The One Where I Make A Better Choice

Ok so as I finished up my yummy healthy lunch, I head back into the kitchen to clean up and see a rolo sitting on the counter. 

I picked it up. Almost thought I'd look up the caloric (non)values and not thing twice about eating it. 

I EVEN unwrapped it. 

I also took it to the trash and thew it out!! 

I'm serious it's garbage day! Garbage (of any kind) doesn't belong in my body. 

Mental 
Emotional 
Spiritual 
Physical 

I am not a garbage can! 

I love the thing in Pinterst, I've seen lately. 

You are not a dog, STOP rewarding yourself with food! I have to stop doing this. I'll run hard, and think I can "afford" a cookie a scoop of ice cream, whatever. 

I'll have calories left over and think....ooooh I could have _______. 

This HAS to end! And it has to end this year. It started with throwing the rolo in the trash!

The One Where I Decide On A 2012 Race Schedule

What up Peeeepppsss!!! 

The DRC Race Schedule is up and I'm signing up again for 2012!! WOOT!! I want to run the new years double in Allen (not a part of DRC) on Dec 31 and jan 1, but we'll see how my month goes and when the deadline is to sign up. 

Otherwise here's my schedule!! :) 

Frigid 5K/10K Saturday, January 7, 2012 

DRC February 5 Mile February 4, 2012 

Trinity River Levee Run - March 3, 2012 at Trammel Crow Park 

Tal Morrison Classic 15K/5K - April 7, 2012 at Winfrey Point 

DRC White Rock-n-Roll 5 Mile and 10 Mile - Saturday, May 5, 2012 at Winfrey Point 

Bloomin' 4 Mile - Saturday, June 2, 2012 at Winfrey Point 

Independence 5K/10 Fun Run - Saturday, July 7, 2012 

Cross Country Relay (3 Legs, 2 Miles each Leg) - Saturday, August 4, 2012 at Norbuck Park 

Breakfast Bash 5 Mile - Saturday, September 1, 2012 at Winfrey Point 

The Loop 15K/5K* - Saturday, October 6, 2012 at Winfrey Point 

DRC Half Marathon and 5K - SUNDAY, November 4, 2012 at Norbuck Park 

A race per month!! WOOT!! And of course I'll run the 5K at the kiddos school fund raiser!! And in May there's a HM in my hometown.... I'm hoping there's a lesser distance as well. :)

The One Where It Hurts To Do The Dishes

Things have been hectic here. PTA BSA Birthday Parties Emergencies 

I have been a huge stress ball! Some things are just more than I can take honestly, at least all in one week. I know it's a huge disappointment, I'm not super woman! It was hard for me to find that out too! ;) 

I have been working out at Fit Kick. We do TurboJam and Bootcamp Style workouts!! I am really happy with my body's memory! It remembers my tone-ness and fitness level from the spring when i was lifting more! YAY!! 

Wednesday my triceps hurt so much that it even hurts to wash the dishes!! YAY!! 

I haven't run in a few weeks, but I'm OK with that. I know I can do it and I'll get the miles logged eventually. I'm on a better schedule with working out and like in the spring it didn't matter that I hadn't logged the miles, I was stronger and I ran better because of it. 

I don't plan on doing anything more than a 5K....so I'm not worried about it. I have all of December to log the miles. I can run that far and I'm not worried. I do want to get a 10K under my belt in 2012. 

Although I've been stressed I've been doing OK in the nutrition department. I haven't eaten myself into oblivion. I'm not losing but that's OK. I still fit into my clothes although not my 2's, but I'm not fretting over that. 

I am looking forward to thanksgiving, because it's the first time in years that my whole family (siblings and kids) have been together! My sister and I have a great menu and I"m excited to have a fun day at her house with all our kids! :) 

Things are better with my brother....it's one day at a time.... I know it will take many one days at a time to get there, but we're in it for the long haul. I love him and I know there is purpose in the pain. 

My kiddo has the week off, so this will be fun and filled with laughter! 

