Runnerisms

First I'll start by saying I really like making up words and rhyming!

During most of my runs I always seem to solve some major problem I have lingering out there. Do you feel this way on your runs?

I also plan things out, make lists, schedules, decided how I can fit in my next run without it affecting anyone else's schedule. I also come up with runnerisms...

1.) You might be a runner if; you've picked up clothes out if the dirty clothes basket, smelled them, triaged them for the least smelly and decided they would do for today's run!

I have become way more relaxed with my running, meaning if my watch isn't charged its not the end of the world!

2.) you might be a runner if, you have walked around in a circle with your wrist facing the sky waiting to here your watch signal that the GPS has acquired!

2a.) cleared your trip miles in your vehicle and driven a route to see your exact mileage, and then when you realized you ran further then expected you suddenly feel like you should contact your favorite running shoe brand because surely they will want to sponsor you due to your awesomeness!

3.) you come up with words like run naked and your friends and family do not think you are crazy, well crazier than they already do...run naked=sans electronics! Try it it's invigorating! (This does not mean running without highly technical fabric covering your unmentionables)

More to come...off for a run which I'm sure to have solved the healthcare crisis and figured out a way for all people everywhere to live in peace!

Happy running y'all! 

Lacey

Down from the mountain

You know how people talk about "mountain top" experiences? That's how my long run Saturday felt. I loved it and was on a high from it until today! Today I came down from that mountain top experience with a tough run.

Sometimes I'm discouraged by a tough run, especially when they are short. That was my experience today and I hate that I get discouraged when I should be celebrating all runs. This concept got me to thinking about my run and suddenly I realized that I finished my run today in less time than I planned and I planned to run at a faster pace than I typically do! Back to the mountain top! It is exciting to see my body getting stronger and my times getting better even when some runs feel tough! 

Sometimes it's just the small things of getting yourself out if bed to run early so you don't miss a run, when what you really wanted was to sleep in!!! This morning I literally had to tell myself a litany of things to get out of bed including some of the following:

You never regret a run!

You will beat yourself up all day if you don't get up! 

PRs don't come without effort!

Don't forget what today is 8-6-13, honor those men who gave all two years ago today--that did it! 

What tough thing have you overcome this week? I think it's most important to remember to have fun! If you're not having fun you're doing it wrong!!! Retain the JOY of running! 

Challenge Accepted

Many of you know that Lacey is a run coach, which I love more than any of you know because she's the rockingest coach there is! We make a smashing duo because we have different strengths and hers is making me a better, stronger, more confident runner. Currently I'm training for The Hottest Half in Dallas. This proves my lack of sanity just from the name, also because its in Dallas, in AUGUST! 

So, I tell her I want to PR at this race (again, psychosis must be setting in) and she quickly sends me a training plan. Not one she would give anyone else, but one she thought I would and could stick to. The thing is...I didn't! Vacation got in the way mostly, then I had a sinus infection, and blah blah blah blah blah, I wasn't training strong. I had a horrible speed session and was feeling defeated, but Coach challenged me. There is something you should know about me and that is I never back down from a challenge. Her challenge...14 miles on the wheel. Really?!? FOURTEEN miles on the dreadmill (yes, we both hate/love our wheels). Seriously y'all, to get through short runs we would have to send each other videos during our workouts! I thought she was the one who was crazy. I told my husband, who really didn't understand the challenge. I told him it had to do with mental endurance, and he was skeptical, heck, I was skeptical! I told her I would do it, but my heart was lacking conviction. 

Saturday I got up early so I'd have it done before Sugar woke up. By mile 4 I was done, bored, wanting to cry, just hating life! Then I hit mile 5 and something happened...Sugar woke up! What?!? Why was she awake so early? How would I ever finish? So I wet down and got her grabbed her a quick breakfast of finger food and milk and brought her upstairs and put on the TV. Before either of us knew it I was at 9 miles! I texted Lacey multiple times and was always met with cheers and encouragement, even when I said "I don't see 14 happening"! 

But then I was past 10 miles and the determination set in! For some reason my treadmill cuts off after 1hr and 40 mins, maybe it thinks longer than that running is insanity! I think it's thrilling! So I started it back up! The crazy thing is that boredom set in, so I started playing with the speed to shake things up a bit, my last 4 miles the pace was faster than I'd done on my first 10! 

EXHILARATING! That's what finishing that 14 miler on the wheel was for me! I certainly never thought I'd do that, or that Sugar would cooperate (she was restless the last 3 miles). But I will say, that was one of the most fun things I've ever done once I was done! It was a complete mental thing and it boosted my confidence like no other! I'm still on a runner's high from that! It made my 3 miles in the heat today feel like nothing! 

