Friday Foto Fun!!!

...I know my halves have come and gone but I wanted to share some of the professional photos from the race. This year both of my halves also posted a video of your finish! Very cool but ugh...you think you look good and strong and athletic and I just look like a hot, floppin' mess! Anyways on to the pictures...

Here is me stopping my watch (my watch ended up having my exact official time-how cool is that!) at the end of the Mini Marathon in Indy. This is what I look like after 7 hours in the emergency room, a 4 hour drive across three states and 13.1 miles...not bad, eh? I also feel like I look a bit like a giant but whatevs!

This is MB and I crossing the "bricks" in the Brickyard. They were WAY smaller than I expected...see it's just that little bitty strip of bricks:

Now on to Hospital Hill...this is probably like mile 7ish. I'm in the hot pink with my two She-Ra pacers on either side...Shelley in lime shorts and Sherrie in the white tank. They are AWESOME!

Look at the intensity on that face...or wait, is that heat, exhaustion??? Let's go with intensity!

Get ready for the finish line photos! I've noticed in a lot of these pics that sometimes I'm not even touching the ground, I'm floating like a butterfly!

Now I think this look is desperation, I was probably thinking, "Hurry up and cross that finish line so you can pee!" I also think I have an awesome runner's form...at least in this pic.

Tada-finished!!! Now where is that Porta-A-Potty....

And that my friends is my Friday Foto Fun! Race pictures are always so much fun to look at but remember, you gotta have a sense of humor because there are NOT always the most flattering!

I'm KIND of a Big Deal...

...as I mentioned before, this past year, I was an ambassador for Hospital Hill Run which basically means I helped spread the word of how awesome the race is to my fellow runners in the STL and Cape area. I went to social runs and gave away water bottles, ear warmers and raffled off race entries, I got to meet lots of local runners plus I got all sorts of fun perks like a race entry, HHR gear and all the 411 on everything going on. Since I loved the race and it is VERY well put-together, it was EASY to talk it up and tell everyone how awesome it is. Besides the perks, I ugh...well, also became the poster child for the race too. I was on a couple handouts that Beth, the race director, sent me and I thought that was pretty cool. Then she posted a picture on FB of the new banner and saw myself again....awesome. Well, when I got to the Expo on the Friday before the race, I was a little shocked at how much face time I really had. Should I show you?

Well, this was the entrance to the Expo. I'm the one in the hot pink shirt, that's from last year's race.

Then Cece opened the race booklet and showed me this...yep, that's me again.

On Saturday after the race and we were leaving the hotel, I noticed this banner...

Top picture, yep...me again! But wait for it...it gets better...

At the Expo on Friday, Beth pulls me aside and tells me I'm also on a billboard in Westport in KC! So after the race and some swimming, we drove by to see it...TADA!

When we were driving there, Matt was like you'd better be ready to take the picture and I told him we were getting out to get a pic of me with it. He did his super dramatic, are you kidding me sigh and I said, "It's not every day you're on a billboard! How many times have you been on one?" He answered, "Five." I rolled my eyes and called BS. So here I am with my billboard (thank goodness it's far away because I was looking a little gross by this point in the day):

Did anyone recognize or realize it was me? Absolutely not! A few volunteers kept asking me if I worked at a certain place because I looked familiar. I told them I was in the booklet and they were all "that's where we know you from" but I think they were just being nice.

When Matt FINALLY got to the hotel (I rode up with Jen and Cece and he came up after work and got stuck in like an hour of traffic 2 miles from his exit), I showed him the booklet and he looked at me, then to the picture then back at me and said, "That doesn't even look like you." Yes, the one year I was a celebrity and it was definitely a chunky monkey picture.

Beth told me that since she used me this year, she wouldn't use me next year which I was a little relieved. Why? Well, because I brought the same outfit to race in and now I don't have to worry about ALL of KC seeing me in the same outfit two years in a row.

So that my friends was my 15 minutes of fame...I'm not available for autographs. ;)

Hospital Hill Half Marathon-I Survived!!!

...I survived year #2 at HHR thanks to my She-Ra team of Sherrie and Shelley! We had planned to run with the 2:40 pace group; however, because the 5k and 10k started at the same time, the starting area was a MESS! The 5k and 10k people were mixed in with the half pace groups so we couldn't even get TO the 2:40 group to start with them. Once we crossed the starting line though, things spread out and we ran the majority of the race between the 2:35 and 2:40 pace groups.

This is the only picture Matt got of us running, this is around mile 2. It was so hot that he was giving me water/Gatorade and a wet rag every time we saw them which was WAY more important than pictures.

It was hot. The bands they had out were really good! It was hilly. I saw my DM friend Haley around mile 6-7 and she was looking strong. It was hot. After I saw Haley, I saw a girl getting an IV and being taken off in an ambulance. It was hilly. After this, I recognized a girl who ran in my pace group last year and kicked my butt. I sooo wanted to beat her but I lost her after a couple miles...maybe next year? It was hot. I drank at every water station and couldn't have been more thankful when I saw our hubs in between each water station with more liquids and wet towels-they were a godsend. It was hilly. Probably stupid but we counted all the hills-14!!! So basically one per mile (including the .1). It was hot. Around mile 10, they handed out ice. It was amazing. It was hilly. I saw the 2:40 pace group towards the end and refused to let them pass us. It was hot. I turned it on the last .2 of a mile, made it the first tenth then the sudden urge to pee which made me slow down. It was hot. I finished and crushed my time from last year by 9 minutes! Did I mention it was hot and hilly?

Year #2 and yep, I conquered the hill again!

