I talk about socks in this post, so that's happening

*pictures from playing outside after getting home from work/daycare last week. I try to be chill about them getting dirty, and it works only sometimes ;)

I got my race pictures from the Oklahoma City 1/2 marathon from two weekends ago, and there were only four of them, all at the finish line, and all of them had a girl about my age directly blocking my face. Now that I see the photos I remember her... there was basically no one else crossing the finish except the two of us, and she came sprinting right past me at an angle, and I remember feeling like she was kind of in my way. But the joke is on her, because I used my superior stalking skills and looked up her finishing time from her bib number. Don't judge me. She is beating me in the finisher photo, but I technically according to chip time beat her by 6 seconds to come in ahead of her in our age group. Obviously this is an important life event, thank you for asking.

I finally dragged myself to the gym on Wednesday. I love running, but after a race I always lose all motivation and don't do anything for at least a week if not more. I'm one of those runners who likes to have a goal I'm working toward or a race on a calendar to keep me going. Otherwise why not snooze that 4:40am alarm? Well, I'll tell you why. Because last week while I wasn't going to the gym I was at the grocery store buying a lot of ice cream. To be exact: two pints of that Halo Top stuff that pretends to be ice cream but is not and then one pint of Blue Bell mint chip and a 1/2 gallon of Moose Tracks. Moose Tracks is kind of an amazing ice cream flavor. Soon I'll have to roll myself to the gym, it's fine. 

I'm still so excited about finishing under 2 hours in my 1/2 marathon! Not only am I shocked by the time, I can't believe how great I felt during the race! This wasn't a PR, but it honestly might have been one of my best races ever. I kept looking at my pace on my watch and thinking, "Slow down a little; you're going to burn out." I swear I kept trying to slow down, but I just couldn't! I kept expecting to hit a wall, and while Miles 10 and 11 were the toughest mentally, I never felt like I couldn't keep going or needed to stop and walk. I never used the bathroom, I never walked, and I felt really great mostly the whole time! I don't know what happened. It's very confusing, but I'm not complaining.

After being on hold for months, Becoming finally came in at the library. I've heard really good things and am excited to read it. I don't agree with her politically, but I think the book will be interesting. I've heard from other working moms that they enjoyed hearing her talk about being a working mom and juggling career, marriage, and kids.

Very unrelated: let's talk about socks. Has anyone heard of Bombas? Someone mentioned it on the comments of a blog post I read recently, and a few other people commented and said how much they loved theirs, and then I posted about it on my blog Facebook page, and a few people over there commented that they have Bombas and love them! So that sold me and I bought a few pairs. Guys, their no-show socks are legit. I'm about to order a second pair because I keep taking mine directly out of the dryer to wear again. There are no-slip pads in the heel so they don't slip down! I wore them all day to work and didn't have to mess with them once! I bought Jordan a pair of work socks, and he loves his too. They aren't the cheapest socks, but they give a pair for each pair you buy, and the quality is noticeable. ALSO, this is not a reason to shop somewhere, but I was impressed with the packaging!   Anyway, all that to say, if you want to try them out, use my referral code and get 25% off! I wish I had a code when I bought mine.

Sorry this post is so random. I wanted to pop on and say something, and I had no plan at all, so I guess when I'm typing away I ramble on about race times and books and socks. Probably teenage me would be horrified at what I've become, but really I'm okay with it. Who doesn't love a new pair of socks??? I'm buying Jordan a few more Bombas for his Father's Day present. <-- Jordan, pretend you didn't see that if you're reading this! ;)

Last thing: Speaking of gifts, I told Jordan that for a combined Mother's Day and 8th anniversary gift I want two of these rings with each of the kids' names on it. I ordered them yesterday, and I'm really excited about it. I've wanted one of these for a couple of years but never wanted to spend the money, but I'm doing it this year! We are the worst about getting each other gifts and going on dates, so I figure all the years of not doing much has added up.

Did you ask for anything for Mother's Day? Or, buy yourself something? ;) 

Have you tried Bombas socks?

