Shallowater!

No run today, but I'm signed up for the Shallowater 10K tomorrow! So exciting.

Yay!

Getting pumped about White Rock. Here's a bit of nostalgia from last year's race:

Still no major knee issues! I'm beginning to think it really is better!

It's so exciting to finally be back to calling 3miles an easy run. I've been doing GREAT on my training schedule- 5:30 AM is a lot easier when you know there's NINE other people waiting for you, which is what happened today. We don't meet until 6, but the meeting spot's exactly 1mile from my house, so I get 2 extra miles in by waking up a bit early.

5:30 AM used to be obscene hour for me, one I was only conscious for if it had been a really amazing night. I certainly never began a day at that time. It's so worth it though, to start of the day in such a great way, with great people. It really helps me focus for the rest of the day, too.

I've noticed that on sleepy days, where nothing starts to get done until after 10, I'm much less productive and much more tired than on days I get my ass out of bed and begin the day with something productive and challenging. It's the law of inertia.

Today I went on about a 5mile route that I had never done before- I explored a park I didn't even know was there and ran through gardens just when the sun was high enough to sprinkle through the trees and turn the path and shadows a beautiful amber color.

Usually I don't run on Sundays, because Saturdays are my long run days (yesterday we ran 7 miles at the usual place). But, I love the new running group I've found and they go everyday, and I couldn't resist meeting up with them this morning. Their "easy" pace is equivalent to my moderate pace, so I think running with this group is a great challenge and opportunity to get faster and stronger. My knee feels healthy, too, so I don't feel too bad about it.
25 miles for my total this week. Not bad.

running buddies!

We finally linked up today with a group of runners that meet in our neighborhood every morning at 6 AM. Their "leader" (more of a self-assigned coach and great motivator) has a wonderfully cheery Irish accent, and has been incredibly friendly.

We ran a different route, which is always fun, and it's feeling nice to be a part of a little sub-community. Running makes me happy.

It lets me decompress before the sun's even up, which is probably one of the only things that keeps me sane these days :)

lovely run

Saturday was a glorious day for running. Perfect weather; just slightly cool. Gorgeous pink and purple sunrise over the lake. 6 miles...the longest I've run at one time in a while, and honestly I wasn't even that tired afterward. I'm finally getting back into shape. My knee didn't hurt all that badly, either.

Today I was just a tiny bit sore, just enough to know I did something yesterday, but not bad at all.

I'm really looking forward to this week- the second training week for the White Rock half marathon. I think once you get serious about training for two weeks, it really starts to be habit and not something new that you make yourself do each morning. It just starts to be a natural part of your day, like brushing your teeth.

This is the best time of the year to run...not incredibly hot, not at all cold........incredibly enjoyable time to spend out of doors and just.....think.

Gearing up for the next race!

The past couple of weeks I've had the joy of running barefoot along beaches in Costa Rica. Talk about realizing why you love running!

It got so light so early there that I had no problem getting up and out the door by 5AM everyday, which, as an added bonus, guaranteed that the beaches were deserted except for me, the waves, and the sand. nice.

Now I'm back in West Texas, and it's all I can do to drag my butt out of bed by 5:45AM, and of course it's still pitch dark for another half hour or so, but worth it because of the sunrise and perfect temperature.

I'm starting to train for the White Rock half marathon in December, and so far have gotten 2 other running buddies, one of which is my sister! The more the merrier, so if anybody thinks they might want to run a half marathon, you should let me know and come run with us!

So far the schedule is shaping up like this: Mon, Tues, Thursday mornings at my favorite running park (speed work on Tuesdays) and long run days are Saturday Morning at a great area for long runs (email me for details on location) All other days are rest days or cross training days.

so excited to be training again!

The Race is Over...

I have definitely been putting this post off for awhile now, I suppose because it means my first marathon is over :(

The Austin Marathon was completed successfully. I crossed the finish line and accomplished my goal, although with more than a small limp.

After all of the effort, cortizone injections, physical therapy, and copious amounts of aspirin, I completed a marathon. It was all worth it- the exhilaration, physical acheivment, and just the increased confidence in my ability to do something was well worth the effort. And it was all for a good cause- our chapter of TNT raised tens of thousands of dollars, and we were only a handful of people.

The last quarter mile Austin Marathon requires you to run past the state capital building where they have photographers and a huge crowd of people cheering you on. Then, as you're coming across the finish line an announcer reads your name, age, and time. It was very cool.

I teared up a little bit when I stopped running- it was a lot of emotion to finally achieve something that I'd been working hard towards for months, with a few obstacles in between. And now I can say I'm a marathoner (not a good one, but one nevertheless).

The day after the marathon I was incredible sore, a result of my incredibly poor decision to sit in a car for the 6+ hr drive back from Austin to Lubbock without ever getting out to stretch. Poor, poor decision. The next day I basically slept all day until I had to go to work. I basically hobbled around the classroom and the children laughed at me (I laughed at me, too). I showed the kids my medal and they were very impressed and were very glad to know that I was able to help raise money for "the sick kids"

I was a little depressed afterwards because there was a kind of a new void. I wasn't up at 6 every morning to run anymore, I didn't have a big race to gear up for. In fact, I had to completely abstain from running for 6 weeks to let my IT band heal. To start thinking of yourself as a runner and then be sidelined for a long period of time...it was rough. I also gained about 5 lbs (you can't eat the same way training for a marathon and not running at all) about 3 of which I've lost again. So net weight loss as of right now is 27 lbs.

It was hard retraining. 3 miles had become so easy to me and I had a hard time after weeks of not running at all. I knew it got easier, though, because I had done it before. But it made me realize that marathon runners really are, in general, insane to some degree.

Right now I'm limiting myself to about 6miles 3X a week. I'm walking half and running half. I run for about a half hour (3mi.) in the mornings when it is cool and then go for a walk in the evenings when it's not incredibly hot and I'm winding down for the day. This feels like a big cut back, but I'm only 24 and I don't want to completely screw up my knee. If there is one thing I learned, it's to not do too much too fast. Going from the couch to training for a marathon is exactly what got me injured in the first place.

I definitely want to sign up for the White Rock Marathon which is in December, so I'll start slowing cranking up my miles, and barring any further injury, I'll definitely look forward my next marathon!