Running my rainy days away....

It's been a LONG time since I wrote anything.

I never could have imagined how busy life with two little girls would be.
It doesn't help that I work full time

AND

I've committed to running a MARATHON.

Yes, you read that right, a marathon.

That's 26.2 miles people.
I've gone over the ledge.
Insane, I tell ya.

This past weekend my long run was 10 miles.
In the past I would have looked at that number with crazy eyes.

Saturday, I woke up and it was raining.
Boo.
But that doesn't mean there is no run.
Oh no.
Runners run in just about any weather.
I still have a hard time considering my self a runner,
but I'm at least a wannabe, so I sucked it up.

I run with Team In Training,
(an AMAZING group of individuals running to eliminate cancer)
and the group run was being held at a local college that had a 3 mile loop around its campus.

Loop 1.
Not so bad, a little misty rain.
Loop 2.
About halfway through and the downpour came.
I tucked my iPhone that was strapped to my arm into my armpit.
My hat was dripping,
and all I could think was,
"this is pretty awesome!"

Awesome?
Really?
Really.

10 rainy miles.
Slow, but completed.

I've gone far since last writing.

Literally.

13.1 miles to be exact.
I RAN A HALF MARATHON!
(and now I'm hooked.)


I have also dropped a few sizes and a few pounds.
I have more confidence.
I have more sparkle.

I still have far to go.
I still am figuring out myself and what makes me tick.
I still am a mess.
(I suppose that I'll always be a mess, but I'd like to be at least a more organized one.)


I have big plans.

First off is to clean the kitchen.
Like, SPOTLESS clean it.
After all, my mom IS coming to visit this weekend.

In full disclosure, this is what it looks like now, as I write this...

Very messy, I know.

But you've got to look at the before to truly appreciate the after.

(That's what I'm telling myself anyway.)

Seriously though...

I'm reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

It's helping.  

I started it about two months ago, but I wasn't ready for it.

I got 34 pages in and put it down.

I just wasn't ready to commit.

I am now.

What do you write about when you don't have enough time to write?

Days have been passing so quickly this summer.
I haven't had time to take pictures.
I haven't had time to bake.
I haven't had time to do any crafts.

I have time to work, eat, sleep, play with my girls,
and besides that, I have made time to run.

There have been so many times when I've wanted to write,
but then I'd have to find a time to sit down.
Then those thoughts about what I was going to write about leave before I get to sit down again.

So what do you write about when you don't have time to write?
LIFE.
Write about what happens between those times when I get to sit down.

For instance, I am the proud new owner of an iPhone4!
(this should help with my blogging, in theory)

I ran 7 miles on Saturday and almost cried.
Not because I was in pain, but because I RAN 7 MILES!

I am leaving for vacation next week and I plan on doing NOTHING work-related all week.
That would really be a vacation b/c I generally can't go home without thinking about something that needs to be done at work.

That's what you write about.  For now anyway! ;)

I just realized...

I had taken such a large break from blogging that I failed to SHOW you the accomplishment that led me to believe that I can actually complete a 1/2 marathon.

I did a 5K.

That's right,
I completed a 5K and my brain thought, hey if I can do that I can quadruple that distance and do 13 miles.
No biggie.
Ha.

Anyway,  here is my proud moment with my lovely family surrounding me.
I love my little family.
I think I'll keep them. ;)

Be Strong, Get Stronger.

On Saturday I learned a big lesson.

I showed up for my Team In Training group run apprehensively expecting to run 5 miles.
I had done it once before.
Well, sort of.  I walked about a quarter of a mile in the middle somewhere.
I knew it was technically easier to run with people, but still 5 miles was intimidating to me.

I know, I know, get over it, I'll be running 13 in September.
(well at least that's my plan)


To my surprise, our run coach was going on about the trail run we were about to embark upon and cheerfully said, "So, we'll all run to the hospital and the marathoners will go on, the halfers we'll get back to your cars.  The hospital is 6 miles."

Um, what!?  6 MILES!?
I had a mini panic attack.
I tried to suppress it because not too many others seemed concerned.
(I did see to other women mouth to each other, "6?")


So we were off.
I started running and was again keeping pace with Bernice,
who I had run with last time.

The run wasn't easy, there were ups,
there were downs, and we took a wrong turn that added about .2 onto our mileage.
(hey, .2 is big for me when I'm attempting to run 6 miles for the first time EVER in my LIFE.)


But Bernice kept me going, kept my pace strong.
(By strong I don't mean fast, I'm still slow, but at least I was consistently slow... although I realized I'm not as slow as I think I am, many are slower than me.  --Insert little confidence boost here)


When I would start to say I didn't know how I would do it,
Or when we got to one of the many hills,
Bernice kept saying, "Be strong, get stronger."

She kept reminding me to push myself and be strong and it WILL make me stronger.

She's right.

I don't think I've ever been more confident in myself.
Not just my running abilities that are starting to pop up,
but just in myself in general.

My new mantra when the going gets tough...
"BE STRONG, GET STRONGER."

Even Rashidi said he's stealing it for when he's training his athletes this fall. :)

My usual running adventures....

It was HOT today.
But I knew that I wasn't going to want to run tomorrow since I'm taking the girls on a special trip tomorrow,
so I sucked it up and ran.

I was just finishing what I could (2.3 miles)
(not as far as I WANTED to, but like I said, it was hot. and humid)
and I ran into a new friend.

This is the best picture I could get,

considering the camera was my ipod.

and it was attached to my arm with velcro.

I got MUCH closer, 

probably two or three more steps and I could have gave him a little pat on the back.

He just looked at me, nodded his head, and went back to eating his clover.

All I could really do was start my cool down walk home.

At least he wasn't a skunk.

running.... never a dull moment.

Last summer when I started the Couch to 5K program and had my fair share of obstacles,
meaning, my run ins with wildlife,
I should have learned that maybe it's not for me.

Yesterday, while working on a 3-mile run,
I was chugging along, mouthing the words to one of the songs on my "Run" playlist.

I saw it coming.
Straight at me.
Right as I opened my mouth to belt out a chorus (silently, you never know who's listening).
A bug.

Tell me how those tiny little insects have such perfect aim.
RIGHT IN MY MOUTH.

I choked, gagged, spit and almost threw up....

I finished my run with a little more protein in me than when I started.
Goos and Gels?  Who needs those? ;)

By the way, when I got home and told the hubby and kids what happened
all Madison could say was, "How many legs did it have mom?"
And all I could do was shudder and shake my head.
Ew.