Alive but not kicking Part Deux....

To all my loyal followers, readers, bloggy friends and those who I am lucky enough to know in person...

I am alive and still not kicking. I wish I had some exciting story about alien abduction or a sweet surprise month-long romantic trip to Paris...but alas I have only a story of a medical problem that has me sidelined. I am not sure how long I will be out but I think at least a couple more weeks, hopefully. Thank you all for your well-wishes, I am sure they have helped. Keep them coming and hopefully I will be back to my old hill-running self again!

Happy holidays and Happy New Year!!

Still Alive

but not kickin'.

Thanks to all of you who have sent well-wishes my way...they may be working but keep them coming. I feel a bit better but I still have a pounding headache that will not go away. I am sure it is only partially due to illness though....stress among other things always wears me down.

I need to run. I need to run for 100 miles....it very well may kill me if I did that but it would be a cool way to go. But really, I have not been able to clear my mind and hit the pavement since Tuesday. I can feel things piling on, the way they do when I don't get to run them off. It's like missing therapy and that is no bueno! I need to charge myself a no-show fee and enforce a strict no cancellation policy. It would be for my own good...

Today I am Grateful for:

people who notice and make a point give a smile.

Easy return policies.

Sick and Tired

Nothing like being sick to make you remember how awesome it is to not be sick. Ugh...I feel like roadkill, like death warmed over, like swine flu x 10. I must have Ebola or something. It hit hard it hit fast. I went to the YMCA yesterday for a 3 mile run (at 8:30/mile pace). I felt fine. Nothing to warn me of my impending illness. That was at 1:30. I went about the rest of my day and by 9 PM I was achy and icky. So here I am, a day on the couch with three blankets, chicken noodle soup, chocolate milk, OJ, and drugs.....Hopefully I will wake up and feel fine tomorrow! After all I have a 12K coming up in 12 days and I need to do some running!

I am done whining and feeling sorry for myself, for now.

Today I am grateful for:
Our law enforcement and their commitment to keeping our communities safe.
Tylenol.
Preschool.

Happy Running Friends! Stay warm and stay healthy!

And the Winner Is.....

As promised this morning I am announcing the winner of the awesome Asics Visor!



And the lucky winner is.....comment number 29 generated from random.org:

Oz Runner!!

Yay! His winning comment said, "Super hero? Probably Flash, because he is the fastest and I am super slow..." I love it!!!

Now, about my new plan! I have decided on the Oklahoma City Marathon! Now I just have to register, train, and buy some plane tickets! In the interim I will be running the Mercer Island Half which is only 15 weeks away! So training for this officially begins tomorrow! The only problem is...training? Um, I guess I am actually training for a full marathon with a half only a month before. So how the heck do I train for a half in the midst of marathon training (and I still want that sub 2, seriously)? Marathon training is uncharted waters for me. All I know is all you marathon crazies are out there running 15, 18, 20, 22, 24 mile long runs. That is all I know. I am still considering the Bonney Lake Fleet Marathon Training Group, but um, that might be hard. :) Ok, marathons are hard, I get it, but I feel intimidated by an official training group. I know that this will be the best choice for me and the most effective way to ensure that I actually follow through and make it to the starting line of the marathon. Accountability. That is what I need.

Today I am grateful for:

My Christmas tree,crooked and all with lights and decorations!

Sleeping in until 7 AM!

The excitement on my Little Buddy's face when he saw the tree all lit up in the dark living room. Priceless!

All my new bloggy followers! Welcome!

A New Plan

Is today Wednesday? Oh man! I have done absolutely NOTHING since Sunday! I was only a little bit sore after Sunday's half, my ankles the most. That was strange. But really there is no excuse for not running except that I have been resting. Monday left me feeling a little lost not being in the throes of a training plan. I kept thinking, "Now what?". I want to do a marathon, a full 26.2. For some reason I am hesitant to commit. I think I am just scared. Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone! But after three days of thinking (and my brain is smokin') I have decided on a plan.

