"...racing and pacing and plotting the course..."

Running Slacker

2012-01-29T20:59:00.000-06:00

Yes, that would be me for the month of January! I've been a "running slacker." I apologize for not being a very timely blog poster (all 8 followers of mine), but I honestly haven't been running much, and my "real job" workload has gotten a little heavier, so my blogging has suffered. I know I know, you've missed me. It's very understandable, I get it!

So what's the big topic for tonight? I think what I'd like to discuss is how I'm going to run the Mercedes 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks...2 WEEKS! I ran 10 miles 3 weeks ago, and I ran 2 yesterday...that would be the extent of my running this month. Therefore, I think my resolution/goal to shave 5 minutes off of my 2011 Mercedes time is not going to happen. Now, I've been going to spin class (RPM how I love to hate you), Body Pump, and CXWORX at Gold's this month (I've missed a few classes here and there, but I've been a pretty regular for the most part), so I know I'm still in semi-good shape, but I haven't been conditioning myself to run fast enough to shave off 5 minutes. SO, I've decided that my goal is to finish. I'm not going to worry about the time...I'm just going to enjoy myself and push myself to finish.

This is a hard thing for me to wrap my brain around, I'm not going to lie. Most runners will tell you the same thing. We start out saying, "I'm not going to worry about my time, I'm just going to show up, run, and enjoy myself." Then the shotgun goes off, our adrenaline starts pumping, and the whole "not going to worry about the time" goes completely out the window. We're constantly trying to improve, and we've pushed our bodies to it's breaking point before...so we know a little pain to beat your last time is nothing compared to the satisfaction of reaching a goal. Well, this time I'm going to do it...I'm going to show up, run with my friends, I might even walk some...and I'm not going to worry about how long it takes me...(hopefully).

On a side note: This will be my friend, Lindsay's, first race back since she had her 2nd child. I'm so excited that she's back and ready to run with me and Lauren! I know she's super excited to get back into the groove of running 1/2 marathons, and I'm so excited I get to run beside her.

The race is February 12th...come out and support the runners...it'll mean a lot! If you can't come out to support, lots of prayers would be MUCH appreciated!! Thanks for letting me babble on for a second...I hope my next post will be a little more timely :)!

Bring on the New Year

2011-12-30T10:47:00.000-06:00

HELLO EVERYONE! It has been far too long since my last post. Things have been a little crazy for me, and sadly my blogging AND my running have suffered because of this. However, the New Year starts in approximately 2 days, and with that comes resolutions to ~~break~~ strive to accomplish. I wanted to share a few of my "running resolutions" for 2012 with you as well as some of my personal resolutions, and I would LOVE it if you would share your resolutions with me. Here we go:

RUNNING RESOLUTIONS:

1. Continue to work on my speed and endurance. I would love to be able to run a 10-k in 45 minutes or less.

2. Get a PR at the Mercedes 1/2 Marathon this year (Last year I finished in 2:13...I'd like to take atleast 5 minutes off of my time. (Speaking of, I MUST sign up for the race by tomorrow or registration increases...I'm such a procrastinator.)

3. Complete another marathon this year (probably the Portland Marathon as long as my brother in law is still planning on running with me, but I have not discussed marathon plans for the year with my running buddies, so this is always subject to change).

4. Begin seriously planning for an ultra marathon. I'd love to completed atleast a 50-k one day, but I really haven't looked that much into it, so this year I'm going to get a plan together for 2013.

PERSONAL RESOLUTIONS:

1. Increase the time I spend with God on a daily basis. I am horrible about letting the day-to-day tasks get in the way of reading/studying the Bible and spending one-on-one time with the Lord. This year I'm going to make a priority change and put God first. I say I do, but obviously my actions do not show that I do.

2. Add 2 morning workouts to my schedule. I know I know, I've been talking about this for months, and I still haven't done this. However, given that my hours at work are about to increase over the next 4 months, if I want to keep in shape AND spend time with my husband in the evening, I'm going to have to add morning workouts to my daily regiment.

3. Cook dinner at least 2 times per week. I've managed to cook atleast once per week (Josh and I have started "Cook with your husband Tuesdays" and it's become one of my favorite nights). For most of you 2 times per week doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me...it's a lot for me.

4. Get organized...in all aspects of my life.

As you can see, I've got plenty of resolutions/goals to accomplish in 2012, but I think they are totally doable. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband and some fabulous friends that will definitely hold me accountable. 2011 has been awesome, and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for the Holland family in 2012.

First Workout

2011-11-08T18:57:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was my first workout after the marathon. I ran 1 mile on the track at the gym (9 times around is a mile...not as miserable as the treadmill, but not an ideal place to run in my opinion), and then I met some of my favorite people for a little Body Pump. Ruth worked us out for sure! Today, I am incredibly sore, but not so much in my legs...only in my shoulders and arms. BUT I feel rested and ready to run more (one week and I'm already having mild withdrawals).

I have decided that I need to start adding morning workout sessions to my daily activities, it's just really hard for me (whine). One, because sleeping is my favorite thing to do period. If I get the chance to sleep 9 or 10 hours vs 7 or 8, I'm in Heaven. Two, if I want to take a 5:30 am class, that requires me to get out of bed around 4am (ish) so that I'm out the door by 4:50 (ish)...I love living in McCalla, but it does have it's drawbacks sometimes. 4am is just really early...Getting up early is really the only con to morning workouts for me. Once I get there and I start working out, I feel great the rest of the day...I never regret it. So why am I telling you all of this? Well, for accountability, of course. If I say I'm going to do it, I have to do it, right?! So starting next week (have I mentioned that I am a procrastinator?) I will start my morning workout regiment by adding either a Wednesday morning (Body Pump) or a Thursday morning (RPM/Spin) class to my schedule...I hope to work up to 2 or 3 morning classes a week...we shall see.

Any tips from the audience on how to make myself get up and go? It's easy when I have a morning run on a Saturday...but for some reason morning workouts during the weekdays don't motivate me as much.

Marine Corps Marathon Weekend Recap

2011-11-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

HELLO, ALL! I can already sense that this blog post is going to be extremely long-winded, but bear with me, kids! I think you'll find my DC escapades a little entertaining...at least I hope you do! Here we go:

Friday: And we're off! We fly out of BHM around 9am CST and get to the ATL around 11am EST. Our flight out of ATL was scheduled to leave a little after noon, and it was ON TIME! We got to our gate, they boarded us on the plane and then we wait...and wait, and wait...and wait...finally the pilot comes over the intercom to inform us that there's a maintenance issue with a light on the plane, and the peeps coming to fix it (yeah I might be paraphrasing a little) were on their way. So guess what we do...oh yeah, we wait...initially they said it'd take 40 minutes to fix, 40 minutes turned into 1 hour and 20, and it kept extending...long story short, we ended up deplaning about 3 times in a span of 3 or 4 hours. We were scheduled to be in DC by 2pm and we ended up getting to our hotel room in DC around 6:30pm...but hey, on the bright side, I got a lot of good reading in (Erasing Hell by Francis Chan is a must read and so is Ruth:Loss, Love and Legacy by Kelly Minter) AND they gave us a $50 travel credit each...oh, AND we got to DC safely! We had initially planned on going to packet pick-up and sightseeing some on Friday, but plans are meant to be broken, right? Instead, we ended up eating at a hole in the wall, Salvadorean restaurant for dinner...pretty flippin' delicious...then we went back to the hotel and went to bed...travelling and sitting around all day can really take it out of ya, huh?!

