one of those

Sometimes I have those runs that are easy and awesome and I feel amazing.  And sometimes I have those runs where I just want to turn around and go home.  It takes everything in me to keep running and finish out the mileage.  Today was the second kind.

For some reason, I was just feeling...off.  I had a weird pain in my right oblique that went down to my hip.  My right foot was feeling stiff.  And there were some other issues I won't get into.  Just overall not a great 6miles.

I know that I have to get through these kind of runs in order to appreciate the good kind.  Having a good run makes slugging through the bad ones worth it.  I need to get a strong long run in this weekend...I'm hoping for a good one and not one like today!

a pretty great motivator

I'm motivated to run by a lot of factors:  health, weight maintenance, to look good in spandex ;) , a clear mind, the after-the-run feeling.  Sometimes I'm motivated to run faster on certain runs:  running with someone who's faster, not wanting to let someone pass me, dog chasing me, chocolate milk at the finish!    Just the other day, I encountered a new reason to run faster:  a thunderstorm, complete with bolts of lightning, heading my way.

I knew there was the possibility of thunderstorms but the sky didn't look too bad when I headed out for a 3.6mi wog (combo walk/jog) with the dog.  We got back to the house, I dropped her off and set out for 4mi on my own.  The sky was looking a little more ominous than before but didn't seem too threatening yet. 

About 1.5mi in, I heard some thunder rumbling.  As I got to the turnaround point, I saw bolts of lightning in the distance and rain had begun to fall.  By the time I got back to the house, there were lots more rumbles of thunder.  Thankfully, before the storm was overhead I was back inside, safely away from the lightening.

Chalk up another motivator for running faster:  a thunderstorm.

flashback friday #10

Junior year.  I turned 16.  I got my driver's license.  I got a job.  In fact, the day I got my license my friend and I went to the mall with the sole purpose of me applying for jobs.  Within 5min of being on the road, I ran a red light.  Thankfully, no one was coming through the intersection and there were no cops - but it sure did freak me out!  Later that year I got into my first car accident, pulled out in front of someone and got hit from behind.  I was terrified to come home thinking I would be in BIG trouble.  But a few tears went along with the ticket I received and I didn't get punished too badly.  ;)

My first job was working at The Original Cookie Co. in Crossroads Mall.  It's just like Mrs. Fields...  We sold all sorts of cookies, muffins, brownies, big cookie cakes (I am still a pro at writing in icing, especially Happy Valentine's Day....) and little mini cookies, too.  I worked a few other places at the mall too.  Northern Reflections (which no longer exists) and Gadzooks - hard to believe there was (is?!) a store called Gadzooks... I only worked there for a short time.  I worked at Northern Reflections sister stores too:  Lady Footlocker and Kinney Shoes.  I do not like selling shoes. 

While we're on the subject of jobs, my later jobs included Child Development Center and Island Heat Tanning salon.  The tanning salon was one of my favorite jobs.  Probably because I liked the people I worked with.  There were a number of locations and I got to work at most of them.  At all of these jobs I worked my way up to Shift Leader/Key Holder/Responsible Person.  Managers saw me as a hard worker and very trustworthy.  What can I say... :)

17 days

Just over 2wks to HM #4.  The Monadnock Half Marathon in Jaffrey, NH.  Here's the course description:

"Less Rt 202 and more back roads...including the rail trail and about a mile of nice, soft rolling trails!  Yes, there is a pretty major hill that rivals Witt Hill from last year....but we will have an aide station at the top and, well, just enjoy the scenery.  This is not the type of course to try to PR on.  Come out, absorb the scenery, hit one of the many aide stations (more than last year) and pace yourself.   If you do these things...you will like this course and do well.

If you happen to be an adrenaline junkie....this is the course for you.  We do warn you to not hammer the first few miles on the rail trail.  You will need the energy.  If you fuel yourself right and are wise in the beginning, you will be able to maintain your pace through the hills (mostly) and finish fast (almost all down hill post mile 9)." 

There are two things that strike me about this course description.  I've bolded them above.  1. A pretty major hill - I did not run this last year and I don't know what Witt Hill was like...perhaps that's a good thing.  One pretty major hill doesn't sound so bad.  We'll see how it goes.  I am excited about the fact that part of it is on a rail trail and that it's scenic.  I do love a scenic race.  

