Holiday Weight Gain?

Running during the holidays is going well. Other than taking off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the pavement is getting its pounding. On Thursday, we took a family outing to the gym. Mom, Little Bro, Jeff and I went to sweat! We started by doing some weight training and then we all ended up together on 4 treadmills; side-by-side. It was quite the touching moment. I'm just glad I got to add 6.2 miles to my annual total because I was going to chicken out for the evening. The workout made the cookie guilt easier to swallow, yet the macaroni and cheese was another obstacle. I love when my family comes to visit, but I'm not sure how happy the weigh-in will be on Monday night. We shall see!!! We will continue milage pick up tomorrow, as for today, no more miles to go before I sleep. :)

Babies; are they worth the work?

I have to get some emotions out or I might blow up. Although I have worked in a hospital for 7 years and I have never seen spontaneous combustion due to emotional overload. Come to think of it, I have never seen spontaneous combustion at all. But my emotions are eating at me.(again figuratively) I have been undergoing various treatment for fertility over the last year. Each time the negatives results come back they also serve up a side of cynicism. Jeff and I have been trying for a baby for over 2 years, which doesn't seem like a long time out loud, but each month and the time between each doctors appointment seems like an eternity.

Since October, we have been meeting with a fertility specialist at a clinic in Mt. Pleasant, SC. We have been taking drugs for this and drugs for that. The drug cocktail looks like something that would be given to a terminal patient. However, I know infertility is not fatal, but it is sucking the life out of me. After Thanksgiving we began on an injectable journey. Each night I must take an injection in my stomach full of a hormone that most women's bodies create naturally. earlier in the year I was taking medication to help my body produce it, My body may be more stubborn than my mom ever thought I was as a teenager!!! and didn't produce the hormone, so now I am directly shooting that hormone into my body so there aren't any excuses. I was given a small does at first due to the fact the Dr. didn't quite know how my stubborn body would react. we took these injections for 4 day and went back for a follow-up.

To our dismay it didn't do ANYTHING. This was the most devastating news I would receive up to this point. I sat in car and cried an Oscar Award winning cry! Crocodile tears, chin quiver, mascara running, calling out to God... the works. What my doctor failed to clarify was that this did not qualify as a "cycle." I was under the impression that we would be waiting until the following month to try again with the drugs, hormones, and injections. Not the case. We were instructed to double dose that night. This was the good news to know we would not have to wait another 30 days.

We upped the dosage, but found out 3 days later it still hadn't worked. This time I asked quantifying questions: How long should we expect to wait for results? Answer: a while. Then the "Italian Attitude" made an appearence...I let her know I needed numbers, good and bad scenarios, also that there would be no more "it's progressing nicely" or "its gonna be while" or " we're not there yet" excuses. I then asked her to not overlook questions or pass me off to someone else to answer a questions that I can easily find the answer on google while I am sitting in your office. I need logic and facts.

So fast forward to day 19 of a cycle that I THOUGHT would only be 8 days long. We are still taking injections to help to create some mature follicles for inseminate. Saturday's appointment was a little more positive than any previous appointment. We got the word that we are aiming for insemination to take place on Tuesday, Dec 21st. We should have 2 follicles that are maturing enough to offer us a chance. At midnight we took a trigger shot that should put us into the ideal setup for insemination. Jeff and I will both be heading into the Dr.'s office on Tuesday Morning. We won't know if anything has worked until after New Year's, but still things are moving up.

We both decided that this will be our one shot, at least until the summer when I don't have to work. This emotional roller coaster is horrendous! Not a ride I want to get back on anytime soon.

You are probably wondering why I am putting this on my blog...
1. Because I can. It is my blog, I can post anything I want.
2. On the first Dr. Appointment with the fertility clinic, I asked the doctor is there was anything I could do on my side to help my chances of conceiving after his diagnosis of PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and he said if I dropped 10% of my body weight, it could only help. So I had weighed in at 154.0 lbs. (for all you non-math types this would be dropping almost 16 lbs. bringing me down to a shocking/skeletal 138) I haven't weighed that since 8th grade. So I have resorted to the only 2 things I know about that will actually produce results. Weight Watchers and Running. For the last 2 1/2 weeks I have been working with WW and my gym to hit my goal as soon as possible. I weigh in every week on Monday night. I have lost 6 lbs.during the first 2 weeks and will be weighing in tonight. I also have the holidays working against me. This is the time of year that the majority of people gain weight. However, I am totally up for the challenge. I have logged a whole bunch of miles these last 2 weeks and feeling the positive effects of more choices in my wardrobe! I'm logging miles every day, hoping to hit my goal sooner rather than later.
So if you are reading this please, do not feel sorry for me, we all have obstacles in life to deal with and this happens to be mine. I will overcome it one way or another. This is just the race I am running right now. There is always a finish line and then another race and if we keep going we'll always get there. So I'm off, because I have miles to go before I sleep.

