On a roll

Y'all.  I have run TWO WHOLE TIMES since I've been back in Richmond for Christmas.  Look at that consistency!  TWO WHOLE TIMESSSS!!!!!!!!!!

Both were the same 3.8 mile route through the neighborhood I grew up in.  The first time I got lost, the second time was in the rain, but still....Yay for me! :)

Monday Motivation

Thank you, Nike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONuQ_CeY2mU

Tough 5 miles - yikes!

I've been slowly but surely getting back into training.  Yesterday morning RP & I headed out for a 5 mile course through the Belmont area of Nashville. (think sidewalk lined streets, cute cape-style houses & fun restaurants) We had run this area a lot during our training for the Nashville half, but boy does it not take much time to forget how HARD different routes can be.

I have to admit we had to walk a couple of the hills, but getting out & getting 5 miles complete feels good!

Nike is about to start making fun of me because I keep forgetting to use Nike+ when I've been out walking/running.  Well, when I say "I forget to use" I actually mean "I forget to charge my iPod."  So I have no proof, but the 'ole Nano is charging right now, just READY to start calibrating.

If running yesterday taught me anything, it's that it's okay to take time off after a big race, but also to not let TOO much time go.  Here's my motto for this week:

Small Goals

Oh, the holidays!

I'm not usually one for limiting myself in terms of Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas cookies and New Years Eve parties...but for the first time this year, I'm feeling a little like I WANT to keep myself semi-in check.  Unlike some people who try extra hard to work out and eat healthy from November - December, I've always been the opposite of that.  Oopsie!

Thanks to Nike Plus, I've set a goal for myself to keep my running going (I'll be honest, I've taken quite the little break post half marathon) and I also have a personal daily goal of getting at least 64oz. of water each day and eating at least 4 servings of fruits & vegetables each day.  I know 4 servings is less than what I should be eating according to Mr. Food Pyramid, but I've got to start somewhere.

Princess In Training: I'm considering this Saturday, December 1, my first official day of Princess Training.  3 more days of fun, then it's time to get serious!  (The crazy thing is how happy I get about "getting serious.")  Let the count down begin!

So...I guess I'm a "Runner" now?

Honestly, I've never answered the question, "Are you a runner?" with the answer, "yes."  I've always answered it with, "Well, I mean not really. I run sometimes.  I enjoy it, but really I'm a dancer. I grew up dancing and....." and then I reach that awkward moment when I realize the person that just asked me, wasn't actually looking for a 10 minute reply.

But, now that I'm a Half Marathoner...I guess I'm a runner!  I even FEEL like a runner!

The Hard Rock Half Marathon couldn't have gone better.  I woke Saturday morning a big ball of nerves.  Fortunately this race wasn't a huge race (5,000 runners total) so getting to the race, parking, getting to the start line...it was all an easy process.  I used the LR, did a little warm-up run and was ready to go!
At the start line, my RB said to me: "I think I'm going for 2:10" and I replied "Hmmm...2:10 seems lofty, I think I'm going for 2:30."  I just wasn't interested in pressuring myself, I was interesting in enjoying myself!

Let me break the course down for you:
Miles 1-2: Straight Uphill.  It hurt, but we were also prepared and knew what to expect, so just kept my eyes down and didn't look up until I knew it was over.
Miles 3-6: Relatively flat, took us through The Gulch which is one of my most favorite places in Nashville.  Had to take my long-sleeved tee off during this section and even though I thought I had prepared for this to be a seamless process, I made it complicated.  RB & I couldn't look at each other for fear we'd both break concentration laughing.
Miles 6-9:  Death.  This was definitely the worst for me (which honestly surprised me.)  RB & I separated around mile 8, but for whatever reason, this flat straight shot along the Cumberland River was just MISERABLE.
Mile 9 Water Stop: Was sponsored by Team in Training and I picked up a Twizzler & water.  Took a couple bites, got the sugar I needed and threw the rest of it.
Miles 9-11: Amazing.  I felt so awesome. I ended up behind a girl (I refer to her as "the one in the pink shorts with the pink bandanna"...as though anyone other than me knows who that is) and she looked like she was doing pretty well, so I said to myself "Natalie, just follow her." So I did.  My pace picked up like crazy and I just kept her right in front of me and I kept going.  Then she blew my doors off.
Mile 11-12: Straight Uphill across a bridge.  @ the bottom/start of the bridge, a great song came on my iPod and I got myself across this bridge literally by counting.  I counted how long it took me to get across and having that distraction for my mind helped me not focus on the steep hill I was climbing.
Mile 12-12 1/2: Even steeper hill.  I walked. I finally saw everyone around me stopping and walking up this final STEEP hill and I said to myself, no need to be a hero.  I walked for about 30 seconds and got to the top of the hill.
Mile 12-1/2 - 13.1: DOWNHILL!!!!  As I was coming up to the finish line, I saw the time clock that said 2:11. I knew I had started a minute or so after the official start and I basically FLEW across the finish line.  I knew I had done it in 2:10 and I seriously COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!  What an amazing feeling!