-3/21 Mercer Island Half Marathon with some local bloggers and buddies! Yay!!!! This MUST be my sub 2. AND this is my 31st birthday! Again....SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! That my friends stays HERE on my blog.

-4/25 or 5/2 Full Marathon. The particular one is to be decided. I have wanted to do the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon (4/25) for years. I want this to be my first marathon. I am from Oklahoma and the OKC Bombing is an event that I remember well. I was sitting in Physiology class with Mr. Hula when the news came. So this marathon has special meaning to me. Not to mention I will have an excuse to travel home to see my fam, AND have a cheering squad, always a bonus. The other one that I could do is the Tacoma City Marathon. This one starts about 2 miles from my front door. They are one week apart. What are the chances I could pull off both? Hmmm.....could be possible!

And to all my new followers....WOW! Welcome!! If you haven't entered my Asics Visor giveaway you can do so HERE. I wore this visor (well not THE one I am giving away but its twin) during my half on Sunday and it was awesome! It kept the hair out of my eyes. It wasn't too hot! Sometimes when I wear my regular baseball type hat my head gets hot. The visor allowed my head to breath. It also worked to keep the sweat from running into my eyes, ouch! And the best thing about it....for one of my bloggy followers it will be FREE! :) Can't beat that! You have until Sunday Dec. 5.

Today I am grateful for:
Fluffy pillows.
My down comforter.
Zoo lights!

RIP Seattle Half

Where do I begin? It all began at 5:10 A.M. I woke up, reluctantly. The plan was to be on the road by 6. I got dressed and milled around for a while then I got my Little Buddy out of bed at 5:50. AN the RB, my cheering squad leader and babysitter, arrived just before 6. She is so good at being on time, me…not so much. I sliced up an apple for the road and made some toast and added some peanut butter. We were on the road by 6:15, no biggie.

Like a noob I took the wrong exit, the exit that all the other noobs took. If I had been smart we would have exited earlier and missed all the traffic. I was getting nervous about making it to the start. But it is a chip start so it doesn’t really matter when you start as long as you are close. Parking was crazy so we parked illegally for a few minutes so I could put on my shoes, get all my stuff together and snap a quick pic.

I made my way to the Porta Potty (or Honey Bucket as these weird Pacific North Westerners call it) line and lucked out in finding a Porta Potty without an official line, so I obliged in making a line and only waited about 1 minute. Thank goodness!

I jogged to the start and made a few warm up attempts, something I don’t normally do. Then I shouldered my way through the wad of people and got kind of close to the start, significantly closer than last year. I got my Garmin ready and before I knew it it was time! I walked to the starting line amongst thousands of people! When I stepped on the timing pad I started my watch and began to jog. I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people out there, running. As far as the eye could see, straight up the street was a sea of people…It was beautiful. I was so proud to be one of those people, a person taking my life and my health and getting it under control, a person who cares about myself and strives for a goal. A person who is up and running at 7:30 AM on a Sunday. I thought about those who were at church and I realized that I am using a gift and an ability that God gave to me. It was awesome.

I ran and worked at keeping my pace under control. I had adrenaline rushing through my veins, I could feel it pushing me to run faster.

Mile 1: 8:36
Mile 2: 7:57 (what on EARTH? That was NOT in the plan!)
Mile .41: 3:50 (on track for about 8 min mile).

That’s right, mile .41. I got ATTACKED by some SERIOUS Garmin Gremlins. I have no clue what happened but my poor Garmin was smoking and completely went nuts. I have a feeling maybe it had to do with thousands of other GPS/Garmin devices all around but I have no evidence of that. I spent a good half a mile jogging and trying to get the watch back on track and finally reset it around mile 4.

Mile 4: 9:16.31
Mile 5: 8:33.11
Mile 6: 9:17.82
Mile 7: 9:57.14
Mile 8: 10:38.9
Mile 9: 9:57.10
Mile 10: 10.23.66
Mile 11: 10:11.22
Mile 11: 10.10.39
Mile 12: 10:02.41
Mile 13: 9:57.14

And this is not completely accurate since I had to restart up my Garmin mid race. And look at those times! I am ALL OVER THE PLACE! What happened, aside from pooping out at mile 7?

