Hopefully no more derailments for me and just full speed ahead to a half marathon.  

Flooded

This past month has literally flooded me with emotions.  I have cried more times in the past month about everything under the sun that it is not even worth repeating, it is on these days when I need to run the most and usually don't.  I am currently starting Week 2 of Half Marathon training and I have been going back and forth between my Mizuno Inspires and my Brooks PureCadences.  The PureCadences have only wreaked havoc on my body literally since I started running so I don't know why I am still running in them...  Oh yes I do, it is because I am running in the rain so I need the extra day for my Inspires to dry.  I think I need to save up and just buy a second pair of the Inspires.  We went down to Jacksonville on Sunday and I was hoping to get a run in on the beach but it didn't happen so I ran once we got home.  I didn't do awful but it was hot and humid.  I absolutely can not wait for fall and winter so it cools down finally.  I am going to hopefully run my second run of week 2 tomorrow and I am hoping it rains or I need to get up early which is something I think I need to start doing anyways.  Well wish me luck and I will be sure to post about how it goes and how my long run goes later this week.  Hope everyone is having a good week.  I still can not believe it is almost September.  

Big Things

I am officially into day 2 of half marathon training.  It is daunting and scary and hard to wrap my head around but it feels good so far.  I am running with Kora Girl so she helps keep the runs light and not as serious but I do have to wait for it to rain.  Dealing with the heat down here in So. Georgia is almost unbearable when it comes to running but the minute it rains, the temp drops a little and the rain feels amazing.  I can't wait for fall and winter to see what I am made of, I know I stopped running for about a month and a half but that isn't awful considering the heat we have had.  I am excited for the temp to drop and have to bundle up because there are only so many layers you can take off in the heat.  We have some big changes coming up in our house in the near future.  I am determined to keep running and not fall off course again.  I am involved in a running club and they really help keep me motivated and am hoping they can keep it up for the near future.  MRM isn't officially training anymore because of everything going on and as soon as we can discuss it, it will be up here so everyone knows what is going on but until then sorry.  I will try to keep it to running until then.  I have just been really proud of the progress I have made since February.  I know that when I started I had originally planned on going straight through from 5k to 10k to half marathon and then to marathon training and in a perfect world I would be into my marathon training to run the Walt Disney World Marathon and it be my first but that race isn't happening for me and neither is marathon training...yet.  I want to officially race a 10k and a half marathon at least a few times before I take on 26.2 but I know that it is in my future.  And speaking of future we have been discussing it a lot in our household and it is scary but I can't wait to see what happens next for us.  I am going to get better at taking pictures but for now here is a motivational pic for wordless wednesday which I have not adhered to.  

Back in the Game

Well I have been out of the blogging world for sometime and I was out of the running world for sometime too.  I went to the doctor about my shin splints/stress fractures and they were shin splints and we never did the bone scan to see if it was anything worse.  He put me on a return to running program where I started running a quarter of a mile and then walking a quarter of a mile.  From there I had 8 different steps to get through twice before moving onto the next one and I couldn't move on if my shins hurt.  Well they stopped and I stopped running.  It was hot, like really hot and I just couldn't motivate to run and walk.  Eventually I started to get better at running and walking and finally stopped running on a track because I hate it and there was no way I could run on a track for a quarter of a mile.  I also started using the Nike+ Running App and I absolutely love it.  I made a challenge starting on August 1st with some friends to run 50 miles for the month of August.  I don't know if I am going to make it but I am definitely doing better than I was for the month of July. I am also currently winning the challenge.  I am competitive as it is but Nike definitely helps keep me going by mocking me for not being in first if I do start to slip.  I have 15 days left and 35 miles to go. I have been trying to get out my pup as much as possible because she needs the exercise too and it definitely kicks her butt and she sleeps the rest of the day.  I promise I will be back for more now that I am actively running and hopefully training for a half marathon soon.  

PAWS 8K and other happenings!

