Carbo-loading

I had carbo-loading on the brain since Tessa booked our dinner reservation on Friday, and I thought I'd share this helpful page from Hal Higdon's website. I especially like what it says about hydration: "Don't bother to overhydrate; your body is like a sponge and can absorb just so much fluid."

Happy eating! :)

Two weeks!

Hey girls! What's happening? Long time no blog! :) I know we're all super busy--especially Tessa! Good luck on Tuesday! You can do it!!

Just thought I'd update y'all on what I've been up to. I missed the 12-mile run with my group last Saturday because Rob and I went to Highlands, NC, for the weekend. It was a great trip, but I was sad to miss the long run with my group. I did manage to run six miles last Saturday morning, and five miles on Sunday. Plus a hike on Saturday afternoon. So I wasn't a complete bum!

My training group is tapering because their race is on Thanksgiving. (Can you believe how quickly it has approached??) I had originally thought about running 10-12 miles on my own today, but I really didn't run alone. So I ran 8.7 miles with the group. I figured that would be fine...right?? I kept my intensity up and finished at a 10:05 pace. How did I manage that? That's faster than my fastest 10K pace! So I'm thinking that I can run faster than I think I can. LOL. Moral of the story, if I'm holding you back during the race, just run faster and I will follow. :)

On another topic, I e-mailed the race coordinators about having one of you pick up my race packet on Friday. They said that's fine if you have a copy of my ID and my registration confirmation. So, if you don't mind, I'll let y'all pick up my stuff so that we can go straight to dinner when I get into town (should be 7-8 pm). I'll give Toni and Tessa copies of my stuff next weekend.

Sounds like a lot of us have gotten new shoes lately! I had been fitted for shoes a few years ago, but I wanted to try out the "scientific" looking system that they use at a different local running store. It was time for new shoes anyway, so I went by Big Peach Running Company and checked it out. First, they have you stand on a pad that analyzes your arches. Mine are medium to low. So the salesperson made sure that the shoes she recommended didn't have high arches. Then they videotape your feet while you run on a treadmill. I overpronate, so she recommended three different pairs of shoes for me to try. I ended up with a pair of Mizunos (except they were green and way uglier than the ones in the picture!) They felt super comfortable when I ran around the block outside the store. Unfortunately, when I got home and took them on a longer run, they made the muscles along the outsides of my feet hurt. It was weird. Luckily, the running store let me exchange the shoes even after I had run outside in them. So I'm back to a new pair of my old standbys, Brooks Adrenaline.

That's about it for me. Hope y'all are doing well! Can't wait to see Toni and Tessa next weekend, and all of you in two weeks! Hugs from Atlanta!

Kick it up!

Dear friends, sorry I've been MIA as of late! I gave an exam on Monday, so I spent most of the weekend writing it, and Monday through yesterday grading. Now I'm bracing myself for hate mail from my students about their grades...

Anyway, thanks Jen for posting that picture! Man, we were soaked, and that was not sweat! The rain was absolutely POURING around mile 7. After we finished running, we were soaked and freezing and didn't bother to cool down or stretch. OOPS! I was feeling a little stiff on Sunday morning, but I was better by Monday. The run went pretty well, other than the rain! I'm thinking I should be able to keep up the same pace, or possibly slightly faster, for the half marathon since it will be flatter and I'll have you girls to motivate me :) Anyway, here's the race results--Jennifer and I got 16th and 17th in our age group! :)

Which brings me to the title of the post. Our running coach's motivational e-mail of the week told us that for our last four long runs, we should take it easy for most of the run but push the pace on the last two miles. I've been picking up my pace on my own in the last mile of my long runs (the last mile of my 10-miler was 9:43!), but two miles will be a bit tougher. Just wanted to share that with y'all in case you want to try it as well.

All of you have posted such great ideas about Memphis, t-shirts, etc. I'm going to comment on those posts individually.

Oh, and my mom was so excited to finally be able to post a comment to the blog! She's been reading all along and finally got the comment function to work. So, hi Mom! :)

One month til Memphis!! Can't wait!! :-D

10 miles down....3.1 to go!

Hey girls!

Wow Toni - that's quite a list you've got there! All of the ideas you mentioned sound really fun, but we should probably decide a few of our top choices & go from there. I wish we could squeeze in everything, but we won't be in Memphis that long! I'll look at some of the links you posted & get back to you with my vote.

So the 10 mile race went well over the weekend. Allan, Annette & I all finished within a couple of minutes of each other.....1:46-1:48ish. We were happy with our times, considering the course had some hills & it started pouring the rain when we still had over 2 miles left. After doing this race, I feel like I'm better prepared for 13 miles than I thought. I was nervous that I'd have to walk, or that I wouldn't be able to imagine running more! Annette shared her Shot Bloks with me, and there were built-in water stops along the way. As it turns out, I'll be in Atl on the day of the Atlanta 1/2 & marathon that Annette's registered for. It's on Turkey Day. I was thinking that since I'll need to run a long run anyways, maybe I'll go out & try to follow all/some of the course after the race at some point in the weekend. Too bad I won't be able to join the rest of you in Fairmont for a run the week before our race.

My running injuries seem to be healing pretty well. My hands are finally scabbing over & they are very itchy. I think my knee will still take some time, but it's on the mend too. How about all of your running aches & pains? Any progress? Tessa - I saw on FB that you're having a foot problem. I hope you're feeling better.

Well, I don't really have too many other updates. I can't believe that it's already November & we're only a month away from the big race. I'm really looking forward to our trip to Memphis!!

Memphis Attractions

Hello friends!

So, I went to AAA and picked up a Memphis guidebook in anticipation of our weekend fun!!
A couple of things that peaked my interest were:

1. Beale Street Historic District- I think our run will be going through this area as well as the post- 1/2 marathon party!

2. National Civil Rights Museum - It's located at the Lorraine Motel which was the site of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/home.htm

3. The Peabody Memphis- I think it's a hotel that has the famous march of the "Peabody ducks" each day at 11am and 5pm. http://www.peabodymemphis.com/

4. Graceland- Elvis Presley's home-- It definitely costs money to tour his home and grounds, but they also have special decorations up for Christmas which I think would look beautiful...http://winter.elvis.com/events/

There are plenty of other sites in Memphis: Brooks Museum of Art, Zoo, Rock 'n' Soul Museum, etc... but I'm not sure how much we can fit in during a weekend...especially with a 13.1 mile race that's on our schedule! :)

Speaking of mileage...how did the 10 mile race go this weekend, Jenn and Annette? I was thinking you! We had guests over the weekend, and I never got my 9 mile run in! Ugh!! It's so hard to get motivated and run that far by yourself. We'll see what I get in today. Tessa, how is your foot feeling?...I hope you've been resting it!!!

Have a great week! Just about a month left!!

Running Banana

Hey gals, just wanted to let you know about a website I found called runningbanana.com. You can custom design technical t-shirts, and there's no minimum number of shirts you have to order. It looks like the shirts are a little pricey (around $35) but I was thinking that we'd better get on it if we want to make t-shirts for the race! They also have cute premade designs if we aren't feeling creative. Click the "Girl Power" icon under the "Shop" tab...I think "This Chick Can Fly!" is cute :)

Of course, if you want to go the cheap route, I'm all for making our own t-shirts too. Let me know what you think!

Wipe out!