My wonderful waterboy!!! Although if he told me one more time that he saw us walking, he might have been WEARING the water...but I still love him and am so so grateful for this handsome hunk! Love this picture of us!

Me with the awesome race director Beth who has informed me that I'm a Hospital Hill Ambassador for life AND...I'm going to be an ambassador for Rock-n-Roll St. Louis!!!

I was SO thankful to have Shelley and Sherrie by my side pushing me and helping me the entire way. I'm super excited about my time but at the same time, the Indy Half I did in 2:37 so now I wonder if I could have done it faster since it was way flatter and not nearly as hot but I also had a lot of things working against me in that race i.e. no sleep and lots of stress. Since that half (May 7), I have lost 8 pounds and I could REALLY tell because this is the first race that my hips did not kill me. My wall is usually at mile 10 and while I did a lot of walking during the last 3 miles, I didn't necessarily feel bad physically as much as I was just freakin' tired and I'm pretty sure I told Sherrie and Shelley I was tired quite a few times! Thank you ladies for standing by my side and getting me to the finish line in record time.

At the end of the race, they were getting rid of all the leftover food. Yep, Cece and I took an entire box of 'nanas home!

After I ate the most delicious frozen fruit bar ever, it could have been a block of ice in that heat and it would have tasted amazing, I found all "my people" and chatted and said goodbye. Cece and I headed back out on the course and walked Jen in to finish her first half-so freakin' proud of her!!! It was a hot, hot day but it was awesome because HHR does an awesome job of putting on a fantastic race and I had lots of friends around to share the day with.

So...whose in for next year???

What It All Comes Down To: Half Training Week 4/12...

Friday, May 27-Ran a mile to the park with Emma. Met Maggie there where we walked 2 miles then Em and I walked the mile home. It was nice to get out. I'm so glad Maggie met me or I so would have sat at home and done nothing all day.

Saturday, May 28-Met Jen at the gym. Ran 3 miles then walked another 1.75 with Jen. Then we went shopping at Old Navy so I'm sure that burnt some calories too!...Got bored in the afternoon so Shadow and I walked to my SIL's new townhouse and back for another 2.5 miles.

Sunday, May 29-Matt and I walked 1 mile to the movie theater, saw "Bridesmaids" (no bueno in our opinions) then walked a mile home. Really shouldn't have been lazy because I was WAY over on my calories.

Monday, May 30-Had to work all day.

Tuesday, May 31-Met Jen at the gym, ran 3 miles and walked .33.

Wednesday, June 1-Met Della at Creve Coeur Lake and ran 3.7 miles in honor of National Running Day. It was hot, hot, hot! We took it nice and slow and enjoyed the shady spots of the trail. Came home and Emma escaped so I had to track her down. Never a dull moment around here!

Thursday, June 2-Met Jen and swam today. We took it nice and easy just chatting while we worked out. Speed work: 1 mile timed: 8:07.

Friday, June 3-Here we are on Friday, June 3, the day before Hospital Hill. My first half ever this time last year and I'm back for round #2. As this posts, I'll be driving to KC to work the expo. It's amazing how so much can change in one year...it just seriously blows my mind. Anyways, my goal for tomorrow is 1. to finish 2. to beat my time from last year (2:47) and my push it goal is 2:40. I know tomorrow is going to be hot, hot, hot and hilly, hilly, hilly so if I don't get 2:40, I won't beat myself up over it. Wish me luck and drink some water for me in the AM!

Half Training Week 3/11...

...are you all tired of these posts yet? Because I'm REALLY tired of training. Don't worry...only one more after today!

Friday, May 20-Ran 10.5 miles with my co-worker Holly. I was NOT wanting to do this at all and you can tell in my pace (12:21/mile). Around mile 7, I finally got warmed up, or realized there was no turning back, and I settled into a good time. Mmmm...Mattie took me to the Hibatchi restaurant for dinner, now THIS is why I love running. :)

Saturday, May 21-Walked Shad 1.25 miles then did like 10 minutes of P90X yoga. All I have to say is that I'm sooo not flexible!

Sunday, May 22-Woke up bright and early to run with the running group at work. THOUGHT I was only running three but it ended up being 4 miles. I was very unprepared for this run...dressed in all black, no water, no water belt to hold my keys BUT I still managed an 11:17 pace! From Monday, May 16-Sunday, May 22, I logged 38 miles...it was a busy week for me!

Monday, May 23-First day of camp training and I thought that working 9am-9pm, I'd for sure be able to squeeze in a run. I was wrong. So unplanned rest day but I was a busy bee running around all day so I'm pretty sure I burnt plenty of calories.

Tuesday, May 24-Ran a 5k on the t-mill. Really not following a training plan this week just trying to get in what I can since its camp training and I'm busy, busy, busy!

Wednesday, May 25-Stress, storms and responsibility kept me from working out this day! :(

Thursday, May 26-Swam a mile and officially hit 15 miles so I'm in the swim club!!!

So this week was camp training, the start of my busy season. I only got to work out 2x which sucks with Hospital Hill right around the corner. I treated my body very poorly this week....I did eat within my calories but on Wednesday, I didn't have a single drop of liquid...no water, no Gatorade, no soda. That's horrible!?!

To top it all off, Matt had a renal scan yesterday and we're waiting to hear from the doc what to do. He called us around 9 last night and asked Matt some questions and then said he was waiting for his CT scan for a few years ago to compare. Looks like there's no blockage, his right kidney is draining slowly but it's hard to tell without putting a tube in there to check it out. So now we just wait...enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

Half Training Week 2/10...

...10 weeks since I started my half training, seems like forever ago!!!

