Jill: On the Calendar

We have 2 races coming up.  Like official-I-have-already-signed-up-and-paid-for races.  I am woefully unprepared. 

July: The Color Run

Doing a Color Run was Stephanie's idea. The race website claims it is "The Happiest 5K on the Planet".  Hmmm.  Clearly this is false advertising since there will be no wine (or alcohol of any kind for that matter) or cheese involved with the official race.  What IS going to make this the Happiest 5K for us is that we have decided to travel to Louisville to do the Sunday race. And we are going down Saturday night for night out on the town. And staying in a free hotel.  With no husbands.  And no kids.  Which makes me very happy indeed, but also means that we may be walking this event, which makes me even happier since I am unprepared.  In fact, I think I've spent more time thinking about outfits than actually training.  We have given careful consideration to our white outfits which include white tube socks, shirts, possible head and wrist bands, and the crowing achievement of very fluffy homemade tutus:

Great work, Steph. My new goal is not to have severe chafing on my arms by the end of the race.

August: The Mudathalon

This fine idea was first proposed by SmokedGouda after our Jingle Bell 5K.  So we all signed up as a team, chose our start time, and paid.  Guess who is now too pregnant to slosh around in the mud next month?  That's right, Ms. Gouda won't be joining us on this adventure.  I suspect she will be lounging around at home in the air conditioning, laughing a Dr. Evil-type laugh as she thinks about the rest of us running and climbing through the mud in hellish hot weather. My only comfort is knowing that she won't have a glass of wine in her hand.

This might be the most ridiculous thing we've signed up for yet.  First, I have a major problem with the fact that this supposed to be a running race.  Let's do the math: 40 obstacles over 3.1 miles.  Although the obstacles are not evenly spaced, the math teacher in me still needs to point out that there will be about three obstacles for every quarter of a mile.  So really this is less about running and more about jogging to the next obstacle.  Second, the obstacles have names like Shifty Spools, Tunnel of Terror, Heaping Hay Bails, and Cricketed Creek Crossing.  None of these sound particularly enjoyable.  Did I mention that I am unprepared?  The silver lining of this race is simple:  Beer at the finish.  At this point, I am willing to overlook the absence of wine and cheese and be thankful for any alcoholic beverage. 

Steph: Running the Mediterranean

So I just returned from a 17 day AMAZING trip to Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Croatia.  Twelve days of it was on a cruise through Royal Caribbean which went fabulously.  Three things opened my eyes a little about myself, both before and during the trip.

Thing #1:  Before even going on the cruise, I found myself planning runs while on vacation.  Yes, I just said those words.  I PLANNED to run and looked for the best possible days to do so while I was on the cruise. Then while we were on the cruise, I actually ran 4 different times for two to three miles each time.  Yes, 4 times in 12 days does NOT make me "serious" or "real" runner in my mind.  But, I do finally feel like it makes me a runner.  A plain, ordinary runner.  And that is the very FIRST time that I have ever admitted that.  To myself or others.

Thing #2:  I found running on the boat in the middle of the Mediterranean a little fun.  Yes, I just said fun.  I know, I know.  By now, if you have been following my blog entries, you just passed out on the floor.  I still say only a little fun though.  There came a point where my body went ... ok, you are done.  But until that point, I was enjoying running.  I even challenged myself a couple of times.  I usually run about a 12 minute mile which is set at speed 5 on a treadmill.  On two of my runs, I wanted to see what I could do, so I upped the speed.  Once I ran the middle mile of my run at 5.8.  Another time, I ran the middle mile at 6.0.  The other two runs I did were on the outdoor hanging track so I don't know what speed.  It was fun to challenge myself and see how fast/far I could go.   Also, I enjoyed jogging at other points too.  Like I chose to jog up the stairs in the cruise ship (racing Mike) instead of taking the elevators.  We took them only twice.  Once, when Athens almost killed me :) and the other was when we had our luggage.  I jogged up stairs in the cities and up hills and whenever else I could.  I actually found jogging up things was easier that walking them.  On the other hand, when you walk over 300 stairs to the top of the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral, there is definitely walking involved.

Thing #3 - I read a running book that my friend Abi recommended.  It was fabulous and made me completely understand the motivation behind ultra runners.  I am not one of those runners by any measure, but I now "get it" and I am completely jealous of their ability.  The book is called Born to Run and I highly recommend it.  The author tells one central story while meandering off on side stories that tell interesting historical facts.  It is difficult at times to follow, but I made it through and LOVED every second of the reading. It has made me open my eyes to WHY I should/shouldn't be running and what my body can really do if I let it.

