Confessions of an Amateur Runner ... 8 mile run

One of the things that I love about running is that you don't need lots of expensive gadgets to enjoy this wonderful sport. That being said, I couldn't run without my music (my other passion) and my Asics running shoes (the best shoes, ever). These 2 treasures make my runs so much more enjoyable. I am currently in training for my second 1/2 marathon in March. Why, you ask? Well, because I enjoy racing and I love to run. Enjoy running... did that really come out of my mouth? If you would of told me 6 years ago that I would be running 8 miles and training for a 1/2 marathon, I would of told you that you didn't know me at all. Running has developed into a wonderful hobby that I love and get to share with some great friends. Somedays I really need to get away, enjoy the fresh air, and get a great workout in. Plus, it gives me an excuse to listen to my music.

Ok, sorry about that rant ... back to training. The 8 mile run. For some reason this run was scaring me. My training has not really gone as planned, due to five, adorable, but sometimes needy kids. Getting back on track has been a bit tricky. I was lucky to have a good friend join me for this run. A running buddy is a lifesaver when running over an hour. Even I can get bored :) The clear, blue sky and bright, shining sun that I woke up to this morning, made me believe that this run might turn out ok. A bit chilly, 32 degrees, but I can work with that. It was one of those runs that was on track from the start. First 4 mile lap went smoothly, a little windy, steady pace, and my legs were feeling strong. Lap 2 would of been perfect, minus the sidewalk that tried to take me out. I caught myself, luckily. I must of looked real cute trying not to face plant onto the sidewalk. ( Quit laughing at me)

Running has taught me a lot of life lessons, today I am reminded: why worry? I know that I will have good and bad days running. Worrying about which run I will face when I put on my running shoes robs me of the fun of running. If I can't enjoy the run, why run?

January 11, 2011

Today seems like a good day for a fresh start ....

Eleven days into the New Year and I am already seeing some of my New Year's Resolutions testing me. This is not anything new, but I was secretly hoping for a quick fix on some of them. You know what I mean. The ones that take a lot of work and disciple!!! In reality, the quick fix doesn't really "fix" anything. It is the process that we go through that builds our character and molds us into the people that we desire to be. I need to be reminded of that. No matter how many times I fall flat on my face, I will get up and try again. So today, I will look forward to this new year and get excited for the adventure to come. Here are just a few of the things that I am looking forward to this year .... in no particular order of importance :)

* Spring - sunny, light breeze, perfect weather for a run or a day at the park
* Soccer - watching the kids play soccer. It gets so crazy, but so fun to watch
* The last day of school, and the first day of school ... moms everywhere know what I mean
* The day when my hair finally grows out to the length I want ... I might not make it to see this one
* Vacation - always a highlight of the year
* March 20. 2011 - Second 1/2 marathon ... if I make it through training
* Mexico this spring with mom and dad, counting down the days ... so excited!!
* Meeting my new body, after I reach my goal ... I hear she looks amazing!
* Watching my kids grow a year older and all the wonderful lessons they are going to learn and teach me in the process.
* Spending another year with the man of my dreams ... so blessed!
* Building deeper friendships
* Watching what God is going to do this year with Gilead ... always amazing to watch
* Getting to know Him a little better, and becoming a better women because of Him!

What are you looking forward to this year?

Confessions of an amateur runner ...

Today marks the end of week #6 in my 12 week training program for my first 1/2 marathon. Training has gone surprisingly well, but now I am getting scared. Truly, deeply scared!! On Friday, I mailed my registration form - the point of no return. No way am I going to back out now and waste my hard earned money (well, my husband's hard earned money.) BTW, thanks to my loving husband that totally supports me in this crazy plan to run a 1/2 marathon. He thinks I can do it. It always feels good to have someone on your side, cheering you on.

Today my training called for a 5-k Race, but I didn't find one, so I thought I would just race myself. The weather has been beautiful the last few days, so I was looking forward to a run outside in the sunshine. My body must of agreed with me because it felt so good to run w/o the treadmill :) I started so strong and felt like I was going at a pretty good pace. I decided to keep it up, just to see how well I could do. I almost fell over when I clocked my first mile at 8:41. What!!! Awesome!!! I was so excited, I believe I did a little victory leap. (Don't worry, I don't think anyone saw me) Now, for those "advanced runners" you may be laughing at my time, but to someone who usually averages a 10 min. mile, this was huge!! "In your face, treadmill, I knew that I was not running a 11 min. mile!" What is up with horrible times when I run on the treadmill? Well, that is for a later post!
Now when the excitement wore off, I realized that I could be in trouble. I was sucking wind and my body was screaming at me. I had to adjust my pace to finish, but I was ok with it. I finished my 5 miles in 47:53, under a 10 minute mile. Progress is an amazing motivator!! Week #7, watch out. I'm coming!!!