I am making dressing and pies for my sisters house. Oh and roasted brussel sprouts. Then I'm going to the black friday deals!! it's tradition, but I don't get up at the crack of dawn. 

Saturday I'll have a run day and a baby shower to attend. 
Then we'll be back to business as usual. 
School, PTA, BSA and Christmas! 

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Eat what you want, don't overdo it, don't feel guilty, stay on track. Make a new tradition of going for a walk after the meal! Bundle up and get out the door! So what you haven't made it to your goal yet, you're moving and you're doing what's best for your life! 

Remember this is a journey, not a destination and stay on the path!! Don't camp out at Thanksgiving Day! :) Gobble Gobble! not Waddle Waddle! 


   

The One Where I Run With The Littles

Saturday I got up early. Got dressed. Had my coffee. Drank more water. Hubby and kiddo got ready too. Kiddo was running the 5K Race for the first time! At first he was gonna run it with his friends, then his teacher, then his friends, then me. Oh well, he'd run with whomever. 

The race atmosphere was great! I was excited! A friend of mine found me and asked if I'd run with her daughter and I said yes. I was hoping we'd keep a good pace but I was happy to just be running!! :D 

We started off and kept a good pace up to mile one. My running buddy wanted to walk a bit. So we decided we'd run/walk between the mailboxes. We'd run to one mailbox walk to the next one. 

I love this race route. It's awesome. It has just enough challenge and just enough scenery. 

Our Mile One Pace 13:05 

We made it to the turn around where I met up with my kiddo. He was really tired. He was sprinting... and walking and SPRINTING.... and walking. He didn't want to do run club this year so he was not prepared for this distance or the hills. 

He said I just can't run anymore. I said oh yes you can!! So my running buddy and I helped him to do the run walk, only this time we went between the telephone poles. :) 

His walking was reallllly slow. By the time we made it to mile 2 out pace was 14:38

Past mile two it was a struggle for my small people. They were done. And wanted to walk a lot. But I made them stick to the run walk. Our Runs were about 12mm pace, our Walks were around 17mm. 

We got to the bend where we were at the home stretch and I said OK, it's time to give it all we've got!! RUN RUN RUN!! 

My Running Buddy was in front of me and she ran fast!! Walked a bit but with some encouragement from her mom, darted off!! She came in 8th in her age group! 

I was right behind her! I came in 13th in my age group! 

My Kiddo was behind us by a few minutes, he came in 15th in his age group!! 

It wasn't an ideal race but I helped two young runners push through and achieve their goals!! 

My Time was 46:42 3.19 miles 
Official Time: 46.01 

The One Where I'm A Ghost

I went to Lukes today. I tried on several shoes, but teetered between saucony and brooks. 

The saucony was a bit narrow and it squeezed me at my big toe joint. I liked it but it literally rubbed me the wrong way. 

I also tried on the Vibrams. I like them. But I didn't have time to do much more than that, we had to be back home to get ready for Scout Camp. 

Soooo, I'm gonna go back and try on both the Vibrams and the New Balance and see how they compare. :D 

For my I'll run in a neutral shoe: The Brooks Ghost 4 

I'm still sore from whatever has been going on with my shoes and my feet this past week, so a real run is out for a few more days. I might not be able to run the 10K next week if I don't heal up soon.....as in the next 3-4 days. My concern is I'll get a DNF. 

Maybe I can walk some. I dunno. We'll see what happens. First I'll see if I can run Monday or Wednesday. 

Anyway, I'm still gonna get a minimalist shoe and the lady at Luke's said that would be a great option for me. 

She watched me walk. She watched me run. She watched me run on the treadmill with the shoes on; both standing in front of me and watching me in a mirror. Another employee watched me walk and run. Both said I do not over pronate. This is the 6th opinion in two days. So I'm wearing a neutral show now!! 

The One Where I Jump To Conclusions

I have come to the conclusion that I'm not built like a runner. I'm just not. 

