5 Days To Go

I'm getting together my "race plan" this week. There's a lot to think about. Friday I'm taking the day off of work to relax but that's really what I'm not going to be doing. I have to take Sophie to school, go to the grocery store. Then I'm going to head over to the race expo and pick up my stuff. Then I'm going to head home and get my house in order for company. My parents, sister and her two boys will be here Friday night and then my brother and sister in law are driving down for the day on Saturday. I love my family. I even told them if they want to make signs that would be OK :)

Saturday the race doesn't start till 8:00 so I don't have to be up too super early. I'll probably wake up about 5 am just to eat and let it settle. I'll probably spend about 30 minutes in the bathroom (hey - just keeping it real. I get a stomach ache when I get nervous). I shower to help wake myself up. Then I'll get dressed and we'll head down to the starting line. Ricky is going to drop me off and it'll take about 45 minutes to get down there. I want to be at the start about 7:30 or so. I hate being rushed. Just have to make sure I have an outfit laid out for Sophie and directions on how to get her ready.

I have a large spectator group so I'm happy and now the pressure is on! Not really but mentally it is, I want to do well.

This week I'm PMS-ing. Isn't that a swell thing to look forward to right before you run a marathon? Gotta love  mother nature.

I've planned out my meals for the week and am feeling pretty confident about it all. I'm not going crazy over pasta but I'm trying to incorporate good carbs where I can. And I decided I want pizza Friday night. Not nasty Pappa Johns but Trader Joe's pizza dough and my own yummy toppings. Either way I'm going to be nervous so I don't think it matters what I eat.

We got our kitchen painted on Saturday. I love the color, will post a picture soon.

For Christmas my mom made Sophie a pair of ruffle pants. Yesterday she finally wore them for the first time. She looks so stinkin cute!

I did a 2 mile run yesterday, then some elliptical and light weights. I'm not doing any weights this week except for abs. Tomorrow I'm going to do 5 miles, then 3 on Wed. and debating whether I should do 2 miles on Friday. To be decided.

Someone at work asked me today if I'm ready. I said that I am physically ready but not quite mentally. Getting there though. I know I can do this!

The Countdown Begins

T minus 8 days until the marathon.

Holy cow, I can't believe it's really almost here. Tomorrow is my last long run before the race and I'm planning to do between 8 and 10 miles.

The taper thing is scary to me. I understand it and I realize it's important but still scary. I feel like I should run more tomorrow but I'm afraid I'll be tired next Saturday and my body won't be very recovered.

So I'm sticking with my plan and trusting in my training.

Next Friday I am taking the day off to take it easy. My parents and sister are coming into town Friday evening and then my brother and sister in law are driving down for the day on Saturday. I have spectators!! Very exciting. The plan is for my hubby to drop me off at the start and cheer me on. Then he's going to head up and camp out at the 20 mile mark and hopefully that's where my family will meet him. Then I think they are going to high tail it over to the finish line.

What really is special to me is that my daughter will be there. I can't wait for her to see her mommy crossing the finish line. I hope when she's older she looks back at that picture with me and gets inspired...for anything. I don't care what she does as long as she's inspired.

I really want that medal:

Even though I'm nervous and starting to have performance anxiety, I really can't wait to participate and say that I've run a freaking marathon!

Depending on how the race goes this may be the only one I run. Only for the fact that training is time consuming! And I only had one child. Next year I might have two!! I know it can be done but I really stretched myself thin this year trying to do everything.

I mean tomorrow after my run I'm re-painting my kitchen. Why? Because it needs it. We just got new countertops and the current color doesn't go. And I'm semi OCD and cannot have mix matched colors when company comes. Even if company is family.

As much as I've enjoyed this training, pushed myself, cried :), and changed my body, I'm looking forward to running for the fun of it and not because I have to.

However, I just signed up for another half marathon on February 4th. The Save the Light Half Marathon. That gives me about a week to rest and recover and then another week to get back into it, with one long run. I'm not really doing this for time (or so I tell myself) but because it's on Folly Beach, it's scenic, it raises money for the Morris Island Light House that is close to being washed out to sea. Plus they have a cool t-shirt, and they are giving out medals this year. It's kind of a no frills race. But sometimes those are the best ones.

The REAL reason is after this race I hope to get pregnant so I just want one more race under my belt before I take the plunge.

However there are several 5 and 10K's in the spring :)

Just. Can't. Stop.

Actually there is a blog I read often, Mile Posts, and Dorothy ran throughout all her pregnancies so there is a lot of good information out there. As long as my doctor says it's ok an I'm feeling good I'm going continue. I exercised throughout my entire pregnancy with Sophie (well that is until my feet wouldn't fit in my shoes anymore) and I think it has fantastic benefits so I'm doing it again this time around.

So far 2012 is going great! It's been cold here the last few days and I'm ready for Spring!

Christmas, Training, and Happy New Year

Some pictures from Christmas:

Christmas Eve before dinner

Santa came!

 On Wednesday Sophie woke up with a horrible cough, some wheezing and labored breathing. It seemed like, at times, she was struggling to catch her breath. Scared the crap out of me so I called in sick to work and made a doctor appointment. They didn't have one till 12:30!! Lots of sick kids out there right now. So by mid morning she seemed to be doing a little better and was running around and playing, so I cancelled the doctor appointment.

Because I'm not a doctor, I self diagnosed her with Croup. Actually I read about it, my sister's kids have had it and when she heard her cough and breathing we were both pretty sure it was croup. Of course if she seemed to not be doing well I was going to call the doctor back, but croup is a virus and just like with all viruses you have to let it run it's course.