Confessions of an amateur runner ...

It was a cold one today as my friend Keri and I made our way outside to run our 6 miles. Maneuvering around mounds of snow has been a challenge as we continue to change our running course to keep up with our changing mileage. Taking a break from the treadmill is a must when running more than 5 miles. After being sick last week, I was worried about this week's long run. I took it easy on Friday, because my body was so sore!! My husband tells me that I am getting old, but I don't want to believe it!! (He is right, of course!!)
Good thing I had a friend counting on me, I was fighting the run. Once we got out there, it was not as bad as I had imagined. After the first mile, I began to feel my toes again. It was nice. Running with a good friend has many advantages, we talked the whole time and made our run seem much less painful. My legs were tired as we kicked to the finish, but we did it! Six miles, yes!!! After the run, I mentioned that we just need to run that course twice and then some to cover our 13.1 miles. We both groaned!!! Week #5 check, bring on week #6. We have made it to the halfway mark in our training. Yes!! A milestone.

Wood Duck Dash My first 10k

I ran my first 10k this morning and I am still alive to blog about it!! We ran in the 4th Annual Wood Duck Dash at Lake Erie Metropark. It was a beautiful day, but very, very warm. To be honest, I think I prefer the rain. The sun beating down on you really zaps your energy. At the start of the race my legs felt pretty good. My friend Keri and I set a good pace from the beginning, but that sun gave me a headache and made me nauseous. At mile 3, I thought I might loose my breakfast. Praise God that did not happen! The route headed into the woods about that time, so the shade saved us. At one point, I told my buddy this was no "dash"! We had a good time and felt amazing when we crossed the finish line. Our goal was to finish without walking and we did. Next race in October, we will beat our time. We are praying for cooler weather, just not too cool!! I do want to run in a 1/2 marathon in the future, but I am not ready yet. Baby steps! Great job ladies! I am so proud of us!! I love that I get to share this with you. You inspire me and make it an adventure! Keri, I thank you for being my running partner. I could not of done this without you. You are my rock!! Can you believe how far we have come? It is awesome! Looking forward to many more races. Thank you, my friend!

Confessions of an amateur runner

Thursday night I set out to get my 6.2 miles in so that I would prove to myself that I would not fail in my 10k race on Saturday. It had been one of those weeks, so I was behind on my training! Big surprise, I know!!! I arrived at the park at 6:30pm and got out my new toy (an arm band for my mp3 player) Yes, sis, I finally got one. I know I am an amateur at this running thing, but no one says that I can't look the part. I get everything properly hooked up, stretch and off I go. My first lap, I struggled to get a good pace and my legs felt like lead. Great!! This is going to be a long, long run. By mile 2, I was not feeling any better and to make matters worse, the humidity was getting to me. "How hot is it out here!! I am dying!"
My mind starts to think back on my week, trying to justify why I was performing so poorly.

This is what I came up with ....

Sunday: felt sick to my stomach all day and went home to rest!!!

Monday: not feeling much better, but must get a run in: 3 mile run

Tuesday: woke up with my "sore throat" that keeps haunting me every 3 months. I called the doctor and got in at 9:10am. I am not missing my race to this. I am a little fired up!!! Feeling a little better by evening, so I go run 3 miles. (Sorry Jenny, I had to)

Wednesday: knew that I would not get a run in due to church, so grabbed my watch and went to jump on the trampoline with the kids for 50 minutes. It was a great workout. I could hardly walk when I got off. (I can hear your laughter at the thought of me jumping with the kids. I am sure it was quite a sight, but the kids and I had a blast. It makes you feel young again. That is never a bad thing!!)

Thursday: my 6.2 mile run

There is a chance that I over did it a little. Let's pray that is the case. By the time I finished, I looked and felt like I had run a marathon. My body was screaming and me and my legs were rubber.
Note to self: I need to get a new running outfit! Might as well look as good as possible if I am going to put my body through this.

I would appreciate your prayers on Saturday morning, it looks like I may need all the help I can get.

Confessions of an amateur runner

Just when I think I am starting to really understand this running thing, I get thrown a curve ball. Let me explain ...