Also, 2. I am NOT an adrenaline junkie.  I have never desired to go skydiving, bungee jumping or any kind of falling from the sky (heck, I don't even like to fly in "safe" planes).   I am not a fan of any sports where I have the potential of hurting myself.  I'm just a big baby.  Anyway, I'm registered for this adrenaline packed race and we'll see how it goes.  I am pretty good at holding myself back in HMs and running a better second half than first half.  This might just serve me well!

A quick update on the upcoming HMs for the rest of the year:

• September 3rd - Around Cape Ann 25K in Gloucester
• October 6th - Applefest in Hollis, NH
• October 7th - BAA Half Marathon in Boston (I know what you're thinking...but I couldn't resist this race for one more year...I REALLY wanted to do it.)
• November 4th - All Women (and One Lucky Guy) Half in Newburyport.  Perhaps a birthday celebration is in order post-race!  (My b-day is just two days later)
• December 1st - St Jude's Memphis Marathon in Memphis, TN.  Soooo excited to run another marathon and to see Memphis!  And to run with my friend and her husband, Erika and Scott!  (The link will take you to Team Bales' fundraising page, not to the event homepage.)

I haven't begun to map out the races for 2013 yet.  If you know of one in the New England area that I simply MUST do, let me know!  And as usual, if anyone wants to join me for any of these races, I would absolutely welcome the company.  

the "shoulds"

A lot of times when I go out for a run, it's because I want to.  I want to get outside.  I want to exercise.  Or, I just want to be alone for an hour.  Whatever the reason, most of the time, I go for a run because I want to.

Then there are those times when I go for a run because I feel like I should.  I see other runners and think to myself that when I get home, I should go for a run.  I haven't run in three days, I should go for a run.  I ate a burrito last night, I definitely should go for a run.  

It's not a freeing, I-feel-so-great kind of a run.  It's a let-me-strap-on-my-backpack-full-of-guilt kind of run.  Which typically makes those runs suck.  (Just being honest.)  That being said though, when I struggle through the "should" runs, eventually it works out that a few days later, the "want to" runs return and I'm feeling good about running again.

This happened just this past week.  After HM #3, I took a few days off.  I didn't run for four days in a row.  (Who am I?!)  So, on the fifth day, I grudgingly tugged on my fun green Asics (from the title picture) and set out on a 5, maybe 6, okay let's make it 7mile run.  It was hot, I walked, I whined to myself and about myself.  But I finished and felt better for it.

I think there are a lot of ways this translates into our normal lives.  How often do we feel guilted into doing something because we should?  But soon enough, those habits become wants and, if those things are good for us, we are all the better for it.  Sure, we had to struggle through some rough days, but we came out on the other end with a good thing going.

Some examples:

I should stop drinking so much soda.  I want to drink more water
I should shop for cheaper groceries.  I want to go to Market Basket (but ONLY when it's not busy...)
I should eat healthier.  I want to eat more vegetables.
I should not eat so much ice cream.  I want to eat frozen yogurt instead.  (I mean, a girl can only give up so much....)

I could go on.  Are there shoulds that have turned into wants in your life?  Wouldn't you know it, running started out intially as a should.  Now (most days) it's a want.  Bet you couldn't have guessed that coming...

a few of my favorites

This blog is mostly about running and adventures and misadventures I have with that.  The fact that I am a runner is a big part of my life, but there are other things that I enjoy doing on a regular basis.  One of those is reading.  I love to read.  When I went on a fast from buying clothes a few years ago, I replaced buying clothes with buying books.  I can't help myself!  I finish one and already have three or four lined up.  Going to a bookstore or to the library is one of my favorite things.

I am especially drawn to books about tragedies and stories of people who overcome them.  Personal redemption stories.  I love to read about a broken, beaten down hero and how he/she triumphs in the end.  Some of my favorite books I've read in the past couple of years have been about one subject:  World War II.  I can't seem to read enough about this period in history.  The stories about what people endured and strength of the human spirit never fails to captivate me.

