Marathon Monday..The Training Begins

Allow me to interrupt my wedding recap for a new weekly special I'm going to be including on my blog. We all know that running, fitness and exercise are something I'm passionate about. Well, about a month ago, I stepped out of my exercise comfort zone and did something I never thought I would do..I signed up to run a marathon.

Ever since I started running, a marathon was a thought I always had in the back of my head that I might one day do. However, I would think of how exhausted I am after running a half marathon and thought there was no way I could ever run another 13.1 miles after that.

But once I got to thinking about it, I decided I really wanted to challenge myself. This is something I only want to do once and now was a better time than ever.

At the beginning of June, I signed up for the random draw lottery for the Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon in San Francisco. After signing up for the lottery, I had to wait a month to find out if I made it in. I was excited to hear if I made it in, but another part of me knew if I didn't make it in, that was ok too.                            

Photo from Nike Women Run Series Facebook page

After a long time waiting, I received the email saying I got in. 

Am I nervous? Duh! I know that I'm the only one holding myself accountable for training for this race. It's going to take a lot more commitment on my part. I know there will be days I don't want to run because I'll be tired or the weather won't cooperate. But I'm going to try my hardest to stick to the schedule I've made myself

Am I excited? Heck yeah! I've never pushed myself this hard physically before. I'm proud of myself for trying something new and I know I'll learn more about myself as I prepare for the race.

Why did I pick this race? I always said if I ever did a marathon, it had to be a memorable one. My husband and I have never been to San Francisco so it'll be a nice weekend away. I also like how this race is catered specifically to women and the Tiffany necklace you get at the end isn't a bad reward either!

So, enter Marathon Mondays. I think this will be a good way for me to keep track and hold myself accountable as well as I train these next few months. I'll be sharing my workout plan and other ways I'm helping myself to prepare for the race.

And of course, here's to new tennis shoes and a cute running outfit! 

Do's and Don'ts of Disney Race Weekend

Here are some of my thoughts on the do's and don'ts of a Disney Race Weekend!
Do

• Take a camera with you while running: There are lots of photo opportunities along the course so don't miss out! While there are characters along the route, race photographers aren't always there so make sure you have your camera or phone to take pictures with.
• Call to receive discounted park tickets: We received a link and coupon code to purchase park tickets. Unfortunately, it gave you the option of buying a 2 day pass or more; there was no option for a 1 day pass which it was we needed. I called Disney Sports and we got tickets for the half the price which was totally worth it.
• Pick up your tickets at a Disney Park: Since I pre-ordered tickets, we just needed to pick them up at Will Call so we did it at the Transportation Center before we headed to a park. The lines were SO LONG that day, we waited in line an hour just to pick up tickets. We wish we would have gone to the park to pick up (or if you needed to buy) tickets because once we got there, there were no lines there. 
• Get to the expo on the first day: We went in the late afternoon and walked right up to get our bibs and goodie bags. There was a small line to get into the official merchandise area but we waited about 3 minutes to get into that. I heard from others that the morning was CRAZY and long lines were everywhere. And by the second day, almost all of the official merchandise had been sold out. Seems like the afternoon on the first day is the best time to go.

Don't

• Expect a PR: I was in an early corral, so if I really pushed myself I could have had a PR. A lot of women do this race as a first timer however and some just walk the whole route as well. If you're in a later corral, there will be lots of walkers and first time runners which you'll have to dodge. I saw videos of people unable to pass in spots because of other people blocking the narrow areas you run in. This race is a lot of fun so take advantage of the stops along the route and get your pictures taken too!
• Expect race photos from the race photographer: I have never purchased race photos taken during the race because I didn't like them. But I had planned on it from this race because it was such a once in a lifetime experience. With that said, I for once made it an effort so smile and wave at the cameras. I even stopped and had my photo in front of the castle, which I was so excited to see. Well, unfortunately, 2 weeks later there are NO PHOTOS tagged of me. I am extremely disappointed in this. It's hard for me to believe there's not one photo of me. I heard that it was hard for the photographer to tag some photos of certain color bibs which is unfortunate. I still keep checking the site everyday hoping there are photos but so far no luck. At least I had some photos from the race on my camera.
• Walk around the park so much the day before: We did not plan out the day before the race very well. We just wanted to have fun and enjoy the day so before we knew it, it was almost 9pm, and we still had not had dinner! We had been up since 4:30 am too, ran a 5k and walked around 2 parks so we were quite tired. My legs were a bit sore race morning because of it, but I was there to have fun so I didn't let it damper my day. If we had thought about it, I would have liked a little bit more sleep the night before but oh well!

