I am thankful...It's DONE!!!

 *Note: I wrote this post after completing my second half-marathon last Saturday...

There are no words to express how relieved I am to have finished my half-marathon today. For the last month, there have been highs and lows in my training and my health. I considered not running the race at all. I am proud to say that I did not give in to my desire to roll over and pull the covers up over my head this morning.

It was cold at the start, but that made for perfect running weather. My choice of long sleeves and running tights was a good one. Even after it warmed up into the 50's, the wind was blowing at around 20 mph, and it was still chilly.

Really hard to see...but that's the starting line just before the race. Yes, we were under an overpass!

Hills were my downfall. The part of the route (miles 4-7) that went through Cherokee Park was the biggest challenge. The hills were huge. I did not train running outside or on big hills. Double whammy for me.

Halfway there...

The asphalt/concrete surface really killed me on the first few miles. Shin splints during miles 1-3 made me think that I wasn't going to make it. At mile 3, I got my stride and slowed down to conserve some energy.  Miles 4-7 were the dreaded hills through the park. Miles 7-10 were much better, and I had a good run/walk method in place.

Around mile 8, I took a PowerBar Vanilla gel and I took ibuprofen at mile 9. I think these two things are what got me to the finish line. I took water at every water station and Powerade when it was offered. At one point, I reached up to wipe my forehead and it was completely dry and covered with salt. I knew I needed to take in more water at that point. In between miles I at a few PowerBar Energy Chews. I crossed the finish line just under 3 hours at 2:59:48. Seems slow for most, but it's my new PR for a half!

So relieved it's over...I know you love my zebra print robe.

 Overall, I am glad I did it. My training only involved running 3 days a week. And some weeks less than that because of being sick or so busy I barely had time to eat, much less run. Cross training was what saved me. I have realized in this process that I will never be a long distance runner, nor a fast runner. Maybe if I lost 20 pounds, but realistically, I don't see my body handling longer distances in the near future.

I plan to stick to 5K's and running when I want to, a few days a week. I love the way I feel after a run, but I don't enjoy it while I'm doing it, if that makes sense.

Who knows, though, I've said all this before, and here I was, doing another half. I do know that I am going to take time away from blogging (as if I haven't already...) to focus on teaching 5th grade, my newest challenge. I'm just thankful I can say I finished this half-marathon and I can say...IT'S DONE!!!

I'm No Quitter!

I have SOOOOO neglected this blog since school started. What can I say, I can only focus on one thing at a time and family, teaching and running are two things too many already...so teaching has won out over almost everything but family over the past month.

Running has been blah lately. I noticed on my yearly mileage, I am only 25 miles away from hitting 200 miles in 2011. I think I've got that covered in the next month or so. I've scrapped the training schedule that was created for this event and made my own, "no injuries" plan. I am taking a low mileage approach in my half marathon training. My longest run this far has been 6 miles. I am shooting for 7 this weekend, but we will see...

My body keeps telling me to quit. My mind is also headed in that direction. But I'm no quitter. I finished college, grad school and my Rank 1 (a fancy teacher degree above your Masters) in 7 years, have taught kids with severe behavior, academic, emotional and physical problems, given birth, raised a child for 4 years and completed one half marathon already. So surely I can complete 13.1 measly miles of running (or some form of walking/jogging), right?!?

I'm working on staying focused, running a little longer each week and not worrying about speed.

Any advice for this?? Should I increase my long runs by a mile each week?

Long Time No Blog!

Hello, again. Yes, I am alive and well.

It's been a while. Where to begin...

Since school started it has been one long day after another. Feels like I've ran a marathon at the end of every day. And it's only September! I'm in for it this year!

Running is...going. 3 days a week. 2 shortish runs working on pace and speed. 1 longer run working on just not dying. My longest run has been six miles. Last week I wanted to sell my bib for this half-marathon I am attempting to train for. Running felt like torture of the worst kind. Heck, any physical activity felt like torture.

This past weekend called for nine, but it did not happen because I was out of town for Labor Day and ate my weight in greasy, salty, high calorie food. So I just didn't run. This week was about detoxing my body and getting my legs moving again. After 2 really good 3 mile runs, I feel better about running this week. Last week was just a fluke, I hope.

I just wanted to update anyone who may be wondering where I have disappeared to. Life has gotten busy and stressful and I am learning to deal with it again, as I do every school year when I go back to work. It just feels like I am not dealing very well right now. So when I figure out how to do that, I will be blogging on a regular basis again. For now, I will teach, I will run and I will do it with a smile on my face. Or at least I will try...

Mini-Vacay and the Beginning of Something Big!

 Mini-Vacation...

