One Week!

One week to go!

I cannot believe the race is a week away. Last week I bought new shoes - thanks to the great people at Runner's Alley. I love my Mizunos, but their shoelaces are too short in the last few models. Annoying. Still love their shoes.

My cousin and I also bought cute running skirts for the big race. I am really glad to support a fellow running mom. You can check her out at Chasethisskirt on Etsy.

My training this week is just two days of 2-3 miles. I am holding onto hope that my training is solid enough to survive the hilly course and earn a time that I am secretly hoping for.

I have my three goals set - I kind of look at it like applying for colleges. I have a "safety" goal I am confident I will reach barring unforeseen circumstances - to finish the race. My "comfortable" goal - one I really should be able to meet - is to beat my Disney time. And my "reach" goal - well, I will just let you know I make it. Some things I need to keep to myself.

I am honestly really excited for next week - I am looking forward to hanging with my family and seeing how well I can do. I am also looking forward to going back to just running and not training.

So, one week! Stay tuned.

Two and a Half Weeks to Go!

The Manchester Half is just over two weeks away. I am excited and anxious as the day gets closer. I had been feeling good and am a bit more confident going into this last stretch.

I didn't end up running part of the course this past weekend because I postponed my long run to Monday. So glad I did. I did 10 miles in just over two hours and I felt great. Boot camp on Tuesday right after my long run means that I am pretty sore right now, but nothing too bad. Should go get shoes tomorrow afternoon and run in them these next few training runs.

Unfortunately the timing of the race falls at the end of quarter one, which means I will have grading to do as I recover. This could be a bit dicey. Luckily we have a few days to get everything corrected and entered, but still, not the best possible scenario. Ugh.

Dan has been running again, which is awesome. Someday we want to do a half together, but it honestly will be tricky with training. He has been unbelievably supportive of my efforts. He encourages me and reassures me when I have doubts, he plots my routes, and he has been driving by to check on me and bring me water on my long runs. In many ways my crossing the finish line will be an accomplishment for him, too. I cannot say enough about how amazing he is.

I am definitely excited about the race now. I want to see what I am capable of. I really can't wait to see my cousin. Running and blogging along with her has made me feel close to her and miss her at the same time. She's been dealing with some setbacks, but I am sure she will be ready to go on November 2nd.

Moving forward, feeling strong, can't wait!

Positive Thoughts

Thinking Positive Thoughts

A little over a month ago I watched the video of the course for the Manchester Half. It can be a little intimidating hearing the narrator repeatedly say, "This is a tough stretch here," "Steep incline here," "Survive this stretch..." It makes me wish I had chosen a seacoast race - much flatter. But my long runs have been hilly for sure, so my training should be decent. I just have walked parts of the hills recently, and I am psyching myself out a bit. I plan to run my 10 miler this weekend on the meat of the course, so at least I know what's really in store. I am a bit nervous about this because I am afraid a bad run might shake my confidence even more, but my running expert friend says it's always good to run the course ahead of time - shout out to Becka Noe. :)

A head cold this week has crimped my training a little bit. Tuesday I missed boot camp because my equilibrium was a little off, and I didn't want to infect my fellow divas, so I attempted a short treadmill run and did some squats and crunches. Wednesday I helped out at St. Thomas XC practice, so I got a mile in and did another mile and a half that night at Planet Fitness, stretched well, and got some more rest.  I am almost back to feeling 100%, so I am looking forward to a run tomorrow night and a good long run this weekend.

I am starting to freak out about how close the race is. Training has gone way faster than I anticipated. I actually am scheduled to do 9 miles this weekend, but I am trying 10 because I need to see where I am with three weeks to go. I am hoping it's better than I think, but we will see.

Getting over all my doubts isn't easy, but I focus on the positive as much as I can. When I had to walk a chunk of my long run this past weekend because my legs were deadweight, I focused on the fact that my lungs felt great. I also use mantras to keep me trekking. "Just run your race," is my overarching one this time, but I am working on one to get me through the last few weeks.  "You've got this," isn't quite cutting it. I'll let you know what I come up with.