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekend: Strawberry Picking + 1/2 Marathon

We had such a full and fun weekend! 

Saturday morning we got the kids up and headed to a local farm for a ladybug release in the strawberry patch, and then we picked some strawberries! The kids had a great time and were actually pretty well behaved. The only meltdowns happened when we were trying to get them in the car to leave. We were there for about an hour and a half, and honestly it went entirely too fast. It was a gorgeous day, and I enjoyed myself so much. It gave me just a taste of what family outings might be like in the future as the kids get older.

My parents drove up from Texas on Saturday afternoon, and we enjoyed having some time with them. They of course wanted to see the kids, and we also went downtown to the OKC arts festival. But the real reason they came was to cheer me on for my 12th half marathon Sunday morning!

The OKC Memorial Marathon is one of my favorite races. The whole city gets into it, and I know a bunch of people who run it. It's extremely well organized, and there is a ton of crowd support along the course since it winds through a bunch of neighborhoods. This was my 4th time to run the half, and I've also done the full marathon and the 5k! One of these years I'll get a relay team together. 

I set a few goals for the race, and my biggest goal was to run it under 2 hours. I didn't think it would be possible, just because I didn't think I'd trained to run it that fast, but somehow I ended up finishing in 1:57! I'm still a little bit in shock. That's not my fastest half marathon time, but it is the fastest I've run since getting pregnant with R over 4 years ago!

As I was running the last tenth of a mile toward the finish I heard my dad and Jordan yelling for me. I turned to try and look, but I was already past them and so close to the end that I didn't want to slow down or turn around. After I finished, I met up with my parents and Jordan and the kids. J honestly just looked confused, but R was so excited to see me and gave me the biggest hug. Jordan told me that she was actually the first person to see me and pointed me out to everyone else. I love that she can watch me run, and I'm excited for us to be able to run together one day!

Overall it was a great weekend filled with family and fresh strawberries and running. Not sure what else could have made it any better!

Race Recap: Rock 'n' Roll Dallas 1/2 Marathon

I ran a half marathon on Sunday! I have a whole post I'm drafting about running while pregnant (because a few people have asked), so I'm just letting you know now that this post is specifically a race recap. I'll expand more thoughts about pregnant running in a later post.

I was really excited when I saw a one-day sale for Rock 'n' Roll races back in the early fall last year and snatched up a registration. (This was many months before I knew I was pregnant.) I had been wanting to see what all the fuss was about with the RnR series. I was initially worried it was going to rain, but it ended up being nearly perfect running weather. Cloudy and about 55ish degrees, so I basically was never too hot or cold. Hurrah! (Sorry to rub that in your face, Erin and Tracy!)

^^^ This was my cheering crew. They're probably tired of getting up at dark thirty to watch me run, but they do it with smiles on, and it means so much. They saw me start, met me at Dealey Plaza around mile 3 (RIP, JFK), and then slept in the car for an hour until it was time to meet at the finish. No need to have them chase me around in horrible Dallas traffic.

I went into this knowing I would definitely NOT be getting a PR. I'm thankful to have been able to keep running, but almost immediately after getting pregnant Baby Bum slowed me down to around 11-min/mile pace. Based on that, my "goal" was 2 hours 30 minutes. However, I was not going to beat myself up about it or try to push through if I felt tired. It was just my best guess of how long it would take judging from the recent pace of my long runs.

This race offered runner tracking throughout the course, and my splits were ridiculously consistent (see below). I felt good overall, and I guess my pace showed it. My main goal was to make sure I was never gasping for air, so if I ever felt like I needed a second, I stopped and walked to calm my breathing, and it really helped give me energy to get going again!

5k (3.1 mile): 33:55 / 10:56 (pace)

10k (6.2 mile): 1:08:32 / 11:03 (pace)

10 mile: 1:49:54 / 10:59 (pace)

Finish (13.1 mile): 2:24:55 / 11:04 (pace)

I signed Jordan up to get text updates, and I loved running across the timing mats and knowing at that moment Jordan was getting a message that let my family know I hadn't sidelined myself at a medic tent. (As a precaution, I told Jordan to answer any calls from unknown numbers for the next 3 hours.)