Disney Princess Half Marathon Recap

After a full day of park hopping and riding our favorite rides, I had a pretty sad ending to our Saturday in Disney World. After we walked out of the park and were waiting in line for the monorail, I reached into my pocket to look at my fitbit steps for the day, and it wasn't there! I went into panic mode and checked every pocket in my shorts and tore apart my purse multiple times. After numerous searches through my purse, I concluded it was gone :( I had it right before we went on Space Mountain and I'm assuming all of the jerking and fast turns in that ride made it fall out of my pocket. Although I was super bummed, B said I could use his fitbit to track my steps and mileage for the race the next day. After I got over being sad, I was secretly a lil bit happy I lost mine since it had been giving me problems syncing the past few weeks. It gave me a good excuse to get a new one now.

The night before the race, B and I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. We got back to the hotel late and I slept maybe 3 hours before our alarm went off at 3:30 am. I quickly got up, got dressed and we were out the door before 4 am. We hit a little bit of traffic around Epcot but nothing too bad. We parked the car at 4:30 and then parted ways. B headed off to the 4 mile mark at the transportation center and I made my way to the start line.

It was a good 15 minute walk to the start line from where the bag check was. As I walked through the bag check area, there were TONS of people still there around 4:40 am. We had been warned it was a 20 minute walk to the start and I couldn't figure out why so many people were still hanging out there.

I made my way to the start line and, thankfully, there were port-a-pottys to use there (I had previously heard there were none by the start line). After a quick potty break, I was in my corral by 5 am. I spent some time stretching and people watching..all of the costumes were so much fun to look at!

Finally it was 5:30 and we were ready to start! Fireworks went off for each corral which was pretty neat. I was in corral B so I didn't have much time to wait around. I'm thankful I got into an early corral based on my previous half marathon times and the first two corrals were women only which was nice. At 5:42 am, our fireworks went off and we were on our way!

Mile 1

It was beyond humid during the weekend. The day before it was 90 and it had rained so humidity was at 100%. I reminded myself to start out slow because a) I haven't run outside since October and was unsure of how my legs were going to handle the concrete and b) since it was so humid, I had to slow down significantly. I didn't want to overheat. Within the first half mile of the race, I realized it was going to be extremely sticky and hot. The start was fun though, there were lots of spectators and even a high school band playing. 

Mile 2

Already dripping in sweat, I was running an 11:30 pace..about 2 mins and 30 seconds slower than what I'm used to. I was fine with it though, I was hoping to save some energy to run faster later and I was doing the race for fun, not a PR.

Mile 3

Started to see characters at this point. I was going to stop for a photo, but quickly realized my legs were tightening up fast once I slowed down so I bypassed the characters for now.

Mile 4

Started to make our way past the Disney Speedway and ran through the transportation center parking lot. B was waiting here to see me so I was looking through the crowds to see him :)

Mile 5

Made our way into the Magic Kingdom and what a rush it was running down Main Street while daylight came up. I got a lil excited so I started to pick up my pace here. There were spectators EVERYWHERE! We ran down Main Street, through Tomorrowland and Fantasy Land and back through the Castle. When you come through the Castle, all you see is a HUGE sea of people. Once you run through the Castle, you make your way through Frontierland and back through the back lots of the park. 

Mile 6

Made the turn back towards Epcot and started to run past the Grand Floridian.

Mile 7

I was still feeling good at this point and had picked up my pace so I was confident it wasn't going to take me much longer than my previous half marathon times.

Mile 8

Still going strong, I saw B at this mile marker as we ran past the Polynesian Resort. 

Mile 9

Still trucking along, I started to get a bit tired as we ran on an off ramp. The angle of the road and incline wasn't too much fun. For awhile I was excited as I thought I might hit a PR time. But I slowly realized my GPS on my iPhone was off by almost a mile :( Sometimes I'm not a fan of my Nike running app. 