My last training run was a train wreck. I was huffing and puffing and my time was so off. It can be so discouraging. I was excusing my performance with being sick and just not quite feeling back to my old self, plus I am getting old. So today, a must run day, I pull into the park at 8:50 pm. I know what you are thinking, "great start!" I was quickly losing daylight, so I told myself to pick it up and get in what you can. Apparently, these are the magic words that my body needed. I felt amazing. Great pace, minor huffing and puffing, legs felt strong, and I was even passing people!! (most people were walking, but I still passed them, victory!!) The start of my 2nd mile, I actually felt like a real runner.

"I wonder if I look like a runner? I feel great! Let's pick up the speed. Ok, slow down a bit, let's not get crazy!! Wow!! Maybe, I do know what I am doing!"

These conversations in my head are very common. I try to keep myself entertained. Just when my pride was getting to a dangerous level, I look over to see a couple of teenagers running all crazy, and laughing. I am pretty sure they were mocking me. Ok, that answers my question about looking like a real runner. Maybe some work in that department wouldn't hurt. I thought about messing with them, by running like Phoebe in that episode of Friends, but I refrained. My luck, I would fall and break something 4 days before my race. Not good!

The downside to this amazing run is that I could not find my watch before I left the house. Who knows what my time actually was, but in my mind it was amazing. That is the only thing that really matters!! Race day is coming! Bring it on. I am ready.

Confessions of an amateur runner

This week I am learning how much of an amateur runner I really am. I am trying to get ready for my 5k race in Taylor this week. This should not be too hard because my last race was an 8k. Why, then do I feel like I am going backwards!!! I know that it doesn't help that I had to take 2 weeks off due to sickness. Let me tell you that it is shocking how much you lose in 2 weeks. I feel like a loser. My body is just not back to normal yet. What is taking so long? The voice in my head is saying, "you are getting old!" This is a great excuse until race day when a sixty-ish lady passes you. What!!!! Who cares that her body looks like she has been running way longer than me. I am half her age. It is depressing!!
I know that I can finish the race, but my goal is to beat my time. At this rate, I might only be looking at a few seconds faster. I want to shave a minute off, but I think I am dreaming! Start praying that I don't hurt myself trying to improve my time. The last thing I need is to trip and sprain my ankle during the race. I might be an amateur forever! Great!

Memorial Day Race!

Memorial Day, race day, was beautiful!! I could not of asked for a better day. It makes it so much more enjoyable to run when the weather cooperates with you. The race began at 9:00am, so as you can imagine, I did not sleep well. I think I woke up 4 times in the night to check the time and if the alarm was properly turned on. (I know what you are thinking, crazy) After my hard work training, I was not about to oversleep and miss the race. I got up early, too early and tried to convince myself that a morning run would feel so good, much better than a night run. I was debating!! I arrived at my friend's house and her kids were so excited. They were running in the 1 mile Fun Run and they were ready. You could not help but be excited too. Kids are contagious!! We arrived at the race and the kids got their numbers while I made a mental note of where the restrooms were. Always a good idea!! We watched and cheered as the kids ran their race. It was so fun. I will need to get my kids ready to run next year. They would love it! A few moments later, after a potty break, we headed to the start of our race. As we were waiting to race, I started looking around, and all I could see were young, really young runners. "What did I get myself into, I am going to be in last place! Oh well, no turning back now!" During the race, I felt great! I was in good rhythm and I was enjoying the beautiful homes, I mean mansions that I was running past. WOW!! They were amazing!! During the last 2 miles, I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure that there were still people behind me. "Good, I am not last!"
As I was coming down home stretch, I had friends cheering me on. It was great!! I ended up beating my time and running 49:48, under 50 minutes!! Yes!! I was happy! It is always good to beat your time! Lookin' forward to next year! Better start training for the next race.

Btw: shout out to my sister, Jess, who ran a half marathon on Memorial Day! She is amazing!! I am not quite ready, Jess, but I will get there. Maybe next year we can race together! Love ya!

Confessions of an amateur runner

Memorial Day. Race Day. It is how many days away? I am in trouble. Getting ready for this season of races has been a challenge. Every obstacle has been in the way: weather, sickness, crazy busy, etc. I told myself if I am going to be ready, then I need to focus. Friday night, I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a run. The following is what was running through my head during the run ...

Ok, Steph! Let's get 3.6 miles in. No problem. You have been working out hard this week, you are ready.

Mile #1: Feeling pretty good. Good pace. Wow! My legs are sore from all those lunges and squats. Thanks a lot Jillian! A little farther down the track: Oh, no!! ladies from church. (I smile and say "Hi") Steph, you can't give up now. You will look like a wimp! Feeling good, time on first lap, good.