update on 2-a-days

Holy Cow- that takes a lot out of you; Working out twice in one day! I ran several miles today and did a circuit training. I felt like I was running in circles. The class was built with 1 minute stations and filled with 1 minute of cardio after station. There was a push-up station, bicep curl station, dips for triceps, abs on the ball, lunges for the glutes, and weights out to the side for the shoulders. It was tiring, but I knew it was working. I was soaked- more so than when I am just running. It was a change of pace and it really got my heart rate up. I definitely realized that I need to change it up more often. I'm hitting the road tomorrow (this time in a car for 8 hours) on my way back home for the highly anticipated 10 Year High School Reunion. By highly anticipated, I'm not sure if it is good anticipation or bad anticipation. I was the homecoming queen and am not sure if there are expectations with that. I sure hope not! I don't want to disappoint! OH Well! However, on the drive I am not sure how I am even going to get one mile in, but we shall see. Maybe I'll run at the rest areas?? You know, be creative. Well I need to get to bed because for today no more miles to go before I sleep

Try something new

I'm going to be trying a few different things this week. Let's spice it up! I am going to be working out twice a day. I want to get a lot of miles in, but I don't want to risk injury or fatigue. It works out better for me if I don't spend a 2-hour + block at the gym and just split it up. I understand that it is no feasible for most. However, not having to work allows for creative time strategies. Also, with splitting up the time, I am going to try something else-weightlifting. Not the -muscle men from Saturday Night Live "I want to pump you up" kind of lifting, just the need to tone some muscles and get my Body Fat % down kind of lifting. I found some ideas on a Facebook thing that I subscribe to called Active.com. They blogged about some abdominal excercises from Mens Health Magazine as well as some butt exercises with visual tutorials.

Add in some 2-a-day running and some actually muscle building activities and hopefully we'll be seeing physical differences soon. It is suppose to improve my running too! Well I have to get out there if I'm going to meet the goal for the week- 40 miles. It is coming along nicely so far. I just need to keep it up- so many miles to go before I sleep.

Small Goals= Easy to achieve

2,010 miles is a huge goal that we have already decided was daunting, at best. However, along the way I have set little goals and given myself little rewards. Race Days are rewards. I love races!Signing up for races is fun. There are so many possibilities, so much success to strive for and another reason and deadline to push yourself for. I love getting the t-shirt and I anticipate the adrenaline rush at the start line. Regardless of the length of the race, I love them.

In June, The Hubby and I decided to join up for a race during our family vacation to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We planned on running a 10-k at the highest elevation we have ever been to: 6,035 feet above sea level. Food for your brain: The higher the elevation, the more difficult it is to breathe. When running at sea level is already sucking the air out of my lungs, I could have only imagines what 6,035 feet would do.

I had been 'training' for this run in the weeks leading up to it. Running at higher speeds for longer amounts of time trying to work on my VO2. I even had a few days to pound the pavement while out in Colorado before the actual race. I had even checked the running race site for the coarse and they stated "this is a relatively flat coarse with only one Colorado sized hill." In my head I was thinking cool- only one little hill.

I'm ready.

Well, 2 days before the race, the hubby was complaining of having a case of the

sniffles. I was teasing him because I figured this was his excuse of backing out. The 'Oh, I don't feel so good, don't think I can run' excuse. I wasn't going to fall for it-this time. We pumped him full of OJ and didn't let him over-exert himself. However, morning of the race he had a fever, his nose was running like Niagara Falls and he sounded like Barry White. He was in no condition to run.

- Who knew he was telling the truth. (Sorry Honey, for doubting you- like he actually reads my blog anyway) -

He was a trooper and drove me to the Start Line and stayed until the race started. He was great for moral support! That morning I totally needed it. I've only run big races before. Not that I'm a running snob or anything. It is just that by the time I hear about them, they are pretty popular. This race was different. There were only about 70 runners. I was terrified that I was going to be last. I'm not that fast and SOMEONE has to finish last.

I was scared that it was going to be me, the one from a home elevation of actually below sea lever; they call it the Low Country for a reason, ya know!

All these native Colorado-ians with big lungs were going to leave me in the dust. (That is why I needed the hubby for support, I was thinking about going back home- who wants to lose??)

With The Hubby cheering me on, I began the race in the middle of the small crowd. We ran down a rural street next to the Yampa River up stream for a little bit and then started climbing a hill. In my head I was thinking, well this hill isn't SO bad. I think I can make it up, I've trained for this. However, I soon found out this 'hill' was actually part of the "relatively flat course" and the "Colorado-sized hill" was actually up the side of the mountain for 0.7 miles! OMG! But I learned:what goes up, must come down!!!!!

After I hit the halfway/turnaround, it was literally down hill from there! I made up some time and hauled butt towards the finish line. Thanks to the encouragement from my husband and my sister-in-law, who were about 25 yards from the finish line, I sprinted and beat 3 people to the finish line! (You should always beat someone in a race... usually the person right in front of you... they can't ever see

you coming!) While sprinting and turning the 90 degree corner to the finish line, I stepped in a pothole and twisted my foot and hobbled 20 feet to a painful finish at 1:06:10. This was a not a bad time considering the elements and my lung capacity or lack thereof!

Oh no, did I fail to mention one particular element:

THE VIEW!!!