Some of my favorite books about WWII are these:

• Unbroken:  a true story about Louis Zamperini (an olympic runner!) who fought in WWII, was captured, and lived to tell about it.  An absolute must-read.  
• Sarah's Key:  two stories are told in this book, one during the War and one in present day.  This will pull on your heart strings but it is very well told.  This was also made into a movie...but read the book instead.  As usual, it's much better than the movie.
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:  Sounds like an odd title, right?  It ends up making sense, just read the book.  Most WWII books are tragic and heart-wrenching, and while there is a bit of that in this book, most of it is whimsically written and heart warming.  The style of writing is also interesting.  It's written as a series of letters, which I thought it would be strange...but it is an absolutely delightful book.  Highly recommended.
• Those Who Save Us:  be forewarned, this book does not hold back.  It is a bit gruesome in parts but depicts the lengths we will go to to save those we love.  This is also told in two separate stories, modern day Minnesota and Germany in the past.
• The Book Thief:  Liesel, Rudy, Max, Hans, Rosa.  This book is full of characters that will find their way into your heart.  The narrator is Death, which seems strange but it works, and works so well.  Set in a suburb of Munich, there is a young girl, a older couple, a Jew, a best friend, and a love of books.  Be prepared, you will cry.  I don't cry when I read books or watch movies, typically, but I was sobbing by the end of this.  If you only read one of these recommendations, read this one.

What are some of your favorite books?  Have you read any of these?  (You should!)

it's all about the (lack of) accessories

I'm not a big fan of running with lots of stuff.  The simpler the accessories, the better.  There are three things I need for a long summer run.

Water, watch, and headband - that's it!

Now, when it comes to winter runs there are many more accessories that are required.  But that's a post for another time.

flashback friday #9

As a sophomore, I took some classes that I actually wanted to take, like Latin and Ceramics.  I also had to take classes that I didn't want to take, like Geometry and World History. 

I turned 15 years old and skipped my first class.  I wore mens' clothing (shirts and jeans) because they were baggy and loose.  I also wore this beauty of a shirt:  purple corduroy button up from Eddie Bauer.  Yeah! 

I don't know what it is about school photos...but they are typically bad.  Especially mine.  You know, because you've seen them.  I mean, why am I asked to look up so high in this photo?  What am I supposed to be looking at.  Why are we never asked to look into the camera? 

Whatever the reason, here it is:  Sophomore year in all it's glory. 

race recap #3

I use the term "race" here loosely.  It wasn't so much about being a race than being a distance run.  It was technically my July Half Marathon - #3 in the 12 in 12 goal.  But it wasn't officially a race. 

I planned to run four laps of Lake Quannapowitt, soliciting my runner friends to join me, lest I get too bored with the same view and give up.  So after a typical race day breakfast of a bagel with pb and some coffee, I headed over to meet up with the first round of runners.

Megan, Trevor, and Malia ran with me the first lap and it went great.  We started out on the second lap all together and dropped Megan and Trevor halfway around.  Malia stuck with me for 6.6mi, two laps around and just over halfway. 

I picked up Lis and Maggie for the third lap, which was slower than the first two as the humidity was getting to me.  I had my Gu two thirds of the way around on the third lap.  By the time we made it over to the meeting spot and I had just one lap to go, I was exhausted.  (Perhaps the Five Guys I had for late lunch/early dinner the night before didn't help.)

With one lap left, I headed off on my own with the encouragement from my friends ringing in my ears.  It was not fun, I walked quite a bit.  It was frustrating...but I made it to the end with a time of 2:18:32.  Not the worst, not the best.

After the run, my friends and I hung out at my place for second breakfast:  smoothies, bagels, potato/zucchini pancakes, fruit, and delicious coffee.  Here's a pic of my support crew after our yummy breakfast:

Me, Malia, Maggie, Lis, Megan and Trevor

flashback friday #8

There was nothing more awkward than freshman year of high school.  Nothing.  This was the year that, after having been at the same school building for 8 long years, I had to go to a new place. 

I was experimenting with makeup (as evidenced by the picture).  My hair was a mess...did I not know what a blow dryer was?  And I finally had braces that obviously didn't work.  I was shy, quiet, and just average enough to fly under the radar.  I didn't do homework, watched a lot of TV and hated the way I looked.

