Enjoying the Journey...

It has been over a month and here I am, embarrassingly, providing my recap from the race. Actually yesterday was one month exactly since the race. No, it hasn't taken me this long to recover. It did take a few days however to get through that soreness and thaw out from the cold snap that hit Nashville that weekend. As you might have already read from Samantha and Toni, you know about the fun friends that the weather brought with it for the weekend- Rainy and Cold. I won't linger on those guys... Just know it was really cold and really rainy.

So what is my opinion/recap of the race? It was fabulous! And I'm not just saying that. This was my second half-marathon. I ran the 2012 Rock-N-Roll in New Orleans as well. Which was better? Despite the weather, Nashville was so much more enjoyable- mentally and physically for me. I loved the race in NOLA and it was amazing because it was my first half, but I felt so much confident and prepared for Nashville. Yes, I was a little worried about the hills and probably over thought them during the training, but in all honesty, the race and course was great! As Toni stated, our motto/thought was "Charge the hills" and that's what we did. I was really excited to set a new personal record (even with those dreaded hills) shaving 10 minutes off my NOLA time. 2012 finish time: 2:26:55. 2013 finish time: 2:16:21. Makes me wonder what I could have done without the hills...

I think everyone has different favorites about the race, but my favorite (both times) has to be the people. It's a pretty amazing sight to see THOUSANDS of people from all different backgrounds and lifestyles coming together to run- whatever their reason, we were running (get that imagine of Forest Gump out your mind). Many worked hard to raise money for St. Jude's. Some showed up to achieve PRs (which everyone in our group of 5 completed-- yay us!). Others came to win. Some just wanted to prove they could do it and finish. Others ran because they have been affected by cancer in some form or fashion or know someone who has. Some were checking items off the bucket list of their life. Many probably completed a lifetime goal. Some used it as a qualifier for another race. Regardless, running was the common denominator. The support from the city is also awe-inspiring. The support from spectators makes running through the streets of Nashville pretty spectacular. Encouragement from strangers, to me, is touching. It's quite obvious that running a half-marathon is physically demanding, but what I forget is how emotionally rewarding it is as well.

Our true colors shining through...

Now that we have finished this goal of running together, who knows what the next challenge will be. Perhaps we didn't get enough of the wet from the rain in Nashville because a training schedule for a triathlon sprint has been spread, and we can now be found splashing in the pool occasionally.... Hmm... we will see.

What's fun is now I can ask "Remember the time we all ran that half-marathon together?', and NOT have to do any convincing. That doesn't mean there won't be other challenges/adventures along the road.

One major take-away from this experience (can you tell I'm in education with that??) is to appreciate the training required to get to the finish line. I don't think I fully appreciated the training for my first half. This time around I really enjoyed the actual training and miss it already. I'm ready for the next goal, for the next thing on tap- whatever it may be... Triathlon? Biking through Ireland? Those are definitely happening. And this time, I know to appreciate the time it takes to get to the end.

I’ve Got the Bug

Tomorrow will be exactly four weeks since our half-marathon. I can’t believe it. It’s still funny to be like, “yeah, I ran a half-marathon”. That happened…in the rain, no less. Sam wrote a fantastic description of what THAT was like, and the general feel of the route here.

For me, I didn’t know what to expect. This was my first half. And it was in Nashville…with hills. We had gotten much better at hills and our mentality about them (new rule: CHARGE the hill!) over the last few weeks before the run, but I wasn’t sure how they would compare. It was very cold, and very early, and very rainy, when we parked. And when we lined up. And when we waited. And while we ran, and well, you get it. But really, once we started running, I wasn’t thinking about the rain. I was watching the mass of people’s bobbing heads in front of me, and the people drinking champagne under their umbrellas and cheering on the side, and the random guy on his porch playing music and yelling encouragement by himself as people ran past. I had no idea running a half-marathon would be such amazing people-watching!!!

I also didn’t expect to feel how I felt physically. I felt sort of like the energizer bunny. Like, I could keep going, and going, and going. I certainly can’t say I was sad when the full-marathon route split from the half and I got to go to the right, but I did think, “hmm….maybe…one day…” (ack! I’m hooked). Before we even ran, whilst we were all wandering around the expo, we were talking about doing a sprint triathalon, and found a booth for something called RAGNAR (potentially more on this later). Yep. I’m pretty sure we’ve all got the bug. That kind of constant desire for a goal to work towards, finding different and preferably interesting ways to push ourselves. I know I do, at least.

When we finished the race, it was freezing. Our bodies didn't have much left to keep heat in and with the cold + rain we were all in danger of some level of hypothermia. But we had still finished. And it was fun. And I want to do it again. And I can’t imagine a better group of wonderful friends and ladies to do it with (whenever we can make it happen with our schedules!). So we’re working towards some different things, and training in some different ways, and who knows where this journey will continue to lead us or how it will change us (and already has). And it’s funny, because it really was Just for Kicks…;) 

Third time is a charm

Wow. That's really, all I can say.

We ran 13.1 miles.

In the rain.

Up and down many, many hills.

The four of us (five with Manager Markus!)  trained for 16 weeks... for something that I ultimately thought I would dread doing. A recap of half-marathon one and two can be found here and here. Want to hear something? I didn't dread it. Actually, it was the exact opposite. I. Loved. Every. Step.

On Thursday night, the weather forecast shifted to an 80% chance of rain for Saturday. I ignored it. If I dwelled on it being rainy - I thought I might dread the run, and I was finally in a happy, excited place to run this race. So I ignored it. Ignorance is bliss, right?

I held onto hope that it wouldn't rain - but no such luck. It started to sprinkle while standing in the line for the shuttle, and well - it continued to rain from that moment on.

We all finagled our way into Corral #21 (where we also met my sister and her best friend Carolyn) right as Sweet Caroline began to play on the loudspeakers as a tribute to Boston. There's nothing quite like singing Sweet Caroline at Fenway Park, but listening to over 20,000 runners sing in honor of Boston was up there on the "cool moments to experience" list. Once there, we waited and we waited... for roughly 30 minutes until our corral got the motion to start.

Miles one through three were phenomenal. They zipped past and just like that, we only had ten more miles to go. I counted down, mile by mile. Miles two through five were pretty much straight up hill. The shirts with our names on it were such a fun idea. Every now and then someone would yell "Go Sam!" or "Go Toni, Staci, Jessica and Sam!" And it always happened when I really needed it, mentally. The route was beautiful (other than it raining, did I mention it was raining?) and crossed through the most beautiful parts of Nashville. We caught up with my sister at mile 10, and Staci and Toni went ahead while I was able to run with her for a little while. Running with my sister is always a calming moment. She always motivates me to push harder and go further. She urged me on and miles 11.5 - 13.1 were just me... I became a bit emotional as I turned the corner to the finish line. I sucked back tears and lifted my arms in the air as I crossed the finish line. I did it. We did it. Final finish time came in at 2:17:38. It's a new PR and one I am incredibly proud of!