When you are up that high, God's Creation is really awesome! This run was hands down: #1 Most Awe-inspiring Run.

These are the small victories to small goals that make the big goals achievable! This week I am setting myself up for another goal. I would like to reach mile 600 by Saturday. I am 40 miles shy right now. I have 5 days to finish this goal. It is completely do-able. I need to rack up some miles before I head back to school. Only 3 more weeks of summer vacation. Well, at mile 600 I will be in-touch! Until then I have lots of miles to go before I sleep.

500- here and gone!

Vacation usually means over eating, taking a break from the every day lifestyle and just kicking back. However, this Summer "Vacation" has taken on a new meaning and a new purpose for me this year. We (meaning the Hubby and I) have tried to add

in as much physical activity as possible in these short 2 and

1/2 months I have off from work. We began our vacation with our nation's Capital; Washington DC or Bust! Our only plan was to head to a baseball game, so we can keep crossing Major League Baseball Stadiums off our list.

However, we met up with the twin and my niece, Deshon. We visited inside the Pentagon (thanks to Martez), participated in a cheesy under cover case at the Spy Museum, saw lots of planes at the Udvar Hazy Air/Space museum, and made it to Arlington Cemetery for a cool history lesson and

the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Something I highly recommend- if you ever get the chance.

We also added on to the semi-physical activity of walking around each day. Jeff and I participated in some of my greatest runs ever!

Run #1: Most historically Scenic

We began running at the Capitol Building and continued down the entire National Mall. We passed the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, The White House, The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, The Reflecting Pond and even climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Grabbed a breather atAbe Lincoln's feet and then headed back: All before 7:30 am. Watching the sun come up in the reflecting pond was neat! History Run was amazing!

Run #2: Naturally Breath-taking

The Hubby and I happened upon run #2 after getting lost on the way home from dropping the twin and niece off at the airport. We knew we were going to go for a run, but didn't have a clue where to do it. Virginia is a beautiful state, with quite a few rivers. We looked on the GPS, found some national parks, and meandered our way through one and found a gravel parking lot. In the parking lot, there were a few other avid

Virginia runners had the same idea. So we stealthy followed them to a foot beaten trail along one of these rivers. WOW!! We found rock trails, water falls, babbling brookes, hills, horse trails. It was amazing! Prior to the run, I have never run through anything so naturally breath-taking and I'm not talking about being out of breath from running. It was amazing to run for almost an hour under tree-covered trails and ever changing terrain. It was completely NATURE. I loved it.

In 4 days we racked up over 35 miles! I also hit MILE 500!!! This wasn't the only vacation we took this summer, but that post is still to come. For now, I still have miles to go before I sleep!

I don't wanna!

I have finally hit it....the proverbial Brick Wall!!! I don't want to go to the gym today. It is too stinkin' hot outside and I don't even want to get in my car. I feel like a whiny baby who doesn't want to do anything. I don't want to get on the tread mill because I'm bored with it, but I will die if I have to run outside. I took that on yesterday.

After the hubby and I had lunch I ran home from the restaurant. It was about 5.5 miles from the house, but it was lunch time ( the hottest part of the day. ) No Shade. All Sun! I brought water with me, but it just wasn't enough. All the ice melted by mile 3, then the water was just getting warmer and warm water doesn't quench thirst. I told hubby to come find me on a specific route if I wasn't home in an hour. I was hoping he would start his search party early because I was DYING of heat exhaustion, but my hubby and his punctual self, came up the street exactly 1 hour into my Nike+ timed run. However, by this time I was almost home so I finished in 1:07:00. It was way too hot! and I won't be doing that again for a long time...it was just stupid. Not even the boring tred mill can get me to do that again.

I'm still not in the mood to run right now, but the schedule for the rest of the day doesn't warrant any other time to run. I just have to buck up and do it. I'm sure there are days olympic athletes don't want to train, but they still get up for their all day work- outs. The least I can do is get to the gym. I have to get at least 6 miles before I sleep.

Update: I only did 3 miles

PAIN

Pain. My body hurts. My muscles have that good hurt you get after you've worked out or rather when you've done a few too many squats and it hurts to sit and pee. I'm trying to run a lot of hills and train for the elevation. The hubby and I will be running a 10-k race in the mountains of COLORADO. We will be up against the elements: heat, hills, and the lack of oxygen you get when doing anything in the Rockies.

A few years ago, the hubby and I flew out to Steamboat Springs, CO for a vacation.

While there, we were feeling ambitious to take in the beauty of the mountains through

the leisure activity of mountain biking. We hopped on the two- wheeled transportation and went racing down the side of the mountain we were staying on, noticing it wasn't as easy to breathe with no effort, but didn't pay it much mind. However, on our way into town for breakfast on the bikes we did exert a little more energy and noticed how DIFFICULT it was to catch our breath. Neither part of our winded excursion compared to that of trying to make it back up the mountain to get home. It was as though we were trying to breathe through non-exsistent fish lungs in the Sahara Desert. So with this memory still so vivid, I'm now questioning my idea to run a 6.2 mile race during the middle of the summer (July 3) in the same location and elevation. Oh well, the registrations are already paid for, so we are doing it! This is why my body is in such pain now- hoping it will deliver a less painful/ more successful finish in July!

