Sub 10's

Why is it that some days I can run at a solid 9:45-10minute pace and other days I struggle to stay at a 10:30-10:45 pace?

I need consistency in my life. 

WHEN WILL RUNNING BE EASY?!

Phew, I feel a bit better now that I got that off my chest. 

After my glorious 7.3 mile relay on Saturday, I decided to give myself 2 days off before resuming my half marathon training.  So, yesterday I was back to my regularly scheduled program of the dreaded weekly loooong run.  I mapped out a 9 mile run...because I don't have a Garmin to guide my way (pathetic)...and the hopes and dreams of having a repeat sub 10 or at least a solid 10 pace.  On my way out the door the Hubs announced that if I wasn't back in 1hr 40mins, he would send out the search party looking for me....no pressure...sheesh!  Now, I was determined to run 9 miles in exactly 1hr 30 minutes....and then I got lost.  In my own neighborhood.  Less than 2 miles from my front door.  I am officially directionally challenged.  It's cool though, cause it just makes my need for a Garmin that much more apparent to the Hubs.  Can everyone say Merry Christmas to me ;)

The run itself was good not great, although when you have an AH-MAZING run like I did on Saturday you're pretty much prepared for the fact that the next run you do will never live up to the previous run's awesomeness.  Right?  RIGHT!  Why does running have to be like that?  I mean seriously, who out there has a runner's high every. single. time. you go for a run?  No, wait.  I don't want to hear from you if you have awesomesauce runs on the regular.  It's not normal and I'm totally throwing the bullhonkey flag on you.  It's kinda like parents who pretend that every day with their children is like rainbows and unicorns...ummmm, notsomuch.  I mean I love my hooligans angel faces, but some days are enough to make you go coo coo for cocoa puffs. for reals.  So, I'm choosing to believe that peeps who claim to run like the wind without any pain and suffering on a regular basis are liars.  Moving on....

At the end of the day, I was able to get my 9.45 mile run (hooray for getting lost?) completed in 1:34 at a pace of 9:56....HOORAY!!  I took 3 Clif Shot Blok chews (tropical punch flavor w/caffeine) about 15 minutes before I left for my run and another 3 around the 50 minute mark since I felt myself starting to drag.  I also took super quick breaks to stop and take a drink of water about every 20 minutes.  I've been carrying a Nathan Sports handheld water bottle which I find easier to run with than the fuel belt, and when I took my second round the shot bloks I had to stop and walk.  For some reason when I take energy gels or gummies, I find that the only way to get them down without wanting to vomit is to stop. walk. chew. hydrate. resume running....did you get all that?  So, at the end of the day I stoked on my run because not only did I run at a sub 10 pace, but I did it with making quick water stops and a refueling stop...not to mention stoplights, etc.  I'm really hoping to run the half in November at a 10 minute pace...fingers crossed!!!

Rockin' Bmore!

Hey, Ya'll!

I ran a relay...it was awesomesauce...you should all run one....for realz...LOVED IT!

About a week or so ago my friend Heather asked me to join her 4 person relay team for the Baltimore Marathon Relay...ummmm, yes please!  Their 4th member had to step down and they were in a scramble to find a replacement.  I'm so happy that she thought of me to step in and take their friends place (THANKS TEAM FASTINISTAS!).  I had originally wanted to run the relay, but couldn't seem to get a team together so I gave up and called it a wash.  Heather new that I was already trained up for longer distances and that I had really wanted to do this relay, so it was a no brainer that I would love to join their team...duh!

So, what is a marathon relay, you ask?  It's a full marathon (26.2miles) broken down into 4 legs.  I was lucky enough to get the 4th leg (7.3miles) and was beyond excited! I mean who doesn't want to run through Camden Yards into the HUGE finish line with thousands of spectators?  The first 4-5miles were all over the place with small hills, but it was a glorious run.  The weather was amazing, although the wind was a bit redonkulous...like whoa.  I mean I almost got blown away.  Wind aside, I would run the race again in a hot second.  I love it!! LOVE IT!  Seriously, obsessed.  You get all the excitement associated with a big marathon race, but without the anxiety of the loooong distance.