After crossing the finish line, every aspect of me began to shiver. The fact that there wasn't an inch of me that wasn't drenched from the rain really began to take its toll on me. I wanted chocolate milk, gatorade and a foil blanket. Oh and a banana. I was famished and cold and wet... and cold. We finally found each other and our dear friend Andreia (Thanks for coming!). We quickly made plans to leave. As much fun as the after-party for a Rock 'n' Roll event is, we couldn't stay. It was still raining and we all had blue lips and numb fingers. It was time to go.

If I reflect over the last 16 weeks, and well - that's what this is... I immediately give a lot of thanks to these three ladies. There was incredible motivation at points where I didn't want to run much further. Or when I needed to rest because of IT-Band issues. And even though I don't always go to AT class, I have to give that credit also. The conditioning helped us go further, faster. While waking up between 5:30 and 6 a.m. every M/T/W/F/Saturday was NOT fun - I couldn't have asked for better people to travel alongside me during this journey.

Kudos to the Rock 'n' Roll team again - another great race! Had the weather been beautiful, it would have been even more amazing than the last.

So, after half-marathon one and two, I said NEVER AGAIN. Never again, however, will I say never again. Ha - the irony, I know. The car ride home included many, many discussions about what is next for the Just 4 Kicks crew... and let's just say: we dream big, we set high goals and we smash them out of the park!

#allwedoiswin

Donate to our team!

Our "manager" put together a team fund raising page for our race this weekend. 

If you have enjoyed reading any part of our journey, at any point along the way, we ask that you consider donating to a great cause - it's called the St. Jude Country Music Marathon, after all. 

You can donate to our team here. Every dollar counts and we (and the St. Jude Children's Hospital) appreciate your support!

Contemplating: training-to-race philosophy...

So we're running a half marathon on Saturday. In Nashville. I'm not sure if you've heard yet, so there it is, the big announcement.

what the...?

My farthest distance to date is 9 miles. In a row. And I can remember when I questioned whether I would ever be able to run ONE mile without stopping. I feel pretty accomplished at this point. My only goal is to finish.

My team mates - the women, to be specific - asked me last weekend when we were all out celebrating it being a gorgeous Saturday - if we wanted to finish together. My first thought? Don't wait for me.

Then the mood changed. Suddenly I felt like I said something wrong. Maybe I was too quick to respond not in favor? Damnit Jessica, you can be too blunt too quickly sometimes most of the time.

Reading facial expressions I reflected quickly and it became more clear than ever before that we really have been training together. As a team. So asking if we wanted to decide as a team to finish as a team was a valid question!

Side note: only four of us blog here, but we do have a fifth team member. He refers to himself as our "manager".  Markus, who also happens to date me, doesn't count in this part of the conversation. He's going to finish before all of us no matter what we decide. Also, he's a man. That is all.

My whole perspective changed that evening when these three amazing women presented me with this question.

I've always had the mindset of "train together, race alone". I'm not sure why. It's not like I've ever really participated in a race before. But I just had this vision of a "training team" to be just that - a team to help you train, to help you get to the [next] race. And Staci has already been talking about what's coming after this...lardy just let me finish this first. And it's true - we DO do better when we're together, we actually WILL get out of bed when we know others are counting on us...

Part one of my hesitation to say, "Yeah! Let's finish together" is the worry that whatever-it-is-that's-been-giving-me-trouble-in-my-left-leg will require that I walk more often than my team mates need to.

Part two of my hesitation is the fact that I hate waiting on people and therefore the reverse holds true, I also don't feel comfortable with people waiting on me.

My quirks aside, part three of my hesitation is this: when you get in the zone, and you're really in the zone, you can't stop. I wouldn't dare ask, or expect anyone to stop for me when they are in the zone - perhaps because I would hope the same of others if I were in the zone...? What if we're all running along, and one of us, or two of us wants to slow it down or walk or stop to stretch, but the other/s are in the zone and stopping will just mess them up? It sounds funny but if you've ever been in that zone you know what I'm talking about.

Is it the competitiveness in me? If it is, that can't be the only thing, because again, hesitation #1 is questioning my own physical ability to perform at the rest of my team member's level come race-day due to this pain in my leg.

We never really finished the conversation or came to a decision that evening.

Part of me thinks once we get there, among all the crowds and music and other runners, adrenaline will kick-in and I won't even think about any potential pain. Maybe finishing together won't be as dramatic as I'm making it out to be.

But there's still that part of me that says, "no, go for it ladies - each woman to herself." If we pace each other, fantastic. If not, that's okay too! I guess I don't know why a decision has to be made about it at all - must we decide? Can we not let it happen naturally?

At the end of the day, at the end of the weekend, I just assume not worry about it. Let's make a plan of what time to get up to get there, where to reunite after, and just have fun! We all spend the whole week working too hard (and in most cases overtime) not to enjoy the weekend in general, but especially THIS weekend out of town.


And no, Staci, this is not your usually blunt friend Jessi showing her ability to be passive-agressive by putting my thoughts out on digital paper instead of talking them out in person...[grin]

I love you ladies. And I'm just glad you've gotten me this far. I look forward to [hopefully] crossing that finish line with you, it might not be at the same exact time, but it's still the same line. xoxo

100%

I'd like to say the title of this post is inspired by the amount of effort we are putting into our training. Don't get me wrong- we are still training hard and remaining constant encouragers to each other, but still the naming of this post is for an entirely different 100%. We have officially reached 100% for injuries. I hate to say it, but it's true.

Monday during AT workout, not being known for my grace, my foot seemed to find one of the three rocks on the train platform. Dumb rock, even more dumb foot. You see, we work out in the mornings at the train station downtown. We frequently get to run up and down the length of the platform throughout the workout, what fun. Occasionally one of those larger than normal train-track rocks will find its way onto the area we workout. This is what my foot found while running. My foot found it, my ankle didn't like it. Didn't like it so much it just twisted to get away. A few profanities escaped and then I threw the stupid rock out of the way. A burning sensation then followed along with a cankle. Okay, that image link may be an exaggeration, but seriously- it got big... Sigh.

With maintenance of ice packs and rest, I was able to attend Wednesday's AT armed (or ankled) with a brace/ankle sleeve and had minimal pain. So while we may have a few aches and pains- we are pushing through. What's that saying?- Pain is weakness leaving the body- well if that's true, we are getting stronger each day then.

This race is so close to being here a little pain is not going to stop any of us. 15 weeks of training down, 1 more to go. Watch out Nashville. We may be physically wearing down, but our spirits are from it. We will push through. We got this.