Hey gals,

Well, Allan was here this weekend, and we had full intentions of running 8 miles. There's this 4 mile loop that I've done before a couple of times, and I was planning to run it twice. Well, about 3.5 miles into the run....I totally wiped out, when I was stepping up from the road to a curb (these granite curbs are no joke around here). So I have some battle wounds....the palms of both of my hands & my knee took a pretty bad hit. So uhhh yeah, that run ended early due to my injury & I've been doctoring up my hands & knee with hydrogen peroxide, neosporin & lots of bandages...what a pain!

So hopefully I'll be able to run a couple times between now & Saturday...when I'll be running 10 miles with Annette. I hope I'm not too slow, since I've probably only run 7 miles at most EVER. Hmmmm.

Valerie posted on my wall yesterday:

"Hey! Are you all still going to Memphis? I am planning to go down that weekend. I am not going to officially run the race, but I'll wear my running clothes in hope I can keep you company for a portion."

How were your long runs this weekend? Less than 6 weeks away.....whoa, baby!

Talk soon,

Jen

First 10-miler!

Hey girls! So, what's up? I haven't heard from y'all in awhile. I know you're busy. I hope training and life in general are going well! I hear that Toni and Tessa ran together last weekend, and I am jealous...but Jennifer and I get to run a 10 mile race together next weekend! Yay!

So, I did my first "10-miler" today. It was actually only 9.8 miles, so I'll have to wait until next week to officially break into the double digits. I was happy with how it went! It was a pretty hilly course and I still managed to keep a 10:50/mile pace. So I'm thinking that another 3.1 miles on a flat course won't be too bad! I finished off the pack of Shot Bloks that I started last week, and also ate a pack of lemon Sports Beans (just because the training group had them for us for free). I have a few different flavors of Shot Bloks at home to try over the next few weeks! The sales associate at the running store told me that black cherry, cran-razz, and strawberry are the most popular flavors, so I got one of each.

I will say that I'm sore/stiff in places I never expected. After about an hour of running, I really start to feel it in my abs. I really need to work on my core strength! Tessa, I know you posted exercises from Runner's World awhile ago, but I am a huge slacker when it comes to core workouts...ugh! Also, my hips are pretty sore, which I guess isn't too surprising. I started to feel it after about an hour too. Luckily I don't have any real pain, just some soreness and stiffness. And I'll have to remember to put Body Glide on my toes next time, because I seem to be developing a blister on my little toe.

Stay warm this weekend!

I was feeling sorry for myself while watching the weather forecast this morning because tonight's low is 40 degrees...so tomorrow will be my first run of the year in winter clothes. Then I remembered the Nor'easter hitting the northeast this weekend. Stay warm and dry, girls!

I stopped by the running store last night to pick up some gear. I got some black cherry Shot Bloks for tomorrow's long run. Then I realized that I needed a place to put them. Since my training group puts out water during our long runs, I don't have a fuel belt. The idea of attaching something to me that will jiggle up and down for 9 or 13 miles sounds really awful, so the guy at the running store recommended a Spibelt. (I think the belt pictured in the link is the one I got, but I only paid $20.) It's really low-profile, and the pockets are expandable. He said it's one of their most popular packs. So, we'll see how it goes tomorrow!

Tessa, have you submitted your comps yet? Congratulations or good luck as the case may be! :) You are a superstar and are that much closer to a Ph.D.!!

10K down....1/2 marathon to go!

How's life in ATL, DC, & the 'Burgh? It's gotten really chilly here in NH.....I don't think I'll be able to wear shorts anymore for running outside between now and the 1/2 marathon. One of my coworkers who lives up near Dartmouth (80-90 miles northwest of here) said it snowed 2" at his house this morning & then there was ice between here & there. It was just raining here though. I'm not ready for this weather again!!

So I ran my 10K this past weekend (Allan ran with me) & we almost broke an hour...we didn't stay for official results to be posted, but I clocked it on my watch & we finished in 1:01:19 according to my "unofficial" time. I can't seem to find any results online just yet. So I felt pretty good about the race, and I was just happy that I could run the whole thing (especially since there were a few hills too!).

I plan to run a couple evenings this week with my new running partner as long as the weather cooperates (otherwise, treadmill...blah!). We're trying to stick to a Tues/Thurs schedule pretty much every week. Then, I'll do my long run on Sat morning....hoping for 8 miles. I have a pretty good 4 mile loop downtown here in Manchester, so I'm planning to run it twice & see how that goes. There's a 5K on Sunday that I might do just for fun (I haven't registered yet), but that can't really count for much since I need to be running a little more than that. But it's something, right?

So Annette - I'll be in ATL from Thurs night Oct 29th through Sun Nov 1st, so definitely let me know more details about this 10 mile run while I'll be in town. I may be seriously interested in joining you, since I'll need to run either way. It would be fun to do a run together prior to the race too! We'll try to figure out all the details. Maybe we can catch up again sometime soon to talk about plans.

I'm going to ATL for Thanksgiving (funny that I'll be there while Annette is in WV!), so the next time I'll be home is probably Christmas. Will all of you be home for Christmas this year? I'm flying home from the evening of Dec 23 through Dec 27, so I won't be home long. But maybe we'll be able to squeeze in some time to hang out then too. My mom told me there's a new Mi Pueblo in downtown Fairmont on Fairmont Ave. I think we need to check it out in the near future.

I've been thinking....we won't be in Memphis very long, but is there anything that we should try to see/do while we're there? Have any of you been before? Graceland is the only thing I can think of that attracts tourists, other than just going out on Beale Street. I guess we can try to figure out good places to eat too...I'll try to look up some reviews online. I've only been to Memphis once my freshman year of college to see the Dixie Chicks, but I never saw much of downtown.

Toni - did you book your flight? Are we all getting into Memphis & leaving at about the same times?

Well, I've gotta run (no pun intended). Catch up soon! Only 1 month, 3 weeks, 1 day.....really close! Ahhhhhh!

Nutrition for running

My running group had a seminar on nutrition after our long run this morning. It got me thinking about my eating habits, and particularly about nutrition while running. I've never tried the gel/gu/shot blocks/sport beans. But I'm thinking that next week's nine mile run is a good time to start trying something! There are so many sports nutrition products that I'm a little overwhelmed by figuring out what to try first! Have any of you used any of these products before? Toni, I'm sure you used some during your marathon training right? Tessa?

The nutritionist said that as athletes (though I'm not sure I really feel like an "athlete"), we should be getting 55-60% of our calories from carbohydrates, 20-25% from protein, and the remainder from fat. That seems like very little fat to me! If I'm eating 2000 calories, that's only 400 calories from fat, which is 44 g of fat. When I mentioned this to Rob, he said I was probably eating more like 3000+ calories a day. I was aghast! No way I eat that much! Of course, I've never really counted calories (or even measured food), so who knows. I figure that I'm at a healthy, stable weight, so what's the point?

Speaking of weight, Rob mentioned that I look "leaner" lately. I was so proud that he noticed! I have managed to lose six pounds in the last month or two. I'm not really sure how--I haven't been dieting (see above, hehe). I think that me becoming aware that my weight was getting a little high made me think twice about how much food I put on my plate. So my pants are fitting much better these days :)

Anyway, back to nutrition, do you carbo-load before long runs? We actually went out to a bar last night (I only had one beer, hehe!) I had a shrimp gyro, salad, and French fries for dinner. Probably not the best pre-long run meal, but I feel like I'll be really sick of pasta if I eat it every Friday night for the next eight weeks! What do you eat after a long run? I was ravenous by the time our seminar ended this morning (I had been done running for 1.5 hours by the time I got home!) For breakfast, I had two eggs, two pieces of wheat toast, three pieces of bacon, and a small cup of oatmeal. I know, right?? The waitress was looking at me like I was an alien. A really hungry one! Hehe! Any other nutrition tips?