  When I went to pick up my race packet on Friday night I felt such relief.  I was only (only?) running 7.3 miles!  It didn't require any real long distance preparation...YEEHAW!  I was here to have fun. period. The end.  This was also my first race that had an expo for packet pick-up.  I officially felt fancy.  I was running a marathon sized race WITH an expo and a finishers medal?! I will never run a small town race again.  Okay, that's a lie.  I will never again run a half marathon that does not have a medal.  I know originally I was all about the free race t-shirt, but what I've learned is that if you're gonna be busting your butt running for anything more than say a 15k, you want the medal....and the t-shirt.  Speaking of t-shirts, the expo had some HILARIOUS shirts/bumper stickers/magnets, etc and of course I have to share some of them with you....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is for my friend Tracey....we both have running induced toenail issues...TMI? nah.

Obviously.

1/2 crazy for now! We shall see if I ever work up the courage to run a Full...dun dun dunnnn

Is there supposed to be a difference? 

I could have photographed funny shirts all night long, but I had to cut myself off.  I was like a tourist.  I am giddy with excitement about the expo in Savannah, GA!!  Bring on the funny shirts!






On to race day....

I was up at 5:45am on race day and my team left for B-more at around 6:30am.  We quickly dropped of our leg 2 member (Kerri) by the buses, so she could catch the 7:30am bus to her relay exchange, and found a parking spot.  The race didn't start till 8am, and my bus didn't leave until 8:30, so I was able to hang with our leg1 (Mary)and leg 3 (Heather) runners for a bit.  At around 7:50am I decided to head towards my bus stop and bid farewell to my teammates.  I knew that I was gonna be hangin' at my relay exchange for a good bit...good thing I love strangers and making new friends!  I arrived at my exchange by 9am, so you do the math for a marathon that starts at 8am...Mama was gonna be waiting for a good bit, and it was FREEZING!  No worries though, the whole experience was worth every goose bump.  I got to see the "real' runners...the Kenyans...no, really....the top finisher was Kenyan, and he was fast.  I mean he was sprinting...it was bananas how quickly the leaders raced by us at mile 19...phew!

I love watching races, especially marathons.  They are so inspiring.  I was slightly disappointed by the lack of costumes.  When I was at the Marine Corp Marathon last year I saw tons of people dressed up, but it seemed like only a small handful wore funky outfits in Bmore.  I did love this old man.....

Yup, he's rockin' a light blue tuxedo

I also saw a dude wearing a Dunkin Donuts costume.  Can't imagine running 26.2 miles dressed as a cup of coffee. 

I had a rough idea of when the leg 3 runner, Heather, would be at the exchange point, but for the most part is was just a guess.  The exchange was broken down by groups according to bib numbers which seemed to help a bit, and I easily spotted Heather as she ran up the hill towards me.  I did however see a good number of people wandering around looking for their teammate to make the exchange.  I can't even imagine how frustrating that would have been!

My leg of the run was amazing (as previously stated above)!  It was better than I could have ever imagined and I was so glad that I had rested my legs in the days leading up to the race.  I also made a last minute decision to pop 3 Clif Shot Bloks (tropical punch flavor w/caffeine) about 15 mins before Heather got to the exchange and I'm thinking it really helped with my energy levels on the hills.  My finishing time was 1:12:54....that's a 9:55 pace!! YAHOOOO!  Um, seriously?  Did I just run like a Kenyan? HA, okay...I kid, I kid, but a 9:55pace for 7.3 miles is INSANITY for me.  Such a fabulous day and I am so excited to run Baltimore again next year.  I may even run the half!

Heather (leg 3) and Me (leg 4)....lovin' the medals!

Rockin' the "custom" shirts!  I was "The Closer"...get it?!

FREE BEER!

Mary, Kerri, Heather and Muah

This race has me so excited for Savannah!!  I'm hoping to be able to spank my previous half marathon time...fingers crossed!