The race was relatively uneventful, which I guess is a good thing. Around mile 8 I started to rethink running as a hobby and wish I were at home eating ice cream. I think at one point I swore off running ever again, but I'm pretty sure that was just the ice cream talking. Either that or I had just taken my fourth sprint to a port-o-potty and hated life. FIVE BATHROOM STOPS, you guys. Most ever in a race? Possibly. More on that in my running while pregnant post, but long story short: my bladder + running = endless buckets of pee that is straight-up water. TMI. I'm not sorry.

I started to get really hungry so I choked down some strawberry/banana-flavored GU around mile 10 and almost wished I were dead. I loved bananas, but banana-flavored anything should be outlawed. Nastiness.

As for the course, it was really fun running around downtown Dallas! I thought the race organizers did a good job picking a very scenic route. Although how they shut down the 1-35 on-ramp I'll never know. There were bands every mile or so, but after reading a few race recaps from blogger friends who had done the DC Rock'n'Roll race just two weekends ago, I decided to bring my headphones, and I'm very glad I did. I was expecting a lot more music overall, but I felt like there was just as much as any other race I've done.

The RnR was very well organized from the registration phase through packet pickup, race-day morning, and post-race food. I know a few people had a lot of issues with the DC race being poorly organized, especially at the end, but I didn't notice that. It was very easy to grab food and find my family after the race, which is essential to a positive post-race experience.

Overall I don't have anything bad to say about the RnR. That said, I don't get what all the hype is about. These races are $100+ easily, and yes the shirts are cool and the medals and heavy and well made, but I don't feel like my race experience was that much more than a lot of other cheaper races I've done. Just my 2 cents in case you're interested!

BTW, I have to share my favorite race sign. I'd never seen this one before, but I loved it. A lady was standing around mile 2 holding a sign that said, "You are NOT almost there." Ha! So sad but true. Gave me a good chuckle. 

To close out this recap, I'll share a short video my crazy dad took when they saw me at the finish. Literally the finish line is about a tenth of a mile up the street, if that far. Clearly I wasn't in a "sprint to the finish" mind-set, but boy was I glad to almost be done running!

And... thus concludes the last race recap I'll be writing for a while, at least until after Baby Bum arrives. If you have any questions about my experience running while pregnant, please ask so I can add it to the post I'm writing!

Any RnR veterans? What do you love about them?

What's the most bathroom stops you've ever taken during a race?

Half #7 Recap: Where I Dominate Everything and then My Hands Freeze Off

So this happened.

If you read this post, then you know my goal was 1:55, so basically I nailed it! My official chip time was 1:53:02. My previous best was 1:56:47, which means I have an almost 4-minute PR! Woop! I'm only kind of annoyed that I was a silly 2 seconds away from going under 1:53. Next time!

For this recap, I'm just going to break down a few of the main points instead of going through the day chronologically.

1. The Hills

My "good" goal was to not walk the hills, and I'm happy to report that this was a success! The hills were tough, especially a pretty steep hill during miles 11-12, but it's 100% different when you're mentally prepared. Last time, I wasn't ready, and when I saw a hill I groaned and got defeated before I even started. This time, I attacked the hill and viewed it as a personal challenge. Running really is mental, and preparing yourself is half the battle.

If you ran the race and saw a crazy girl sprinting up the hill while shouting, "LET'S DO THIS. I LOVE HILLS."

That was me.

2. The Bathroom

The week before the race I was really careful about hydrating and not eating a ton of fiber. I also decided to forget everything I'd read in Runner's World about calorie intake the morning of a race and ate only half a chocolate Cliff Bar and a package of cherry-flavored energy beans.

I'm happy to report that I didn't once feel the need to hit the Port-o-Potty, which is honestly the biggest accomplishment of the entire day. Every time I passed a Port-o-Potty, I gave myself a non-literal pat on the back in sweet, sweet victory.