Well we ran the 8k for paws and it was so much fun, my parents were there walking the 4k with the dogs and me and MRM did the 8k run,  I didn't die so I am taking it as a success, it was the farthest I have run and running with MRM helps, although he is seriously annoyed he does help push me and helps my pace.  We finished in 1 hour and 3 minutes which isn't anything to brag about but I finished and that is what I really wanted to accomplish for my first 8k.  After the race we watched some dog agility shows and we let Kora roll around in a few of the baby pools they had out for the dogs.  For the run I took some aleve in the morning because I was still having serious issues with my shin splints and I bought some KT tape which worked wonders.  Although I knew that my shins hurt it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been.  I have actually not run at all since being back in GA, it has just been so hot and busy at work that I just haven't had the time.  I am hoping to go tomorrow or Friday though because I have a doctors appointment for my shin splints, and although I still have bruises on my shins they don't hurt as bad so I want them to be as bad as they were so the doctor knows what I'm dealing with.  I have been trying to go cycling since I am not afraid to do that at night as much as running.  I have been looking up races to do because the next race that I had planned on doing is sold out so I am looking into things but the running season in the south hasn't started, maybe I just need to make a few more trips up to Chicago to run during the summer and back down here to run in the winter. 

Another day, another state, another post!

Well we have officially driven 14 hours and have arrive in Chicago. Before I left my coworker gave me some naproxen to help with my shin splints. After running on Sunday I could barely walk so I took one and my shins stopped hurting and they stopped hurting until this morning. That is over a 24 hour window that this medicine helped me forget about my shin splints. So I went to go for a run this morning, my first one in Chicago since I think I was in high school and being forced to run the mile at school. It is funny to think about now. I thought a mile would kill me and I am just under 5 miles right now. But I was doing my 5 minute warm up walk and all of a sudden my shins started hurting, then it was time for me to run and I tried, I just couldn't handle the pain that was shooting through my legs. So I decided to walk home grab my pup and walked just over 2 miles. Since I can't run may as well get my baby girl some exercise too since she was also in the car for 14 hours and more than a little rambunctious. So today was kind of a bust but I am glad to be back in Chicago. Although I do need some advice, should I keep trying to run before the 8K or just take the next few days off to make sure I am able to actually run.

Back into the Rhythm

Well it has been awhile since I have updated which, when writing a running blog, means I'm not running.  I took about 2 weeks off after a run I had when I has a side stitch literally the entire time.  After that I took two weeks off being busy with work and MRM has also stopped training because he was having issues with his knees.  During this time he did do the Tough Mudder in Jacksonville and last week I finally started running again.  Tough Mudder was so fun to watch the guys do, and maybe sometime in the future I'll be able to do it.  We love Wounded Warrior Project which is what Tough Mudder raises money for.  It is more about working as a team and helping people out than it is about racing.

I have started back up with my 10K program even though my ankle is still swollen from when I sprained it a month ago.  I am into week 3 and it has been easier than week 2.  I don't know why but it definitely seems easier and I am hopefully running an 8K in about a week.  I have been running different routes lately and it is helping my pace.  I ran trails the other night and last night into another neighborhood.  The trails are a lot of fun to run, but I am terrified of seeing a snake or some other crazy animal that we have here in South Georgia.  As for my injury I have been icing it everyday either after work or after running and I have been icing my shins to try to keep my shin splints in check so I can keep on running instead of having to take a month off.

Last night I went running with a co-worker who's pace is almost twice as fast as mine.  Again I am not the fastest runner but as long as I am out there and I a building my distance I am not worried about speed yet.  Once I hit a 10K then I will start doing tempo run and fartlek stuff but right now I really just want to make sure I can run a 10K.  I just finished Week 3 of Bridge to 10K and running with her helped increase my pace by one minute and although that doesn't seem like a lot, it is and we got more mileage than I have ever had.  At this point it is safe to say that I am prepared and will be fine running in the PAWS Run for their Lives 8K in Chicago this weekend.  I am so excited because my parents will also be there doing the 4K walk with my pup Kora and their dog Bear.

Sorry I have been away so long, I am making time now that I am running again to keep everyone in the loop.