I have a running partner!

Hey girls,

How's the running & everything else going in everyone's life? Tessa - I hope you're not letting running stress you out even more than school. I'm sure you'll get through this busy & crazy time. We had an intern start working in our department a couple of weeks ago, and it turns out that she runs (mostly on her own). Our schedules finally jived today so we went on our 1st run together....& we ran for 57 minutes (so I'm hoping that's ~6 miles). We were able to talk some between the huffing & puffing, but it was really nice to have the company. Allan and I have run together a couple of times on weekends when we meet (this past weekend we ran on the carriage roads of Acadia National Park in Maine), but I'm glad to have someone here who is willing to run a couple/few times during the week! She works on most weekends, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to do the really long runs together. I ran last night at the gym on the treadmill & I ran 4 miles at a 9:40 pace (with zero incline of course!). I don't know if I'll run tomorrow and/or Saturday, but I'm running a 10K on Sunday....then I plan to run only longer runs than that each weekend between now & our race.

I feel like it's been a very productive week with booking the flight to Memphis (getting in ~1pm on Fri & flying out at 1:30 on Sun)...now it's actually real, we're going! We're running this race!! As for the t-shirts, I'm not sure...maybe silhouette shadows of us or something along those lines....a group of 4 people. Or something that has to do with WV, or with all of the states we're traveling from?? I'll have to keep brainstorming a little bit.

I actually booked a flight tonight to spend Thanksgiving (week before race) in Atlanta. Annette, will you be there or not? I'll likely make the trip to ATL between now & then too....I'm thinking about the last weekend of Oct...Halloween. Will you be around then? Let me know.

Well girls, sorry I've once again been sort of delinquent to this blog....I read it & then think...I'll write later...& then someone else always seems to re-post or comment before I say anything! I'm bad. As for the tights, I'll probably be wearing some really soon. Running skirts....yeah right!

Let the countdown begin.....

20.9 miles last week!

I am excited because this is my highest mileage week since fall 2007 (I started running longer distances for no particular reason...I think I got up to 9 miles at a time and haven't done it since!) I figure that y'all are the only ones who might care :)

I skipped my training group on Saturday because they were doing a 10K race in Cartersville, which is 44 miles from home. Our coach told us to get there by 6:45 at the latest. I wasn't up for driving an hour at 5:45 am on Saturday, so I did 7 miles by myself at 9:30 (a much better wake-up time!) I ran the same route as last week and actually took about a minute off my time!


View Larger Map


I must say that I'm getting a little frustrated by the lack of daylight in the morning. I woke up at 6:55 this morning and had to wait 30 minutes for it to be light enough to run outside. I rushed to get ready for work and still didn't get here until 9:30 am! I think I'm going to have to rearrange my schedule next week, at least until Daylight Saving Time ends on Nov. 1 (woo hoo, an extra hour of partying on Halloween!)

Booked my flight!!!!

Hello! Ok, so I am going to get the ball rolling on getting flights booked--well, actually I already did, because I booked my flight this morning!!! I am getting into Memphis around 2 pm. Its a little early, but I would rather that than go with a later flight and risk getting delayed. I don't mind hanging out at the airport until Jen and Toni trickle in. :) I leave on Sunday at 2 pm, which puts me into Washington early evening.
Just wanted to give a heads up--it seemed like tickets were going quick because there was only "1 Seat" left at the lowest price... I wonder if they do that just to make people buy tickets, but that was actually not on there last night when I checked.
Anyway, let me know what you guys find!
hugs,
T.

Ups and downs along the way

Ladies,
Wow, we're trekking along, aren't we? I can't believe its October already! So here are some of my ups and downs from the past 7 days.
Last weekend, when Greg was here to visit, I talked him into doing the Clarendon Day 10 K with me (the picture was taken after the race in my apt.!). I wasn't sure how I would do and whether I was really ready to race yet, but it turned out ok! He was very sweet and stuck by my side the whole time even though I know he could have been running twice as fast if he really wanted! I do have to say, when I saw the 3 mile marker, I was like, "Why didn't I do the 5K instead???" Anyway, we finished in 1:03, which put us right at a 10:20 pace and I was happy with that. It wasn't the most scenic route and half of the race was on an interstate between the Pentagon and Reagan airport (all concrete, no pretty trees!), but oh well. I was definitely sore and exhausted after the race, but happy!
So, that was my high--now comes my low. After the race on Sunday, I only ran once on Wednesday (4 miles) and once yesterday (4.5 miles)!!! I will try to run again today, but I just can't bring myself to do 7 miles by myself. I am so stressed out about my comps--my deadline is in less than two weeks now, that I can't summon up the energy to go run that far!!! I am always so tired after runs and right now I need all the energy I have to push through this paper! I feel like I am doing two marathons at the moment and one is having to suffer while I finish the other.
Bleh. Any motivational words? Suggestions? Ideas? Next week I have a conference all week and it is very doubtful whether I can squeeze in my long run then, too. I hope after that things will get better after that though. Anyway, maybe this is like the 7 mile wall or something... who knows. How are your runs going???
Miss you girls lots and can't wait to see you!! Oh, I can book flights now, so that is definitely on my priority list. I think I will just fly directly to Memphis--I have a bunch of airports here in the area to choose from, so hopefully I can find a good deal. What time should I shoot for?
hugs,
Tessa

Time for Tights?

Hi All!

Just wondering what your opinions are regarding running tights? The weather here has been pretty chilly (in the 50s), and I'm thinking that shorts aren't going to work for much longer. I have one pair of capri running pants, but they are starting to wear out. What do you all recommend for chilly weather?
I do think this new weather change does help me to run for a longer period of time.

Thanks for your input!

7 down, 6.1 to go!

Michele and I flew back from Cleveland on Saturday afternoon, so I missed my 7-mile run with my training group on Saturday morning. The weather was really crappy on Saturday, and it was Rob's birthday, so I didn't run at all. I got up on Sunday morning and did my 7-mile run and still made it to church at 11 am! (I know 11 isn't that early, but I was proud of myself! :) ) The run was nice--I felt good and kept up a pace just under 11 min/mile. That's pretty good considering that I ran the Peachtree Road Race (10K) at an 11 min/mile pace! The weather was great, too. I am so happy that fall is here!

I love to run through Piedmont Park when I do long runs on my own. It's about 3 miles from our house, so it's the perfect destination for a loop route. The neighborhoods between our house and the park are great to run through, too! When I was entering the park on Sunday, I noticed people running a race down the street I was crossing. I thought, "hmm, I didn't know there was a race today" and kept going. But when I got into the park, I quickly realized that I was running toward the finish line of the race! There were racers blowing by me and spectators cheering them on to the finish. I was like "crap, I've got to get out of here!" But everywhere I looked, there were racers! I was able to escape from the park without causing any apparent disturbance to the race, but the whole thing felt like it was out of a sitcom! I figured out from the race numbers that the race was the Atlanta Ekiden Relay, which sounds like it could be fun. (Except that it's six laps around the same 5 K course...I guess this eliminates the need for a van to transport runners, though.) The team captain instructions say "Please be aware of non-race participants as they may not know a race is going on." Haha, that was me!