The roller coaster of running

Do you know what an IT band is? No? Well - let me take you on a little journey. You have one. It runs down the side of your leg from your hip to your knee. And if you run a lot, increase mileage, increase speed and add hill training into the mix (all at the same time) - it will hurt. A lot.

I started experiencing pain shortly after our 8 mile run. It didn't hurt through the run, but shortly after... oh dear. It hurt really bad. So much that I thought I was going to have to opt out of the 5K I was registered for the next day. Thankfully, a lot of ice helped. I saw an athletic trainer the following Tuesday after running 5 miles that resulted in the most excruciating pain when walking up the stairs to my office. He declared the pain to not necessarily be my knee - but to be my IT band. He told me to ease up, ice and stretch.

Our AT coach, later explained that the IT band is like leather. It's not pliable and when it knots up - it's very hard to work them out. The pain on the outside of my knee is a result of the knots. The solution? The same thing my ATC prescribed - and a foam roller.

At this point, Jess and Toni had also had knee trouble. Staci being the genius she is - crafted a foam roller out of PVC pipe and a yoga mat. So I was excited - until I actually started foam rolling. IT. HURTS. LIKE. HELL. Seriously. Totally does the trick - but HURTS.

I'm absolutely determined to not let it get me down. Thankfully - it can be worked out and I can continue running. We ran four today and I'm not going to lie - it wasn't painless nor was it the best run I've had. But really? At this point, I don't care. I will run through the pain and we will run 13.1 miles in three weeks.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say this journey has been full of physical and emotional ups and downs - and I think I can also speak for all of us when I say - that running through it all (TOGETHER) has helped lighten that load more than anything.

Lions, Tigers, & IT Bands... Oh My!

It's been said and seen (from many sources) that running is a dangerous sport with a 79% injury rate. Well, if you held that statistic to our group, we are sitting at an injury rate of 75% right now. Fingers crossed, knocking on wood we don't hit 100%-- ouch!

We've been conscious of resting when tired. Armed with MyFitnessPal accounts, we're becoming more aware of our nutrition. Yet we still have three out of four who currently have or had an injury. What's the deal?

After discussion and comparing what we do outside of running/workout, we decided none of us are stretching the adequate amount that we should. And so I have put together a little note sheet of some stretches for us to do- after running, working out, AND in our spare time.

If you just asked yourself, "Spare time? What's that?" All four of us have the exact same thought. We all work "8-5" jobs which easily and most days looks more like 8-7 (or later) with some occasional weekends thrown in there. Two of us are working on a Ph.D. part-time. One of us teaches a course at the university on the side while another serves as an advisor to an active student organization. Then on top of ALL of this we attempt to hold some sort of a social life. Don't forget- we're still running and working out. Whew...

To put it lightly, we know busy. Being told, "You need to stretch for at least 10 minutes each day" only solicits eye rolls. No, 10 minutes is not that long of a time. In the grand scheme of things, if you want to get nerdy with it, 10 minutes is 0.7% of the day. In the rush of life, that is too much time. Sadly when life tends to ramp up and get busy, our personal wellness is the first to fall to the wayside. Stretching seems to be one of those things that you only think about when you start hurting in the middle of a run or workout. It's in those moments of pain that the importance of stretching hits you, but all too often that's a little too late.

So, we don't have 10 minutes to spare daily for stretching (we probably do- but why fight reasoning). My response- let's incorporate it into our daily tasks. I've been doing some research and have come up with/compiled "office friendly" stretches that can be incorporated into our work lives to help with our more active lifestyles.

Across the top you should see some newly added pages with some stretching tips and actual stretches- some office friendly, some not so much. This is what we're trying to do to better our runs to prevent further injuries without overloading our already full days. What do you do in your recovery time in the midst of this chaos we call life?

The heat is on...

Yes, this song is on repeat in my head as I type this post... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teljgwFfl94

Well, Spring has officially sprung... according to the calendar at least. While we had a few days of what some would call "heat", in south Mississippi it's still a little bit chilly; the temps have yet to really level out to true heat. Two weekends ago though, Toni and I experienced a taste of the heat that is yet to come when we attempted a prescribed 8 miler. I say attempted because we completed 6.5. After weeks of training in coolish to cold weather, 65 degrees was almost like a furnace. I was not ready- mentally, emotionally, or physically.

Then and there on that run, with my head feeling like it would explode from heat and my body just plain tired, I decided while the heat is on- on the street- it's time for me to crank up the heat. In the kitchen that is.

I feel my life cycles in themes. When one topic/subject comes up that I need to pay attention to, it pops up in all areas of my life. Lately the theme has been nutrition.

"You can't out-train bad nutrition."

"You have to put quality in to get quality results."

"Nutrition is key, it's the only way to see results."

These are things that have been said to me (many, many times for a while), but it's now starting to sink in- I've been told I can be stubborn at times. I've always thought, "I'm working out- that's better than nothing, right?" Wrong. Yes, it's good that I'm working out, but the workouts will really benefit me if the food I eat is clean. And so I am challenging myself to eat better- to eat clean(er). In order to do this, I feel I need more control over how my food is prepared, hence turning the heat up in the kitchen.

This should be interesting...

A surefire feeling

A few weeks ago (three, maybe?), Staci planned one heck of a run that took us through downtown. It was a really great, scenic seven miles. You may remember myself or Toni blogging about it after.

Honest moment - when Staci finagled me (kidding) into taking on this challenge, I really expected to get to about five miles and then hate myself every day after when it came to running. The exact opposite has happened.

At mile seven that day, I felt incredible! Re-energized, I guess you could say. I then realized that I had surpassed my own expectations (albeit: they were a bit negative).  That single run has jumpstarted my passion for running again. I can remember when 5 miles was a dreaded "long run" and now it's a weekly maintenance run that kickstarts my day. This past weekend, I was able to run the prescribed 8 with my sister - and had my legs not felt like they would fall off, I would have continued on.

Over the next four weeks, we will conquer another 8, then 9, down to 4, up to 10 and back down to 8 before we leave for the big day. And I am thoroughly excited! But don't get me wrong, I gloriously look forward to NOT waking up at 5:30 a.m. every day of the week. But this new runner's high? I think I'll keep that!

I'm losing my toenails...

I'm losing my toenails. I announced it this morning at Versus AT during our warm up. Yes, I had to clarify toenailS, as in more than one.

In middle and high school I lost one toenail on each foot annually at minimum, the pointer-finger-equivalent on my feet. I attributed this to my extra-long pointer-toe, it would rub the top of my shoe, it would bruise, and eventually it would work it's way off sometimes with help from my pointer finger and thumb.