Luckily that night she slept very well and sounded so much better the next morning. Poor kid, I hate it when she's sick.

Running has been going well this week, I've mostly forgotten about that horrible run and am moving forward. I am scheduled to do 12 miles tomorrow but will possibly do a couple extra. Just to make sure my base is strong and to make way for the crap ton of calories I will be eating and drinking for New Years. We are having some friends at our house and I am going all out.

In typical Jennifer fashion I have a lot going on in the next few weeks. Charleston Marathon is only 2 weeks away!! I can't believe it!! I'm super excited (because I'm no longer going to think negatively).

Aside from wrapping up training I will be painting Sophie's new room (she'll be "moving in" sometime in Feb.). I will also be re-painting our kitchen because we are getting granite counter tops installed today!! Now I just have to find the time to do it all!!

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be an awesome year, I can feel it.

Where do I Begin?

I haven't posted anything since last Friday. I'm a slacker. Actually I've just been very very busy with work and then I literally fall into bed when I get my little one to sleep.

In a nutshell here's what my week has consisted of:

-Traveling to Charlotte, NC for "fake" Christmas with my family plus celebrating two birthdays (my Mom and nephew) - pics to come.
- Ran 7 miles on the trail behind my parents house. I love that trail. I miss that trail. It ends right accross the street from a Starbucks and Trader Joes. If I had my debit card on me I would have totally gotten a coffee and gone shopping and just called someone to come get me. But I didn't so I ran back to my parents house.
- Drove home and then had to do laundry, clean and get ready for the work week.
- I worked all week. It was busy.
- Ran during the week at the butt crack of dawn. Scratch that it wasn't even dawn yet.
- Ran 19 miles today and then had to go to my husband's company Holiday lunch (because in this day in age you can't call it a Christmas lunch anymore. Gotta be PC).

About those 19 miles.......

It blew.

I walked.

I cried.

I even threw my water bottle and then sat in the grass and called my sister. I mean who would have thought a 31 year old could throw a tantrum like that. I learned it from my daughter :)

I love my sister, she's always so positive. She's not a runner but she just makes me feel like a good person.

Then I called my husband who pretty much told me the same thing my sister did: Don't quit.

Then I came home and e-mailed a blogger who kicks ass at the marathon and she gave me some awesome advice too. (Thanks Skinny Runner!)

General consensus: Don't quit. Everyone has bad runs now and then. I have trained way too hard and come to far to quit now. I can still do this!

However I had a huge blow to my confidence today. This 20 miler, which actually was only 19, was supposed to be better than the last. I was supposed to feel strong. I was supposed to run the entire time and feel ready for the marathon in 3 weeks.

Instead I felt awful from the first 3 miles till 12 and then had to walk/run the rest if the way. I mostly walked. And cried. I think a biker thought something was wrong because he looked back at me several times. No worries Mr. Bike Rider, just being a cry baby! Thanks though! My stomach was rejecting any water and energy chews. I knew if I ate one more I'd hurl all over the place.

I just didn't have it in me today. I admit I've been feeling very tired and burned out lately. Maybe this is my body's way of telling me to rest. Seriously I shut down physically and mentally today.

So I'm going to take the next couple of days and enjoy Christmas with my husband and daughter. I'll pick it back up on Monday and then enjoy my taper. I will hope for the best on Marathon day. I know I can make it 20 miles and it's ok to walk!

Half marathon is by far my favorite distance so after this marathon I think I will focus on that. I'm still excited for the marathon, just don't feel as ready as I hoped I would.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Santa Hangover

It's been a busy busy weekend. And it will be like this till the end of the year. We have something planned every weekend between now and New Year's Day. I'm going to be exhausted by the time this race comes around. I'm almost looking forward to being pregnant again so I can take it easy. However relax is not in my vocabulary, even when pregnant. 

Friday I finished all my painting. Well, not all. I still have other items I need to get done but the bulk of Sophie's furniture is DONE! Headboard, bookcase and a mirror. Whew! All I need to do is the clear coat but it's been a little humid with this rain that moved in, and I didn't want it to dry funky so the furniture is still sitting in the garage till I can do this last step. Pictures to come.

Saturday I ran 12 miles, 1:46, avg pace 8:54. Getting better with this distance. Would love to run just one more before I get pregnant so I can PR again. There is a 15k (Charlie Post Classic) at the end of January and a no frills half marathon (Save The Light Half Marathon) first weekend of Feb. that I'm thinking about doing. We'll see, I don't want to jump hard core into running after my marathon. Body would probably like to recover and we'll pretty much go from marathon to "trying" to get pregnant.

Sunday we woke up and got ready for a Brunch with Santa with a friend of mine at her neighborhood country club. It was a nice spread of food, they had a mini pancake station for the kids and I topped Sophie's pancakes with yummy strawberries, chocolate chips, whipped cream. She only ate the chocolate chips. And some bacon. Mom of the year, right here! 

We even got her to sit on Santa's lap for a few minutes. The look she gave him the whole time was priceless.

Not so sure about this guy. 

There's a high 5, she's warming up....slightly

After brunch we walked down to a little area near the clubhouse that was on a marsh to take some pictures. They actually turned out really nice and I have to credit my good hair day to my friend who spend 2 hours highlighting my mass of hair on Saturday. Actually my hair is not very thick, just long.

A rare moment - I'm usually behind the camera

My favorite! Love this little girl!! This is a keeper.

Another keeper!! Even if we all aren't looking at the camera we are all smiling.

My loves!