Any updates from Cleveland?

Annette - I'm guessing you & Michele have made it safely to OH. How are things going so far? Let us know. Your family will be in my thoughts & prayers. Going to hit the streets of Cleveland for a run if you have time? I've been following a version of your schedule, although I've yet to run 5 or 6 miles...I think I've done 4.5 so far. Time to do more this weekend!

Keep it up, baby!

Ladies,
Sooo... I just got done with my Saturday long run and was inspired to post again finally! Funny story about the run: so, there I was, treading along, minding my own business on the Custis Trail, and these two guys walk toward me. They were wearing street clothes (its a popular running/bike trail, but some people also just use it to walk) and were clearly not working out. The one guy makes a cat call at me and is like, "Wooo cardio!!! Yeah! Keep it up, baby!" I wanted to be highly offended, but at the same time, it made me laugh. Because, despite how lame it was, I was being cheered on!!! haha. I have also had random people tell me to speed up while I am running and that has had a much more traumatic effect on my psyche while running. Of course in that moment you don't think to retort something along the lines of "I don't see you out there running..." but I was much too shocked to say anything. I guess that is just the problem with running in a city on major roads.... But bottom line is, I "kept it up" and did 6 miles today! woo hoo! It was definitely a very slooooow 6 miles, but I did it and was kinda proud.
This week I also did weight training and stretching for like the first time ever. I don't get it--I can run 5 miles and not be sore, but then I do 30 min. of stretching and can barely move the next day! I am going to try to keep doing stretching on Tues. and the elliptical on Thurs. for my cross training days. I normally do that in the mornings. Then on MWF I do my running. I might try to build in some speed work on the treadmill (I find it really easy to regulate on there) one day a week, but we will see. I think that speedwork is actually nice b/c it mixes things up a bit and makes it not so monotonous, but at the same time, its really hard to motivate myself to do it, and I am just not a speedy person.

One thing I have been meaning to ask you is this: we have all said we run with iPods, so what is your favorite music/song to run to?
I LOVE to run to the Mama Mia soundtrack (esp. Voulez-Vous!) and also really like Beck (E-Pro and Soldier Jane) and Guster. One of my other favorite songs is Get Back by the Beatles.
What about you girls? Also, should we start thinking about T-shirts??

big hug from DC and remember--keep it up, babies!
love,
Tess

First interval run

I've been slacking a bit on running this week (starting last weekend at Davidson when I skipped my long run...oops!) I did make it to the gym last night to run intervals, though. It has been raining here all week...I am getting a bit tired of it (though I know better than to complain about rain in Atlanta!) I was hoping to squeeze in a run between bands of rain, but no such luck. After one lap around the outdoor track, I was already getting soaked, so I moved inside to the 1/8 mile indoor track. I ran around the indoor track 29 times. It kind of sucked! But I got my interval run in! Next up is a 6 mile run with the training group tomorrow. Hopefully the rain holds off in the morning!

I was just thinking about a Road ID--Toni, did you say you have one of these? I've never run with one before (heck, I don't even carry my cell phone, is that bad?) I'm thinking that since I'm going to be running longer distances, it might be a good idea...just in case.

Happy running to everyone!

Speed Up Or Pull Over!!!

Ladies!

I need some advice on how to run faster! I feel like a turtle could pass me at this point! It's almost like I'm in stuck in a certain pace, plus, I'm nervous about speeding up when I'm doing runs where I have goal mileage...i.e. 3, 4 miles because I'm afraid I'm going to tucker out if I speed up! Any thoughts on how I can pick up the pace but still maintain the mileage??

Also...how come I get side cramps and cramps behind my shoulder blades? I try not to eat for at least an hour or two before I run, but I still get cramps! I run through the cramps, but it's still a pain!

Oh, Tessa, I saw an article on plantar fascitis the other day. It suggested instead of rolling a tennis ball under your foot, get a frozen can of orange juice and roll it under your foot. Not only does the shape of the can help you to stretch out the fascia, but the cold helps the inflammation!--thought this was a good tip that I'll tell my patients some day---let me know if it works! Also, be sure to stretch your calves too!

Finally...I leave you with a little verse that we sang in church today...I thought it was fitting for our race:
We will run and not grow weary
For our God will be our strength
And we will fly like an eagle
We will rise again!


Tootles!

Updates from NH!

Well girls....here is my long overdue update to our blog. So here goes....hmmm, where to start?! Anyways, it's been so great catching up with all of you at some point since June with Annette's visit to Maine/NH in June, then visiting with Tessa in DC in August, and then seeing Toni just last weekend in Fairmont over Labor Day! This is the first weekend in a month that I've actually been here in Manchester....after spending a weekend in Baltimore, then the following weekends in DC & then Fairmont. So as you may imagine, I haven't been totally motivated about running since I've been 'on the go' all the time. But I've tried to squeeze in running where I can....now it's just time to start running longer distances than 3-4 miles. I ran a few times in Baltimore/DC while I was there, but I didn't do any running while I was at home for Labor Day. Allan & I kept having intentions of running, but it didn't happen....we did go to a spinning class with my mom at the FGH Healthplex, so hopefully that counts as cross-training!

So if it would stop raining here in Manchester, I have the whole weekend to get caught up & started with some serious training. It's starting to get cold here too....I wore a fleece to work a couple mornings this week & it's been in the 50's/60's. So fall is on the way & I guess winter is right around the corner. I've run two 5K's since May, but I probably should sign up for a 10K run to force myself to jump right into more miles.

Do you girls find that you have more energy when you run first thing in the morning or later in the day/evening? I'm just worried that once the clocks fall back an hour & as it gets colder & darker earlier, I might have to change my later runs to early morning ones. But I am so NOT a morning person as it is....this could be a lifestyle change....haha.

As for other updates, I really need to dust off the ole Ipod nano & get some new tunes on it. So I'll probably work on that this weekend too. I'm flying to NC next weekend to visit Allan, then my friend Holly from grad school is driving up from CT the following weekend to hang out here in NH, then my aunt & uncle are driving up to spend a week in Mass/Maine so I'll meet up with them the 1st weekend in Oct, then Allan will hopefully fly up here the following weekend (we get Columbus Day as a holiday up here....AKA Canadian Turkey Day....go figure). So I'm excited for all of my upcoming plans again, but I just need to make sure to keep on track with running even when I'm so busy. I've been loosely following a version of Annette's schedule & I haven't gotten the more condensed running schedule from Runner's World that Toni sent me yet. So I'll have to check that out soon & try to figure out a real plan.

I bought new shoes earlier this summer, but I already feel like they've lost their cushion-y feeling really fast. What shoes do you girls swear by? Have you gone to real running stores to let them really figure out what really works for you? Also, how soon before the race will you buy a new pair to break them in but still not have something considered worn out of the race? I should also probably get some of that Body Glide stuff too....good idea.

Valerie & I have been sending back & forth a few Facebook messages this week, and it sounds like she may be doing the race in Memphis too. She said some people from her church group in Nashville were already planning to do it & she's been joining them on some of their runs. So I don't know if she's registered or what, but it will be fun if she does it too. I think I'm really jealous of Annette & Valerie's running groups....wonder if it's too late for me to find one? Although the 1/2 & marathon here in Manchester is early Nov....so any groups out there might be really advancing by now.