Before you ask, yes, I clip my toenails. In fact, I'm one of those people who pays extra attention to their feet, I don't know why. It seems to have started when I was very young, I’m talking 3, 4, 5 years old. Dad says I would kick my shoes off as soon as I got home and take each toe and it's neighbor, spread them wide as I could, and dig the sock-fuzz and sand out from in-between.

Two things to note here: 1) when I say sandbox, one should take that figuratively and literally. We lived in Kuwait and Pakistan at the time, as in the Middle East. 2) This practice of spreading my toes as a child led to an incredible talent for having "finger-toes". 

Even now, I can't stand for anything to be between my toes, I clip my toenails regularly, and give myself at-home manicures because I'm still learning to live on a budget so no, neglect is not the cause of my loosening toenails.

The cause has got to be running. I’ve never run so much in my entire life. Even during basketball season in high school I don’t think the running we did during all of our practices adds up to the amount of running I’m doing now with just-4-kicks.

My toenails will grow back. I’m not worried about my feet, although my toes can be quite tender to the touch during the shedding-of-the-nail process.

What an interesting post, eh?

Bet you thought I was going to talk about how awful last weekend’s 7 miles were....

Running to the Beat of a Different Drum…

Okay, well, no drum. Because I forgot my headphones. On long run day…7 mile long run day.

I had a brief moment of panic  (“should I go home and get them?”), but then my pride (ego, laziness, whatever you want to call it) kicked in and I was like “nah, I got this…let’s just go with it.” So, I ran without music, and I thought well I might as well run without Runkeeper as well, and just see how I do mentally without  1) distraction of music and 2) reminders of how far we’ve gone (which for me often translates into “crap, we have ____left to go”, except for the last mile).

I think it was the strongest start I have had in a pretty long time, maybe ever. I attribute this in large part to the new surroundings as well (see Sam’s post for details) and the extra rest we got during the week. But still! It was probably mile 4 before I really started to “feel it” and even then it really wasn’t that bad. Staci and I kept up a running commentary on the houses we passed, and I was occasionally serenaded by one of my head-phoned friends (“getting hot in here” anyone? Which, btw, it most certainly was NOT…30sumodd degrees and frozen hands for that particular song). I appreciate that my friends didn’t totally disappear into their music and remembered my vulnerable self out in the open (ha!), especially considering the (very) limited breath one has available when running! But really, overall, I felt kind of free. I was definitely more aware – of everything. Which is probably good since I can get very tunnel-vision with music, this is okay-ish on the trace when the greatest danger is getting squashed by a mad cyclist (ack!) but less okay when running on the road…with like…full-sized vehicles. But I feel like I even noticed smells more. Mostly good ones (fortunately!) like clean laundry, and fried chicken (I have no idea why someone was frying chicken that early in the morning but I swear they were!). And sounds - like birds. I like hearing birds. I do not like hearing barking dogs. But that’s okay…and I did like not having the every mile reminders of how far we had gone. The ladies were kind enough to update me every now and then, but I didn’t have to know every time. And that really helped me. I think I will turn off my notifications every now and then from now on, just to make me push a little harder. Why must running be SO mental?!? Ah well.

Anyway, so I agree that this was probably my favorite run thus far, and I’m so super proud of all of us!!! We could have run more, and now we know that, but it’s crazy to me that we are up to where we are to begin with. I love it. And I love these girls! Because I would never push myself the way I do with them, or feel so supported when I’m not doing so hot, or have the fantastic conversations over breakfast at Southbound, or look forward to waking up prior to the sun (or at least dread it less on some days…haha)…It’s kind of awesome. I really think I am becoming a stronger person, and I don’t mean just physically, because of this challenge with these friends. I know that may sound kind of strange, and I didn’t really expect it but I don’t know how else to describe it, but it’s pretty cool, and I highly recommend it to anyone who may wonder if they should 1) set a pretty intense goal (half-marathon) and 2) work toward it with a group of friends J

Movin' on up!

Can I take a second to brag? I think yesterday's run was one for the books. A book that specifically highlights phenomenal runs and great feelings.

We've been running on the trace - out and backs, if you will. Mentally - these can be both tough and easy. Easy knowing that you really only run half a mile further each week the mileage increases. Tough when the atmosphere is tree, tree, tree, squirrel, crazy cyclist, tree, tree, tree, tree... Get my drift?

Staci emailed us early in the week to tell us she had something up her sleeve for Saturday's run. Her initial email outlined an 8-mile run that would take us a true eight miles through downtown - ending at our breakfast spot. The idea was something we all were excited (loose use of the word) about, but the 8-miles? While it was according to the training plan - we all (minus Staci) balked.

Why would we do such a thing?
Jess felt like she pulled a muscle the week before.  Toni's knee had been acting up.  Me? Well, we've been after speed quite a bit these days. I was worried that if we went for both speed and an increase of 2-miles - we might hurt SOMETHING. Not to mention, I felt like seven would be said if we left him out of the mileage increase. Last week was six, seven is only right in the order of life! So Staci kindly brought it down to 7-miles.

The run was FANTASTIC. It was cold (can Spring please make its way to Mississippi!?), but it was fun. We sang, we laughed, we ate sport beans and we moved from street to street. We averaged a 10-minute mile (some faster than others), and we finished right around 70 minutes. It was by far my favorite run thus far and I am actually really excited about next week's long run. I know, I know... shocker.

I'm proud of us. We ran and we ran hard. And yes, we all felt like we could have easily added another mile to it (Staci, we know!). No worries, there will be no more doubting of the training plan.

A journey of heart & sole

This week was an eye-opener... in many ways. Truths from the week:

• We aren't superhuman.
• Sometimes, rest really is more important than working out or running the 4 miles scheduled.
• Sometimes, life gets crazy - and it's okay to be crazy with it.
• Coffee in mismatched mugs is the solution to all of life's problems.

I missed my friends this week. We all missed each other. I think that's the hard part of there being four of us. Coordinating four schedules to run/work out together is hard. Sometimes we are all here, sometimes we are not.

But for this post - I don't want to talk about how tough our run was this morning. We finished 6 miles...  woohoo - great - yay, we did it! Aside from all of that, I want to talk about these crazy wonderful women I run with.

The four of us were already friends when we started on this journey, some connections closer than others (Staci being the common denominator as previously mentioned). But I think I realized today that this love/hate relationship for half-marathon training has elevated us to a different level of friendship all together. After our run this morning, we met at Southbound for our usual eggs and bagels (separate, please!) and coffee. Did you know that if coffee is served in mix-match mugs, it's much better? Truly. And the conversation that followed? Priceless. This week was rough on all of us, I think. And today, we were brutally honest about running. We don't all love the process of and sometimes it's just hard. We were also able to stop and talk about our frustrations, antsy-ness, dreams and plans. It was much-needed.

