Endurance Test-- PASSED!!!

Just over a year ago I was nearly 170 pounds... I could barely jog a block. This past Sunday, 30 pounds lighter, I ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles!) race. And FINISHED!



I have to say, I'm pretty happy to have surpassed the time goal I had set for myself. That was even after quite a hang-up before mile 1 was even complete!

My newly adjusted fuel belt decided to completely loosen and fall off, sending my phone and water bottle flying amidst a sea of people. I weaved through runners to gather my things and scurried off to the side. Darn! What a way to start the race! I fidgeted with it a bit and contemplated leaving it behind. Do I really want to hold my phone the whole way, and my water bottle?- I had inspiring quotes written on it and my kids even cheered me on in sharpie too. Quickly, I cinched up the belt and tied a knot in it and joined back in the swarm of people. Mile 1 was done and my watch said 7:20... phooey. The race started at 7.
My Pandora station was set to Louis Armstrong for the first few miles and I changed it a couple more times. I was so happy to have a watch. I'm new to that. And I set a couple of mini goals that I wrote on the bottle 5 X 8 and 10 X 9 to say that I needed to reach mile 5 by 8 and mile 10 by 9 o'clock. I know 12 minute miles may not sound terribly ambitious but that's what I've got! I wanted to complete it! It was tough.
Originally, my time goal was a hope to complete it all within 2 hours and 40 minutes and my actual time (even with the delay) was better than that: 2 hrs 31 min !!
So what if I'm in the slowest 40% for my age, I finished!
My sister-in-law did great at 2hrs and 14min! I now have a PR that I intend to break! That is, after I heal up and lose my sanity again :P Gotta keep on adding goals to my plate!
"All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers." ~Henry David Thoreau

Goals, goals, goals.... FiNiSh.

This morning I geared up to run at 7am. Just a short 30 min run but I semi-pretended it was race day (only 4 days away!). I rolled on the foot pain reliever, took some ibuprofen, had a smoothie and then harnessed my fuel belt around my waist and I was off!
As I was running, I had the thoughts of all kinds of current goals in my head. I've never been too good at juggling so I've got to choose the order of importance and not let my focus get all muddled. See, on the heels of this Half Marathon thing, I have a romantic trip to take with my husband. We'll be taking a cruise to Cozumel and I'd like to wear a bikini with some amount of confidence. Is there any way I can get six-pack abs in just a couple of weeks? With hard work maybe??? We'll see. :P
For now though, let's get this half marathon completed. Gotta take care of it nice and strong. Push through the pain and endure a few hours of excitement, agony, pressure, pain and joy! Why am I doing this?? Because I don't want to be a wimp anymore! There's an athlete in me! She's strong! She's a champion! and she can do it!
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." ~Zig Ziglar
Here's a video reminder of the finish line at Hospital Hill:

Lucky 13

A nice speedy visit back 'home' to Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha included a lovely blessing ceremony for my friend's twins as they turned 13, and a 13 mile practice run with my sister-in-law. The birthday celebration was great and it was so nice to see old friends.
Now about that practice run: First off, if it weren't for the determination of my strong sis, Marie (aka Myrtle), it would NOT have happened. I don't know how I could've mustered up the strength to press through the pain and complete what we set out to do. I'm pretty sure I would've talked myself into an easier goal before my feet even hit the ground. I would've taken frequent walking breaks. I would've taken short cuts. I would've taken 4 hours (instead of less than 3). And.. I wouldn't have felt very confident on race day!! 21km...13 miles..DONE! I did it!
Having a friend that has the focus to get things done and includes you in the process is a blessing. Just so you know, that last mile, Marie barreled up the hill and I barely chugged... the agony I was in could nearly rival childbirth! But with 5 days left until the Omaha Half Marathon, I'm happy to know that I really CAN DO IT!! Yay!
Accomplishments like these are what will help to strengthen that flabby motivator muscle on the inside of me. I'm starting to see that the Comfortable Zone is NOT a Safe Place.. Let's not get stuck in that sad, isolated box called Comfort.
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men."
~John F. Kennedy



Me and Marie- July 3, 2011. Psycho Wyco 5k Trail Race. Thank you so much Marie for being such a great motivator and encouragement! You RoCk!!!

So Long Summer...Good-bye Flip-flops...