3. The 1:55 Goal

At first I thought about sticking with the 2-hour pace group for the beginning of the race just to get my groove. But then I realized that 13 miles wasn't quite enough to make up the time I'd lose if I didn't get out to a fast enough start. So I went at it alone until 6, when who did I meet up with but the 3:50 marathon pace group, which was also pacing a 1:55 half! I knew if I just stuck with them, I could get across the finish line and hit my goal no problem.

But then, after a few miles (I think around mile 9), I started speeding up. I was feeling really good at this point and knew that barring a major catastrophe, I had it. I gave the finish line a good old-fashioned fist bump as I crossed. 

I think this is my best race pic yet. Minus the crooked headband and the poofy hair.

4. The Frostbite

OHMYGOSH. Um, it was cold. There was actually a huge ice patch during mile 3. The race people did a great job putting cones out and alerting runners of the danger, so I don't think anyone got hurt.

It was so cold, I couldn't feel my feet for the first 5 miles. I passed the 5-mile flag and was like, Oh hello, feet! I was worried I was going to trip or something, because I couldn't really lift them too well.

But then my feet warmed up, and then it was my hands that were the problem. Once I finished and was in the food tent, my hands started hurting so bad. It was the weirdest, most painful feeling. I tried to flex them, but it was like they were moving in slow motion. I stood still for a good ten minutes just opening and closing my hands, and finally they slowly stopped hurting. I don't know what happened, but I hope it never happens again. Any of you ever tried putting those hand warmers inside your running gloves? I'm wondering if that's something I should do next time.

Other than the numb feet and the painful hand issue, the cold really wasn't so bad. Serious shoutout to all the volunteers who stood in the cold for hours handing out water and medals and working the medic tent.

And... just for kicks, here are my mile splits. Clearly I should never be a pacer.

The Route 66 website also included a really fun graph! At least, I thought it was fun, but maybe that's because the graph was all about me. The best part is the square at the bottom right. It's so much more fun to pass people than to be passed, which is exactly why you start out slow so you don't burn out at the end.

Half marathon #7 is finished, and now I just have one more race in 2013.

Quick holler to my running girls 

(if I forgot anyone, I'm so sorry!)

* * *

Kate is running her first half marathon in a few weeks.

Emily is running her first marathon in a few weeks.

Courtney ran her first marathon a few weeks ago.

Meghan has got marathon #2 on December 29.

Amber is going to run her first half marathon in 2014.

Tamara recently signed up for her first marathon in 2014.

Rachel recently ran a half marathon two weeks after her full.

Melinda recently ran 6 miles, her farthest distance ever.

* * * 

Anyone else have a race coming up or recently signed up for a race?

What motivational phrases do you say to yourself when you're running?

Three Goals for Half Marathon #7

I'm running half marathon #7 on Sunday morning! The second to last race of 2013. It's the Route 66 race in Tulsa, and I'm really excited to do this one because it's on my race bucket list. I've heard this is a beautiful course, and the medals are awesome. Like, these medals win awards awesome. (And yes, I realize the irony of a medal getting a medal.)

Anyway, for this race I have 3 goals. I'm not self-important enough to think you actually care about my race goals and times and all that (although maybe I am since I'm writing this), but I like writing them down and going back to look at them later.

I'm following the good, great, awesome method I told you about last time.

Good: Don't walk the hills

Last time I was not prepared for the hills, but Tulsa is known to be a hilly course, so this time I'm going to be ready. At the very least, I want to run all the way through the hills and keep a positive attitude about it. No dry heaving for me!

Great: Under 2 hours

Even if it's not a PR, I will be very happy with a sub-2 half marathon. It was one of my 2013 goals, after all.

Awesome: Half marathon PR (1:56 or under) and/or 1:55 or under 

1:55 was my goal for my last half, and we all know how that turned out. I'd still love to go under 1:55, and I know I have it in me. Maybe this will be the one! If not, I'd love to PR. Race recap to come. Hopefully it won't involve any port-a-potty stops! Cross your fingers for me.