Running for a Cause!

Um, yeah......So sorry that I fell off the blogging wagon.  My bad.

Let's see if we can get a quick recap of my life since I last blogged, shall we?

I ran a half marathon. BAM!

Oh, wait...Hubs cut my head off....whoops!  I'm the blue shorts, black shirt, last two digits on bib are 83....that girl....that's me!

Someone's loser cruiser just got even more lame awesome!

I tried revamping my training regimen to help me work on speed, which to be honest sounds silly when I say it out loud since I don't consider myself speedy in any way, shape or form.  After about a week or so on the new training schedule, I was burnt out...bleh!  Does anyone else feel like I've been training FOR-EV-ER?  I just wanna run for fun (?)...no agenda, just run!  Only a few more weeks until my Rock n' Roll Half in Savannah, GA and then it's "run for fun time"....YEAH BABY!

Speaking of the Rock n' Roll......My friends and I decided to raise money for an AMAZING organization and if you feel compelled to donate, that would awesomesauce!  Here's a little background info on why we chose to support the Naval Special Warfare Foundation...

For those of you that don't know, Josh and I spent the last 8 years in the Naval Special Warfare Community. In that time, we did multiple deployments and discovered a "family" like none other. Along the way there were lives of friends lost and many families left behind. In November we will run the Savannah Rock n' Roll Half Marathon with dear friends, who are also part of the NSW family, to honor our fallen brothers and sisters and support their families. 

Please help us help those left behind by donating to our "One Team One Fight"! ALL proceeds go to the Naval Special Warfare Foundation!! Please help us out by making a donation to such an amazing cause. Its a foundation very near and dear to our heart.

Here are the instructions on how to donate to One Team One Fight, "Team McLurbin":

1. Go to homepage http://www.nswfoundation.org/

2. click "donate today" then scroll down to "make online donation"

4. Fill out info and in the "Program Area" choose "One Team One Fight"

5. In the "comments" section be sure to write "TEAM MCLURBIN-Savannah, GA Rock n Roll half"

6. click "submit" and that's it!

Thanks in advance to those who donate ;)

Cleanliness is Godliness.

Half marathon results are in.  I wish I could crawl under a rock and pretend that I didn't run a super slow 2:39 race.....ugh!!!  I thought I was pretty well trained for this race, so that time is super hard to swallow.  I know, I know....I finished and that's all that counts...yadda, yadda, yadda....It still stinks, just sayin'.

In other news....Big Sis totally came through with her awesomesauce laundry skills!! She brought my loverly shoes back to their former glory and they look radiant if I do say so myself!  I should add that my beautiful Brooks are swiftly approaching the 300 mile mark and will be due for a replacement, so I didn't mind sending them on a spin cycle since I knew their glory was almost gone regardless.  That being said, I will be hard pressed to ever part with the first pair of shoes that brought me to my half marathon glory finish.  Shall we quickly have a before and after recap?  Duh, of course we should....

Brand spankin' new and looking beautimous.....

A handful of miles in and quickly becoming my bff's

WTH?  I betrayed my shoes and tortured them for a solid 13.1 miles.  

They were so gross post-race, but have no fear.....Big Sis is here!!  She worked her laundry magic and delivered these shiners to me the very next day! How's that for fast and efficient?

Cleanliness is Godliness.

So thankful to Big Sis for saving my shoes!!  They're back to their former glory. sorta.  I mean, maybe it's all mental, but they definitely "feel" different on my feet since taking a ride in the washing machine.  Am I crazy?  Perhaps.  Guess the only way to find out is to get a new pair of shoes and compare. bummer (heehee).  Besides, it's better to have two pairs of running shoes anyway, right?  I mean every runner should have a pair of back-up shoes,it just makes sense.  Totally.  Sorry Hubs, but it looks like this Mama needs a new pair of shoes! 