Week off

Last week was a crazy busy and I did absolutely no running.  I ran on Friday the 19th and didn't run again until this past Saturday.  Friday was on of those really good runs, I have started my Bridge to 10k training and was on Week 1 Day 2.  After my run, my mom and grandma got into town and stayed until Tuesday and I just couldn't find the time.  I did get a new pair of running shoes while they were here and I was so excited to use them and I didn't until this Saturday.  After they left I had to work that Tuesday night until 2am.  The next day I drove to Jacksonville to work for the next two days out of the store there because the Vice-President of the company was doing a store visit and we had to help them get ready.  I worked there all day Wednesday and Thursday and then drove home Thursday night and then worked at my own store Friday.  I finally had time Saturday morning and I was so excited to get out there and hit the pavement in my new Mizuno Inspires.  I was told at my last running store visit that I needed stability shoes because I have weak ankles.  I sat and thought how could I possibly have weak ankles, I was a ballerina, but then I realized since I last did ballet I have been rocking 5-6 inch heels on a regular basis.  I was just about to hit my first mile, while running through a neighborhood park when the next thing I knew I was on the ground.  I felt my ankle hit the pavement and I was down and out.  I sat on the ground and was terrified that I had actually broken my ankle.  I have never broken a bone or sprained anything to know the difference in pain.  All I knew was that I couldn't move my foot.  I tried to call MRM but his phone was going straight to voicemail.  Finally, I decided to try to stand up and walk home, I got up and started walking.  My left ankle was throbbing and I could barely walk on it while my right knee was so scratched up, blood was running down my leg.  I limped home and then cleaned my knee out and took a nap since I had to work 12 hours Saturday night.  Since then I have not had time to let my ankle recover.  I have been working like crazy and was hoping to get in a few good runs this week.  I am currently sitting on the couch icing my ankle, so hopefully the swelling goes down enough that I can actually try to go for a run/walk this week.  Anyone know any good tips on how to speed up recovery times.  

Heavy Heart

First and foremost my heart goes out to the people of Boston, it is such a tragedy and I can't even believe that it happened.  I have been watching the news all day and it gets more upsetting the longer I watch.  I actually know someone who ran the Boston Marathon today but she has posted on Facebook and she is fine, although in tons of pain.  At this point in my training, I couldn't even imagine running 26.2 miles, but I know that it is my ultimate goal, although very far off.  

Today was an easy day for me, as in I took it easy.  I am back to running in my Brooks and I did take an extra day off so I haven't run since Friday and my shin splints don't hurt at all.  I don't know if it is the Brooks or just the extra day of rest.  I did go running with my baby girl Kora today and it kicked her butt.  We ran to the dog park so she picked up her speed at the end and then once there just laid down.  Although hopefully next time she will actually want to take a picture with me.  Today was a good day for me, it was the last day in my Couch to 5k program.  This means that I am officially moving forward with training and onto a new running program.  

Back in the Grind

Today was my first real running day after the race and realizing how bad my shin splints actually hurt.  I didn't actually notice the pain until I did my cool down and I was limping home.  While on my run today I hit my best pace and my best distance so maybe the shin splints aren't as bad as I think they are. I am trying to slow down my training to 3 days a week and I only have one more run in the couch to 5k program.  I am also working a lot for the next week so I am hoping to still make time for my training.  Today was a special run because MRM actually waited to go running with me and he left after me and we got home around the same time which never really happens but he ran a 5k and I did just over a 5k which I am so proud of and so excited.  I have also started a tuff butt april workout which is basically a bunch of squats and lunges that I build upon every day until the end of the month.  I am doing this because I want to focus on building muscle while I am doing all this cardio.  Hopefully in a month of two when I do selfies I actually will feel better about my muscle definition.  Hope everyone's training is going well and the weather is keeping everyone outside.  

Color Me Rad 5K

Saturday was the big day, race day.  It was the day of my first race and even though it wasn't timed, it helped me understand how race day works a little better, and since me and MRM plan to be doing quite a few races this year it was a good first one.  We picked up our packets Friday night and we loved them.  Bib, Shirt, Sunglasses, and temporary tattoos, we were so excited.  We spent the night doing things that we don't always get to do here in Valdosta, GA.  Once we got to our hotel we opened our race packets and got everything ready for the following morning. 

Race Day Swag

On race day we woke up, got tatted up and headed to Everbank Field.  We were scheduled to race the last wave just because we wanted to sleep in a little longer but once we got there, we took some photos and we were ready to get colored up.  So we ended up jumping into the 8:30 wave and hit the course.  The beginning was awful, we don't have many hills here in Valdosta and the whole first half of the race was up and down the ramps at the stadium and it was killer.  It affected the way I ran and it affected my pace.  We did get to run on the field which was amazing.  Once done with the stadium part of the race we headed out and started getting bombed with color.  I did walk some of it due to the ramps at the beginning but once out of the stadium I did try to run all of the outside parts.  MRM was not happy about our pace but I finished and that is the first step to the rest of the year. 

Before and After Pictures

Since the race was a few days ago and things have been crazy here, I had to work an overnight Sunday night and Monday started a fence project.  I just went running for the first time since raceday and it appears that I have developed shin splints.  It happened mostly during the race and the running up and down the ramps and when I went to run today I just struggle.  I am taking tomorrow off and am going to do some shin exercises but hopefully it won't hinder my training too much.  