Friday, May 13-Was supposed to run from my house to Big River Running for Girls on the Run packet pick-up but after mile 1, I was hot and my legs were heavy. Instead, I walked the whole way, better to have walked than done nothing at all, right?

Saturday, May 14-LONG day of shopping and work which means rest day due to no time to squeeze anything in.

Sunday, May 15-Volunteered at the Girls on the Run 5k so I walked a lot but no specific training.

Monday, May 16-Walked 2 miles in the AM with Jen. Met Della at Creve Coeur after work and we did 2 loops which was 7.4 miles. She's got a half this weekend, good luck!, so we were taking it slow at about a 12 minute/mile pace.

Tuesday, May 17-Ran for 1 hour which equaled 5.4 miles. This run was purely for burning calories because I planned on being bad for dinner. :)

Wednesday, May 18-Met Jen and did a small weights workout and then we walked 2 miles outside in the gorgeous weather!

Thursday, May 19-Swam 1 mile and then had speed workout with Big River in the evening. Ran 4-800s, luckily, it was much cooler than last week.

Two weeks to go until Hospital Hill Run, my runaversary! I'm so excited because not only am I running with BQ'r Shell BUT Sherrie's running with me again!!! It's going to be a great weekend, hills and all!

Half Marathon Training Week 8...

...week 8 and the Indy Mini-Mary is tomorrow!!!

Saturday, April 30-SCC 10k! New PR!

Sunday, May 1-Delta Gamma 5k! Another new PR! (Rabbit, rabbit!)

Monday, May 2-Did 30 minutes on the elliptical over lunch with Jen then met Della after work at Creve Coeur Lake. Della and I did one loop which is 3.7 miles in 40.32.

Tuesday, May 3-Uncalled for rest day because I was too excited about the Jimmy Buffett concert!

Wednesday, May 4-30 minutes on the elliptical, too tired from the night before to do anything else.

Thursday, May 5-Swam a mile. Ran at Creve Coeur Lake with Della-3.7 miles in 40.52. OMG! The wind was so flippin' strong!

I came home last night and Mattie said his back was hurting him again like the kidney infection he had last month. Sigh...I don't like it when he feels bad and its something as serious as his kidneys. If you don't mind, say a prayer for my Mattie to feel better. Happy Friday all!

500 Festival Mini Marathon...

...I will be running a mini marathon, AKA half marathon, this weekend in Indianapolis, IN. I'm actually kind of excited since my last marathon race was in October and I love that runner's high after a race. Part of the race is actually on the NASCAR Indy 500 track which I think is 2.5 miles long so that'll be cool and they've got live bands throughout the course so it should be a good time. Now let me tell you how this idea to run this race came about...

After I ran the Lewis & Clark Full Marathon in October, my friend Angie (who'd ran half the full with me) said let's do the Indy Mini Marathon. She has family in the area and her SIL had decided to run it. I was like, I'll think about it and checked out the website. Keep in mind that as soon as the full was over, we went straight into IVF so I had no idea where or what I'd be doing in May. I kept going back and looking at the website trying to figure out what to do. The problem was that the fee drastically increased after Thanksgiving and we wouldn't know whether IVF would work or not until the end of December. I was torn at what to do! I talked to the running guru at work and got her opinion. The Mini Marathon has a 4 hour time limit so she and I decided that if I was 5 months prego that as long as I stayed on a training schedule, I would be able to walk the mini in 4 hours. I decided to bite the bullet and register saving me about $25. When you registered, you had to put your estimated finish time so I just put 4 hours. After I registered, I told my friend Beth about it because I knew her granny lived in Indy so she registered too. Plus my DM friend Mary Beth (or MB as I call her) is also running. MB is planning on staying by my side and running the entire race with me.

A couple weeks ago, I got a postcard in the mail about the race. I didn't really read it, almost tossed it but sat it on the table to read later. Upon further reading, I found out that I need that little card to pick up my bib and it had my corral listed on it. So here it is May, I'm no where near prego, hoping to beat a 2:46 time and I'm in CORRAL Z!!! UGH! I had emailed back in February to ask if I could change my time and they said no. Now I'm stuck in the back of the pack to dodge around walkers and still try to beat my goal time. I wouldn't be as worried about this except for the fact that the three other ladies (Angie, her SIL and Beth) are in corrals P and Q and will probably finish a good hour before me. My goal is to try to sneak into a corral that starts before Z but we'll have to see how strict they are on race morning. Did I mention 35,000 people are running this?

OH! AND Mattie and I have to drive back to MO that afternoon. Yeah, I registered back in November then got my work schedule and I was scheduled to work this upcoming weekend. Luckily, I got the Saturday switched but no luck with switching Sunday since it is Mother's Day and I'm the only non-mom at work. . Luckily on Friday, Matt and I are both off work so we'll be able to take our time, not get up too early, get there in time to meet up with Beth and head to the expo and carb load (my favorite reason to run!). Saturday, however, is just going to be a whirlwind that includes racing, showering, lunch and driving. Whew, I'm tired already!

Anyways, I am excited about this race and just trying not to put too much pressure on myself. I feel like my running is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was this time last year but I don't want to take anything for granted. I know that weather, what I eat, how I feel, etc...all play a huge part on my performance not to mention this is definitely the BIGGEST race I've ever run in. My time from Hospital Hill last year was 2:46:42 which was a 12:44/mile. My 1st goal for this race is to beat that time. My realistic goal is 2:43 or less and I have a "push-it" goal but I'll keep that to myself for now.