P.S. It's apparently going to be freeeezing this weekend.  Like, snow and sleet and rain and possible death by hypothermia, so my SUPER goal #4 is to stay alive. Mom, don't worry. I'll be wearing leggings and ear muffs.

My Victory Lap

I think I forgot to tell you guys that I signed up for another marathon. So that's happening. I'm calling it my victory lap, and here's why. 

A few weeks ago I wrote about how 2013 has been a weird and terrible and awesome year for me. It started out terrible; then the middle part was stressful and really fun at the same time. And now I'm working full time again to round out the year, and it's all very strange.

Not everyone will be able to understand this, but running has been a lifesaver for me this year. It gave me a purpose and kept me active during my days of unemployment/part-time work. And it made me feel good about myself.

One thing running helped me realize is truly how grateful I am to be healthy at this point in my life. I am able to get outside and be active and do something good for my body, and although I have no idea what will happen even tomorrow, when I am running I know that at least for right now God is offering me a blessing I would be stupid not to take advantage of. (I'm not saying people who don't run are stupid; although I would say healthy people who don't do some type of exercise are majorly missing out.)

So naturally I got it into my head that I should sign up for another marathon while I was still mostly in marathon shape. The list of possible races narrowed down pretty quick because it had to be:

1) cheap
2) in the month of December
3) in my area(ish)

As soon as I found the New Year's Double, I knew it was the perfect race for me. It's a two-day event of 5k, half, and full marathons on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. You can sign up for one day or both. I chose to run my marathon on New Year's Eve (morning) 2013. I know this sounds insane, but I honestly could not think of a better way to end my year than with marathon #2, or what I'm calling my victory lap. It's kind of an "in your face, 2013" race.

Training is going well so far, although I'm doing it mostly on my own instead of with the running group I was training with in January. This is only because I've been too lazy to wake up at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday to run. So I wait until a normal time to be awake on a Saturday when you don't have kids.

[After our 14-mile training run! At that time the longest either of us had ever run.]

I've been doing this training solo, and this time I don't have my dad to compare notes with, which has been more of a bummer than I anticipated. It's nice to have someone share your training pain. Luckily I have all of you runner friends. Hashtag run. Amiright?

Anyway, that's mostly it on the running front. I have half marathon #7 coming up on the 24th of this month (Route 66 in Tulsa!), and I just passed 700 total miles for the year, so that's pretty dang awesome considering my original goal was 500.

Basically, I can't remember a time when I wasn't running at least 2-3 times a week. I'll come back from a run and see I have a missed call (usually from my mom). When I call her back, she says, "I figured you were out running."

You know you're a runner when people stop asking you how much or how far you've run that day or that week because they just assume you are running. 

I love it.

Weekly Wishes: Where I Admit Failure and Also Make it Rain

I skipped writing weekly wishes last week because I didn't want to admit my HORRIBLE FAILURE from the week before.

Here's what happened: 

Goal #1: Cross off #25 on my 30 by 30 list 

If you looked at my list, you know that #25 is make a mojito from scratch. A weird thing to put on a 30 by 30 list, yes. But also awesome because we all know mojitos are delicious. As it turns out, every grocery store within a 15-mile radius of my apartment conspired against me, and I couldn't find mint leaves anywhere. As you know, mint leaves are a pretty important mojito ingredient. So I have limes and vodka and ginger ale sitting on my counter. But no mint, hence no mojito. Fail.

*EDIT: After a few comments from people confused about why I can't find mint leaves anywhere, I want to clarify that the stores sell mint leaves, but they're just sold out. I can only assume everyone in my town is buying mint leaves and drinking mojitos without me. This reminds me of the time I tried to find eggs to make cupcakes. First world problems.

Goal #2: Drop off clothes at Goodwill

I drive past Goodwill every. single. day. And I just straight up didn't stop to unload my trunk full of clothes and shoes and other things. Fail. 

Maybe I should just do a slow drive-by and toss boxes of stuff out the window. Yes?