The OFFICAL overall time was 2:08.05

So I accomplished goals C and D. I beat last year’s time AND I finished.

Somewhere around mile 8 my eyes were drawn to the crowd where I saw AN the RB and my Little Buddy waving all crazy like! It was awesome! They were hootn’ and hollering! I was so proud and it made me almost cry. I was on emo control for the next half mile, trying to hold back the tears. I have finished nearly every single race wishing The Hubs could see me finish (this one was no different) but the next best thing is to have my awesome friend and my Little Buddy there. It was great!

There came a point around mile 9 where I wondered to myself, “Why am I doing this?” I felt like I was going to throw up, I had to pee, I was tired, my arches were screaming…and the hills kept rolling. I wanted to quit. I saw no purpose in completing this race. I lost sight of my why. I had to look inside and remind myself why I could not quit, why I had to keep running, why I had to finish and do my best. This became a race against myself, not the thousands of people around me. When life gets hard I don’t quit. When I want to lay down and burry myself under a pile of leaves I don’t, I dig deep and keep going. Quitting does not make the problem go away, after all I would have had to get back to the finish line, and my ride home, somehow. I did a lot of self-evaluation and reflection during this mile and I realized that I am strong and I can do whatever it is I put my mind to, and as long as I do my best it is all I can ask. If I gave up on this race I would have been giving up on myself and setting a trend I am not willing to accept. I cannot do that, not now.

Around mile 10 I started to feel pretty good and actually came out of my thoughts to look around at the scenery. This is when I noticed I was running up the hills that I walked up last year. Not only that but I felt pretty good, or at least OK! Wow! It was hard, but not as hard as I remembered it being last year. I began to feel confident that I would in fact beat last year’s time. I kept on going and ticked off another mile. Mile 11 is always a tough one for me, three miles to go. Nonetheless this mile passed uneventfully. Mile 12, ah sweet mile 12 how I love thee, kind of. I kept telling myself, “Barely a mile left!” I thought about all the marathoners and how they have twice as far to go. I wondered if I really do have a marathon within me, I’m not so sure. I just had to go one more mile. The middle half of that last mile was down hill, a welcomed reprieve. But then there was an uphill (and I mean straight UP) just before a jog around a corner where people lined the street and sent us running down a shoot into a stadium…the FINISH LINE! I saw AN the RB and my Little Buddy cheering me on! It was wonderful!

I have only been more excited to cross a finish line once and that was last year at this same race. But today I had done it. 2:08.05. Not my best time but not my worst. I am laying the Seattle Half to rest (RIP), I have made my redemption. I came. I conquered. I climbed my Everest, twice. The lessons learned when we push ourselves to the limit are lessons not easily forgotten. With each half marathon I run I learn a little bit more about myself, who I am, what I am made of, and my character. I am not a quitter. I may not be fiercely competitive with those around me but I am in a constant battle with myself, to push myself to new levels, whether they be physical, spiritual, or mental. Today I became stronger.

7:15 AM getting ready to head to the start:

Yipee! I did it! SO glad to be DONE!

And again, how I reall felt, I have seen this face before! :)

At the finish line...

I got to meet Kerrie T! She did awesome too! It was so cool to meet her! I was thinking about her during the race and wondered if somehow we were running close to each other! I love this picture and our Superman Capes!

Today I am grateful for:
Finishing this race.
All of you, my bloggy followers and readers, you were with me each step of the way!
Dont forget about my Asics Visor giveaway (HERE)! I wore it today and it was awesome!

Aim High, All or Nothing...The Death March

Well, there it was...staring me in the face as I looked at my bib last night.

