Running in the dark essentials.

In order to add a fourth run into my weekly schedule, I've had to start running at the butt-crack of dawn on Wednesday mornings. In the summer this won't really be a problem, but in the dark cold winter... it sucks and it scares me. Here's what I've found to be helpful:

1) Under Armour ColdGear Frosty tights. These are warm, soft and are not low rise, so my butt stays covered and warm too.

2) Reflective jackets, armband and shoes. Because, duh!

3) The RoadID Firefly Supernova. This sucker flashes a super bright light and you can just clip it somewhere on your person.

4) Knuckle lights. Love, love, love these things.

5) Also, if you happen to have an 80 pound German Shepherd laying around your living room like I do... I highly recommend bringing him along.

You CAN run, if you want to.

I think that people don't give themselves enough credit. Don't let your weight (I was 40 lbs heavier when I started) stop you. Don't allow yourself to dwell in the world of CAN'T. Because the truth is, unless you have a medical condition, you CAN. But only if you want to.

Are you overweight and a bit of a slug? Have you become uncomfortable in your own skin? That's the point I'd reached after my third baby was born. I didn't recognize my own body when I saw it in a mirror. I didn't choose my outfits because they were cute, I choose them because they hid this and covered that. I wanted a change. I wanted my outside to match the tough, sexy chick I am on the inside.

I'd done Nutrisystem for a couple of months and yes, it certainly took a few pounds off. I started playing volleyball (my favorite, favorite sport) and it took off a couple more. But I needed to burn some serious calories. A girlfriend of mine had done the Couch to 5K program last summer, and did really well with it. I checked it out online and decided to give the treadmill version of it a try. Starting in April 2011, I worked my way through the program. I did it on my treadmill in the basement. I loaded a Couch to 5K app on my iPad that told me when to run and when to walk and I read books or watched movies while I did it. Some days I literally hung on to the bars and let the treadmill do all the work. Some days I let go of the bars and actually ran.

And so the weeks passed. I signed up for my first 5K at the end of August. When race day came, I'd only trained on a treadmill with one 2 mile run outside. My first race sucked. It was muggy and hot (August, duh!) and it took me a whopping 41 minutes to complete it. That first race also opened my eyes to how much fun racing could be, and how all types and ages of poeple ran. So I signed up for a September race and vowed to only run outside. My second race was around 36 minutes. I decided I liked how running made me feel. I liked feeling strong and capable. I liked the changes in my body. I even liked the cute running outfits! My third 5K came in at 34 minutes, and I set my sights on a November 10K. If you read this blog, you know how that turned out.

And now? I call myself a runner. I take pride in my accomplishments so far and believe I can acheive even more. Do I think I have what it takes to complete a half and even a full marathon? Why yes, I believe I do. I also love that my enthusiasm for running is catchy, that other women feel empowered to give it a shot themselves.

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Don't let YOU tell you that you can't. Because the truth is, you can. You just have to want to.

The whole dang lake.

Today I reached a personal goal. My community has a lake at it's center, and the road around it is where I generally run. Usually out and backs at whatever distance is on my training schedule. Today I'd built up my mileage enough to run the whole 7.1 mile circuit around the lake. And it was a bitch. Very hilly and looong. I ran it at an 11:50 pace so it took almost an hour and a half to run. I don't have a belt for water bottles (yet) and luckily for me, husband hopped in the truck and brought me some water at about mile 5.5. Thanks husband!

I wonder if I can find a water belt in pink?

Marine Corps Turkey Trot 10K Race Report

I woke up nervous and excited at 5:30 am. A light breakfast, a cup of coffee, a whole lot of deep breaths on the thought of appearing on a Marine base in running tights...and myself, my husband and my running teen were out the door.

As you know, I've been training for and dreading this race for quite awhile. On the ride up, I reached my Zen place. My iPad was loaded with fun new tunes, I knew I was fit enough to finish a 6 mile race, and frankly, it was too damn late to back out!

It was a sold out race (750 participants!!) so both parking and port o potties were an issue. After those particular issues were handles, we were swallowed by the waiting crowd which was upbeat and fun. There was a 1 mile fun run immediately preceeding the 10K and honestly, at least 600 people were there cheering these little kids (some as young as 3-4) in. Serious adorable factor. I found my spot among my "people" at the back of the line, while the fast runners in the family positioned themselves in front. There was a huge bottleneck at the start line and it actually took 3 minutes for me to get on course.

Once out there I took an easy pace that I felt I could sustain. I was passed by aLOT of runners, and told myself that it was OKAY. I got the tunes pumping and just sort of enjoyed the sun, the crowd and the reward for all my training! Miles started ticking away, and around Mile 4 I realized that I hadn't walked at all, nor would I need to anytime soon. A huge grin broke across my face (I must've looked like an idiot) and I started cheering for the fast runners on the other side of the road who'd passed the last turnaround and were headed to the finish. Once I passed the turnaround, I mentally checked my body and pace and figured yep, "I got this". I made my way down to Mile 6, grinning (seriously, I still hadn't had to walk a step!), high-fived the fine lookin' young Marine at the last corner and brought my ass home. I even found the energy to sprint past the couple in front of me. High fives and fist bumps to my family who were waiting at the finish line and I was done! I almost cried a bit because I was so friggin' proud of myself. Goal time: 1:10, Finish time 1:10:06.

So here is why the 10K worries me...