Right now I am dealing with a less envious type of pain: Blisters! My feet are full of them. I know- GROSS- Right? But it is the price of so many miles. If I am determined to reach this 2010 mile goal, I have to run through the pain. The blisters started about 3 days ago. I can't say that they have been getting worse, but they sure aren't getting any better. I know it is weird, but I am hoping they turn into calluses soon. This has to be a metaphor for something- having painful blisters that you work through /in spite of only to be come hard and stronger so you can no longer feel the pain. (ooh, that's good!) I guess I am destined to become a stronger runner and the blisters are just one stage I have to go through :) Well I have to get back out on the road and I have at least 7 miles to go before I sleep.

P.S.- I hit 7.75 miles!!

400

400

I've just reached another milestone! I'm trying to get back on the running wagon to reach my goal and am getting closer by the day. Being a teacher, is the greatest thing for exercise since Richard Simmons! I have all the time in the world to hit the gym or the pavement since I don't have to work and nobody to check in with except the hubby (who is not a teacher and has to work his 40 hours!)

With the RAW foods diet still kicking and the miles I've been putting in, I am down 7 pounds and feeling great! I am even thinking about attempting the most dreaded female task of.... BATHING SUIT SHOPPING. Yuck! IF only I could go after summer is over and I have hit a lot of the fitness and weight goals I am aiming for. I suppose that would defeat the purpose, considering I need one now. Wish me luck because I have a lot of junk in this trunk that I need to hide and many more...

miles to go before I sleep.

RAW

I am taking on a challenge of working on the inside of my body, as well as the outside while running. I have begun the raw foods 30-day challenge. It consists of eating foods that are not cooked but left in their natural state. It is a detoxing diet to cleanse the body from all the processed foods that have invaded our lives. We are too familiar with the foods that give us a quick pick-me-up or can be served in seconds from a drive-thru window. These are not foods nature intended for us. Don't get me wrong, I've had cravings for a $.99 double cheese burger on my way home from work. But after scarfing it down, I realize it has done NOTHING good for my body; just the opposite, actually. This au naturale' diet should also help with my fertility. I have recently found that my lack of fertility is genetic and has a possibility of being fixed through diet.

My mom tried to explain it to me using terms of a more descriptive nature including- low glycemic index, insulin, hormones, fertility.... The short end of it is: my diet could aide in some of the fertility obstacles that I am facing right now. I would like to try something natural before I get pumped full of drugs and hormones. This diet is said to curb sugar cravings too...that can't hurt my waist-line or my bottom-line!

Yesterday, I went shopping for produce and that is exactly what I got. Foods in all shades of green! Avocados, spinach, lettuce, celery, beans, peas, limes, watermelons - and of course splashes of color with raspberries, bananas, mangos, strawberries, pineapple, lemons! I even bought a juicer for this endeavor. I used it for the first time today to have a GREEN smoothie- not the new sense of the word green, but literally, my smoothie was of a greenish-brown hue.

It was a combination of spinach, lettuce, strawberries, and a banana. Remember from art class that green and red mixed is.... Brown :) It was quite festive before it was all mixed together. Great tasting t00! However, I learned that I need to chill it before I drink it: not so nice warm. So far, I have good energy and can still put in the miles, so you know what that means....I still have many miles to go before I sleep.

Hero's Welcome

After several months away, my running partner is back on US Soil!

Welcome home from Iraq, Lisa! I've missed you and I thank you for your service. You are my hero!

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you have been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." - John Bingham

I'd like to add...It doesn't matter how long it is between runs, you are still a runner. It has been one month since I have laced up. I'd almost forgotten was it was like to sweat, but then summer came one weekend and the temperature was 80 with 90% humidity and one

does not forget how to sweat in those conditions. But I did misplace the

freedom I feel when I am away from complacency.

Don't get me wrong, every once in a while it is great to

veg out on the couch with a list of Tivo to catch up on (especially when it is a week full of General Hospital.. oh! Dante Falconari)

But what a completely different sense of accomplishment after a 5-mile jog with your shirt drenched, hair slicked, and a little pink in the cheeks. I have become a runner again. After a lofty goal, was set and dropped, I've brought myself to continue on this journey. Running also helps me deal with stresses of everyday life and also the new stress that entered my life a year ago. The stress of trying to get pregnant. For our first two years of marriage, the hubby and I worked diligently at taking precautions for our "honeymoon period" to last as long as planned. We decided after my marathon, we would stop taking "precautions." In my mind, it was probably only going to take a matter of weeks.(In fairy tales everything happens when you want it to, doesn't it?) Well, here we are a year and a half later still enjoying that proverbial "honeymoon period." So far the fertility meds aren't kicking in as quickly as my feet are during speed work. And as any woman who has played this fertility game knows, it is a little frustrating not scoring a goal, while watching everyone else around you enjoy their prego-ness goals. This includes many of my 14,15,16-year old students. I am trying to rest in the idea that God has a plan for my life and he knows what lies ahead and it is going to be great. So, running is a way to prepare my body for all the obstacles of motherhood, weather the baby grows under or in my heart. I'm well aware it will take me being in the best shape of my life, so that is why I'm ok with the miles to go before I sleep.