Mile 10

I started to hit a wall here due to the previous hill and more hills I could see in the distance. 

Mile 11

I slowed down here and was ready to be done once I saw the Epcot sign. We had a HUGE hill here also. My legs couldn't handle it so I power walked up it. 

Mile 12

I tried as hard as I could to pick my pace here. I saw B and gave him the thumbs up as I made my way into Epcot. We ran one lap around the park before making our way to the finish line. 

Mile 13 

I tried as hard as I could to sprint to the finish line but the heat had gotten to me. I gave it my all as I ran across that finish line! I finished in 2:40 which was the exact time I ran the Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon in July in the same weather conditions. I'll take it!

I was proud of myself as I crossed that finish line for keeping a similar pace to my previous half marathons despite the weather conditions. I received my medal, then made my way to get water. The volunteers were concerned with keeping everyone hydrated so you weren't allowed to leave the area until your water bottle was opened and you were chugging it down. Great way for the run organizers volunteers to keep us hydrated and for a faster recovery. 

Overall, the Disney Princess Half Marathon was the best race I've ever done. It was so much fun to run through the parks and the volunteers throughout the course were the most enthusiastic ones I've ever seen which makes running a bit more fun! Despite the unexpected hot weather, it was a great weekend and the bling we got wasn't too bad either! 

Tomorrow I'm going to recap my do's and don'ts of the race weekend so come back! 

Disney Royal Family 5K and Disney Princess Expo Recap

I'm breaking up my Disney weekend into 2 posts. First up, a recap of the Disney Princess Half Marathon Expo and the Disney Royal Family 5k.

B and I got to Orlando a little later than we wanted to. A snowstorm on Thursday caused the cancellation of our early Friday morning flight. We were able to rebook our flight which now would include 2 layovers and 14 hour of travel. Luckily, Mr. B has quite the mileage status and we were the lucky 2 able to get spots on a new flight via standby at our first layover.

Once we got to Orlando, we headed over to the expo. The expo was held at Coronado Springs resort, which I had never been to. Since parking at the resort was at a minimum, we were required to hop a bus at Downtown Disney to ride over to the expo. I read that a lot of people were unhappy about this and had issues, but we had no problem at all. We walked right onto a bus when we got there and had about a 5 minute ride over to the hotel.

The expo space was large and I didn't experience any issues there. I thought I would have to wait in line to pick up my number, but not so much the case. I walked right up to pick up my bib for both the half marathon and 5k, then proceeded to pick up my goodie bag, with again no wait. The booths at the expo were a bit small, so we didn't stop at too many booths. I did purchase a really cute New Balance top that has an image of high heels and a running shoe..could I have purchased a more perfect shirt? I also picked up another Run Disney Princess shirt that I had my eye on. In order to get into the official Run Disney merchandise area, you were required to wait in line since the area with the apparel was quite small. I waited maybe 5 minutes in line before getting in. I didn't have a problem waiting..it is Disney World after all where you wait in line...A LOT!

The expo had a huge wall with all the names of everyone participating in the 5k and/or half marathon.

 

After the expo, B and I had dinner at Downtown Disney and spent some time walking around down there. We had an early morning filled with traveling and we wanted to get to bed early since we had to get up the next morning at 4:30 am.

Our number bibs for the race..how stinking cute are they?

On Saturday morning, we both participated in the Mickey and Minnie Royal Family 5k at Epcot. We got up at 4:30 and were on our way to Epcot by 5 am. We had a short drive to Epcot and had no issues with traffic on the way there. Once there, we stopped by bag check, walked around and took some pictures and by 6 am were in our corral. We got into corral A and we think it's because of my half marathon qualifying time. There were about 8,000 runners on Saturday and there were I believe 8 corrals with the stroller division being the last.
                                                        Start line of the Royal Family 5k

It was a grand start to the event with Mickey and Minnie starting the run. Each corral got fireworks as they left the start line which was pretty neat. The race ran around the Epcot parking lot, through the back lots of Epcot, all through the park and ended back where we started. Once we entered the park, Disney songs were playing and it was a really neat feeling getting to run around the park in the dark while the sun started to rise. There were characters all around the park that you could also stop and have your photo with as well. We stopped once for a photo with Donald and Daisy Duck and I slowed down a few more times to take other pictures around the park.