That feeling beats any high mileage training run any day of the week.

Well it happened...

And by it... I mean that absolute pure desire to not run an inch of the 6 miles prescribed this weekend. I protested all the way through Saturday when I was able to push the run off until Sunday (thanks Toni!). I protested all the way from pushing the run back from the 8:30 - 9 a.m. run time we agreed on previously to 10 a.m. I tried my hardest to tell Toni we should just walk... She went to the bathroom before we started on our journey and I told her if I was gone when she returned... well, to not think terribly of me.

And I thought about quitting during the first half mile...
the first mile...
the second mile...
the third mile...
And every mile after. But we did it, and kept up a pretty great pace at that.

I love running. I do - but I hate running long distances. Sure, the glory of saying "Hey I ran 6 miles today - what did you do?" is fun. Who doesn't love the sassiness that Staci mentioned earlier? But the tired feeling, the sore ankles and knees and the desire to never move again as your body recoups? That - that I do not love.

But I do it anyway. Why? Because I'm a sucker for a challenge and apparently a glutton for pain and punishment.

For the Love of Running...

With the holiday of love upon us, I feel it is only appropriate to share a few things about the topic. No, I am not going to talk about why I love to run. Who ever said that was a love of mine? Not me. I do it, I don't always love it though. It's probably safe to assume that's true for all four of us.

No, instead I want to share some of the things I love when I run... A top 10 list... Here goes...

10. Stretching. I know this may sound lame, but I love that feeling of stretching out my legs before and after a run regardless of how long we are going. I am also a fan of yoga, which Samantha has referenced. Don't let her fool you, she did great at that class. She just didn't recover all that well...

9. The weather. Not something you can control by any stretch of the means, but something that affects my mood in the greatest way. When there is a bright, sunny day, but still slightly chilly, running can actually be fun for me. Give me hot and humid- 90% of the year in South MS- and you'll most likely get attitude.

8. Friendly waves from other runners. There seems to be an unspoken community among those frequenting one of our running locales. While the only interaction may be a slight hand movement in the general direction of the other while passing, there is that unspoken commonality- almost like you're in the same secret club... Cyclists who yell at you, well that's a whole different story.

7. Getting through the first half mile. If I am going to quit on a run, it most likely is going to happen in that first half mile. That's how long it takes me to think about hitting my stride and until that happens I am pretty much miserable. Once I get past it though, in my mind the worse part is over. Running is such a mental sport.

6. Distance/Pace Updates. I use RunKeeper on my phone. Jessica and Samantha use RunMeter. Regardless of what's being used, they both will give you updates on your distance and pace throughout your run. Last year I didn't use the update function while I ran, and I didn't really improve either. Now I listen to my pace so I know when I need to push harder.

5. Half-way points. Fittingly #5 is about being half-way done. Knowing I've finished half the run is almost like a second wind when I'm running. Every stride after that makes you more than half-way finished and one more step closer to being finished.

4. Post-Run Sensation. Even though you're hot, sweaty, and out of breath, that feeling after a run is like a high to me. I almost have this feeling of, "I don't care what you think about my sweaty clothes, I just ran. What did you do?".

3. Saturday Breakfast. Taking that sassy attitude from #4 straight to breakfast with the girls on Saturdays is a highlight of the day. The fresh bread and crazy yummy omelets while sipping coffee out of mismatched mugs is totally worth whatever long run Saturday brings.

2. DJ iPod Shuffle. When a good song hits the shuffle, the outlook on a run can be changed. I admit, I have too many songs in my playlist, and a good many of the songs do not belong on said playlist. So when a super awesome song comes on after a not-so motivating diddy, my mood changes. I am definitely guilty of letting the songs dictate my speed. A few songs that put a little pep in my step: Slow Motion, Thrift Stop, Paper Airplanes, Everybody Get Dangerous, Anything Could Happen, and Rompe.

1. The Company. I honestly wouldn't get through any of the runs if not for the ladies who run with me. Knowing I can look to my side and see one them gives me the motivation to continue and get better. They make me laugh, call me out when I'm being silly, keep me on my toes, share in celebrations, and always motivate me to be not just a better runner, but a better person. They're pretty much awesome...

So, there it is. My list of things that I love when running. What's on your list? A little VD challenge for you to come up with your own. Let's hear it ladies...

Behind the curve...

Suddenly you look up and see your fellow just4kick runners have posted again and you're the odd-ball out. #Iwillnotfallbehind.

That weekend everyone has mentioned so far when all of us had to solo run: I was at an Alpha Delta Pi leadership conference in Atlanta, GA. Fantastic because I haven't been able to participate in three years (I'm usually in France for work all spring). Awful because it's long, exhausting and I knew I had to get myself up extra early (it's Eastern time over there, folks) to run five.long.miles.ALONE.

I too, had only prepared for 50s weather, it was almost freezing, so to the treadmill I headed. Surprisingly there were several other women getting their exercise on that early in the morning sorority girls...I was lucky to find a free treadmill.

A TV! Well this ought to help the time go by, yes?

No! I quickly learned:

1. Treadmills are awful
2. Gyms - or perhaps just this one in general - make me claustrophobic
3. TVs mounted to a treadmill make me feel trapped, I like to see what's in front of me - even if it's just a mirror, there's that whole time-continuum thing that makes the room "feel" larger, right?
4. You can't naturally control your speed, having to think and move your hand to the controls to slow down or speed up your pace takes energy I'd rather spend on just running
5. There's no wind! Not even the fake kind that comes out of some machines, it got real hot, real fast
6. Nothing changes. BORING!

I started feeling dizzy at mile 4. When the spots started forming in the air around me at 4.5 I stopped to walk it off and didn't last long at that. I needed to sit down quickly and headed to the restroom. 

I failed at 5 that morning. It wasn't for lack of nourishment, but I might have over-carb-loaded the evening before on free bread before my over-priced-and-incredibly-small spinach salad I hate spending money I don't have at conferences.

I realized when I finally made it to the restroom that my shirt was on backwards...could it have contributed to my feeling trapped? And also explain why ladies kept looking at me as they walked behind me?

Overall I gave it my best shot, but did NOT like running without my girls, on that machine. 

Since that horrendous solo experience which I've gathered none of us enjoyed:

We ran four miles outside, on a somewhat hilly route Tuesday morning. Thanks to Samantha talking me through the last mile, I finished at a pace I'm proud of. But I hated it and would not have done what I did without her encouraging me. And I can't help but think I'm behind the curve and will forever be no matter how much training I put myself through - it's painful before, during and immediately after. I start with the group, but then after mile 2 I start to fall behind, and it feels physically impossible for me to keep pace either that or my friends are speeding up, grrrr.