Farewell summer, my friend... :( Please don't stay away too long this time!
I ran around shutting windows today as fall made its presence known. I was happy to put on a new favorite sweater that I'd just picked up at the thrift store (my daughter even said she'd like to borrow it sometime! Points for ME!) I even had to slip a jacket on over it! My outfit was complete with cold piggies in my pretty white sandals. As difficult as it is to say good-bye to summer, I think packing away my flip-flops might be even tougher. I may just wait til there's snow on the ground!

I do love the beautiful autumn season but it poses a brand-new dilemma... What the heck am I supposed to wear for running now?! This has all been a learn-as-you-go process for me and so I just hadn't thought of that yet. I've only got a drawer full of shorts and tanks...well, and those bell-bottom type sweat pants from my larger days... Guess that's what I'll be slipping into for my 3 mile run bright and early in the freezing cold morning.

The race is only just over a week away and I may have to go shopping for a new running outfit. I'm not even sure what I'll be comfortable in. (Though who am I kidding? Who is ever comfortable when they're running 13 miles?!) I guess I should just shop for something that will look nice. There will be cameras there you know!

If I could afford such things, I'd shop here:
www.lucy.com
I like the running tights! But i can't figure out how to insert the link right! Thanks for your patience as i try to navigate the blog world!

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! :D

Well Now I'm TOUGH!!

This is a break from routine writings to exclaim that I AM A BLESSED WOMAN! :) I knew this already and I'm very grateful. But my 17 year old son has reminded me quite well. He made a wonderful gesture of thoughtfulness to me by purchasing (with his OWN money, I might add) a cannister of pepper spray!
If you're wondering what's so cool about that, I'll tell you~ You see, I , like many other parents of teenagers (POTS), have many bouts of frustration with stinky feet on the table, half-done chores, gadgets galore and those darn earbuds! How's a boy supposed to hear his mother scream at him for the fifth time when he's got those plugs in his ears?!! I wouldn't be so bothered by all of it if it weren't for that 'age of adulthoood' looming only months away. Is my little boy ready to be a man?
His gift tells me- Yes. In that gesture, he showed respect for his momma and showed that he is a protector. And he has money in the bank :) So, girls, you'll be a lucky woman to wind up marrying this gem of a man one day. :)
Well, I might be a cracked POT but I'm a proud cracked pot with pepper spray! So don't mess with me!

Runnnnnniiinnnnggggg! (out of time!)

With only a week and a half to go before the big day, I'm sure I'm supposed to be feeling terribly confident and my head is really supposed to be in the game but today I feel a slump coming on.... Ohhhh I need a push!

My 5 mile 'run' today was horrible. I just barely eeked it out. And I'm supposed to run 13 in 11 days?! and in front of people?? With very weak conviction, I tell myself "i can(?) do this." *sigh*

I've noticed this nasty pattern time and again... I work (albeit, not 100%...) on my goals and the moment I'm finally within reach, this sabatoge monster jumps into my brain! There's GOT to be a champion in there somewhere... wrestling the evil monster. Right?

I HAVE GOT TO SHAKE OFF THE "I CAN'TS"!!!
...Must.....regain......FOCUS...

"The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore."
~Dale Carnegie

Progress... Slow and Steady Wins the Race. Really??

Browsing back through my old postings, I really do see that much progress has been made. It just feels like I'm at a snail slow pace. (kind of like my race times!) Speaking of races, I'd better update you on how that's been going since I started training 6 months ago.

Well, that race on May 1st- the half-marathon that I paid for financially and physically- it did not happen... :( not with me anyway. We ended up taking that weekend to move our family to a different state. (It was an exciting transition for our family and I should talk about that later.)

With all the moving and getting nestled into our new place, and not having a race on the schedule, I let my training slide. But before it got too bad I registered for the local Hospital Hill race at the beginning of June and so completed my first 10k race! It was a tough course but I kept steady and ran the entire 6.2 miles. My time was nothing to brag about but something I look forward to beating! (1 hour 18 min)

I've run two other shorter races since then- a 5k trail race in 40+ minutes, and a 4 mile road race took me 42 minutes. I have much room for improving so I'll keep on 'a chuggin! slo-o-o-w but steady.. I'm moving forward and I'm getting somewhere better than I was before. :)

By the way, I did register for another half marathon. I have less than 4 weeks to finish training. My goal is still to be a FINISHER but I think I'd like to add that I want to finish without embarrassing my family who has been so supportive. I think we could all be proud to see me finish in less than 2 hours and 40 minutes. I'll let you know how I do.

"Don't give up! Don't give in! If you don't quit, you win! You win!" Misty Edwards.