I don't have long legs. 
I'm not paper thin. 
I could easily get a black-eye from running if it weren't for the "support" of two sports bras....one being a size too small to keep the 38 D's DOWN! 
I'm not tall. 
I run slow. 
I have curves - I'm a hippy chic. 

I'm not built like a runner. But I run. 

I have bio-mechanical issues with my non-runner body. 
I over pronate. 
I get super tight if I run more than 6 miles a week. 
I have small feet. 
I have a wide toe-box 
I have a narrow heel. 
Not a narrow foot. 
More like a foot shaped like a V 

I'm not built like a runner. But I run. 

I didn't know any of these things about myself when I started running. I just ran. I had aches and pains, but I see that has a challenge. And I run. I've learned a lot about what I can do and what I can't do. 

Without running being my full time job, I'll probably never run 13.1 or 26.2....walk maybe, but run, probably not. And that's OK. 

Since school let out I have joined a few friends to "run the bridge" MWF. The bridge is 4 miles. Some days I can run the whole way (as in have the time) other days I don't so I run as far as I can. I like running the bridge. I don't like getting up at 4:45. It's summer I want to sleep! 

My plan has been to do Galloway Training. And as plans go....well I haven't stuck to it and I am sore and tight. I get into a zone, I think I "can" run the bridge....so I "should" run the bridge. Instead of sticking to my plan, which would NOT include a 4 mile run 3-4 times a week. 

And I'm paying for it with my non-runners body. I'm sore and I'm tight. From my feet to my shoulders!!! Instep, Heel, Achilles, Ankle, Calf, Knee, (this idiotic) IT band, Hip, Shoulder. 

Yes it's very true I'm not built like a runner. And it's OK. And I'm still gonna run. These mammaries and short legs and small feet aren't gonna keep me from running. 

I didn't run Friday so Saturday I HAD to run. I needed to run 4.5 miles but ran 5. I had to stop a few times to tape up, to re-tie my shoes, to make adjustments. But honestly it was a good run!! I was sore, but a good sore. 

Monday though, I couldn't run. I walked but running was out of the question. My achilles/ankle hurt, to the point if I ran it would "run up" my leg to my knee. Yup Running was out. That's OK. I walked. 

Tuesday I did a BodyRock/GISG Workout. I went to Target, yes I know, not the bastion of running gear, but still I got a gel arch support and heel slip. I love my zip ties but I took them out and re-laced my shoes. My shoes were snug....tighter in all the right places, but I was able to move my toes!! YAY! But I couldn't run, I'm still sore. 

I think the issue is my shoes.....er.... my feet!! They are good shoes, but my feet are so......weird.....freakishly small (5.5-6) and squarishly V shaped that my feet move in my shoe, my heel slips, my arch is probably hitting in a different spot each time my foot lands. 

I don't want to get more shoes.....I have a PILE of running shoes at this point. So if I have to get more shoes....I am debating on getting Vibrams in hopes that they will at least FIT my feet. It seems that on amount of overpronation stability is helping my feet, so why bother, honestly. 

As long as I'm gonna spend a ba-jillion more bucks on yet more shoes, I may as well try something else. 

Whatever it is, I'm going to get to the bottom of it. Y'all know me!! 

I 
WILL 
NOT 
QUIT! 

This body that isn't a running body. 
These feet that are freakishly small. 
These aches and pains. 

They are challenges to be overcome. 
Mountains to be climbed. 
Hurdles to jump. 

And I will overcome, climb, jump and R U N!!

The One Where The Earth Moves Under My Feet

But the sky didn't tumble down. No it was a hot one yesterday!! 

The alarm went off at 5:30 and I hopped up and got ready. Had my coffee, made me a shake and gathered my things. 

Water 
Coffee 
Sunscreen 
IcyHot 
Knee Brace 

You know the essentials. 

I set the GPS to the race location and I was off!! At 6:30 it was already 75 degrees out! It was gonna be a hot day! 