I had so much support from friends & family and that made the whole race that much more fun - knowing that everyone else was just as excited as I was.

Now I'm so super pumped for Disney (not that I wasn't already!) and even more pumped that it's 100 days away!

Some pics from the day:

Love that Nashville races ALWAYS offer a beer @ the end of the race!

Finish line w/ Titans Stadium & the Cumberland River in the background - Love it!

Race Day Advice

Natalie - I saw your post. I have so much confidence in you that it's ridiculous and slightly embarrassing. Remember to have fun. NO ONE asks you what your time was after the race - most can hardly comprehend trying a half, much less finishing. You've got this!!

I got this email this morning from my training team and I thought it might also be helpful for the 4 of us on this blog :) So enjoy:

As for eating - eat something you know your body with easily digest. You'll be full of nerves. I eat the most on Thursday night and then a simple pasta meal on Friday evening and lots of water. I eat 2-3 eggs the morning of the race and then I take a gatorade pre-game fuel pack to eat 15-20 minutes before the start of my race. Get to your race EARLY. You'll probably want to use the bathroom at least once and the lines can be long. So last year - we got there and immediately got in line for the bathroom even though we didn't need to go. Sure enough - I did once I got the front of the line.


1. Remember to pick up your race packet!  Today or tomorrow

Arthur Ashe Athletic Center
3001 A N. Boulevard
Richmond, Virginia 23230

2012 Expo Hours:
Thursday, November 8: 5 - 9 pm
Friday, November 9: 11 am - 9 pm

2. Get a good night's sleep tonight.  You may not sleep as well the night before the race.

3. Item Check List (If you haven't already, it's a good idea to get everything you need for race day together today.)

___ running shirt (the dark blue technical shirt)

___ running shorts/skirt/pants

___ socks

___ sports bra

___ running shoes (Not the ones you just bought at the Expo)

___ race bib (already pinned on your shirt)

___ road ID or other ID

Optional Items

___ Body glide/gel/chap stick (highly recommended)

___ energy gel/chews/gummy bears/Mike-n-Ike

___ salt packets (if you used during training)

___ sunscreen

___ big plastic garbage bag

___ gloves (Hot Hands)

___ toilet paper (not all Port-a-Johns are created equal)

___ sunglasses/hat/visor

___ running watch

___ hydration bottle

___ running belt/fanny pack

___ nip-guards/band-aids

___ safety pins for bib

___ hair bands/bobby pins

___ camera

___ Advil/Tylenol (Aid station will only give you two)

___ toll money/cash for post race goodies

___ beach towel for post race stretching

Post Race

___ long-sleeve shirt and sweat pants (can check bag)

___ arm warmers or knee socks

___ ear warmers

___ second pair of shoes or flip flops

___ snacks/drinks

Words of Wisdom from Mark:

Coming down the home stretch!  I’ve always found that the “taper” portion of the training program is the most difficult.  So if you’re feeling anxious/irritable/etc. that is very normal!  The challenge is to take that nervous energy and put it into something positive.

At this point you should be concentrating on doing all the right things.  You should be getting plenty of sleep, eating the right foods, and laying out your gear for race day!  Something that always gives me comfort is having a detailed plan for arriving early on race day. 