So I had a great trip and at the same time grew as a runner.  Good times!

P.S.  I realized (thanks to Jill) that I forgot to add in some of the best parts of my trip.  Wine and cheese, of course.  So here are two of my FAVORITE pictures from the trip :)

Cheese and Olives in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Italian Beer and Prosecco Bellini

in Venice, Italy

(and husband Mike in the background!)

Steph: The Rollercoaster

So to say the least, this experience has had a million ups and downs just like a rollercoaster.  Let me list the ways ...

1.  DOWN:  Motivation.  I just don't want to run ... often ... But, I still do it.  Within the last month, I was having trouble even forcing myself to run. To force motivation, I signed up for another race in my neighborhood called the OTR 5K to give myself a goal to work towards.  It worked.  I just finished the race last weekend and had a great time doing so.  Even if it was SUPER hot out!  It was my first official hot run, but I actually had fun.  I encouraged my sister-in-law Christina through the run and she did an AMAZING job even though she was unsure of herself at first.  Check out her blog @ http://workschapp.blogspot.com/

So let's take a minute for a quick race report ...

         I started with a yummy 'runners' breakfast.  It was super hot outside.
         We were downtown doing a city run.  The traffic was NOT stopped
         for us in a couple places.  We had to stop for it.  Even with that I
         averaged a 12 minute mile.  Right off the bat, there was a HUGE
         hill that we had to run up.  Christina told me that I increased my
         pace significantly on the hill.  I think that I just really wanted to get
         to the top!!!!  Lastly, we ended with a really fun block party type
         festival!  Good times.  (Which is crazy talk because I NEVER
         would have thought in a million years that I would EVER use those
         words in conjunction with running!!)

                 

  

 

Now back to my roller coaster ride:

2.  UP:  Planning.  I need a plan.  Something I have recently realized is SUPER important to my success.  I always knew that I liked planning things, but never how much I needed to do it.  So to keep the motivation going, Jill and I started a 10K running plan.  And I have it in writing, so it is official.  We are 1 week into the plan and I feel a new sense of motivation for running again!!! I have a new goal and a new plan.  Two things that I LOVE and need!

3.  WAY UP:  Fun.  The more fun the races, the better.  So we have planned a COLOR run in Louisville at the end of July and a Mudathlon in August.  Both of these are fun and different and crazy and right up my alley!  The only way that they could get better is if they involved wine or food :)

4.  DOWN:  Weight Gain/Loss.  I didn't start this to lose weight.  I knew that I was "pleasantly plump" and I was O.K. with that.  I knew that I LOVED eating delicious and interesting food and that chunkier weight was a side effect.  Then I started losing weight.  Then I liked that it seemed to be just falling off of me.  I went down a dress/pant size and down a shirt size.  Then I saw a new 'decade' in weight for the first time since college.  Then it all stopped.  I didn't gain any.  But I wasn't losing either.  Then I felt discouraged.  Then it stayed that way for 2 months.  Then I tried a crazy "cleansing" diet to break through my plataeu and it worked.  I lost 8 more pounds.  But now, I am at another plateau it seems :(

5.  UP:  Bonding.  This running thing has been a great bonding experience between my girlfriends and I.  I enjoy anything that gives women a chance to encourage each other through something instead of creating negativity.  It has also increased the bonding moments between my husband and I.  Sometimes I want to scream at him while he is pushing me to go farther and other times I am thankful that he doesn't give up.  Either way, it is something that we are doing together and that is time well spent.

6.  WAY UP:  The Picture.  I have always hated myself in pictures.  I have huge cheeks.  My husband jokingly calls them chipmunk cheeks because it looks like I store food in them.  I joked with him about them in return at times.  It was really fine with me because I didn't think they would ever go away.  I just thought they were a part of who I am.  So pictures sucked just like the first one below.  Then, I saw the second picture below that was taken of my husband and I.  I looked O.K., but I thought the cheeks were not showing up because of the angle of my face.  Then friends took the third picture below, it is a picture of my face from a straight on angle.  I was shocked.  I can see my actual face.  I am NOT just looking at cheeks.  It is AMAZING!!!!  I can see a difference in these three pictures.  It has single handedly re-motivated me.  I am NOT giving up.  I am determined to lose another 20 pounds in the next year.  It is going to happen!