The 5k was a fun run which meant no official time but my Nike + app said we did it in 34 mins which was fine for us. Once we reached the finish line, we received our medals, water/Powerade and also a box full of refueling snacks. I thought the box of food was a nice touch since it had a good variety of snacks in it. 

They also had an area set up where you could have your photo with Mickey and Minnie too and we took advantage of that since the lines weren't too long.

It was a really humid morning so we were drenched in sweat and couldn't wait to get back to the hotel to take a shower then explore the parks the rest of the day. If you ever go to Disney for a half marathon or marathon, I highly suggest doing the 5k or whatever shorter run they have along with it. It was a nice lil warm up for me since I had a few days off of running in anticipation of the half marathon but it was also a fun thing to do with B.

Running Necessities

I'm starting to pack for our weekend getaway to Florida. B and I are heading down to Disney World for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I first heard about this race 2 years ago and have wanted to run it ever since. I signed up for it in July and have been so excited about it ever since. I'm so looking forward to not only running around Disney World but enjoying the warm weather too :)

While I was packing, I thought it'd be fun to share what some of my running necessities are and also what my running day attire is going to consist of.

What I have to run with:

Water Bottle

I bought this running water bottle last summer before I ran the Rock N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon. Obviously it was hot in Chicago in the middle of July and I wanted to make sure I stayed hydrated throughout the race. This is a great water bottle because it has a strap on it that also holds anything extra you want. This is a great alternative instead of wearing my running belt.

Headphones, Armband, iPhone

I always take my iPhone with me on a run in case I need it and I use the Nike + app on it to track my running. That app is my favorite because it tells me every half mile which helps me to know how much longer I have to do.

Sharkies

I only eat these on my long runs. I find them in the organic section at my food store and although they say they're for kids, that doesn't stop me from eating them. It's basically like eating a sour patch kid..it's a gummy with sugar on it. I tell myself that it's healthy since it's "organic." Although it probably is just candy, I use it as fuel around my 8 mile mark. 

Kleenex

I have a chronic runny nose..like I can go through a box of kleenex in a day so I can't be without this for long.

Vaseline

I'm a huge lip gloss/lip balm/lipstick fanatic and find myself constantly reapplying something on my lips. Vaseline is my go to for my lips.

Aquaphor

I've honestly never used this before. However, a few weeks ago on my long run, I started chafing on the back of my arm. I'm attributing it to my dry skin since it's winter. I decided to pick up a small tube of this to carry with my just in case. I don't want to have itchy skin the whole race!

What I'll be wearing race day

Lululemon Run: Back on Track Tank

I love, love, love this tank top! I know it's a bit pricey at $64, however I work out so often (6 times per week), so I like to invest in nice tops and shorts that will last awhile..and it helps that they're super cute too! I love that this top is a fitted sports bra on top but the bottom is a loose, flowy material. It has a drawstring if I need to make it tighter and also has small openings on the side for some ventilation. I also love that it has a print on top. 

Nike Shorts

These Nike Tempo Running Shorts are the only shorts I wear to work out in. They're comfy and absorb sweat and they're also loose fitting which is nice on a long run.

Asics Shoes

Asics are by far my favorite shoes for running. They're comfy and a perfect fit for me. I also go up a half size in my running shoes to allow for room for my toes to move so they're not cramped in them.

Lululemon socks

I love the socks I have from Lululemon because they have compression built into them and also have some padding as well. 

For this race, I also made a fun zebra bow to wear in my hair in addition to a headband :)

What do you like to wear when you run and what are your must have necessities for a long run? 

Chicago Rock n Roll Half Marathon

The start line in Grant Park in downtown Chicago.

Last weekend, B Rich and I traveled to Chicago so that I could participate in the Chicago Rock n Roll half marathon. Ever since I got the half marathon itch, I'd been researching fun half marathons throughout the country to run and the Rock n Roll series was on my list. I debated about doing this one since it was in July and we all know how hot and humid the summer months can be in the Midwest. But I decided to bite the bullet and do it since it had an early start time of 6:30 a.m. 