Happy Belated Easter

Well the past few days have been crazy and fun and has made me feel lucky to be where I am currently in my life and my location of South Georgia.  I ran Friday and Saturday and was planning on running on Sunday since I had the day off but needed a day off.  I am starting to feel some pains in my shins so I need to slow down, even though I ran today.  Well I hope everyone had a Happy Easter, we definitely did.  We woke up and MRM (my running man) went for a run and when he got back we got all of our stuff together and headed to the beach.  The joy of us not having any family near is that we can pretty much do whatever we want on holidays and don't have any obligations to 
feel bad about ditching.  We found an awesome dog beach just north of Jacksonville and we all had so much fun, of course now MRM and I are burnt to a crisp but it is fading slowly.  We then came home and watched The Walking Dead finale and went to bed, we both had to be up early for work today so it was kind of nice because usually our schedules are so different I am up hours after him, like I am tonight.  My first race is in 5 days and I am starting to get nervous.  I also only have 5 more runs in my couch to 5k program and I am excited to start the 10K trainer but I still need to focus on where I am, instead of where I want to be in running because I have a tendency to hurt myself then not run for a very long time and have to start over.  After the race on Saturday I think I am going to take it easy and go back to 3 days a week, because I have been running more than that, and I am still a beginner.  But again I hope everyone smiled as big as this cutie did all day on Easter!

180 Degrees

Today was Week 7 day 2, and I had taken a few days off due to my work schedule, and I'm not a morning person so when I have to work the closing shift, I end up not running.  Today was my day off and it was gorgeous out, got some yard work done and when Rob got home we went running, not together but at the same time.  He was doing a 3 mile short run and I was focusing on making up for the awful run I had on Sunday.  It was amazing, I felt like I could run forever today when my trainer (couch to 5k app) told me to cool down I was relieved because it meant that I had run the entire 25 minute program for the day but I also felt sad that it was the end of my run.  I am trying to stick to the program so I don't injure myself or who knows what.  Most of my day off has been relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing and sometimes you just need these days and it has been a good one with a good run.  All of this has taught me that one bad run doesn't equal bad runner because maybe you just need some time and then you can have one of those amazing runs. Maybe all my goodness for the day came from the Bulls ending the Heats winning streak last night.  I am not really a basketball fan, I mean I love the Chicago Bulls but it is because I grew up watching Michael Jordan and no one is better than him, so I have trouble watching the game but I did watch last night expecting D. Rose to make an appearance and although that didn't happen, it was an amazing game and fun to watch.

Bad Run

Well I officially started week 7 today it was just a bad running day.  I don't know if it's that I put it off for two days or if it really was just the weather.  It was a mild 80 degrees here in South Georgia and humid as can be.  It rained all day yesterday and was supposed to rain today, the rain stopped late last night but the humidity stuck around.  But I had an awful run today, one of the worst since I started.  My legs and feet didn't want to cooperate with my mind.  I wanted to keep going.  I only have 8 more runs in this program and right around that time will be my first 5k.  So i know I need to keep going.  Overnight though it is supposed to drop 20 degrees so tomorrow will hopefully be a much better run and will get me back on track. I don't ever want to take two days off again.  We were busy cleaning around the house since, the yard was flooded from the rain we couldn't get to clearing the rest of the trees we cut down last week.  Besides my bad run, it was a pretty relaxing Sunday, even with all the cleaning.  Has anyone else just had a bad running day, if you have please let me know, and maybe some motivational tips because I was so upset afterwards.