On the way home, little bit feel asleep so we sat through the Starbucks drive through for about 20 minutes. Apparently everyone in our town decided to go to Starbucks at exactly 12:20 Sunday afternoon. We got home and rested/relaxed for a few hours until it was time to head back out for the James Island County Park Festival of Lights. 

All the 6 years I've lived here and we've never been. Mainly because it gets packed, there's traffic, a ton of people and I hate all of that. I'm probably the world's most impatient person. But since Sophie is getting older I want to start doing traditions so I decided to suck it up and deal with the mass of people. And we went on a Sunday which was less crowded than Saturday. And we got there right when it opened so we didn't sit in too much traffic.

So basically you drive around the county park and look at all the light displays. The have a Santa's Village you can park and walk to. Includes fire pits for marshmallow roasting, a carousel, Santa of course, food and beverages and a climbing wall (??) Not sure about that last one but people looked to be having a good time.

Getting ready for the lights

Sophie got to ride on the carousel, almost caught my hair on fire roasting marshmallows. Again, letting my child play near fire = mom of the year. Actually she's becoming quite the Miss Independent so I let her try it out. Teach em young, that's what I say!

Fun with Daddy!

Waving at us every time she passed by. It was too cute and I'm so happy she loved it.

All good things must come to and end and she started getting upset and fussy and we knew it was time to go. Sleepy Sophie is not a fun thing to deal with. Luckily we made it back to the car, saw the rest of the lights, and got home before a full meltdown occurred. So I call it a success.

However this morning she was NOT a happy camper to be woken up. Thus I call it a Santa hangover. Poor girl could barely keep her eyes open and fell back asleep in the car. These are the days I feel guilty to be a working mom. Clearly she needs to sleep longer and I felt so bad having to get her out of bed. One day, one day I won't have to do this to her. Hopefully. That's the plan anyway. In the meantime there's money to be made and bills we gotta pay.

Because I didn't get to workout and do my cross training I dragged myself out of bed and went to the gym. Ran 4 miles, 33:49, avg pace 8:27 or something like that. Did some legs, chest and back.

It's a very rainy, cold and dreary day today so I'm anxious to get this Monday over with.

20 Miles

I first want to start by saying that I am amazed by people who can run a marathon fast. A lot of the blogs I read, these ladies are fast. They run a marathon in the time I ran 20 miles. However, this is the longest distance I've ever run and I'm just proud that I did it.

I woke up Saturday morning to cold temps and frost on the ground. When I got to the start of the trail it said 30 degrees on the thermometer.

I had on my ear warmers, gloves, Nike tech capris (which surprisingly kept my legs warm) a long sleeve shirt and a fleece. No picture of this lovely sight as my hubby was still sleeping when I left.

When I started running I could not figure out why my hands were numb, literally freezing, until I realized my hand held water bottle lid was not on tight and water was splashing all over my hands. It was cold but I warmed them up by putting them under my shirt - body heat is awesome.

Once I got going I started to warm up nicely and the cold air didn't really affect my breathing at all but my nose was running like crazy.

I stopped around mile 5 at a gas station to pee and take off the fleece. In a nutshell my run went very well until about mile 16 I started to feel very tired. I did stop at mile 12 because I was back at my car and needed more water (since most of it leaked out before I started running).

So mile 16 I start getting tired and then I get more and more tired as the miles go on. By 18 I had to stop and walk. I didn't even know if I was going to finish 20. I guess this is what people mean by hitting the wall. I wasn't really cramping I was just tired.

I walked for about a minute and told myself to get my butt moving. My pace was so slow towards the end and I wondered how in the hell am I going to make it 6 more miles?

The last .3 miles I ran as fast as my little tired legs would go, which really wasn't that fast at all, but I got 20.12 miles done! Barely!

Avg pace was 9:59. At least it was under 10 minute mile.

My "I'm so happy it's over" pose. 

Even though I have never run 20 miles before and am proud, I'm slightly disappointed that I started to crap out at mile 16 and 17. Did I not eat enough the day before? I thought I did, which could have also been the problem...maybe I was too full and sluggish. Who knows.

What I do know is I want to run a little faster than that on race day. I don't want to feel like crap and feel like I'm not going to make it, question why in the world I decided to do this.

So I'm going to do another 20 miler in three weeks - Christmas Eve or the day before. I feel like this one doesn't fully prepare me.

The good news is I was not as sore as I thought I was going to be afterwards or the next day. Some of that is due to me wearing my Recovery Socks right after I got home. We even went out to dinner that evening with friends and I stayed up till 11:30! What!? Ha.

I did cross training yesterday and I could tell my body was tired so I tried to keep the weight light.

Today is a rest day and I'll be back at it tomorrow morning.

Catching Up

Since my last post I've barely logged onto a computer and happy that I've had some time away. I've been feeling very overwhelmed with life and this marathon training. I think last week was one of the first times that I honestly thought about quitting.

Then I woke up Thanksgiving morning with a sore throat and realized that this was the reason I was feeling so run down, I was getting sick.

Luckily someone in this world invented Airborne and after 2 days of eating those nasty chews I was feeling so much better. 

We went to my sister's house in Charlotte (well small town outside of Charlotte, Stanley to be exact). I did not brave the Black Friday crowds because I never go and I was feeling crummy. We did go out later in the day to a few stores but the spectacular deals were already over. 

I'm a believer in Airborne. I started eating the chews Friday night and by Saturday morning sore throat was gone and runny nose was not as snotty.

Saturday we drove home and went to friends house to watch the Clemson vs. Carolina game. I could care less about football but the hubby had fun, I caught up with some friends, and Sophie got to play. Everybody wins!

Note to self - puffer jackets make me look chunky.

I assure you the kids had a blast, even though it doesn't look like it on their faces.