So there you have it, the deets on my race this weekend! Not sure if I'll have Internet this weekend but I have my FB and Twitter set up to post my splits DURING the race (how cool is that!) but a race report will have to wait until Monday. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! Think of me when you wake up on Saturday morning and know that I'll be running...and running...and running...

Half Marathon Training Week 7...

...week 7 already? Where has the time gone!

Friday, April 22-Rest and travel day!

Saturday, April 23-Woke up early and headed to the local gym in Cape. Ran 2.76 miles on the t-mill with Laura while my mom did water aerobics. All this rain is really putting a damper on my outside training.

Sunday, April 24-Easter-ate too much and didn't work out enough (or at all!)

Monday, April 25-The planned called for 2. I decided to go for 5 in honor of NIAW, I ran 5 miles for our 5 little embryos in hopes that one day we'll hold one of them in our arms.

Tuesday, April 26-Swam with Jen! Instead of just straight laps, we swam a couple then did a couple laps with kickboards. Then swam our choice then kickboards. Jen introduced me to the "figure 8" thingie that you put between your legs to work on your arms. It was fun! I definitely liked this workout.

Wednesday, April 27-Was supposed to do four mile-repeats but only did two. I was a little cocky and started out too fast and got a side stitch. Ended up walk/running 2.7 in 30 minutes. This night was also the info meeting for the Biggest Winner Contest.

Thursday, April 28-Swam with Jen, total of one mile. Mileage Club total: 11 miles! Only 4 away until the first prize!!!

Wish me luck and good weather for my races this weekend!

NIAW Fact:
Fifteen states have passed laws requiring that insurance policies cover some level of infertility treatment: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia. (For more on this visit the insurance coverage section of resolve.org.)

Half Marathon Training Week 6...

...this post is dedicated to my fellow DAC member Beth. Can't wait to see you in exactly two weeks!!!
Friday, April 15-REST DAY! I was going to try to sneak in a small little run to deliver our utility bill but as I was heading home, all hail (get it hail? HA HA!) broke loose and I decided it was probably NOT the best running conditions.

Saturday, April 16-Brr! Mother Nature had another mood swing and it was FREEZING! I was super lazy and after work that morning, I came home and crawled back in bed. Bad Running Alyssa!

Sunday, April 17-Wanted to run a fast 2 miles to City Hall and back to drop off the utility bill. However, after brunch and cookie dough (and maybe a couple cookies), I wanted to toss my cookies after the first mile. So I ran a mile there, dropped off the bill and walked a mile home. Matt saw me walking home and just honked and kept going. He was mad at me because I ran without him!

Monday, April 18-Ran 5.21 miles on the 'mill! It felt good to run and I'm always feel proud of myself after I have so I don't know why I fight running so much on the weekends.

Tuesday, April 19-The planned called for cross-train but I wanted to run. I hopped on the t-mill and did a quick 5k...no seriously, quick! As in 31:57!!! I hope I run that fast during my 5k race on May 1!

Wednesday, April 20-Today was a hills workout. I ran for 15 minutes then did 8 minutes of hills. I was supposed to run another 15 minutes but I didn't. I really think what I eat affects my performance. I had Olive Garden on Tuesday night for dinner. I went home and belly ached, no really I had a belly ache, for like 3 hours and told Matt how gross I felt. Hopefully I learned my lesson...

Thursday, April 21-I did 6 miles in 64:48-that's a 10:47/mile pace!!! I even walked a quarter of a mile. Now I just have to push, push, push myself to go this fast when I run outside and not on the t-mill. I celebrated this speedy run with a Reese's egg; hey-I deserved it!

SIDE NOTE: I'd been doing so well with my eating and then the past two weekends (and I know the weekend coming up), I've eaten HORRIBLE so I've asked Mattie and I'm asking you all to PLEASE keep me on track! Hopefully when the Biggest Winner starts, I'll be more motivated to stay on task. Biggest Winner, is a county-wide weight loss program that runs for 8 weeks. I'll be doing a post on it as it gets closer. Happy Easter everyone!!!

Half Training Week 5...

...week 5's training:

Friday, April 8-Plan called for 11. I ran a little over 3 miles and turned around to head home, walking the ENTIRE WAY BACK! Surprised my pace was just a little over 13 minutes/mile considering I walked the whole way home. My head and heart just really wasn't in it on this day.

Saturday, April 9-Decided it was in my best interest to not stress myself over missed miles and to ignore the training plan for this weekend. I did a GREAT job of this! :)

Saturday, April 10-GO! Half Mary-went and cheered on my friends at mile 8. Great job ladies and Trent!

Monday, April 11-Ran a speedy 5k on the treadmill. Was happy to be back running and Jen joined me so that made the time go by quickly.

Tuesday, April 12-Swam half a mile. Felt like crap, headache and heartburn-not a good combo for swimming.

Wednesday, April 13-Mile repeats for speed workout! Did 5 total miles, 4 as fast as I could and my fastest mile: 9 minutes and 49 seconds!!! WHOOP! WHOOP! HOLLA!!!

Thursday, April 14-Swam a little over a half mile. Up to 9 miles-only 6 more to hit the mileage club!!! Today's swim was MUCH better than Tuesday-thank goodness!

This week was an easy week compared to others. The next couple are going to be tough. Getting excited/nervous about my upcoming races! Only a couple more weeks until my 10k, 5k and half all in the same week!

GO! STL Half/Full Mary!!!

...yesterday was the STL GO! Half and Full Marathon. Jen and I met up bright and EARLY at 6:30 to head downtown. Our mission: mile 8, kick a$$ sign and wet towels. Mission: accomplished! We got there right in time as they closed down the street behind us. Whew! Here we are the mile marker and the awesome sign (Matt told me he didn't know what BC meant or why I put dollar signs. I informed him of BC and told him, I was trying to be as G-rated as possible since it is a family-friendly event).