I had to put down a goal time. Hmmm...I thought about it for about 2 min then I went ahead and put my goal time of 1:59.59. After all that IS my goal. I am nervous about putting that out there because I have doubts that it will happen. It hasn't happened yet, not on flat courses and not on a little bit hilly courses, and certainly NOT on the Seattle course. I am not giving up on that goal but I am prepared to not accomplish it. Is that strange? Should I be willing to go out there this morning is completely kill myself? Should I be of the mindset that if I don't get this sub 2 time and I CAN walk to the car I did not give it my best? Is it the guts to give it my all that separates the men from the boys? Have I given my all in a half yet? We will see what this race holds....

Plan A: 1:59.59
Plan B: 2:05.59
Plan C: Finish sub 2:23.12
Plan D: Finish.

I think I can accomplish at least one of these goals!

Here's to a good running day!

I'll be back for a full race report later!

And don't forget about my giveaway (HERE)!

14.5 hours til Race time!

With mere hours to go before my race tomorrow I have made my list and am checking it twice.
1. Body glide, for sure!

2. New iPod shuffle loaded with all the run fast songs I need, and it's PINK! Thanks Hubs!

3. New Brooks running tights (pics to come tomorrow!)

4. Thorlo thin cushion running with Coolmax socks to wick the moisture away!

5. Gu, Vanilla Bean flavor.

6. Bib, timing chip and safety pins.

7. Garmin and heart rate monitor.

8. Awesome new Asics visor that will be taking the place of my hat! I have to have something to keep my hair and the rain out of my eyes!

And, I have one for one of my lucky blog readers and members! That's right! My first giveaway is this awesome Asics visor! I didn't know this but Asics is actually an acronym from the Latin phrase "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano," or translated into English "a sound mind in a sound body". I am super excited for one of you to win this!

So, how do you enter? Easy, leave a separate comment for each entry, and you get one entry per comment:

1. Become a 5 Miles 2 Empty follower or let me know if you already are! Leave a comment!

2. Share this giveaway and link it on your blog, facebook, or twitter or however you can spread the word. Leave a comment to let me know!

3. If you could be a super hero, which one would you be and why?

The winner will be announced next Sunday, Dec. 6!

Moving on....this afternoon My Little Buddy and I dropped The Hubs off at the airport then headed to the Expo in downtown Seattle. Wow! The traffic was ridiculous due to all the football going on (UW and WSU just to name one). So we finally found our way to the Westin and made our way in. I got my goodie bag, my bib, and my timing chip. If I remember nothing else tomorrow I must remember my bib and my chip. Of course my Little Buddy was super excited about all the Christmas trees and decoration. He let me snap his picture here in front of the sign...

Then it was his turn to take MY picture. Thanks Buddy, love it!

I will be making some yummy pasta soon and I hope to get to bed early tonight! I can't wait to give you my full race recap tomorrow! Send good vibes! I will need them!!!

Today I am grateful:

-that tomorrow is finally my race, I am ready to move on to a new one!

-my new iPod Shuffle

-everyone who has supported me and encouraged me during my training for this race tomorrow!

-Mel-Tall Mom on the Run, not only because of her super awesome giveaway that I totally want to win (HERE) but because she has helped me train and has been so supportive of me. She is truly a one of a kind and I am so stoked to have her on my cheering squad. A good dose of Tall Mom does the racer good!

Is It Time To PANIC?

My Little Buddy has a fever. He has been breathing all over me, climbing all over me, kissing me, licking me (yes, he thinks he is a puppy sometimes), snuggling and cuddling with me, coughing on me, sneezing on me....and the list goes on. I cannot, REPEAT: CANNOT get sick right now. That could be detrimental to my half on Sunday. Not to mention I have been stressed out all week, which always translates into a weaker immune system. So cross your fingers friends!

On a side note, only 11 miles this week! Today is an easy 4 miles, tomorrow a 30 tempo run and Turkey Day is only 3 miles! After that I rest until Sunday.

Today I am grateful for:
Fuzzy socks!
Happy memories.
Breaks in the rain.
My first giveaway!! Hooray! More on that Thursday!

