206 Days Left

Spring weather made an appearance on this Rhode Island summer day!!  I woke up (at 5:40ish), got dressed in my cute skirt and my butter yellow shirt, grabbed my new hand-held water bottle, and headed outside to get my shoes on.  (A few notes - first, YES, this is the same running skirt that caused me some wardrobe issues last week.  Never fear, I bought some BodyGlide this weekend to help with my wardrobe malfunctions.  Second, I bought one of those handheld water bottles...more on that later.)

So, I shook of the chill and got a little excited that it would be a good running day.  I didn't let myself down.  With my legs gliding smoothly with each step instead of sticking and rubbing (thanks Body Glide), I was off on my 2 mile run.  Because of the cool temperatures, I wasn't willing my watch to beep for the entire run.  It wasn't easy just yet, but it wasn't painful.  I could feel that I wasn't slowing down at the end of the run. 

BUT, let's talk about this water bottle.  It seemed like a great idea.  You just slip it onto your hand and off you go....water whenever you need it.  Nobody told me that the water sloshes when you are running.  Nobody told me that the water in the bottle gets hot from the heat in your hand at the end of the run.  Nobody mentioned that the stupid bottle is kind of heavy.  Today, I don't like my bottle so much.  I will try it again on Wednesday.  Maybe I will like it when it is warm again and I really want a sip of water on my long run.

This evening, I went to the top of the hill to walk a mile with another princess.  She is at the beginning of her journey to the castle.  I am honored that she let me take the first steps with her.  She did great and we are doing it again tomorrow! 

My new focus (nope, not the distance, not the speed, not the training) is my playlist.  I need about 4 hours of music......30 - 45 minutes of pre-race music and 3 1/2 hours of running music.  I am going to throw in some Disney favorites for the race because that's fun.  I am open to suggestions for songs to go between the Disney ditties.  What's your favorite running song?


Today's Stats:
2.2 miles in 27.40 minutes (12.5 minute mile)

208 Days Left

I really wanted to stay in bed this morning.  I woke up at 5:30.am.in.the.morning before the alarm even went off.  I looked at the clock and asked myself if I REALLY wanted to get up at 5:30 on a Saturday morning on a day when we have a pretty full schedule.  So, I closed my eyes again and considered going back to sleep.  I really tried to go back to sleep.  And then, I got up, got dressed, and got going.  I didn't even wear a cute outfit today.  I wore cotton capris and a race t-shirt.  I put on my shoes and went on my way. 

Today was long run day.  Keep in mind that I am not even on the training schedule yet, so my "long" run was 3.2 miles.  This is the longest distance that I have ever run.  In my life.  I tried to psyche myself into the long run.  I tried this run a few days ago, but I upped my intervals that day and, quite honestly, petered out coming down the hill on the way home and didn't have the juice to go up another hill, so I cut it short and patted myself on the back for upping the interval.  No excuses today.  I had to do it.  So, to convince myself that once I started down the hill, I was in the home stretch, I did the "hard" stuff first.  I went around my neighborhood and up the hill I usually walk.  Then I went out into the "real world" and went into the other neighborhoods on the way UP so when I got to the stoplight at the top of the big hill, I could just turn around and skedaddle on home.  This tactic seemed to work unless I was actually attacking one of the aforementioned hills.  Then I hated it and wanted to go back home and get in bed.  I mean, who wakes up at 5:30 on a Saturday morning to run for no good reason?

When I wasn't whining to myself on my little jaunt, I noticed some things.  It was quiet and peaceful this morning.  The sun was just coming up.  There weren't many cars going by and there weren't any people out and about.  I came across bunnies and birds.  I had my music in my ears, but it was calming.  I spent my cool down walking my poor, neglected dog.  I have missed quiet walks since we usually walk with the husband and three kids.  It was a beautiful morning and I am glad (yep, that says glad) that I got up and went.  Now it's done and I can sleep in tomorrow.  Plus, if I had slept in, I would have missed seeing the SUV pulling a trailer with a cannon on the back.  How often will I see something that that???

Today's Stats:
3.2 miles in 41.02 (12.8 minute mile)
*NOTE:  See that number up there????  It is below a 13 minute mile.  I have NEVER run faster than a 13 minute mile.  Today's run was the furthest I have ever gone and the fastest that I have ever run.  Today, I feel like a rock star!