Walking Intervals, No More

Today was the last day with walking intervals included in my running program, and I am so excited.  It feels like such an accomplishment because apparently Week 6 is the one when most people give up.  As it says to register, I already have for the Color Me Rad and I now know more than ever that I can run the entire thing with out stopping.  I have 3 more weeks of the program and hopefully I'll be able to increase my pace because as of right now I sit around and 11 min/mile.  I know that's not awful but it is not where I want it to be.  Instead of this being a day of criticizing, I need to be celebrating the accomplishments that I have done to date.  I am so proud of how far I have come from barely running for a minute to being able to run for 20.  I am so excited to see where this journey takes me.  It helps that South Georgia has finally started to warm up and today was one of those amazing days to run in the evening. After my run, Rob and I went and got some sushi for dinner, and it was so good.  There are minimum places for sushi here in town and it is one of the things I miss most about being in England, and yes I know it is surprising but we had an amazing little sushi place near our house there.  But we have had a few busy days.  I had to work two overnight shifts this weekend so my circadian rhythm is very off.  I went to bed 13 hours ago, so I have a  feeling I am going to be up for awhile.  Hopefully my normal work routine will kick in and help me get back to sleeping normally.  Other than work and running we haven't really been doing much, with me sleeping during the day and working at night, the house has somehow gone to shambles, so I am trying to clean and still relax on this gorgeous evening.  I have never lived somewhere that in the middle of March I could have my windows open with fans on, I love it right now but give me two months and I will hate it again.  I am enjoying it for now though and it really is what is helping me stay motivated, it's too nice to sit inside on the couch all day when I can be out running or walking the dog.  

Still getting used to the blog!

One of the main streets in Subdivision

Although I did not go running today, I did yesterday and didn't post about it because I didn't want to post twice in a day and overkill it.  Yesterday was a good running day it was a walk for 5, run for 8, walk for 5, run for 8, walk for 5.  This means that for a 31 minute plan I am officially running more than half of it.  I wanted to share where I run so this is a picture of our neighborhood.  It is still new and we have two streets that don't have a single house on it.  I mostly run on the streets and occasionally I'll jump on the grass to get out of the way of cars. Although it looks like it can be monotonous running in the neighborhood you never know who you will see and the scenery is always changing based on what time of the day and who might be out of work or if the kids are out of school. 




The only issue I had with this run is that the other day I had rolled my ankle and my body is still recovering, I had to make sure to pay attention because my ankle kept wanting to push out but I kept it in line.  But it did make me appreciate my shoes.  I had recently made the switch from Mizuno's to the Brooks Pure Cadence.  They are completely different shoes and I still love them both and actually wear them both because they give me a different run.  

My amazing shoes and outfit for the day

As for the outfit, it was a whopping 64 degrees out and I was freezing so I wore my tights and long sleeved shirt. This is why I am training in South Georgia and actually believe that I will stick to it, it's warm most of the time.  

Some of the beers we tried

On a side note, my husband, friends and I all like to go out to dinner once a week just to get out of the normal routine of coming home and watching tv/cleaning.  Tonight we tried this restaurant call Two Friends.  It was amazing, they had different beer which after living overseas is something you look for because Bud Light and the normal stuff just doesn't cut it anymore.  Not only was the beer selection good, they food was absolutely amazing.  We all tried different things and none of us were let down.  If you are ever in the Valdosta, GA area I highly suggest this restaurant.  We will definitely be going back.  They have a spring roll of the day and today it was steak, some other stuff with a dijon mustard dipping sauce.  What a refreshing change of pace from the normal Asian spring rolls.  As for the beer the Menabrea Birra which is an Italian blonde beer was perfect and it is exactly the type of beer I go for when it comes to imports.  

My Relationship with Running

Running... something that most people hate, and I have a very difficult relationship with but we are getting closer and the relationship still needs lots of work.  We have tried it in the past and things get too hard and we don't put the work in to make it through the difficult times.  This is my second serious relationship, the last one was when my husband was deployed and I was living with a friend who was a runner.  We ran around beautiful Cambridge and we changed our route and always saw new things.  My husband while deployed was running half marathons almost everyday just for the hell of it.  Things were going good until he came home and she moved out.  We tried running together but it just didn't work, I was still learning and just trying to keep going without stopping, and he was trying to increase speed.  Shortly after that, my relationship with running ended.  This time around it's different, although my husband is still Running Man to me, I am setting personal goals and signing up for races to keep me motivated.  I have even joined a few groups to post my miles to have a cause to run for.  I am just starting out on this journey and wanted to really do this to share my progress.  I am registered for the Color Me Rad 5k in Jacksonville.  I can't wait and am hoping to be able to run 3.1 miles by then.  Right now I am working with the Couch-to-5k app for the iphone and I love it.  It gives me the same training plan as the couch to 5k but it has trainers that tell you when to run and walk so I don't have to pay attention to the time, I can just jam out to my music and focus on my breathing because that is one of the things I struggle with as a runner.  I am currently on Week 5 Day 2 of the program, which means I am officially half way through the 9 week program.  My little trainer at the bottom of the screen says that "The 5k is now closer than the couch." So I will take that as my motivation for the day.