I’ll be getting up at least three hours before the race starts (that’s 4:30 a.m.).  I’ll be getting to my parking space sometime before 6:00 a.m. because that’s when the street closings start.  In previous years I’ve had great experience using the one of public parking decks, either 3^rd and Marshall or 5^th and Marshall.  It is convenient to the starting line and the Marriott Hotel is “runner friendly” warm open space and bathrooms.   The Marriott is also close to the starting line and easy access to Interstate 64/95.

Rest assured that if you’ve done the program you are absolutely prepared! 

Don’t forget to breathe and believe!!!

HOLY COW!!!!

PEOPLE!!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL - WE'RE RUNNING HALF MARATHONS IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

BRING.IT.ON.

**on an update note: I received my painkillers for the run and now am feeling a little bit more optimistic and excited rather tan terrified.**

Pep talk from the Mizz

This morning I got a pep talk from the Mizz.

This is what they said to me:

Natalie,
Put me on & lace me up.  This is ridiculous.  You don't have to go far.  You don't have to go fast.  You just have to go.  I know you're discouraged from your 11-day running hiatus, but you kind of couldn't help it.  So just get back on the horse and go for a run.  We have a half marathon this weekend.  There's no pressure other than putting me on and going out there and having fun.
So, let's do this.
Thanks,
Mizz

Surviving the Storm

I have to admit - after the last 12 weeks of training, I thought I'd be so much more excited for my first half marathon than I'm feeling right now.  It's crazy how quickly things can change when you unexpectedly take 7 days off from training.

Last Saturday morning I boarded a flight to New York City for a quick 48-weekend trip to visit my two best friends.  We hadn't seen each other since February and I found a super cheap flight.  I knew I was going to be missing my long run on Saturday, but I ran Friday night and I was going to be back on Monday so I wasn't concerned about missing any training.  Did I know the biggest storm was heading up the East coast on its way to NYC and still go anyway? Yes.  But I'm an east coast girl and I've been through a lot of hurricanes.  I've also been through a lot of hurricane prepping.  I went anyways. [obviously.]

Saturday & Sunday in the city were amazing, and my flight home to Nashville was cancelled well before the storm hit, so I knew I'd be there a couple of days.  A couple of days turned into 7 days, but really, I was excited about getting stuck and having all of that extra time to spend with my friends.  We lost power on Monday in Manhattan, but didn't have any of the flooding.  (We also only had 1 flashlight, no back-up batteries and were mostly concerned about getting wine & beer than non-perishable food.)  We literally got through it day by day.  3 days straight without power, hot water or cell phone service.  We finally made it down to Brooklyn on Wednesday where there was power and got to spend the last couple of days at least with power & showers.  Needless to say there was no running those 7 days.  There was also barely food.  There was A LOT of drinking.

I made it back to Nashville on Friday and I'm glad to be back but also still going through a lot of emotions of what I have just gone through - I don't know if you're allowed to have post-partum after making it through a hurricane...but I might have that.  I know I'll feel better, just trying to get back to a "normal" routine.

Normal is now finishing up training for the Hard Rock Half Marathon.  Yesterday I grabbed my ipod, set it for 1 hour and headed out for a power walk.  I knew that running wasn't even something I should attempt, so I didn't.  I had a great walk on a beautiful, warm Saturday.  I am feeling SUPER nervous for Saturday's half but also know that it's about the experience and I know it will be a good one and that I'll go out and have a good time doing what I love doing.

I do want to know what everyone's half routine is -
   What do you eat the day before?
   What do you eat / drink the morning of?
   Do you stop and get any of those gel things along the way?
   What miles do you get water, and what miles do you get sports drink?

6 day countdown begins!

Also, if you are able, or feel so inclined, here's a link to the American Red Cross website to make a donation to Hurricane Sandy disaster relief - there truly aren't words to describe what it's like up there right now.  OR even easier, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Runner's High

My #1 source of information Urban Dictionary defines "Runners high" as: When the endorphins from running kick in and make you feel as though you have done drugs. You become happy, everything is funny and you can't stop laughing! It makes you love to run.