This afternoon we're meeting to run 3 miles on the trace - it was too rainy this morning to go. JUST THREE. Staci said to me, "our goal is to finish under 30 Jess, we can do it". She can do it, I know, and I'll give it my best shot. And then we have to go to dance practice don't ask. 

I will say this, echoing Toni's reflections: the rest of the 23 hours in my day on training days, I feel great...and for that I'll keep on keeping on. 

I also think it will help come race day to have a t-shirt with my name printed on the front for the crowd to cheer me on - great idea Samantha!

Just keep woppin'

Who is the queen of justifiable excuses? Me.

My bed is warm.

I'm really tired.

I can run after work.

It's raining...

I feel a cold coming on.

I didn't go to bed early enough.

I have a long day at work, planned.

If there is an excuse to have when I wake up in the morning, it goes through my mind. MOST of the time - it doesn't work. I drudge out of bed at an unfortunate hour and I change into my workout clothes and hit the door. Some days, however? It does. It totally wins. Last Friday, I skipped AT because my bed was warm and I was TIRED of being cold. This morning? I just wanted to sleep. I will say; however, that it's VERY hard to skip a run or a workout when you know three other people are counting on you. There's also the harassment text messages that are sure to follow when you do skip *ahem Jess*. I am getting to the point where it's just harder (for me) to fathom running more than five-six miles, and the mental battle that goes on each morning while I am putting on my shoes is pretty brutal. I think back to every other person who asks me WHY I choose to get up before the birds and run. Do I enjoy torture? Apparently, but what doesn't challenge you doesn't change you. Yeah, yeah. That's my motivational spiel. Let's move onto better things... like the music that keeps us going.

As Toni mentioned, she added some new music to her arsenal for the Saturday run. I have an unhealthy obsession with iTunes. I can also grow tired of a song pretty quickly - so my running playlist changes pretty frequently (some songs staying and rotating others off after I realize that don't get me moving). Recently, a night at Staci's led to us going through her old mixed CDs. Not mix-tapes, but mix CDs. There is a difference, but we do at least remember mix-tapes. Ask your random 12-year old about what a mix-tape is and they will stare blankly at you - but I digress.

Where were we? The music. Some folks might laugh at my oddly mixed grouping of music, but I love it. No matter how old or new - if it picks up my pace - it's worth it. During our first 5-mile run, Staci asked me why I slowed down at one point... I slowed down because I thought I was going to die - but I told her because J. Dash told me to "Wop it slow." I mean...

The mix is quite a variety of uptempo and fast tempo songs. I need something that gets me up and going... and I also need it to be loud. I am most positive that I will be hearing impaired by an early age, but that's another story all together. See below for my latest playlist! Staci, Jess and Toni might have more to say about what gets them moving... challenge post, perhaps?

It's about 30 songs... Usually it's shorter, but I've lengthened it so that when I play through it on shuffle - I don't run to the same stuff every run.

1. The Man Who Never Lied - Maroon 5
2. One More Night - Maroon 5
3. Wipe Your Eye - Maroon 5
4. Whistle - Flo Rida
5. Blow Me One Last Kiss - Pink
6. Your Body - Christina Aguilera
7. I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphy's
8. Die Young - Ke$ha
9. Catch My Breath - Kelly Clarkson
10. I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
11. Rest of My Life - Usher, David Guetta & Ludacris
12. Belas Finals - Pitch Perfect Soundtrack
13. Trebles Finals - Pitch Perfect Soundtrack
14. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
15. On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons
16. Suit & Tie - Justin Timberlake & JAY Z
17. Wop - J. Dash
18. Sure Be Cool If You Did - Blake Shelton
19. It's Time - Imagine Dragons
20. Addicted - Simple Plan
21. Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding
22. Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
23. Aw Naw - Nappy Roots
24. Hollaback Girl - No Doubt
25. I Feel So - Boxcar Racer
26. I'm Just a Girl - No Doubt
27. Jaded - Aerosmith
28. Rompe - Daddy Yankee
29. Say I Yi Yi - Ying Yang Twins
30. Shoop - Salt-n-Peppa
31. Slow Motion - Juvenile
32. Spider Web - No Doubt
33. That Thing - Lauryn Hill
34. Thrift Shop - Mackelmore ft. Wanz
35. Toxic - Britney Spears
36. We are Young - Fun

Got any good songs? Let us know!

Strides and Setbacks

So this past Saturday, as can be gathered from previous posts, was a sort of scattered long-run day for us ladies. Samantha and I didn’t have to battle treadmills/heat/Al Bundy (yikes!), just the whole getting-out-of-bed on a Saturday morning thing. So we didn’t. We went in the evening. And you know what? It was great! With a new arsenal of running music (Sorry Michael Buble, I appreciate your continuous encouragements of “you’ve got what it takes” but I can only run to mellow for so long…) and Sam to make me keep going, we did 5 miles – with our last mile at the fastest pace yet! That was my first time ever to run 5 miles, and around mile 4, I really did feel like I hit a kind of stride – it felt good!

My body has been actually (weirdly) craving that feeling again, not so much the rolling out of bed, but moving is kind of addicting. I don’t know (yet) if for me that always has to mean running. But running is working, and I like it and how I feel when it’s done.

And that leads into the “setbacks” part referred to in the title. So my boyfriend was sick all weekend, sick enough to stay home from work, and half the people in my department are sick. All with various levels of cold/sinus/bronchitis/flu-like stuff. So I don’t know where it came from exactly, but I can’t breathe, my ears are popping, my brain is doped up on decongestants and cough and headache stuff, blah blah blah. Nothing crazy, I’m not dying, but I’m really annoyed!!!! I’m still working, and I’ve been a beast in the kitchen the last few days (another story entirely. whew.), but I know my body would revolt if I pushed it any harder than I already am (and maybe shouldn’t be. Oh well.)

So I haven’t run since Saturday!!!! Ugh.

I was also planning to join the rest of the crew in the craziness known to as AT downtown this week. Awesome. L But I guess all I can really do for now is do what I have to do, take care of myself as best I know how, and get better so I can get back to it!

So I apologize if this is the most boring/whiny blog post yet (it is) – I blame it on the phenylephrine (and hey – it’s only my second blog post to ever really write anyway!) I miss my friends and am ready to run with everyone again…crossing my fingers for next time, or at least by Saturday!!!

One Is the Loneliest Number...

Well, maybe not always, but when it comes to long runs the title of this post is oh-so-true!

This past week was unique in that our crew of four did not get to run our regular schedule. Samantha missed out on Tuesday due to my pushing her in hot yoga Monday night. I missed Thursday's run with the group due to the fact that I was out of town in Tallahassee for a conference.  In a new city with a 4-mile run on tap, I decided that running would be the best way to experience Florida State University campus. So bright and early on a much unexpected chilly morning, I was ready to run.