First runners reached us at mile 8 right about 40 minutes. Sorry I was looking into the sun but you can see the lead car and the first two runners.

Now THAT is a lot of people that passed us!

The Smoothie Store across the street was trying to be nice and hand out water. I think people thought this was a real water station, the poor guy and his wife had a TON of runners, look at that wait!.

So the first runner to pass me was Fleet Feet Brian, he was TIRED, I could tell but I called him Ironman (he's done like 8 or 9 of them!) and he kept on trucking. Next to pass was my DM friend Chris. I totally didn't see him but as he was *quickly* passing me, he shouted, "ALYSSA!" I saw him and cheered.

Then we waited and saw another girl with the same sign as mine. Sorry, but mine was better-HELLO IT HAD GLITTER! Then Jenn yelled at me as she just getting warmed up for her part of the relay. As I looking at her, Cecelia popped up out of nowhere! They grabbed some wet towels and kept on trucking. DM Sarah stopped for a wet towel and then Della and her aunt stopped to chat and take full advantage of the wet towels.

Then my second grade teacher huffed my name. She's recovering from an injury and I could tell she was hurting so I put my sign down and ran with her for a bit trying to encourage her, opening GU and telling her to finish strong. I almost lost my shorts as I ran back to Jen. That's what happens when they're a little big to begin with and then you throw in a camera, phone and keys! Oops!

Suddenly there was massive screams and a bunch of runners on the opposite side of the road gathered around a downed runner. I'm not one to throw myself into scenes like this but I knew the runners needed to get going so I grabbed a couple wet towels and as I did, I saw Angie and Cammie. They took some towels and I wished them well. Then I froggered across the course to Linda, who was about to become my best friend.

Linda had some MASSIVE charley horses going on. She was screaming and rolling around on the pavement. One lady was holding her head so that she didn't hit it on the ground and Linda was grasping her arm. The lady with the race was holding her legs. I put a wet towel on her forehead, picked up her belongings and tried to wipe as much grossiness off her arm as possible. Eventually the lady watching her head and I switched places. The three of us had to remind her to breath and relax, we helped her sip some water and all the while the medic was "on their way." Yeah...not so much! Linda's husband Marvin showed up, she calmed down some.

By this time, it was just Marvin, Linda, the event person and myself.  I stood up and smiled and said, "Linda, I think you're doing good. You're in good hands and I think Marvin'll probably serve you breakfast in bed tomorrow." Linda looked at me and for the first time spoke, not in screams, "So I'm not going to finish the race?" I smiled and said, "Maybe if you talk Marvin into carrying you across the finish line." We all laughed and headed back to Jen. After 20 minutes of shrieks, squatting and kneeling on pavement, my hand and calf being in a death grip (by Linda) and dodging her flailing legs, I was exhausted. Jen and I decided to pack up and call it a day. By this point, it was mainly walkers on the course and we cheered them on as we walked back to the car.

As we got to the corner of Compton and Olive, they started diverting people on the course, I'm assuming for time. They were PISSED and there was a TON of them. We got to the car and realized we were boxed in, roads were closed on both ends. Well, crap! After waiting, we were finally able to get out and head back home.

When I got home, Twitter was blowing up because course officials diverted full marathoners if they weren't at the 9 mile mark by 9:15am(so 2 hours and 15 minutes into the course, something like a 10 minute/mile pace) due to the heat. It was really nice as a spector but I wasn't running so I don't know how hot it was to the runners out there. From the feedback I got from the runners, I think more water stations, especially with the heat, and more of a heads up about cut-offs when have been helpfully. I can't comment much because I wasn't running so I don't know what communication was like or what information the runners had.

Anyways, it was so much fun going to a race to cheer! I'm so proud of EVERYONE esp Cece and Della for finishing their first half with many more to come. I think this is what I needed to get me out of my slump and get excited about my upcoming races! Happy Monday all!

OH! And just for Jen, "Good job Char-les!" (I'm seriously LOLing as I type that!)

Half Training Week 4...

Saturday, April 2-Planned called for 9 miles. I ran 8.72 from my house to work. Glad I burnt the extra calories since we had Matt's birthday celebration!
Sunday, April 3-Nada, impromptu rest day.
Monday, April 4-Run a speedy, FAST 4 miles.
Tuesday, April 5-Swam a mile, getting closer to the 15 mile swim club!
Wednesday, April 6 -Ran 3.28 miles in 38 minutes. Today was a Holy Hills workout! I really pushed myself running inclines from 2-5. Hoping I'll see the benefits of this training at Hospital Hill Run in June!
Thursday, April 7-Plan called for 5 miles. I left work at 11am in tears, I knew I wouldn't be getting 5 miles in. Sure enough, I got to about a half a mile and decided to turn around and head home. Doc finally called to say what was up with Mattie so I ran another 1.6 miles to Wags and back to get his meds. I hope he's on the mend now!!!

So there you have it, half training is half over until the Indy Mini Marathon. I was really rockin' it until yesterday. I really hope next week isn't as bad as this week. Good luck to all those racin' the GO! this weekend.

Saturday's 9 Miler...