Oh and PS - I packed WAY too much stuff...my carryon was too big and so was my bag. I am going to have to learn how to pack lighter b/c walking from the Metro to the hotel (1/2 a mile) was just about miserable...bright side: my arms got a good workout...

Saturday: We mastered the art of the Metro (have I ever mentioned that I LOVE cities with a subway system? Well, I do...I would move to a huge city in a heartbeat if Joshua would just agree to it), and made it to the DC Armory for packet pickup. I got my bib (#8599), my race t-shirt (oh it has a mock turtle neck...I bet I could pull it off as business casual at work), and a new headband to cover my ears b/c I left mine at home. Then we got back on the metro and headed out to do a little sight seeing. We met the Johnsey's and the Thrower's at Otello's in Georgetown for a little pasta dinner the night before the marathon. My food was DELICIOUS!! For dessert I made the mistake of getting an espresso. Now, caffeine never really does anything for me...but drinking an espresso the night before a marathon was a mistake...I was WIDE awake at 11:30pm and my alarm was set for 4:30am. I checked my alarm 80,000 times, I called to get a wakeup call (just in case), I tossed, I turned, I read...and then FINALLY I fell asleep.

Sunday: 2 seconds later, my alarm went off...well, really it was about 4 hours later, but it sure did feel like 2 seconds. Anyway, I forgot how tired I was due to pure excitement b/c it was MARATHON DAY!! I got up, put on my gear and headed out to Lauren's hotel (about 1 mile away)...now, I walked to her hotel from mine b/c I thought it was a good idea. I literally did not start seeing people on the street for 6 or 7 blocks. It was very creepy...and honestly a very foolish idea, but I made it to her hotel in one piece and then we made our way to the Metro to meet her mom. Did I mention that it was COLD? Waiting for the start of the marathon was pretty miserable...it was about 30 something degrees, and my hands were turning bright blue. We were finally able to make our way to the start line and we found our 4:30 pace group. Yes, we were shooting for 4:30, but anything between 4:30 and 4:45 would have been an awesome time and a PR for both of us! There were tons of people, flags, costumes and MARINES everywhere!

Lauren and I started off at a good pace. I believe we were running between a 10 and 10:30 pace, but we kept picking up the speed a little. It felt good so I just kept trucking along. Around mile 9 or 10 we ended up passing our 4:30 pace group leader...I think that was a mistake. At one point, I remember looking down at my watch and we were running at a 9 minute pace. Some of you may be reading this and thinking "gosh they are slow," but for 26 miles, 9 minutes is super fast for me. I started running out of steam around mile 13. Not only that, but my insides were extremely angry with me for eating so much pasta the night before, and they were letting me know with every single step...typically when I run more than 5 miles at a time, I have to take some sort of stomach medicine to stop my intestines from screaming...today the medicine was not working, and I was MIZ-RA-BULL (my phonetic spelling for miserable). My body was wearing out in more ways than one...by mile 17.5 ish, we saw our husbands and Lauren's dad and grandmother (she calls her "Ming," I just think that's so fun)...and I recall saying, "I don't want to do this anymore" in my winey-est voice (I have many different winey voices for those that don't know me well). By mile 17, Lauren was on a roll and she kept stopping for me b/c she wanted to finish together. I kept telling her to go on, but she insisted...finally, she realized I was hopeless and kept going. I walked a lot between mile 18 and 26.2. I was in so much pain that really the only monument I remember seeing was the Lincoln Memorial during the entire race. I know I passed by a ton of them because we ran right through Capitol Hill...I just wanted to finish. Finally, I was at mile 25 and nearing the end. Lauren had told me that there was a huge hill at the end of the course...at mile 26.1 I saw this hill and I saw people walking up the hill...I was not about to walk up a hill that was 1/10th of a mile from the finish line. I ran (ok maybe more like bounced) up the hill and ran to the finish line...it was OVER! I was an MCM finisher!! My times were as follows:

	5K 0:32:04
	10K 1:03:11
	15K 1:34:38
	20K 2:06:43
	Half 2:14:34
	25K 2:40:21
	30K 3:16:22
	35K 3:54:35
	40K 4:34:03
	Mar 4:50:41 As you can see, I did not make my goal to be under 4:45...but I finished and that's all that matters!! Lauren finished in 4:42 (SO SO SO PROUD) and her Mom finished her very first marathon in 5:29 (again SO SO PROUD)! Once I got back to my cell phone after the race, I was prepared to text everyone my time, but apparently most of them had gone to the MCM website and had followed me during the entire race. It was a little strange because I wasn't quite sure of my official time by that point...pretty cool!! The rest of the day was full of eating, walking some and resting. My stomach was still incredibly angry with me, so I quarantined myself to the hotel for the rest of the evening (I know Josh was incredibly bored). Monday: Lots of sightseeing, walking, eating, drinking, walking, shopping, and walking. We met up with Lauren and Josh for a little shopping and dinner in Old Georgetown. Lauren and I made it to DC Cupcakes, too (I had a pumpkin spiced cupcake and it was delicious). Oh and I made a $100 bet with Mr. Johnsey that I intend on winning (it will happen)...details will follow at a later date... Tuesday: Time to fly again...my bag was still incredibly heavy! We made it to ATL for a 4 hour layover. Finally got on our plane around 4:50 EST and then once everyone was boarded, the pilot came over the intercom and announced there was a maintenance issue...I thought Josh Holland was going to lose it...but thankfully it was truly a 20 minute issue. We were back home with the puppies by 6:30 CST. And now it's Friday, and I'm looking forward to a short run tomorrow! If you're wondering, marathons will definitely be something I will continue to do. For now, I will stick to 13.1 miles to give my body a little rest (and to give me some time to convince Lauren to run another marathon with me...hopefully the 3rd musketeer in our running group (Lindsay) will be able to join us next time)! Ok, here are some pictures...sorry for the extremely long post! I hope I didn't lose you halfway through. Lauren is going to write her recap of the race for you, as well...be watching for it! Happy Friday and ROLL TIDE ROLL BEAT LSU!! Me and Lauren the night before the race. Mile 17.5ish I think this is Mile 17.5ish still. After the race! Posing in front of the Capitol. Josh's neatly put together side of the room. My side of the room...way too much stuff. Joshua in front of the White House...we were on our way to dine with Obama...kidding! The view from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Memorial where the reflection pool should be...it was under construction :(!!

What am I going to pack?

2011-10-24T15:05:00.000-05:00

We leave for DC on FRIDAY!!! I'm a little worried I'm going to get sick before Sunday, so I've been drinking a ton of Emergen-C! I've started my packing list, and I'm going to take every bit of my running attire w/ me on the plane...Thanks to Cynthia for my large and in-charge carryon bag...For those of you that care, here are the items that will be inside of this large and in-charge carryon bag:

My new lululemon top! Isn't it pretty?

My awesome lululemon tights (have I mentioned that they are so comfy?)

A long sleeved running top that I can throw away if needed. I think the temp is supposed to be in the 40s at the beginning of the race, and will be almost 70 by the end...must be prepared!

My new brooks running shoes (yes, those are my actual shoes)

A pair of my smart wool socks! I have a pair that are trimmed in the same color as my shoestrings (see above), so that's the pair I will be wearing!

My stick of body glide...can't go more than 5 miles w/o it! It literally saves my feet from horrible blisters!

My new sweaty band...it's an American Flag. All 3 of us (Lauren, her mom and I) have one, and we're going to look so cute!

My clear hair ties are a must!

My eyeliner...ladies, you need a little eyeliner on your eyes if you want to look semi-alive in your pictures during the 'thon...