Sunday I did 12 miles in 1 hour and 51 minutes, avg pace 9:11. Felt really good overall. It was a cool morning but I got warm quick!
Later I went to the gym to do some elliptical and weights. Kicked my butt and I was tired when I got home. And hungry. Like I hadn't eaten enough the previous 3 days.

Monday I had the day off so I:

1) worked out - ran 3 miles
2) Ran errands - shopped, went the the grocery store
3) put up Christmas decorations - still need to do the tree
4) cleaned
5) started my nephews dinosaur painting
6) cooked dinner
7) crashed

So a vacation day isn't really a vacation at all. I busted my tail and was exhausted when the day was done.

Back to work Tuesday, which is what I've been doing since. Not that exciting but I have been super swamped with end of year stuff, which is one reason why I haven't posted anything lately.

December is going to be a super busy month and I'm stretching myself really thin. I think maybe I'll get to relax in March. Hopefully by then I'll be knocked up so I'll have an excuse to rest more.

Saturday I have 20 miles! AHHHHHHHH!! So intimidating to say that but I'm ready to tackle it. Then I'll have to come home and take a nap because we are going out to dinner with friends that night. A night out with my daughter spending the night with the grandparents. Oh the possibilities. Honestly I see myself crashing early but I'm hoping as long as I take a nap and drink lots of water I should be fine.

Next week I'll be working on painting my daughters furniture to start getting her "big girl" room ready. I have a lot to do but she's 2 and doesn't care if it's not all complete at once.

Weekend after we'll be back in Charlotte to do "fake Christmas" with my family. That plus it's my mom's and nephew's birthday that week so it's Christmas and birthdays all in one.

Then the next week is Christmas. I might be able to relax a little because the only thing I have to do is cook something Christmas Eve and make breakfast Christmas morning. My new tradition is to make cinnamon rolls from The Pioneer Woman. I made these last year and they are so good.

So you see, there is no rest for the weary. I feel like I'm at the peak of training and I'll start to taper soon. 20 miles this weekend and then I'm going to do another 20 - 22 miles on the 23rd (I have off and Sophie will go to school that day for her Christmas PJ party). Then I'll taper off and be ready for the race.

In theory.

Getting nervous.

Getting excited!

I hope I don't die! - A little dramatic there.

Some Is Better Than None

So happy that Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I'm looking forward to have a few days off of work. It's been crazy busy at my job the last week. Sales reps are trying to get those end of year orders in and sales reps can be very needy.

I decided at the last minute to take Monday off because no one else did and I just felt like I need an extra day. We are down one team member who's out on maternity leave but it'll be fine. Everyone needs a break now and then and I've been saving the last of my vacation in case Sophie gets sick.

I plan on getting some things done around the house, maybe a little more Christmas shopping (I'm almost done!) and possibly some Christmas decorating. I will be able to do this because I'm sending Sophie to school. I know, bad mommy but she'll probably have more fun there anyway.

This morning I was supposed to do 8 miles. Then I decided I only had time for 7.

I ended up only doing 4. I was tired and my legs were just not moving. Lead legs.

My body seems very tired ever since I ran 19 on Sunday. I rested Monday and ran 6 miles yesterday and I plan to hopefully get up tomorrow morning and do a quick 3 miles before we head to Charlotte.

I am not planning on bringing any running clothes with me, taking this time to rest, relax, eat and enjoy my family without worrying on when I'm going to get my run in. I will do my 12 miles on Sunday (we're getting back into town Saturday afternoon).

However if I don't make it up tomorrow then I will probably try to squeeze a run in Friday or Saturday. Haven't decided yet.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

This Is Why I Hate My Commute

All because a truck catches on fire. 3:00 this happened and it's 4:30 pm now and this is just getting cleared up.

Better be gone by 5:00 or I'm going to blow my top. Seriously.

In happier news I ran this morning and felt great. 5 miles in 42:33, avg pace 8:24. I alternated slow and fast miles to help pass the time.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to do a short run early before my husband has to go into the office and then when he gets home I'm going to hit the gym to do a light weight workout and some cross training.

That's the plan anyway.

It Looks A Lot Like Fall

But it sure doesn't feel like Fall. It's supposed to get up to 83 degrees today. It was 70 degrees when I left my house. And muggy too.

Ran 5 miles this morning on the treadmill and my knee felt good. There were just a few moments where it felt a tad funky but I would say 99% of the run my knee felt just fine. Plus walking last night and today at work I feel no funkiness.

Tonight is Body Pump if I am up for it. As I've done the last couple of weeks, I have my gym bag sitting right by my desk for me to stare at and feel guilty if I start to not want to go. I have a free night, husband is getting daughter and making dinner, so I really have no excuse to NOT go other than the usual tired and hungry.

In other news there's not much else going on unless you want to hear about how much a washer disinfector for a hospital costs.

I did finally get my car back from the body shop yesterday. It's all fixed and clean. If you live in the Charleston area and get in a wreck, call Norton and Richardson in Summerville. They do awesome work (for the 2nd time for me).

Potty training continues to go well. Sophie went all day with out an accident until late in the afternoon she did a deuce in her pants. It's OK though because it's going to happen and she knows she needs to go in the potty because as she's getting cleaned up she goes "you poo poo in the potty." Just have to get her to tell us before hand, which she does a good job for the most part. Either way I'm proud of her. She's doing awesome. I never did buy the small potty, mainly because I didn't want to have to clean it each time she went. Instead I bought the seat that goes over the big toilet seat so we could get her going there, learn to flush and all that. It's worked for us.