Mile #2: Hit a brick wall. What in the world! My legs feel like cement! Focus: put one leg in front of the other. Left. Right. Left. Right. I sound like a Dr. Seuss book. Don't think about the pain or your huffing and puffing. Listen to your music and enjoy the beautiful weather. Wow!! It is hot out here. Please God, send me a breeze. I am dying. I am not complaining, because the sunshine is nice. Oh, the ladies from church are coming up the track. Pick up your pace, shoulders back, and try to look like you are not going to pass out. Smile.

Mile #3: Do I really need to do this last mile and 1/2. Yes!! Quit your whining! Helen (biggest loser) is 48 and she ran a marathon. Suck it up. Get a grip. You are not going to die. My pace is slowing down. Remember to finish strong. Am I walking or running? I don't care what hurts, you are not quitting. What is up with this music. I need something to inspire me not lull me to sleep. Next song, no, next song. Ok, that is better. You are almost done. Now, sprint it out! Yikes, please tell me that I don't run like Phoebe from Friends. Just finish! Yes!! Catch your breath. Walk it out!

I wonder what real runners think about when they run? They probably don't think about what body parts are flopping all over the place, or why they are sucking wind. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!

My new personal trainer ... personal encourager?

My running buddy!

Who says that a mom of 5 kids can't afford a personal trainer. I even have more than one!! I know you are thinking, "how spoiled". The best part is that I get their advice and services for free! There is one down side to all this, they have limited experience! Kallie (7), Ry (5), Emma (3), and Tanner (2) are more than willing to help out mom when she is getting ready to workout! The other day I was on the floor doing an ab workout that was kicking my butt. I must have been grunting and groaning more than normal because the girls kept asking me if it hurt. I smiled and told them yes, but that means it is working! Emma looked up at me and said, "mom, just don't do it!" Seems like good advice at the time, but I knew that Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser coach) would not approve, so I keep pushing!! I response with, "mommy has to do this to get the fat off." "Oh, yeah," she says!

Rylee decided that she would give it a try, so she got on the floor and joined in. She says, "look mom, I am doing it! I am great at this!! I have big muscles!! This is not hard at all!!" I did not quite have the heart to tell her that she was not doing it quite right! I just smiled and said, "way to go, girl! You rock!" A few days later, I am doing a yoga routine and Rylee says, "Mom, I am so proud of you!! Your fat stomach is all gone! Look mom is it all gone!!" (I was doing table! Mental note: table makes me look like my fat stomach is gone) A few moments later I was doing boat and she comes over and pats my belly and says, "oh no! it is back, mom! Your stomach fat is back!!" I had to laugh, which messed up my move, but it was so cute!!
Today, my son Tanner woke up from his nap and came downstairs to find me doing that same ab routine!! He says, "what doing, mom? what doing?" I told him I was working out and I would be done in a minute. He hears, "come over here and jump on mommy so that this ab routine will be harder!" I am fighting him off, and trying to get done. I was sore from running, so this was not pretty, people!! I kept telling him it was hurting and he would come over and give me a hug and say, "it is ok, mommy!" It gave me just what I needed to finish. Thank you son!! I always love to get hugs. He was so concerned for mommy and I think was a little confused why mommy was doing this if it hurt!! I was wondering the same thing!! Oh yeah, I am trying to get the fat off!!! I guess I will continue to workout with my personal trainers and encouragers!! A healthy lifestyle will be a good example, right!!! I guess I better not give up! My trainers will be disappointed.

Finally, Some Sunshine!!

Finally, I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Spring is coming!! I have had quite enough of winter, thank you very much!! Winter sickness has been plaguing our house and it hit again a few days ago. Two out of the five kids were sick and two more were coughing!! When I awoke yesterday to sunlight streaming into my window, I had to smile!! Thank you God! You always seem to know just what I need. In typical Saturday fashion, we had to run errands and go get groceries. My goal was to go running and enjoy the warming weather. At 6:15pm, we were heading home and I was running out of sunlight! Thanks to daylight savings time, (the only good thing) I had until about 7:45pm. I rushed home got changed and headed to the park. This was my first run since November. I usually take a short winter break, so I don't freeze to death!! I felt great!! My legs were strong, my knees felt strong, but my lungs were screaming, what are you doing! You are killing me!!" (See, even my lungs are dramatic) I slowed down a bit to catch my breath, but then told my body to suck it up! I was going to run the 2 full laps and I was not stopping! My time was a little slower, but I finished, feeling great!! It was worth it. I got my workout in, it was quiet and peaceful, and I got to enjoy the beautiful sunshine!!! What a great finish to my day!! Today, I am a bit sore, but it is worth it. This week it is going to hit the mid 60's. I will definitely find time to run this week! Welcome Spring!! You have been missed!