Moving on.....I've completely overhauled my training regimen for my half in November due to my lack luster performance this past weekend.  My new training includes lots of speed work and tempo runs which is something I never did in preparation for my last half.  I really think this will help me improve my endurance and hopefully shave some serious time off my runs.  This past week has been what seems like a ton of 3 mile runs, which I've loved.  It's kinda nice to go out for a quick run instead of a time consuming 6+ miler.  I even set a 3 mile personal record of 27 minutes (that's a 9 minute pace)....GO ME!  I looked at the results of the 5k from the same race that I ran my half last weekend and as it turns out, if I had ran the 5k (at that same 9 min mile pace) instead of the half....drum roll please......I would have placed 2nd in my age group!  Um, hello...is that for real?  I think I would have dropped dead from excitement if that ever happened to me.  Maybe I'm more destined for greatness in the 5k realm?  They're a hell of alot less painful, that's for sure!

And for all you inquiring minds......here is my new schedule....

			Intermediate	Table
Week	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
1	Rest	3-mi EZ	7 x 400 SPD	3-mi EZ	Rest	3-mi PC	8-mi LNG
2	Rest	3-mi EZ	2 x 10-min TMP	3-mi EZ	3-mi EZ	Rest	5-K RC
3	Rest	3-mi EZ	8 x 400 SPD	3-mi EZ	Rest	4-mi PC	9-mi LNG
4	Rest	3-mi EZ	2 x 10-min TMP	3-mi EZ	Rest	5-mi PC	10-mi LNG
5	Rest	3-mi EZ	9 x 400 SPD	3-mi EZ	3-mi EZ	Rest	10-K RC
6	Rest	3-mi EZ	20-min TMP	3-mi EZ	Rest	5-mi PC	11-mi LNG
7	Rest	3-mi EZ	10 x 400 SPD	3-mi EZ	Rest	3-mi PC	12-mi LNG
8	Rest	3-mi EZ	2 x 5 min TMP	3-mi EZ	Rest	Rest	Half

Mission Completion

I ran 13.1 miles today.  Hooray for me!!

So many emotions racing through my mind before, during and even after my run, it was insanity!  I am so proud of my accomplishment, but have to admit that my time was less than stellar.  I'm not sure of my "official" time since I wasn't paying attention when I crossed the finish line, and I also managed to forget to stop my watch...whoopsie.  Sooooo, my best guess of a finishing time would be 2:38 (I should have the official time by Wed).  That is a super snail like pace of around 12 minutes.  Not exactly what I had in mind for a finishing pace, but still proud of myself nonetheless.

The night before the half I was obsessing about having everything laid out and ready for me in the morning.  I even went as OCD as to try on my running clothes to make sure everything was a-okay.  I know, I'm a coo koo bird.  I honestly think I would have been way less nervous if I weren't running by my lonesome...*tear*

All my "gear" laid out the night before...check!

Here was my checklist:
-Nike running shorts and shirt
-Brooks shoes
-Nike visor (I never run without it)
-watch (one day it will be the Garmin 405...heaven)
-Nathans handheld water bottle (this was a new addition to my run training after a couple  uncomfortable runs using my "belt")
-Body Glide (because no one wants their thighs rubbing together for a solid 13.1 miles. seriously.)
-Ipod
-Gu Chomps (strawberry and orange)
-Nuun...my forever and ever all time fave electrolyte enhancing awesomeness!

I was up at 5am and had a quick bite to eat (half a bagel thin with a smidge of peanut butter) and a bottle of water with a Nuun tab.  We (me and the Hubs) left the house at 6am and by 6:30am I was picking up my registration packet.  I can honestly say that for the most part my nerves were in check.  I was most panicked about running "alone".  I am 150% a people person and would much rather run with others than by myself any day.  Seeing so many groups of people pre-race made me wish I had a buddy to embark on this hell journey with.  Much to my surprise I did run in to someone that I knew! HOLLA!  One of my oldest friends little sister, Maria, was running the 10k with her hubby...hooray for seeing familiar faces when your body is racked with nerves! And, as it turned out, Maria's sister Patty was actually coming to watch her race...say what?!  How excited was I that one of my most dear friends (we've known each other since 1st grade) was gonna be at the finish line to cheer me on.....it made my day! 