Random Running Ramblings

I have no real focus for my blog this week. With just a month to go to the half, things are starting to get real, so I'll just share some random thoughts from the last few weeks -- in no particular order, a top ten list of sorts.

1.  Things are starting to hurt. I need to get to the chiropractor, but the time that I would go is usually devoted to getting my runs in. I took today off because of pain in my hip flexor and what I think might be a slightly sprained ankle.  Nothing that hurts too much, but a day of rest probably would do more good than harm. I'm hoping that, at least, but I can't help freaking out a bit when I miss training. Chiropractor visit definitely needs to happen . . .

2.  I see some weird things when I run around my house. I saw an upright bottle of wine on the side of the road on a long run that made me think of my friend Heidi who used to leave water bottles on her route. Maybe she left me a bottle of wine? And I didn't stop to see if it was opened or not, so don't ask. I also see a lot of roadkill -- one long run offered two skunks (awesome) a snake, a squirrel, and a bird. Just one run. Pretty crazy.

3. I scared away a cow the other day. A cow. On one of my routes there are some small brown shaggy cows. They seem pretty docile, but how can one really tell? The first time I ran by them I noticed a gap in the fence that I was pretty sure cows could escape from. On my next run by them I heard a rustling. I looked over to see one climbing up out of the pasture and up to the road. Several thoughts go through your head when a cow is approaching you on a run. 1.) Is it a bull? Will it charge me? 2.) These cars need to slow down because they could hit a cow. 3.) Can I outrun a bull? 4.) I should have brought my pepper spray. Would that have helped? 5.) Can I outrun a bull? It could be a bull. . . For whatever reason, though, the cow saw me, stopped in its tracks, and turned and ran the other way. I scared away a cow. I am a beast.

4. I should not tell my mother about the cow. Or about the fact that I run on Hackett Hill Road. That will make her nervous. She'd also be pissed to know I still don't have one of those Runner ID things. But since she's reading this, my Catholic guilt is now assuaged.

5. New shoes are in my future. I am now a devoted Mizuno runner. I'll go to Runner's Alley and just get the latest model. I am such a freak about socks and shoes -- they are probably the most important element of my running gear.

6. I used to love GU, but on my last few runs I had to choke it down. I used to look forward to getting to the time on my run where I needed my GU, but I am concerned I'll have to find another long run fuel. I welcome suggestions from fellow runners.

7. I need to start planning what to wear for the half. My outfit planning is some of my most stressful race day preparation, even for a 5k. I will definitely sport the headband my cousin sent me -- it says "I <3 Running." I think she's trying to convince me. Or trying to help me convince myself. Either way, I will wear it in solidarity with her. I'll also wear my "balance bracelet" that she bought for me at the expo when we ran the Disney Princess 1/2. It's probably snake oil, but I wear it to think of her as I run. It helps me remember there's someone running alongside of me even when I'm running alone and that I have done this before. It helps me remember I am strong enough to do this. I also wear running skirts. Being cute is not the reason I wear them, but it doesn't hurt. The real reason is I get so annoyed with my shorts bunching up between my thighs that I spend the whole time pulling at them and hating my run. Skirts have solved this problem. In cooler weather I do capris or pants.

8. My cousin's blog is so awesome! You can find it at jenhaught.blogspot.com.  She's been interviewing some notable runners including Bart Yasso. Check it out!

9. I got a message from a woman in Colombia who found my last blog entry through my cousin. It was tough to write, but from all the feedback and private messages I've gotten from women, it seems we all share elements of the same story. 

10. A few of my friends and I are starting a running group at school for non-athlete girls. We are hoping it helps them have a positive connection to school and a place for them to feel supported. I'm also thinking of submitting my latest blog entry to Dove as part of their #FeelBeautifulFor campaign.We'll see.

One month until the half!