Now it's lunch time and I need to figure out what to eat because I didn't have any leftovers to bring. My choices are...Subway and that's about it. Not really crazy about Subway so I might have to venture over the bridge to find something.

I'll probably end up at Subway.

Thunder Road Half Marathon, Charlotte, NC

Saturday morning I ran the Thunder Road Half Marathon in Charlotte. It was rather cold out, I think at the starting line temps were about 30 degrees. I had a great race. Another PR! We're back home and I'm worn out. No cross training today because by the time we got home and unpacked the car I wasn't feeling it. Plus my knee has been bothering me since about mile 6 yesterday so I'm resting today. And eating. Can't seem to stop eating, and that would be things that I shouldn't be eating (cookies damn you!).

Friday was a whirlwind of packing in the morning, potty training (2 for 2 - two accidents and two tinkles on the potty). By Noon I was tired and ready for a nap. Same for Sophie.

We got to Uptown Charlotte, the Charlotte Convention Center, about 3 pm. We parked at the Nascar Hall of Fame and I went accross the street to get our race packets (Ricky was running the 5k). Ricky stayed in the car with Sophie and the dogs.

The expo wasn't very busy at all so I got our packets right away. I even lingered to buy a few items. I wanted to browse longer but I knew our dogs were probably barking at every person that walked within 15 feet of our car so I cut it short.

Then we were off to my sisters house in Stanley, NC (which is a small town outside of Charlotte). I have no pictures of anyone in my family because I suck at remembering my camera and it was somewhere at the bottom of my bag.

It was a hectic night of trying to get Sophie to sleep in a bed that wasn't hers but she eventually fell asleep with me and Ricky. We didn't attempt to move her.

5 am my alarm went off and I was getting ready. We needed to leave the house about 6:15 to make it downtown (it's really uptown), park and get to the starting line. Weren't sure about traffic and finding a place to park.

It ended up being very easy to find a parking spot at the Westin Hotel parking garage. They even opened up their lobby for runners to find warmth and use the facilites. Thanks Westin!

We made it to the starting line and I got into my corral. I chose the 2 hour pace time because I just wasn't sure how this was going to go. Charlotte has hills and I didn't have the greatest week so I was playing it safe.

I tossed my fleece and the gun went off. As usual the start is very crowded so I had a hard time getting around people. I even ran past my old office building. I miss it. I used to work for Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) in one of the high rise buidlings uptown. They've done a lot to the area, it's so nice and clean, I really miss it (did I mention I miss it?).

Mile 1 - 9:02
Mile 2 - 9:10
Mile 3 - 8:51

I have to say I was worried about hills but at the start we went downhill a ton. This was nice but I knew those hills were coming at some point. I felt good at the start.

Mile 4 - 8:48
Mile 5 - 9:08
Mile 6 - 8:55

Somewhere between mile 5 and 6 I tried to side step some water cups and I felt something funky in my left knee that had me slowing down. Didn't hurt as much as it felt like I twisted something so it felt....tender I guess is a good word.

Mile 7 - 8:48
Mile 8 - 8:59
Mile 9 - 8:36

I ate some of my engery chews early on, I think about mile 4 because we encountered some hills. I ate two more at mile 7 to help me with getting over the hills.

Mile 10 - 8:33
Mile 11 - 8:38
Mile 12 - 8:46

I took two more energy chews at mile 10 and then two more at mile 12. Miles 11-12 were mostly uphill and I think I possibly groaned out loud at some point. It really felt like it was never going to end. Mile 13 was tough too because you rounded a corner and went up again until you finally saw the finish line.

Mile 13 - 8:28
.1 - sprint to the finish - 7:31

Done!!

Garmin:
13.22
1:56:27
avg pace 8:48

Chip Time:
13.1
1:56:23
avg pace 8:53

Overall Place 868 / 2494

Gender Place 296 / 1353

Division Place 59 / 256

I'm thrilled to PR again. I really was shooting for 2 hours but when I hit 6 miles and still felt strong (aside from the knee thing) I knew I could beat my previous half marathon time.
 
Ricky and my dad were there at the finish (still no camera, darn). We walked through the victory village, grabbed some free stuff and food and then headed home to hang out with the family.
 
This is my last race till the marathon and I really want to try and find one more half to run because I'm having a great time with it. It almost, ALMOST, makes me want to change to the half marathon in January and really focus on running it faster. But I know I'll regret it if I do that.
 



Parking garage picture when I realized I had my camera.



Being a dork, or looking like I'm constipated.





Something Is Better Than Nothing

Supposed to run 8 but only did 6 miles this morning, 53:12, avg pace like 8:41 I think. Oh well, at least I dragged myself out of bed and went to the gym.

I did make it to Body Pump last night and even managed to squeeze in 2 miles before class.

So I guess between last night and this morning it equals 8 right?

Can't decide if I'm going to run again in the morning or take it easy since I have a half marathon on Saturday. I'm still feeling a little icky so I'm basing it on how I sleep tonight and if I can make it up in the morning.

We are leaving for Charlotte, NC around lunch and originally I was going to work half a day but after yesterday's morning traffic fiasco I decided to take the full day off because I deserve a stress free day sometimes. We were having a difficult time working out the logistics of whether Ricky was going to take me to work, pick us up and then hit the road. What about the dogs? I have to get everything packed up and ready to go tonight....it was starting to stress me out so I just decided to take the whole darn day and pack in the morning at my leisure.

See, I try to be conservative with my time off because now that I have a child, it's not really my time off but it's mine plus Sophie's because I need it if she gets sick. Which happened quite a bit that first year and a half of her life.