300 Club

It's official, 300 miles since the year began totals more miles than I ran in all of 2009. This is a new year and a new decade. At the beginning, I set out for an inconceivable challenge, not quite understanding what it would mean or consist of. 3 months have passed and I realize that I may not succeed in reaching my full 2010 mile goal, but I am succeeding. I am succeeding in putting on my shoes more often, I'm succeeding in lowering the number on the scale, I am also succeeding with increasing the number of minutes on the treadmill. This running goal has also allowed me to take a vacation to Virginia Beach to run my first 1/2 marathon while making a great friend along the way. I like the way I feel and am loving the change in my body. Running also keeps the winter blues away. The cold weather usually takes the toll on my mind each year and depression sets in for a few weeks, but it has been kept at bay this year. I've found I don't need drugs (not that I ever had) I just need a good pair of shoes. I wish the rest of the U.S. knew how easy this could be OK, not to say 300 miles is easy, but it sure does do a body good! Spring break is almost here and it is bringing warm weather and sunshine with it. I can't wait to work on my tan as I work on my miles. Oh, the sunshined miles to go before I sleep!

Shamrock 1/2 Marathon

Race Day was almost upon us.

Kristy, Jeff, and I left Summerville early Saturday morning to embark on Race weekend. With the Fusion packed, Fat dog in the Kennel, and runners in the car we began our

8 hour road trip to Virginia Beach, VA for the 2010 Shamrock 1/2 Marathon.

For Team JaKaL, (Jeff and Kristy and Leslie..get it!!!) this was our first 13.1 race, both individually and collectively. Our first stop was for breakfast of Champions at McDonald's five minutes into our trip. Then we were seriously we were on our way. Kristy and I slept, as Jeff upheld his manly duties of driving. Good bye South Cackalacky, Hello North Carolina.

Nap time was over when we had crossed the border and due to our small bladders and pure nervousness so we had to find a rest area began photo documenting our trip. We figured the State Line was a great place to start.

It was fun seeing the excitement through Jeff and Kristy, except when they continually "joked" that it was the worst idea that I had ever come up with and they weren't going to actually run the race or they were going to shut the alarm off on race morning so that we would miss it all together and they wouldn't feel bad about it. Oh, such kidders!

I can't describe the nerves, excitement, glee and fear that sets in leading up to race day. The training doesn't prepare you for the deluge of emotions you feel as you pull into the convention center for the race expo. This is where we got our race swag, numbers, and visited many vendors before race day. You could feel the energy and excitement from the fellow runners. It felt less like competition and more like comaraderie. We were there to do a job. We were there to revel in the hard work that had prepared us for the current challenge in our lives. We were facing the moment that we had talked about and anticipated, and trained for- for months. The participants at the expo share this enthusiasm, weather they are runners or staff, we have all pooled our efforts to make this a memorable experience. Walking into the expo,the first thing we run into are giant leprechauns (Of course.. Photo Op!)

On to pick up our Official Race Number. We were greeted by the most lovely girls who were so willing to help. They provided us with our official race bag and when I told the lady my name # and she pulled it out, she asked, "Hun, do you have your ID" then she paused and said,"nevermind, what is your last name? It's not like there are many people in the world who would try and lie so that they could run 13.1 miles for someone else" I just laughed because I had to agree. She handed it over and wished me luck. The other 2/3 of our race team picked up their digits and you know what that means another PHOTO OP!

We continued on our experience, traveling from vendor

to vendor, picked up some powergels, freebies, and most importantly...the 13.1 Bumper stickers. We wasted sometime before checking in to our hotel...little did we know what would be awaiting us.

We drove down to the beach passing high-rise after high-rise, large hotels lining the coast line, search for our nest. Using the GPS we came upon the Atlantic Sands Hotel in no time at all. We parked next to a dilapitated Chevy S-10 with a flat tire that looked like all it was missing was the cinder blocks holding up the other tires (usually found in ghetto front yards).We headed to the lobby which was completely under construction with a dirty counter and a large woman behind it looking like she hadn't taken a shower in days. We checked in, feeling apprehensive, took the filthy elevator up to our room, only to find that we didn't need the key because the room was actually open. We walked through the OPEN door to find the bathroom in a state of disarray;Toilet unflushed, Towels unfolded. There was even a used toothpick sitting on one of the tables. We had a balcony, but the door leading out to it was open when we walked in...who knows if it even shut. As I was heading to the phone to call the front desk, I saw the alarm clock was broken... thinking:"well they don't have to joke about turning off the alarm clock come race morning...it won't even turn on!" So soon we got another room, but wierd...no apology about the condition of the first room. 2nd room was a few doors down, and it was locked before we went in and this room actually looked like someone had cleaned it...OK let's not get carried away: vacuumed and flushed. However, soon to find out the Cable didn't work. So I took my McGyver skills and broke into the old room and stole the cable chord because that TV worked, however it didn't fix our problem.