This weekend we headed to Newport, KY which is right across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, OH. Our plans were just to drive up there for the day to take the little one to the Newport Aquarium. Fortunately, my Dad travels a lot for business and had a free night in a hotel room that we could use. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, which I had never been to. It was probably the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in!

She had to break in the bed for us!

We had access to an indoor pool, and I swam more than I have since I was a kid. My legs were so tired on Monday morning! I also used their small gym, which had an elliptical, a recumbent bike (which was broken!) and a treadmill. I did a few minutes on the elliptical (1 mile) and then 1 mile on the treadmill. It was nice running on a different treadmill than my own. I felt faster, even though I really wasn't. And I was able to continually run with only a few short walk breaks. Maybe it was being in a different environment. I think I have burnt out on my treadmill...I really need the weather to cool off so I can run outside!

The aquarium was nice, a great place for kids. It's always fun to see their faces light up when they see something for the first time. There were a few times she acted scared of the fish:

Don't know what was so scary about Nemo...

 Some of the delish food I let myself partake in:

This was our only vacation this year. It was short and sweet, and we succeeded in not spending much money.

The beginning of something big....

Well, half marathon training officially started yesterday. Yesterday was a rest day for me because of traveling  and just being exhausted from hours of swimming. This week is a low mileage week. The training calendar I have has 9 miles for this week, but because I am replacing one running day with cross-training, I will only get 8 miles in this week. My long run is 3 miles, which is doable.

Next week is a completely different story! 4 mile long run next week will be the longest I have done in over a year. My plan is to only increase my weekly mileage by 2 miles per week. Here's how it looks for the next month:

Week 1:   8 miles

Week 2:   9 miles

 Week 3:   11 miles

 Week 4:   13 miles

My hope is that this way I won't get injured if I don't increase my mileage too fast. 3 days a week of running, 3 days of cross/strength training. 1 complete rest day. Sounds simple, right? With starting back to work full-time in a few weeks, we will see how simple it really is. Why in the world I decided to do a half when the training starts right before I go back to work is beyond me...

Questions for you...

I have been keeping a list of questions related to running my half-marathon this November. I've searched online and read what the "pros" have to say, but I'm really interested in finding out what other runners like myself do when training for half and full marthons. If you want to answer any or all of these questions for me, I'd be so thankful for your wisdom. Just leave your answers in the comment section, please and number them for me. I am going to answer them with what I am currently doing. Here goes:

1. Do you train for races outside, inside on a treadmill, or both?

• Lately, due to weather, I have been training inside on the treadmill. I want to run outside more when it cools down some.

2. Do you buy new shoes for a big race and then break them in a few weeks prior or stick with what you've trained in?

• My only experience with this was last years half, and I wore the shoes I trained in. Had no problems, but I walked pretty much the whole thing.

3. Do you pay attention to, or track your heart rate during runs?

• I am very interested in doing this. I am buying a Garmin with a heart rate monitor. I want to learn how to monitor this and use it to my advantage during training. 

4. The only hills I have really run for this training are on my treadmill. A 10% incline was like death for me. How do you train for hills?

• At 10% on my treadmill, I can only run for like a minute. In my neighborhood, there are some pretty big hills, but most are short and quick. I typically have to slow down and even walk sometimes.  I am working on hills on the treadmill 1 day a week. 

5. Do you cross train? What kind of activities do you do?

• I walk, do elliptical and fitness videos for strength. I would like to bike and swim more. Just too hard with a little one. 

Last one, I promise!

6. What is your favorite piece of running gear/clothing/shoes?

• I love my Brooks Ariel's. I am sure I would love my Garmin if I had one!

Thanks for answering my silly questions. I appreciate it!

Runners are CRA-ZY!!!

I have seen my share of crazy people in my lifetime. Heck, I used to work in a mental hospital when I was in college. And like most people, my family has it's share of the mentally unstable (I kid, kind of). Lately I have seen and heard about some runners doing some crazy things. I guess I'm not as hardcore as others, and maybe that's why I consider myself a "wannabe" runner, or a jogger, rather than an actual runner in the athletic sense of the word. Here's a few examples of the crazies I've seen running around:

• Today, as I was leaving my house to drive to my second home Target, I saw a man running down the sidewalk in my neighborhood. On any given day, that would be fine and dandy, except today is not any given day. You see, we are under a heat advisory here in the great Ohio River Valley. We have been warned not to spend too much time outside, to not exert ourselves from the hours of noon until 7pm while outside, and to stay indoors if at all possible. Our heat is a HUMID heat, so 92 degrees feels more like 102. I saw this fellow running around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. The hottest part of the day. Why???? Runner's are CRAZY!