It's quite a thing to look back at who I was.  And to see where I've come.  I complain a lot about these pictures (except for the first one...dang, I was cute!) but I don't think I'd trade them for anything.  Being the person you see here helped me become the person who is writing this blog.  I am confident in who I am now to show you who I used to be. 

I've had a lot of people say, "I would NEVER - N.E.V.E.R. - show my school pictures."  And that's fine...but for me it feels freeing.  We all know that these years were the ugly years.  Let's embrace it, laugh at it, and marvel at the fact that God never gave up on us and we're pretty stinkin' awesome people now. 

The me that is in these photos could not have done what today's me can do.  I am stronger now because of the girl I was.  It never fails to humble me and amaze me that God doesn't give up on us.  Thank the Lord for that...I wouldn't have wanted Him to give up on me 9th grade.  Eeep.

alone in a sea of people

I never shared this picture with you guys...  I was thinking about the Boston Marathon again (since I walked past the finish line twice in two weeks recently) and remembered seeing this photo on the Huffington Post website.  It's not a site I visit often, but back in April I read every article I could find about the marathon...

When I first saw it, I was really shocked.  I found what appeared to be John (my running buddy/coach/emergency bag carrier) and next to him, sure enough was me!  My recollection of running down Boylston street was very different from what I see in this picture.  In my mind, it was just me and John.  The finish line was in view and the street was all mine.  Then I found this...

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Good luck finding me!  Hint:  I'm in the upper righthand corner - black capris and pink tank.  John has on a white hat on with a white Tshirt to the left of me. 

It's crazy to me what I remember this being like and what it actually was like!  Our minds can do amazing things; like block out 100 people to make me feel like I was alone. 

the early miles

It takes a while to get warmed up.  To feel like I could run for hours.  Which sometimes, I do.  It never fails that the first few miles of any run are tough.  Depending on the length of the run the early miles could be anywhere from 3-6miles.  (This is especially tough for a 5K.  I've found I prefer to run 2mi before the 5K to get totally warmed up.  Otherwise, the whole race feels uncomfortable.)

Mentally, I have to get into the mindset that this is what I'm going to be doing for the next 40min, 1.5hrs, 4hrs.  Physically, my muscles need to get warmed up and into the motion of moving. 

I often find myself in the early miles coming up with ways to shorten my run.  "Maybe I don't *have* to run 12miles today...maybe I can get away with 8."  I find myself telling myself I can't do it, it's too hard, it's too hot, this route is too hilly.  Just this past weekend, the words of my friend, Molly kept playing through my head - "I can't.  Stop.  I can't."  (Full disclosure, whenever she used these words, it wasn't about running...but it works in this case, right?) 

It's in these early miles that I have to fight against my mind and my body.  I know that once I get to the middle miles (more on that at another time), I'll be fine and will feel good!  But getting there?  That's the hard part.  The experts tell you to come up with a mantra that you can use that make you feel stronger, it sounds totally cheesy, but it totally works.  To get myself through the early miles on Saturday, to combat the "I can't.  Stop." playing in my head, I used the mantra, "I can.  And I will."  This was accompanied by a defiant lift of the chin. 

The early miles are tough, but once you get through them you feel great and like you could run and run and run and run....

come run, or come eat

So, remember I'm doing this whole 12 half marathons in 12 months?  It's been awhile since my last one back on June 10th.  Well, this Saturday will be number 3!  If you recall, I couldn't find a half marathon within a reasonable distance from my house so I'm making up my own.

On Saturday, I'll be running 4+ laps of Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield.  I'll be starting from the green near the bandstand and the old stone church at 8am.  I would LOVE it if I had some company for one or all of the laps!!  You can run with me or run, jog or walk at your own pace.  After the 13.1mi, we'll have some coffee and food at my place. 

You don't have to participate in the running or walking to join us for breakfast afterwards.  The half should finish up around 10:15-10:30am, so meet us at the lake then and we'll head back to the house. 

Let me know if you'll be joining me!  I hope you will!

my own color run

Have you heard about these races called Color Runs?  You pay an absurd amount of money to run a 5K in all white clothes and have people throw color dust on you.  I don't know...having someone throw something on me, apart from a cup of water, while I run is not too appealing.  (Although, I have to admit...it does look kinda cool...)