So I've been wondering a little bit about how this race will really work, since none of us have really trained together. Are we going to attempt to stay together? I'd probably prefer that, but I also don't want to hold anyone up who has a goal for a time, etc. Just curious. Right now, my only goal would be to run the whole thing & hopefully finish in less than 2.5 hrs. Also, I guess I'm most concerned about water stops & the need to use a porta-potty just before/during the race & I know Toni had mentioned some kind of gel snacks or something. I just feel so out of the loop when it comes to running tricks. When you've done longer runs, do you have any tricks for eating/drinking the night before or even just that morning of?

Well, that's all I can think of to write at the moment, but stay tuned for my "running story" that I've failed to write for so long. I plan to be more dedicated to this between now & the race! I seriously haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

Happy running!! :-)

p.s. Toni - when are you planning to book your flight? And Annette, you're sure that you don't mind picking us up in B'ham...as long as our flights are right around the same time?

Favorite running gear

Toni's comment to my last post got me thinking...what is your favorite running gear? Do you love your watch/iPod/running skirt? (That last one's for Tessa!)

I had heard great things about Body Glide, so I tried it for the first time a couple months ago. I haven't run long enough distances lately for chafing to be much of an issue, but I think that when I do, the Body Glide will be indispensable. I was a little embarrassed to ask for it at the running store, like I must be fat if I needed Body Glide, right? But the guy who worked there (typical runner's build--tall and lanky) said "oh, I love this stuff!" So I didn't feel so bad :)

I also like my iPod Shuffle a lot. Rob gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago, and it is great to keep me motivated on my training runs. I lost the charger last week, so I've been running without music all week while I wait for my new one to come in, and it's been pretty boring! I'm always thinking "how much farther?" I wish I were one of the people who went into a meditative "zone" (without getting hit by a car, hehe) while running. But if I'm alone and without music, my thoughts don't seem to keep me occupied.

So what's your favorite running stuff?

Ladies,
I plan on starting my training mid-September. The plan I found that seems like it will work for me has you doing 10 weeks of training. I did get myself motivated to do a 4.5 run this weekend--I was so excited because I found a new trail in this pretty park that is only like a mile away from my house. I never knew it existed! I was getting really sick of running in the city (asphalt is not that pretty--and its HOT!), so I decided to try this park. It's a former overlook site to the Potomac, but trees have obstructed the view, so now there's just a bunch of trails, a vegetable garden and some other cool little nature stops. I DID stop and wonder though about running by myself in the woods... probably not the smartest thing to do, especially after I kinda turned my ankle on a root sticking up out of the ground. It didn't hurt my foot really, but I might stick to some more 'populated' areas in the future!
I have also been trying to schedule short runs during the week with some friends I have in the city. It's a good way to keep me motivated and hold me accountable. One of my friends did the Ragnar relay with me last year and is training for it again this year. I wish I could do that race again--it was sooo crazy! But its right during comps, so that's def. a no this year.
Anyway, I am gearing up for the semester to start. I start teaching on Wednesday and my exams begin this Friday. I am really looking forward to running though because it will give me some time away from my books and allow me to clear my head.
Oh, by the way, Jennifer, Allan and I met up this weekend and had brunch in DC. :) We were talking about running and I scolded her for not having posted her "running story" yet! Now I have seen all of you, except for you, Annette, in the past month. Anyway, I am really excited to see ya'll again in December!!
That's all for now! Happy running, girls.

Started training today!

Okay girls! 14 weeks until the big race! Have you started training yet? I officially started this morning. I woke up at 6:15, which was the earliest I've gotten up all week! Hehe! I met my running group at 7:30 and we ran an easy 4 miles (I ran it in 43:48).

I was surprised by how big the group was. I guess I was expecting 20-30 people, but it was probably around 100! The intermediate group left first to run 5 miles, then the novice group left to run 4. The coaches didn't put us into pace groups; they just told us to run easy so that we could carry on a conversation. There were plenty of people both ahead of and behind me, which was good! I didn't chat much with anyone during the run, except to ask one girl how she liked her running skirt. (Have you seen these or do you have one? She told me that I'd never go back if I switched!)

So, I've got an easy 2 miles tomorrow, then a rest day on Monday. (I appreciate that rest days are on Mondays and Fridays!) How is running going for the rest of you?

Preventing and Recovering from Injury

I was in Alabama the weekend before last for Colley girls' weekend (my mom's side of the family). There are some pictures below, just for fun.

Turns out driving a jet-ski isn't as scary as I thought!

Hanging out with Michele and Little Leah

All the girls with our lovely artwork

Love you Mom!

Anyway, Michele and I went running while we were there. I don't know why I keep trying to run with her. She kicks my butt every time. I had a surprising problem on this run, though. Running downhill hurt my knees. Boo. I walked for a bit, then they seemed fine. So I ran a little over three miles. It was a tough run with almost 100% humidity and more hills than I expected, but I didn't think anything of my knee.

Then when I tried running on Tuesday, it hurt my knee so badly that I couldn't do it at all! So I've been riding the stationary bike and working on strength conditioning all week. I tried running yesterday, but it still hurt (though not as bad as earlier in the week), so I cut the run short.

My knee doesn't hurt at all during regular activity, except walking up and down the stairs and running. The pain is just below the kneecap, and I don't see any swelling. I think that it is either patellar tendinitis or patellar tracking disorder. I haven't been to the doctor, because it's not debilitating and he'll just tell me to ice it and quit running. I definitely need to focus on strengthening my quads and hamstrings, and stretching. Sometimes I am too impatient to stretch, which obviously is leading to bad results!

I'm not too worried about the knee, and I am hopeful that it will be cleared up in time for my half marathon training group, which starts on August 29. In fact, this is probably a good time to take it easy on running and focus on cross-training, strength training, and stretching since I won't have as much time for those over the next few months.

I'm sure that some of you have dealt with injuries before, so what's your advice? How long do you stay off it? Do you run through the pain, or does that just make the injury worse?

Running...say what?!

Similar to Annette, I was never a fan of running during my middle school/high school days. I too remember those exercise challenges in gym class. I was pretty horrible at all of them, particularly the running and the chin-ups! Growing up, swimming was my sport. I can remember during the high school season, we would have "dry training" which consisted of running, crunches, sit-ups, weights, etc... Granted, our coach didn't expect us to run all that much, but I could barely make a lap around our school without thinking that I was going to fall over. It was awful. Turned off by running at that point, I gave no thought to that sort of exercise throughout college. After undergrad, I joined a volunteer group and lived with 2 women who LOVED to run. One housemate had even run several marathons. Needless to say, I was pretty impressed; however, still not inspired enough to join these "running fanatics".

In September 2005, I moved to a city that is quite runner friendly...Chicago. Boasting it's beautiful lake front trail and "non-hilly" terrain, it was common to see runners out at all times of the day. Still---feeling no force pushing me to join in. Tessa came to visit me that fall, the same weekend as the Chicago Marathon. We watched the runners cross over the finish lane as fans cheered and camera flashes went off. There was such an incredible energy in the air that I guess stuck with me--perhaps, this was the beginning of my thoughts about running starting to change. It was sometime in early spring of 2006 that I stumbled across a flyer for the AIDS Marathon Training Program. I have an interest in AIDS research and care and thought that this could be a way that I could support the AIDS cause while possibly making some new friends. So, I went to the information session and was sold when they said that the training program was perfect for first time runners...phew...because I don't even like running! So, I signed up for my first marathon--Chicago, October 2006. I can remember the responses I got from people when I told them about my undertaking...."You're going to do what??" "Toni, you don't even like running." "Toni, do you realize how long a marathon is?" Not only had I signed up for a VERY LONG race, but I also committed to raising quite a bit of money!