Before I knew it, it was 7:30 and the race was about to begin...ruh row.  No turning back now. shit shoot!  And I was off......

love you Hubs, but really? This is the best you could do for a "starting line" photo? Hate to point out the obvious, but...uhhhh, I don't have a head! I'm in the blue shorts/black top directly behind the girl in the green shirt

The first 5 miles ticked by pretty easily.  I was having a little bit of trouble controlling my pace, but I was holding my own and was under my sub 11 pace, so I was feeling confident.

Mile 4 (I think)...I'm in the blue shorts/black top and feeling great!

Then mile 6 entered my life and all hell broke loose....Okay, so maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but miles 6-8 were AWFUL.  The trail turned from pavement to gravel/packed dirt/sand and then to top it all off.....standing water.  My feet were completely soaked. We're talking up to the top of my socks, soaked.  To say that I lost my groove once my feet became wet squishy prunes is an understatement.  Mama was on the struggle bus.  I wasn't even sure how I was gonna be able to finish I hurt so bad.  Then, the most incredible thing happened....I rounded a corner and saw my amazing Hubs standing on the sidelines.  I could have cried...in fact, I almost did.  I felt so relieved to see him.

Hubs took this photo right as I rounded the corner and saw him...

I came to a screeching halt once I reached him and explained that I was in full on panic mode and would be needing his assistance for a little bit to get me back on track.  He was happy to oblige and so we set off on mile 9 together.  Then came mile 10 and I just wasn't willing to let the Hubs leave me.  I knew that I needed him by my side if I wanted to finish strong.  Not to mention trying to make up for all the lost time between mile 6-8 where I was crawling along the course like a slug.  No, really, I was crawling.  Okay, so I wasn't literally "crawling", but it was slooooow, so very sloooow.  It was in fact pathetic, and I will be sure to up my training game to prevent these sort of shenanigans in November.  Although, that's the shady thing about running...sometimes you can go forever with tons of awesome runs and then other times it's terrible run after terrible run...so humbling.

That being said.....the Hubs helped me finish out my run and I am forever grateful for his help.  He has always been my #1 running buddy, even when we lived in Northern Cali and I could barely scrape together a 3 mile run.  He always believed in me and knew I could do whatever I set my mind too.  Love you Hubs!

Because my Hubs was running with me during the last leg of the race, I have no pics from mile 9 and on.  I will be forced to wait until the race event posts times and finishing photos before I can bestill that excitement onto you.  I do however have a lovely photo of my sopping wet shoes post-race.  And before any of you "mud run/warrior dashers" get all up in arms because your shoes were 5 times as dirty...let me stop you and say "I don't care how dirty your shoes are because at the end of the day I did not sign up for any such "mud" race, I signed up for a nice flat and "fast" half that did not involve mud of any form".....soo there :)  I don't like being dirty and I have a deep LOVE for my Brooks, so I would like them to stay perfect for always.

they're so wet and yucky. I've sent them home with Big Sis in the hopes that she can bring them back to their former glory!  Oh, and my feet are still pruned from all the water....gross

Moving on.......  When I got home from my race today, low and behold what had come in the mail.....A little post-race treat if I do say so myself

Why, Hello Mr. 13.1 bumper magnet...I love you too

Missy Muffin was oblivious to today's happenings, but she showed solid enthusiasm regardless!

 And, so that was my recap!  As soon as I get official results I will be sure to update you all!!

Show Time

Can you even believe that I'm running my half off tomorrow?  It's bananas. like whoa. (squeal)

Hard to believe that 4 months ago I could barely run 2 miles, right? ca-razy.  

I'm so anxious about tomorrow.  I mean who wouldn't be a little on edge the night before running 13.1 miles for the 1st time ever in your life.  That's like a solid 2+ hours...HOURS...of running.  I'm trying to pretend like it's just a 13.1 training run.  easy peasy lemon squeezy....yes? no?  We'll see how I feel tomorrow morning when my alarm goes off at 5am......so. early.