Remember how we were introducing hills into our training? As I began my run from the hotel to campus, I quickly realized that my hotel sat on the top of a very, very big hill, we can call it a monster. Getting to campus took no time whatsoever (literally half a mile down hill), but I knew I couldn't forget this would be waiting for me at the end. Being in a new city, I set RunKeeper to alert me at every half mile (I'll get antsy not knowing how far I've gone in a new city), which was super helpful. I honestly did not make a route for this run, just glanced over a map to get a feel for the layout of campus in relation to my hotel. I knew the main street names that would lead me back. I'm proud to say that I only vaguely got lost. Knowing I would eventually find my way back, I didn't panic and pressed on making for a great, fun run. During this run I saw the full extent of FSU stadium, found a peaceful nature trail, made my way down Legacy Walk and completed my 4 miles before ending at the base of the monster hill my hotel sat upon. The extra half mile uphill was just icing on the cake. If you're ever on FSU campus, I would definitely suggest running through-around-by-in-across (and all those other fun prepositions) it-- beautiful campus!

Yes, I know I just described a great solo run. Not all solo runs are terrible. So how does this fit with the title? Well, while I was out of town I missed not one, but two runs with my gal pals. Fast forward to Saturday's 5-miles and I was miserable. After such a great time on Thursday, I was sooo looking forward to a repeat, but the weather had different plans. When I needed to run, the weather wanted to be in the low 30s. Too cold? Yes, when you prepared for 50 degree weather. There was no going out for a run without my cold-weather gear, which I didn't pack. It's Florida, how knew?! So to the hotel gym I went where I was forced to climb upon the dreaded treadmill. Boo! The best I can say is that it sucked. Bad. I was ready to call it quits after mile 1. 1! I knew though I would have to tell the group if I didn't keep going. So somehow, somewhere I pulled out 5 miles at a most terribly yuck pace. Alone in the fitness center, I only had the hum of the treadmill and episodes of "Married with Children" to watch. I'll be the first to say Al Bundy is not a great motivator to run, unless you're running away, which on a treadmill you can't- you're not going anywhere.

Some training days can be great and then the next terrible. I know I wouldn't get far without my girls to lift my spirits along the way and hold me accountable. I would say the best thing about training has been the group. Knowing that someone is going to bust you when you mess up and then celebrate you when you do good. Everyone needs that sometimes. I know I'm not alone in this and that makes it so much easier.

Oh. Em. Gee.

You might think this post is a about the monstrous hills we climbed today on our hill-training run. But it's not, because I missed out on that fun event. Let me tell you why...

Staci is a fitness beast. And I say this with as much love as possible. She is involved in a lot of different things that keep her fit and excited about life. I, on the other hand, really like my couch. I love to run, but even joining a gym was a huge feat for me. But Staci often challenges me to think about other things, do better and try things I wouldn't normally try. Last Monday at our athletic training class, she was talking about hot yoga. She has mentioned it a few times before and my interests have always been raised. Now please note, they are only raised a wee bit and I move on, because I honestly can't even think about adding another thing to "do." We train on M/W/F with AT class and we run Tues/Thurs/Sat - something has to give, right? Wrong.

Staci invited me along to try hot yoga last Monday. I silently cheered when the class was canceled (don't scowl at me Staci!). Fast forward to yesterday. After AT class, I told Staci that if I was able to drink enough water (I have slight dehydration issues - more on that later), that I would go to hot yoga with her. All on my own terms. I wanted to at least try it. She told me to drink enough water and she would pick me up around 6:45.

I wasn't really sure what to expect. I certainly didn't expect to sweat from EVERY PORE IN MY BODY. Or to be assisted by touch. While everyone was excelling at a yoga head stand (I REPEAT, THEY WERE STANDING ON THEIR HEADS), I was just trying to get in the right form to even attempt something like that. Note, I didn't WANT to attempt standing on my head. I was new. I had an out, right? That's when the instructor came by and grabbed my legs. She just grabbed them... and then I felt a lot of pressure on my forearms and in my head. It hit me halfway through that she was trying to help me stand on my head. Processing that wasn't easy. Which is when I let out a few loud "OMGs and HOLY CRAPs." It wasn't bad, I just didn't expect it. When someone has personal space issues - knowledge of what is to come is slightly important. Especially when that regards touch and complicated yoga movements. But I digress...

After we finished, I felt kind of weird. I did drink a lot of water throughout the day yesterday and I drank quite a bit of water and Crystal Light lemonade (sugar + water = good) after the class. I was unusually tired when I got home so in between hydration, I found myself falling asleep. I also ate a peanut butter sandwich somewhere in the mix. Suddenly it was 11:30 p.m. and my body began to revolt. This is the only pleasant way to explain it and because you have better things to envision - I'll leave it at that.

I haven't been to the ER due to physical sport activity in roughly two years, and last night I felt closer than ever. Normally, I wait entirely too late to make a call - mostly in denial that I can take care of it myself. I hate inconveniencing friends. Late night phone calls can rattle you for the next 24-hours, but I sucked in my pride and called Staci. At that point, I thought the ER would be where I spent the rest of the night... but the first treatment option is always Gatorade/Powerade. She brought me two 32 oz. bottles and sat with me while I drank the first one. I knew if I could keep it down, I would be okay. Stages of dehydration are pretty terrible, in case you want to know. Dry heaving, cramping hands, unregulated body temperature and the list goes on. It's not fun and it's so hard to communicate how terrible you feel. Needless to say, I am more than grateful for Staci - and the girls went on our hill-training run without me. I was actually looking forward to this route, and I'm still a little bummed.

So - lesson learned. No more hot yoga for this girl - at least not in the midst of training for a half-marathon. Or ever.

Pajamas.

Today has been a walk-in-the-door-immediately-put-on-pajamas kind of day…you know the kind. I really don’t have those often; even bad-ish days usually result in a mere kicking-off-of-the-shoes upon entering the house. My immediate thought is to hark back to the foggy (literally and metaphorically) beginning of said day. It was still dark. And foggy. And drizzly. And thanks to a poorly (aka – not at all) thought out commitment that I made a few of the longest short weeks back, I dragged myself out of bed to meet up for our 4 mile hill *yes…hill…it’s s’posed to be flat here but the Evil Mastermind referenced in previous posts but who will not be named here…yet…found some* run at 5:50. In the morning.

I am a night person, and have witnesses to the fact. So how did I wind up in this crew of crazy women who have made this strange kind of torture a regular commitment, only to have the ultimate goal of a butt-kicking “final” torture-test?  (Note: final is in quotes because I have sneaky suspicions about how final it will really be with this particular party…).