210 Days Left

It's always easier to get up at 5:30 in the morning when you are going to put on a cute outfit!  My new running clothes are super cute!  So cute, in fact, that I decided to up my running interval.  Today I ran for 2 minutes and walked for 1.  I tried out another new route.  The original plan was to run 5K (3.1 miles), but since I upped the running interval, I shortened the route to 2.53 miles.  What's a 1/2 mile among friends??  I am still having wardrobe issues, but my running friend suggested Body Glide.  It seems as though I am the malfunction, not the wardrobe.  Who knew?

Today's Stats:
2 minute run/1 minute walk
2.53 miles in 33.24 minutes (13.1 minute mile)

212 Days Left

The alarm went off at 5:30 this morning.  When I got up and started to get dressed, I noticed that flashes of light were coming through the window.  Not like the neighbors turning their porch light on and off....nope, this morning we woke up to Mother Nature's temper tantrum.  So, I did what any other runner would do....I got back into bed. 

When my eyes opened up again, it was 6:00 and the storm had passed.  I finished getting dressed (Yep, I had gone back to bed in my running shorts and socks) for my run and hit the road.  I really hit the road this time....I ventured out of my protective little neighborhood.  I ran the loop in the neighborhood and then went out for a mile to a campground and then a mile back.  I should have taken pictures because this was the first and last time that I will take my life into my hands and run on that road.  There is a LOT of traffic.  Most of the drivers were very courteous and scooted into the other lane to give me some space.  I just didn't like it.  I can cover the same distance with a prettier view just in the neighborhood.

I did make one other discovery this morning.  I am not quite ready for running shorts.  I threw on a pair because it was too humid for capris and I quickly learned that I had made a gross error in judgement.  They fit funny during the running intervals and made my legs rub.  Obviously I had too much leg and not enough shorts.  I went out and bought a running skirt, so hopefully that will fix the problem.

Today's stats:
2.7 miles in 36 minutes
13.3 minute mile

214 days left

An amazing thing happened today....I almost enjoyed my run.  I changed the course a little bit.  It was the same course that I usually run....just in a different order.  The slight change added about a tenth of a mile to the run.  It was still hard, and I was still slow, but it was a little less hard and I was a little less slow.  I almost want to get up and run again tomorrow!

Today's Stats:
2.2 miles in 29 minutes (13.2 minute mile)
2.45 miles with cool down in 34 minutes (13.9 minute mile)

217 Days Left

My dear, sweet wonderful husband bought me a Timex Ironman watch that will time intervals for me.  So, if I am running for 90 seconds and walking for 60 seconds, it will beep at me after 90 seconds and then beep again after 60 seconds.  This amazing watch will do this beeping over and over for my entire run.  I don't have to look at it.  I don't have to curse it.  I don't have to will it to get to the right time.  It just beeps....all on its own.  It is a wonderful invention.  I was so excited to try out my new watch, I jumped stumbled out of bed at 5:45 this morning so I could go try it out.  I was even inspired by my friend Jen to add a mile and run 3.1 this morning.  Here was the problem - I think it's broken.  As I got further into my run, the 90 second interval seemed to get longer and the 60 second interval seemed to get longer.  It makes me a little scared to bump up my running to 2 minutes....the watch might get confused and make me run forever.

I returned to running with my tunes today.  They music was quiet enough that I could hear the watch beep.  I am thinking that I need to revisit my playlist.  I am not smart enough to figure out my iPod, so I have junk on there that I don't want and isn't good music to run to (imagine trying to run to the Star Wars soundtrack that I downloaded for my kids' birthday).  I am open to suggestions.

Today's stats:
3.1 miles in 44 minutes (14.1 minute mile)
Beautiful weather - low humidity, cloudy skies
6 minute cool down walk with the dog so he would stop barking

219 Days Left

A terrible thing happened when I started out for my run this morning.  It was horrible.  I almost went back inside.  I pressed the button on my iPod.....and nothing happened.  Thinking that I had obviously made some sort of mistake, I pressed the button again.  And then I pressed a different button.  Finally, I looked at the screen.  It was black.  I had forgotton to charge it...it was dead.  I had 30 minutes of my own thoughts to endure.  Amazingly, I didn't really have any thoughts (besides a few things that I noticed...but I'll get to those later).  I really just ran.  I really thought I would hate it, but I didn't.  I don't think that I am willing to give up the tunes cold turkey, but I might run one of the shorter runs every week without the iPod.  The quiet was kind of nice.