• Last Monday, on the 4th of July, I was enjoying fireworks at my in-law's house around 10:30 p.m. There were probably 4 or 5 houses around us lighting off fireworks in the middle of the street. Not just small ones. Some large, explosive things that scared me. And suddenly, this women comes jogging by (wearing running clothes, so I know she wasn't just running to get away from somebody). Now I'm all for running at night when it's cooler (ahem, Mr. heat advisory runner), but right down the middle of the street where everyone is shooting off fireworks after dark??? Isn't that how people lose an eye??? Runner's are CRAZY!!!

Clearly, I kid about these runners having mental health issues, but to the average person who is not a runner, some of the things we do seem so, well, crazy. Running has caused me to go outside my comfort zone physically and mentally, and if that makes me appear crazy to the average non-runner, then so be it!

I wish I had the guts to run outside no matter the weather, time of day or presence of explosives. I can only hope that I will not be afraid to be a little crazy when necessary, and train for and run this half marathon no matter what. That we shall see...

*This post was inspired by Running on Faith's post "Running makes me look crazy". Check it out, so true!

Thunder Thighs and a Big Booty

As a "runner" (I use that term loosely...) I have been working hard to run longer as well as faster. I began running in 2010, but became injured during training for a half-marathon and had to take 2 weeks off completely and then work my way back into training 2 weeks before the race. Needless to say, at that point I was using a run/walk method to train and complete the half.

Since I started attempting to seriously run again this spring, I have continued using the run/walk method, gradually working my way into more running than walking. So my time per mile is typically between 12 and 14 minutes. The fastest I have ran a mile in is 12 minutes exactly. That was during a speed workout on the treadmill. So I really feel bad for those of you who run a sub 10 minute mile and think you are slow. Please...

Stay outta my lane...

http://completerunning.com/archives/2008/02/18/photo-of-the-week-slug-lane

I read today that for every pound a runner loses, they can typically run 2 seconds per mile faster. So my goal of losing around 15 pounds would give me a 30 second faster mile time. But, you see, the thing is, I am having a hard time losing ANY weight. I have fluctuated between 142 lbs. and 144 lbs. over the last month. At 5'3" that puts my BMI into the lowest end of  the "overweight" category. I've always been considered "muscular" and have been told I'm built like a cheerleader, short and stacked. But there's nothing like your Wii Fit telling you that you are fat! I have never had body image issues until after my pregnancy and more so since I started running. It's like I am comparing myself to other runners, and I know I shouldn't. I mean the whole purpose in running is to feel good about myself, right?

Dressing room self portrait from today...

Another self portrait from today...workout clothes.

Where I am struggling now with the weight loss is that I typically watch what I eat (meaning out of approximately 21 meals a week, about 18-19 are low fat, healthy meals), I work out 5-6 days a week, and I still seem to be stuck. Maybe it's the sweet tea I drink once or twice a week? I've cut down tremendously, and I even get unsweetened tea and use Splenda pretty often, too.

 This is my new 'Tea Tumbler'. 

It's one of those reusable cups so I can get 99 cent tea for the rest of 2011!

 It's an addiction, I promise I can't help it...

Maybe it's the Sunday lunches at my MIL's house? Or maybe I'm not working hard enough or long enough when I do workout? I have tracked my calories for weeks at a time, to no avail. I don't think I can pinpoint any one thing. Too many calories consumed, too little calorie burning and too much worrying about it!

Obviously in 18 days when I begin to follow a training schedule for the half marathon in November, my workout intensity will increase somewhat. I hope that by running more, running faster and continuing to eat healthy 95% of the time (moderation, right?!?), that I will see some results. I just hope that increase in intensity does not find me injured again.

I'll leave you with two of my favorite posters by Nike about positive body image:

So I want to know, What advice do you have for losing weight, running longer and faster or both?

OH. MY. GOD.

OMG! I just (finally) registered for the half-marathon I have been pondering over for the last month! Ahhhhhh! No turning back now. My heart feels like it is going to jump out of my chest! I guess because I had a good run this morning I felt moved to 'just do it'! Wow, I'm still in shock!

www.lscmarathon.com

 Now comes the hard part...training for this race starts at the end of July. The actual race is on November 12th. So essentially, I have 4 months to get myself used to running longer distances at a reasonable pace...piece of cake, right??? God, help me...

In other exciting news, Fit Crafty English Teacher is giving away a pair of Auria Earphones. She tested them out herself and had great things to say about them. If you are like me, earphones are very important because music is what keeps me going during those long workouts! Head over to Megan's blog, the giveaway ends on Friday, July 8th. I just realized that because I am sharing the news of this giveaway, it really lessens the chance that I will win...in that case, stay away!!!!!! (Just kidding, Megan!)