So around Noon we'll be on the road with plenty of time to stop by the expo and then head to my sister's house to hang out with the family before we have to get up Saturday morning. Sounds much better than trying to work half a day.

There's No Going Back

It's official: We're potty training.

Lord help me!

Yesterday at daycare the teachers introduced the potty. Most of the kids have either started or are already potty trained so Sophie is sort of one of the last one's. I'm OK with that, I've learned that all kids are different and some take a little longer than others to get persuaded to wear big girl panties.

She sat on the potty but never went, except for in her pants :(  It's all good, it's her first full day. It takes a while for them to get the concept and she'll get it in time.

She did make it the whole way home without going in her pants (I have a plastic grocery bag on her car seat just in case) and when we got home she sat on the potty for about 5 minutes reading a book. I don't know if she went or not because I had to let the dogs out.

After dinner she was playing with Daddy. I was upstairs when all of a sudden I hear "Mommy, you need to come down here...."

So I go down and Sophie is jumping up and down all excited. She pooped in the potty! That's my girl!

So even if she doesn't pee pee in the potty maybe we can get the poop part down. I can handle pee.

I ran 5 miles this morning, 42:10, avg pace 8:24. I did the first 3.5 miles with hill intervals and the last 1.5 miles of speed work (on the treadmill of course). Regardless it was a good run.

After the run I didn't have much time to do weights so I did some kettle ball lunges and planks. Then it was time to head home with the sun starting to rise. So nice.

When the Crap Hits the Fan

I was planning on getting up and running this morning. My week is going to be kind of messed up because Wed. (my 8 miles) my husband has to be out of the house by 5:30 am so there is no time to run unless I get up at 3:30 and make it to the gym right at 4:00 when it opens.

That's still an option.

Last night just as I was roasting some red potatoes and getting ready to fire up the grill, my husband got the dreaded call that shit was spilling into the river. Literally, shit.

Because I don't know too much about the specifics, I do know that it means that the pumps he rented to the customer failed or didn't turn on like they were supposed to, to pump the sewer, which means it started flowing into the river. Not good. At all.

I rarely see my husband get so stressed out but at this point I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Because he is the sales rep, he must go and do damage control with the customer. So he takes off about 6:30 and it's just me and Sophie for dinner. I ending up eating a sandwich and Sophie chicken nuggets (mom of the year award right here).

Poor guy didn't get home till 1:30 am (Columbia, SC where his customer's site is located, is about an hour and a half away). Once he got home and into bed I had a hard time getting back to sleep and then my mind kept racing for some reason. Anyway we both didn't sleep well, I'm sure he was having nightmares about last nights fiasco.

So today ended up being a rest day like originally planned, which turned out to be a good thing because I am sore from yesterdays weight session.

I did cross train but I also ran 2 miles - sort of a recover run - and did the elliptical and then weights.

So tomorrow I will run and then see what to do about Wed. I have another half marathon on Saturday in Charlotte, NC - the Thunder Road Half Marathon.

Charlotte is home to the Lowe's Motor Speedway and Nascar Hall of Fame so that is why it's named Thunder Road. Plus we have Paramounts Carowinds theme park and there's a roller coaster called Thunder Road. But I don't that the race is named after the roller coaster.

So I need to make sure I don't over do it this week because Charlotte has a lot of hills. Plus we'll be traveling with child and dogs so it's not like it's going to be easy going, it's going to be tiring and stressful but we're staying with my sister so it's automatic baby sitter while we run (Ricky is running the 5k).

Ultimately I'm glad things worked out like they did, I needed the rest anyway. My right heel has been bothering me ever since the Mrytle Beach Mini Marathon.

Time change is both good and bad. I love when the sun rises early, helps me get out of bed. However getting home when it's dark out is going to be a little depressing. Grin and bear it, that's what I do.

Potty training blitz starts at daycare this week. So this past weekend I was trying to get Sophie all excited and get her in "big girl panties." She tells me "I not a big girl, I'm a baby." This isn't a good sign.

How much do you push till you realize maybe she's just not ready? Maybe daycare will have luck. She likes the fight me tooth and nail while she seems to tow the line with her teachers. This will be interesting.

Last night when she was bathed, dressed and ready for bed. We snuggled. It was wonderful. I cherish these moments.

Week 11 Recap

Day 1 - Sunday
Cross Train: 15 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the stair climber. Weights (legs, upper body and some kettle ball exercices).

Day 2 - Monday
Rest: Halloween! Trick or Treating with my little black cat. I was sore from the previous day's workout so this was a nice day to take it easy. Of course I was rushed trying to get home, cook dinner, get Sophie ready for trick or treating, and making sure the decorations outside were all set up.

Day 3 - Tuesday
4 miles, 33:08, avg pace 8:15. When I was on my way home from the gym I realized that I was supposed to run 5 miles this morning. Oops.

Day 4 - Wednesday
8 miles, 1:07, avg pace 8:27. Body pump class in the evening. My first Body Pump class in like 3 years and it was great! Looking forward to doing these more often as long as the hubby can get Sophie after work.

Day 5 - Thursday
5 miles Rest: I could have gotten up but my body was tired, not so much sore, just really tired.

Day 6 - Friday
Rest 5 miles, 43:05, avg pace 8:47. Taking it easy since I had my long run the next day. Ab workout after the run.

Day 7 - Saturday
18 miles, 2:55:56, avg pace 9:46.

I was not looking forward to this run for 1 reason: Wind.
The weather forecast was calling for windy conditions today 15-25 mph winds with 35 mph + wind gusts. Lovely. Not only the wind but it was pretty chilly this morning, which is not normally a big deal. but when you factor in the wind it was cold. I'm a whimp when it comes to the cold, but this was bone chilling.