I did have a few fleeting observations since I was running without the music:

1- It was SO humid this morning.  For a moment when I walked out of the door, I thought I was in Virginia.  It was humidity that smacked you in the face.  I chose not to dwell on it, because I knew that it would send me right back into the house.

2 - The music hides my huffing and puffing.  I am not a graceful, quiet runner.  I seriously sound like I am dying 30 seconds into the first 90 second run.  I appreciate the music for hiding this from me for all this time.  I feel sorry for anyone who has had to listen to that.

3 - I thought it was a pretty decent run.....and then I looked at the watch.  If I had gone any slower, I would have been running backward.

4 - There were some times today duing my little 2 mile course that I thought that there is no way on this earth that I will be able to do this for 13 miles.  But, I kept going, so I guess that's good.

Today's stats:
2.1 miles in 30 minutes
14.2 minute mile

222 Days Left

I didn't run today, but I did get up at 5:15am to go to Jamestown to help at a water stop for the Jamestown Half Marathon.  It was pretty amazing.  I had never worked a water stop before and I had never been to a half marathon before.  It was amazing!!  There were all sorts of people going all sorts of speeds.  We had the water stop at mile 12.  The first runner passed us at 1 hour after the race began.  He didn't even look at us at the water stop.  He just kept right on going.  The last man passed us at 3 hours and 15 minutes after the race began.  We waited for him.  We cheered for him and he kept going.  It was obviously hard work for him, but he did it.  He finished 13.1 miles.  He was even cheerful about it.  I was in awe of his strength.  He gave me hope.  If he could walk 13.1 miles in about 3 hours and 45 minutes, then there is a chance that I can finish without getting picked up by the Loser Bus at Disney. 

224 days left

Today was a running day.  I am still working up to being a "runner."  When the alarm went off at 6:00am, I said some ugly words.  I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.  I asked my husband if I could just get up and run tomorrow.  Then, I pushed the covers off, sat up, and got out of bed.  I put on my running clothes, got on my shoes, turned on my iPod, and opened the front door.  I wish that I could tell you that I had my fastest run ever or that I got started and forgot that I wanted to stay in bed.  If I said that, I would be lying.  My inside voices were cursing my friend who has become the motivator of our Princess Team.  My inside voices were whining that it was hard.  My inside voices were saying that there is no way on earth that I will be able to finish 13.1 miles.  But, 30 minutes later, I was finished.  It was hard.  For whatever reason, it was uphill both ways today.  I was tired and I hated it, but I did it.  I got my Thursday run in and my training is on track. 

The next hurdle is a 5K on Sunday morning.  It's a hurdle because it's a Color Me Rad run.  I am taking my husband and three children with me.  The big boys are 5 and 3 miles is still a little much for them.  The baby is 15 months old and will be in the stroller.  People are going to be throwing colored dust at us.  Everyone is going to be whining.  We aren't going to run much....just through the color, but we are going to do it....as a family.  I am counting it as my long run for the week. 

Today's stats:
5 minute warm up walk
90 seconds running/1 minute walking for 23 minutes
6 minute cool down walk
2.1 miles before the cool down in 28 minute = 13.6 minute mile
2.25 miles after cool down in 34 minutes = just at a 15 minute mile

Registration Day....226 days left

Well, I did it.  I registered for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February.  I thought that I was going to throw up the entire time that I was filling out the information, but I did it.  The other wonderful ladies in my group registered too, so now it's real.  We are going to run 13.1 miles....for fun. 

I don't consider myself a runner.  I am a person who (sometimes) runs.  I'm slow and I make it look like work, but I do it.  As scared to death as I am about this race, I am also very, VERY excited.  I am thinking about what to wear (probably all yellow for Belle....my favorite princess!!).  It's going to be a long road to the race, but it's going to be worth it.  I am planning to follow the Jeff Galloway training program.  It formally starts in October, so I am just going to get in the habit of running until then.  I don't have any races planned in the near future, but since I will be in training, I will probably run a few 5K races in November and December.  No promises.

Since this is my road to Cinderella's Castle, here are my running "stats" for today:
Tuesday, July 10
6:20am - 64 degrees, sunny skies, low humidity
Ran/walked 2.1 miles
5 minute warm up, 20 minutes run 2 min/walk 1 min, 6 minute cool down
14 minute mile