Saturday morning my Nashville running buddy & I set out early in the morning for 10 miles.  10 MILES.  I wasn't even really scared to be honest.  I knew we could do it.  We had a great route planned taking us through some Richmond-esque neighborhoods and having a buddy to hit this huge training milestone with made me so excited.  Mile 4-5 was a little rough followed by feeling AH-MAY-ZING miles 5-8.  Seriously we got to 8 and I might have said out loud "I could probably do 13 today!"  Then miles 8-10 tried to murder me in cold blood.  As always I blame this on the topography of Nashville.  We had to walk up some wicked steep hills but WE DID IT!  We got back to our cars and were just giddy.  I felt like frolicking!!

Then my RB got a weird look on her face as she was walking to her car.  Then she stopped.  Then she said, "My car was broken into."  The biggest runners high I've ever experienced was quickly diminished by this:

And this:

Which was then followed by that "everything is funny and you can't stop laughing" feeling.  I mean, WHAT A JERK!  Nothing was stolen.  In broad daylight, someone just took a hammer or ax or something to her window...just to be a jerk.  Really??!!??  Things got even funnier when the Police showed up and RB had to explain why her tags were expired and she didn't have her drivers' license with her...whoopsie! [Insert lots of giggling on our parts here.]

I start tapering now in prep for the Nov. 10 Hard Rock Half.  2 more medium length weekend runs then race day.  Can't decide if I should try and go up or stick with the plan I have....I think I'm going to stick with it.  Eye on the Disney prize, this first half is for training & giggles! :)

Problems ahead

I woke up on Monday morning and actually got out of bed, saw that it was a BEAUTIFUL morning, slightly chilly and decided it was perfect for a run.

I made it a half mile, good pace and then my left knee started to hurt. Now, leading up to this run, I've had some pain in my IT bands and know that I can run through it and it'll get better. So I trudged on and hoped my body would warm up. Just before I hit the 1 mile marker I had a shooting pain in my left knee - not entirely in the same place as the IT band pain. I tried to run through it but it was getting worse. I stopped, rubbed it out and then started back - only to have it start up again. I did this for about .65 miles - stop, start, stop, sit, start and then said F IT. Turned off my iPod and walked back to the house.

I called my Sports Dr. as soon as I got back and left a message that I need to get in to see her as soon as possible. I went in after my morning meeting and Dr. Stadler took a look and listened to what I had been feeling, when, etc. First look would suggest that I've either inflamed or torn my Meniscus in my left knee. She explained that the Meniscus is designed to take pounding but not necessarily rational pounding. As I run on streets in downtown Richmond or working out with free weights, it's likely that I tweaked over and over again my knee causing this. I appreciate Dr. Stadler because she's not quick to suggest surgery and really really listens to you and what you're saying. What's interesting about her is that she's progressive in her approaches which I'm just not used to (and honestly, shame on me and the medical profession for that). I'm so stranger to knee pain and surgery so I generally know what questions to ask - but with her - I just sit there and stare at her and am thankful that she walks me through the pros and cons. She's not suggesting knee surgery for the time being. She wants to see if she can repair it more naturally first. So yesterday she injected my knee with sugar water which causes inflammation and thus increasing the blood flow and healing to the area. This form of treatment is still relatively knew and not entirely recognized by traditional orthopedic surgeons. However, after doing my home work here's what I know: the side effects are incredibly minimal especially where the knee is concerned and the principal is sound in terms of sugar water causing inflammation. The debate is whether or not you believe inflammation, increased blood flow can help increase healing or not.

I got back Thursday to check in with her and talk about next steps. She gave me a brochure called "Regenerative Injection Therapy" and asked me to familiarize myself incase we go down that road. It's another alternative to surgery and uses your own blood (from your arm) to extract the platelet rich plasma and then inject it in to my knee which causes a strengthening of your tendons, ligaments and tissues.

Stay tuned! My ability to run in Nov appears to be slightly up in the air but I remain hopeful until told otherwise!! And honestly, as long as I can run in February - I'll be ok :)

Public Service Annoucment

Dear blog readers and fellow bloggers -- If you have not let me know what color tutu you'd like, if you'd like one, then you'll be getting an orange one with lime green feathers :)

JK!
Also, wish me luck!  Tomorrow is the Army Ten Miler! Good luck on your weekend runs, loves!
Also, also -- why isn't AKP blogging?