I thought I would get a jump start on my new sport before our first group Saturday run that would require that we run a 5K in order for them to put us in "pace groups". I sure didn't want to look completely out of shape for that day, so I began running around my neighborhood. The training started off slow, but grew easier as the days went by. I can remember those Saturday group runs where we would increase our mileage week by week. After each run, I'd call my parents and yell "I just ran 5 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles and so on!" It was amazing how at one time I thought 3 miles was so long, but now I was running 10 miles without thought. Not that it was easy, but it became "do-able" as time went on. Plus, I was raising a lot of money, and couldn't back out when so many friends and family had donated to the AIDS cause and supported me! I did have some injuries along the way which made me a bit nervous as marathon day drew closer. Apparently, when you have big hips (like mine), IT band problems are common.

So, Marathon Day came! It was such an incredible day. I had a terrific "curb crew" cheering me on. (photos below) The race started off great-a little chilly-but great. It was around mile 16 or so that I really started feeling tired and not wanting to go any farther! But, as I said before, I had great people to cheer me on. Anyway, I finished---it took me a long while, but I finished! Definitely a very proud day in my life!

Anyway, in order to avoid making this post the size of a novel. My running life post marathon has been filled with very few runs. I think after training so much for the marathon, I kind of got burnt out--at least that's what I tell myself. I've run a couple of 5Ks but nothing that has become a running routine. I realize that I won't run unless I have a goal. So, I was thrilled when my closest friends said "yes" to joining me in running a half-marathon. Not only will it be a great reunion for the Fairmont girls, but a motivation for me to put exercise back into my daily routine.

So...that's my story...I look forward to creating many more running memories! Here's to the St. Jude's 1/2 marathon and a race with 3 great women!!! With that said, I better get off my bum, put on my running shoes, and get out the door...

Losing weight

I don't normally spend much time thinking about my weight, but this is getting ridiculous. I tried on a pair of dress pants last night that fit fine last winter, and they were so tight. I looked like a sausage and felt even worse! Ugh! I guess that was the kick in the butt I needed to convince myself that it's time to eat more healthfully. Lately my diet has consisted of whatever I feel like eating, which is sometimes healthy but often not (and often more food than I need, as well).

It would be nice if I could drop five pounds or so, and specifically shrink my waistline enough that I'm not in danger of outgrowing all the clothes in my closet! So here's my plan: I'm going to drink more water, usually avoid bad foods (though I'm not giving up dessert altogether!), only eat as much food as I need to feel full, add one more day of weight training every week, and switch out one easy run per week for an interval workout on the track. I go crazy if I try to count calories...it's just too much work and makes me obsessive.

So, what do you think about my de-larding plan? Hopefully being healthier will help my running too! Please share any tips for eating healthy without going crazy. Sometimes I feel like French fries are just calling my name!

Tennis player turned runner...

Ok, before I give my runner's testimony, I have to confess that I am not a seasoned blogger. I feel kind of like a slacker, but at least I can blame it on my comps, right?! So, dearest friends, be patient with me--I will get the hang of this eventually!!! I am not used to checking it regularly, reading threads, commenting, uploading pics...sheesh! It takes a lot of time! :) But I have also discovered that its a great way to procrastinate....mwwhahaha.

Also, to echo some of your entries: I am having a tough time with motivation and finding a schedule to run. My life has been really hectic ever since getting back from college--lots of people moving around me (my roomate and Greg), Anna's wedding, starting to study for comps...I just got back from 5 days in PA and am leaving to go to Canaan tomorrow with my family for 4 days. It's hard to make time to run when you're not in your normal everyday setting, I think. But hopefully after this weekend, things will settle down.

So, my story. Like Annette, I was no runner in high school or college. I attribute part of that to being vertically challenged. Let's face it, at 5 foot, my legs can't be longer than... say.... 2 feet? 3 max? I tended to flock towards sports where less running was involved--hence the high school and college career as a tennis player. When it came to running, we were really wimpy.
The most running we would ever do there is a few laps around the court and some line drills. You would never hear us say, "Man, that last leg was killer." No, usually it was more like, "Oh, I really like your skirt! It's so cute!" To sum up, speed and endurance, albeit helpful, would never make or break your game. You always had plenty of time between serves to step back and catch your breath...

So, when did I get interested in running? Well, that was back in 2004 when I went to visit Toni in Chicago over fall break. It happened to be the weekend of the Chicago marathon and we went to watch. I was intrigued by the hype of it all--the excitement, the rush, the crowd, the determined look on the runners' faces... but apparently not enough to start running (I was also kinda freaked out by the men's bleeding nipples... Running must hurt!!!!). Toni, on the other hand, was inspired enough to start running... and to sign up for the marathon the following year. I returned to Chicago to cheer her on the next year and it was truly one of the most exciting and memorable experiences! I saw how much hard work and dedication went in to running a race... and suddenly I began thinking, "Hey, maybe I could do something like that after all."

So, I began toying around with the idea of a race and ran sporadically to stay somewhat in shape, but it wasn't until I moved to Bethany, WV for a year that I became serious about running and this was largely due to my good friend, Brooke, who is a die-hard, seasoned runner, who has a completed marathon under her belt. She runs almost every day of the week--and I am not talking about an easy jog around the block. No, she had me running up those huge WV hills we all love so much--lemme tell ya, the views from those hills are SO much more rewarding after you've actually run the entire way up them! It was then that I started thinking that I had the momentum and support to actually run a race. So when I told her I was interested in a race, she immediately pounced on the idea and took on a pseudo-coach role. She would come up with trails, hill workouts, strength training routines... and all I had to do was keep up, but that was definitely not easy. Over New Year's I made a resolution to find a half marathon and finally signed up to do the Frederick 1/2 marathon in May of 2008. I finished it in 2:13 and was quite happy with that! I remember what it was like crossing that finish line and feeling so emotionally and physically exhausted... I think I almost started to cry because you kind of lose control of your emotions and your inhibitions--but it was also an incredibly rewarding feeling.

Since then I have come to realize that I run best when I am training for something. So when a group of friends from college asked me to do the 180 mile Ragnar Relay in late September of that same year, I couldn't think of a better way to ring in my birthday! :) The Ragnar Race showed me how crazy and fun running could be--we had a group of 12 runners and ran from Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC. I remember the second leg of my race was in the middle of the night and it was raining. I had an LED attached to my head and my rain gear on, was running through the middle of nowhere and can remember thinking, "Tessa, this is insane..." It was definitely worth the sweat and pains though--and a great memory. I ran with people who had mostly been cross country runners in college, so I was flattered that they would even ask me, the little old retired tennis player, to be part of the team (though, I should add that I definitely had the shortest and easiest legs of the relay!). The thing I like about this kind of running is that we really did work together as a team and encouraged each other along the way. Tennis is a very independent and solo sport--the most team play you have is doubles. But running with a team is something really special, I think, and I can't wait to run with our mini-team in December!

My third and most recent race was the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler last Spring. I ran this race with my good friend Jessie--who had been my colleague and running buddy during the past two summers. It was a beautiful day, the blossoms were in full bloom and the sun was shining. That race was definitely the least stressful and most enjoyable race so far for me. We ran at an easy pace and chatted the entire way which took my mind off the distance--all of a sudden we were nearing mile 9 and the race was almost over!