Run Happy everyone!!

My Happy Place

First of all I want to say WOW!
THANKS TO ALL MY NEW FOLLOWERS!
Welcome to the madness that is me and my running life!

The photo below is My Happy Place, along with The Train Trestle I blogged about last month (read about that HERE). When I get tired or overwhelmed I want to close my eyes and see myself standing here, with the waves crashing and the sun setting. The sand under my feet. Everything seems to melt away, until I open my eyes and see the dark dreary skies that are here for the next 7 months.

Where is your happy place?

On more of a running note, OUCH! I forgot to wear my body glide (oops) during my awesome run with Tall Mom. My arm pits are on fire! My shirt, bra and arms (I guess????) all rubbed together to rub my sweet smelling pits raw. Grrrrr! I know better but body glide slipped my mind. I almost always were it when I am running anything over 10 miles. Next Sunday I will not forget!! Mark. My. Words.

Today I am grateful for:
My awesome dog who is ever-forgiving (will I be so lucky with my fiends?)
Wall heaters that make a room so cozy.
My winter Victoria Secret PJ's.
Happy days when all seems right with the world, if even for a moment.

13 Miles of Fun!

I ran 13 miles with Mel-Tall Mom on the Run this morning! I have a few things going right now (like trying to occupy my Little Buddy and Lazy dog while The Hubs is P90X-ing it up in the living room) so I will have to give a full report this evening. Until then I will just have to say it was awesome and Mel rocks the hiz-ouse (I know, I am a nerd and this picture proves it)!

I AM READY FOR SEATTLE! BRING IT!

**EDIT**
Next Sunday is the Seattle Half Marathon, in case you were wondering! I am ready! This morning was my chance to build my confidence, push away all those mean insecurities! A good dose of Tall Mom works wonders! She is such a great running partner! The time passes so quickly and we just gab and gab and gab! The morning was pretty uneventful. The rain even held off with only maybe half a mile (if that) of sprinkles. The temperature hovered around 43 degrees and actually made for a pleasant run.

Here are our stats:

Mile 1: 8:36
Mile 2: 9:05
Mile 3: 9:32
Mile 4: 9:30
Mile 5: 9:27
Mile 6: 9:35
Mile 7: 9:28
Mile 8: 9:45- I got a little tired and tried to slow down a bit, but it didn’t last. :)
Mile 9: 9:25
Mile 10: 9:30
Mile 11: 9:27
Mile 12: 9:31
Mile 13: 9:29

Last random .03 walking: 0:38

Total time: 2:03:05 (minus the .38 seconds 2:02:45)

Can I just say, 2:02:45 is the fastest I have ever run 13 miles? WHAT? My PR for the ½ was in the Tacoma City Half Marathon and I ran a 2:03:26. So where does that leave me for next Sunday? Hmm….Hills are a factor. But no pressure, right? I just have to stick to my plan and go out there and run.

Today I am grateful for:

Taco night!

A long run with no rain!
My Christmas present early, that's right folks, I opened it, I couldn't wait any longer:

My Little Buddy's squishy, cute, and loveable toes (see above left, that is not my hand friends).

Run Happy, Run Strong!

Let's Get Real...

It is dark, wet, dreary, cold and crummy here. Blah. Track work on days like this just plain sucks. Not to mention I am so 8th grade about my running shoes, I want them to be clean and pretty. Running in the rain does not make for eye-piercing white shoes. On last weekend’s long run with Mel my shoes got a little bit dirty, they are just white now, not glowing-white. They are getting broken in and by 9:30 AM next Sunday who knows what they will look like!!!

Yesterday I had a great run with AN the RB. We hit the street with only a plan to run 4 or 5 miles. We ended up with 4.5. And a great run!

Stats for yesterdays run:
Mile 1: 9:41
Mile 2: 9:24
Mile 3: 9:27
Mile 4: 9:13
Mile .5: 4:21
Total: 42:09

Now, for the true confessions.