I hate to cut this post so very, very short, but it's getting late and I still need to lay out my clothes and other running necessities for my big day! 

Wish me luck!!!!

Fast and Furious

Today, I had no agenda for my run.  I was "free running" if you will.  3 or 4 miles, no pressure, no biggie, easy day.  Nevermind the impending Hurricane, right?

The Hubs said he wanted to join me on my run today and so off we went.  About 5 seconds after we walked out the front door the sky got super creepy and looked like it was about to dump rain on us. We stopped for a sec to regroup and decided that the best decision would be to do the 1.5 mile loop around our neighborhood rather than risk getting stuck in a downpour.  I should add that I have no desire to ever in my life run in the rain.  Now, if I were in the middle of a race and it started to rain, then that would be okay, I would be forced to survive, but I will never subject myself to a rainy run for the fun of it....yuck.  Not to mention the fact that I love, LOVE, LUUUURVE, my running shoes so much that I would never want to risk them getting funky by a rainstorm.  I'm serious peeps, I don't even like running through dirt or puddles with them....How ridiculous is that?

wish I could keep them shiny and bright forever...*tear*...this pic is from a while back, so they aren't as bright and beautimous anymore

More on today's quick 1.5 miler.....

I was able to knock it out in 11:40!  That's a 7:45 pace....say whaaaaat?  Told you I really do NOT want to ever get rained on.  I was bound and determined to run my half off....like for reals.  The Hubs held his own too, especially since he hasn't been running at all since his injury.  I mean I beat him, but I swear I'm not gloating or rubbing it in.  So what if your wife can run a little bit faster than you during a short race, it happens. MUAHAHAHAHA!!  Love you, Hubs!

Hurricane force winds....okay, not quite yet, but he couldn't resist.

 

Like Father, like Daughter.

Me and my Missy Muffin post-run

Missy Muffin wasn't amused with having her picture taken.  She was very busy trying to track her position on her GPS.

Due to Hurricane Irene's presence on the east coast this weekend, I doubt I'll be running anywhere tomorrow, so we shall see what Monday brings.  I plan on taking it easy the next week in preparation for my half marathon on the 10th (EEECK!!!).

Runner Girl...

Who me?  Yes, please!

I ran 10.8 miles yesterday. BOOM.

I have decided that I am officially a "runner".  I have been training my half off since May and after 3 roller coaster months of training, I finally feel worthy of the title.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to decide that I was officially a runner, but it did. and so now I am. YEE HAW!

Hello, my name is Lori and I'm a runner. (squeal)

Yesterday, I set out on an 11 mile run, my absolute longest run to date.  I really wasn't feelin' going for a run and tried to talk myself out of it quite a bit, but thankfully I got out of my funk and headed out the door.  The first 3 miles weren't so great.  My legs felt tired and I was already kinda bored...uh-oh, this was not a good way to embark on a 2 hr run (2 HOURS PEOPLE!).  Thankfully, I was able to fall into my groove and find my stride.  Towards the end of my run I was bit worried that I may have miscalculated my running route and that I might not hit exactly 11 miles, but I finished strong and honest to goodness felt that I could have easily checked off another 2 miles....HOORAY for me!  I guess all my training is paying off?  Weird.  Practice makes progress....I get it now.  As it turns out, I must have been half asleep when I mapped my route this morning because I was off......by just a smidge...a teeny tiny little bitty SMIDGE...FRUSTRATING!!!!  Seriously, I am so proud of running 10.8, but that was not the goal people!!!! GGGRRRRR!! The goal was 11 and so I was obviously disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, I still had a great run that I'm proud of, but it wasn't the full 11....bust.  10.8 miles aside, I did decide that I am ready to attempt my first ever half marathon in just 2 short weeks.....EEEEECK!  Am I really ready for this?  Is it possible for little ole' me to actually run 13.1 miles without dropping dead?  I could pee my pants I'm so nervous!