10 Miles!!

10 miles down - whew! Interestingly, I found out that the likely cause of my pain on the outside of knees is due to being tired and losing my form. Women especially (so I'm told) when they get tired will cross the plane with their feet. Imagine a line in front of you that starts in the middle of your body, when I'm tired, my right foot crosses over the line and lands on the left side of the line etc. The outer tendons and muscles end up having to over extend to compensate and then get strained and sore. Tid Bit of the day :)

The Long Run: 60 Miles Later

I don't have a lot of perspective about 99% of the time, especially if I'm in a bad spot.  At work we call them White Girl Problems, but sometimes they seem like the worst thing ever:  I don't like my lunch today, I HAVE to run 10 miles to get trained up for my vacation run in February, etc.  But every so often, I see something that gives me a little bit of perspective and helps me get through the "long" runs.
Like when my little sister walked 60 MILES FOR BREAST CANCER.

I'm sure Little A (who is also an SD marathon finisher and my running inspiration) will fill us in on all the details in between working her bomb job in Annapolis and getting ready for her fall nuptials.  As I followed along on her 60 mile journey over three days the only thing I could think, after she is seriously my hero, is I will never, ever complain about having to get my long runs in ever again.

Catching Up - 9 Mile report

Sometimes I suck at this...Sorry it's been over a week since I posted - I'm not a very good blog partner, but I promise I'm back!  I decided to come down with a Bubonic plague that is traveling around the state of Tennessee this past week.  It was about a 6 day cold that left me missing 3 days of work (in a row..what?!?) and showering taking up all my daily energy.  I'm on the fix right now and actually got out yesterday for a little 3 miler to try and get me back in the swing of things.

That being said, I have to report about my 9 mile run I did on my 29th birthday.  I honestly can't believe 2 things:
1. That I ran 9 miles
2. That I'm 29 (seriously I think I'm Benjamin Button.  I think I'm getting younger...;) )

It was a beautiful Friday in Nashville and I took the day off to wait for my dad to come into town to celebrate my birthday.  I had a long course planned out that took me all over the West End & Belle Meade areas.  I had a couple of rough moments throughout but it was really hot so I took it easy when I needed to and concentrated on getting the mileage.  It was a super proud moment for me & a great birthday present to myself! Maybe I should have gifted myself a nap - here I am post-run:

Also, I love being able to "see" that I ran with Nike Plus - seriously it's all about validation, people!

Gah. The hills in Nashville are KILLER!

Stop Competing with Others

I'm super competitive. Not in the get the hell out of my way or you'll be taken out manner - more of the "we all did so great! [internal fist pump to myself for winning]" kind of way. I'm extremely fortunate to have an amazing mentor in both my profession and personal life. Our topic of conversation recently (the past 6 months) is around motivation. I've excelled quickly in my professional life and what's become more and more apparent is this: the more you move up, the fewer people that are around you. And when you feed off of other people to help motivate you, push to the next level and gut check and you're doing the right thing and going above and beyond - it gets harder and I have to seek other places for motivation. 

Yesterday, I found this:

This has always been easy for me when it comes to anything athletic because I SUCK at sports. But the more active I get, the more experience I gain professionally - this, I think, speaks volumes. Push yourself do to better than you did the day before. Maybe it's not time for you, maybe it's mileage or getting up and going to run even when you want to stay in bed - just do better than yourself and you can't lose. 

Today's Motivation

9 Miles and the importance of ice

And by Ice, I mean consistent training. Lauren talked about this in her recent post. She trained consistently for her recent 10 miler and it made ALL the difference. Now, I've been training pretty consistently with the exception of these last 2 weeks: Sister in Law got married, I did my last wedding as a paid wedding planner and then I was on the road for 4 days for work. Running took a back seat, clearly.

So Saturday came around and I got up bright and early, ate some breakfast and headed over to City Stadium.

Here's Jillian and I before the run started:

Matt commented on how much stuff I run with here: Water belt, iPod, headphones. I would prefer to not run with my water but I seriously cannot figure out how people run long distances without it!

And then we were off!

Proof!!

My pace was pretty good and it consistently improved the longer we ran. HOWEVER, my body slowly started to deteriorate the longer we ran. Around mile 6, the outsides of my knees really started to ache. Both of them. In the same spot. I've had knee problems my entire life but this was different - new places, new pain and by the very end, I was limping ever so slightly. It turns out it was my muscles and tendons just getting super tight and strained because I hadn't been running and then I did 9 miles.