I should also add that my growing addiction to running has also been somewhat of a legacy in my family I would like to carry on. Though no one really runs in my family now, my grandfather used to walk 3 miles every single night at the college track (or indoors at the deserted Middletown Mall during the winter!) After an open heart surgery back in the 80s, it became vital for him to drastically change his lifestyle-- which he did by changing his diet and exercising. His dedication to walking ended up extending his life another decade and a half--something for which I am extremely grateful and a meaningful lesson he has taught me.

Ok, sorry, I didn't mean to turn all sappy on ya'll. Anyway, there is my running story. Actually writing that has given me a little bit of motivation, I think. I kind of miss the sore legs, hunger pains and the tired feeling after a good, hard run. :) I will definitely be packing my running shoes for my trip to Canaan this weekend. What better way to remember my grandparents than a nice run along the valley?

Annette's running story

Alright, let's get this blog moving with some stories. When you get a chance, share the story of when/how you started running. I'll go first.

I couldn't run at all in high school. Fitness tests were embarrassing. Mr. Fultz made fun of me because I couldn't run around the track four times. Ack!

Inspired by my college roommate, Emily, who was a cross-country runner, I tried running a few times in college. It didn't take.

Finally, right before Rob and I got married, I moved to a new apartment in Atlanta. The complex backed up to Freedom Park, home of a great network of urban running and biking trails. I saw so many people running by every morning and thought, "there must be something to this!" And "how much easier must it be to stay in shape when all I have to do is walk out my front door to start my workout!" Thus began Netto the runner :)

It was hard at first; there was a lot more walking than running. I ran my first race with Toni the week of our wedding. Toni was training for her marathon, so she was a hard-core runner by that time. Me, not so much. But I did meet my goal of not getting passed by any walkers. See? We were 73rd and 74th place, and Toni let me take the 3rd place age group trophy. (As an aside, my mom did not approve of my plan to run a race the week of our wedding. She pictured me biting the dust and coming home with a bloody face or something. Toni joked that she was going to call my mom after the race and tell her that I had sprained my ankle. Bad Toni!)

The awesome thing about being a beginner is that it's pretty easy to make significant improvements. Two months later, I ran in the Four Seasons Run for Research and took more than 2 minutes off my time. (The Run for Research has become one of my favorite yearly races. It raises money for cancer research, there are awesome raffle prizes--it is sponsored by the Four Seasons, after all--and in 2007 it was my first sub-30 min. 5K.)

In 2007, I decided to train for the Peachtree Road Race with my friend Cindee. She is a good runner and a firm taskmaster. There were many times when I said "Cindee, I'm going to walk the rest of the way up the hill" and she said "No." Um, okay. But I made it up the hill every time and was better for it. Without her encouragement, I would have never thought I could run a 10K! We ran the Peachtree Road Race together and finished in 1:04.

I've run two more Peachtrees since then. Michele came down and ran with me last year, which was lots of fun. Of course, I gave up on trying to keep up with her after two miles, but it was fun anyway :)


After seeing that I could run a 10K, I had thought about making the jump to a half marathon. (Never a full marathon...I'm not that crazy! :) But I had never committed to training for a half until Toni suggested it this year as a girls' get-together. I am so psyched that we were able to come up with a race that works for all of us! (Don't ask me how psyched I am at the end of a 10-mile training run, though...)

So, how did y'all become running superstars? :)

Hotel, flights, etc

One more thing that I meant to add earlier....have any of you given thought to hotel, flights, etc? I think we should probably go ahead & reserve a hotel room sometime in the near future. Also, Tessa & Toni...flying into Memphis or somewhere nearby? I know Annette's driving...but we should at least start thinking about travel plans & where we'll stay. Also, will any of you be home the weekend before at Thanksgiving? I haven't booked a flight yet....still considering my options since that would be 2 big trips, 2 weekends in a row.....

You gals are such world travelers!

Annette - glad to hear you had such a nice time on your trip to Colorado....impressive that you squeezed in a run too!

Tessa - how does it feel to be back in DC? Busy semester ahead? I'll talk to you more about my plans for DC next month sometime soon.....phone date!

Toni - I loved your Hawaii pictures....can't wait to go there someday too!

So girls, I'm having trouble with keeping myself motivated to run....plus, our weather hasn't been the greatest lately (lots of rain for summer!). I haven't done much searching on possible running groups around here. I've been trying to run 1-3 times a week....but even still, I haven't done much more than 3 miles at any given time. I'm registered for another 5K on August 13th. Manchester has marathon/half-marathon & if I thought I could do the 1/2 as practice or be ready by then, maybe I'd consider it. But jeez, I feel like I'll be pushing it to be ready for the one we're running!! So what will be the maximum total miles that you'll run on any given day before the race? Right at 13 miles, or much above? I need to check out some schedules & try to stick to something. I've been pretty good about doing other active things...like making it to some of my favorite classes at my gym: zumba, total body, pump it (mostly weights), cardio combo, etc. I haven't done yoga or pilates in years, but my gym offers both. Anyways, I need to get into a routine of running & still being able to do my normal classes at the gym....but maybe less classes, more running!

Well, I hope to catch up with all of you soon.....happy running!!

Running in Denver

I am exhausted after a weekend trip to Denver, but it was a great time! Lindy and Scott's wedding was beautiful and was followed by a fun party :) It was great to see lots of Davidson friends as well!

On Friday, we drove over to Boulder, where Colin is working for the summer. We decided to go hiking, which was problematic because some people didn't have good shoes. (I had my running shoes, which were fine.) We walked uphill for 30 min. or so before a group of us decided to head back down into Boulder. I felt like this trek had been a serious workout, especially at 6000 ft. A few of the guys hiked up to Royal Arch, which would have been fun if we were better prepared (it was also 90 degrees outside, but thankfully not humid!)

I did go running on Saturday morning. Our hotel was on the outskirts of the city, so I didn't get to run downtown. Luckily, there was a nice trail that ran along a creek that connected right by our hotel. That was a nice run. I had slept late, so it was warm outside, but again, not humid. It was glorious! I ran a little over 3 miles at the same pace I typically run in Atlanta, so I guess the altitude in Denver didn't affect me.

I was really surprised at how flat Denver is. As my plane descended, I looked out the window and thought, "Wait a second, this looks like Kansas!" Turns out that Denver is actually on a mile-high plateau, with mountains nearby to the west. We drove into Golden (home of Coors Brewing Company) on Thursday night, and one second we were in the plains and another second we were in the mountains!

It was a beautiful, fun weekend! What have y'all been up to?

Yoga in the park

I've done yoga a few times, but not recently, so I'm pretty much a beginner. After some suggestions from y'all that I give it another chance, I did yin yoga last night. This is the beginner class offered by the Atlanta Yoga Club in Piedmont Park. It's pretty cool to do yoga outside (except for the homeless man who tried to steal the attendance money!) The instructor was great, but I found the class to be pretty difficult. Some of the poses were really uncomfortable.

I think my trouble with yoga is twofold: (a) I am inflexible and (b) my core is weak. I was so confused last night, because we were in some complicated poses, and the instructor kept saying "notice if you have any tension in your shoulders, and let go of it." Same for abs, thighs, etc. I thought, if I let go of the tension in all my muscles, I'll fall on the ground! I was befuddled! And my shoulders do get very tight in some of the poses. (For example, downward dog. There are others that I can't remember.) I have a feeling that my abs and back muscles should be supporting me more, but they're not so thus the shoulder tension. Any input/advice?