In all honesty, I’m really not sure. I know that the Stellar Schemester and Evil Mastermind also known as one of my favorite people and dear friend, Staci Cox, threw it oh so casually into a conversation at some point maybe over lunch and I may have said I’d think about it. The next thing I remember (again, vaguely) is a conversation on New Year’s Eve walking around New Orleans where I brought up that I was thinking I’d join the AT class that all three of the other ladies in this plot already participate in, and Staci was like “great! So you’re in for the half-marathon too, right?” (really I am taking liberties with the verbage here…I mostly remember this beautiful, perfect day walking around NOLA w/friends, completely unaware what I was about to sign up for) and feeling inspired at the moment, I’m like “Sure!” (It can’t be that bad, right? In my head…)

Fast forward to today: week 3, day 1 of training. And previously referenced pajama-inducing day.  But I’m thinking a little more about today…and it was just a LONG day period. We had a lot of exciting and busy things going on at work, I think my brain was going a million miles a minute most of the day, lots of different things to do and deal with. And I didn’t get sleepy, or slow, or slide into a deep coma…not once. I had coffee, but not excessive amounts. So really, I don’t think this morning was to blame for the pajamas. I think that just kind of came with the territory of the day. I think the run, and having that little time of camaraderie and “woo-hoo we can do this!” with some really awesome people (sans one who was out and definitely missed but still included in “awesome people”!), both old and newish-to-me, was more what helped me through today. So I’m grateful, and excited, and I think this is good. And even though we all kind of moan and groan about our Crafty Captain, I’m pretty sure we all secretly (or not so secretly), feel the same way.  So Nashville, bring on your hills, here we come!

Samantha said it...

"You just wait for the stories" she said, in her first entry Oh dear.

I like to think that's where I come in. Not that we all won't have fantastic stories to share, but I like to think I'll be "that girl" that shares it all. Maybe my entries should come with a ratings warning? All I'm saying is brace yourselves.

Why am I doing this? Because Staci asked me to. And yes, if she asked me to jump off a cliff I most likely would - it's just that kind of friendship.

You can read our "conversation" if you can call sly-trickery: conversing by following the link above, but you should know that the start of all this being-healthy-challenging-myself-crazy-hooplah for me begins a few months ago. I was painting a friend's kitchen with (you guessed it) Staci and a few other ladies, listening to them converse about the Spartan Race we were all signed up for [gasp]. Yes folks, it is as awful as it sounds.

By the end of the evening I was convinced to sign up for a Versus Strength and Conditioning Athletic Training class after my soon-to-be coach sent me the link to this blog written by a woman who addresses the differences between the Spartan Race and the Warrior Dash (a topic from the evening's discussions). I knew if I didn't start doing something other than running walk-jogging on my own time, I wouldn't survive the race.

So, the next week I began my new training with Versus AT and after my very first class...

"I made it back to the bathroom but couldn't decide what I needed to do when I got there (vomit, sit, poop, cry...)" 

-Excerpt provided by tcktales

And that's where I pick up the stories that will accompany this hell half-marathon training. Vowel movements, as my grandmother refers to them and we too shall henceforth, are very real-and-completely-within-the-confines-of-appropriate-runners'-conversation-topics.

Our poor AT class didn't realize just how close I decided we had become the morning after Just-4-Kicks first experience implementing hills. If I told you I was "moving quick" up and down those beasts, mountains, hills but I'm not referring to my feet would you catch my drift? I asked our coach if he had ever heard of "runner's-gut".

"You mean where your stomach messes up when you're running?"

Yes. When your stomach messes up.

Coach had heard of people who experience vowel issues during long runs. "And when you say long-runs, what's that like, three miles?" I asked and cut my eyes at Staci.

Runner's gut and vowel movements aside don't you worry, there will be plenty of time for that, I'm excited about this challenge. I've been feeling restless and antsy lately and haven't been able to put my finger on why. I think this will be something to focus on living for a while, and it will certainly be something to write about.

These other women I'm in this with are fantastic people who I've slowly come to know (thanks in large part to Staci) and get excited about seeing in the mornings. Like Samantha said, it's way easier to get up and go that's really not supposed to be a vowel movement pun there when you know there are others relying on you for motivation and you rely on them. It's a win-win for everyone.

No, I'm not LOOKING FORWARD to running a four-mile-hill-route in the morning, or the vowels that will come before, during and after (literally, we take turns grunting, ugh'ing and other'ing things) but I'm excited to check one more training day off our list, together.

Oh dear.

Oh dear is exactly what I said after I agreed to "think" about running another half-marathon. I can still feel the pain that resonated through my body after half 1 and half 2. Staci would sigh and tell me that I am being dramatic. And she would be right - but when you don't even want to go to the bathroom because of the soreness that is shooting through your quads - I mean, come on... But I digress.

So yes, I said I would do it again. If we were having this conversation over coffee, right now, I would tell you that I secretly wanted to run another one. The one thing keeping me from doing so would have been the long runs. By the time we made it to the New Orleans half last year, I had no self-motivation for long training runs. After we reached 6 miles, I just didn't even want to think about running anymore.  Running is 90% mental. So before lacing my tennis shoes, I had already killed any motivation I had. Not to mention - I was slow. I hid behind the "I'm a slow runner" mantra. I was happy with an 11:30-12 minute mile. I was settling for mediocre.

After swearing off long distance running all together, I focused on the 5K. Three miles in my brain was entirely doable. Last fall, I started running with a guy friend of mine who is kinda fast. Okay, really fast... 7-8 minute mile fast. We ran one 5K together and while I could not compete with his speed - I pushed myself way further than I had before. In October I ran my first sub-10 minute mile and throughout November and December, I continued to set new PRs for myself. My fastest 5K being a 30:06 finish. I've come out from under the slow rock I've been happy to settle with and embraced the process of being better and faster than the last race.

I wasn't really asking, "what's next?" But! I could tell from the look on Staci's face as we approached the discussion that fateful morning that she really wanted to run another half-marathon. I was happy running faster 5Ks. However, I knew if she committed to running one - I would want in on the torture fun. Brilliantly - she reigned in Toni and Jessica. Group runs are TEN times better than solo runs, and I feel much more motivated to get up and run.

This past weekend we did 5 and we have 5 on tap for Saturday - and I'll be honest... I don't know if my motivation will increase or decrease as the mileage goes up. And I certainly do NOT enjoy hill training... Did Staci mention the Nashville course is one big hill!?  Well, it is. Either way - I think we've all been brought together for a reason. Whether that reason is to finish 13.1 miles or to grow closer as friends. Those that sweat together, stick together - right?  Whatever the reason - it should most definitely be a journey... with lots of laughter. You just wait for the stories...