I think I have an inner fat girl. I know I am not exactly fat. I know that my BMI says I am in the normal range. I know I am in great shape and fit. I know I can run 13.1 miles and still have energy left for the rest of the day. I know I can squat 60pounds and bench 50 (I know that is not a lot but hey, I can do it!). I know I am athletic. But something inside me just empathizes with people who are overweight, I feel like I am right there with them when they struggle, afterall I have an inner fat girl. And then, I can’t get the image of the 5 pounds of fat (Check out Zoe’s blog HERE) out of my head and I know just where that 5 pound blob is sitting: on my thighs and my waist. It won’t budge. I cannot get rid of it. I can run further, run faster, lift more, do tri’s, water aerobics, crossfit, P90x….it will NOT budge. Truly, I am happy with where I am but I strive to be better. I have worked hard to lose 58 pounds. I bet most of my friends and even family who read this blog had no idea that I had that much weight to lose after I had my Little Buddy.

It has been a struggle. I thought it was impossible to juggle being a mom, a wife (military wife nonetheless) and being me. Then I lost me. So it was way easier to juggle mom/wife with ME not in the picture. It has taken me a long time but I have found me. ME! Hi ME! I have missed you! And now I am still learning to juggle and find balance between ME, MOM, and WIFE. It can be done. So I keep running. I keep setting goals, planning races, and focusing on ME! I love having me back and I think I am here to stay!

Today I am grateful for:
ME!
My Little Buddy and The Hubs for supporting me all this time.
Jessica!
My present, that I may have opened! :) More about that next time!

Run Happy Peeps!

Seattle Half: I have a PLAN!

I have been thinking about my Seattle Half Plan. Last year was a serious mess. I had no plan and no idea what I was in for. This was my first BIG race. While it was my 4th half marathon the others I had run were smaller, maybe 1000 people, at the biggest. Seattle was different. It was big. We are talking at least 15,000 people. So I made some serious Rookie Mistakes. I was corralled in near the back of the pack at the start line. I thought the pack would clear out, at least a little bit after they started the walkers. I thought at least half of the wad of people in front of me were walkers (WHY they start the walkers only 5 minutes before the runners is BEYOND me). When I heard the countdown for the walkers to begin I got ready to move forward. Unfortunately the wad did not budge. I waited, and waited. And waited…the wad did not move. At least 5 minutes passed and I decided I had to climb over a barricade and elbow my way into the road where the race was to start. I heard the countdown to begin our run and still it was like trying to swim in a can of sardines.

When there was finally room to begin running I RAN. I ran fast. WAY faster that I was supposed to run, faster than I had trained to run, faster than I was able to run. My pace for that race should have been around 9:30/mile. My first two miles were run at about an 8:15 pace. Big FAT OOPS. All I could think was, “I need to clear the pack!” “I have to break out of this wad of people!” It never happened. There were just too many people. I kept running, fast, so that I could break out of the pack and I thought certainly it would thin out, sooner or later. It didn’t. Not to mention I weaved my way through the crowd and most likely ran 2 miles in the first mile simply due to weaving. By mile four I was pretty tired and I hadn’t really even hit the hills yet.
But this year…THIS YEAR I have a PLAN and a new wit about me. I am running smarter this year. Here is my plan:

Beginning of the race: Get towards the front early. I won’t hang back and make the mistake of waiting for the walkers to clear out, they won’t. I will be up toward the front.

First mile: I will try to settle into my pace (if possible) and not go out too hard too fast. I know I cannot clear the pack. I will not weave like I did last year. A small amount of weaving is ok, but I will not let it get out of control.

Mile 2: Hold my pace and focus on breathing.

Water stations: It seems to work best when I actually walk through the water station. This way I actually get to hydrate and not inhale the water. In the long run this helps. (I am talking walking no more than 5 or 6 steps, just enough to drink then it is back to running).

Mile 3-13.1: Enjoy the run! There are a lot of mind-blowing hills that could easily psych me out,
but I am going to focus on my pace, my legs, my breathing, and my training. The hills will not defeat me this year.