...sorry if you're my friend on DM, this is a repeat. Well, the planned called for 9 miles today. I wasn’t sure where I was going to run this but then I ended up having to come in to work today so I figured I’d run from home to work which is 8.72 miles. I headed out and as soon as I got on the main road, I realized I’d forgotten my Ipod-crapola!!! I was going to call Mattie to meet me and bring it, but it’s his birthday so I didn’t want to bother him. Oh well, Indy doesn’t allow you to wear earphones so I might as well get used to it. I was cruisin’ right along and then the sidewalk ended so I just hugged the side of the road, no problem. I looked up and some guy was SCREAMING at me in his car pointing to the other side of the road where the sidewalk was. Umm…the sidewalk just ended, not at a stoplight or crossing section, I’m not in the middle of the road or slowing you down so what did you want me to do? Jaywalk and play Frogger with my life, umm…no thanks! I got to mile 3 and stopped my watch. I was meeting up with Holly for part of my run. She was sharing part of her birthday with me. Yes, Mattie and her have the same birthday. I was a little under 33 minutes at the 3 mile marker. I stretched while I waited then I looked up and saw a fellow runner that I knew in her car. Her kid pointed to me and she rolled down her window so I waved and the first thing she said, “Are you okay?” LOL-I was actually feeling pretty great! After the light turned, I saw Holly crossing over to me and we were dressed alike in our Truffle Shuffle shirts! I bet we just looked super cute running down the road. I think I slowed a bit with her because I was chatting, her hub and kids drove by and yelled at us-glad we were running when they saw us!!! She ran 2 miles with me then turned around to head back. Thanks for sharing your birthday run with me Holl-hope you have fun tonight! Around mile 5, when Holly and I split off, I felt my first running injury of the year: a giant blister on my left big toe. Yucko!!! Time to break out the BodyGlide. Also when I passed the Walgreen's, some guy had "Eye of the Tiger" blaring so that motivated my big butt to get up the hill! I then started the last half of my run on the busiest road in town: Highway K. This isn’t the first time I’ve run on this road; however, the last time was mid-July and I was sucking hard-core. Today’s run went MUCH better! I was cruising along trying to decide when I would be brave enough to cross Highway K then I got to the library a little after mile 6. The lady was looking the opposite way to see if anyone was coming and pulled out ALMOST HITTING ME! WTH!?! I, may or may not, have flipped her off. I KNOW, I KNOW!!! I’m ashamed to admit it and I know it’s not ladylike but it was just my reaction. Glad I was paying attention since she OBVIOUSLY wasn’t. Up ahead, I saw an accident on my side of the road and knew I’d have to brave it over. I crossed and I survived-whew! However, the last mile was really starting to get to me. I was out of water and SUPER THIRSTY! But I made it! I decided to listen to my DM friend Patrick, ugh…I hate when you men are right, and just push myself. I mean if I can run that fast on the t-mill, why not outside, right? And I beat my goal time (1:42)!!! Hopefully, I keep this up for the rest of my training and my races. I got to work and drank a huge glass of ice cold water. I felt kind of bad for the kids I was interviewing because I was so yucky. OH! Holly did call to let me know she survived her run home and that she had some smell-good stuff at her desk if I needed to borrow it. See-that’s what friends are for, to make sure you don’t stink!!! I worked WAY longer than I meant to and the whole time I was thinking, “Crap! I have to get going!!!” So I ended up having to rush around to get balloons and cake for my hubby’s birthday. So happy to have this done and even happier it went so well! Final stats: Mileage: 8.72 miles Total time: 1:41:33 Pace: 11:38/mile!!! Garmin for the Poor: Map out route. Write key mile markers and pace on your hand. Start stopwatch and run like the wind. Happy running ya'll!

Half Training Week 3...

Friday, March 25-Rest Day! Saturday, March 26-Ran a 5k on the treadmill. Sunday, March 27-Ran/walked the 5k with Jen. Ran/walked .6 with Angie and Maggie. Then ran 3.3 on the treadmill. Kind of choppy but I got my 7 miles in that the plan called for. Monday, March 28-Ran 5 miles on the treadmill. Kept is under a 12 minute pace, just wish I could run that fast OFF the t-mill. Tuesday, March 29-Swam 1 mile. Wednesday, March 30-Speed workout. I jogged 10 minutes then did 3 repeats (1 repeat=1 mile as fast as you can)increasing my speed .1 with each repeat. Funny, two weeks ago I had 2 repeats and I couldn't do it. This week I knocked out the 3 repeats no problem! Thursdsay, March 31-Swam another mile. Not only do I want it to warm up so I can run outside but also so my hair doesn't freeze when I walk to my car after swimming. Friday, April 1-Rest day!!! Tomorrow is Mattie's birthday and I got an awesome birthday cake and we're going out to dinner. I'm really excited about it but first I have to get through a 9 mile run tomorrow morning! Wish me luck. Rabbit, rabbit!

Half Training Week 2...

...update on Week 2 of Half Marathon Training:

Friday, March 18-I finished my workout from last Wednesday that I cut out early on. I'm so glad I did because I had some good eats at my MIL's that night and needed all the extra calories I had earned.

Saturday, March 19-Plan called for 2 miles. I ran 1 mile to meet my ride to Master the Met ride, went and climbed 40 flights of stairs, then I ran a mile home. DONE!

Sunday, March 20-Plan called for a 5 mile run. Mattie joined me!!! Well, kind of...I started out 5 minutes before him and he didn't catch up with me until 33 minutes in! We ran for a bit then he kept going. Total run was 4.8 miles in 1:04 which put me at a 13 minute pace. Slower than what I wanted but it was a hilly course and I DID climb 40 flights of stairs the day before. After the run, we took the dogs to the park for a fast 45 minute walk. Dude, I slept good that night!

Monday, March 21-Plan called for 4 miles. It kicked my butt but I did all 4.