So we called the front desk again. Fat woman's response "Oh, the Cable is out right now and we don't know when it will be back on." Did we dare tell her she was lying? So we politely asked who we should call to get it fixed. Sounding annoyed, she said she would give us a call back. Within minutes we had an old man knock on the door who came and jiggled a chord and then said "looks like your cable doesn't work. You might want to call the front desk and get a new room."

DUH! So we did, and they gave us our 3rd set of keys. Room #3- good view, clean bathroom, workable cable, and functioning Alarm clock... was this so hard?!

On to prerace activities: Carbo-loading, eating, and race

preparation. Chipotle was our CARBfest of choice! Wal-mart was of course the savior of all things forgotten. We spent as much time as we could away from the Temple of Doom. We drove around Virginia Beach, which is a beautiful city, and just vented our fears and anxieties.

The race was in T-minus 12 hours. Time for sleep and relaxation. 5:30 alarm went off- against the former humorous plot. Got up, got dressed and did the official pinning of Race numbers. Nerves and anxiety were high, but ready or not 13.1 ...

Here we come! We had 20 block to run to get the the STARTING line of the race. The long hike brought us there just as the National Anthem began. Personal tears shed as I remember my hero in Iraq right now. (Thanks Lisa) And the gun Fires...we're off...ok so it took us 6 minutes to actually get to the starting line after to gun when off, but now is what we had all been waiting for. Even though there are 10,000 people around, it felt like it was just me and the road. I was racing myself. Success was not in the minutes on the clock but on the individual goals of allowing myself to get through each mile and make it to the Finish Line. Step by step, my journey began. Mile 1 was perfect. Pace was perfect, my body felt great, if I can keep this up, I will be done in 2:09:00. Miles 2-4 passed quickly and easily. Miles 5-6 were a little tougher, but when I hit the clock on mile 5, my pace was still on target. This is where is started falling apart. I would love to say, with all my training I was able to push myself to a glorious Hollywood finish with Chariots of Fire Soundtrack playing in the background, but that isn't how it happen.

At mile 7, my lungs started to burn and my feet felt like there were blisters on the bottoms of them that were going to burst at any moment. I was also feeling tired and defeated. I know I was racing better than ever before, but I just couldn't find my drive.

I stopped. I took off my water belt, ipod and shirt, only to strip my long-sleeve shirt off. This was an excuse to catch my breath and hopefully gain some energy. I helped. I continued on realizing I had over 5 miles to go and just kept reminding myself: the more you run, the fast this is over. I found a group of girls to pace myself with. I passed them several times only to have them continually pass me too. It worked great, until fatigue set

in around mile 10. The last 5K was the hardest moments for me. Intellectually I was preparing myself with the mantra... you do these every day. A 5K is no big deal, you have less than 1/2 hour left. Just RUN! My body just wouldn't listen. That 5K took me 37 minutes!

So I didn't hit my goal time, but, when I crossed that finish line, I couldn't have been more proud of myself. Tears were streaming and that Chariots of Fire song was sure playing somewhere, if only in my mind. Soon I found Jeff. He was waiting right where we had planned...(on the left side banana stand... there are always bananas on the left side) We went to get the winning photo of Kristy and claim our free beers- 4 to be exact.
Did I mention the Shamrock Marathon was sponsored by Yuengling!

However in all the commotion, after Kristy's photo, we lost her for several hours. She was not at the Left Side Banana stand... come to find out she was at the right side stand the entire time! But we got our medals and left with more pride and lactic acid then we knew what to do with.

We waddled back to our rat hotel, took showers and then off for our celebratory dinner @ TGIF.

Needless to say, it wasn't as hard to sleep that night as is was to walk the next day. We couldn't stop revelling in our accomplishment for the entire 8 hour ride back to Summerville and we will never forget what Team JaKaL was able to do!

We all PR'd that day Jeff @ 2:14:13, me @ 2:28:43 and Kristy @2:51:30! Way to go Team JaKaL!!!! I am glad we got to run 13.1 mile together. 1/2 Marathon Finisher with many more miles to go before I sleep!

Here is a great picture of Fat-dog- this is actually what I dream of doing to Fat-dog. But I don't. :)

London bridge fell down too!

Yesterday was a big day in MY running world. I was able to push myself to achieve a goal that I thought was actually out of reach. My goal: a 10-mile run. I started off pretty excited because it was going to be my first outdoor run in several weeks/months. (Winter seems to lasts forever around here)  The sun was shining, birds were singing and the heat was up to 67 degrees. A runner couldn't ask for better conditions. Slowly I am becoming one!)  The daunting task is thinking about the 10 miles ahead while filling up my water bottle, wondering what and how many snacks to pack. It just seams like such a long distance.