When I got home, I got bags of ice and sat our on our deck and just relaxed for a few minutes and drank water. Trying to get up the stairs after that was a nightmare. One step at a time. Matt, god bless him, rubbed my legs down for probably 30 minutes. It hurt so good! I iced again and then was a vegetable most of the afternoon. By morning, most of the soreness was gone.

This weekly, I'll be sticking to my training schedule :)

Next up 10 miles!

H

Saturday Long Run: Tower of Terror Success

During the week I cannot under any circumstances stare a computer screen any longer than necessary, so you can track my training here.  But come the weekends, we runners know the long run deserves a lot of love and attention.  

Good morning running princesses!  Thanks for letting me be part of this blog, especially because 9 runs out of 10 I do in fact ask myself, whose idea was this?!

This was the EXACT thought I had last weekend when I decided to run the Mickey not so Scary 5K on Saturday morning and then ran the Tower of Terror Ten Miler that night!  However, when I crossed that finish line on Sunday morning at 12:30 AM I felt amazing, better than I've ever, ever felt after a race.  And I think I know why:  I only missed three  runs during training.  That's the most consistently I've ever trained for a race.

Part of my problem before has always been my schedule:  I work 50ish hours a week and I'm always exhausted and we travel a lot on weekends.  I had a lot of trouble consistently fitting the miles in.  But with Jeff Galloway's program I could totally do 2 thirty minute runs per week and a long run to up the mileage every other weekend.  And it totally worked.

After the Disney Wine and Dine Half marathon which I ran in 2010 I could barely walk.  Now granted my girlfriends and I had play play played and that Magic Kingdom all day and I'd walked a ton and not taken a nap, but I barely trained.  I didn't do any mileage runs and I missed a lot of midweek maintenance runs.  And I paid dearly for it; I couldn't enjoy my free wine and food samples at Epcot's Food and Wine festival. 

I'm so glad that my 10 miler had a happier ending. I took it easy out of the start and ran the slowest pace I've ever run an official race and who cares?!  I finished up right, smiling and ready to party!  After the race, I met my Mom and Dad and husband (who had all had the most fun ever riding Star Tours and Toy Story while they waited) excitedly showed them my sweet movable action, glow in the dark medal, beasted my treat box, changed (holy MOSES WAS IT HUMID THAT NIGHT) and MB and I walked right onto the Tower of Terror and the Rock N Roller Coaster (which took forever, actually to get onto.  NOTE TO ALL RUNNERS:  YOU MAY BARF IF YOU RIDE A HIGH SPEED COASTER AFTER RUNNING 10 MILES IN 100% HUMIDITY).

The next morning I had a slight headache (which was NOT from running but from a more dependable monthly cause) but by the time I hit breakfast with my Mickey Waffle, I was ready for a full day of fun at Epcot.

The moral is always always put the miles on those legs.  Eat well before a race and pace yourself to have fun AFTER the race.  Laying with your legs in the air moaning from the dehydration headache and intesne stomach cramps is NOT worth those nights you skipped a run and the 9:10 per mile pace.

Trust me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUNNING BUDDY!!!

Today is Natalie's birthday! Let's celebrate:

Maybe you can't tell but this is a birthday cake.

Cindarelly

Today I'll be running in honor of this lil lady - releasing today on Blue Ray Combo pack!  Can't wait to  meet her and run through her castle in 4 months!!

Me & Eminem

Today I ran my longest distance ever.  And it was 8 miles of Nashville hills.  I knew how great I felt two weeks ago after running 7 miles by myself and mentally was not even a little afraid of running 8 this morning.  But sometimes things don't go EXACTLY as planned.

First. My running partner in Nashville isn't the most prompt girl you've ever met.  We were scheduled to meet at 8am this morning and at 7:48am she asked if we could push to 8:15am.  Honestly - I said no. I was up and ready to go and didn't want to push this run off any more.  (This should have been my first sign that today's run wasn't going to be the best.)