I'm a beginner runner. Yes, I ran when I was in the military, but never by choice. I started seriously training to run in August after my first 5K. The beauty of the 5K is that there are ALL kinds of runners. The speedy competitive runners, the middle of the pack runners like myself, and the back of the packers who are running to finish, no matter how long it takes. (Those men and ladies get mad props for getting out there!) Even with the half and full marathon there are a wide variety of runners, and I feel comfortable surrounded with "my people" in the back third of the pack. But the 10K? Looking at race results, it seems to be all serious runners. There are very, very few finish times coming in over an hour, which is a 10 minute mile pace. Now I can grit my teeth and keep that pace for a short while, but I can't sustain it for long. My comfortable pace for 6 miles is a 12 minute mile which puts me at the finish line at 1:12. Why am I having nightmares about pulling into the finish and finding janitorial staff sweeping up after the "real" runners who've already had their gatorade and snacks and gone home?

Long Run Sunday

Today I ran six miles for the first time in my life. Well, I should clarify that I allow myself short little walks when I need them to lower my heartrate and regroup, usually around 30 seconds. I find that I experience "moments" when I'm out there for a longer period of time. Moments when the sun breaks through the clouds and touches my face like a kiss. Or moments of extreme clarity when details of the road and it's surroundings seem to sharpen. Today I was passing under a tree, when a small leaf fell lazily in front of me and all I had to do was put my hand up and it fell into my palm. These, and the feelings of accomplishment and strength I get when I run, are the things that keep me going. They are the rewards that the road gives me for keeping it company.

I spoke too soon...

... about my love for the three miler! Yesterday's run just left me, well, blah. I didn't feel well, I was slow, I had to walk and I finished in 34 minutes. Slow. I know with mileage, speed will come. I know I'm training to finish races, not to win them. But DAMN. Competitive personalities like myself do NOT like to just finish. I want to finish well. And having a speed demon husband doesn't help. I've only been off the treadmill and seriously learning to run since August. In 3 races I've taken 7 minutes off my 5K time, but I'm still pokey. And a bad practice run is not very motivating.

The Beautiful Three.

I have come to love my three mile run days. A half an hour of my time, and I feel awesome the rest of the day. Currently my training schedule has me running 3 twice a week and a long run on Saturday. After next week's 10K, I'm going to slowly add in a third 3. I love the sun on my face, favorite tunes in my ears and power in my legs.

If you'd told me six months ago that THREE FREAKIN MILES would be my happy place, I would have laughed at you. Now I find myself looking forward to them. And I love watching my time get faster and faster without really any effort besides getting the hell outside and busting out some miles.

There's this old dude in my neighborhood that is always running (with or without his shirt). Frankly, I used to think he was bat-shit crazy. Running everywhere with a big ol' grin on his face. Now? I totally get it. Go on, old man, go on with your bad self!

Long Run Saturday.

I'm slowly, slowly building up my mileage. Slow as in a half a mile a week. So today's run was a 5.5 miler. This was actually poor planning on my part as my turnaround point was smack dab in the middle of an OMG-Steep-Ass hill. I decided halfway down that I wouldn't be able to stop momentum to turn around and ended up doing this weird skip/hop/who-the-hell-knows-what gait down the hill that must've looked hilarious.

But not as hilarious as today's other issue. Running tights. Specifically, low-rise running tights. I have two pair of running tights, one significantly higher waisted than the other. Those were dirty, so I had to put on the low slung ones. I knew I didn't want to run through my community with half of my butt crack hanging out, so I put a running skirt over it. Um, yeah. It didn't help. Last time I wore those low-rise tights by themselves and though they slid, I could easily grab and adjust them. But with a skirt on top, I had to reach inside my skirt to get at the pants. But because I knew my butt wasn't actually out, I just let it ride. Big mistake. Those damn pants literally slid all the way off my ass. And while they were at it, they decided to take my underwear with them. Awesome. So now I've got my underwear and tights at crotch level, and the only reason they weren't at knee level was a tiny running skirt holding them up. I'm shuffling down the road like this, and wouldn't you know? My normally quiet community had traffic everywhere. I ran like that for quite awhile before there weren't any witnesses to me jamming my hands down the back of my skirt all the way up to my elbows and hauling my panties and pants back up into the light.

The Zen of the run.

There's something wonderful about hitting the street in the sunshine and just moving your body. Three miles is an easy run for me so I don't really need to think about making myself run. Which frees my mind to think about everything else or nothing else. I can just be.

Shin Splints

I definitely have something going on with the shin of my left leg. It's generally fine while I'm running, but is quite painful after I'm done. I took an extra rest day today even though I'm supposed to be cross training. I've also ordered a pair of compression socks in the hope that will help. I know I'm in need of new running shoes, and I've heard about a great running store about an hour south of here where they video tape your stride on a treadmill and analyze which type of shoe you need. I'm thinking that I'm an overpronater and am just not getting the stability I need.

Running. And Technology.

For my 5 mile long run on Sunday, I borrowed the husband's Garmin. It was awesome! It let me know when I finished each mile and told me the pace of my previous mile. Husband said he thought he was getting a little too dependent on his Garmin, as he missed his goal time by 5 seconds in his last 10K when the watch told him he'd make it. So in the interest of NOT being so dependent on it, I asked to borrow it for our next race in November. My request was promptly denied. *sigh*

Today I ran 3-3.5 miles (you know I'd know the exact mileage of that shit if I was wearing husband's Garmin) up a busy road outside my neighborhood. Other than my ankle and shin acting up a bit, it was awesome. A nice paved breakdown lane for me to run in. Nice rolling hills to work-out on, and lots of traffic to prevent me from walking. Because, you know, I like to look like a bad-ass. I did, however, have to backtrack my run for a bit to chase down my running hat that a semi truck literally blew off my head.

Oh, and my fancy new pink and grey Garmin showed up at the door today. Thank you husband!