My Garmin 405...I have to compare my mileage with the official mileage per the marathon route!

A few Chocolate GU packets!

A few packets of sports beans (they are my favorite)!

My meds for my crazy allergies and my asthma...cannot run w/o them!

My orange ipod shuffle full of music suggestions from my friends...love it!

For breakfast before the race, I'll eat probably 2 or 3 Luna bars...they are delicious and have the right amount of carbs and sugars before a race!!

That's what my carryon will include. I'll probably throw in a few more running tops and tights just in case...you can never be too prepared! Anyway, prayers are appreciated for us on Sunday! We may need a little push at mile 17! There will be a full report of our weekend in DC when I return!!

Playlist for the 'thon

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I don't plan on listening to music the entire time during the Marine Corps Marathon (aka the 'thon), but I will have the ipod shuffle handy with some music to push me through any pain, boredum, or hills that I might encounter during the race...I actually plan on yelling at Lauren the entire time ("HEY! WAIT! DON'T LEAVE ME, LAR" will be what I say the majority of the time, but at mile 17ish I'll be yelling "ARE YOU GOING TO LET THAT CHICK IN THE RUNNING SKAPRIS BEAT YOU? BETTER PICK UP THE SPEED." I loathe running skapris more than I loathe running skirts...it's just a fact), but she'll probably tire of my voice at some point, so I need a Plan B. Some songs that will appear on the play list are as follows:

1. Yeah by Usher (makes me want to dance instead of run...there might be a moment where I stop and dance @ mile 18 in honor of my friend, Lindsay Humphries, though.)

2. Winner by Justin Timberlake and Jamie Foxxxxxxx (b/c I am a winner no matter what)

3. Supermassive Black Hole by Muse (the intro to the song just gives me a little motivation push)

4. Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake (that song was written about me...it's why I love it)
5. One and Only by Adele (it's on her album, 21, and it's just and awesome bluesy sounding song that I adore)
6. Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 (I might have moves like Jagger, just sayin')
7. John Mayer's rendition of Come When I Call (very bluesy, and I love to run to the blues)
8. The Distance by Cake (I mean the lyrics were the inspiration behind my blog's title...of course it's on my running playlist)
9. Geek in the Pink by Jason Mraz (I love him, 'nuff said)
10. Oh by Eric Hutchinson (it is currently playing on Pandora, and it makes me happy, so I'm adding it)

11. Have Love Will Travel by the Black Keys (The Black Keys are awesome, a few songs from them will be a must)

12. Uncharted by Sara Bareilles (she is one of my absolute favorite artists, and this is one of my absolute favorite songs by her...I'm currently singing it in my head and swaying back and forth in my cubicle...)
13. You are for Me by Kari Jobe (very unconventional, but it's one of my favorite worship songs, and we all know that I do enjoy worshipping God while running...there will be many more songs by Kari on the playlist)
14. Soul Shine by the Allman Brothers (b/c it's better than sunshine, moonshine, and rain...)
15. Some old school Britney Spears (pre-nervous breakdown/drug addiction era)
16. About a million Beyonce/Destiny's Child songs b/c I'm pretty sure I have every album they have made (Who Run tha World??!)
17. Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai (who doesn't love that song?)
18. I'll probably throw a little Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald in there, too...2 of my all time favorite artists

**If you notice, most of my music is pretty laid back, but I'm open to other ideas...what are your favorite songs to run/workout to and WHY? I may need to add it to the list...I'll need atleast 4 1/2 hours worth of music to listen to :) :)

Soap-box...

2011-10-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to step on my soap-box for a second:

Yesterday, I went running with 2 of my girlfriends from work at the Lakeshore Trail. We started at the Brookwood Mall side and stopped for water at the 2.5 mile mark. We turned around to go back, and we kept hearing someone pounding the pavement rather close behind us...I mean, I felt like the guy was going to crack the asphalt he was running so hard...That's besides the point. Anyway, this extremely tall/big guy was behind us (very close behind us) so we were trying to move out of his way. After we looked behind us a couple of times, he told us not to mind him, he was just pacing behind us (did I mention he was very close...I felt like if I had stopped abruptly he would have hit me really hard). I'm fine with people pacing with us, doesn't bother me in the least, but when you are a male that is pacing incredibly close behind 3 women, PLEASE do not wait until we look behind us 3 or 4 times before you say anything!!! AND could you please please respect my personal space...There are some creepy people in this world, so we cannot just assume that you are a good guy...Use some common sense, please. Next time, I may not be very nice!

Stepping off of the soap-box...

Top 10 Reasons

2011-10-12T09:58:00.002-05:00

Top 10 Reasons Why I am Awesome...no, I'm kidding. Here are the TOP 10 REASONS WHY I LOVE RUNNING (in no particular order because that would require more thought):

UNO - Running, for me, is a time of fellowship with my best friends. I grew very close with my group of running buddies when we trained for our first marathon, and those relationships continue to grow stronger (even though some of them have taken a short hiatus from the running world). Spend 4 hours running with someone, and you'll get to know each other pretty quickly.

DOS - I run mainly because I like to eat...it's an easy way to maintain your weight while eating whatever you want. Sometimes I have to watch what I eat, but with the amount of miles I run during a long run, I don't have to feel as guilty when I eat a big slice of carrot cake.

TRES - The sense of feeling like you are part of a larger community makes me happy. The Birmingham running community is pretty amazing. Everyone is out running early on Saturday mornings saying "hello" and "good morning" whenever you pass by. There are water stops around the Mountain Brook and Homewood areas where we can chat around the water cooler and ask a random stranger how many miles they are running today. Even though you don't know one another, you have running in common, and you just feel like you're part of a big family. I love that.

CUATRO - When my friends and coworkers catch the "running bug" I get excited. It gives me a little motivation push when I hear their training stories. They get excited when they climb the mileage ladder, and it makes me excited for them!

CINCO - I love that running gives me an excuse to travel. We're going to DC at the end of October, and I've never been. I hope that one day I can say that I ran a marathon (or a 1/2 marathon) in every single state.

SEIS - Running gave me an excuse to purchase fun running gear and clothing. I've never really had a "hobby," so once I showed interest in running, AND showed that I was in it for the long haul, my husband has never once given me a hard time about the mass quantities of Nike Tempo running shorts, my garmin GPS watch (love it), and now my new obsession with LuLulemon clothes (seriously, the comfy tights and top have changed my life). Not to mention, the running shoes have gotten a lot more fashionable over the past few years...

SIETE - I love a good challenge, and running has been that for me during the past 2.5 years. I've learned a lot about how far my body can go if I just put my mind to it, and I have learned that if you stick with something, it gets easier. I never LOVED running when I first started, and running more than 3 by myself was almost like a death sentence. Now, running by myself doesn't bother me...and I may even run by myself WITHOUT my ipod (crazy, I know). Running for me is a constant challenge that keeps me motivated, and has built a desire to go further and faster. I'm even thinking about possibly doing some kind of Ultra Marathon...we shall see how insane I am at a future date.

OCHO - This is a little lame, but I like learning the running routes in Birmingham. Learning how many miles it is from one village to the next is pretty interesting to me. You think that the distance from one point in Birmingham to another is so far away, but really it's only about 3 or 4 miles. I think it's neat...