Goal #3: Go to the car wash

Let's just say that almost as soon as I posted about going to the car wash, it started raining outside. And let's also say I considered running downstairs and throwing soap all over my car and letting the rain do my job for me. I didn't do the soap thing, but the bird poop washed away in the downpour, so the car wash dream lives on.

I'm considering this only a half fail. I mean, I basically MADE it rain just for me.

Goal #4: Run half marathon #6! 

Okay, I did do this one, so I'm 1 for 4. You may remember how that went. Portapotties without toilet paper. Hills that tried to kill me. Dry heaving. Good times. 

If you follow my blog on Facebook, you may have seen the race picture I posted! Note my look of intense concentration. This is me trying not to throw up. I just have to remember I paid for this kind of pain.

Aaaaanyway, this time I'm going to be realistic about my goals for the last week of October. I have a LOT going on this week, plus a few things that are super duper exciting, which I will tell you about next week. NO I'M NOT PREGNANT. Ohmygosh I can't believe you would even ask me that.

That being said, I have one single goal for this week and that is to find mint leaves and make a freaking mojito! I, an omnivore, will not be bested by a plant. 

Here's the plan: I will make a mojito, and then I will take a picture of it, and then I will blog about it.

The end.

Half Marathon #6 Race Recap: The One with 1,000 Hills & No Toilet Paper

Every so often you have a magical race where the stars align and everything goes exactly as you imagined. The weather is perfect, you're feeling good, and you wave in amazement as you fly past your time goal on glitter-covered angel wings.

Then there are the races where it's all you can do to not throw up all over the finish line.

Unfortunately for me, half marathon number six was the latter. I've alternatively named this race The One with 1,000 Hills and The One with No Toilet Paper. Both factors combined to make this race a battle like no other.

A few weeks ago I read an article about setting race goals. The author recommended having three: good, great, and awesome.

Good is your minimum goal. If nothing else, you can still have a good race if this happens. This type of goal could be finishing, not stopping to walk, or, in my case, having fun.

Your great goal is your second best. It's what you would be happy with if you started running and realized it just wasn't going to be your day. Mine was to finish under 2 hours.

The awesome goal is best-case scenario. This is what will happen if everything goes right. My awesome goal was a finish time of 1:55 or better.

I knew my awesome goal wasn't in me as soon as I had to make a port-a-potty stop at mile two. TWO. Oye.

The short story long is that earlier this week I received an unscheduled visit from my red dot friend. And I don't mean coupons in the mail from Target. So add that to race jitters, and I was already in trouble bathroom wise. I HAVE ISSUES! Someone tell me I'm not alone.

I went to the bathroom before I left the apartment but didn't go the bathroom in the port-a-potty once I got to the race because there wasn't any toilet paper. My nerves had abated, and I figured I would be okay. Almost as soon as I started running I knew I was not okay.

So I stopped at the first bathroom I spotted, which, ironically, had no toilet paper. Curse everything. I tried to be quick, but I probably wasted a full minute in there, after which I sprinted the rest of mile 2 because I was mad to be off pace so soon. That was when I promised myself I would always carry an emergency TP stash to races.

I feel like every time I talk about running I also tell a horrible bathroom story.

I arrived at mile 3 nursing a pretty serious side cramp from the furious sprinting. That's when I threw Awesome Goal out the window and set my sights on Great Goal while muttering, "You will have fun" to myself. When you have to tell yourself to have fun, you know you're having a good time.

It took at least half a mile to get rid of the side cramp. I just kept breathing really deep and trying to run as upright as I could. I read once that deep breaths help cramps, and it definitely works for me. 

Miles 4-10 were pretty good, and I actually did a decent job making up some time I'd lost. My pace was in the 8:30-8:40 range for the middle part of the race. I got into a groove while rocking out to my sweet tunes, and I actually was enjoying myself quite a bit. Good Goal success.

Then.
The hills.

When I say hills, I'm not talking about a straight road that sort of inclines. I'm talking a direct route to the sky. Just picture a vertical line. Then picture three of those, all in a row, taking up the greater portion of miles 11 and 12.