Second. We didn't really have a route planned. We both "just figured" if we combined some courses we usually run it would end up about 8 miles.  Not so smart.  At 3 miles we stopped after running up Demonbreun (the BIGGEST hill EVER) thinking we had gone about 6 and you can imagine both of our disappointment to find we had only gone 3.  [Please note: At this point I was ready to give in and run straight to my car. I was dunzo.]

Third. We ended up having to stop & start a bazillion times because of stop lights - which just so you know, stop lights in Nashville are like...10 minutes long.  So we never got a real pace going.

But low & behold, we kept on going & ended at 7.9 miles.  I like to consider this 8 miles. Yay me!

Hil - do you know we're 6 weeks away from the first half marathons in our crazy turning 30 plan?  I feel really good & thank you for your cross training post. It was a huge reminder that I HAVE to get more cross training into my routine.  Yoga for me this week, woot woot!

**Oh! & did you get the Eminem/8 mile reference?  Sometimes I forget that I might be the only one obsessed with this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y

Merchandise

Ever since we signed up for this Disney race, I find myself wanting everything Disney/Princess or Running around me...

Cross Training

Last year, I ran my first half marathon. I loved the experience and followed the training schedule to the T - except for my cross training. I was so proud of my consistent running that nothing else mattered. I didn't have any major problems or injuries during my training - just normal soreness you would expect from an increase in physical activity.

All this is true, until the mileage really started to climb past 7 and 8 miles. Every week I was running longer than I ever had before. I noticed that my knees were really hurting (I expected this as I've had knee problems since I was young) and my hips and down the side of my leg were incredibly sore the day or so after a long distance run. Once I finished the half and the pain didn't go away, I scheduled an appointment with a sports medicine doctor and found out that I had injured my IT Band on my right side. When I asked her what caused this she said it's very common with runners. "Did you do any cross training during your training?" "umm..No" - that's why it's common because runners don't cross train.

You don't use all your muscles when you run. As a result some get stronger and have to compensate for your weaker muscles and this can cause and over working of certain muscles or injuries.

It took FOREVER for my IT Bank to heal after the half last year because I had ignored it for so long. So this year, I got myself a strength trainer and have been sure to get in my cross training. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! My running is faster. I feel stronger. And my arms are looking pretty kick ass these days (If you'll allow me to toot my own horn).

I feel the need to tell you all this because my Nike+ app doesn't log my cross training. I got Tuesdays and Thursdays after work and I usually also get in a Saturday session in the morning after my long runs (this might have to be on hold now that we're doing 8+ miles on the weekends).

That's all for now! How much do you love this great fall weather for your runs!

Best Running/Blogging Partner

What would I do without Hilary as my best running & blogging partner?

8 Mile Update...Sorta

This past weekend, I had every intention of running 8 miles with my HMTT...but....

I was in my amazing, sister in law's wedding. And quite honestly, enjoyed myself too much Friday night to deal with running :)

And while it didn't quite make up for my 8 miles, I did run 4.35 tonight after work.

See!

Confession Post

I guess this is where I have to be honest...I'm having an "off week."  And when I say "off week" I don't mean that my runs have been challenging or difficult.  I mean that I haven't even opened my running clothes drawer in my dresser, and I believe my shoes are currently under a pile of clothes in my room.  I definitely wanted to give myself rest after Saturdays' 7 mile run (Hil, I'm looking for some proof to post on here that I went out and ran 7 miles by myself - stay tuned!) but I think I've taken the rest idea a little too far.

Have no fear, I'm not going to beat myself up about it (but I might beat myself up about the evening of boozin' at the Country Music Hall of Fame Young Professionals event I went to last night, followed by a Pizza Hut personal pan pizza around 10:30pm last night) BUT this is life, right?  I think it's only fitting that I started the morning checking in on my favorite running blog and she had posted this:

I couldn't agree more!

7 Miles!

Saturday, HMTT (Half Marathon Training Team), completed 7 miles and here's my proof! And if there was any chance you didn't believe how different in size my waist and my butt are to each other...check out how much higher my water belt as to sit in comparison to my running buddy Kendra :)

New Kicks

New running shoes are a big deal for me.  More so than probably most runners who follow the all-important “Replace your shoes every 500 miles” rule because I don’t follow that rule.  I follow the “Replace my shoes when my feet/legs/body start hurting” rule. 