NUEVE - Running is a stress relief for me. Some people like Yoga (which I do enjoy from time to time), some people like to read or veg out on the couch, but for me running clears my head and keeps me focused when stresses from work and other stresses that come with being an adult present themselves (the term "adult" is used very loosely here). When I'm running solo, I have time to myself and my thoughts. I have time for prayer (I love my run/prayer time the most). I have time to sing along with my music and think up dance moves in my head (I can't dance...ask anyone that knows me, but I do like to pretend I can). I'm able to put all of my energy into one thing and it helps me relax at the end (or beginning) of a stressful day.

DIEZ - I absolutely LOVE my husband, but sometimes it drives me crazy that he is usually better than me at everything. He cooks better than me, he cleans better than me, he's better with kids, etc etc....one thing he can't do is run longer than me (he most definitely can run faster, just not longer)...nor does he have the desire to even try. Therefore, I am better at running then him...sorry, babe...but it's a plus in my book haha!

Anyway, here are my top 10 reasons...there are a ton more, but these are just a few reasons why I love running. Maybe (just maybe) it'll motivate you to get started or keep going :)! Happy Wednesday!

Weekend Update!

2011-10-03T22:46:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday, runners! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! My weekend was pretty sweet...and productive (for once). I am inherently lazy, so if I'm given the opportunity to sit on the couch all day while napping and watching reruns of How I Met Your Mother...I will snatch it up like a kid snatches up candy in a candy store--what am I saying--I will snatch it up like BREE would snatch up sour patch kids in a grocery story. Anyway, at the end of my last post, I mentioned that I was thinking about writing down my eating and drinking habits as well as my sleeping and workout patterns for the week. Well, I am horrible about keeping up with that stuff. Partially because I am a horrible eater, and I do not like writing down the unhealthy things that I eat and partially because I am lazy (see sentence #4 above). I have a My Fitness Pal account that I used to update religiously, but of course it has fallen by the wayside (if you're on there my username is breeholland22, maybe you can re-motivate me). SO, guess what?! You don't have to be bored with my daily meals...I think I just heard sighs of relief AND a few cheers in the background. Today's post is just going to be about my weekend...as it pertains to running (crazy topic, right?)!

I have been battling a cold for the past week. It always happens, I go out of town for work, I'm unable to take my allergy shots, I come back sick...BLAH! The Nedi Pot was not doing me much justice, but somehow through a mixture of nedi potting, zyrtec-ing, and nose blowing, I was able to get myself back to normal within a few days (thankfully). I had a super busy week PLUS I was exhausted from battling snot (sorry guys) all week, and as a result, my running during the week suffered. My workout for the week was Monday night Body Pump (with my favorite BP instructor) and...nothing else. I was ready for my 20 miler on Saturday...no I'm lying, I was scared to death that it would be miserable. I also bought new shoes on Friday afternoon. They didn't have my size in my usual New Balance shoe, so they put me in the Brooks equivalent...the last time I changed shoes, I ended up with horrible shin splints that turned into stress fractures...I was super nervous.

Anyway, It's Saturday morning, 5am...my alarm goes off. I hit snooze for 15 minutes, get up and get ready to leave my house by 6am, which includes eating an almond butter sandwich PLUS an Iced Oatmeal and Raisin Luna Bar (ladies, if you haven't tried the Luna Bars made by Clif Bar...you are missing out). I'm out the door by 6am, and I arrive at Lakeshore Trail by 6:30 to meet Lauren and her mom. Lauren's mom is running the Marine Corps Marathon with us on October 30th, and it's her FIRST (YAY!!)! I started to bore you with our 20 mile route, but decided it was taking too long, so I just deleted it...if you're interested, let me know! Anyway, the weather was amazing and the run went off without a hitch! Lauren's mom ran her first 20 miler, and Lauren and I feel that we are READY for the marathon! The only negative thing I have to say about my run is that my new shoes made my feet ache horribly. My New Balance shoes had a little more cushion in them, but the Brooks will work until after the 'thon...they have these awesome teal shoestrings, though, so I'll forgive the pain they give me due to how awesome they look...I'll post more on the shoes later b/c the helpful people at the Trak Shak taught me a little more about why I wear the type of shoes that I wear...interesting stuff.

Anyway, the run was FABULOUS, and as a reward we grabbed lunch at Urban Cookhouse (one of my favorite places to eat in Birmingham). Usually, when I get home, I take a shower and a nap immediately. Instead, I refrained from taking a nap and actually cleaned/organized...I felt accomplished at the end of the day!

Sunday was an even better day in my book. Our choir led in worship during our semi-annual Praise 150...it was an AMAZING time of worship! I love singing and worshipping God so much more than running. Although running marathons is a great accomplishment, and it makes me happy...knowing that God loves me, and has given me the opportunity to worship Him with the wonderful people of Hunter Street...there are just no words of how awesome that is! Without God, I would not have legs to run with, I would not have a voice to sing with, I would have nothing. With God...I have absolutely everything I could possibly need! I will leave you with the words of Psalm 150:

"Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
  praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
  praise him according to his excellent greatness!
  Praise him with trumpet sound;
  praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
  praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
  praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!"

Psalm 150

Not much to say...

2011-09-26T16:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a little boring, so I don't have much to report. Lauren and I set out to run 10 miles, and we succeeded without any issues. The route we picked was to start at Lakeshore Trail by the soccer fields and run through the Jemison Trail until the end of the gravel portion. The route was a little over 5 miles one-way (even though it seems like it should be longer). [SIDE NOTE: Lakeshore trail from one water fountain to the other water fountain is 2.5 miles for those that haven't already measured.] I usually hate running Lakeshore and Jemison because we've been on those trails so many times so it proves to be pretty boring. However, this time around it was a really great run. We were in a hurry, so we picked that route on purpose. There are very few hills, and the hills they do have are not steep, so I don't end up wearing out as easily. Running in Mountain Brook, Homewood, and Ross Bridge can wear a person out pretty quickly due to the number of hills (that's my experience with it anyway). Also, except for running less than 1/2 a mile on Lakeshore Parkway, you do not have to worry about vehicle traffic (only road bikers on the trails that always yell "TO THE LEFT, TO THE LEFT"). [SIDE NOTE #2: Those running on Lakeshore, please be mindful that there are bikers on the trail (a lot of them), and you need to be able to hear them when they speed by. They are usually really good about telling you what side they are on, and if you have your tunes up too loud, you might collide with them if you're not careful. My suggestion is to leave an earbud out of one ear so that you can hear properly.] I think worrying about traffic while you are running, can wear you on mentally (and physically if you are having to jump out of the way). We ran 10 miles in about 2 hours, which was perfect timing for us!

This week, I get to go to Body Pump for the first time in a month. Needless to say, I am pretty nervous for my muscles! Work has been crazy, so I haven't had a chance to keep my BP routine up, but today starts back my workout routine AND my diet...which brings me to the topic of my next blog post (if I can do a good job of keeping up with it). Lauren, her mom, and I are running 20ish on Saturday, and I think what I want to do for my next post is keep up with my food and beverage intake, maybe even my sleeping patterns for the week, run the 20 miles and report back how I felt. Many people think that "carbo loading" means to amp up your carb intake the night before a run...that's a myth (that I definitely used to believe). You have to get the proper nutrients (complex carb, sugars, H2O, etc. etc.) in the days/weeks prior to your run so your body has time to store them. In a perfect world, I would be eating healthy all of the time so I wouldn't have to keep up with what I'm eating...this is definitely not a perfect world, so I'm going to keep up with it and I'll report back later! I love the "what did you eat today" conversations, so this should be fun! I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat...'til next post my friends!

**For the title being "Not much to say..." I obviously had a lot to say...

The 'mill...