Nerves aside,  I told myself that if I was able to accomplish yesterday's run that I would be obligated to sign up for the half on Sept. 10th.   Looks like I'll be running 13.1 very, very soon.  My heart is seriously swelling with pride.  

Overflow.

Seriously, my brain is so full of a million things that I want to write about that I have no clue where to even begin.  Bear with me people because I have a feeling tonight's blog is gonna be a bit coo coo bird. 

I'll start at the beginning.......

After my 8 mile treadmill run on Friday, I knew that my Sunday run was gonna have to be outdoors.  It's cool, I've come to terms with the fact no matter how far I can run on a treadmill, it will never end with a bumper sticker or free t-shirt..  Actually, here's a thought.....If you run 13.1 on a treadmill at the gym with no one watching, does it still count as running a half marathon?  Probably not, right?  Moving on....

I set out on today's run with a 4 to 5 mile course mapped, pending on how I felt.  FYI, I use mapmyrun.com since I don't have a fancy pants GPS watch (helloooooo, Hubs....Christmas is soon upon us...hint, hint).  Anywho, as I'm walking out the door my dear Hubs yells to me "hey, if you're feeling good then just keep running"....and so I think to myself, "Thank you Hubs for that last minute boost of confidence, but I RARELY decide to run farther than planned" and head out the door.  As I'm literally stepping out the door I remember that one of my bestest friends from San Diego, Tara,  is running her half off today, so I shoot her a quick "good luck" text and so begins the #1 motivating factor for todays run. 

Tara and I have been friends from the moment we met. A couple months back Tara began her journey to run her 1st half with her college besties (who are awesome sauce by the way) and raise money for a wonderful charity Glimmer of Hope.  This was my first glimpse into the world of half marathon domination....HA, okay so maybe it was just what started the wheels turning in my mind.  Regardless, if one of my closest friends who was the same age as me, married, had 2 kids...etc, etc, etc could run a half, then why couldn't I?  If I had still lived in SD at the time then I probably would have joined her on her journey anyway.  At least I like to think I would have joined her.  

So, while I was running today I really took time to reflect on all the people in my life that helped to inspire and motivate me, whether they knew it or not.  It's so super cheesy, but I pushed myself to run 8 miles today because I was thinking about Tara who was running 13.1.  She wasn't gonna quit, so I wasn't going to either. 

The first couple miles are always the worst for me, but once I got past mile 3 it was smooth sailing.  I was able to clear my mind of all the "quitter" thoughts and focus on all the inspiring people/situations in my life....such a sap tonight, right?  I'm not too familiar with the mythical "runner's high", but if I had to guess then I would say that I had one today.  My mind was racing a mile a minute with positive, motivating thoughts and running just came naturally.  Weird!

I really hope that I'm able to channel all these positive thoughts for my next run, but I won't hold my breathe......

Hello Again!

Whoa, it's been awhile since this Mama posted a blog and I apologize since I can only assume that my loyal followers (all 33 of you) have been on pins and needles waiting for my next post.

So, where to begin???  Since I last blogged, the Hubs has gone back on the injured list after a 4 mile run that aggravated an old back injury.  Did I ever mention that my wonderful Hubs once fell through a roof during a deployment that led to an early return back to the States...surgery...and a metal rod sticking out of his foot that would inevitably lead to him having random "issues" with his back and foot FOR. EV. ER.  Poor Hubs, he really wants to hit the ground running soon, so fingers crossed.  I miss my running partner in crime....especially since I could probably spank him in a long distance run...muahahaha!

Even though I haven't been the best at keeping up with my posts, I have been consistently running and keeping my eye on the prize.  Although I really, REALLY need to find a new running partner, especially for my long runs.  I'm such a quitter when I run by myself.  No, really, I am. Unless of course I'm running on the treadmill, which I shouldn't be because it's cheating......but it's just sooo easy to run long distances on the 'mill....I struggle daily.

I ran 8 miles today.  on the treadmill.  