Yesterday was a cross-training day, so I did The Biggest Loser's Cardio Max DVD. Let's just say bending over, getting dressed and reaching for things has not been fun today. Very sore. But it's a good, "hey, where did those muscles come from" kind of sore. Bob never fails to kick my butt. I do this video at least once every 2 weeks and I have stuck to level one because I felt like level 2 and 3 were easier than level 1, and they are also 10 minutes shorter.

Today I had a good 2 mile run and I had a PR for that distance! As I've said before, my PR is slower than most people speed walk, but that's okay, I'm slowly shaving time off. I am cutting out the walk breaks and when I do take them they are very short. Hopefully by November, I won't get passed by speed walkers in the half-marathon.  If I do, I'll just yell obscenities, turn my iPod up louder and keep running. I'll get to that finish line, slowly but surely...

What if...?

I have yet to register for the half-marathon that I would like to run in November. I've gone to the page several times and stopped myself before I get to the part where you pay. $65 is not a huge amount of money, but parting with it still kind of scares me. There are no refunds. What if no one else I know is running it? What if I get injured during training (happened before)? or get sick and can't run ( I have been feeling icky all week...what if I have some crazy disease)? I keep coming up with all these "what if" questions and they seem to be preventing me from just doing it. There was even a code to get $10 off registration last Wednesday, I didn't even attempt to register. Major fail on my part...

On a more positive note, I had a great day. Went to church, had lunch with the in-laws. My MIL is the best cook. She makes lunch for us after church almost every Sunday. Sundays have to be my indulgence days because of her wonderful not-so-fat-free cooking! Today she had made an awesome raspberry torte.

 Sorry for the horrible iPhone picture, I was carrying it down the stairs as I took it.

This afternoon I got to take a long, much needed nap. Then the hubs cooked a wonderful dinner of grilled asparagus, brown rice and some kind of cajun grilled fish. I'm not a lover of fish (just a little too "fishy" tasting for me), but it was rather delish.

Weirdo cut the tops off the asparagus!

Then I did my supposed-to-be "long" run for the week. It was supposed to be 3 miles, but I have not been feeling myself this past week, especially this weekend, so I only did 2. But I did get my fastest time per mile so far. It's still slower than most people walk, so I will not post my time. One day I will get there...

Almost forgot to mention...I'm now on Twitter. You can follow me @SanitynSweetTea if you're a Twitterererer....you know what I mean!

Here's hoping this week will bring more energy, motivation and healthy eating...

"The Most Important Thing About Goals is Having One" - Geoffry F. Abert

Another weekend has come and almost gone. I did not run Saturday because I was SO unbelievable sore from running 2 miles working on speed Friday and doing CardioMax (a Biggest Loser DVD) with Bob. So today, I pulled up my bootstraps, or put on my big girl panties, however you want to say it, and I ran a whopping 3 miles! This was the longest distance I have done in a long while. I've been stuck at 2 miles, working on improving speed more than distance. And apprently, it worked. I ran my fastest time per mile, or my PR! Granted, my time is so slow compared to most runners out there, for me this was a personal victory. 

Why do I always have a red face after I run? Looks like bad sunburn! Gross!

As for food, my weekend has been awesome! Lots of salad, chicken, veggies, fruits and water. A little sweet stuff and maybe some queso and tortilla chips last night...and a beer. I'm learning that having sweet stuff and cheese and alcohol in moderation is okay. I never was able to do it in moderation before. It was always all or nothing. Too much of a good thing or starve myself and feel miserable all the time. 

Today's lunch: salad with chicken, pico de gallo, cucumbers, carrots, and blue cheese. 

I forgot the pecans, so I added them to my vanilla yogurt for dessert! Yum-o!

Since I ended up reaching a short term goal today (run 3 miles at a decent speed), it had me thinking about long term goals. I've had my eye on a local half-marathon that is coming up in November, the Louisville Sports Commision Half Marathon. I'm thinking the weather mid-November is going to be perfect for a long run. This would give me something to train for starting in late July, and then I could set my sights on the 2012 KY Derby Festival Mini-marathon which happens in April of next year. This was the half-marathon I did in 2010, and I injured myself during training. I ended up walking more than I ran. So one of my long term goals has been to punch that race in the face run the whole thing.

So now that I've put it out there, here are my official short and long term running goals between now and May 2012:

1. Break a 12:00 mile. See, I told you I was slow...

2. Run in a local organized race like a 5K or 10K. And run the entire thing.

3. Train for and run the upcoming Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon on 11/12/11.

4. Train for and run a half-marathon. Namely the same race that kicked my butt in 2010.

 Let's see how many of these I can cross off my list over the next year...

What are your short or long term fitness or healthy lifestyle goals for 2011?