          

Picture 1:  Taken about 1 1/2 years ago.

Picture 2:  Taken about 2 months ago.

         

Picture 3:  Taken 1 week ago.

Jill: New Kicks

Last weekend I finally got out the door to get my new running shoes.  This was way overdue, but I kept putting it off because all of that unpaid maternity leave put a dent in the household budget.  I was also waiting for the spring clearance sale at Bob Roncker's, which is our local running specialty store.  They are super nice and very knowledgeable, and they totally treat us like real runners instead of the cheese-loving, wine-drinking pretend runners we really are.  For example, real runners get really excited about new gear like tech clothing, GPS watches, socks and hydration equipment.  But shoes really take the cake.  Everyone dissects the latest models and foot wear trends (crazy barefoot people, I'm talking to you).  Heck, even Runner's World has the "shoe issue" every year.

I, on the other hand, despise shoe shopping.  Problem number 1 is that my feet are almost a full half size different from each other.  That makes finding a shoe that fits nicely on both feet somewhat annoying.  But the fun doesn't stop there.  I have been wearing special orthodics in my shoes since the age of 15 because I have arches that look like this:

Needless to say, it takes me awhile to find shoes that work well for my high maintenance feet.  My last two pair were very simple Asics Gels that I loved very much.  Unfortunately, I was determined to get something that was on sale ($60 or less!!!).  I ended up finding these which remind me quite a bit of my old shoes and have so far felt good:

Mizuno Wave 7. That's right.  They are the OLDER model. More proof I'm not a real runner.

To celebrate my success in finding a workable pair of new kicks, I'm leaving you with a few of my favorite songs about shoes.  Enjoy!

Steph: Shamrock Shuffle

I am super excited to run the Shamrock Shuffle on March 10th. Not only is it the first 5K that I KNOW I will be able to run .... but it also is an opportunity to raise money for our school. I love it. In addition, we get to dress like fools and maybe raise even more money for our school.

I have new confidence! I can run without stopping for 2 miles straight and I have a plan in place to get to 3 miles by March 10th. I actually feel like it is really going to happen for the first time since we started. Don't get me wrong .... every time I know I am going to run, I have to mentally prepare myself for it. Convince myself that it is a good idea and that I won't die doing it. But I have been convincing myself. I have been doing it. I will continue ....

And my husband ... he is AMAZING about this running stuff all of a sudden. He is so supportive and loving and I could not ask for more from him. Thank GOD for him and for my running buddy Jill who impresses me every time she runs .... because she has A LOT more to juggle at home than I do. So thanks to my support team .... I would not be here without you :)

Jill: Motivation and Smiles

It's always tough to stay motivated when there is no race date circled on the calendar.  Until we finalize that next date, here are some things to ponder:

Steph: My Hamster Wheel

At least once a week, I run with my husband at the downtown Y. (When I can't hook up with my running buddies.) It is very close to our house and as the weather gets colder and colder, it conveniently has an indoor hanging track.

But...the track hangs above the small gym in an ancient downtown building which means that you have to run around the track 26 times to equal a mile. That is correct. I said 26 times. Until this week, it has not been a big deal. I have been measuring my running in seconds and minutes NOT mileage. This week, I bumped myself up to level 4 on the "Couch to 5k" program. That means that I start looking at mileage.

I successfully ran 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, 1/4 mile, and 1/2 mile intervals on Monday with walking in between. That means I successfully ran 1 and 1/2 miles. If you had told me that this was going to happen when I started 6 weeks ago, I would have laughed in your face. I am not a runner. I can't even run one lap around the track. Yeah right that I will ever run a mile, let alone a 5k. But, as Jill so nicely puts it, I am a sucker for peer pressure and when my friends decided to do this, I was dragged along kicking and screaming.

So, back to the hamster wheel. This is what it looks like to do my current intervals at the mini track. Walk 10 laps, Run 6.5 laps, walk 3.5 laps, run 13 laps, walk 4 laps, run 6.5 laps, walk 3.5 laps, run 13 laps, walk 4 laps. FINISHED!!!!! Yes, it is that ridiculous, and Thank God that both my husband and I were counting because at some point we both lost track. But I kind of liked it. It gave me mini goals that I could accomplish like "I already ran 4 laps, I am 1/3 way there" or "now I have hit 10 laps, 3 more sounds easy."

So I am O.K. with my hamster wheel even though it feels like ...

And while looking for this picture, I found that there are REAL human-sized hamster wheels. Who knew??