Getting back together

Time to officially get back on the horse.  I’m just getting home from a long weekend in Las Vegas, so is everyone okay with me not running tonight?  Yes?  Thank you.

Official training for the Disneyland Half Marathon starts this week, which feels like a great morph back into the swing of things. I’m going to keep up Hot Yoga until my groupon expires in the next 10 days.

LET’S DO THIS!

Frenemies with Sugar

I really try to stay as far away from nutrition labels as possible.  Food and I are friends, not enemies, but I’m also a bit of a control freak, psycho, obsessive compulsive (you get the idea) person and it’s better for all involved if I don’t have one more thing that I can “study.”  I do, however, usually check sugar contents after doing a 10-day sugar free exercise which opened my world to a whole new can of worms!  [If you’d like to go in-depth on this, let me know & let’s schedule a few hours.]

So anyways, I like to drink something with a lot of nutrients post-hot yoga classes so I don’t, ya know, faint. Typically this is in the form of a vita-coco or coconut water.  Someone recently mentioned to me about trying out odwalla so while at the grocery recently, I picked up a bottle for after one of my morning yoga classes.  Yikes. The sugar content in one bottle is…wait for it……37 grams. GET OUT OF AMERICA. I can see where these drinks are in some way good for you – they’re made with natural ingredients & have no added sugar (SUPER IMPORTANT) but I’m not sure I can get on board with these unless it’s a gulp or 2 after a workout to get some nutrients in your body.  Right?  Or if I’m wrong, please tell me because they are DAAAALICIOUSSSSS!

Isn’t it always the case that the prettiest packaging turns out to be not so pretty for your insides? 

peace.

As so many in this community of runners are doing, my thoughts & prayers continue to remain with the whole running community – especially the runners, walkers, spectators, volunteers, medics & the residents of Boston.

I’ve only been to Boston once and I don’t really consider it a trip for myself.  In 2005 I participated in the Boston 3-day event so I actually walked 60 miles TO Boston.  Although my time there was limited, my parents had a GREAT time touring that beautiful city ;)  The support of the people of Massachusetts for those 3 days is something that I STILL remember and think about often.  The feeling I had walking into the city of Boston on gorgeous July afternoon will never leave my memory.

We will all overcome this horrible event and come out stronger than ever as we always do as runners and as Americans. (Yep, I went there, I love America.)

Me & one of my oldest friends on day 1 with our Team Banner that we carried with the names of many women we honored & remembered

This picture is the sweet spot. I remember walking up the River Charles and seeing my parents sitting on a park bench where they had been sitting all morning waiting for me to show up.

Post-race in the Medical tent.  Obviously!  (I had major heat rash but popped some Benadryl & lots of H2O and recovered quickly)

From VT to Boston

The days leading up to April 16th are (or at least have been for the past 5 years), heavy days - remembering the confusion, pain, hurt and even relief. Understanding and relating to those emotions in the wake of a national tragedy is something I pray every day that few will truly know. I am saddened today to add more to that group. But even so #BostonMarathon, please know that you are not alone. That a city and a community are around you. And when things start to move forward and quiet down, we - your community - we will still be here with a knowing hug and when you're ready, the first smile and laugh. Just as we will never forget 32 and those affected by April 16th, 2007 at Virginia Tech. We remember and will never forget what is happening today in Boston.

Monument Avenue 10K

This Saturday marked one of my favorite days of the running year - the Monument Ave 10K. This race is an institution and it was my first race ever so it holds a very special place in my heart.

More than 40,000 runners of all ages come together for what's been voted the Friendliest Race in the country. GO #RVA GO!

It was a stunningly beautiful day and probably 10 degrees warmer than past years.

It was certainly not my best run but I still had a ball. I mistakenly had an energy drink that morning - big no no. I had air bubbles in my chest for the first 3 miles and then I looked down at mile 4 and my hands were swollen to twice their size. Anytime I tried to speed up, my face started to tingle which I took as a sign to take it easy. So I did. I started. I finished and I had fun with my girls. What more can you really ask for?!

Me, my dad and sister, Kendayl

All the girls!

Oh yeah...I nearly forgot. At the expo I signed up for the Full Marathon in November. No biggie.

So I went for a Run

Stole this from a friend from thefacebook –

So I Went for a Run.

I was angry, so I went for a run. And things got better.

I was confused, so I went for a run. And things got better.

I was exhausted, so I went for a run. And things got better.

I was lost, unsure, empty, afraid. Certain that whatever was left of my sanity had snapped, had come untethered and floated away, to a place so high and remote that I would never see it again, and that even if I did, I wouldn't recognize it.

So I went for a run. And things got better.

I felt like things could not possibly get worse, so I went for a run. And things got better.

(Another time, I felt like things could not get much better. I went for a run. Things got much better.)

After enough miles, over enough runs and enough years, I realized: No matter what, no matter when, or where, or why, I can find my shoes and go for a run and things will get better. And that realization? Just knowing that? It made things better.

- Mark Remy, Runner's World

It's Hot

After training for (what I consider) back-to-back halfs, I knew I was going to take a break from running after Princess.  In fact, I distinctly remember having a conversation with the other princesses about how many days they were going to wait before their first run and my reply was "2 months."  Well....don't ever accuse me of not keeping a promise to myself.

The last 2 months I've enjoyed working out in a non-running world. It's weird & there are a couple of times on the treadmill or outside on a walk I've wanted to up my pace, but again - promise to myself, and I'm my #1 fan.

Last night I went to Hot Yoga with a month-long unlimited groupon I purchased a while back.  I love yoga & I love sweating.  It was my first class in a LONG time so I acted like I was a first-timer. The instructor could tell differently, but I didn't want to be crippled today so I kept all my poses loose & light.  I left feeling amazing.  I'm looking forward to seeing how Hot Yoga affects my running - Hopefully for the better, I've heard it's great for runners.

Countdown to running: 20 days