The class was definitely good for stretching, which is good after a week of running and a little tiny bit of weight training. I think I'm going to try yoga again next week. Hopefully I'll get better at it after a few classes! For now, I'm off to Denver this afternoon for my good friend Lindy's wedding. Hope y'all are having a good week!

Time to Shape Up!

Hello Ladies!

Well, I'm back from Hawaii and feeling the need to get my butt into gear for this race. Unfortunately, I did not do any running along the beautiful beaches of Kauai--such a slacker!

However, I wanted to post and make a commitment to y'all and myself that I will run at least 3 times this week! Eekk! I can't promise how long I will run, but I will do my best in hopes that this will get me started and ready for August to start serious training!

Also, regarding the strength training...I think it is a good idea. I've enjoyed yoga and do think it's a good form of strength training--especially "the core" as well as pilates! I've been thinking about getting back into the pool, so I may look into the local YMCA.

Adios for now. I'll keep you posted about the 3 runs this week!

Happy Birthday Toni!

Hope you and Ian had a great time in Hawaii!

Strength training

Ladies (or anyone else reading this!), I need help. I haven't been to the gym in months--it's terrible. I've been doing pretty well with running, but I really need to get back into a strength training routine. What do you do? Classes, free weights, weight machines? Do you do it on the same days you run or on off days? What keeps you motivated? I always get so bored when lifting weights! But I know that weight training is important to overall fitness. Please help!

Back in the US

Hey ladies! I guess it's about time for me to post!!! I am finally back from my 2 month stay in Europe and am looking forward to getting back into a running routine. I had an amazing time--Berlin was a blast. Even though I didn't do any running while I was there, I walked all over the entire city for 5 straight days--wish I had had a pedometer to track my miles. I am thinking that has to count for something, right?! I was also doing some short runs and spinning classes in Trier before I left, so I hope that helps me in starting back up with training. I think the heat in DC will be the hardest hurdle--Annette, I am sure you can sympathize!
Congrats, Annette, on the Peachtree Race! :) The pics look great!
Jen, have you heard anything else about Valerie? And Toni, are you running along the beach in Hawaii??!
Miss you girls and can't wait to see you! Oh, I mean to ask, has anyone found an actual training schedule? Also, have you seen this website? I used it to track my miles in training for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.
http://www.mapmyfitness.com/
hugs from DC!
t.

I look silly when I run.

I got an e-mail yesterday with pictures of me running the Peachtree. The photographers were about 400 yards before the finish line. I was trying to look triumphant (hence the raised arms), but I mostly just look like I'm ready to pass out. I don't think I'll be buying any of these pictures!


P.S. If you can see the orange things on our shoes, those are ChronoTrack "D" Race Timing Tags. It's fairly new technology that is really lightweight and cheap enough for one-time use. It was cool because this was the first year that every Peachtree runner got an official time. You can imagine that collecting chips from 55,000 runners at the finish line would be a logistical nightmare!

saw Valerie Kelley yesterday....

As you girls may have seen on Facebook, I made last minute plans to go to Knoxville for the 4th of July weekend. I flew in/out of Nashville (b/c I had a Southwest credit), and I was able to meet up with Valerie yesterday for lunch, icecream, & I met her fiance. She ran the Nashville 1/2 marathon a couple years ago, so I told her that she could still join us for the race in Memphis if she wants...since she's not that far away! So I'll keep you posted....we might have a 5th Fairmont gal running the race with us.

I just signed up for a 5K in August, I still need to find a 10K, and I'm considering using the Manchester 1/2 marathon as my practice run one month before our race.

Time to get serious about this running thing..... :-)

I survived the Peachtree Road Race!

At one point, I wasn't sure we would even make it to the start, much less the finish! My friend Cara picked me up at 7:30 am yesterday, which should have allowed us plenty of time to get to the starting line by 8:56 am. Then our MARTA train got stuck behind a broken train...in a tunnel. I watched the minutes tick by on my watch: 8:00, 8:05, 8:10. We got back up and running, but a few stops later we all (and by this I mean hundreds of runners trying to get to the start) realized that we needed to transfer trains because the one we were on was going north, not northeast like we needed. We finally got to our stop at about 8:40 am and hauled our butts up the hill to the start line. We made it with just five minutes to spare. I had never been so annoyed at MARTA, but we made it!

I started off the race a little teary-eyed as the announcer recognized the participants who had served in the military. A few minutes into the race, a DJ was blasting "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5. There was lots more music along the way, both live bands and DJs. There were also plenty of interesting costumes to keep me amused (see below)! I also chatted with a group of WVU alumni from Martinsburg for a few minutes.

The weather was surprisingly nice for July 4th in Atlanta. It was a little warmer than optimal for running (around 75 by the time I got out there), but the humidity was pretty low. I never felt like I was going to have heatstroke, and I was hydrated enough that I didn't need to stop at the water stations during the race.

After a first mile split of 11:23, I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere particularly fast. The crowd was amazingly thick, especially in the back where I was running. So I figured that if I could average 11-minute miles for the race (about 1:08), I would be satisfied. The hills were a little tough, but I finished in 1:08:04. It was a few minutes slower than last year's time, but a decent showing overall. Every runner got a timing chip this year, so you can look up my time on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website! I got 21,366th place...hey, that's in the top half! (EDIT: Turns out I got 21,365th place because the 4th place finisher was disqualified!)


So, I survived the Peachtree Road Race and added a third Peachtree t-shirt to my collection. See you next summer, Peachtree!

And hey...five months until the Memphis Half Marathon! Yipee!

Photos are courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (www.ajc.com).

Welcome!

Hi everyone, and welcome to our running blog! (Though Toni beat me to the first post :) ) A couple of months ago, Toni had the great idea of the four of us running a half marathon together. I wasn't very hopeful that it would come together, because all of our schedules are pretty busy. But after a few rounds of suggestions, we picked a half marathon: the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon on December 5th! I get the song "Walking in Memphis" in my head whenever I think about the race. But hopefully we'll be doing more running than walking in Memphis!

I was thinking about doing the Hal Higdon intermediate half marathon training program (or dropping back to novice if intermediate was too tough). It's a 12-week plan, so I would start the official training plan in mid-September. I have heard lots of good things about Hal Higdon's training programs, and the basic information is available online for free. But then I discovered a training group for the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving. I think I'm going to join that group, since our race is only nine days after the Atlanta Half Marathon. The first group run is on August 29, and we'll run together for 13 Saturdays. I don't know what kind of training plan they will provide, but I'm looking forward to having a group to run with!

In the meantime, I'm running the Peachtree Road Race on Saturday, the 4th of July. The Peachtree is a 10K and with 55,000 runners is one of the largest road races in the world. This will be my third time running the Peachtree, and it is always a lot of fun. Of course, the vast crowds make the roads tough to navigate, but once I get over that, it's like a moving party! There are live bands and DJs, as well as tons of spectators, all along the route. Last year my sister and I ran together, and we were doing the "YMCA" dance around mile 2! This year, I was randomly placed into the very last starting group, so I will be starting around 9 am. Ugh, it will be hot at that hour! But other than the heat, I am looking forward to the race! I will update after the Peachtree!

Training

Hey Ladies! When do you all predict we'll begin our training? I want to make sure that I can at least run a 5K before our training "officially" starts. Also, I think we should make cute t-shirts for our race day. :)
--Not sure this post was worthy of a "first post" :P