It. Was. Brutal.

I actually did stop to walk twice for maybe 5-10 seconds each. It was just so hard, and I was feeling super nauseous. I actually dry heaved a couple of times, which was really fun. Once was right in front of a photographer, so I can't wait to see that glorious picture.

There was no sprint to the finish because I was just trying to keep it together, and all I could think about was how embarrassing it would be to barf all over the finish line. I mean seriously. Has that ever happened at a race before? What would they do? Throw down a towel, I guess.

In any case, I didn't throw up, although as I hung over the fence after I finished I kept having flashbacks to watching The Biggest Loser contestants barfing in buckets after a hard workout. I don't know what the deal was. I've never felt like that after a race before. I think I just pushed really hard, and the hills were a killer.

My finish time according to the official results was 1:57:26, although that was gun time, not chip time, so my actual time is probably 20 seconds less. In any case, obviously I did not hit Awesome Goal, but I did hit Great Goal, which I am super proud of all things considered. And anyway, it's not realistic to expect to PR every single race. I'll just have to try again!

Besides the dry heaving and the lack of toilet paper and the suicide hills, there were some good things.

1. The weather was awesome! It was chilly at the start (35 degrees), but it wasn't a terrible kind of bone-chilling cold, and it felt great once I got started.

2. I wore the perfect outfit! This being my first really chilly run of the fall season, I had a hard time deciding what to wear. I finally ended up with a pair of leggings and my oiselle arm sleeves, which I LOVE. It sucks to wear the wrong thing for a race.

So there you have it! Half marathon number six is in the books. The Lady Okie over and out.

RACE STATS

Distance: 13.1

Time: 1:57

Pace: 8:56 min/mile

Age group placement: 9/42

Female placement: 28/221

Overall placement: 80/344

Personal half marathon rank: 2nd fastest out of 6 run

Weekly Wishes #2 + My Pictures from Last Week

I took this picture at a one-year party for my friend's daughter a few weeks ago.

_______________________________________________

{ Goals For Last Week }
________________________________________________

1. Take a picture every day. Done! Check them out below.

2. Make contact every day with a friend via letter or email. Done! On Thursday I even had an hour-long three-way phone call with a few college friends, which was awesome. On Saturday I mailed a letter to a friend who lives in England, so that baby is going to cross an ocean, which is fun to think about.

3. Memorize James 3:16. Done! I wrote it on an index card and carried it with me all week. Samantha even decided to do it with me! 

4. Call the eye doctor and make an appointment. I called Monday and went in for an appointment on Tuesday. AND, I'm not going blind! In fact, my prescription hasn't changed at all. I told Jordan that I paid $109 for peace of mind. Worth it!

_____________________________________________

 { Goals For This Week }
_____________________________________________

1. Cross off #25 on my 30 by 30 list 

I will be using this recipe.

2. Drop off clothes at Goodwill

The trunk of my car is filled with stuff to give away. Mostly summer clothes I didn't wear and have decided I can do without. This week I'm going to drop my load off!

3. Go to the car wash

I really hate taking my car to the wash. However, lately every bird within a 10-mile radius seems to think my car is a litter box, and even though I live in an apartment, never brush my hair, and wear sweatpants 80% of the time, driving around in a poop mobile is where I draw the line.

4. Run half marathon #6! 

On Saturday I will run my sixth half marathon! My goal is to run it under 1:55, which I know is doable, but we'll see. I've been taking it easy on training lately, so I'm planning on just seeing how I feel. I have four races scheduled for the remainder of 2013, and I really just want to enjoy them instead of worrying too much about pace and time. Recap to come!

Write up some wishes for your week and link up!

How to Start Running | Part 3: Setting a Schedule

Part 1 | Adjusting Your Mind-Set and Setting Expectations

Part 2 | Getting Your Gear

Part 3 | Setting a Training Schedule

Part 4 | Avoiding Injury

Part 5 | Fueling & Nutrition

Part 6 | The iPod Edition
Part 7 | Running FAQs

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Can I just tell you guys how much I love this series? 