I was unsure of how hot and humid it would be that morning so I decided to run in the lightest colors I could find and opted for no tank top since I was afraid I'd overheat. While it was humid that morning, it wasn't anything unbearable and didn't seem too bad.

Before the race..ready to head into my corral.

I was originally scheduled to start in the 22nd corral but moved up to the 14th corral. I wanted to make sure I had enough time to finish, and I was also worried if I started later that the heat and humidity would be too much for me to handle.

The route took us all around downtown Chicago. I ran most of the first 5 miles, and was surprised when my first few miles were between 7-9 minute miles. I wasn't pushing myself and I kept telling myself to pace myself because of the heat. Around mile 5.5, my face started to feel extremely warm. I did carry a water bottle with me but I started to worry how much hotter I would get. Luckily, starting at mile 5 throughout the rest of the race, the medical tents had pools of ice and sponges that they were passing out. Anytime I saw the ice, I'd take some and put it on my wrists and neck and throw the rest down my bra or shorts. That really helped to cool me down and would give me an extra pep in my step to keep me going. 

I told B that I would text him around mile 10 so he'd have enough time to walk down to the finish line to meet me. I was going at a good pace and figured it wold take me another 30 minutes to finish. I was super excited because although I didn't have a goal time in mind, I was going to finish around 2:15 which is great to me since it was so hot outside.

Well, I started to realize as I was running south that I seemed farther than 3 miles away from the finish line. Pretty soon my app told me I had completed 13.1 miles in 2:19 and I wasn't at the finish line! I was a little frustrated and started to wonder if this was a full marathon. I kept pushing on and the race ended around 14.5 miles. I'm not sure if my GPS on my phone was off, but I Google mapped the course and it said it was 14.5 as well. 

My final time (for the 14.5 miles) was 2:35. I was proud of myself for finishing since I started to walk a lot after that 13.1 mile mark. 

As always, I was super sore afterwards and it was quite the struggle trying to stand the past 2 days. I did get some severely bruised toe nails, one of which I had to go to urgent care for this morning. It was super swollen and had a major blood blister underneath it. I was worried it would burst on its own and didn't want it to get infected so off to the doctor I went. He said he'd never seen anything like that before! I decided to let him cauterize the nail and pop the blister. It wasn't painful but it took the pressure and pain off the toe so it doesn't hurt to walk anymore thank goodness.

Overall, the race was fun. Around mile 6 I actually started to have fun..although I think that's because that's the point I couldn't feel my legs anymore. The streets were lined with tons of people with lots of inspiring signs which really help to motivate you. There are also bands at each mile marker too which made it fun as well.

Taking a few days off from running but then I'm up and training again for the Omaha half marathon at the end of September. I also just signed up for the Disney Princess half marathon in Walt Disney World in February! I'm really excited to do that one. 

 Rock n Roll stats

5k 33: 47

10k 1:11:19

10 miles 1:57:31

Pace 11:54

Chip time: 2:35:53

Overall place: 10,368 out of 14,881

Division: 1486 out of 2207

Gender: 5626 our of 8998

Nike app time

13.1 miles 2:19:07

10k 59:02

Chicago Rock n Roll Half Marathon

Well this week officially kicked off my half marathon training. On July 22, I'm running the Chicago Rock n' Roll Half Marathon.  I'm super excited to run this for a few reasons:

• I love Chicago and am looking forward to spending the weekend there with B.
• Every mile marker has bands playing at it. That'll be some good motivation to keep me going.
• I have a few friends who are running it and am anxious to see them and run along with them!

This will be my second half marathon and I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about how hot it will be in July. We've already been having unseasonably warm weather so who knows what it will be like mid-July. That was the main reason why I didn't want to run it since I absolutely hate humidity. However, the race does start at 6:30 a.m. so I figured it *hopefully* won't be too bad. 

I've already told myself I don't care how long it takes me to run this one. If it's hot and humid, I'll take my time and take walking breaks as I need them. Plus this is a much bigger race than the Omaha Half Marathon, so I don't know how I'll do dodging around all these people.