In my defense, I had no one to watch my kiddos and so it was either kickass suffer through a treadmill run or do nothing.  I chose to take one for the team and run at the gym.  I've been doing 99% of my runs outside, but hey...I'm only human and every now and again a treadmill run will slip into the mix....sue me.

Last week I was in Minnesota for a super fun wedding and I actually managed to squeeze in a run.  Can you believe it?  I was hundreds of miles away from my Hubs and my wee babes and could have slept in and done nothing "active" for a solid 3 days, but NOOOO, I chose to RUN...BAM!  Put that in your pipe and smoke it!  I just so happened to be with the Big Sis and LFBIL, so of course I had him walk run with me.  We ran a little over 4 miles and it was so fun running in the city.  Although I should note that drinking excessive moderate amounts of wine the night before you run is a no no.  You knew that already, right?  We ended up running just over 4 miles and I was kinda, sorta, maybe on the struggle bus.  Apparently LFBIL really LOVES city running, so after we got back to our hotel he pieced out to run another mile or 2.....show off.  I should mention that the last teeny tiny leg of our run I decided to throw in a little "hey, let's sprint to the hotel"...and so we did.  Guess what folks?  I lost. shocker...however, I should add that I totally held my own for a short bit and even LFBIL said he was surprised at how fast my "sprint" was...boom...like lightening.  And of course I have some super not so awesome pics from my time in the Twin cities....

LFBIL at "The Nook"...cheese STUFFED hamburger...yes, please!

Me and Big Sis at the rehearsal dinner....lots of wine. 

LFBIL, Me and Big Sis on the Trolley tour during the rehearsal dinner.  It was the most awesome rehearsal dinner to date.

more WINE!  Have I mentioned my love for wine?  I LOVE me some wine!

Lots of wine at the wedding.

end of the night.  LFBIL had a few drinks ;)

I do have a few pics of me and LFBIL on our run through the twin cities, but of course I accidently
deleted them....whoops!  I will post them once the LFBIL and Big Sis get back form their all around awesome sauce trip to Greece.  It's okay to hate on them for a hot second....I do.

Welcome Back Hubs!!

Oh, sweet, sweet outdoor running....Why do you make me want to poke my eyeballs out?  Seriously, why does running have to be so hard?  Don't get me wrong, I am still 100% committed to my goal, but it has been a rough couple of weeks trying to "run my half off" and I'm wondering when I'm gonna get my groove back....UGH!

Since I've broken up with the treadmill, I'm back to early morning runs that are scheduled around who can watch my wee ones.  Yet another wonder of the gym is the free childcare that comes with it...sniff sniff...I miss you mill...  I decided to beg ask the Hubs to come off the injured list to help me through my run this morning.  After my last outdoor run I knew better than to try and go it alone today.  I had originally asked LFBIL to join me on my run, but since he was unavailable I had no choice but to guilt the Hubs into helping me.  How could he resist this face, right?  He couldn't, so he ran with me...sucka!

And so we embarked on a nice little 4 mile run.  My goal wasn't speed, but to finish...pretty pretty please just let me finish...I swear there is nothing more humbling than going for a long run, thinking you're conditioned for it and failing miserably. That being said, I honestly wasn't sure how the Hubs was gonna do on our run since it had been so long since he had pounded the pavement.  I mean 4 miles is a legit distance when you're recovering from a stress fracture and haven't run in weeks.  In the end he did awesome and even though I wouldn't call it an easy run for either of us, we FINISHED and that's all that counts!!  I was so excited to complete 4 miles without quitting (even if at some points I really, REALLY, REALLY wanted too) and I owe it all to the Hubs!  Just having a running partner made me accountable so that I couldn't quit and I am so thankful.  I GUARANTEE if I had been alone I would have walked a bit, or alot....who knows.  Point is, I'm a better runner when I have a partner.

So....after 4 not so awesome but we totally finished it miles......Here we are...

I think I may have been in a better place than the Hubs after our run.....our little Dude was the one who wanted to flex his muscle...the Hubs was just tryin' to breathe :)

We shall see how this weeks outdoor runs go, but I'm thinking I can only go up from here.....right?