I really prefer to run outside even though I have a treadmill. It just feels a lot more profitable to run outside - same miles but a totally different feel. It also gets me out of the house a little bit which is very necessary for me. But some days the aide doesn't show up which means that I can't run outside and if I am going to run it'll have to be on the dreadmill! Not long ago I got really frustrated with myself. I was doing a 5K at the OKC zoo. It was for Limbs for Life. I did terrible. I got third place in my age group but I did not perform well at all. It took me forever and I felt like I was dragging. I blamed it on lack of training and not keeping my miles up.I think really there were other factors - but that's what I blamed it on anyway. Well, I made some life changing decisions during that run as I began to ask myself some probing questions. I asked what's your problem?  And why aren't you training properly? I also asked myself if I really wanted t...

Runners know what an important role the diet plays in fueling the run. For me, it really is the pasta dinner the night before. You kind of have to experiment with a few things to find out what works for your body. And we all know how rough finding out what the no-no's are! That can mess up a really good run! (lol- runners know what I am talking about!) But I don't think that what we eat is the guts of the matter. What really fuels the run is found when you top that huge hill that was just taken in stride, or you shave a few seconds off a PR, or you get that medal in your age group at a race...all summed up in one word: success. That's really the "stuff" behind why we continue. Think about how discouraging it would be to run at the same pace every single day and never be able to get any faster ever - or if the same hill kicks you in the butt every day and you never conquer it...discouraging to say the least. I think this is true in many aspects of our live...

I have decided this one 5 mile route is my favorite. I get some pretty level running in before I turn to go up one of the biggest hills you'll find here in Norman, OK! Then at the top of the hill I swing through a neighborhood and over past a real pretty little pond to a street named, "Horizon View." I am not sure why it's named that as you cannot see a horizon from there at all! But then I double back and it's a nice morning run. The hill and I have something personal going on! I always look at it from the corner and point to myself and say, "I'm taking you down today!" as I head toward it! (Sometimes on the weekends I swear I can hear it calling out a challenge for me! lol!) Monday when I got to that hill, I was caught up in my thoughts and it came so easy it even surprised me. I realized I had taken the hill and never broke stride and my legs felt so good under me! But that success came at a cost. It's taken 2 years of training to get to ...

I completely didn't reach my goal of running 11+ miles today. There were many contributing factors. For one I started some cross training yesterday which caused my thighs to be pretty sore and tight starting out this morning.. no worries though, right? I can run through that! The the weather turned crazy on us. The wind was blowing like crazy with gusts up to 50 miles an hour. It was wild and cold this morning! I had decided to run a 5.5 mile loop double - out one way then double back and do it the other way. I chose to run the uphill direction first so that on the second half I'd have more downhill...however, the wind was in my face after I turned around and even downhill was a super challenging full-body workout! I am so sore - even my arms were tired from working it! I cold feel my toenail coming off as it's been in bad shape for quite some time. But I ignored that right? It's minor details that are better left unattended while running. But my foot had this pain ...

Yep - they emailed me the packet information and that is my assigned bib number! The race is only 3 weeks from today now!! I am excited. I am also anticipating a great running week this week. I'll start tomorrow with my 5 and a halfer then do a couple 3-4 mile runs and finish up on Friday with 11... that's the plan anyway! I am really excited because there is really no way to fail from here. It's my first so no matter what it'll be a new PR! lol! It will give me something to shoot for in training for the Chicago half this fall... I'm not sure - but I think I am a runner now! I've always wondered when I would know - and now I know. I am definitely a runner! I am not an elite runner - I'm a real slow - pretty much over the hill - just keep moving runner - but I am a runner! It's cool when we know our identity and where we stand with it. I think that in our Christian lives this gives us much trouble. We either set expectations too high for where we a...

So I pretty well spent the last few days packing and moving. Now I am trying to get unpacked. The trouble is that I have this catch in my back! It's not a muscle as it doesn't hurt all the time or if I lift stuff - only when I walk or move my leg a certain way...I'm pretty sure something is pinched off somewhere! It's digging at my mind since my first half marathon is one month from today! I didn't run but one day last week since I was so involved in moving and getting things switched over and now is not the time in training to take a week off!! My head is fighting me like crazy. What am I afraid of? failure... How do I talk myself out of it? First - I will do all I can do but nothing more to keep form injuring myself further. Second - this first half marathon is kind of a practice run so if I have to walk run it I will get it done. (this gripes me heavily as I want to know my real time so I know how to work to prepare for the Chicago half which has a time limit...

I know I should be packing boxes and moving them over to the new apartment. But I only have two hours to work with when the aid is here with my son. So what will I do? Run first! I must admit this is a very busy week with moving and all and it's been difficult to figure out how to balance it all out. I can pack other times but I can only run for this little two hour slot. I will run and then do errands! My first half marathon is only a little over a month away. I know I am not under too much pressure since I consider it training for the big one in September...but I put a lot of pressure on myself to do the best I can...it's only fair. I pretty much only have three days to work with this week so I will call this an easy week and hit it hard once again next week. My goal for this week is to just log some miles and keep my muscles up. Then next week I want to run over the 10 mile mark. I really feel like planning is the key to success. I have to plan for lots of things. One...