When I went out for my run today, I didn't really think about what I put on, just threw some things together and went out.  As I was running though, I realized how colorful and mismatched I was.  I was on my own color run.  No one threw anything at me and I didn't have to pay for it.  ;)

Check out the flashy colors (and please don't mind the sweat...it was a bagillion percent humidity today).

I wish you could see more of my Camelbak, it's florescent green - more color!

flashback friday #7

Number 7?!  Wow.  Here it is; 8th grade in all it's glory. 

I had my first boy/girl birthday party, I turned 13.  A teenager!  I graduated from North Christian Elementary School - which no longer exists.  And apparently, wearing vests with a fully buttoned up shirt was cool in my mind.  So was wearing peace sign earrings...

The thing that I think is interesting about this picture is my smile.  It's obviously incredibly fake.  One of those, "hurry up and we'll take your picture and hope it turns out ok!"  Ugh, there's not much redeeming about school pictures.  I do hope you all appreciate that I'm sharing these with you...  ;)
 

happy fourth!

However you are celebrating this Fourth of July, I hope you are having a delightful time!  A friend and I had planned on going up to NH for a day of hiking; however the possibility of severe thunderstorms had us thinking twice.  (This is the second time this year our plans for hiking have been foiled.  I'm 0-2.)

Instead, I suggested we head over to Breakheart Reservation.  The last time we tried to run there, we just jumped in at a place that looked like it was part of the park.  Somehow we ended up along the giant powerlines and knew this couldn't be right.  Eventually we gave up, found the main road and headed back to town to run the lake.

This time we drove and made sure we entered the park at the right place.  We ran around the Reservation for about 50min.  Up and down, up and down.  It was pretty hilly...the kind of run that you absolutely hate doing, but love the fact that you've just done it.

It was a beautiful place, and I'm mad at myself for not having visited sooner!  There are two main trails, an inner loop and an outer loop.  Both are paved and wide.  Jutting off of the main paths are a number of unpaved loop trails.  We were hesitant to take any of these because last time...well, we didn't want to end up along the power lines again.  There are also two good sized lakes (one with a swimming area), tons of picnic tables, and a few playgrounds, too!

Despite the humidity and the warm temps (we should be used to it by now, right?!), it was a great run!  I wish we'd had more time to explore some of the unpaved trails.  For now, I'm just glad I know where it is, what it's all about, and to expect a hilly run when I'm there.  Below are some pics from our run.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Looooots of people come here to swim and picnic.

Yep, just a little humid.

We entered on the Wakefield side; this is the Saugus entrance.

One of the smaller inclines we experienced.

perfect summer weekend

Sometimes you have those weekends that are perfect.  The weather is perfect, what you did was perfect and you just don't want the weekend to end.  Well, this weekend was one of those for me.  There was enough stuff to do and yet, there was time to just relax and enjoy a little quiet, restful time.

You already know that I did a slow, long, really hot run on Saturday morning.  Did I mention it was hot?  Okay.  Good.  After I enjoyed my delicious recovery drink (see last post), I got cleaned up and headed into the city for drinks and apps with two good friends.  One of these friends is moving to Chicago this week.  This week!  Sad days.

Molly (she's moving), me, and Jocelyn

Sunday was a beautiful day.  My absolute FAVORITE thing to do on a beautiful summer day?  Go to the beach.  And that's just what I did.  I skipped out on the first two services at church, opting to go to the evening service instead.  Yesterday was my first beach day of the season and it was so great.  It was super duper hot on the beach so even though the water was fah-reezing, I had to go in multiple times.  So refreshing!  I went alone so you'll have to excuse the self portrait.  :)

alone at my favorite place

After the beach and the evening service at church (which was really, really good - you can listen to it here), I headed over to Jocelyn's house and we took off for a 6mi run.  It was still SO hot!  You can see by the self portrait (you see a theme with these pictures...) how sweaty we were when we got back to the house.  It was crazy hot.  But it felt so great to get a fun run in after a perfect summer weekend!

thank goodness for running buddies!

I hope there are more perfect weekends like this in my near future!  If I know one thing for certain, there are many more runs in store for many weekends to come!