In my first few weeks of training I’ve been ignoring every ache and pain that my body has been screaming at me because I KNEW it was telling me to get new shoes.  As a loyal patron of Road Runners in Richmond, VA I had to accept the fact I needed to find a new running store in Nashville, TN.  Saturday morning in the pouring rain, (Obviously I moved my long run to Sunday as you’ll learn: I don’t run in the rain. Ever.) I went to Team Nashville to get some new kicks.

The crew at Team Nashville were super friendly and basically gave me a hard time from the second I walked in decked out in Virginia Tech gear.  It didn’t take long to realize these were my kind of people.  They fit me in some of the most badass running shoes I’ve ever owned and I’m so pumped to hit the ground running. Literally. [Oh, I should probably share another running shoe confession: Most runners probably follow the all-important “Don’t buy running shoes based on the way they look” rule.  Yeah, I don’t follow that one either.]

This past weekend I hit 6 miles and felt really good.  The only issue I’m running into is my body begging me for food.  Goal for this week is: Proper fueling.  I’m notorious for clocking in a long run without the proper follow-up of nutrients.  48 hours later there usually isn’t enough food on Earth to satisfy me and you should probably get out of my way should you see me because I may chew your arm off and eat it for a snack.  Yum.

Alright Mizunos, let's do this.

Slow & Steady with Nike +

Football season is in full swing and I'm happy to report that UVa is currently undefeated at 2-0. Yesterday, UVa beat Penn State in the final seconds when Penn State's freshman kicker kicked the ball wide left in a failed field goal attempt.

Go HOO's GO!

The week before, we beat UofR - tailgating was fun, our new seats are fantastic and the game was rather boring.

I bring this us because my long runs are Saturday mornings. For the UofR game it wasn't a problem because kick off was at 3pm so I could run with my buds at 7am and then head up. However, the Penn State game was a Noon kick off. This meant that needed to be out the door by 7:30AM and this meant that there would be no Saturday running for me. And honestly, thank goodness, because I didn't get home from work until after 1am. Getting up for tailgating was hard enough.

So I don't have pictures to prove that I run. But I do have my Nike+ screen shot :) Friday morning, I met Katie at her house at 5:45am and we took off for our 4 mile run - and here's my proof!

You may not know this about me but I am a data junky. So when I saw all the new statistics that Nike+ has added to their site - I got so excited. What I find hysterical is that they have classified me as "Slow and Steady" - which I suppose is accurate. Though what this doesn't show you is my pace was hindered by the fact that I started my watch and then stood still for 2 minutes while Katie and I figured out our route - oops. My year stats also how that my runs are 70% in the morning. Love this stuff!

Happy running!

"Slow & Steady"

It's worth noting that Natalie totally got me in to Nike+ - thanks lady!

HMTT Week 3

I missed week 2 so that I could properly celebrate Hils' Bachelorette Party in the OBX. I'd love to tell you that I ran while I was down there...I did bring my running stuff but that's as far as I got :)

So Week 3 was 4 miles. I came decked out in my new sunglasses - which I didn't need and my running belt - which I did. All in all it was a great run. 4 miles in 42 minutes. I started off a little slow but after the second mile I really felt like I was getting in to gear.

Kendra, me and some random guy fist pumping

This is right at the end with Michelle, a lovely 2nd resident at VCU I met on the run

Still having some trouble with my IT band on my left side. Evan (THE trainer) is helping me work through it. It's a pain in the tail for sure. 

Katie has joined the HMTT group too! LOVE having her there though her 8:30/mile means I don't see her a lot ;)

Until next week my friends!

H

HMTT Week 1

It's my favorite time of year...not only is football season about to start which really means tailgating (who watches the game anyway!?), but it's also Half Marathon Training Team time. I loved my experience so much last year. I met two great ladies: Jillian and Kendra and you'll see them throughout my journey this year as well.

Week 1 was 3 miles. Sounds so easy with all my training! However, the sun was BEATING down on us. The running wasn't the hard part - it was the heat. But we made it through to run another day.

Jillian and Me

Help me understand why the shutter always goes go when you look like you could be fast walking rather than the Kenyan like sprint you actually were....Things to ponder.