Tuesday, March 22-Today was supposed to be a cross train day. However, nature took its course and it ended up being a semi-rest day. Ran 1 mile to meet my bestie for dinner at El Mag, mainly to burn calories so I could enjoy the chips and salsa!

Wednesday, March 23-Plan called for a hill workout. I jogged for 15 minutes then I ran at incline 2 for 1 minute then incline 1 for 1 minute. I did this for 8 minutes then jogged it out for 15 minutes increasing my speed.

Thursday, March 24-Plan called for 4 miles. It seemed pretty easy. Jen met me around mile 2 so that last 2 miles went by very fast, which is always nice.

And that my friends is the conclusion of week 2 of half training! Six weeks until Indy Mini Marathon and 10 weeks until Hospital Hill.

Half Training Week 1...

...today finishes up (kinda) week 1 of Half Marathon Training! I've decided since I don't get many hits on Fridays on my blog, I will use it for the next 12 weeks to be my recap of my training. Of course, my training ACTUALLY goes from Monday-Sunday so it might seem a little weird but oh well!

Monday, March 14-Plan called for a 4 mile run. I rocked it! I really did!!! I walked 1 minute then ran until minute 39 where I realized I was running WAY too fast so I walked for a minute then finished out running. My time was 46:02 which I was VERY pleased about. I popped my knee (old high school injury) last week and its been nagging a bit but running on it was fine so I just iced it and rested on Monday night.

Tuesday, March 15-Today was a cross train day. I used it to swim my weekly mile although I'm questioning the pool's calculations of a mile and am afraid it might not be that far. They're looking into it. I wasn't able to time myself on this one because the clock I was using was apparently broken OR I swam a mile in 0 minutes and 0 seconds.

Wednesday, March 16-I was introduced to speed training. In all of my half and full training, I have never done hill or speed training but this program includes it. I'm pretty excited about that because it's not just "go run X number of miles." I had to jog for 15 minutes (I did this at 5.0 mph), then run a mile at push it speed, 8 out of 10 intensity (I did it at 5.4). I was a sweaty, hot mess after that and TIRED. So then I just walked it out to 30 minutes for a total of 2.5 miles. I was supposed to repeat a mile as fast as I could then jog another 15 minutes but I was exhausted.

Thursday, March 17-Today was another cross-train day. Jen met me at the gym and we did 30 minutes of elliptical and some circuit training. I would have to say this was our best workout to date. It was awesome and once again, I was sweating. Yes, I judge my workouts by how much I sweat.

Friday, March 18-This was supposed to be a rest day. I felt bad for not finishing my speed workout on Wednesday so I plan on jogging 15 minutes, sprinting a mile and then walking it out to 30 minutes.

And tomorrow is Master the Met, a 42 flight stairclimb then I have to come home and run 2 miles!!! Wish me luck.

And to end this post, a fun video from Brooks Running. I loved it and the music kind of reminded me of Juno!

Happy Friday ya'll!!!

A Post About Shoes...

...my post last week inspired this post. This post is all about the wonderful, unique and different shoes that I have. For someone like me who is as un-fashionista as they come, I do have a thing for shoes...even if I only wear them once or sometimes not at all! So here's my, fairly, organized closet of shoes:
This is our guest room closet where I keep my dress clothes and even MORE shoes:

Now let's go pair by pair, shall we? This pair here our is my first pair of Doc Martens...that I got in 7th grade!!! It's funny how in middle/high school, they were my dress shoes then in college, my going out shoes then in my married days, my farm boots. These shoes have seen a lot and been through a LOT of laces. One night after a long and late night out in college, I was too "tired" to deal with the laces so I just cut them off! They are a bit difficult to put on esp in the winter when I have big 'ole wool socks on. The little tag on the back is broken so I have to wiggle wiggle my foot until they fit. I heart these shoes and they'll stick around until they fall apart.

Then I met hubs and he figured if I was going to be a farmgirl/hunter that I needed some real outdoor woman boots! He bought me these Red Wing boots for the farm. So far, I've only worn them once...don't they look shiney, new and oh so pretty???

UGH! These are the ugliest shoes in the world! They date back to my banquet server shoes and I refuse to get rid of them because I never know when I might need them again. See...just two years ago I used them at my PT job schlepping lotion and then they got all strict on us saying "No laces! No laces!" Grrr...anyways, they'll stay in the closet for awhile...

Okay while I was doing this fashion show of shoes, Emma got a little jealous. She wanted her feet photographed too so I let her join in the fun. Here's Emma showing off my favorite brown flip flops and my "lingerie" flats. The brown flips are ones that my sister bought, wore like twice and said it made her feet stink. She gave them to me and every time I wear them around her, she gets so mad!!! LOL I think it's because they're really super cute and can worn with a casual or nicer short outfit (does that even make sense?).

The black "lingerie" shoes I bought at Payless about 5 years ago to wear at work. My old boss used to make fun of them so much saying they just needed clip on heels and they could be stripper shoes. Either way, I love them and they're cute and I usually get lots of compliments when I wear them.

Now on to my brown boots! The ones on the left (light brown) are my favorite winter boots and I always try to wear them when I go out. Now the ones on the right (the dark brown cowboy boots), my Mattie gave them to me our first Christmas together. What a sweet, sweet boy! They are a snug big so I don't wear them too often but I love them because after all, it's the thought that counts.

Now on to the shoes in the guest room, typically my dress shoes with my dress outfits. Let's go left to right...my blue Fergigilous heels! I bought them for a bachelorette party and don't wear them often, I usually refer to them at my Top Model shoes.