       They say you should eat/snack 45 minutes into your run if you know you're going to be running longer than an hour. So I have to have some PowerBar /gummy bears (to change my mouth taste) around mile 4-4.5.  Carrying water is always a struggle because it weighs so much and jiggles. But I have a trusty fanny pack for my running luggage. A spot for the water bottle and pockets for any treats. (I am well aware of the fact that I look like a child from the 80's. The pack is very similar to the ones my mom made us wear as children on our seasonal trips to Disney World. Gee-thanks Mom!) 

But just like back then, it is actually very handy. 

       With my fanny pack packed, shoes tied tight and IPod fully charged I was ready to embark on my running journey for the day. It was going well. Five songs played through without me struggling. I usually play a game to get through some of my runs. My first 3 songs are sung by boy artists and the next 3 are sung by girls. It continues to switch through out my workout. Each set of song allows me to finish a mile(give or take). This lets me focus on how far or how long I need to  continue my pace. It also takes my mind off the road or treadmill. So, like I said, 5 songs in and the run was good, until My big event happened. I tripped. I stumbled over the uneven pavement and went down hands first, feet over my head and tumbled to a complete stop on the grass. I must have looked like complete idiot. ( like the blond below)

Thank goodness for grass!!!  I had some grass stains on my hands and knee, but no blood. I could feel a little pain in my hip and wrist but over all I was OK. I got up, brushed myself off and had to make a decision. Do I turn around and go home or continue on my way. Turning around now, I could chalk up that I trekked almost 4 miles. However, that was shortening my goal by more than 6 miles.  Yet, If I continue there is no one to pick me up if I start hurting down the road. Choices.  6 months ago, I would have turned around and not though twice. This is not then. This is a new year with a new attitude. 

There was no turning around. I had a goal to meet and that was what I was going to do. Keeping my time, I had to pick up the pace. Falling down doesn't do much for the clock. I hit my turn  around point, while eating 1/2 my PowerBar, (in 5 minutes longer than I was aiming for-10:55 pace). I took a  short stretch break and noticed my hip was a little tight and this was just too bad, because I decided I was going to beat the time I had and aim for negative splits. (negative splits- less time spent and on the 2nd half than on the first.) So I started booking it. stretching out my strides, picking up my heals so they would be closer to literally kicking my butt. In less words: Running. I was able to cut 9 minutes off and take my pace to 9:30 per mile, which is pretty good for my short stubby legs.  I finally made it home. 

Shortly upon arriving home, I was tired, the run was over and I sat down. I quickly had a revelation; either my age was catching up to me quicker than ever before or my adrenalin was wearing off. Either way my hip began to throb. I grabbed my medicine cabinet favorite (Ibuprofen) hoping it would solve my problem. Then just hung out for the rest of the day.

 Hubby came home from work and got his laugh out of the situation because he couldn't figure out how I just tripped. jerk. (not really, he is a nice guy, he just laughs at everything-especially me) We went to bed. Sleeping was painful.

 I woke up this morning feeling like an old man. My hip joint was as stiff as _______(fill in what ever simile you feel would fit best.) I could barely get out of bed, walk down the stairs or bend down to get the Sunday paper for my coupon clipping. So today I will not be running. I know this does not bode well for my goal, but I will have to make it up this week. For now, I am on the injured reserve list, hanging out with Kitty and Fat-dog. Happy Sunday! Today will be different than any otherbecause I don't have ANY "miles to go before I sleep."

 

Snow Days

As you could figure out, if you were interested, I am writing from Charleston, SC. Chuck-town is an amazing place filled with manners, southern hospitality, shrimp and grits and after last night... SNOW. It hasn't snow here, I mean real snow, in over 11 years and it was 11 years before that when it had happened before. I'm a true Florida girl and have never experienced something like this. 

Friday night is movie night with my SC-BFF. It is just a night to watch chick flicks, drink wine, and just BE. I don't know if I had ever realized this was an imperative phenomenon. But it is! So like any Friday night, when there are no cheer coach responsibilities, Kristy and I are down for a flick. Last night was at her humble abode which meant I was given the task of driving in the snow for the first time. Dodging the snow flurries from inside my windshield was... weird.  It had just begun to accumulate, but was already pretty. 

After the "A-Okay" flick Love Happens, I experienced, for the first time, brushing snow off my car. While taking part in this yankee ritual, I took a brief glance down the cul-de-sac and was instantly blown away by the breath taking beauty. The clean, pure, calmness of a blanket of white was before me. The snow was still coming down glistening in the street lights, but I have never seen anything this awe-inspiring before. Driving home gave me a new love for this wonderful town. I took fat-dog and kitty out in the snow, took pictures, and tried to catch flakes.

  

Hubby assured me it would stop soon, but fat-dog woke me up at 7am today and the amount of snow had doubled.  I can only describe the the calm and new found appreciation of winter to that which Parents describe when watching their normally hyper, romping, sugar filled little loves...SLEEPING. It is just nice. Of course like any other day, the world wakes up and we have to get things done. Headed to the gym for an empty class of Tred-n-shed but it resulted with hitting the 200 mile mark for the year. This is 50 miles shy of the amount I ran for the entire year of  2009. So I'm pretty stoked. However, I am 17 miles behind where I should be for my goal. So I'll try for a repeat performance this evening for a 5-7 miler. Slowly, I will make them up, but I realize that I have many, many "miles to go before I sleep."  