Since the race is about 12 weeks away, I started my half marathon training this week and here's what my week looks like:

• Sunday: Cross training and full body weights
• Monday: 2 mile run + arms
• Tuesday: 3.5 mile run
• Wednesday: 2 mile run + legs
• Thursday: cross training + full body
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 5 or 6 mile run

I've been trying to do my runs outside as much as I can and my time is improving each time which I'm really proud of. One thing that is really helping me get into training is my FitBit. I had seen this on Pinterest and was really interested in it. It's basically a fancy pedometer. It counts how many steps you walk everyday, stairs climbed, calorie burned, miles walked and you can wear it in a wristband at night while you sleep. When you're asleep, it tracks how long you were in bed, how long it took you to fall asleep, how long you were asleep and how many times you woke up.

My mom and dad bought me one and mailed it to me and I was so anxious to start using it. You really have no idea how many (or not so many) steps you take in a day. I was surprised at how many I take while in the house and how little I take when I'm at work. You're supposed to aim to have 10,000 steps a day and so far I've made sure to hit that each day because otherwise I feel guilty! I didn't think this little thing would have that effect on me but it does! I'll do a post at the end of the week with my stats from this week....!

Half Marathon finish time update...Workout Wednesday

Well they finally posted the results and...

my official time was...

2:29:56...yay for being under my 2:30 goal!

I ran my first 10k in 1:05. Those darn hills on the second half slowed me down!

Sunday night and Monday my legs hurt sooooo bad. I felt like an 80 year old woman when I tried to walk. By Tuesday, my hips were the only sore spot. Last night I did realize/notice that my toe nails are bruised though :(

Today my legs felt fine so I did a half hour on the elliptical. I felt fine during my workout, but once I got off, I noticed my legs are still a bit sore. Nothing a little stretching won't fix.

I'm taking the rest of the week off from running. I'm still not sure how to deal with these bruised toe nails once I hit the pavement again next week. B and I are doing a 5k together on Sunday...I think it'll be a combination of a walk/run though since B hasn't gone running in awhile.

Omaha Half Marathon...

Well I did it...I ran my first half marathon. WOW-What an experience it was and I'm so proud of myself that I did it.

I signed up to do the half as a way to challenge myself. I often get stuck in the same old workout routine that gets boring. I'll be honest...I really tried to stay true to my half marathon training schedule. But, it did get hard since I spend most of the summer traveling. That means when I get home, it takes me a week to get back into my daily habits.

During my training, the farthest I ran was 7.5 miles...wasn't quite sure how I was going to run 13 today. I originally had a goal time in mind, but that changed once I slacked on the training. My only goal for today was to finish, and be happy and proud of myself for doing something I never would have imagined doing. I really wanted to finish under 2:30 too. While I normally run a 10 minute mile on the treadmill, I'm significantly slower outside, and with the hot/humid Nebraska weather we have, it makes it hard to run outside too...so needless to say I wasn't sure how this whole half marathon was going to turn out today...

When I was walking to the start line this morning, I really thought about turning back and not doing it. The thought of running 13 miles in 43 degree weather was not very appealing at 6 a.m. when I got there this morning....

But, I faced my fears and we were off. I really am a walk/run type of girl so I told myself to walk whenever I felt like I needed it. Surprisingly, I ran most of the first 6.5 miles. I told myself to go slow and save my energy and I did end up taking a walking break after each mile for a few seconds. I really didn't feel I was going all that fast but my running app said I was pacing around 10:20...ok, I'll take it!

Halfway mark hit and it was a bit down hill from there.

Mile 7-couldn't feel my butt
Mile 7.5-stomach was growling. Being up since 4:30 made me a hungry girl
Mile 8-cobblestone streets and hills did not make me a happy girl
Mile 8.5-legs started cramping so I listened to my body and walked till I felt I could run
Mile 9-largest hill ever came up and my poor legs killed walking up it
Mile 10-legs felt like they were going to fall off and were cramping so bad. I kept telling myself (outloud nonetheless) that it'd all be over in a half hour or less
Mile 11-ran/walked
Mile 12-ran/walked till the last 2 blocks, then I sprinted as fast as I could to that finish line. I wanted that medal!

I looked up at the time and it said 2:31... however I started my timer on my phone when I crossed the start line this morning and that time was 2:30:05....I'd like to think of that as more of my official time and I'll take it!