2011-09-21T09:06:00.000-05:00

I hate treadmills. It literally causes me to dread a workout when I know that my only option is a treadmill. Here's my pros and cons list on the 'mill (I'll start with the cons):

CONS

1. I don't care that I can watch TV or listen to music while running on the 'mill...it's still super boring

2. Treadmills are not friendly to the clumsy or those that have no balance (yep, that'd be me...I run into walls daily, ask those that know me well...they'll tell you)--side note: I have fallen off of a treadmill before...maybe more than once, but I will neither confirm nor deny if that is true

3. My knees and shins absolutely HATE treadmills. One or the other always ends up hurting during a run on a treadmill.

4. I can not seem to push myself to run more than 3 miles on the treadmill...I recall running 5 once, but it's never happened again

PROS (or should I say PRO)

1. When running outside isn't an option...I can still run on the 'mill.

I could probably continue the cons of running on a treadmill, but I don't like to be too much of a Negative Nancy. These past two weeks, I have been working in Selma at a client. I'm not very familiar with the area, so I don't feel very comfortable running outside around the town (safety first, ladies). SO we've been getting up a few mornings during the week and going to the YMCA across the street for our morning workouts...there's no track, so I'm forced to run on the treadmill (BLAH)!

In order to keep myself engaged, I have to mix it up a little. If you hate the treadmill as much as I do, and it's your only option for the day, my suggestion would be to focus on the duration of your workout, your speed, and the incline of the treadmill rather than focusing on the distance. Today's workout was a mixture of walking, walking at a 15 incline, and running at various paces. I would speed up as fast as I could go for at least 2 minutes, slow down and run for a minute or so, speed back up, then walk at an incline...etc. etc. Mixing it up like that made the time pass by quickly. Many people love the treadmill, but I prefer the great outdoors (even in the rain). However, for those who share my opinion of the 'mill...maybe mixing it up will help you get through it.

Happy HUMP Day, friends! Go for a run outside for me today since I couldn't. If you haven't checked out the Trak Shak Wednesday runs, yet...do it! Go to trakshak.com for more info on the times and various routes!

Night and Day

2011-09-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

When I tell you that last Saturday I almost quit running forever, I am not joking. It was probably the WORST long run I have ever put myself through, and I actually quit in the middle of it. To my recollection, I have never done that before. I'm always the one that says, "Come on, we've got this, it's going to be awesome, only 18 more miles to go..." I'm annoyingly positive the majority of the time. But last Saturday, I was absolutely done. Here are the cliffs notes to Saturday, September 3rd and September 10th (2 night and day running experiences):

September 3, 2011 - Mileage Goal = 15 miles

We decided to run in the Ross Bridge 8k (4.93 miles) and then run 10 miles afterward. I think that was the FIRST mistake we made. Typically, if we wanted to run a race on a long run day, we'd run as many miles as possible BEFORE the race, run the race, and then run the remaining miles. This time we decided to run the race first (mistake #1). This was my first time running in Ross Bridge, and I have never seen so many hills in my life. Not only was the course extremely hilly, but it was HOT! We finished the race in under 50 minutes, took a longer than usual break (mistake #2) and then began running around Ross Bridge and the other neighborhoods around Ross Bridge Parkway. The sun was blaring, there were more hills, I hadn't eaten enough (mistake #3), and by mile 9 I was just done...DONE DONE DONE! I literally walked 2+ miles back to my car...walked up MORE HILLS! I felt defeated, and I did not want to run or think about running ever again at that point. By the end of the day, I felt better and I realized I was just tired and we had just made a poor decision on running the 8k on a long run day. I promise you, I will never do that again!

September 10, 2011 - Mileage Goal = 20 miles

Fast forward to the next Saturday and make a complete 180 degree turn. Lauren decided that our long run should be 20 (3 weeks early on the schedule that we are semi-following). I was a little nervous due to my failure to finish my run the previous weekend, but I was very optimistic (as per usual). I made it a point to eat and hydrate better during the week, and that makes a huge difference (more on that in a future post). Also, the weather was set to be BEAUTIFUL! I have exercise and allergy induced asthma...so my lungs function better in cooler weather. If the weather is cooler and there's less humidity in the air, I can run for days...good thing I live in Alabama, right? I keep telling Josh we need to move somewhere out west...he just rolls his eyes! Ok, back to the run: we met at 6:30am on Lakeshore Trail (side note: I loathe lakeshore trail only because when we trained for our first marathon, we ran that trail so many times..back and forth and back and forth...I get so bored when we run there), and started the long 20 mile trek across Homewood and Mountain Brook. It felt great! We were going relatively slow which was nice, and when I hit mile 16...I got a 2nd wind and felt awesome! We overestimated our mileage and actually ended up running 20 and walking 2 1/2 to our car (We parked at the soccer field end of Lakeshore Trail so there was no short cut to our car...blah). The best part of the run for me was a sweet encounter we had with a 78 year old man on the way back to the car. He emphatically said hello to us and we noticed that he was wearing a Marine Corps Marathon shirt, so we decided to stop and chat with him for a minute. He informed us that he ran his first marathon at age 54 and since then he has run 112 marathons (that's 5+ each year), he and his wife have 5 children, 17 grandchildren and 4 are adopted from China. He then asked us what church we went to...he wanted to invite us to his church...Our encounter with him made my heart happy because that's what we're supposed to do as Christians. We are supposed to be intentional with our day and seek out people to share the Gospel with, even if it's asking the simple question "where do you go to church?" I loved it, he was precious! It was a positive end to a great run. It reminded me that I can use this sport of running for God's glory!!

Even though I love to run and train for these obnoxiously long races, I still have hard days! The lesson here is, don't quit...roll out of bed, put on your gear and get out there and do it again. You'll feel better, and you'll remember why you're out there training...DO IT!

A little "Thank You" goes a long way

2011-09-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

A post from Lauren Johnsey, personal etiquette advisor, after the Ross Bridge 8K:

After running an 8K this morning, I began thinking about all the volunteers who make it happen. From the volunteers at packet pickup, to the police officers blocking off parts of the road; they are all play very important roles. How many times have you been handed a cup of water at a water stop and never said "thank you"? Or how many times have you ran by a police officer who is blocking traffic and never even acknowledged them? Without volunteers and police officers, road races wouldn't be. So next time when you're running a race, don't forget to thank a volunteer or a police officer for making it possible.

See you on the roads,

Lauren

Thanks, Lauren! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! We are set to run 20 on Saturday, so wish us luck! I leave you with a quote:

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you 'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'" --Peter Maher, two-time Olympic marathoner from Canada

Medal Hanging Ceremony

2011-09-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

Sooo...most of you might remember me writing about the Move Your Feet Move the World 5k that I participated in last month. Well, I think I forgot to mention that I placed 3rd in my age group. It was a small race, so please don't think I am bragging...because I am definitely NOT! Anyway, I am way too cool to stay for awards ceremonies after the races, so I had no idea that I had actually placed until my friend, Mallory, informed me a few days later. She has since brought me my awesome medal...so we HAD to have a Medal Hanging Ceremony. All of my coworkers gathered 'round my cube, while a band played For She's a Jolly Good Fellow. Everyone cheered and patted me on my back and told me I was AWESOME. Even my coworker, Neil, told me he wished he could run like me one day...Ok, maybe it wasn't that extravagant, but we did have a small "ceremony" for about a minute and got a good laugh. See pictures of my new cube wall below:

My medal and banner that Mallory made me!

Reading the fine print haha!