Starting out was a little rough because my hands were freezing and I didn't bring my gloves, because I figured I wouldn't want to wear them very long anyway.

Before long I started to warm up slightly but was still wearing my fleece. I was a little afraid I was going to get to warm but when I was in the shade and the wind wipped through the area, I was glad I kept it on.

So I felt good overall except for when I was running head first into the wind. That just made me feel slow and cold and towards the end of the run I kept saying "effing wind" for the last 4 miles.

I was keeping about a 9:30 - 9:40 pace until...the last 4 miles (effing wind). I was getting tired and it was just a blowing. Plus I was on a different part of the trail and there were a ton of leaves covering the path and I almost tripped over a few branches that had fallen so I slowed down to make sure I didn't bust my butt.

Mostly I was getting tired and I was out of water. The annoying thing with all the wind is my lips were dry as crap and my mouth was getting dry too. I think for the race Ricky is going to have to meet me somewhere around mile 20 and give me another water bottle. I did really well with my water until mile 17.

I ate some of my power bar enery chews throughout the run as well as some peanut M&M's (don't judge - they were good at mile 12).

Last week I felt a little dizzy around mile 12 from being hungry I think so I made sure I had something with me just in case. Not sure it was the right thing but I figured the peanuts would help. Sometimes when I eat the energy chews I get sick of the taste but I hate gels. Not sure if the M&M's did anything for me but it was a nice snack to have (sorry Sophie - I stole them from her Halloween candy stash).

Regardless of the wind, I'm glad I got out there and did it. I really wanted to wimp out. The time was slow but then again I've never run 18 miles before so I'm proud all around.

Of course when I got home it was nap time for Sophie and I was looking forward to laying down with her while my husband went to the gym to do his workout. This would be the day she doesn't want to nap. I was half asleep when I felt like I was being watched.

There she was sitting next to me going "get up Mommy, I not tired, no nap." I tried for about 15 minutes to get her to lay down but she was not having it. So tonight it's almost bed time and I have a feeling I'm going to crash hard.

Today I'm thankful for my Recovery Socks!

Just Another Run

I did a slower run this morning, 5 miles, 43:05, avg pace 8:47. Did some abs after.

To be honest I wasn't really feeling it this morning. I didn't sleep well but I knew I would regret it if I didn't at least get some miles in today.

Once I started running I felt good but decided to keep it a little slower because tomorrow I have to do 18 miles.

Even though it's cloudy, rainy and cold today, tomorrow is supposed to still be chilly, sunny and WINDY!!!

I think I read where it's going to be 35 mph wind gusts? Um not cool. I hate running when it's that windy because it makes it harder and it's going to be a cold wind. Not excited.

Last week it was rainy and windy and this time it's just going to be windy. It's OK I will get it done, I have to. Can't do it on Sunday.

I always go by the rule of thumb that what if these are the conditions on race day? I must tough it up and get out there and be blown away! I will try to not look at my watch because then I'll get frustrated.

Other than my run we don't have a whole lot of plans for the weekend. I'm going to attempt to get some projects done around the house and then have dinner with a friend of mine who I have seen in a few months.

My good friend Pam and former running buddy (I say former because she's not really running right now, trying to get preggers!!)

Losts of races this weekend and sad that I won't be doing the James Island Connector 10k tomorrow but it doesn't fall into my training plan. Good thing too with the wind. Up a bridge over the water can not be ideal running conditions but it'll be challenging for sure.

Brings Back Memories

Last night I went to the gym that's close to my office for a Body Pump class. I haven't done Body Pump at this location in three years (since my last job that had a corporate membership with this gym).

Speaking of my last job, I worked for a software company that did online health benefit enrollment for insurance carriers and their employees. I was a Data Analyst and this is what my resume says about my previous position:

· Primarily responsible for ensuring the integrity and synchronization of the data provided to the    insurance carrier and aide in the transfer and exchange of electronic health data.

· Other responsibilities include handling changes in healthcare data made by the HR Administrator          and researching issues during data transmissions.

· Ongoing correspondence with the insurance carrier to ensure the appropriate information was received properly.

It's all very technical so I won't go into detail however my Art degree came in very handy for this job let me tell you. Actually when I interviewed my soon to be manager laughed and sort of made fun of my college education. He wasn't a very good boss to say the least. I kicked ass in that job. I worked long days with no overtime and was stressed to the max. I had never experienced anxiety before until I worked for this company. It was very demanding and it was the happiest day of my life when I left.

Anyway, when I was employed at this company I went to the gym and did Body Pump twice a week. This really helped my weight loss before I got pregnant. I missed it greatly.

Now that I have a corporate membership through my new company I am able to go again, just not as frequently.

For example last night Ricky picked up Sophie so I could head straight there but because he travels and is the bread winner, I pick her up most nights.

I used to think Body Pump was so hard but that was at a time where I wasn't doing much weight training. Last night I noticed that I have come a very long way. I probably could have gone a little heavier than what I did but decided to keep the weight kind of light because I didn't want to be too sore for my long run on Saturday but I had just enough to make it a little challenging while not overexerting myself.

Had a great workout and I was STARVING when I got home.

This morning my alarm went off at it's usual 4:00 but I decided to rest today. I wasn't really sore but my body felt tired so I will run tomorrow.

My husband asked if he snored last night because he was out of breathe right strips. I didn't hear a thing, I slept like a rock.

My Favorite Greek Yogurt

Over the last few months I've made the switch from my regular yogurt to Greek yogurt. It's been difficult for me to find a good tasting fat free brand.