I text to Alex (my oldest) and Jerome (my Dallas Team Leader) that I was on my way. I got down to the race site and parking was a mess!! I found a spot though and headed up to find Jerome. Alex was still on his way, but it was still early. 

As it ended up he got there with plenty of time to spare! YAY!! I picked up his number and his chip timer when I arrived and we were ready to go! 

I was so excited to see him, it had been a while! He's training for www.4deserts.comthis was his first race of the year! I got to run with my son! So so exciting! 

I was a bit nervous because I hadn't been able to run much, I didn't log many miles in May and this was my longest distance race to date. I've run four miles before, but not at White Rock. I didn't know the course or what to expect. 

Because I hadn't run much I set my pace at 14.30, hoping to beat it, but happy to stay there if need be. 

The gun sounded and we were off!! WOO HOO!! We ran at about a 9mm pace for the first 1/2 mile I said to Alex this is too fast we'd better slow down I don't know what's up ahead on this course. So we settled into an sub11 - 11mm pace. We finally came up to a water stop and I was seriously needing water. We continued on at an 11mm pace until the bridge! Oh Meh Gah 

Ummmm..... this thing is like trying to run away from an earthquake!! You have NO idea where you're foot will end up on your next step! Up or Down!! This this is wobbling all over the place, like a hammock!! Oh but it's concrete! And a big batch of craziness, about a tenth of a mile beyond the bridge is the turn around and then the it's up hill for quite a ways. 

This is where I nearly fell apart. I was still feeling off from the bridge and now I have to run uphill. And the water stop isn't for another mile. 

I had to take a few walk breaks just to get over the wobbling feeling! We carried on but at a slower pace. I wanted to go faster but I wanted to have the energy to finish so I slowed down considerably. sub 13 - 13mm. 

Alex was telling me to remember everything I'd taught him....breath normal, correct my posture and form. He was right I was practically bent over, not wonder my feet hurt. Plus I still don't have these zip laces correct. My foot was going numb, either from the tape or the laces. So with every step my foot on the up step would 'wake up' and on the down step 'go numb' quite the weird sensation. 

We made it to the water stop and I was feeling like I could carry on! 

We rounded the corner with 1/2 a mile to go and I was tired and we were on a slope that was very strange to run on. We had to maneuver our way around that and get to the end. 

Alex asked if I wanted to sprint to the end. I told him I could go a bit faster but I couldn't sprint. Mainly because my foot was numb!! At this point nearly completely numb! I was concerned I'd fall down! 

We finished!! Chip time 50:07!! Woo Hooo!!! Better than the hour I though it would take! We got some water and started looking for my friends. We found Jr Miller from The Ticket (a local sport radio broadcaster), Alex got his picture taken with him and we went inside for the results. 

I got a banana and we had an icee pop, ya know the tube kind. Ahhhhh it was super refreshing!! 

I found Jerome and his buddy Chris, I didn't see Amy but she said she left right after she finished. I saw her running though!! :D 

We headed back to the car and then home. It was 88 degrees at 9:30 on my way home! No wonder I was so hot and thirsty!! 

My next DRC race is a 10K July 2. I plan on running the 66 bridge quite a bit and also a training run out at White Rock, so I can conquer that bridge a few times before the race. My plan right now is to walk on it (during the race) if I can't get out there to train on it. 

I will definitely bring water. Probably my liter bottle. I generally drink 24 oz of water when I run 3-4 miles at home on the treadmill, so I'm gonna need more than what the DRC provided yesterday, for sure. Thankfully there was one water stop though!! 

Thankfully there were awesome volunteers!! :D 

I am sore today, but not as sore as I though I'd be. I iced down when I got home, my knees, my foot that was numb. Took a shower and went out for my grocery haul for the week! I love the look of a fridge stuffed with veggies!! 

Next thing to purchase is a fuel belt. Cuz I'll need something to keep me going on longer runs for sure. 

Now it's time to get ready for church; Hope y'all have a fabulous Sunday!! :D