This is my plan as of now. I may add to it as this week progresses and early next week but I feel like I have hit on the major areas that really doomed me last year.

12 Days Until Seattle Half!

Today I am grateful for:

Early morning snuggles with my Little Buddy.

My cozy Ugg boots.

Coffee!

Run Happy Peeps!

11 Miles of Rainy Running (with Tall Mom)!

Today I had date number 2 with Mel-Tall Mom on the Run! I must say, this relationship is moving along nicely, I see a third date in our future!

Last time we met up to run we were honored to be sharing the trail with a fun Pirate Parade (read about that bloggy running meet-up HERE). The park near the trail was bustling with people and pirates...it was fun. This time we were sure it would be easier; less people, less traffic, less cars, more parking. I was happy to be on time (don't hold your breath, that rarely happens) then I saw the road was closed due to a terrible car/semi accident. Uh oh...I am not familiar with the area so I called Mel and told her what was going on. There was no way around it. I decided to park at the nearest trail-head and we would start running toward each other. As I started out I saw a couple of guys who told me it was about three miles to the park, where I was to meet Mel.

By the time I ran into Mel we both had run about 1.3 miles and we were both wearing GREEN jackets! It was pretty neat! So after some painful running math we (ahem...Mel) figured out how far to run before we had to turn around so that I would not have to run a step more than 11 miles. :) He he!

We had such a good time and the the time literally FLEW by. It is so cool how the miles just pass on by with hardly a notice when you have someone to talk with. I barely looked at my Garmin. At one point we were waiting at a crosswalk and Mel mentioned that she was trying to stay just a little tiny bit behind me so that she wouldn't make me run too fast. I hadn't really noticed but once she pointed it out I realized it was actually helping me run faster, just a tiny bit faster. Something about having her right there, beside me but behind not even a step, helped me to push just a little bit more than I would have otherwise. Now if she were just a smidgen in front I bet I would have started to lag behind. Something about being behind that mentally defeats me. I think we are pretty good running partners.

Here are my stats for today's run (Mel's will be a bit different since we started at different times and places and we were about .05 off):
Mile 1: 9:52
Mile 2: 9:02
Mile 3: 9:30
Mile 4: 9:34
Mile 5: 9:52
Mile 6: 9:40
Mile 7: 9:40
Mile 8: 9:23
Mile 9: 9:13
Mile 10: 9:11
Mile 11: 9:01

Total time: 1:44.03

Check out the times for the last 6 miles, not too shabby! Oh, and did I mention it was kind of raining? The trail was littered with puddles! We hopped those puddles as best we could but my shoes got soaked. I see why good socks are important now. My hair looked like a rat's nest by the time I got home!

So today was a total success and a HUGE THANK YOU to Mel! I had a great run! I am hoping we can get together next weekend for my last long run before the Seattle Half!

2 WEEKS until Seattle Half!!

Today I am grateful for:

-This:

My Christmas present that is KILLING me! The Hubs said I could open it now, and I just might, but for now I am working on my patience! I'll let you know AS SOON AS I OPEN IT! :)
-Awesome running partners and running dates!
-A great run today!
-Family!

Run Happy Peeps!!

Frumpy Run Wednesday!

Man it feels good to be home!!! I love vacations and traveling but it just feels so good to unpack and get back on track! 18 DAYS until the Seattle Half Marathon! YIKES! I NEED to get back on track in a serious way! I am taking the pressure off of myself to hit a sub 2 hour half BUT I am still aiming for a better time than last year and hoping to do at least as good as I normally do which would put me finishing anywhere around 2:03 to 2:06. I would be happy with that. For me a PR would be 2:02.59. I might be able to hit that.