I'm not a fan of Chobani at all. I think it's gross and has a funky taste. My coworker eats the fat free plain. She must not have any taste buds.

I tried another brand, Fage, but wasn't a fan.

Finally I found my brand:

It's a little pricey, at my supermarket it's 3 for $7.00 but so worth it!

Vanilla bean is my favorite flavor, not so much a fan of the fruit ones but strawberry will do when they are out of the vanilla bean.

They also have a Greek yogurt parfait (yogurt plus granola that you mix together) and it's delicious but I can't seem to find it on their website.

I try to eat yogurt at least once a day. I have found it very beneficial and because I don't drink a ton of milk, I have to get calcium in me somehow. 

My daughter drinks a "yogurt smoothie" every morning when she wakes up. When she was an infant she battled oral thrush which is common in babies. It was a pain in the ass to treat and turned into a yeast diaper rash (because as we were killing it in her mouth with medicine it got into her intestinal track - yuck). It was not a fun experience especially for a new mommy. 

Because her tummy was so upset from the whole ordeal the doctor told us to by a special formula with probiotics to help get her all regular and kill off the bad yeast and stuff. It worked. With in a few days she was much better. After that I bought a powder probiotic to add to her formula. 

Ever since she was old enough to eat yogurt I bought Yo Baby drinkable yogurt and put it in her sippy cup. It's been our morning routine for the last year and a half. Sophie calls it "gurt." :)

I really feel this has helped keep her regular and helped her recovery quickly from stomach bugs. Plus when she had all her ear infections and was on an antibiotic more than I would have liked her to be, the probiotics helped keep all the good bacteria in her tummy - which killing it off could lead to thrush again and antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria. I did a lot of reading on this when she was younger. 

And because she's going through a "don't want milk" phase I know she's getting some from this.

I'm an advocate for probiotics.

Did 8 miles this morning, time 1:07, avg pace 8:27. 

Tonight my plan is to go to the gym after work for a Body Pump class at the gym near my office. My husband is going to pick up Sophie for me. Hopefully I will have the energy to do so. If the day goes well and I'm feeling good later, and the stars are all aligned I will do it. 

I have my gym bag right by my desk so I don't forget!

My Little Black Cat

Trick or Treating was a success! I'm so proud of the fact that she wore her costume with out a fuss, let me draw her whiskers on her face, and actually walked up to the doors and said "trick or treat" and "thank you" every time she got candy.

Happy kitty ready to get some candy. 

 If you look closely at my car you'll see the nice dented tailgate and bumper from my accident - that's finally getting fixed next week.

She carried that pouch of candy the entire time.

Went to maybe 10 houses and then headed home so we could get Sophie ready for bed. I'm happy she had a great time and look forward to next year. Now she realizes she got a bunch of candy, it was the first thing she asked for this morning so we hid it.

This morning I ran 4 miles, 33:08, avg pace 8:15. As I was doing weights I realized that I was supposed to do 5 miles. Oops.

I was going to do an extra mile after weights but then I ran out of time.

I also realized that this weekend daylight savings ends. Bummer!! I hate getting home from work when it's dark out. Makes me feel like I missed the day. However I do like it getting lighter earlier. I've been having such a hard time getting out of bed on the weekends because the sun doesn't rise till about 7:15 or so.

Gaining an hour of sleep is always nice though.

Week 10 Recap

Day 1 - Sunday
Half Marathon - Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon.
My first race since April and I really wanted a sub 2 hour half marathon. My chip time was 1:58:06 woot woot!

Day 2 - Monday
Rest

Day 3 - Tuesday
4 miles, 34:07, avg pace 8:31

Day 4 - Wednesday

8 miles 1:09, avg pace 8:31
Lunch hour went to the gym and did 10 minutes on the elliptical and weights

Day 5 - Thursday
4 miles Rest

Day 6 - Friday
Rest 3 miles, 26:00, avg pace 8:30

Day 7 - Saturday
17.01 miles, 2:44, avg pace 9:41
Weather wasn't very good this morning, it was cool, windy and rainy. Luckily by the time I started running the downpour had moved on but there was still a drizzle for the first hour or so. On top of that I was getting smacked in the face by wind. Some of my miles were very slow because of that (or they were just slow but I'll blame the wind).
I was feeling good overall, I stopped around mile 7 at a gas station to use the restroom and then once at mile 12 because I started see spots. Got a little light headed and wondered what the heck is this about all about and realized that I was hungry! Weird, I ate breakfast earlier but apparently my stomach was telling me "more food please." The feeling passed and I continued on. Thinking maybe I need to run with a bar or something just in case.
I finished strong though and I wasn't cramping at all like I did a few weeks ago after my 15 mile run.
Some things I'm trying out:
- Drink a large gatorade before I run in the morning. Then during the run I have my handheld with water and Nuun.
- I started eating my Power Bar Energy chews at mile 5, mile 10, mile 12, and then one per mile till I finished. I tried the Raspberry (w/o caffine) starting out and I'm thinking these don't work for me, I need the ones with caffine. Gives me that little extra boost.
- I chugged some of my husbands gatorade right after I started feeling lightheaded so I'm thinking maybe the longer I run I need to ditch water and drink gatorade. Not sure about this, I'll see how next week goes.

I have to say I'm a Gatorade fan. I know it's loaded with sugar but it doesn't make my stomach hurt and I seem to perform well when I drink it. So I'll stick to it for now.

I have to admit that when I hit mile 7 I thought to myself "only 10 more miles to go." And then I laughed a little. 26.2 seems so long! Happy to report that my legs feel good and as they are a little tired I'm not very sore.

Total miles for the week: 45 - the most ever for me.