It was a great feeling running down that runner's finishing shoot. At this race, Marines presented you with the medal after crossing the finish line and I've really never been more proud of myself. All the awards I've won over the years through pageants, dance and ice skating really don't compare to this one.

I was so relieved to see B with miss Giavanna right at the finish line. It's nice to see your favorite person (and dog) after a long run. My legs were hurting horribly afterwards..the walk back to my car and ride home were painful. Most of the pain has gone away, but my hips and knees hurt like I'm a 90 year old woman. I'm sure it'll be a sore/rough few days...

I think I'll be completing at least one half marathon each year now...it's quite the rush. But over the next two and half weeks I have two 5k's (which I'll be doing both with M) and one 8k. 

I know I'll never be the fastest or come in first place in these races..maybe one day I can run a 5k and come in first in my age group...who knows. All I know is it's nice to get out of the same old workout rut and really challenge myself...

Workout Wednesday-Half Marathon Training

Well, I bit the bullet and finally signed up for a half marathon. It's the Omaha half marathon at the end of September. I have about 7 weeks until the big day. EEK!

So far it's been nice having a training schedule to follow..and having a goal of reaching towards as well. Some days I have great runs; other days I want to quit after 2 miles. I know it's only going to get harder from here but I'm ready for the challenge!

So far I've been following Hal Higdon's novice half marathon training. Granted I've only been following it for two weeks now but so far so good. I normally only run 3 miles when I'm working out so this has been a great way to transition to longer runs. However, the Hal Higdon schedule only works in one day of strength training when I am used to doing it 4 days a week. I decided to add in my arm and leg days on my schedule; I didn't want to completely give it all up.

So far this week goes...

Monday-2 miles & legs
Tuesday-4 miles
Wednesday-2 miles & arms
Thursday-4 miles & legs
Friday-rest
Saturday-40 mins cross training & arms
Sunday-6 miles

I've never run more than 5 miles in my life so it'll be interesting to see how my long run turns out to be this week!

While I'm excited for the big day to be here, I'm a bit apprehensive too. I'm not a fan of running outside-I'd much rather be on a treadmill watching one of my favorite shows to help pass the time. So when the big day comes, I'm not sure how I'll do with all the hills, wind etc. I know I've got to get outside to run some more, but with all this heat lately it's been impossible!

I'll update y'all next Wednesday on how the training is going so far...

but a question for all my running pals....any tips on nutrition and what to eat/avoid while training?

Official Race Times...

Alright here they are!!!

*NOTE..I'm not the fastest runner yet-I just started running two months ago!

Race to the Holland 5k
47th place 33:08

Zoo Run 8k
227th 51:49.47 (out of 860!)
#60 out of 112 in the 20-29 women category

I know some people might think these times are a bit redic, but it was my second 5k and my first time ever running an 8k (or 5 miles in general!)..needless to say I'm quite proud.

The running has continued..I'm starting to train for a half marathon now..I don't know which one but it's on!

Just keep swimming...

So this past weekend, I decided to run 2 races..yes not 1, but 2 in the same weekend! Since I started running about a month ago, I've really jumped onto this bandwagon. I mainly did the races to push myself out of my comfort zone.

I did the 5k Race to the Holland on Saturday morning with B..it benefited the youth orchestra here. On Sunday, I did the 8k race at the zoo by myself and boy what a doozy that was!

By signing up for my second 5k, it really forced me to continue to run when I go to the gym. Otherwise, I would definitely not be running everyday since it hurts sometimes and I get sore still. The 8k I did to really push myself out of the box. I can get stuck in a workout rut just like everyone else where I do the same ole' routine; running those 5 miles really forced me to try something new.

I ran the 5k in 34 minutes...not the best time in the world since I know I can do it in about 25 minutes. But, I'm still not used to running outside, especially when it's a frigid morning.

For the 8k, I really didn't know what to expect. Once I found out it was a very hilly course, I thought I was doomed. To be honest, my only expectation was to finish and I was hoping to finish around 1 hour and 5 minutes (my asthma still can get the best of me and I have to walk for a lil bit to catch my breath.) To my surprise, I finished in 51 minutes. I couldn't believe it and couldn't be more proud of exceeding my expectations considering I've never run 5 miles before.