Now the brown ones in the middle, my bestie Stevie gave me and they are WAY too big! Seriously, she has ginormous feet which means she has a big heart! She'd bought them because they were on sale for like $5. I needed to borrow them to wear with my dress for my rehearsal dinner then I gave them back. About a year later, I was at her apartment and she brought them out to me and said, "Merry Christmas!" I was the only one that had ever worn them so she let me have them. Thanks Stevie-you're the best!

The black shoes on the right I bought to wear on New Year's Eve in NY. Eh...that trip was interesting to say the least but at least I got some sweet heels out of it! I wear them all the time to weddings and any other dress up occasions. I must admit that a little long in the heels and I get some major blisters and some sore little feetsies!

Now, what about the other non-heel shoes? Oh those are my soccer cleats from high school...yes, high school. Why do I still have them? Well, I keep telling myself at some time I might take up soccer again although let's be entirely honest, if I were ever to try to run down a soccer field right now I would majorly be sucking wind! I have worn them since high school when I coached high school JV soccer and pee soccer out in SC so see...I did need them!!!

At this point, Shad was interested in what Emma and I were doing and apparently my shoes must have smelled kind of funky. Anyways, this are my first "real" pair of running shoes. Asics Gel Cumulous 11s. I LOVED these shoes, they got me through my training for the half and helped me cross the finish line for Hospital Hill Half Marathon last June! They kinda lost their "sole" with all the miles I put on them so I bought an identical pair but in blue. However, I just never fell in love with them and they didn't ever feel the exact same. Now I wear these as my every day shoes and wear them on walks.

Last but not least...a girl can't have a real shoe collection without an awesome pair of flip flops!!! These things are seriously the MOST COMFY flips EVER! I got them after finishing the half in June and they were just MADE for my feet. That's the race course on the main part of the flop.

So there you have it, a step inside my shoe collection. I may wear tennis shoes every single day and stick to the basics but I've got choices! It just usually depends on my mood which is NEVER the same!!! What about you...what's your favorite pair of shoes? Which shoes do you REFUSE to get rid of?

A Surprise on my Doorstep!!!

...last Tuesday, I came home from work and saw a package on my doorsteps. Hmm...what was it? I couldn't remember buying anything online any time soon. I picked up the package and set it down as I went to let the dogs out and forgot about it. Once I got settled, I saw the box and decided to open it. As I started to open it, I saw the white tape and warning and thought, "Uh oh...is this a bomb?" I held it up to my ear and didn't hear any ticking so I proceeded with caution... What was it? MY NEW BALANCE SHOES!!! Aren't they pretty???

I'd won them at the New Balance/Big River Running Train-n-Them night back on September 20. The funny thing about receiving the package on Tuesday is that I had been emailing back and forth all afternoon with the owner of Big River because it'd been 5 weeks since the original event, I was told they'd be here in 3 and when I contacted the New Balance lady she never responded. Ben, the owner (which I'm pretty sure he's the one that looks like Apollo Ohno), had said he would get it taken care of ASAP. And ASAP he did, as in less than 2 hours later they were on my doorstep!!! So what do you think...how do I look in them?

I'd asked for them in blue but I'll go with pink, pink is actually kind of growing on me. I actually love New Balances, I used to have them as my every day and workout shoes before I got into running. Then when I went to the running store, I bought Asics which have treated me well. I'm excited to get some new good New Balance running shoes to see how they'll do. I'm looking at races for the spring and I'm going to the Indy 500 Mini Marathon (which is a half marathon) in early May. The race ends on the Indy 500 track which is TWO MILES LONG! I'll start my hardcore training in January after a few months rest. I hope these shoes treat me well.

And Now a Thank You to You...

...remember this picture? My gross, disgusting blister on my toe? The first sign that I was a "real runner?"
Well, this blister gave me a great idea! Because of all of your encouragement and kind words (some of you have told me that I'm inspiring and wow-what a compliment, I just can't tell you how much that means to me! And whenever you all told me you were proud of me, I was just beaming!!!), this is what helped me get through the half training. I heart comments to begin with but after my horrible 10K race, your comments made me smile and want to keep on pushing, some maybe even made me cry. And when I did my 8 and 11 mile runs, again your comments just made my day and training even better!

So now it's my turn to thank you! I'm doing a giveaway inspired by your comments and my blister! What?! Yes, because after this past weekend, I'm treating my yucky runner's feet to a pedicure so in honor of my running feet I'm giving away items to treat your feet.

Here's what's included:

1. Cute canvas bag (to hold all your feet goodies!)
2. Foot lotion (feel free to find someone to rub that on your feet-Matt did a lot of feet rubbing for me over the last 12 weeks!)
3. Fingernail polish!!! (can't leave those toesy nakey!)
4. Pedicure tools (maybe hubby shouldn't use this unless he knows what he's doing...)
5. Pink flip-flops (to show off those cute toes!)
So the first person I randomly pick will win the first prize BUT the second, third and fourth person I draw will win one flip-flop notepad and a flip-flop eraser!

There's two ways to enter. Here's how to enter:

1. Become a follower. I'm trying to decide on my next exercise endeavor and you'll want to stay tuned to find out what I do, right? If you're already a follower, then leave one comment stating that you follow. If you're a new follower, please leave a comment saying you're a follower.

2. Leave me a comment and tell me what your exercise goals are for the rest of 2010 or what you and your spouse/friend(s) like to do to exercise.

I'll leave this open until Tuesday, June 15 at midnight and then I'll announce the winners next Thursday.

Thank you cannot tell you how much I appreciate everyone's support and encouragement. You can ask Matt because I probably read each and every one of your comments at least once, if not more, out loud to him. You all are the best!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you...