T-shirts :)

The best part of  a race is the T-shirt-These are the designs that are on the front and back of our "offical" race shirts. Thank you Kathy, for the back slogan. It really captures what we are doing.

Another Reason to Run

If I didn't have enough reasons to run before, today another reason presented itself. You may or may not understand my reasoning, but basically it is because of my twin.

This all began with my friend Kristy, who joined my challenge of completing a 1/2 marathon. We have been pushing each other, over the past few months, to get in shape and make it to our regular play dates on Saturday mornings at the gym. (This is hard enough when cutting into Saturday morning sleep-in sessions, let alone waking up early after highlighting  as the local high school cheerleading coach for Friday Night Lights.) However, we faithfully met for Tred n' shed week after week and here we are, over 10 weeks later, sneaking up on our first 1/2 marathon. As surprising as it sounds, this kind of goal can be contagious. Hubby has also joined our crusade for 13.1 miles.  

I bet you're wondering where the twin comes in. 

Well, she would have loved to join our field trip across the finish line too, but she is locationally-challenged. At this moment, she is one of the many brave soldiers fighting for our freedom in Iraq and the 1/2 marathon is located in Virginia Beach.

This means she cannot attend. 

This is heartbreaking for two reason, the first was previously stated  and the other: because just over a year ago, she and I finished our first full marathon together. There is something to be said about twin powers, especially over a 26.2 mile test of what you're really made of. This brings us to my newest reason to run. 

Lisa has come up with a great idea: to run a 1/2 marathon, simultaneously, on a separate continents. We will be running together the weekend after the 1/2 in Virginia. The Air Force is sponsoring her run in Iraq the very next weekend and I will be running on a make-shift course in Chuck-town. We will work out the logistics over the next few weeks, but the basics are 13.1 miles, same day, with matching t-shirts (of course!!!) and maybe you can help!

If anyone is reading this measly blog, I would like to solicit your creativity. I need a slogan for our t-shirts. It must be something catchy. Here is the info you may need:

My location: Charleston, SC

Her location: Balad, Iraq

Date: March 27, 2010

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Just submit a comment with your idea and I will post the final product when the time gets closer. I have about 3 weeks before I will order the shirts, so get those creative juices flowing :) Happy Posting and good-bye for now. I have "miles to go before I sleep."

New Year's Resolution 2,010 miles in 2010

We have all made New Years resolutions that have required us to somehow change or give more of ourselves than we feel we ever have before. We create a mind set, that some how, this year will be different. This year, I will change, I will be different. I will become better. 

For me, 2010 was no different. I spent a long while contemplating how this new decade would be different than the 2 I had experienced before. What have I always set out to change but had not quite been altered to my specifications?

 I am an avid runner of sorts. Well I don't know if I would actually put myself in the elite category of "Runner" as the greats: Paula Ratcliff( who is my idol of sorts, you will find out one day why),  Joan Benoit, and Deanna Kastor. However, I enjoy putting on running shoes, sweating to some tunes on the IPod and adding miles to my Nike+. One day I hope this qualifies me to be that "runner."  On that same note, shortly after Christmas day came and went, while contemplating the pending question "What will my resolution be?" I came across a challenge on Nike+. This challenge was intriguing at first sight. Not realizing the intricacies of the goal, I decided to sign up for the challenge right away. The title: 2,010 miles in 2010. NOW THAT'S A GOAL. After I accepted the challenge I was shouting to the hubby, that I found my resolution and let him know that basics. His first question, one I had not thought of, was how many miles is that a day. Still with pep in my voice and spring in my fingers I quickly calculated the math to reveal a daunting task that lay ahead.

 5.5 miles a day. 

Could I really do this? Can a person that never classified herself as a runner achieve this feat? I can RUN, which I suppose is a good start. But, WOW, every day for the next 365 days- 5.5 miles. This is not taking into account if I miss a day. Heaven forbid I have a sick day or get stuck in an airport for a day of standby flights (thank you, Lisa). I told myself it didn't matter. This is a new year, 2010 is a new DECADE. I can do this. Little goals, daily goals are what matters. On January 1st I ran 5.6 miles. Ahead of my goal already- life is going to be different.

I put my goal on Facebook, I gave daily updates to all my real and virtual friends. I have accountability now.

7 days into my goal I wanted to quit.

Gee, That didn't take long. Day 7-I ran 2 miles. How could I keep this up?  

Time Requirements: Over an hour at the gym, everyday, without fail was more than daunting, it felt impossible. However, the next 4 days were spent making it up. 7 miles here, 8 miles there. Finally, I came a conclusion. If I can add one or 2 miles on to a regular run, I can take that much needed break each week. So here we are- 1 month in, only 4 miles behind my goal. It has been a journey to say the least. 11 months lie ahead, 1,849 miles to go. The journey in front of me is not only physical, but a test of will, strength, and sanity. Join me on my first attempt to blog my way through a New Years Resolution. For now, I have "miles to go before I sleep."