So, it's official, I will do a half marathon now. I started to doubt myself and running when I was on mile 4 on Sunday. I was in pain from all the running and was so tired that I didn't think I could ever run a half marathon. But seeing a fabulous finish time got me even more motivated to train for one.

I'm still deciding on which one to do...I am really leaning towards the Disney Princess half marathon in March..

and off we go!!

Walk this way?

So as I posted about two weeks ago, the bf and I did our first 5k together. I took it a bit more seriously running each day unlike the bf, who thought he would be a pro runner with no practice (gotta love him..)

I am surprised with the fact that I have actually kept up with my running each day at the gym. It doesn't matter how sore or tired I am, I force myself to get onto the treadmill...or outside since the weather has been gorgeous! As much as I dislike it the first mile or so I'm running, in the end I feel absolutely great.

Running my first 5k got me motivated to do my second one...so the bf and I signed up to do the Run to the Holland benefiting the youth orchestra this weekend. It's the first year for it and you had your choice of a 1 mile, 3 mile or 10 mile...needless to say we stuck with the 3 mile.

BUT! Recently I started running a 4 mile loop around my neighborhood. Most people might not think that 4 miles is that much, but for the non-runner that I still am, it was quite the accomplishment. A few days ago while browsing online, I came across an 8k at the zoo on Sunday and with a little bit of coaxing from one of my besties who is quite the avid runner, I signed up to do it...

that means two races this weekend! EEEK!!

I like that I'm running races because it really allows me to push myself which I might not normally do. Now I will admit, I am kicking myself for signing up to do both as I know that Monday I will be extremely sore...but I like that I'm taking myself out of my comfort zone and trying something new.

I'm not trying to get done in record time. I have goals for each race that I hope to accomplish..

So stay tuned over the weekend to see how it all turns out!

Race for the Cure...

So..I've always hated running.....seriously disliked it with a passion. Any time I would try to run, within a half mile I'd give up because of the pain I'd get in my ankles and knees (years of dancing and ice skating have taken a toll on my body.)

Until recently, when I decided I wanted to run in the Race for the Cure. About a month ago, I forced myself into running. I started out just doing a mile here or there at the gym, eventually working my way up to three miles on a loop around my neighborhood.

It has definitely not been easy trying to get into running. Many times I wanted to stop or give up because the pain would get worse the farther I'd go and the more sore I'd be the next day..and I really hated that.

Through some pain, I've conquered my hate relationship with running and I actually like it now. This morning, my bf and I ran the 5k here and we ran the majority of the way. Our official end time was 37:50..however we had a slow start due to walker's being in our way. It took us a good 2-3 minutes to make it to the start line to run. I'd say for our first 5k that's pretty good.

Our goal was to run as much as we could and we ran almost 2 miles without stopping...he stopped for his shin splints, me for my asthma. I thought we'd continue to walk the rest of the way, but the competitive side of me got into the race and I wanted to beat every one else around me..

I was proud of our finish time and that we crossed the finish line together. We beat our goal and ran farther than we both thought we could...and now my competitive spirit has got the best of me and I'm searching for my next run! I'm hoping to do a half marathon or a 10k sometime, somewhere soon so stay tuned!!

Training

Running a marathon has always been on my bucket list. It just seems like one of those monumental things to do in life.

But I have to face the reality that I'm not a big fan of running..not to mention I'm almost positive there's no way I can run for 26 miles.

This past weekend I was reading in Fitness magazine about the Disney Princess Half marathon. Being a pageant girl, anything involving a crown or the word princess really fascinates me. After researching it a bit more, this seemed like something I'd want to cross of my bucket list. If I can't handle 26 miles, a half marathon doesn't seem so bad. Not to mention, if contestants on the Biggest Loser can run a marathon, then a fitness fanatic like myself could surely handle a half marathon.

So...it's official. One of my best friends and pageants besties, Tristan, and I have decided to do it together and be each other's long distance training buddies for the next year (she lives in Arizona). I figure if I'm going to run a half marathon, it may as well be a memorable one so why not do it at the happiest place on earth!

I've got a whole year to train and I couldn't be more excited. I'll be blogging here and there about it throughout the year. I know it'll be tough but it's a once in a lifetime thing to do...and I'm glad I'll have my bestie with me!