I felt guilty having Sugar parked in front of the TV so long (though she didn't mind), but then I realized I was teaching her something else. I was practicing hard work in front of her showing her that sometimes things don't go according to plan and you have to adjust. Having kids and running can be challenging, but sometimes you just have to be up for the challenge! Grateful my little running buddy is such a trooper! 

What challenge have you accepted and conquered? Find one and go for it! 

Happy running y'all! 

RFF...Run For Fun

I have been asked more times than I can count why I run?

Top 3 reasons:
1. Running keeps me sane, it is my stress release, it is my time to think just for me
2. I love good food and good wine, and occasionally a good beer
3. I know that running makes me the best me that I can be

Since I discovered the love of distance running I crave it.  If I had the time, I would totally run 12 miles a day or more. I have also discovered the love/hate relationship with speed and wanting to go faster.

Today I woke up with the whole right side of my face hurting from sinus pressure and told myself that it was ok to sleep in, especially since I knew that I would get to run outside this afternoon since CA is home. While thumbing through my facebook feed this morning there was a video clip posted from the Rocketchix Triathlon this weekend, of a girl that had been paralyzed from the waist down and basically told that she would never run a race again.
Here is the video clip

I cried my eyes out and said to myself I will run today, what is a silly sinus headache.

There is inspiration all around us, we just have to decide what our goals are.  My main goal is to continue to enjoy running for many years to come.  To me running is fun, and so is running fast, but running fast takes a lot of hard work...well for me at least! For some running fast comes naturally, like lots of the people that I am surrounded with on a daily basis.... CA for one.

I texted CA to see what time he would be home from work so that I could be ready to run when he got home. I told him it was my speed work day and I just wasn't feeling speedy. His response was; "then don't do it...RFF Run For Fun...always remember that."  I said I agree; I just really want to make you proud with my 45 minute 10k. He said; "I am proud that you have kept it up this long and remain so motivated. The times will come."

This was all that I need to get me fired up.

I will recap post run...

Happy Running Y'all

Mother's Day and Running

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there and to all of you who are dreaming of being mommies! Today we celebrated the baptism of my niece and had a lovely family gathering, followed by a four hour car ride home.

Now, my whole thought was I would walk in the door and get in my pajamas and curl up with a book. However, I made a pact with a friend of mine, Kaila, that we were going to streak through May, since its national running month, and I'm determined if nothing else, so I won't just skip a day because its not AT ALL what I wanted to do. I actually put on pjs, then remembered, looked at my husband very dejected and said "I am supposed to go run", fully expecting a "it's ok you don't have to". Instead he said "yes, you are!", so I did--only a mile and very begrudgingly, but I did it! 

I'd love to end this with a great story of how it made my whole day bright and I felt shiny and new afterwards, but that's not the case, I just felt accomplished and still a little grouchy. Still, I've never regretted a run, but very often regretted skipping one, so I will not wake tomorrow with that regret! Plus, Foxy rubbed my legs afterwards, that's a plus! 

Run happy y'all because if you're not having fun, well, you're just not doing it right! 

Chasing Dreams

When I first started running I was just pumped to run a mile, the 3.1, then tackle a half marathon. I had no goals in mind except finishing.

After having Sugar my goals changed, my depression lifted and I fell in love with running in a whole new way. This was *my* thing, the thing I have as a SAHM that still gives me a title separate from Mommy (which is my favorite title). I enjoyed pushing Sugar and feeling like I was teaching her something good from the beginning of her life. Then she couldn't talk or respond and mostly just slept, but I felt like it was good to get her outside and I would point out things to her or just play my music and go. After Lacey and I got closer she really started encouraging me to believe I could do new things. I remember last summer doing Run for Sarah here and pushing Sugar, but still making great time and it was freeing. It liberated me to believe that I could do more with myself and my body, that I was stronger than I ever believed! I ran that race and many before and since with Skinner. Today I got to video her little girl crossing the finish line of a 5k where she won her age group! I hope Sugar wants to run too!

My first half after Sugar's birth was a PR for me BIG time, I took 28 mins off my previous PR, that's when Lacey put on the "Coach" magic and started pushing me! I knew I wanted a sub 2hr half and I started working for it! In Sept last year I got it and I'm not sure I've ever been more proud of myself. So now I'm working on a 5K PR and I must say its a lot more fun since it takes a little less time! If only I can get this asthma under control, I know I can reach my goal!

What are your goals?!?

Run happy whatever your goals! I've started telling myself during runs...if you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!

Music...yes or no???

So my coach challenged me to run without music for a couple of reasons; one being that I will play with my music while running, and two it will help me to keep a more even pace. For a race my music wouldn't work, I played with my phone for the first 5 miles, and then I just listened to the same song over and over! That song was Led Zeppelins what is and what should never be, so at least it was a good song!