More posts to come this week! I must tell the stories of the Ross Bridge 8k AND I have a blog post from my personal etiquette advisor! I may bombard you with 3 posts in one day...Happy Running in this AWESOME weather, friends!

Morning Runs...Worth it?

2011-08-29T16:39:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has taken me a while to post...last week provided me with no "blogging" time. Anyway, last week my training schedule was a little unorganized as usual. Here's the synopsis:

Sunday: Woke up and ran 6 miles before Church (great time to get ready for a little worship)
Monday: Planned on a little body pump, but my wonderful husband asked me out on a date...I chose the date!
Tuesday: Chopped my hair off @ the Salon instead of running...
Wednesday: Ran 3 miles in 26:42...my best time ever! I was P-U-M-P-E-D!!
Thursday: Um...yeah I rested
Friday: Friday is always a rest day no matter what...just sayin'
Saturday: Ran 13 miles by myself (pretty big accomplishment b/c I never run more than 6 by myself--I MISSED you, Lauren!!)

Ideally, my training schedule would have alteast one cross training day in there and maybe another shorter run (2 to 7 miles) that might incorporate some speed training. However, my schedule gets to be a little crazy during the week. I have found that if I drag myself out of bed in the morning, I NEVER regret it! I hate getting out of bed, but when I'm done with my morning run, it feels good...then I can come home after work and have time to do other things. Not to mention, at the end of the day I'm not able to talk myself OUT of running because of the heat because it's a lot cooler at 6am. Morning runs are great when you get to watch the sunrise (got to see 2 this past week). I'm usually jamming to my favorite Christian artists (a little Kari Jobe and Bethany Dillon) and I use my run as an opportunity to spend time with God and thank Him for His wonderful creation and for my ability to get out and run. I think that's one reason why I love running outside a lot more than inside. Inside, it's just boring. Outside, your scenery changes the further you run, and it makes me even more grateful for what God has given me. Next time you're out on your run, take a minute and thank God for giving you this time to yourself and for making His creation something amazing to look at! Happy Running this week, my friends!

INTRODUCING My Personal Racing Etiquette Advisor...

2011-08-19T09:47:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Many of my posts mention my good friend, and running buddy, Lauren Johnsey! Today's post is a racing etiquette piece that she wrote a few months ago, and I wanted to share it with my readers. I have deemed Lauren the racing etiquette advisor for this blog, and I plan on getting her to share a few things here and there to mix it up a little (no need to thank me, I'm well aware that listening to me all of the time will get old pretty quickly). I now will introduce Lauren to the blogging world:

"I have only run 2 full marathons and several half marathons in my time, but there are many basic things that every runner must know. So, here they are:
1.) Larger races have corrals or pace groups for a reason. You are assigned to one by your assumed finishing time. In plain terms, this means, be sure you are in the correct corral! If you are planning on walking from the start, you probably shouldn't get in one of the first corrals (no offense, but you probably weren't assigned to one of those anyway).
2.) It is OK to walk, and believe me, I will be right there with you at some point. However, if you do plan on stopping for a walk break, make sure you move all the way to the right to get out of traffic. (It will be your own fault if you get run over or elbowed by someone if you didn't follow this one).
3.) At water stops, there is no need for a "log jam", there are usually plenty of tables and the ones in the middle or the end are the least crowded. Also remember to keep going until you get to the last table, and then drink! (once again, you are at your own risk of getting run over)
4.) Lastly, remember to have fun! Only a small percentage of the world have completed a marathon/half marathon. Wear your medal proudly and keep smiling! Oh yeah, and for the ladies, always put on a little makeup for the pictures! (Trust me, they will look better)!
All of this reminds of a sign I saw while running the Rock N Roll Marathon in Nashville "Relax, you're not going to win anyway!" (how true it is for most of us)
Hope to see you on the roads! LTJ"

Thanks for letting me use your post today, Lar! I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys their long run on Saturday or Sunday! I'm only doing 7 or 8 this weekend, but my ipod is missing and I'm flying solo this time...should be interesting! I guess I can always sing my usual playlist outloud for the neighbors to hear...you're welcome, Jayme and Jody!

Me, Lauren, Sara Katherine and Lindsay after the Nashville full and 1/2 marathon 2010.

My Weekend in Review

2011-08-16T14:46:00.001-05:00

So this past weekend was an important one (for me anyway). I turned the big 2-9...one more year until I'm 30 yippee! I love my birthday! I think I'll turn the big 4-0 with a huge smile on my face. I'm learning that my views on birthdays and getting older are much different than most peoples'. Age is just a number to me...I think part of the reason is, well, because I still look 17 still (no joke). Another part is that I'm at a point in my life where I'm actually figuring out who I am and what's important to me, which is exciting...not to mention, I do love a good day of celebration in general, especially if it's a day of celebrating ME.

What did I do to celebrate? I RAN, of course...isn't this what this blog is all about? My training program for the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) has been pretty haphazard. I basically run whatever long-run my running buddy, Lauren, tells me to do for the week, and the remainder of the week is just me trying to get shorter runs in here and there, add in a Les Mills' Body Pump class on a Monday night, and there you have my training program. It's rather unorganized, but I have learned that if I stress myself out over getting every single run on a training program completed, it takes the fun out of it for me. It causes my life to revolve around running/training rather than running just being something that I enjoy doing. Don't misunderstand, I get excited about training for races or just running because it feels good to get out there, but I do not want my life to stop because I have to get a run in first. I want to be able to spend time with my husband and my friends withouth feeling guilty because I didn't get my run in for the day. It's really all about planning...

Anyway, this weekend was our longest run since we've started training. We set out on Saturday morning at 7am (pretty late start for us) to run 12 miles! I haven't gone for a 12 miler since the Mercedes 1/2 in February. Needless to say, I was a little nervous of how this run was going to go, but knew I could get it done regardless. You will learn that once you start running your longer distances, it's all about mind over matter. You know your body can do it, you've done it before, so you make a decision to run 12, 16, 20, or 26.2 miles and you just get it done.

Men, I'm about to get a little girlie here, please feel free to read on, but this part probably won't interest you. The best part of my run this past weekend was wearing my new Lululemon running tights and top. There's a new location that just opened up within walking distance from my office, and I'm thinking it's going to be a bad thing for my wallet...sorry, Josh! I recently purchased two items (see pictures below) from there, and I have become obssessed! I wore my new capri tights in 90 degree weather and it didn't even phase me. The fabric is A-MAZING and so comfortable! The lady at the store sold me on the top that I purchased immediately when she told me that the fabric made it feel like you were running naked...I've always wanted to know what that feels like so I bought it! The prices are pretty high, but WELL worth the purchase! Let's call it an "investment."

In summary...birthday weekend was great, run was great, GOD is great, and YOU are great! Now go for a run, the weather is too nice not to get out there!

Best tights in the world! Have mesh in the back from the bottom to the knee cap!

Best top ever! The back is really cute, too, ladies! I bought the black top, but I'll probably get one in every color!

It's So Hot - rapper style

2011-08-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

I wanted to entertain you a little...I'm a closet 80s rap writer. I can make up dumb raps in about 5 minutes, and my coworkers seem to get a kick out of them. The Alabama heat inspired one, and I wanted to share it. I know most of you will be laughing AT me instead of WITH me, but I have a gift...in my mind anyway.