And not because I wrote it. It's because of the comments you guys are leaving! Seriously. If you aren't taking the time to read the comments on these posts, you're missing out on some great extra tips and advice. I also hope you are enjoying the featured running bloggers section and get inspiration from these awesome ladies!

Okay, so you've decided you want to start running, and you've gotten your gear. Now you need to put together a training schedule. 

Like I mentioned in Part 1, when I first started training I didn't follow an official schedule such as, for example, the couch to 5k program. But even if you make up your own schedule, it's still important to have a schedule of some sort. Otherwise, there's no real motivation to get out there and run. I've had friends try to start running and quit, and I think a huge part of that is because they didn't take the time to plan out a schedule and set a finish goal.

Everyone is different, but the biggest motivator for me is actually signing up for a race. I wanted to run a half marathon, and I was sort of running for a few months, but then I actually signed up, and I was like, dang it. I paid for this thing. It's happening.

Likewise, if your goal is to run a 5k or a 10k or a marathon or whatever it is, I suggest finding a race to sign up for. It will feel crazy, because you still aren't sure you can do it. But isn't that the point? Doing something you never thought you could do? 

Consider this: you will NEVER do it if you don't sign up for it. 
What are you waiting for?

October 2010. The morning of my first half marathon. I was so nervous!

There are a lot of training schedules out there, and when you first start looking it can get overwhelming. My biggest problem is comparing my training to other people. There is always going to be someone faster. We've all heard that line. But something I never expected was the fact that there will always be someone running more. 

I trained for my marathon running three times a week. I should probably add only three times a week. Most training plans call for four, five, even six days a week. Who has time for that? Not me. And even if I had time, I don't want to run that much. (If you're interested, you can find all my marathon training recaps here and my full marathon training schedule here.) Not that running 5 or 6 times as week is bad, but it wasn't right for me and my running goals.

This is what I had to tell myself when I started my 17 weeks of marathon training: 
Don't focus on what anyone else is doing. 
Run the amount that works for you. 
Stick to the plan. 

I'll talk about this more in the next post in this series, but trying to run more than your body can handle will lead to the one thing every runner dreads: injuries. Just because someone else runs 5x a week doesn't mean you have to or that you even should.

That being said, here are a few good resources for training plans. I like to take a few different plans and combine them into a plan tailored just for me based on my daily schedule and my personal goals.

Training Schedule Resources

• Couch to 5k Program
• Hal Higdon training programs for 5k, 8k, 10k, 15k, half, and full marathon -- I love these because he has different levels for novice, intermediate, or advanced depending on your ability
• Jeff Galloway training schedules for 5k, 10k, half, and full marathon -- Jeff Galloway is a main proponent of the run/walk method. He claims you can actually run an overall faster time when you incorporate walking breaks into your run. You can read more about it here.
• Run Less Run Faster -- I mentioned this in Part 1, but I am loving this book! It has plans for a 5k, 10, half, and full marathon. Definitely worth checking out.
• I have a lot of great pins on my Fitness Board on Pinterest with training tips and advice.

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Here's my bottom line: Don't think that just because you're training for a race means you have to run every day. If you want to, that's awesome! More power to you. For me, I run 3x a week, and I feel like it's a great amount for my body and my schedule. It keeps running fun instead of feeling like a chore. 

Find a plan that fits YOU and stick to it. Then, once you figure out how long you want to train, sign up for a race! Seriously, what are you waiting for? Try plugging your distance and location into the Runner's World race finder and see what you come up with! 

Come back next Wednesday for Part 4: 3 Ways to Avoid Injury.

Don't leave before you check out today's featured running bloggers!

< Emily's Blog | Beauty and the Greek >

< Courtney's Blog | Eat Pray Run, DC >

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Are you currently training for a race?
Do you set a schedule for your running?

*I am not a personal trainer or physician. This post is not intended to offer medical advice. Contact your doctor before beginning a fitness routine or if you experience pain while exercising.