Today I hit the road for my 5 mile run. The sun was shining! It was amazing and nearly unheard of around here this time of year. I was catching up on some work and missed TV shows when I decided to head out. I didn't feel like getting all geared out so I hit the streets with my sweat pants, which I NEVER do and a hoodie sweat shirt, which I rarely do. It was funny compared to my usual decked out self with running gear! I just wanted to run. I wanted to run at home in my town. I wanted to see familiar streets and homes. I just wanted to zone out and have me time. I wanted to clear my head and just run. I didn't want to care about my time or my pace. I wanted to run until I got tired.

Stats for today's run:
Mile 1: 9:11.02
Mile 2: 9:08.72
Mile 3: 9:38.46
Mile 4: 9:47.3
Mile 5: 9:34.11

Not my best run but not bad either. It is certainly better than not running. I guess tomorrow I will hit up a hill for some hill repeats, since I am a believer in interval training. I have seen how it improves my times!

Today I am grateful for:
Veterans and their families.
Good hair days!
Awesome friends!

18 DAYS!

Run Happy Peeps!

Vacation run #3

Viva Las Vegas!

We arrived in Vegas on Thursday evening. The Hubs and I checked in to My Aunts House (awesome casino that is strangely like home!), visited for a while, got my Little Buddy tucked into bed, got dressed up and hit the town! We met up with some friends for (a long) dinner and by the time we were all done I was tired. We considered hitting the strip for a night out but I said, "Wow, I know I am lame but I am tired. And I really need to run in the morning. Lets go home." THAT is how I know I am at least kind of a runner! I passed up a night in Vegas, while wearing heels and tight blue dress, so I could get up in the morning and run! So our first night in Vegas we were home by midnight!

This is my Friday morning run....on the outskirts of Vegas on a hot and dry morning! Boy was it dry! I was so thirsty as soon as I started! I had some terrible Desert Garmin Gremlins because my watch had me running at 11 mph at one time! It clocked my first mile at 6:34. YEAH RIGHT. But in all it was an OK 2.5 mile run. Yep, only 2.5 miles. But hey, I was on vacation in VEGAS and had a rehearsal and luncheon at noon. I didn't have time for a good long run!

After my run I so wanted to jump in my Aunt's pool! It was a little cool. They have turned off the heater and settled in for winter, even though the temperatures were about what we see here in the summer! I thought it was summer!

Vacation really puts a kink in training! I think I am going to really struggle to hit my sub 2 hour half goal here at the end of this month. I just haven't been training like I should. But I guess my vacation was well worth it! We had a great time!

Today I am grateful for:
A wonderful trip with my family!
My aunt, uncle, cousin and my mom who all took care of my Little Buddy so The Hubs and I could have a great time in Vegas sans Little Buddy!
Celebrating 6 years of marriage Vegas Style.

Vacation run #2

Monterey!

I got to have 4.5 miles of pure running heaven along the sandy shores and the beach! This sure made me want to run all day. Too bad I couldn't!

Since I am on vacation this posting will be short!

Today I am grateful for:
A wonderful time with friends and family!
A beautiful path to run on!
Spending time in Monterey, my favorite place on earth!

Vacation Run #1

Saturday morning I hit the streets of Berkeley for an easy 5 mile run. After about 3.5 miles I came across this gem of a dirt track:

I knocked out a mile on the track and made it the half a mile home. Man, let me tell you Berkeley is pretty hilly too! I just can't seem to escape these hills!

Here I am post run, with my little Pirate in the background! My Moeban arm sleeves were perfect, I fit right in with all the liberal hippies (no offense!)! And the best part? My iPhone fits in the sweet little pocket on the upper arm so I was able to run with my phone! SCORE!

Sadly my allergies began acting up in a serious way (or I have a cold) and I spent the hole day fighting a horrible sore throat! I started taking some allergy medication and hopefully I will feel up to hitting the road tomorrow for 8-10 miles in Monterey, my old stomping grounds! Plus I have a dress to fit in this coming weekend for a wedding in VEGAS! I can't completely slack off!

Today I am grateful for:
Vacation with my fam!
fun times on Halloween!
SUN sun and MORE sun in California!
The beach!
Watching a beautiful sunset at the beach where my husband proposed! :)