Woke up today ready for a run

Thought "woo hoo" this is gonna be fun

Checked the weather and let out a gasp

"Feels like 103" is what the weatherman rapped

Shrugged my shoulders and said "oh well who cares"

If I'm gonna die of heatstroke I want to be prepared

CHORUS

It’s so hot It’s so hot

Running in the summer means it’s so hot

Alabama’s humid and I’m over this heat

Might decide not to compete

It’s so hot It’s so hot

Running in the summer means it’s so hot

So I grabbed my water and I hit the road

The second I walked out I felt sweat drip off my nose

My breath was heavy and my muscles were tired

My whole body felt like it was running through fire

Why oh why did I think training in the summer

Was gonna get me a winning number

CHORUS

It’s so hot It’s so hot

Running in the summer means it’s so hot

Alabama’s humid and I’m over this heat

Might decide not to compete

It’s so hot It’s so hot

Running in the summer means it’s so hot

This heat is annoying and I’m ready to quit

But the race is paid up so Josh would have a fit

I’ll be dedicated and I’ll get trained right

But this heat and I are about to have a fight

Please Lord in Heaven bring in the cool

I’m tired of running in this heat like a fool

WORD

**I'll post something a little more informative later this week for those that are disappointed in this one!

Blisters are the devil

2011-08-05T10:59:00.002-05:00

This post is going to embarrass me a little, but I feel the need to share! I hate feet...I think they are so gross, and if you try to touch me with your feet, I may run screaming or throw up...depends on my mood. My feet are no exception...I hate them, they are ALWAYS giving me some kind of trouble. My husband always tells me that my feet look like I've been "playing soccer with a pack of wolves." Embarrassing!! I can't wear any kind of shoes (flip flops, heels, flats, wedges, boots, Toms) without expecting to get a blister. My running shoes are no exception. When I first started running, I would get these horrible blisters on the sides of my feet...it was miserable. The first thing I did to try and remedy this problem was change my socks from cotton to some kind of synthetic fiber. Cotton does not wick the sweat (yes, your feet sweat when you run...your whole body sweats, it's just a fact) off of your feet and will rub your feet raw. Many people like running in thin socks that are made out of some kind of synthetic material. I, on the other hand, cannot wear these either. I'm telling you, my feet are annoying! Instead, whether it is freezing outside or 100 degrees, I am wearing wool socks. Yep, I have to wear wool socks while I'm running in order to HELP prevent blister. Notice I said help...there's more! I also (again with the embarrassing part) have to lather my feet with chafing cream. It's actually a lifesaver. The socks are thick enough where my feet don't rub on my shoe and the cream makes it to where my socks won't rub my feet raw...it's a win win situation here. SO, if you are a new runner and you're suffering from blisters, try new socks (try the thin ones first and if that doesn't work try wool). If the new socks are helping, but you need more...buy the chafing cream! Trust me you won't regret it! You'll find other uses for the chafing cream once you start running your longer runs anyway.

My favorite chafing cream. Looks just like a deodorant stick! Very easy to use!

Smart Wool socks are my absolute favorite! I will not run in anything else!

Move Your Feet Move the World

2011-08-02T17:18:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I ran in the Mallory Dodson Bradley 5k...wait wait, no I think it was actually called the Move Your Feet Move the World 5k. My good friend and coworker, Mallory, was the main organizer of the event. It was a smaller race (participant-wise), but I thought it was a really good one. We got to run on the country roads of Bessemer, Alabama, and at the end of the race we were awarded with a sense of accomplishment AND a cold towel. The towel at the end of the race, was the best treat because the sun was on a mission to see how hot it could make the black asphalt, and it was HOT! Although the official time has not been posted on the Trak Shak website, my watch told me I ran the 5k in 28:16. This was not my goal...I wanted to finish in 28 even, but oh well...I tried to beat my coworker, Dave, but he finished in 24 minutes, I believe...so close, right?

All races that I have participated in, big and small, have provided all participants with race packets. These packets usually include things like the race day t-shirt, your racing bib, safety pins for your racing bib (sometimes), and various samples and coupons from different companies. This race packet was no exception. Two of my favorite items were my racing bib and a koozie. Why would I care about my bib? It just has a number on it, right? Well, as you can see in the photo below, there was a special note from Mallory who couldn't be there on race day. She was with me in spirit, which made me feel special. Oh, and the koozie...I just like the saying at the bottom (see photo below). Things like that make me laugh.

"Stick With The Man That Covers Your Can"

**Great job to Mallory and the people of Flint Hill Baptist Church! I'll participate again next year for sure!!

Cross-training? Who cares!

2011-07-26T16:17:00.000-05:00

PICTURE THIS: I'm sitting in a room at Trinity Medical Center waiting on the Orthopedic doctor to come in to give me my test results. The room is cold and there are athletic posters from the 1980s on the otherwise stark white walls. Why don't doctors ever update their wall art? You'd think they'd atleast try to give their patients something interesting to look at while they wait. Anyway, the physical therapist-in-training just came in and did the usual bend-and-twist of my legs and knees and kept asking me if the twists and turns he was doing to my leg caused any pain. I wanted to say, "Dude, would I be here if my legs weren't in any pain? Are you sure you know what you are doing? Aren't you a trainee? Where did you get your degree from? STOP please!" Oh well, atleast he was nice looking...I had a bone scan done on both legs a few days before, and I had been waiting in anticipation to see what was causing this nagging pain in my shins. The doctor walks in with a concerned and perplexed look, it kind of freaked me out. She proceeds to say, "Mrs. Holland, it looks like you have 2 stress fractures in both legs. You have one in each femur and one in each shin." My mouth drops in disbelief. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?!" How does one get FOUR stress fractures??? The next question she asked was key, "When you were training for your marathon did you follow the program as it was written?" "Yes, of course I did," I lie. She's no fool. She's a runner herself, so I knew she had me all figured out.

To be honest, training for the first marathon ended up basically being something like this: run a few short runs during the week (If I had time) and made sure I got my long run in. Granted, the long run day is probably the most important day, however, I paid absolutely NO attention to the days marked "STRETCH" and "CROSS." Boy, was that a mistake!! I firmly believe that if I had paid attention to that day marked "CROSS" for cross-training, I would have avoided those nagging stress fractures that required me to take 6 weeks off from my only chosen form of exercise. But I thought I was much smarter than Mr. Hal Higdon...he's only been running and writing books and training programs for people like me for decades, what does he know, right?

Last year, I took a few months off from running, and my friend, Margaret, introduced me to the wonderful world of Body Pump. It's this class that gives you a full body workout, and only takes an hour of your time. I started seeing real improvement in my core strength from taking this class. I didn't realize how beneficial it was until I started training for my next long race. My feet don't pound the pavement as hard, my posture has improved and I'm able to hold it longer during a run, and my pace is a little faster.

Needless to say, I am incorporating this class and other cross/strength-training classes into my training program this go around. I think it will allow me to remain injury free (knock on wood) and will allow me to improve my marathon time in the end. If Body Pump isn't your cup of tea, you have plenty of other activities to choose from. There's yoga, step aerobics, kick boxing, riding bikes, swimming, etc. Don't do what I did and neglect your cross-training day. It's just as important as the rest.