I have really grown to like not running with music, especially during races because I can hear and chat with people on the course. When I run alone, my thoughts do wander sometime from man this is an amazing run and when I am finished I feel like I can conquer the world! On days where my run is not going so good, I think about the end result and how much better I will feel once I am done! I make to do lists, I conjur up new recipes, I pray, I think about upcoming events, I solve world peace, and so on! Lately running without music helps me to be more aware of the snakes!!!! YIKES!!!

I still have writers block, hopefully it will lift soon!

Do you run with music?

Happy running,
Lacey!

Love for Boston

We both want to send out our love to Boston, to all the runners, the race volunteers, the support crew, the policemen(women), the security, everyone involved!

Running is our passion, it's something we love and believe in. This community is strong and loving and supportive always. Runners love to love and encourage each other and anyone we think we can suck into our love of running, so tonight we send out our love to Boston! We both hope to run Boston one day, now with even more conviction!

Trail Run

Lacey and I have many things in common, one is an obsessive fear of snakes! Yesterday Rhonda and I took to some trails that run right beside the Red River. It was a beautiful day and being back in the woods it was cool enough to be enjoyable! Rhonda shares our snake phobia, and insisted I run in front of her. No problem, I got this, right?!?

Y'all we are trucking, along chatting it up, enjoying the morning and I jump sky high! Pretty sure that I jumped and turned 180 degrees in one fluid motion, there was a HUGE!!!! HUGE!!! HUGE!!! Snake laid across the trail, and no sir, he was NOT dead! I'd say his diameter was equal with a mason jar and about 2 feet of him was stretched across the path and who knows how much more was coiled up behind that! We were screaming like middle school girls being caught rolling someone's house (not that that's ever happened to me)! We both spun around and ran faster possibly than we have ever run before, all the way out to the paved path!

While I'm still determined to tackle Hell's Hills, I'm quite a bit more nervous now! On our run yesterday we just sprinted back the way we had come in a hurry (fairly certain my HRM read 220), but during a half that won't be possible. I'm starting the prayers now that all snakes will be cleared from the trail before I spot them!

Run Happy y'all!

**image from google**

Birthday Miles

So, not too terribly many years ago I would've celebrated another year with too much alcohol and food, and while I still had too much food this year, as Monday rolled around before my actual birthday, my thoughts were so different!! I thought--how can I challenge myself this week? How can I celebrate my new healthier lifestyle while also challenging myself to something new?

**LIGHTBULB** (Despicable Me reference)
34 miles!!! before the actual day, which is today. I actually in my mind allowed myself Sunday too, BUT I completed my 34th mile yesterday, so 34 miles in 5 days back to back! It's not something I'd recommend often, but as a personal challenge to myself I was proud to accomplish that! A few years ago I couldn't have run 34 miles in a month, much less 5 days.

Running has changed my life, it allows me to make new challenges for myself, be it a new distance, a speed goal, or even new terrain, it's freeing to watch myself accomplish things I never dreamed I could. It's one thing to grow up doing something and I'm super jealous of people who grew up runners and hope I can impart that on Sugar, but for me to start running in my late 20s it's an awesome feat! So this sweet goal was accomplished and my next mission is Hells Hills Trail Half in May.

I'm SUPER excited to be running Hell's Hills as our second race together with my co-writer and personal running coach, Lacey! Also running are her hubby, the ever speedy CA, and my super hardcore speedy friend, Rhonda, who pushed me to my fastest half marathon to date! Rhonda and I have a date with some trails tomorrow morning!

What's your next running goal? To get started? To run your first 5K, 10K? Let us know! We'd love to encourage you on your journey!!!

Run Happy Y'all!

Mommas gotta run

So I have had extreme writers block for a while now. I have run several great races and am really happy and proud of the outcome, yet I could not begin to write about them...maybe one day, but today is not that day.

I am very much a routine oriented person. When I get out of a routine, I just feel lost and out of focus. I used to really struggle with taking time away from spending quality time with my bug to get in a run. I have learned that there will definitely be days where it will be difficult to get in a run, but there is always a way. Get up earlier or include your little one. Yesterday it was rainy, and so I opted for the treadmill, my little bug had so much fun cheering, dancing, and coloring right next to the treadmill. I normally will run while she is napping, but she asked if she could stay up and watch me run, so I said sure. I even offered to put her on a show, but she chose to color next to the treadmill. She definitely helped me keep a smile on my face, as you know I am not a huge fan of the treadmill, but it does serve a purpose. I still feel like that was quality bonding time with my bug, we chatted and sang the whole time. She even led me through stretching after.

I was showing her that it is ok for mommy to do something for herself, something that is good and healthy for mommy.

So the point is, you can find a million excuses why not to run; JUST RUN! Your body and mind will thank you!!

Happy running y'all!!