Getting started

2011-07-25T08:13:00.000-05:00

Getting started is probably the hardest thing to do, but once you get going, it'll become part of your weekly routine. I have a few tips on how to get started based on what I did and what people have told me that they did. Here goes:

1. Make a distance goal. You do not have to start out saying "I'm going to run a marathon." I did not start out that way at all. I started with a 5k goal and moved on from there. I kept setting mini goals for myself, and once I achieved them, I'd make another one.
2. Pick a training plan. There are so many plans out there that can help you achieve the goal that you made (see #1). Get on google.com and search "training program for [insert distance here]" and you'll be bombarded with various articles and programs! Some that I suggest are Couch to 5k, Couch to 10k, and any plans by Jeff Galloway or Hal Higdon. (Note: These are just programs/trainers that I've used or I've had recommended to me, there are a ton out there that are just as good as the ones noted above.)
3. Go get fitted for shoes. Your running shoes are probably the most important part of your running gear than anything else. If you are wearing the wrong shoes for your running style or body type, you can get injured. Find a running specialty shop (for those in Birmingham that would be the Trak Shak or Fleet Feet) and get the guys there the help you out! They'll look at how you stand, how you walk and will recommend a pair of shoes that will fit you. And ladies, the shoes that are best for you may not be the prettiest. This is just something you have to prepare yourselves for...my shoes aren't the most stylish, but they keep me injury free so I'm thankful!
4. Find a friend or a group of friends to run with. I don't know about you, but I need someone to hold me accountable. I HATE getting up early, but if I tell my running buddy that I'm meeting them at 5AM on Saturday, I'll be there at 5AM on Saturday. Running with someone keeps you motivated and makes you do the work. Your running buddy does not have to live in the same city as you, either. It can be a good friend that you call and swap training stories and tips with. Pick someone that will hold you accountable and vice versa.
5. Sign up for a race. If you sign up and pay $30+ to run a race, chances are you are going to prepare for that race and get your money's worth. I tend to sign up for big races that are out of town. This gives me something to look forward to and allows me to visit fun places. My next big race is in DC! I've never been, and I am so excited!

These are just a few things that I did when I first got started, and I hope it's helpful! Happy Running!

Retro Run 2011

2011-07-24T14:47:00.001-05:00

Today was a fun, yet exhausting day! This week started mine and Lauren's first week of marathon training (15 weeks until the big day)! Our first long run was 9 miles, so I woke up before anyone should ever be required to get out of bed (4AM is too early), and was out the door to meet Lauren by 5:15AM. Thankfully the weather was a bit overcast, so there was a nice breeze the entire time we were running! The run was easy, which was a nice surprise since I had not been running very regularly! It was a fun time getting back into the training groove.

Later that evening, I went over to the Trak Shak for the RETRO RUN! It's one of my favorite 5ks in Birmingham! It gives everyone an excuse to throw on their tackiest outfits and go for a run! What more could you ask for? This year my friends and I dressed up a 70s hippie protesters! It was a BLAST! There were all kinds of costumes. I remember one guy had a tie-dyed leotard that zipped up the back (a little scary), a couple dressed up as farmers and he wheeled his lady in a wheel barrow the entire time, and I believe I saw a guy in superman underwear and a cape (almost as scary as the guy in the leotard). I think the best outfit that I saw was a lady in an 80s tights and body suit over them...it was awesome! She looked like she had walked off of the set of the Buns of Steel video! There were also people that did not dress up, and I have to say...not dressing up is a little lame, but whatever! The rain came down hard on us while we were running, and by the end of it our signs (see picture below) were ruined, it was still worth it! I'm one of those crazies that likes to run in the rain, so it did not bother me much! Needless to say it was a great time!

Anyway, that was my Saturday in a nut shell! Thanks to everyone that helped me put my outfit together!

Me and Cynthia before the race!

Me, Cyn, Kelly, Chrissie, and Lauren w/ our awesome signs!

Let me introduce myself...

2011-07-21T08:17:00.006-05:00

Hello friends, family, fellow runners, and people that just happened upon this blog (I know you are excited). My name is Bree, and I love running. Don't get me wrong, I don't love it ALL of the time, but generally, I enjoy hitting the pavement with a fresh pair of tennis shoes, a friend by my side, and a mileage goal to conquer.

I wanted to take a minute (or ten) to introduce myself and give a little background on how I got started in the sport of running. Why do you need this background? Simply because I want to make it clear to those that think they cannot get out there and one day run a marathon, that it is possible...I did it, so can you! Plus, I always enjoy talking about myself...

This may come as a shock to those that know me...I am not athletic in the least (I know you all just gasped, didn't you? anybody?). I remember a time in the 8th grade when I wanted to join the soccer team. I had a fresh pair of cleats and shin guards, and I was ready to roll. I don't recall what position I played, but what I do recall is that whenever the black and white monster that most people call a soccer ball would fly toward my head, I would run away screaming. Needless to say, organized sports have never been my cup of tea.

Now, 10+ years later, I was in a place in my life where I would eat anything and everything and would not work out at all because I despised any kind of physical activity. As a result, my weight kept climbing...and I blamed it on everything except for the fact that my idea of exercise was walking from the kitchen to the couch, and my idea of dieting meant ordering a small fry at Chick-Fil-A instead of a large. Don't get the wrong idea, I was never "overweight," but I was very unhappy with my physical appearance (but what woman isn't?), and I was blaming it on anything and everything other than what I needed to be blaming it on...ME!

I made the decision that running was the quickest way to shed the pounds, and since I'm all about instant gratification I thought I'd give it a try. I started out running less than 1/2 a mile before I needed to walk...it was pitiful. I kept at it, and I vividly remember the day that I ran a full mile without stopping. I ran past my driveway with my hands in the air in celebration, my husband was standing in the driveway taking a break from his cigarette to congratulate me, I was huffing and puffing like I had just finished running a 5 minute mile...it was pure bliss.

Once I had completed my first mile, I decided to sign up for the Susan G Komen Race for a Cure 5k that takes place in October each year. Two of my dear friends, who had just decided that running was the best thing ever, came down to run it with me. At this point, I was up to 2 miles and I thought 3 was going to be a piece of cake...it wasn't. I had to stop and walk atleast 2 times and I finished in 34ish minutes...not too happy about that. Oh my sweet, sweet friends gave me a pat on the back and said "Great Job," but I knew better...this was not going to fly..."CHALLENGE ACCEPTED," as I shake my fist in the air!

Around this time, I had begun developing a deeper relationship with my friend, Lauren. We bonded over our love of Jesus and our desire to run (it was not yet a love of running at this point...it was merely a goal to accomplish). I thank the Lord for Lauren because our first run together was an 8k (5 miles), and after that race she kept pushing me to sign up for more races each month. She even talked me into running on Wednesday nights with the Birmingham Track Club at the Trak Shak, which I DID NOT want to do (at first). Running became a normal part of my week. Before each race, we would set personal goals such as: we must finish under 30 minutes, we cannot allow a woman in a running skirt to beat us (there are some hardcore women runners that wear running skirts...this one is hard to accomplish), we cannot allow a mom pushing 2 children in a jogging stroller to beat us, etc. By setting these goals, we were able to stay engaged and push ourselves when we wanted to stop.

Once we had a few 5ks, 8ks and 10ks under our belt, the addition of Lindsay to our running group, and a hunger to push our bodies as far as it could go...the 3 of us decided to run a MARATHON! 12 months after Lauren and I started running together and 12 months after Lindsay had her first baby...we were going to run 26.2 miles. We signed up for the Rocket City Marathon, began training in August 2009 and ran our very first marathon in December 2009. It was EPIC! It was probably the greatest accomplishment of my entire life at that point in time.

Since then I have completed 2 or 3 1/2 marathons, 1 other full marathon and Lauren and I have just started training for the Marine Corps Marathon that will take place in Washington DC on October 30, 2011. I wanted to start this blog to inspire people that think they cannot do this, share tips and training programs with people that are already out there running, and to share some stories that myself and some of my friends have encountered while running. Hopefully this will be helpful! Also, if there are any specific topics that you would like for me to address, let me know!